These Lunatics are Obsessed With Me

I had an ominous feeling. The expression Andrew Bailey wore felt strangely familiar.

It reminded me of Hae Song-ha during the Sæ Dungeon raid when he had the same troubled look, unable to sense the path as an A-rank due to the rating abnormality phenomenon.

What was Andrew Bailey’s rank again? I think he said it was A-class. Unease crept over me as I swallowed nervously, watching Andrew Bailey’s lips slowly part.

“I can't detect…”

“What?”

Cha Kang-tae’s thick eyebrows twitched. But before he could say anything, Seo Jin-han grabbed his arm as if to hold him back and stepped forward. His gaze shifted to Andrew Bailey, who appeared troubled.

“Did you say your detection skill was A-grade?”

“Yes…”

“What about your proficiency?”

“Hmm…”

There had to be a reason he was chosen as the representative of the Baldur Guild, even as an A-rank. He clearly took pride in his skill, but there were still rank differences.

"It seems this dungeon is above S-rank."

"Damn it."

As the feared situation unfolded, Cha Kang-tae muttered a curse. Despite the presence of high-ranking hunters, the dungeon was above S-rank—a level that required a full raid team. Even the guildmasters, who had been through countless battles, couldn’t hide their unease.

"Still, shouldn't we at least try to detect it first?"

"…"

As Seo Jin-han spoke softly, the hunters’ gazes turned toward me. Just as I had expected, I stepped forward and nodded.

"I'll cast my auxiliary skill for you."

"Oh…"

Andrew Bailey’s face showed a hint of interest as he looked at me curiously. Then, he suddenly flinched and glanced to the side.

“…?”

What's wrong with him? I turned, puzzled, and saw Liam White smiling broadly at Andrew Bailey.

"I envy you, Andrew."

"No, that's…”

For some reason, Andrew Bailey glanced at Liam White, looking uncomfortable. The two men’s gazes awkwardly met.

"I didn’t expect you to experience it first. Let me know how you feel later."

"Ah, alright. Got it."

Andrew Bailey awkwardly nodded before hesitantly approaching me. Confused by their behavior, I tilted my head and reached out to him.

"A handshake…?"

"Yes, just take my hand."

"Ah, I understand."

Andrew Bailey nodded vigorously before cautiously taking my hand. His hand was stiff and large as it wrapped around mine. I focused and activated my auxiliary skill.

"Wow…”

“…?”

There was something odd about Andrew Bailey’s reaction. Of course, other hunters had shown strange behavior when I used my skill, but his reaction felt different.

Maybe it was because he was a foreigner? Seeing Andrew Bailey let out a small exclamation, I slowly pulled my hand away.

“It's done.”

“Aha, I understand.”

Andrew Bailey’s face lit up as he looked at his hand, clearly fascinated. His face was strangely red. Then, Liam White approached him.

"How was it? How did it feel? Hmm?"

"Um, that's…”

"Was your hand hot? Cold? Or did you feel something else? Hmm?"

"…"

Andrew Bailey looked troubled as a barrage of questions was fired at him. With a weary expression, he turned to Liam White and answered.

"My hand felt a bit hot… No, damn it. This isn't the time for this."

“Then can you write me a report later?”

"Fine, sure. I’ll submit the report!"

"…"

I watched Andrew Bailey and Liam White bicker in disbelief. What kind of report does he need to submit? It was hard to brush it off as a joke with how serious they both looked. I gave them a hesitant glance before turning my head away.

"Ahem, I’ll use the detection skill now."

Andrew Bailey closed his eyes again, and when he opened them, strange symbols appeared before him. His face brightened with joy as he shouted loudly.

"I can see it now!"

Andrew Bailey’s detection skill was the type that "sees" the path. Most detection-type hunters, like Hae Song-ha and Kang Soo-hyun, find the right path by "sensing" it. I was curious about what it would be like to see it with my own eyes.

"An A-rank hunter needing auxiliary skill to find the path… I guess that means the dungeon’s rank is S."

"Haa, an S-rank dungeon…"

The issue of finding the path was solved for now, but other problems remained. A short meeting was held, led by Seo Jin-han and Seo Ji-an from the Heimdall Guild, also known as the Strategist Guild. Seo Jin-han spoke first.

