There was no real need to eat, but I did anyway, and the hospital I visited afterward was quieter than I expected.
Baek Tae-beom’s younger brother, Baek Seon-woo, lay still as if asleep. Yet, he bore almost no resemblance to Baek Tae-beom. His pale brown hair, delicate features, the sickly look in his eyes, his ghostly complexion—none of it matched.
If it weren’t for the oxygen mask on his face or the machine letting us know he was breathing at regular intervals, I might have thought he was already dead.
Seeing it up close like this for the first time left me speechless. Baek Tae-beom smiled at me, as if telling me it was okay.
“Why are you making that face, hyung?”
I wasn’t sure what kind of expression I had on, but it was definitely not a normal one. I sat down on the chair and looked up at Baek Tae-beom.
Then I asked.
It might’ve been a question out of line—or maybe it was the one I most wanted to ask right now.
“Why do you like me?”
I saw Baek Tae-beom flinch at the sudden question.
“Huh?”
I took a moment to think about our relationship.
But there wasn’t much to think about. It was clearly one-sided. I was the one who started it and ended it. A connection that would’ve ended simply with my death—yet Baek Tae-beom kept it going, showing me affection even now.
“You’re not like this with anyone else, right? Am I wrong?”
“……”
“I saw it with my own eyes, so I know. You get so sensitive about what happened to me. Don’t you? But we only spent a few months together.”
Baek Tae-beom looked down at me with subdued eyes.
“That’s long enough to grow attached to someone. But it’s not long enough to wait two whole years. What I’ve received from you… it’s far more than I deserve.”
“Hyung.”
Baek Tae-beom spoke slowly.
“You’ve got it all wrong.”
“I do?”
“I’m the one who’s received more.”
He leaned down gently.
“Why were you so good to me?”
“That’s—”
“Because you’re my Constellation? Because I’m your Contractor? Is that really the only reason?”
I turned my gaze away, wanting to escape the closeness of his face, but his words caught me and wouldn’t let go.
“I don’t think that’s it. And I’m fully capable of thinking for myself. I’m not treating you kindly without knowing why.”
“Tae-beom…”
“You have no idea. Just how low my thoughts can go.”
The way Baek Tae-beom said it made it sound like he was suppressing something.
“You really don’t know. You asked me why I like you, right?”
“……”
“It’s because you’re you.”
That only made it harder to understand.
Someone like me could never be the kind of person someone else could love. I couldn’t understand Baek Tae-beom at all.
The car ride back was filled with silence, and I just kept fiddling with my phone.
[<Breaking News> World’s First Hunter with an Unmeasurable Rank Appears]
[…Authorities are expected to release a statement soon regarding the unprecedented emergence of a Hunter whose rank cannot be determined. Reporter: Choo Hye-yeon [email protected]]
<Comments>
[Unklio: What’s so special about an unmeasurable rank? lol People really lose it over anything.]
[Anonymous3365: You can always tell the ones getting salty—they’re all below C-Rank lmfaoooooo]
[BlueMoon: Still, wouldn’t this benefit our national economy? Let’s try to see it positively.]
[Anonymous99042: Just look at who he hangs out with—Beom. That alone tells you everything. Probably a total asshole.]
I gave a hollow laugh as I read through the comments.
<Comments>
[Anonymous44905: Honestly, people who write these kinds of comments are the real losers.]
I hit the like button on that comment and backed out of the article to scroll through other headlines. One that caught my eye was an article announcing that Baek Tae-beom had finally joined the Hansung Guild. It was posted like some major exclusive, with just a single large photo of Baek Tae-beom and nothing else.
<Comments>
[Anonymous54289: Wait, wasn’t he already with Hansung Guild? Guess I got it wrong;;;]
[Kotis: Honestly don’t get it. Thought he’d stay a lone wolf forever. What’s so great about Hansung that made him join?]
[Anonymous1290: Bet there’ll be a ton of applicants to Hansung now^^ Total dream job.]
[Anonymous9531: Holy hell, do we really need a full update on what Baek Tae-beom ate, how he breathed, and whether he worked out today? Might as well just start a daily blog for the guy, lol.]
[fewioj: So does this mean Hansung Guild just got another S-Rank???]
