The quiet in the dungeon corridor was suddenly cut by a sharp, cold voice slicing through the murmur of whispered words.

  Mu Yichen stepped forward from the shadows, his calm mask barely concealing the surge of anger rising like a tide inside him.

  He looked down at Lee Aseok and Kang Juwon, who were still leaning in close, whispering conspiratorially as if the world beyond them didn’t exist.

  Without hesitation, Mu Yichen slipped his hands around Lee Aseok’s waist, an unexpected move, and gently but firmly pulled him away from Kang Juwon’s side.

  The movement was so smooth it caught Kang Juwon off guard. His eyes snapped to Mu Yichen, darkening instantly into a cold glare.

  Mu Yichen didn’t flinch. His gaze locked onto Kang Juwon’s with a warning sharp enough to cut stone.

  Neither man blinked first.

  Seo MinHyun and Park Taegun stood a few paces behind, exchanging looks of confusion.

  Their brows knitted together, trying to make sense of the silent battle unfolding before them.

  Then their eyes drifted to Mu Yichen’s face, calm and collected as ever, yet, somehow, it spoke volumes.

  Both men knew Mu Yichen too well. Beneath that calm exterior was a storm, and right now, it was raging.

  And what made it worse?

  Mu Yichen’s anger wasn’t random, it was aimed directly at Lee Aseok.

  Or more precisely, at the closeness between Lee Aseok and Kang Juwon.

  Seo MinHyun shifted uneasily, whispering to Park Taegun, “Did you see the way Mu Yichen grabbed Aseok? That was… possessive. Like he owns him or something.”

  Park Taegun snorted, but there was no humor in it. “Mu Yichen gets like this only for two reasons. Either someone pissed him off badly, or someone’s stepping on his turf.”

  Seo MinHyun rolled his eyes. “Isn’t that all the time?”

  The two shared a brief smirk, but both were aware: when Mu Yichen gets protective or territorial, it means trouble for everyone involved.

  Meanwhile, Lee Aseok, unfazed by the silent power struggle and intense gazes, calmly scanned the surroundings.

  His eyes flicked once to Kang Juwon, then to Mu Yichen, then to the dungeon ahead, calculating.

  Before anyone could react, Lee Aseok’s form blurred, a faint shimmer like heat waves rising from hot stone, and vanished.

  The sudden absence of their usually stoic companion stunned the group.

  For a moment, only silence filled the corridor.

  Then, from deep within the dungeon’s dark heart, a mighty roar shattered the quiet like thunder.

  It echoed, fierce and resonant, bouncing off stone walls and reverberating through every corner of the labyrinth.

  Park Taegun ’s eyes narrowed sharply. “As expected,” he muttered. “He’s found the boss.”

  Seo MinHyun let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples. “Great. Of course he did. Always doing whatever he wants.”

  Mu Yichen crossed his arms, still tense but recovering his composure.

  “I don’t like how close Kang Juwon was to Aseok. That man’s presence here only complicates things.”

  Seo MinHyun nodded. “Yeah, and if you are angry now, just wait until the boss fight starts. It’s gonna be a disaster.”

  Park Taegun grunted. “We’ll need all the focus we can get.”

  The group began moving deeper into the dungeon, the tension thick enough to choke.

  Mu Yichen stayed alert, glancing back occasionally, his eyes flicking to where Lee Aseok had disappeared.

  Despite the silent tension between them all, everyone knew one thing:

  Lee Aseok always did as he pleased.

  And the days ahead? They were going to be exhausting.

  Seo MinHyun muttered to himself, “I should’ve brought extra potions… and a stress ball.”

  The iron rod’s faint clang came from ahead, steady, relentless, the sound of a man walking his own path, no matter what anyone thought or said.

  The dungeon awaited. The boss roared. And Lee Aseok? He was already two steps ahead.

  “That’s it. I’m applying for early retirement,” Seo MinHyun declared as another deafening roar echoed through the dungeon, shaking loose a bit of dust from the cracked ceiling above.

  Park Taegun didn’t even glance his way. He simply muttered, “Denied.”

  They both stared ahead at the dark hallway where Lee Aseok had just vanished, again, without a word of explanation or strategy, like he always did.

  One second, the man was standing there. The next, he was a blur, then gone.

  All they had left was that ominous dungeon boss roar. The kind that usually meant certain death for normal people.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  But Lee Aseok?

  He was probably yawning as he dismantled a five-meter-tall boss with nothing but an iron rod.

