Uijae stared blankly at the severed head as if it were covered by a hazy film. The eyes that gazed back at him were dull and lifeless, devoid of the energy they once held. These were the eyes of a dead man. The face that had once shyly offered him a potion or eagerly ordered more hangover soup was long gone.
Yet, Uijae couldn’t tear his gaze away from the face. He struggled to find any trace of the person he once knew in the lifeless features before him.
‘Why?’
His mind was spinning, unable to grasp the situation. The head of the once lively Russian bear of a man, now bristling with spikes, felt as though it was the only thing in the world that existed. The eyes, still open but devoid of life, stared vacantly. His chest tightened, and his vision blurred.
Why was this happening here? How had things co to this? There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but none that could be answered—because it was his own hands that had severed this man's head.
At that mont, the sharp sound of sothing scraping pierced the air. Faster than Uijae expected, he was already moving, his foot hitting the ground, and before his other foot could touch down, his spear had already pierced through flesh and bone. Splat! Blood sprayed out as Uijae gritted his teeth.
He let go of the spear and clenched his fists. Before the body he impaled could even hit the ground, his solid fist shattered the spikes that rushed at him.
Crack! The shattered fragnts flew against his face and fists, but not a single scratch marked his skin. In the brief mont his hardened fist smashed the head, Uijae took in the stranger’s face. And then he felt relief. He didn’t know this person.
Boom!
With the sound of breaking bones, the body he had struck flew back and crashed into sothing. Thump, thump, thump—his heart pounded in his chest. He wiped the sweat from his palm on his pants and pulled his spear from the fallen body. Blood spattered his black boots as he drove the spear into the ground.
The thick dust still hadn’t settled.
Uijae looked up. The White Hole flickered in the hazy sky above. What had just happened felt like a dream. Uijae stared at the sky in a daze and let out a soft laugh, prompted by an odd thought: Had he simply been dreaming and was now finally waking up to reality?
Of course, everything had been going unusually well for a while. His real life had always been a ss like this.
It felt almost laughable.
Then, suddenly, a strong hand gripped Uijae’s arm tightly. Instinctively, he swung his elbow at the one holding him, but his elbow was caught just as firmly. A calm voice spoke.
“It’s , hyung.”
“…Ah.”
Uijae blinked. Sayoung had caught up to him and was now holding his arm tightly. Only then did Uijae realize he had been holding his breath and exhaled deeply. His hand felt heavy. He was still gripping the severed head of the Russian bear.
He coughed. His body doubled over, and a large hand followed, supporting his body and patting his back. The coughing finally subsided, but his body continued to tremble.
Cha Uijae was trembling uncontrollably. It was almost pathetic.
“…Ugh.”
He felt nauseous, like he was going to vomit. The world was spinning. His grip loosened, and the head he had been holding fell to the ground with a thud.
A large hand grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him closer, while a low voice whispered in his ear.
"Why all of a sudden...?"
“…….”
“Will you tell what’s going on?”
The hand that held the back of his neck gently stroked his hair, an almost coaxing gesture.
“…He was a custor.”
Uijae’s voice wavered as he spoke. In that mont, the only person who could share this secret with him was Sayoung—the only person who knew both J and Cha Uijae.
“He was a custor at my hangover soup restaurant…. This isn’t a mistake. I’m sure of it. He even gave a gift. The potion I just used on you… that was from him.”
“Hmm.”
“When… When did it happen? It’s only been three months since I closed the shop. Why…”
With each word he spoke, his heart, which had been racing, gradually slowed. It was strange. Simply voicing what he had kept to himself for so long brought him a sense of calm. Sayoung didn’t respond, just listened quietly. Uijae’s frantic breathing steadied as the black-clad hand continued to rub his back.
Sayoung asked softly, “Do you want to run away?”
Uijae repeated the words in his head. Did he want to run away? No. He couldn’t. Running wasn’t an option.
“It’s okay if you do.”
His head snapped up at Sayoung’s firm tone. Sayoung was looking down at him with an unreadable expression.
“If that’s what you want.”
“…….”
“I’ll go with you.”
The murmuring of voices finally began to filter through Uijae’s ears. He beca aware of the presence of others around them. He gently pushed Sayoung away and bit down hard on his tongue. The sharp pain and the tallic taste of blood helped bring him back to his senses. Sayoung frowned as he watched.
“Now…”
“It’s nothing.”
Uijae’s tone was firm, cutting Sayoung off before he could protest. Sayoung didn’t look pleased, but he remained silent, not voicing any complaints. Uijae swallowed the blood in his mouth.
"It’s not about being stubborn. I just…”
“…….”
“I just don’t want to run again. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
The dust was beginning to settle. Soon, they would be fully visible to the crowd. This ti, Uijae was prepared. He was ready to show himself. He smiled to himself, knowing Sayoung wouldn’t be able to see it.
"Still, thanks. I’ll rember this."
Now he had soone who would run with him, if necessary.
The dust fully settled, and countless eyes locked onto them. Fear and curiosity were mixed in the murmurs around them.