I couldn’t help but make a strange face at some of the comments.
<Comments>
[Anonymous391: He’s been sticking around Hunter Choi Ga-hyeon. Maybe he joined because of him? I think there’s something going on between them.]
There is something going on. A relationship between a Constellation and his Contractor.
<Comments>
[Anonymous90564: @Anonymous391^^ I think maybe Hunter Baek Tae-beom got blackmailed or something?]
Blackmailed, huh. If anything, I’m the one who’s been caught by the throat.
<Comments>
[Anonymous7899: The problem is Choi Ga-hyeon; gotta watch out for that guy. What if he’s threatening Baek Tae-beom? I heard he’s freakin’ strong.]
It’s not threats—I’m the one being protected.
<Comments>
[Anonymous69332: That Beom bastard’s trash, and now he’s jumped straight into the dumpster where he belongs.]
…Who the hell is this jerk?
Not a single comment was remotely accurate, so I hit the downvote button on all of them. How the hell are they still writing this crap after two whole years? It’s not intelligence evolving—it’s devolving. Utterly tragic.
I wrote a comment.
<Comments>
[Anonymous12393: Let’s not post hate comments, yeah~^^]
And then I watched as the downvotes poured in, feeling a surge of disappointment in society.
[CH. Private / One Who Guides the Dead: What are you doing.]
[CH. Private / One Who Seeks to Prevent Destruction: Just grieving over the state of our nation.]
[CH. Private / One More Dazzling Than the Sun: This guy seriously enjoys doing pointless crap….]
[CH. Private / One Who Seeks to Prevent Destruction: As an honorary Korean, I’d appreciate a little sympathy?]
I was saying that to Apollo with a mix of sarcasm when the car suddenly jolted to a stop, nearly flinging me forward. I would’ve smacked into the dash if Baek Tae-beom hadn’t reached out and held me back.
“You okay, hyung? See, I told you to wear a seatbelt.”
“Do you realize you almost killed me just now?”
“Seatbelts are life belts, hyung.”
Baek Tae-beom said it like it was nothing, calmly turning the steering wheel. As the car did a full U-turn, I couldn’t hide my confusion.
“Where are we going?”
“We?”
“Yeah, we.”
Baek Tae-beom tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, then asked cautiously.
“Can you say that again?”
“Say what?”
“‘Where are we going?’”
“Oh.”
His lips moved slightly before curling into a smile.
“Lee Myung-won called us in. It seems to be connected to your situation too.”
“My situation?”
“Yeah. The Association has their eye on you.”
I couldn’t help but be startled.
“On me?”
“Yup. It’s ridiculous that they’re pulling this crap, but… looks like Lee Myung-won was trying to handle it on his own, and of all times, a rift opened up.”
Baek Tae-beom glanced at me through the rearview mirror as he spoke.
“It’s a dungeon estimated to be at least A-Rank. Civilians are involved, so Hunters from the Association are joining the mission too. And apparently, some of them are insisting on bringing you along.”
“Why the hell would they do that?”
“They want to evaluate your abilities. And also… ah.”
Baek Tae-beom frowned as he read a new message on his phone.
“Looks like a real pain in the ass showed up too.”
“So basically, this just got annoying. Where’s the location?”
“Sanggye-dong.”
Sanggye-dong?
Something flashed through my mind, and I instinctively grabbed Baek Tae-beom’s arm. I didn’t even notice the look of alarm spreading across his face as I urgently asked,
“Any other unusual signs? Anything at all?”
“Uh, hold on. I’m reading the rest of the message now….”
“Is there something?”
“There’s fire bursting out of the rift—”
Baek Tae-beom spoke up.
“The flames are so intense, civilians have been completely barred from the area.”
That was all the confirmation I needed.
Kang Si-hoo.
Kang Si-hoo is there.
***
As soon as I lifted my head, the first thing I saw was the massive entrance. A literally massive entrance. A dungeon that had swallowed an entire residential complex—an outright disaster, with flames erupting skyward. Dungeons classified A-Rank or higher often appeared like this.
If left unchecked, either the fire would devour everything or the monsters inside would burst out and devour the people. One way or another, it would lead to catastrophe.
“You’ve arrived.”
