Regression Guidelines for the Supporting Character

Chapter 25

In response to the sudden monster attack, Kwon Tae-hyuk led the fleeing hunters.

Scanning from the very back to ensure no one was left behind, Kwon Tae-hyuk’s eyes widened when he saw Cha Seo-hu running down the right path instead of entering the room.

“What the…!”

“Hunter Cha Seo-hu!”

Ryu Sunghyun, who was leading the hunters alongside Kwon Tae-hyuk, belatedly grasped the situation and called out to Cha Seo-hu, but he kept running with the child in his arms without looking back.

One of the Ronic Guild members, seeing monsters swarming behind Cha Seo-hu, shouted:

“Close the door!”

“Cut the chains!”

“Wait…”

Just as Kwon Tae-hyuk tried to stop the hunters from closing the door despite knowing Cha Seo-hu hadn’t entered, someone’s skill broke the thick chains holding the door.

Chaeng, chwareureuruk!

As the chains were dragged up, the thick, massive iron door fell. Kuwung, a heavy sound echoed as dust spread. Beyond the iron door, the footsteps of passing monster hordes resounded loudly.

Kwon Tae-hyuk, stunned, turned his gaze from the closed door to the hunter who had called for its closure and the one who had cut the chains. Coincidentally, both were Ronic Guild members.

“How could you close the door when someone hasn’t entered yet?”

The Ronic Guild member, flinching at Kwon Tae-hyuk’s sharp voice, soon replied with a face full of discontent:

“Th-then what should we do? Should we all die for the sake of one person?”

“That’s right. It’s sad for those who couldn’t enter, but we can’t let dozens of people suffer because of one person.”

Kwon Tae-hyuk, furrowing his brow severely, let out an irritated sigh.

“Are you saying it’s really okay to close the door without even attempting to wait, when we weren’t even in danger from fighting?”

“But, no matter how you look at it, because of one person…”

“You ran away first without even noticing the slow supporters barely keeping up from behind, and now you’re abandoning them because they didn’t arrive in time? If you can’t protect even one supporter, why are you even here?”

“That…”

The Ronic Guild member fell silent, unable to refute the scathing criticism.

If it had been his own guild member, he would have corrected their behavior thoroughly, but he couldn’t do that to someone from another guild. Frustrated, Kwon Tae-hyuk roughly ran his hand through his hair and observed the reactions of other hunters.

He saw people here and there avoiding his gaze with hardened expressions. They probably agreed with the Ronic Guild member’s words.

Kwon Tae-hyuk himself didn’t think his opinion was perfect.

Is it right to endanger the majority for the sake of a minority? This wasn’t an easy problem that could be concluded right away.

However, considering that it wasn’t dangerous enough to risk the lives of the conquest party here, and that Cha Seo-hu could have arrived before the monsters, closing the door was a hasty decision.

The initial flight was just due to everyone being flustered by the sudden monster attack. If they had entered this room, quickly taken positions, and calmly faced the situation, they would have had a good chance of winning.

No matter how many monsters there were, this was ultimately just a B-rank dungeon.

When a person’s life is at stake, even being overly cautious wouldn’t be enough, yet they closed the door so rashly. Would they have acted the same if Cha Seo-hu had been a member of the Ronic Guild?

‘…Enough. Let’s stop this pointless contemplation.’

He couldn’t just sit there judging right and wrong for something that had already happened. Kwon Tae-hyuk first checked for any signs of monsters beyond the iron door.

“…?”

He had expected monsters to be crowding outside trying to break down the iron door, but strangely, there were no signs at all. Could all the monsters have chased after Cha Seo-hu?

‘All those monsters went after Cha Seo-hu alone?’

Realizing the situation was far more serious than expected, Kwon Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue and quickly called out:

“Hunter Ryu Sunghyun!”

“Yes?”

“From now on, I’m going to search for Hunter Cha Seo-hu with me. The rest of you should move to the boss room first. Since the boss monster, the ogre, has come out, that place should be empty now.”

To leave the dungeon, they needed to use the portal beyond the boss room. Since the final destination was the boss room, it was better for the remaining party members to go there first.

“Guild Leader. Should we go too?”

“No. Stay here and command the party.”

Rather than causing confusion by going in a large group, it would be faster to find Cha Seo-hu using the S-rank movement speed and keen senses.

‘There’s a high chance he’s already dead.’

