Chapter 75
“Looking at the rate the rift is spreading, we need to enter within 5 hours. Let’s grab all the protective gear and head out quickly.”
“Okay.”
Eunseong nodded obediently. He stood next to Mujin, fully dressed and fidgeting. Now that he looked closely, the clothes Mujin had brought out weren’t ordinary attire either.
Mujin stood facing Eunseong and equipped him with items one by one. Each time he personally put accessories on Eunseong’s ears or neck, Eunseong’s eyes rolled around as if there was an earthquake.
Finally, Mujin checked Eunseong’s forehead temperature and frowned deeply.
“What can you do even if you don’t like it?”
When he muttered something incomprehensible, Eunseong looked up expectantly for an explanation, but no further words came.
Mujin opened the door and headed straight to the underground parking lot via elevator. He briefly notified Yeon Seokchun of their departure through his phone. Eunseong glanced once in the direction of the house where Hanyeong was resting, then promptly followed behind Mujin.
Mujin was always quick to act once he made a decision. He didn’t calculate or look back. Still, he took good care of Eunseong who followed him. He reached out to hold his hand and matched his walking pace.
Eunseong assumed they would head toward their usual car, but Mujin changed direction and walked toward a bike. Eunseong stood awkwardly in front of it. The first thing that caught his eye were the two massive wheels, different from a regular motorcycle. The matte black finish and sleek metal frame covering the entire body made it look like a beast made of steel.
“We’re riding this?”
“Yeah, let’s put this on first.”
“Mujin, wait…”
Without any explanation, Mujin immediately put a helmet on Eunseong. He smiled briefly at Eunseong who was feeling around the round, black helmet covering his face, then put on an identical one himself. Enclosed in the pitch-black, round helmet, he couldn’t even see the tip of the other’s nose.
“Since when did you ride something like this…”
“We’re going to ride the bike all the way into the rift.”
As Eunseong muttered, Mujin’s voice penetrated his ears.
“Or would you rather I carry you? I wouldn’t mind that either.”
Eunseong’s eyes grew so wide they seemed about to pop out of the helmet. The inside of the helmet filled with Mujin’s soft laughter. He was more surprised by the voice than the content. When he raised his head, Mujin tapped the ear section of the helmet. It meant they were connected.
There was no time to be surprised by or adapt to new things. Mujin sat Eunseong behind him and familiarly mounted the driver’s seat. The steering mechanism wasn’t a conventional handlebar, but a form that required the rider to lean low and stretch their arms forward to grip. Sitting behind Mujin and wrapping his arms around his waist as instructed, Eunseong naturally ended up in a position like he was lying on his back.
With a whispered instruction to hold tight, a monstrous engine roar hit his body.
Groooom-!
In the blink of an eye, the bike shot forward like an arrow. Eunseong tightly squeezed Mujin’s waist. He could vividly feel the temperature of their pressed bodies and the writhing back muscles. It seemed like the first time Eunseong’s heart had beaten this fast for something other than Mujin. His blood vessels expanded, making his blood flow rapidly.
The city scenery flew by at a terrifying speed. The cold air seemed to penetrate through his pants fabric into his skin. The wind cutting between his ankles felt like sharp knives.
Wooooom-! As they left the downtown area and climbed onto the bridge connecting the residential districts, the bike’s speed increased even more.
“F-fast. Too fast. Slow down a bit.”
Eunseong said, squeezing Mujin’s waist. His voice trembled. Racing on the high bridge, the bike seemed to be flying through the air.
“But it’s better than a helicopter, right? Don’t you think?”
Mujin’s voice was tinged with undisguisable joy.
Why is he bringing up helicopters now? Is he talking about my trauma from the plane crash? I’m about to develop a bike trauma today!
Mujin firmly held Eunseong’s hands that were clawing at his waist. At his reassuring touch, Eunseong panicked even more and shouted.
“The handlebar! The handlebar! Hold it with both hands!”
“Aren’t you being too untrusting?”
“Look ahead! Ahead! Aaaaaaah-!”
When Mujin defiantly increased the speed, the helmet connected to the communicator filled with Eunseong’s voice. Despite his head ringing from the screams, Mujin couldn’t help but smile. This was certainly better than seeing him drained of energy. Eunseong’s vitality was vibrant.
