Chapter 42: The Unlucky Thing

"So what you’re saying, Ae Young-ssi, is that the Black Rose Guild will soon have to face the risk of being destroyed, and another large Guild will take over Dong-San City?"

Kim Sora’s eyes widened.

The information she had just received left her dazed. She turned to look at Do Ae Young, seemingly unable to believe that something this serious was about to happen right in this city.

Do Ae Young was sitting inside the shop. Hearing Kim Sora’s question, she only explained in a soft voice:

"I can’t say for certain that the Black Rose Guild will be destroyed, but their current situation really isn’t good."

Kim Sora swallowed.

"What exactly happened?"

"The problems in Dong-San City started about two or three months ago."

Do Ae Young frowned slightly, as if organizing the information she already knew. In fact, the Black Dragon Guild’s main area of operation was a large city rated SS-level danger overseas, because South Korea had received a support request from that small country, so they couldn’t accurately grasp information about Dong-San City either.

"To be precise, we can’t determine exactly which day it started. But around that time, the energy of the Dungeon gates in Dong-San City began to fluctuate."

"Fluctuate?"

"Yes. At first, the fluctuation level was still very low, rising and falling, almost imperceptible. But it has increased day by day."

Do Ae Young glanced outside the shop. Across the street, people were still moving about as usual. Dong-San City looked no different from any other day, but beneath that calmness, something was silently changing.

"The rising energy in the Dungeon gates is causing the monsters inside to level up at an alarming rate. As a result, the danger level of each Dungeon gate in this city keeps being pushed higher and higher."

Kim Sora sat listening, her hands unconsciously clasping together.

"So... the Black Rose Guild has known about this for a long time?"

"They’re the Guild managing Dong-San City. Of course they know very well; they were also the first to discover it."

Do Ae Young let out a soft sigh.

"Perhaps it’s precisely because they know what’s happening that they’ve been rushing around like this. It’s just that no one can be certain how much this city will change, so they’re probably still holding on to hope."

Kim Sora felt her throat go dry.

"What about the Black Dragon Guild? Can you do something?"

"We’re observing the situation."

Do Ae Young answered very calmly, but the heaviness in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.

"Based on the rate at which the energy is increasing, we estimate that within about two months, Dong-San City’s danger level will reach S-rank. This is because Kai has a very good ability to sense Dungeon energy, so he made this prediction; the Black Rose Guild probably doesn’t know."

If they knew, they should let go of this city as soon as possible rather than cling to a faint hope and keep holding out here relying on luck.

"S-rank?"

Kim Sora blurted out. Her face instantly turned pale.

"That can’t be..."

Dong-San City is currently only rated as a B-rank city. Most of the Dungeon gates appearing here are also below S-rank, and the hunters in the city are used to dealing with them.

But if the danger level of the entire city were raised to S-rank, everything would be completely different.

Low-level Dungeon gates could continue to upgrade. The monsters inside would become stronger. Low-level hunters would no longer be capable of entering, and mid-tier Guilds like the Black Rose Guild would face pressure beyond their limits.

"So doesn’t that mean..."

Kim Sora’s voice trembled.

"Doesn’t that mean this city will become extremely dangerous?"

"Yes."

Do Ae Young nodded.

"That’s why the large Guilds have started paying attention to this place."

High danger means massive profits and easier promotion potential for hunters.The larger a guild becomes, the more it will want to seek out a larger territory for itself, with dangers commensurate with their level.

In the storage room behind the shop, Kei remained sitting in silence.

He hadn’t intentionally tried to eavesdrop on the two girls’ conversation, but their voices still carried clearly inside. Every word, every sentence reached Kei’s ears, causing his chest to gradually grow heavy.

The energy fluctuations were causing the Dungeon gates to level up. The city of Dong-San would become more dangerous.

Kei remembered the strange fluctuations he had felt when passing by the Dungeon gate. At the time, he had only felt that something was off. A chaotic, heavy, and unpleasant source of energy, as if it were surging up from deep within the earth.

Thinking back now, those fluctuations had probably started a long time ago.

Around two or three months prior.

Which was also around the time Kei had fallen into this world.

Kei’s hand instinctively clenched the hem of his clothes. Could it be that the changes in the Dungeons in Dong-San were his fault? If his appearance had caused an entire city to fall into danger, then just how unlucky of a being was he?

Kei lowered his head, a feeling of dejection gradually flooding his heart.

"Kei? Why are you so sad?"

The sudden voice right beside him made Kei flinch.

He turned to look, only to see Kai sitting very close to him. His golden eyes were fixed intently on Kei, and within those pupils, his own figure was clearly reflected.

"I... it’s nothing."

Kei muttered.

He raised his hand and pushed Kai’s face away.

"Too close. Don’t lean so close to me."

Kai obediently backed off a little, but his gaze still didn’t leave Kei.

Kei looked at his vacant expression and felt even more helpless inside. He had already known Kai wasn’t very smart, but now he realized this person was truly simple-minded.

While Kei still didn’t know how to handle Kai, he suddenly remembered the reason he had brought him into the storage room in the first place.

Kei stared at the golden eyes before him.

"That’s right..."

He had brought Kai here to ask him something.

Something for which, ever since they had met again, Kei still hadn’t been able to find an answer.

Who exactly was this man?

And why did he look so much like Kei’s black dragon?