J gazed silently at Jung Bin. Jung Bin, who had been rubbing the bridge of his nose for no reason, glanced over at him, gauging his reaction. The tips of Jung Bin's dark hair were slightly damp, hanging limp.
Jung Bin gestured toward J’s hair. “Looks like you just ca from the shower?”
“Ah, yes.”
J touched the ends of his hair with his fingertips. He had tried to dry it, but so moisture remained.
“There was a lot of blood. I couldn’t exactly board the helicopter like that.”
“…And now you’re headed to another mission. Where are you off to this ti?”
“They ntioned a dungeon in Chungju.”
“You work too hard. You really should take a break.”
His tone was heavy with both concern and disapproval. J gave a short laugh at the familiar remark. It wasn’t like Jung Bin, who was also constantly traveling around the country, was in any position to talk. J responded lightly.
“There’s a manpower shortage, so what can you do? Aren’t you going anywhere today?”
“No, not at the mont. I’m scheduled to conduct interrogations all day today.”
Jung Bin tapped the earpiece he was wearing.
“Of course, if I get summoned, I’ll have to go.”
As soon as he finished speaking, J’s watch buzzed. The loud noise of the wind and the hum of a helicopter’s propellers echoed through the air, signaling that the helicopter was already waiting on the rooftop. Jung Bin’s expression darkened.
“…They say words have power. Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. Looks like the helicopter’s ready, so I’ll get going. Take care.”
J walked past Jung Bin and headed up the stairs. Jung Bin, staring blankly at J’s retreating figure, quickly called out.
“Wait, J!”
J’s masked face poked out from the stair railing above. Just as Jung Bin was reaching into his pocket for sothing, a loud voice rang out from sowhere.
“Hey, hurry up! Get Hunter Jung Bin over here!”
“What should I tell him?”
“Just say the Hunter in custody is going berserk! What else would you say?”
“......”
“Sigh, we’re both pretty busy.”
J waved his hand lazily and then disappeared up the stairs. Left alone, Jung Bin gripped the object in his hand tightly. With a soft *snap*, the energy bar in his hand broke in two. The commotion grew louder by the second.
*Sigh.* He let out a long breath and pressed down on his earpiece.
“Yes, I heard about the disturbance. I’m on my way.”
Jung Bin looked up at the staircase that extended above him, but after a mont, he turned and began descending the stairs.
*Screeeech*... The giant creature collapsed to the ground with a deflating sound. *Thud*, the ground shook. J, looking on indifferently, wiped the blood off his spear and stored it in his inventory.
The Chungju dungeon had been easier to handle than expected. It had appeared deep in a remote mountain, with no civilians to rescue. The dungeon wasn't particularly high-level, and it was relatively small to begin with.
J glanced at the massive bird, the dungeon's master, now lying on the ground.
‘The Hunters here could’ve handled this on their own.’
Earlier, when J had descended from the helicopter and arrived near the dungeon entrance, he saw a few Hunters already gathered there. They were bandaged up in several places, smoking cigarettes, and seed to be in the middle of a heated argunt.
‘Why aren’t they going in?’ J wondered, hiding behind a tree and watching curiously. One of the Hunters raised his voice.
“This is so frustrating! I already contacted the Awakener Managent Bureau! J is coming! We don’t need to go in ourselves.”
“Huh? Wait, why’d you call J? We could’ve handled this dungeon on our own…”
“You idiot. Once J swings his spear, the whole thing will be cleared instantly. Why risk our lives fighting the dungeon boss ourselves? Do you have a death wish?”
“……”
“Seungmin’s arm is still broken, isn’t it? Hell, we were lucky his arm didn’t get amputated. I’m not watching that happen again. Everyone has their role.”
The angry Hunter blew out a cloud of smoke, which drifted up lazily into the sky.
“No matter how good we are, we can’t compare to a hero like J. You’ll thank later.”
*Snap*—a twig cracked underfoot. The Hunters turned toward the sound in shock. J didn’t hesitate and stepped out from behind the tree. The sight of his black mask and combat gear made their faces pale with fear. The air grew heavy around them.
"......"