* * *
As usual, barricades surrounded the gradually expanding rift. The entrance to the 1km radius rift control zone was packed with curious civilians and reporters.
The black bike made a low rumbling sound as it slowly advanced through the crowd. Eunseong, clinging to Mujin’s back like a koala, scanned the crowd with a pale face. The sound of cameras clicking was loud enough to penetrate the helmet.
“Everyone’s staring.”
“No one can see your face.”
Eunseong knew well that if they had walked in with Mujin exposed, even more gazes would have been fixed on them. Still, even with the helmet on, he felt uncomfortable facing the crowd head-on.
This was clearly an old emotion. The feeling Eunseong had experienced every time he passed through the entrance of the rift control zone in the past was acting as a subconscious aversion. It felt like walking naked through a crowd.
When Eunseong hugged Mujin’s waist tighter and hid his helmeted face against his back, inexplicable exclamations erupted from the crowd. To Eunseong, it sounded like criticism directed at him, so he consciously closed his ears.
Despite not being affiliated with a guild, the two were given a separate waiting tent. In this world, combat power ranking was everything. Since they improved the survival rate of accompanying hunters, this treatment was, in a way, only natural.
Eunseong dismounted as soon as Mujin parked the bike. As if experiencing land sickness, the sensation of his feet touching the ground felt strange. He grabbed Mujin to steady his wobbling body.
“Are you okay?”
“I feel nauseous.”
Mujin shielded Eunseong with his body and removed his helmet. He slightly lowered the zipper of Eunseong’s tightly fastened jacket and slipped his index finger between the collar to feel his nape. With so many items hanging there, including the Seorin, it made him smile.
“How are your eyes?”
At the careful question, Eunseong nodded.
“I can manage. For now.”
Using safety goggles would be the simplest solution, but blocking visual information would increase the risk proportionally. After all, the rift was unfamiliar territory for Eunseong.
While feeling around his nape, Mujin first activated a leather choker-type item. As light surrounded the small pendant, Eunseong’s features immediately became blurry.
“Hmm.”
Mujin frowned with one eye, showing a rather displeased expression.
“What?”
“…Nothing, maybe it’s because I know it’s you. It feels a bit unpleasant that this item is trying to work on me.”
The item [Bansi] made by Joo Hyeonwoo performed differently depending on the opponent’s cognitive ability and concentration. This meant it was most effective on people who only saw you once. Conversely, it wasn’t very effective on those who approached knowing Eunseong was Eunseong.
After activating several more items as insurance, Mujin stepped back, and as if they had been waiting, a group of hunters approached the two.
They were hunters belonging to the Rift Control Agency, wearing military-style rank insignia on their chests instead of the usual hunter grades. The hunter with the most decorated chest stepped forward. He had an impressive number of medals hanging from his uniform.
“Hello, Hunter Baek Mujin. I’m here for the basic procedures.”
The man shook hands with Mujin smoothly and then extended his hand to Eunseong, twitching his eyebrows.
“Ah, and this person is…”
“I’m Han Geumseum. Nice to meet you.”
Eunseong cut off the brief suspicion by emphatically stating his name. Simultaneously, an item that disrupted perception activated to help him.
“Ah, I see. Nice to meet you. I’m Choi Seongdo from the Combat Support Division of the Rift Control Agency. I’m also guiding independent hunters entering the rift.”
The palm that Eunseong grasped for the handshake was bumpy. His gaze naturally went to the man’s hand. Traces of deep burns had spread across his hand, with the skin unevenly healed. The moment Eunseong raised his eyes, Choi Seongdo firmly squeezed his fingertips.
“Well, actually, there’s nothing to guide you on. Everyone knows Hunter Baek Mujin’s skills. The rift is like your front yard, so just think of this as a meaningless procedure.”
“Yes… thank you.”
“The same goes for your companion.”
Hahaha, at Choi Seongdo’s hearty laugh, Eunseong also pulled up the corners of his mouth.
Mujin tilted his head slightly at the smile overlaid with subtle uneasiness. It was similar to Eunseong’s expression when he recalled some vague point in the past, feeling confused by an indefinable sense of déjà vu.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
