CHAPTER 30: [A MOMENT OF DISRUPTION]

All eyes turned to the source of the voice.

Of course—it was Caelen.

Leaning back lazily in his chair, one hand raised like he was the damn star of the room, Caelen wore the kind of smug look that made Kairo want to throw something sharp across the table.

’This fucking bastard.’

Kairo didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. The tension rising around him spoke plenty.

"I agree with Caelen," Zacharias Kim, the guild master of Lion’s Fang, added smoothly. His smirk matched Caelen’s too well. "How are we sure Kairo truly struggled because of the ogres’ strength, and not from his own weakness? From the footage, he succeeded once his team stepped in."

The undertone in his voice was clear.

Doubt.

Challenge.

Mio scoffed, his hand slapping the table lightly as he leaned forward. "Yes, and Zaira almost died—if it weren’t for that hunter, Elione. We struggled as well."

His eyes narrowed at Zacharias, sharp with offense. "And with all due respect, Guild Master Zacharias, but we all know Kairo’s strength. Don’t pretend otherwise."

"Oh, come now," Arman Dae chimed in, casually swirling the cup of water in his hand. Another proud member of the Lion’s Fang, of course. "Seems to me the credit should go to that Elione fellow, doesn’t it? If the strongest team in the Twilight Guild almost got wiped, and a random hunter saved them..."

He trailed off meaningfully, a grin tugging at his lips. "What class is he again, Kaio?"

Kaio Lark replied from the side, tone flat. "B-Class, I believe."

A beat passed.

Then Arman barked out a short laugh, unable to hold it in. "A B-Class saved all your asses?"

"We—mostly Kairo—were still the ones who fought," Mio snapped back. "So watch your words, Arman."

But Arman only looked more amused. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table like he was ready to gossip over drinks. "Oh? So scary. What are you going to do? Use your threads to hang me?"

"I mean, if you want," Mio replied coldly, fingers twitching slightly at his sides.

"Ha! I’d love to see you try—"

The sound of a hand slamming onto the polished table cut them off.

Everyone froze.

Even Midas and Kairie paused, eyes flicking toward the source.

Samantha Park—Guild Leader of Twilight—hadn’t even looked up. She sat with one leg elegantly crossed over the other, her painted nails tapping against the wood as she tilted her head at Zacharias.

"My, Zacharias," she said, voice sugary-sweet and laced with venom. "You really should control your hunters better."

Silence.

Then she looked up—casually, disinterested—as if she wasn’t about to drop a verbal nuke. "Especially considering this mess all started because of your negligence, right?"

Tension slammed into the room like a dropped blade.

Everyone went still.

It wasn’t that people didn’t know the Lion’s Fang guild was largely seen as responsible for the tears—it was that no one dared to say it.

Until now.

"Caelen," Samantha continued, smile gone, tone hardening. "Where were you?"

Her gaze pinned him down like a stake. "I heard your team was in the middle of a raid when the monsters appeared. You weren’t with them, which meant you were free. And yet I didn’t see you fighting a single monster."

Caelen’s eye twitched. Subtle. But visible.

Even Zacharias and Arman had nothing to say.

"Thought so, make comments if you have the right to do so. Otherwise, keep quiet." Samantha said simply, and turned toward the front. "My apologies for the disruption, Sir Midas. Madam Kairie. Please continue."

Kairo could see the faintest twitch of Midas’ lips—whether amusement or approval, he wasn’t sure.

Kairie cleared her throat softly while Midas straightened his papers.

"Right," Midas said after a moment. "Let’s move on."

"Good job, Sam," Mio whispered from beside her, grinning. "You really are the best guild master."

Kairo simply nodded.

’They haven’t learned at all. They’re the ones responsible for the tears... yet they still act smug.’

And randomly attacking their guild. What did they expect? Their argument didn’t even have any substance.

His gaze met Caelen’s briefly across the table. Caelen was glaring.

Kairo didn’t care.

He looked away first—not out of submission, but because Caelen didn’t deserve the energy.

Midas continued, gesturing toward the holographic projection again. "Of course, the two most successful guilds—Twilight and Lion’s Fang—will be the ones called upon to clear any S-Class dungeons. The rest of the guilds may deploy A-Class and below to handle lesser threats and dungeon raids. Meanwhile, all S-Class hunters should focus on eliminating monsters that have emerged from the tears."

Both Samantha and Zacharias nodded, satisfied. Their guilds were being favored—resources, prestige, and responsibility all rolled into one.

"And," Kairie added, her voice steady, "as we acknowledge our own shortcomings in failing to identify a solution for the tears, your guilds and participating hunters will be compensated generously."

At that, murmurs of agreement and satisfaction spread across the hall.

The protests had quieted.

For now.

But soon enough, the meeting dragged to its inevitable end.

Most of it had dissolved into logistics—droning voices echoing through the hall as the S-Class hunters and guild leaders discussed plans for the tears, coordinated upcoming raids, and debated how to best assure the safety of citizens now living in daily fear.

There were still hands raised. More questions. Rebuttals.

After all, S-Class dungeons weren’t rare enough to ignore—typically one or two opened daily, sometimes even up to four at once. And in the past, raids were claimed through structured bidding.

So why now—only two guilds?

Why limit when others could still contribute?

Midas answered with the poise of someone used to command.

The bidding process took time—too much time—and S-Class dungeons couldn’t afford delay anymore.

By rule, only S-Class hunters were permitted to bid for S-Class dungeons, or at least be physically present when representatives did. It was a measure of transparency and power balance, one that had worked... until now.

But with tear-born monsters manifesting unpredictably across cities, and multiple locations being attacked at once, they needed S-Class hunters spread thin across the nation—stationed strategically, ready to move at a moment’s notice.

Bidding, in essence, was a luxury.

And that luxury was gone.

Midas explained it calmly: the fastest solution was to rely on the two most powerful guilds—those with high numbers of S-Class hunters, compact elite teams, and experience in finishing raids with minimal personnel.

While other guilds needed full squads, Lion’s Fang and Twilight could send one or two members and still clear a dungeon.

Efficiency, he said.

Kairo sat quietly through it all. Arms crossed. Brows furrowed.

’It still doesn’t make sense.’

The logic held... but only barely. His instincts itched. Something about the situation felt too convenient, too tightly contained.

But who was he to question it?

Midas Ryu was the head of the Association. No matter the doubts in the room—no one could say no to him.

So the meeting ended, finally.

Everyone stood. Some in frustration, some resigned. All with thoughts spinning.

Only Samantha and Zacharias remained behind, at Midas and Kairie’s request. A private discussion regarding dungeon scheduling and future raid delegation between their guilds.

The rest filed out in groups.

Kairo and Mio were among the first to leave the main hall, walking down the polished corridors in silence until they reached the waiting lounge just outside the meeting room.

Unfortunately, they weren’t the only ones still around.

Caelen leaned against the wall, arms loosely crossed over his chest like he had all the time in the world. Arman was beside him, stretching casually like he hadn’t spent the entire meeting mocking people.

"And then there were four," Caelen drawled, a lazy smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he eyed Kairo and Mio across the room.