CHAPTER 260: A QUEEN’S DUTY

GRAHAM was late.

He was busy helping the Autumn Guild’s administrative office with some important documents when he received a notification from the System.

It was a notification that Ahn Kisoo and Gong Yool were kidnapped.

[I didn’t even know that they left my house!]

He almost flew to the National Guide Center, but he was still too late.

When he arrived there, everything was over.

"Graham, take care of the things here," Yeon Soobin, who was carrying an unconscious green-haired woman in his arms, said in a hurry. "Semi Noona will be here in a minute. Geon and I need to leave."

"Okay, Hyung," Graham said, nodding. "But I’m expecting a full report later."

Yeon Soobin just nodded, and then he disappeared with Shin Geon and the mystery woman.

Graham then headed to the Center’s Infirmary.

Yeon Soobin already informed him earlier that the Guides and the hurt Hunters were there.

But, to be honest, many people working at the Center were actually hurt.

Even so, only the high-class Guides and the high-ranking Hunters occupied the Infirmary.

"Kisoo, Yool-ah!" Graham said worriedly when he saw the two, and then he saw his older sister. "Noona!"

Ahn Kaia.

Lee Cheongsan.

Hwang Minho.

Those three high-ranking Hunters were all unconscious and heavily injured.

[And I can tell that their Manas are depleted!]

Fortunately, the country’s high-class Guides were there.

Meguro Shun was Guiding Ahn Kaia.

Im Rona was Guiding Lee Cheongsan.

Kim Bora was Guiding Hwang Minho.

"Guiding won’t be enough," Graham said worriedly. "We should call a doctor."

"The Center’s doctor was injured, so I called APA and asked them to send the country’s best doctors here," Park Ruda said. "They’ll be here soon. The medical staff members of the Center are currently preparing the operation rooms."

Fortunately, the Center was big enough that they could perform three operations at the same time.

Haaah.

[I can’t believe I was busy signing documents when all of this was happening...]

"Graham, report."

Oh.

It was Semi.

Graham was relieved when the God Alchemist appeared out of thin air.

[Noona probably teleported here as soon as she heard the news.]

"I haven’t heard the full details yet, but my Noona, Lee Cheongsan, and Hwang Minho all need immediate surgery," Graham said. "Park Ruda said APA will send doctors here."

"Alright," Semi said while putting on white gloves. "I’ll check on them first."

***

"HOW’S Minho Hyung and Kim Bora?" Yejun asked worriedly while talking to Hwang Minsu on the phone. "Kim Bora is fine? I see. How about Hyung?"

"Minho is still in the OR. According to Bona, the enemy tried to crack Minho’s head open. But Semi-ssi said that she used a high-grade potion on Minho so that he wouldn’t die from blood loss before his surgery."

He was relieved to hear that.

"Any information on the assailant?"

"Apparently, it’s a square-headed villain wearing a TV screen with your face on it, Yejun-ah. And, according to Bora’s statement, the square-headed villain copying you also had the ability to use ice. The bastard used a skill similar to your Heavyweight Champion skill. Minho didn’t expect that the enemy’s weight would crush his head during the fight. That was how Minho lost."

Tsk.

There were so many Hunters in the world that it wasn’t a surprise that some of them would have similar skills.

However...

[It leaves a bad taste in my mouth that the enemy harmed my cousin hyung using a skill similar to mine.]

"How about the others?"

"Kaia Unnie was burned by the enemy who used the same flame as Graham-ssi. She’ll live, but Semi Unnie and the doctors said that her burn marks will be difficult to remove."

Tsk.

"Lee Cheongsan-ssi was poisoned, so he was still unconscious. He’s out of danger now, but Semi Unnie said we still don’t know what the effect of the poison would be."

Tsk.

Ahn Kaia.

Lee Cheongsan.

Hwang Minho.

[They’re all high-ranking Hunters!]

Those square-headed bastards...

"We protected our country’s high-class Guides, but it’s a shame that three of our high-ranking Hunters were heavily injured. The enemies really took advantage of the fact that the Big 4 are occupied at the moment, and that Wony isn’t in the right state of mind."

"I’ll kill those fucking bastards," Yejun growled lowly. Wonhee was just in the room next door, so he didn’t want her to see this side of him because he might scare her. "Noona, please summon our Hunters whose contract with other guilds is about to end."

When the Winter Guild was swallowed by APA, Yeon Soobin used his authority as the Vice President to send the Hunters from his guild to the countryside. It was the better option than one where the Hunters would be forced to work for Kwon Jiwoong.

[I didn’t want to summon them back so soon since the countryside also needs protection, but it can’t be helped.]

"We’ll make those bastards pay for hurting Minho Hyung and trying to kidnap Kim Bora," Yejun said, his jaws clenched. "We’ll show them what they’ll get for messing with the Winter Guild."

"As you command, Captain."

***

"OPPA, Geon Oppa, you’re leaving?" Wonhee asked worriedly when Soobin and Geon said they were leaving again. "Is it safe to come out now?"