“In most S-rank dungeons, there's a high chance of facing a mid-boss and a main-boss, or even two mid-bosses and one main-boss. Since we can’t predict what will happen, it’s best to split our forces into three groups.”

“We should also decide in advance who will receive the auxiliary skill.”

As soon as Seo Jin-han and Seo Ji-an finished speaking, the hunters’ eyes turned toward me once more. I looked at them and awkwardly opened my mouth.

"Actually, I found out during the Muspelheim dungeon that I can only use my auxiliary skill four times a day. My mental strength is limited, so I can’t go beyond that."

"Ah…"

Seo Jin-han nodded at my words, then spoke again with a calm expression.

"This works out well. Since you've already used it for detection today, you can save it for the hunters who will take on the mid-boss and main-boss."

The moment Seo Jin-han finished speaking, Seo Ji-an retrieved something from her inventory. A radiant light burst from the round item she held, and small, human-shaped figurines floated up from it. Each figurine had the name of a hunter written on it.

"I’ve divided the groups. The first will be led by Vice Guildmaster Yeo Min-jun, the second by Vice Guildmaster Liam, the third by Guildmaster Park Yoon-sung, and the support group…"

In that brief moment, Seo Ji-an carefully divided the groups, considering the balance of the hunters present.

As vice guildmaster of the Heimdall Guild, she knew the abilities of the high-ranking hunters well, making it possible. Even so, it wasn’t an easy task. With all the data she had, coming up with a quick strategy on the spot was no small feat.

The first group was made up of Yeo Min-jun, Seo Ji-an, and other hunters, with Yeo Min-jun likely being the main focus of my auxiliary skill. This group, primarily composed of vice guildmasters, was tasked with facing the boss monster ahead.

The second group, led by Liam White, was likely responsible for handling any mid-boss monsters that might appear. Although he was still technically the vice guildmaster of the Baldur Guild, he was treated almost like a guildmaster, making him more than capable of the task.

Finally, the third group was a formidable one, made up entirely of guildmasters. Led by Park Yoon-sung, it included Cha Kang-tae and Seo Jin-han. It seemed they had set up this group, anticipating that the boss monster could be SS-rank.

The remaining support group consisted of me, Eden, and Andrew Bailey, who would help with navigation. The plan was flawless, and I couldn't help but feel impressed.

"Hmm?"

However, one figurine was missing. The moment I noticed, the other hunters' gazes shifted toward that one person.

"What will you do, Director Na Ye-rim?"

"…"

Na Ye-rim remained silent the entire time. As the head of the Korea branch of the Association, she surely knew about the dungeon beneath the Association.

Yet, despite the guildmasters' threats, she remained quiet. This made Seo Ji-an wonder if she could truly be trusted as an ally. Finally, Na Ye-rim's lips slowly parted.

"I will cooperate as well."

"…"

At her words, the hunters exchanged glances.

Despite their suspicions, Na Ye-rim was still a high-ranking hunter, making her an asset to the team's strength. Excluding her would only make conquering the S-rank dungeon more difficult.

The guildmasters exchanged looks. Park Yoon-sung stepped forward and took something from his inventory.

"I'm sorry, Director Na Ye-rim, but given the circumstances, I hope you understand that we can't fully trust you."

"…"

Park Yoon-sung handed Na Ye-rim a contract, likely meant to prevent her from betraying them or causing trouble. The smooth surface of the contract clearly indicated its high quality.

Na Ye-rim examined it quietly before nodding and responding.

"I understand."

With that, Na Ye-rim signed the contract and joined the second group.

Andrew Bailey led the way, accompanied by the hunters from the first group.

The second group followed closely behind, while the third group surrounded us, the support group, as if protecting us.

Just as we were about to set off, Raisu's last words to me suddenly came to mind.

‘If you don’t solve it by midnight…’

‘Then you'll fall into an eternal sleep, Princess.’

The words suddenly came to mind, though I wasn’t sure why. Now that I thought about it, they were quite unsettling. I quickly checked my watch. It was exactly eleven o’clock.