In a world where monsters could appear anytime, anywhere, even civilians carry weapons. It might have been inevitable that people would focus on the hunters who take the lead in ensuring the safety of the masses in such a world.

From a young age, kids write their future aspirations to become S-rank hunters, and the hunter’s name is ubiquitous in various cultural industries and products, indicating their immense popularity.

Among them is the Velvet Hunter Academy, a globally renowned elite educational institution founded by the top-ranked hunter, Jammin (Lina the Chairman). It’s a school that anyone who awakens their status window dreams of attending at least once.

However, only a handful of hunters can actually enroll there. Therefore, it’s natural for attention to be drawn to individuals like Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog, who formed a party and spread news of their conquest even before taking the midterm exam.

Against this backdrop, Shin Se-hee’s shot soared rapidly like a snowball rolling down a slope.

“[Issue Check] Star Rising Stars, Fighting Dog and Cheonhwa Return… Expectations Soar on the Korean Peninsula!”

“This is insane…! The U.S. is amazed, China is shocked, and Japan is kneeling to the Utopia Party! ‘Why doesn’t Japan have such a party!!!!'”

“[Hunter Talk!] Fighting Dog! Did her loneliness drive her to form a party after working alone?”

Despite a plethora of news pouring out while they’re in the dungeon, even media outlets that didn’t attend seem eager to jump on the bandwagon, churning out articles with all sorts of patriotic and sensational wording.

It’s like a cycle of articles spawning more articles, and those articles being used again like leks.

Comments attached to them multiply in the blink of an eye.

Firstly, reactions to Shin Se-hee and Kang Do-hee, who remained quiet for a while after entering the academy.

─ Wow! Hello, Se-hee! Nice to meet you, Se-hee! Se-hee YEEEE! Shout out loud with your underwear off!!!

─ Oh my goddess, I thought I wouldn’t see you for a while after entering the academyㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

─ LOL, Fighting Dog unnie’s scale is crazyㅋㅋ She formed a party with Shin Se-hee and came out ZZZ

─ A party managed by Cheonhwa? Then, all those dogs who kept teasing Se-hee about being weaker than Kang Do-hee will shut their mouths?

┖ What nonsense is this? It’s like Cheonhwa officially declared that she’s backing off because she’s lacking in combat ability. If anyone objects, they’ll be put in their place. Fighting Dog is a legend.

┖ Yeah, backing. Off. Do. Hee.

┖ Yeah, backing. Off. Se. Hee.

And then, standing alongside Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog, a newcomer carved their name into the scene. Jin Yoo-ha also emerged as a hot topic among comments.

─ Wait, what’s up with this guy’s face? Did they really choose a party leader based on his face?

─ A guy… as strong as Kang Do-hee? But that face? Seriously shocking… Is that face for real?

─ Wow, crazy, if Cheonhwa put her name on the line she will not lie about it, that means being stronger than herself is real. What’s the truth?

─ What does it mean that he ‘defeated’? Explain what it means that he ‘defeated’? Explain what it means that he ‘defeated’? Explain what it means that he ‘entered’? Explain what it means that he ‘entered’?

─ Yuha oppa… are you here? Is this my destiny here?

┖ ●▅▇█▇▆▅▄▇

─ I didn’t know, but I like Jin Yuha….

Fortunately, Shin Se-hee’s public relations efforts seemed to have a significant effect, as the majority expressed positive reactions and expectations towards Jin Yuha.

However, there are always some who see things differently.

─ Ugh, disappointed with Fighting Dog and Cheonhwa, setting up a half-and-half male party leader for noise marketing based on appearance.

─ If you read the article carefully, it says he’s part of the male quota system. Seems like they used him to stir up controversy at the academy? There’s no reason they would favor someone who didn’t even take the exam to get in.

─ LOL, claiming to have won against Fighting Dog? It’s obvious nonsense, yet people are running with it. Do you really try your best when fighting a guy? You just watch and then he throw a lucky punch and claim he won, right?

┖ If this article is wrong, Fighting Dog wouldn’t stay silent. Don’t you know Fighting Dog throws gender equality punches when she’s pissed off? And there are already testimonies from witnesses, so what nonsense is this?

While I scrolled through the comments on my phone, Shin Se-hee, who peeked over, stiffened her expression and bit her lip.

“They dare…”

When I turned my head to the side, Shin Se-hee quickly composed her face but wore a worried expression.

“Ar-Are you okay?”

“Huh? What about?”

