[The skill 'Sanctification' has been activated.]

Ryu Seo-ha immediately expanded a translucent barrier, artificially extending his sensory range. In the hallway beyond the door, he detected one person slumped on the floor and another entity rushing towards them with alarming speed.

[The designated target (S-rank Awakened, 1 individual) has been granted the buff 'Basic Shield.']

[The designated target (non-Awakened, 1 entity) has been granted the status ailment 'Paralysis.']

After applying an emergency stop to the threat, he flung open the door to reveal a familiar face—Han Ga-eul, a guild member from FromHell who had recently attracted attention as an S-rank production-type Awakened.

"This... this person…."

Han Ga-eul was sitting on the ground, gripping a staff-shaped defense item tightly with both hands, her posture conveying the gravity of the situation.

Opposite her stood a man frozen like a statue. His eyes, marked by discolored irises and unnaturally constricted pupils, were identical to the symptoms of viral infection Ryu Seo-ha had seen before. His pale skin was marred by bruising, and dark veins protruded beneath it.

[The designated target (non-Awakened, 1 entity) has been granted the buff 'Status Ailment Removal.']

Ryu Seo-ha administered a tranquilizing buff to the man, who collapsed to the floor as the paralysis wore off. His appearance returned to normal, but his gaze remained fixated on Han Ga-eul with a disturbing intensity.

"Ga-eul, are you alright?"

Ryu started to extend a hand to the trembling Han Ga-eul but stopped short, instinctively aware of his lover’s feelings.

"Y-yes… I'm... fine…."

Still in shock, she nodded faintly, her hands trembling as they held the staff. Instead of helping her directly, Ryu Seo-ha turned to face the male employee, who was now glaring at him with obvious resentment.

"Did you violate the guild-wide directive not to consume potions recently?"

The man’s expression twisted in anger as he rose, his hostile gaze fixed on Ryu as if demanding, who do you think you are to question me?

“Urgh!”

But his glare didn’t last long. Choi Kang-hu, who had stepped in between them, seized the man’s entire face with one large hand and lifted him off the ground. The man's feet flailed in the air as Choi effortlessly hoisted him up. The Yeoui Sword in Choi's other hand transformed into a dagger, its sharp tip aimed directly at the man’s eyes, as if ready to gouge them out.

"Kang-hu."

Ryu Seo-ha’s quiet voice made Choi lower his weapon slightly with a sigh. Though the pressure on the man’s face remained, it seemed like Choi wasn’t going to spill any blood—for now.

Leaving the whimpering man behind, Ryu turned back to Han Ga-eul, who was struggling to stand. Her continued trembling evoked a deep sense of sympathy in him.

"Ga-eul, can you tell me what happened?"

"W-well…."

Her hesitant explanation revealed an absurd story. It all started with a fabricated article titled The Secret Life of the S-Rank Production-Type Lottery Girl that had been posted online. Han Ga-eul had discovered that the source of the baseless rumor was a fellow employee. She had initiated legal action with the guild’s support, but the man came to her, not to apologize, but to threaten her. Though they met in the guild lobby for safety, she eventually snapped, slapping him when he presented false evidence. That’s when the man suddenly turned violent and lunged at her.

"Feelings of inferiority and resentment… a clear case of neglect from the HR department," Choi Kang-hu muttered, his brows furrowing.

Agreeing with him, Ryu Seo-ha gestured to a guild lawyer who had been anxiously hovering nearby. He asked them to isolate the attacker first, ensuring that Han Ga-eul could recover in a safer environment before discussing any penalties.

"That man… he was always strange, but just now, it was like he was possessed. You two know why, don’t you?"

Having sensed that the man’s sudden aggression wasn’t just a personal issue, Han Ga-eul looked at Ryu and Choi with concern. She was right.

The Puppet Virus disrupts the autonomic nervous system, heightening emotions and disrupting a person's ability to control their magic. The trigger that shifts the dormant virus into an active phase is often an emotional stimulus—particularly when feelings of jealousy, inferiority, or resentment are provoked.