Whoa, that’s J. Where did he suddenly co from? And is that Lee Sayoung with him? Are they really together? They don’t seem to be on bad terms.
Uijae expertly flicked the spear, shaking off the blood, and stored it back in his inventory. Every movent was followed by the gazes of the onlookers. Fortunately, their attention didn’t seem negative. If anything…
‘Are they… amused?’
Uijae casually folded his hands behind his back. This feeling was unfamiliar, but in a strange way, it wasn’t unpleasant. When he moved with Minggijeok, he always tried to quickly finish his tasks and disappear before anyone noticed. He’d never liked being the center of attention.
Sayoung, standing beside him with his arms crossed, let out an exaggerated yawn. A few small gasps erupted from the crowd. Uijae glanced at Sayoung and muttered under his breath.
“Your image… what even is it….”
“You can tell by looking, right? How long are we staying here?”
“I just wanted to check the body. It feels wrong to examine it alone. Surely soone reported this by now.”
People had beco diligent about reporting anything suspicious to the authorities since the Crack Day and Change Day incidents. There were even public service ads and school programs drilling the importance of calling the Rift Managent Agency or the Awakener Managent Bureau hotlines in case of ergencies. It was essential for protecting civilians’ lives.
“Well, I’m sure they did…”
“I need to talk to soone from the Rift Managent Agency or a Hunter from the Awakener Managent Bureau—”
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed around them. Speak of the devil. It seed the officials had arrived right on cue. Uijae shrugged as if to say, "See?" while Sayoung scoffed.
"Did you wait here expecting this?"
"...No."
He hadn’t expected this person to show up.
The man who approached with a few quick hand gestures to the other Hunters following him finally ca to a stop in front of Uijae and Sayoung. His face, though calm, held a soft smile.
"Ah, J. And... Lee Sayoung. I see the two of you took care of this. Thank you."
Jung Bin, tidying his disheveled hair from the run, gave them both a polite nod. J followed suit, bowing his head slightly. After a brief greeting, Jung Bin pulled out a small device from his pocket, pressing a button.
Rumble! With a loud thud, walls rose from the ground, encircling them and creating a barrier between them and the civilians.
‘What kind of nifty invention is this….’
Jung Bin smiled brightly when he noticed Uijae looking around curiously.
“It’s Hong Yeseong’s latest invention. Since the two of you tend to draw a lot of public attention, I thought it’d be best to keep things a little more private.”
“Why… Ah.”
Following Jung Bin’s gaze, Uijae saw the bruises on Sayoung’s neck, marked with handprints. Damn it. Uijae lowered his eyes to the ground in embarrassnt. Jung Bin’s eyes were filled with concern as he glanced at Sayoung.
“Have you been treated yet?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
"Not in the mood to answer, I see. Understood. You must have been through a lot."
Jung Bin tactfully withdrew his attention and glanced around the area. His gaze eventually landed on the severed head near Uijae’s feet. Uijae gulped nervously as he wondered if Jung Bin would recognize the face. After all, Jung Bin hadn’t been a regular at his hangover soup restaurant, so maybe he wouldn’t.
But Jung Bin’s expression hardened.
"This... Let take a closer look."
Jung Bin cautiously picked up the head, inspecting it carefully. Uijae swallowed again before asking, his voice hesitant.
“…Do you recognize him?"
"Yes, I do," Jung Bin said softly. His expression was solemn as he examined the head.
"This Hunter went missing recently. His guild leader personally reported his disappearance. He was a mber of the Magok Guild…."
Uijae’s eyes widened. That wasn’t the answer he had expected. Missing? Jung Bin gently brushed a hand over the mutated face, spikes protruding grotesquely. The lifeless eyes rolled back under the eyelids.
“There has been a rise in reports of missing Hunters recently. These are people who haven’t entered dungeons or rifts, but have still disappeared. Most of them are low-ranking Hunters, and when they’re found…”
"……."
“…they’re often in this kind of condition.”
This condition. Uijae looked over at the other body he had killed, also twisted and covered in spikes. It was clear that Protheus had been involved. Jung Bin continued.
“Nam Woojin suspects that soone is kidnapping Awakeners and experinting on them. The tifra is too short to bla drug addiction. Unless it’s an extrely potent substance…”
"But abducting Awakeners isn't exactly easy," Uijae said, frowning.
“It would be if there’s a traitor,” Sayoung interjected. His tone was cold as he stared at the head in Jung Bin’s hands.
“A low-ranking Awakener could never defeat a high-ranking one. And it’s not like Protheus has impressive combat abilities. At most, they can create… these rejects.”
“…….”
“The possibility that a Hunter is involved can’t be ruled out. In fact, it’s quite likely.”
“…And that person would probably be a ranker.”
A tense silence followed Sayoung’s unsettling words. Uijae closed his eyes. A small wave of regret washed over him. If he hadn’t closed the hangover soup restaurant, would he have noticed sothing sooner?
But there was no ti for regret.
Now was the ti for action.
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