“Th-Those comments, don’t pay too much attention to them! They don’t really know what they’re talking about…!”

“Am I supposed to, what, get hurt by reading those?”

“….”

Shin Se-hee remained silent, but her silence seemed to convey her agreement.

“Don’t worry. I don’t really care about this kind of thing.”

Before and after possession, I don’t have parents, so I’m immune to pad-lipped (real) comments. My mental state isn’t so fragile that it would be shattered by attacks from people whose faces I don’t even know.

“You might be okay now, but you might suddenly think about it before bed, during meals, or in your daily life…”

I let out a wry chuckle.

“It’s okay, I was actually less surprised than I thought I’d be? If you hadn’t set it up like this, it probably wouldn’t have ended with just curses. You did well.”

“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved…”

Shin Se-hee looked at me with a somewhat doubtful expression.

“Umm, but it might be better to explain it thoroughly.”

“Huh?”

“I understood why you wrote the article like this, but it seems like she hasn’t understood it yet.”

I gestured with my chin to the back.

“Oh.”

Cough. Cough.

Shin Se-hee coughed and approached Kang Do-hee, then whispered to her.

“Kang Do-hee, I really regret how the article turned out.”

“…What? Regret?”

At Shin Se-hee’s words, Kang Do-hee raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I only spoke the truth, but the article seems a bit sensational.”

“The truth? Sensational…?”

Kang Do-hee burst into a dry laugh as if she found it absurd.

“Yes. But…”

Shin Se-hee chose her words carefully, touching her lips.

“Did I say anything untrue? You acknowledged Mr. Jin Yuha, didn’t you? So, you joined the party because of him? And it’s true that you lost in a duel with Mr. Jin Yuha, and, well, the wording of ‘defeated’ was a bit strong, but… I didn’t say that.”

“….”

“And protecting Mr. Jin Yuha using our fame, why are you so upset about it… I honestly don’t understand.”

Shin Se-hee tilted her head as if she didn’t understand English.

“….”

“….”

Kang Do-hee closed her mouth and stared at Shin Se-hee. And Shin Se-hee stared back at her without backing down.

Then.

Surprisingly, Kang Do-hee was the first to turn her head.

“Tsk.”

Kang Do-hee clicked her tongue, turned around, and stepped briskly towards the warp gate.

“Hmm…”

I scratched my chin and watched Kang Do-hee’s retreating figure.

“Shin Se-hee.”

I turned my head to look at Shin Se-hee.

“Yes?”

“Can we distribute the party’s profits fairly? To all party members.”

“All members? But Mr. Jin Yuha, as the party leader…”

“I want my share to be divided equally among the party members. Oh, and did I say that I’m definitely one of the party members?”

“….Do you think I would disadvantage Kang Do-hee because of what just happened?”

Shin Se-hee narrowed her eyebrows as if she couldn’t believe she was being seen as such a narrow-minded person. I chuckled and shook my head.

“No. I was worried I might be excluding you.”

She looked sheepish at that.

“Did you think I would refuse from your side, even though I acknowledged you as one of the party members?”

“Oh, no….”

“Okay, then please handle it. I have something urgent to attend to.”

I said, looking towards the warp gate.

.

.

.

Fundamentally, Kang Do-hee is a person with immense ego and pride.

She always speaks directly and without beating around the bush, and she doesn’t hesitate to retaliate against anyone who ignores her or looks down on her.

Although her actions may seem simple, there’s always a reason behind everything she does, and if she acts aggressively, it’s only when someone has crossed a line.

“That Kang Do-hee really behaved herself in this dungeon expedition, even after all those irritating situation for her.”

Even though it wasn’t the most direct path, Kang Do-hee followed me without any objections.

Having operated solo until now, Kang Do-hee had never bothered with anything other than mana materials. Despite that, when Yoo-ri made a comment that scraped her pride by asking if she thought materials were a joke, she silently picked up thorns.

And finally, regarding Shin Se-hee, who wrote a sensational article without saying a word, Kang Do-hee ultimately swallowed her pride.

‘This is the real Kang Do-hee.

The Dealers’ dormitory, the Hall of Bravery.

I stood in front of her door, wearing a small smile.

Knock knock knock.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me.”

“…Jin Yuha?”

Creak—

The door soon opened, and Kang Do-hee, looking bewildered, came out.

“Hey, Kang Do-hee.”

I looked at her and raised the corners of my eyes.

“Shall we… do that?”

At that, her expression contorted as if asking what crazy talk was I spouting.

“…What?”