Cha Eui-jae swung the stainless steel ladle he brought along in the air. It was obviously more durable than a green onion, making it a decent tool for self-defense. He continued to twirl the ladle, thinking of places Park Ha-eun might have gone.
There were no ergency rift alerts, so she wouldn't have left her grandmother to evacuate sowhere... Did she go to the playground at this hour? Or maybe she sneaked out to buy more ice cream after finishing the one she had earlier. Cha Eui-jae pondered rapidly as he headed towards the main street.
He had to find Park Ha-eun and bring her ho before it was too late. With this resolve, Cha Eui-jae closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, they glowed blue. The scenery before him simplified into lines and surfaces like a building's blueprint, allowing him to see even inside the structures. 'Tracker's Eye' was a skill that let him see soone's unique light, useful for situations like this when he needed to find soone.
Where people had been, white lights flickered like candles in their place. A child's light was slightly smaller than average. Cha Eui-jae scanned the area intently, but it seed Park Ha-eun wasn't nearby.
As he expanded the skill's range, suddenly— wham!
A blazing purple fla caught his eye. It was the brightest and largest fla he had ever seen, burning fiercely enough to consu its surroundings.
...A fla?
The decision was quick. Cha Eui-jae hurriedly moved towards the fla.
Only awakened individuals, including hunters, appeared as flas rather than simple lights. Although this area had many hunters, such an intense fla indicated soone of extraordinary caliber. It wasn't a typical hunter; the fla was as sharp and imnse as a monster's.
So, he had to check it out himself. Was it just a strong-willed hunter, or a potential threat? If it was the latter... Park Ha-eun could be in danger. Cha Eui-jae gripped the ladle tightly.
The fla was burning in an alley not far from a hangover soup restaurant. As he got closer to the fla, he heard thuds and muffled groans growing louder. Soone was beating another person.
At the end of the alley, under the bright moonlight, a large figure in black was rcilessly kicking soone curled up on the ground, at the center of the fierce purple fla. The oppressive aura coming from the figure pricked Cha Eui-jae's skin.
At the sa ti, Cha Eui-jae's keen instinct flared. He could sense it instinctively. The size of the fla and the overwhelming presence akin to a monster. The figure before him was...
The sa grade as — S-grade.
The figure kicking the man turned his head sharply towards Cha Eui-jae. Cha Eui-jae quickly deactivated his skill and took a step back. Now, the figure obscured by the fla beca clear.
A man wearing a gas mask covering his entire face, dressed in black tactical gear, and wearing shiny leather shoes stained with blood. He looked unmistakably like a hunter. After a long silence, the man in the gas mask pointed directly at Cha Eui-jae with his gloved hand.
"You."
"..."
Cha Eui-jae stood still, unflinching at the voice calling him. The gas mask spoke lazily.
"I saw everything, Chum Churum apron."
"..."
As Cha Eui-jae stepped back into the shadows, the gas mask added, as if to warn him against running away.
"Holding a ladle too."
Cha Eui-jae discreetly hid the hand holding the ladle behind his back. Did he see it because it's stainless steel? Damn, the guy has sharp eyes. Should I start wearing a tactical apron from now on?
Just then, the man on the ground twitched, and the gas mask kicked him in the stomach again, still staring at Cha Eui-jae.
"Ugh!"
"This bastard crawls out the mont he sees an opening..."
Muttering in irritation, the gas mask pressed his foot into the man's stomach, still glaring at Cha Eui-jae.
"Are you a civilian?"
"Yes."
"Working late...?"
The follow-up question seed perfunctory. After another silence, the gas mask added a question.
"But what are you doing out here with a ladle at this hour?"
"Ca out to find my niece. She's not ho."
Cha Eui-jae answered in a deliberately calm voice, gesturing with his hand around his waist level.
"Have you seen a girl about this tall? An elentary schooler with a ponytail."
Cha Eui-jae brazenly asked, and the gas mask shrugged.
"No."
"I see. Then can I go now?"
"Wait. Let ask him too."
The foot pressing down on the man briefly lifted, then kicked his side again. But the man, seemingly unconscious, only groaned.
"Sorry. This guy doesn't know anything. His brain's fried on drugs."