What made the virus truly terrifying was that infected individuals would appear to calm down after an outburst, leading others to mistakenly believe they had recovered. Unlike demonic transformations, the virus had periods of dormancy, making it harder to detect and more dangerous.

"Kang-hu."

Choi handed the responsibility of explaining the situation to his secretary with a simple gesture. With Jung Woo-bin now left to the association’s care, Ryu and Choi quickly made their way to the production research lab. There were more urgent matters to deal with—the cult’s movements were ahead of schedule, and the safety of the entire nation was at stake.

“It's… done…”

Luckily, Dr. Han Kang-seok had finally completed his research. Collapsed on the sofa with dark circles under his eyes, he pointed weakly to a row of potion vials, unable to even greet the guild leader properly.

“Is it ready?”

Choi Kang-hu picked up one of the small glass vials from the shelf, examining the liquid inside. Ryu nodded silently. The rainbow-colored potion inside matched the description of the Rank Booster Potion from the original storyline.

“Well, the degree of enhancement varies by individual, but it definitely improves the quality of magic. We still need to conduct clinical trials for side effects, though…”

Sensing that Ryu and Choi were about to use the potion immediately, Han Kang-seok trailed off. His sharp instincts had picked up on their urgency.

“I’ll take care of any side effects later,” Ryu assured him.

Soon, all healers in the country would be issued these potions, along with expensive scrolls, and assigned to work with combat Hunters in teams deployed across the nation. This was to ensure that they could respond swiftly to viral outbreaks. For now, the healers would only provide temporary relief, but it was a necessary measure.

“So, I’d appreciate your continued cooperation, Doctor.”

“C-cooperation?”

“Yes. You’re coming with us to the U.S.”

They had to finish their dungeon raids quickly. To manufacture defensive items that could cover all of Korea, they needed rare materials, which they would have to secure themselves. But first, they had to handle the earthquake damage in Namibia.

After consuming the Rank Booster Potions, search-type Hunters used their upgraded skills and electromagnetic detection techniques to sweep through special dungeons across the U.S. under the watchful eyes of the CDC. Expensive scroll items were consumed at an alarming rate, as though they were water.

“Oh, it’s exactly as you described!”

Standing in front of an A-rank gate in San Francisco, Han Kang-seok, his face pale with exhaustion, marveled at how Ryu Seo-ha had pinpointed the exact dungeon.

“Dr. Han, wait here.”

But before Han could even ask how Ryu had identified this particular dungeon—one that housed an elemental-type boss monster and had a jungle-like environment—Choi Kang-hu ordered him to stand back.

“Wouldn't it be better to send him back to Korea? He hasn’t slept all night,” Ryu suggested gently, his voice laced with concern.

“It won’t take more than an hour, and then we’ll move on to the next gate.”

Choi Kang-hu caressed Ryu’s cheek, speaking softly. However, his expression remained cold as he added that Han would be compensated for his efforts.

“…He might be in danger on his own.”

Ryu whispered, glancing at the U.S. association agents stationed nearby. He was less concerned about the American government and more about the cult’s possible reach. Given how many people had already been abducted, it was only natural for Ryu to worry about Han Kang-seok’s safety. Since leaving the island, Ryu hadn’t even seen his sister, Ryu Jung-ah, just in case.

He suddenly realized that his sister had stopped contacting him altogether. Feeling a surge of unease, Ryu checked the CCTV app installed at the Han-nam-dong mansion and, seeing his sister sitting safely on the sofa, finally felt relieved.

"Let’s apply your skill before we go," Choi Kang-hu suggested, his voice unusually soft.

“You want me to use Sanctification? But once we enter the dungeon, I won’t be able to supply the magic to maintain it…”

“I’ll infuse it with my magic to keep it active.”

“Wait… are you asking me to clear the dungeon alone?”

Ryu looked puzzled, but Choi Kang-hu shook his head, frowning, as if such a ridiculous idea had never crossed his mind. He reached into his subspace and pulled out an object.

“I’m lending you this.”

It was a single, shiny, jet-black strand of hair… no, it was someone’s hair.