"There’s never a ’safe’ time for Awakened People, Hee-ya," Soobin said, smiling bitterly at her. "I know you’re worried, but your Geon Oppa and I need to work. As the APA Vice President, it’s my job to calm the public."

Right.

There were a few reports from trusted broadcasting stations and newspapers that had already released the story about the Center being attacked.

Everyone knew the importance of Guides in the new world.

Hence, the majority of the people were worried about the state of their country.

"As the director of the National Guide Center, I have to return there and check on my people," Geon said, gently patting Wonhee’s head. "But don’t worry too much, Hee-ya. Your Soobin Oppa and I will be careful."

Wonhee didn’t want her brother and brother-in-law to leave, but it wasn’t up to her. "I’ll be waiting for your return, Soobin Oppa, Geon Oppa. Please tell Semi Unnie that I don’t want her getting hurt."

Both Soobin and Geon nodded.

"We’re leaving now," Soobin said, waving at her. "Stick to Hwang Yejun and Do Ahyeon."

"And please look after Bitna-ssi," Geon said while holding Soobin’s hand. "I’ll check on your friend when I get home later."

Wonhee nooded. "Take care, Oppas."

And, in just the blink of an eye, Soobin and Geon already disappeared.

[I’m alone now.]

Well, not really.

Hwang Frost was talking on the phone next door, while Do Ahyeon was helping the kitchen staff prepare lunch for her.

[Ahyeonnie always insists on taste-testing my food after I was drugged, apparently.]

"Did your oppas leave already?"

Wonhee was startled when the green-haired lady suddenly spoke, and she was even more surprised to see her staring back at her. "Y-You’re awake."

"Uh-huh," the green-haired lady said while getting up. "You don’t remember me, do you?"

She shook her head carefully.

"My name is Bitna."

"Bitna-ssi..."

"You can call me casually since we’re the same age."

"A-Alright, Bitna-ya," Wonhee said. For some reason, she had a feeling that she should be following whatever the green-haired lady was saying. "Uhm, how do you feel? I heard you coughed up blood before you fainted..."

"I actually need more sleep, but the System is asking me to take care of you."

"H-How do you plan to take care of me?"

"I’m not sure. What do you want me to do for you?"

Hmm.

To be honest, Wonhee also wanted to know why Bitna asked Soobin to bring her to her before she fainted.

[We must be really close friends?]

If that was the case...

"Bitna-ya, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. Ask away."

"I feel like I have to do something, but I don’t know what to do," Wonhee confessed awkwardly. "Is it arrogant of me to think that there’s something I can do in this situation that only I can do for everyone?"

She had that nagging feeling ever since she heard that the high-class Guides in the country were being attacked simultaneously.

[I was just too shy to ask Hwang Frost and Soobin Oppa...]

"Wonhee-ya, you are the Queen of Guides. Hence, it’s your duty to protect them," Bitna said carefully. "Should we start by teaching them how to protect themselves?"

"How?" Wonhee asked curiously. "Can Guides fight Hunters?"

***

"IT’S FUCKING alive," Yool complained while catching his breath. "That thing can think, can’t it?"

Song Moonho laughed softly while shaking his head. "Are you tired, baby?"

"Who won’t be tired after a whole night of running and being dragged everywhere?" he complained again while removing his cap and face mask. And then he plopped down on the sofa. "I thought the Crack would stay where it is, but it disappears every time we’re close by. Does it know that we’re here to clear the dungeon and shut it forever?"

"That seems to be the case," the old man said, sitting next to him. "The System also didn’t expect that the Crack can "think.""

Haaah.

Fortunately, Song Moonho could still use his skills in that world.

Even so...

[The problem is that the Crack keeps getting away!]

"We should set up a trap!" Yool said, frustrated. "I don’t know what kind of trap yet, but we need to make the Crack come to us instead of the other way around!"

"I have an idea," Song Moonho said, smiling. "Yool-ah, can I use you as bait?"

Fucking hell.

***

Hi! I posted the story about the world with Towers and without Guides that N, the World Ranker, mentioned to the Big 4 before.

It’s called Time-limited F-Class Wife, and here’s the teaser:

"CONGRATS, Miss Baek— you’re pregnant with South Korea’s #1 Hunter’s baby!"

Baek Gyubin, the leader of a flopped Kpop girl group, is beyond shocked after hearing that she’s carrying Hunter Han Wooju’s baby.

And to be informed that she’s pregnant as a twenty-five-year-old virgin?

That’s crazy!

It’s even crazier that her ’baby daddy’ is the Guildmaster of Blue Dragon— the strongest guild at the moment.

Plus, Hunter Han Wooju is the CEO of a luxury shopping mall and a known member of Korea’s W1 Trillion Club.

In short, Hunter Han Wooju is way out of Gyubin’s league!

"How did I get pregnant with your baby, Hunter Han Wooju?" Gyubin asked awkwardly. And then she remembered THAT incident, causing her to gasp out loud. "Is it because I ate your dragon ball?!"

Wooju let out a long sigh. "Miss Baek, it was an egg and not a ’dragon ball.’"

***

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