Despite his words, the gas mask didn't sound sorry at all. He probably just wanted an excuse to kick the man again. But Cha Eui-jae, more concerned about finding his niece than a black-clad thug beating soone up, said nothing more and shook his head.
"No, it's fine. Thanks for the trouble. I'll be going then."
"Hold on."
As Cha Eui-jae turned to leave the alley, the gas mask suddenly stopped him. After staring intently at Cha Eui-jae's face for a while, the gas mask tilted his head slightly. His voice, leisurely, seed to make every action appear slow.
"Strange."
"..."
"Have we t before?"
"No."
"...Really?"
Cha Eui-jae stared back at the gas mask with a look that said he genuinely didn't recognize him. There was no hint of deception; they were indeed eting for the first ti. There was no way he'd forget soone with such a distinctive look. Cha Eui-jae guessed this black-clad guy must be a newly awakened hunter while he was inside the West Sea rift.
After scrutinizing Cha Eui-jae for a mont, the gas mask pressed a finger to his lips, signaling him to keep quiet about what he saw. Dealing with the police or the managent office would complicate things, after all.
Cha Eui-jae, understanding the hassle of getting caught beating soone in an alley, nodded willingly. There was no one he could tell anyway, so it was easier to just pretend he hadn't seen anything. The gas mask waved his hand, indicating he could leave.
Just then.
Creak... Creak...
Screeeech!
Sharp spikes burst from the back of the man on the ground, shooting towards Cha Eui-jae. Even seeing the spikes hurtling towards him, Cha Eui-jae didn't panic. Instead, he calmly stepped to the side, adjusted his grip on the ladle, and braced himself. Then...
Kaang!!
He perfectly deflected the spikes with the ladle!
Maybe he should have pursued a career in baseball. He might not hit ho runs, but a triple seed within reach. Feeling proud, Cha Eui-jae opened and closed his hand a few tis, inadvertently looking at the gas mask. The gas mask was holding the spike Cha Eui-jae had deflected in his hand.
"..."
"..."
Did... did he catch it for ?
It seed so. The basic principle for hunters was to protect civilians, and Cha Eui-jae, after all, was supposed to be a civilian out searching for his niece in the middle of the night. Even if he had just swung a ladle to hit the spike, he was still a civilian in need of protection.
A cold sweat trickled down Cha Eui-jae's back. The awkward silence dragged on.
"..."
"..."
Fuck.
What kind of civilian swings a ladle at a spike flying towards them? Cha Eui-jae wanted to slap himself for failing to play the role of a terrified, innocent bystander. Running away was obviously not an option here. Then the only choice left was to knock the gas mask guy out. How hard and where should he hit to just knock him out and not kill him? Awakened ones could take a harder hit, right?
With the ladle as his weapon, it was hard to gauge the force needed. The gas mask guy wasn't soone to be taken lightly, especially after catching that spike barehanded. Cha Eui-jae, lost in deep contemplation, stood frozen like a malfunctioning robot.
anwhile, the gas mask guy stuffed his gloves into his pocket and slowly crossed his arms, seemingly waiting for Cha Eui-jae's reaction. Cha Eui-jae finally snapped back to reality and faced him.
Ha...
Life sucks...
In this situation, the only option was a direct approach— or rather, a direct escape. Cha Eui-jae stared into space for a mont before bowing politely.
"...I'll be going now. I really need to find my niece."
Escape from reality protocol initiated.
"Hey—"
But the gas mask guy wasn't done. He dragged out his words and stepped closer. 'Don't talk to anymore.' Cha Eui-jae took two steps back, but the gas mask guy had already closed the distance. His shadow, elongated by his tall fra, completely covered Cha Eui-jae. A chuckle seeped through the gas mask.
"What's your na?"
"No na."
"Ah... you haven't decided on a hunter na yet?"
"No, I just don't have a na."
"Should I give you one?"
"Do you run a naming service or sothing?"
"I'm thinking of starting a temporary one."
The more Cha Eui-jae tried to escape, the deeper he sank into the conversation, like a foot caught in quicksand. The only way out of a quicksand pit is to stop struggling. Cha Eui-jae took a deep breath and steadied his voice.
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