Not only was he likely dead, but his corpse might have been completely devoured, leaving no trace.

Knowing this, Kwon Tae-hyuk still didn’t reverse his decision to search for Cha Seo-hu. As the organizer of this conquest, he had to take that much responsibility. And besides this reason,

[Ah, I pushed myself a bit too hard and got dizzy…]

The image of Cha Seo-hu staggering with a pale complexion kept flashing in his mind.

Why did someone with such a weak body that they could collapse after using just one or two skills run off somewhere else instead of entering the room?

Although he had to set aside his doubts for now as moving quickly was urgent, it was certainly strange.

Kwon Tae-hyuk, having handed over the leader position to his guild member, turned to Ryu Sunghyun and said:

“If you don’t want to go, say so. I can go alone.”

Ryu Sunghyun, who had been standing with a somewhat complex expression, hastily collected himself at those words and shook his head.

“No, that’s not it. I’ll go.”

“Then let’s depart immediately.”

If they went out through the path opposite the iron door, they could reach the direction Cha Seo-hu had run off to, albeit taking a slightly roundabout route.

Following behind Kwon Tae-hyuk, who was running ahead without hesitation, Ryu Sunghyun lowered his head with an uncomfortable feeling.

‘How pathetic…’

When the iron door closed before Cha Seo-hu could enter the room, Ryu Sunghyun was just as shocked and angered as Kwon Tae-hyuk.

But that was it. Unlike Kwon Tae-hyuk, Ryu Sunghyun couldn’t confidently state his opinion or protest to the Ronic Guild members. Despite Cha Seo-hu having volunteered to help his guild first.

Ryu Sunghyun clenched and unclenched his hand. The energy Cha Seo-hu had replenished earlier was still in his body, yet the owner of that skill might be dead or alive, unknown.

Guilt weighed heavily on his chest. For Ryu Sunghyun, who didn’t particularly like receiving help from strangers, this situation was a great burden.

* * *

Kuwung, kung!

Kiiiiik… kiik…

Dagak, dagak, dagak.

The ground shook with each slow step of the ogre. I swallowed dry saliva as I listened to the footsteps of monsters searching for me nearby.

After running like mad, I arrived at a room. Thankfully, there was a small crevice in the corner just big enough for one person to squeeze into, and I was able to hide my body in it. It was nothing short of a stroke of luck.

I considered using my hidden skill, but no matter how much my physical abilities improved, it was impossible for me alone to handle that many monsters.

Moreover, since this was inside a dungeon owned by the Yeseong Guild, they would check later who killed the monsters. Then my identity known as ‘Cover’ could be exposed.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

In a space so cramped it was suffocating, holding Cha Sahyun in my arms, I slightly turned my head to check outside. Dagak, dagak. At the same time, a pitch-black, pointed spider leg passed right before my eyes.

The monsters diligently roaming outside were a problem, and the angry Cha Sahyun in my arms was also a problem.

It seemed the monsters were drawn to Cha Sahyun’s energy and kept circling this room without leaving. Would they move away if Cha Sahyun’s mood improved?

‘Honestly, I still don’t know why this kid is angry…’

I needed to know the reason for his anger to apologize or comfort him. We couldn’t stay stuck in this cramped place forever. It was difficult to have a proper conversation with Cha Sahyun due to the monsters nearby.

“Haah, kid… why are you really doing this to me.”

In a situation with no visible solution, I leaned my head on Cha Sahyun’s shoulder in my arms and whispered quietly. The hair near the child’s ear slightly wavered with my sigh. Then Cha Sahyun’s body stiffened, and the tips of his ears turned red.

‘Unless they’ve lost their minds, no one will come to rescue us.’

Should I inevitably use my hidden skill and fight fiercely with the monsters, risking my life? Putting aside the issue of being discovered for later.

If not that, I needed to comfort Cha Sahyun, but this was difficult without being detected by the monsters…

“…!”

It was then, as I was racking my brains intensely.

I realized the monsters’ presence had changed and abruptly raised my head. With a glimmer of hope, I checked outside again.

‘…It’s not my imagination.’

The monsters that had been roaming right nearby until just now were suddenly far away.

[Main Quest: Successfully clear a B-rank or higher dungeon with the villain. (Time remaining: 3 days 9 hours 38 minutes)]

[Sudden Quest: Prevent the progression of the Seed of Calamity]