  Park Taegun crossed his arms. “ Aseok is really the strongest person I have ever met.”

  Seo MinHyun gave him a look. “The hard part? For us, maybe. For him? I bet he fought that boss with one hand while feeding the dog with the other.”

  They paused. Then they both slowly turned toward He Ziqin, who was standing off to the side, stiff as a board, puppy Pudding wriggling in his arms like a live wire.

  “...Okay, maybe not feeding the dog. But the point stands,” Seo added with a huff.

  They trudged out of the dungeon after the system alert confirmed the gate had been cleared.

  No surprise there. A-Rank dungeon boss? Obliterated in under 10 minutes. By one man. With a stick.

  Outside, the late afternoon sun was still high. Warm wind brushed over them as the magic barrier behind them dissipated with a soft hum.

  And there, like nothing had happened, sat Lee Aseok on a public bench near the park-like rest area. Not even a scratch on him. Not a speck of dust on his clothes.

  He reached out with calm precision and plucked the wiggling puppy from He Ziqin’s arms.

  Pudding barked excitedly, tail a blur, trying to lick Lee Aseok’s face as he sat down like a king reclaiming his throne.

  He Ziqin looked visibly relieved, shaking out his sore arms as if he’d been holding a live grenade instead of a dog.

  “Finally,” he muttered. “I thought I was gonna lose a hand.”

  Lee Aseok didn't say a word. He simply pulled out a pouch of expensive organic puppy snacks from his pocket, didn't ask when or how he got it, and began calmly feeding Pudding piece by piece.

  Meanwhile, Mu Yichen stood a few steps away, holding a large, elegant delivery bag filled with high-grade food from an elite restaurant.

  His smile was gentle, posture composed, looking like a noble young master offering a gift to a beloved.

  “Aseok,” he called smoothly. “You haven’t eaten yet. I brought your favorite, grilled river beast with black truffle oil.”

  Lee Aseok didn’t even blink. His hand moved methodically from the pouch to the puppy's mouth. Not even a glance toward Mu Yichen.

  Mu Yichen’s eyes twitched.

  Seo MinHyun leaned closer to Park Taegun and whispered, “That was definitely his ‘favorite food’ last time. He didn’t even look this time.”

  Park Taegun watched the scene with interest. “He’s focused. Puppy gets priority.”

  Mu Yichen exhaled quietly and walked forward, holding out a carefully prepared tray of warm food. “Aseok. You should eat something. You didn’t even have breakfast.”

  “I don’t want to eat,” Lee Aseok said without looking up, eyes fixed on Pudding, who was attempting to catch a treat mid-air with all the grace of a possessed raccoon.

  Mu Yichen’s smile twitched. “You’ve just eaten the energy bars haven’t you?”

  “I don’t want to eat,” Lee Aseok repeated, deadpan.

  The surrounding group blinked.

  It wasn’t the words themselves that shocked them, it was the way he said it. Flat. Petulant. Almost pouty. Like a stubborn five-year-old refusing broccoli at dinner.

  Seo MinHyun leaned toward Park Taegun. “Did he just... sulk?”

  Park Taegun calmly nodded. “I think so.”

  Mu Yichen, still holding the tray, looked like he was trying very hard not to sigh again.

  He put the food down gently on the table next to the bench and crouched beside Aseok.

  “Aseok. Just a little..”

  “No.”

  Mu Yichen’s eyes twitched.

  Then, casually, Kang Juwon walked over with a neutral smile and a sandwich in his hand.

  Without saying a word, he stopped in front of Lee Aseok, crouched slightly, and calmly brought the sandwich to his lips.

  Everyone blinked.

  Lee Aseok, focused entirely on the puppy now pawing at his shirt, leaned forward and, out of sheer, reflexive habit, took a bite.

  There was a beat of stunned silence.

  Lee Aseok paused mid-chew. His eyes slowly rose to meet Kang Juwon’s calm, expressionless face.

  Kang Juwon smiled faintly, took a bite from his own sandwich, and said, “You’ve already bitten it. You might as well finish it. Otherwise, it’s a waste.”

  Lee Aseok stared.

  So did Mu Yichen.

  The hero glanced at the half-eaten sandwich. Then at the puppy, who happily licked his hand and resumed munching its own snack with gleeful, oblivious crunches.

  And just like that, Lee Aseok took another bite.

  Kang Juwon didn't move, still holding the sandwich up for him like he was feeding a particularly difficult pet.