Waiting there were Lee Myung-won and several unfamiliar Hunters. Just from a glance, they looked like officials—clearly people from the Association.
‘Information.’
[Displaying target information.]
[Jeon Pil-soo of Waiting]
[Title: Waiting
Rank: C
Status: Cannot be verified.
Contracted Constellation: None
Owned Coins: Cannot be verified.
Skills: [Slyness], [Agility]
An Awakened individual without a contracted Constellation.]
[Displaying target information.]
[Kim Ki-won of Waiting]
[Title: Waiting
Rank: B
Status: Cannot be verified.
Contracted Constellation: None
Owned Coins: Cannot be verified.
Skills: [Iron Wall], [Endurance]
An Awakened individual without a contracted Constellation.]
One was a thin man with sharp eyes; the other was burly with broad shoulders. And behind them stood a man wearing a mask.
[Displaying target information.]
[??? of Black Rain]
[Titles: Of Black Rain, One Who Took Root With Wings, One Who Holds Despair…
Rank: Currently hidden.
Status: Cannot be verified.
Contracted Constellation: Currently hidden.
Owned Coins: Cannot be verified.
Skills: Skills currently hidden.
Information cannot be confirmed due to the mask.]
He was at least as tall as Baek Tae-beom, with reddish-brown hair falling over the nape of his neck. Though dressed identically to the other two, he radiated a presence that was anything but ordinary.
But the way he was hunched over, fidgeting as if nervous, caught my attention.
“Allow me to introduce them, Choi Ga-hyeon.”
Lee Myung-won spoke my name with emphasis.
“These are members from the Association. They’re here specifically to meet you, and they’ll be joining us in the dungeon expedition.”
I straightened my posture and faced them directly.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Choi Ga-hyeon.”
“Ah… the one we’ve heard so many rumors about. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”
Kim Ki-won said with a casual smile, extending his hand.
“I’m Kim Ki-won, and this here is Jeon Pil-soo.”
“We’re thrilled to meet you so soon,” he added as we exchanged a light handshake.
“We really would’ve liked to greet you with a proper welcome, but we’re short on manpower… it’s honestly a shame we could only send the three of us. Someone like Hunter Choi Ga-hyeon deserves something grander, right? Like, say, an S-Rank?”
His tone was laced with sarcasm. I narrowed my eyes and briefly considered his words. Before long, my thoughts led to Oh Kwon-hyuk. Honestly, considering what happened right in Hansung’s lobby, it would’ve been strange not to have rumors.
Baek Tae-beom stood coldly behind me, expression hardened. If I showed even a hint of discomfort, he looked ready to smash their heads into the dirt, so I forced myself to answer calmly.
“It’s fine. But…”
I looked at the man behind them, the one curled in on himself.
“Who’s that?”
The man glanced around anxiously, then jolted in surprise when he realized I was talking about him. His reaction was ridiculously exaggerated.
“M-me? Y-you mean me?!”
“Yes, you.”
“I-I’m, um, I… that is…”
The man stammered from behind his mask, his voice trembling as if he were about to cry. Then he tried to hide behind Kim Ki-won’s massive frame—completely unbefitting his size.
I used a skill on him.
[Skill: Eye of the Dead]
[Borrow the power of the dead to pierce through another’s status. The strength of the vision depends on the Constellation’s power.]
[Skill: Eye of the Dead]
[You activate the skill: Eye of the Dead.]
[Eye of the Dead is activated. The blessing of your Constellation is bestowed.]
[Some of the information hidden by the mask is now revealed.]
“I’m…”
Just as the man behind Kim Ki-won tried to speak, Jeon Pil-soo cut in.
“You can ignore that one.”
[Kang Si-hoo of Black Rain]
[Titles: Of Black Rain, One Who Took Root With Wings, One Who Holds Despair…
Rank: Currently hidden.
Status: Cannot be verified.
Contracted Constellation: Currently hidden.
Owned Coins: Cannot be verified.
Skills: [Cryptic Mask] and others unknown.
Information cannot be fully confirmed due to the mask.]
“He’s just a nobody.”
I barely registered what Kim Ki-won said. My mouth was still slightly open.
What the hell are you doing there like that?