Without a word, J walked up to the dungeon entrance. Soone gulped audibly. J didn’t even glance at them as he quietly stepped inside the dungeon.
‘Saving people is the right thing to do.’
There was no doubt about that. But… feeling exhausted every ti others took his efforts for granted—that part, he couldn’t help.
*Woooong*... A low hum filled the air as the exit to the dungeon appeared behind the corpse of the boss, pulling him out of his thoughts. J stared absentmindedly at the shimring exit. Even so, once his thoughts had been set in motion, they flowed like water.
‘Nothing in this world is a given…’
He closed his eyes. The image of the bandaged Hunters ca to mind. Hunters with arms in casts, still holding weapons. They looked exhausted, too. But,
‘Did I really need to step in here?’
Before the thought could fully form, he pulled off his mask and slapped both his cheeks. The sharp sound echoed, and his face flushed with heat. Though he was tall and handso, there was still a faint boyishness in his cold features. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes.
He lit one with a cheap lighter, inhaling deeply. But it didn’t last long.
*Cough, cough!* J’s shoulders shook as he let out a series of harsh coughs, his eyes watering. As the coughing fit subsided, silence returned. The cigarette, barely touched, felt foreign to him. Just like the air inside the dungeons he entered almost daily—it still felt unfamiliar.
“…Sigh.”
Maybe it was sothing he’d never get used to.
After the Chungju dungeon ca a rift that had appeared in Mangwon-dong. It was an absorption-type rift that had swallowed all the surrounding buildings. As he listened to the monotonous briefing, J closed his eyes. Yeah, this was better. It was easier to stay constantly busy than to get lost in useless thoughts.
Before long, the helicopter began to descend, signaling their arrival. J jumped out lightly. *Thud*, his feet hit the ground, sending a tingling sensation up his legs.
The area around the rift was eerily empty, as though everything had been swallowed up. The closer they got to the rift, the louder the screams and chaos beca.
“J!”
“J is here!”
“We’re saved…”
Sighs of relief echoed from all around. J’s eyes narrowed. There were far too many people around the rift entrance.
‘The rescue team hasn’t gone inside yet?’
At that mont, a Hunter rushed over to him.
“May I report, J?”
“Go ahead.”
“The rescue team entered the rift, but the entire interior is filled with poison. They had to retreat imdiately. The situation is critical.”
“…Poison?”
“Yes! They didn’t get very far before everyone….”
J slowly surveyed the surroundings. Not far from the rift, under a white tent, Hunters lay on the ground, groaning in pain, their bodies blackened from the poison.
One Hunter had his head buried in a bucket, vomiting up dark red blood. Another clutched a blackened, lted arm, screaming in agony. It was utter chaos. The reporting Hunter muttered under his breath.
“There’s likely no survivors inside. If even Hunters can’t withstand the poison… it’d be best to quickly deal with the rift boss.”
“……”
“Here, take so antidotes. They’re not great, but they should help…”
The Hunter handed J several vials filled with a purple liquid from his inventory. But J shook his head.
“I’ll take half. Use the rest to treat the injured.”
A short ti later, J regretted his decision.
‘I should’ve taken them all…’
He grimaced as the acrid, stinging sll filled his nose.
The inside of the rift was an entirely different world. The collapsed buildings had lted into unrecognizable shapes, consud by thick black poison. Giant salamanders and toads flicked their tongues in the poisonous swamp, their eyes gleaming in the dark. J quickly assessed the situation.
‘If the inside is like this, there can’t be…’
There won’t be any survivors.
J adjusted his mask. He could usually trust his body to endure most poisons, but even he wasn’t sure if it would hold up in an environnt completely filled with toxins like this rift. With every breath, his body felt heavier.
It was probably the toxic gases rising from the swamp. Staying here for too long would be foolish.
‘The best course of action is to kill the rift boss as quickly as possible and get out.’
But, as always, J’s plan didn’t go smoothly.
Just before he kicked off the ground to rush forward, he closed his eyes and focused his senses. He could feel the presence of countless monsters, the massive presence of the dungeon boss, and then…
A faint heartbeat caught his ear.
J’s eyes snapped open wide.
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