  Lee Aseok, for his part, sat there with Pudding in his lap and chewed like he hadn’t just argued about not eating two minutes ago.

  Seo MinHyun’s jaw dropped. “Wait… What just happened?”

  “He was… fed,” Park Taegun said blankly. “Like a toddler.”

  “By Kang Juwon.”

  “With a smile,” He Ziqin added in a whisper, horrified.

  Mu Yichen was still kneeling, frozen in place like someone had just drop-kicked his pride off a cliff.

  He blinked slowly. Then looked down at the chopsticks in his hand.

  They were splintered in half.

  He hadn't even realized he was squeezing them that hard.

  Kang Juwon met Mu Yichen’s gaze. His smile didn’t change. Neither did his calm tone as he said, “He’s eating now. You can stop worrying.”

  Mu Yichen stood slowly. There was no smile on his face now. Only the quiet fury of a nobleman whose meticulously laid plans had just been undermined by a sandwich.

  “Thank you,” he said smoothly. “But I can handle feeding Aseok.”

  “Clearly,” Kang Juwon said without missing a beat, “he prefers being hand-fed.”

  Lee Aseok glanced at him briefly, but said nothing.

  His hands were occupied holding Pudding, who had now climbed onto his lap and begun attacking an imaginary enemy in the air.

  So, out of sheer practicality, or laziness, he leaned in and took another bite from the sandwich still in Kang Juwon’s hand.

  The scene was bizarrely domestic.

  Mu Yichen’s aura dropped five degrees.

  Park Taegun signed and stepped sideways to avoid the oncoming murder glare.

  Seo MinHyun clapped his hands once. “Well! Tension’s rising. Who wants to bet who’ll snap first?”

  He Ziqin raised his hand. “I’ve got ten credits on Mu Yichen flipping the table.”

  “Make it twenty.”

  “Forty if Kang Juwon casually kisses Aseok next round.”

  “I’m in.”

  Lee Aseok, in the middle of chewing another bite, finally glanced around. “I can hear all of you.”

  They all froze.

  Pudding barked happily.

  Lee Aseok took the last bite of the sandwich, nudged Kang Juwon’s hand away. “I’m done.”

  “You should drink water too,” Kang Juwon offered.

  “No.”

  “Soup?”

  “Don’t push it.”

  Off to the side, Mu Yichen sat frozen, chopsticks in his hand cracking from the pressure of his grip.

  He watched every moment, every bite, like it was a personal betrayal. His expression was unreadable, a perfect noble mask, but his fingers were trembling slightly.

  Park Taegun, ever the master of subtle disengagement, turned away and sighed.

  "Let's pretend we saw nothing," he whispered to Seo MinHyun.

  Seo MinHyun blinked, then nodded rapidly. "Yup. I'm emotionally allergic to this level of tension. Pass the kimchi."

  He Ziqin, standing to the side like the world’s most pitiful chauffeur, looked down at the bag of takeout he brought and slowly turned his back, pretending to check the delivery receipt.

  The aura of “I’m not here, please don’t drag me in” was strong around him.

  After Pudding finished eating, still without saying a word, Aseok turned his gaze toward He Ziqin.

  He didn’t speak. He didn’t move. He simply looked.

  And like a man with a sixth sense for doom, He Ziqin let out a long, soul-worn sigh. “I know, I know,” he muttered, raising his hands. “One second.”

  In a blink, he activated his teleportation skill, and the group was transported to the next gate.

  Thus continued their never-ending chain of dungeon clearances.

  And so began the cold war.

  Mu Yichen and Kang Juwon, both powerful men respected across the hunter world, had somehow devolved into two overqualified rivals for the attention of a man who cared more about a rusty iron rod than people.

  The first competition began subtly.

  "Lee Aseok," Kang Juwon said one day, strolling beside him in a freshly pressed combat uniform, "You should try this new illusion-enhancement potion I’ve brought. It temporarily slows enemy perception. Very effective."

  Before Aseok could speak, Mu Yichen appeared like a ghost on the other side.

  “No need. HQ sent a new prototype shield,” Mu Yichen said, holding it out calmly. “It’s designed to sync with your mana signature.”

  Lee Aseok took neither.

  He instead bent down, picked up Pudding, and walked into the dungeon.

  The second contest was even pettier.

  Author Note:

  Thank you all for sticking around and screaming with me in the comments, you have no idea how much your reactions fuel me.

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