Chapter 11
‘Yeongseong Gwanghwi’ was obviously a cult no matter how you looked at it, but it had more believers than expected. The cost of carving three letters of one’s name on the stone pillars inside the sanctuary of light, which supposedly granted salvation, was tens of millions of won. But since there were no available spots, they kept adding pillars and even expanded the building, which was laughable.
There were frequent claims that the cult leader Do Yeongmyeong was a hunter, but the truth was unknown. The prophecies they claimed were always a laughingstock in hunter society, but this time a reversal occurred when some crazy hunter jokingly put the prophecy into the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail answered that the prophecy was indeed true. It was natural that the prophecy became a hot topic in an instant.
The Holy Grail that distinguished truth would answer questions when gold was melted into it. The name was quite holy, but it was thoroughly corrupted. Since the owner of the Holy Grail was the Rift Control Agency, they couldn’t ignore the ‘prophecy’ that was determined to be true.
The Rift Control Agency issued conscription orders to each guild and formed a major rift subjugation force. Huiseon’s guild leader, main hunters, and of course Baek Mujin were included. Given the high level of danger, there were no exceptions.
Thus, the cult’s prophecy became truth, and what had been a hundred-million-won prank was transformed into a precious disaster warning. Despite Eunseong’s desperate heart, the major rift had finally opened.
* * *
The rift appeared exactly in the middle of the old city address mentioned in the prophecy. The purple hole devoured the ground and rapidly expanded its area. It far exceeded the initial predicted range in a short time, causing great commotion among the forces waiting in the area.
The rift was an abyss that devoured only living humans.
Its characteristic was that it spread along the ground surface. The places where the rift appeared and disappeared left no traces as if by magic. Only humans were cleanly annihilated without even leaving corpses.
So to survive, they built towers and went up into the air, which became the current new residential districts. The residential district at the highest place, which could endure the longest against rifts that spread along surfaces, was District 1. It was an aerial city so expensive that you couldn’t live there with money alone.
The major rift began right on the ground directly below that District 1. Looking at the speed at which the rift stains spread up along the tower surfaces supporting the residential district, the conclusion was that they needed to destroy the energy core inside and get out within at least 48 hours to be safe.
On the day of the prophecy, Eunseong’s guild had finished item supply work in the rear. Box units of offensive support items and survival kits from transport helicopters were instantly depleted. Yuseong’s mechanics checked the condition of every piece of equipment they handed out and drew red lines on checklists. These were all familiar tasks they could do with their eyes closed, but they couldn’t completely hide their anxious feelings.
“It’s been almost 8 years since we had a rift this large and fast-progressing, right?”
“Be quiet, and go check the remaining purification agent there and report to the Control Agency.”
Yeon Seokchun sharply jabbed the side of the guild member who asked tactlessly.
He had been busy watching Eunseong’s mood since dawn. Yuseong’s plane had also crashed over a similarly occurring major rift exactly 8 years ago at this time. If there had been a prophecy like now back then, Eunseong could have avoided the tragedy.
“Still, it’s fortunate we’re waiting here in advance thanks to the prophecy. Maybe it’s not a cult but a real god?”
Unaware of Yeon Seokchun’s inner thoughts, Joo Hyeonwoo muttered. Eunseong, who had been looking toward the rift boundary line in the distance, looked up at the sky at those words.
Everyone except the entry team should wait in the rear. This was the directive they received only after arriving at the scene today.
As serious as the atmosphere was, this time there were no spectators or press. District 1 was already in great chaos due to evacuation orders, of course. The rift site also had sharp guild territorial boundaries. The side of the expected damage boundary line had tight security where not even a mouse could approach.
At the front line where the purple-rippling black surface was spreading, they were measuring entry points. Eunseong, holding his mobile phone, had his mouth completely dry from anxiety.
“Is there still no contact from Hunter Baek Mujin?”
Eunseong shook his head at Yeon Seokchun’s careful question.
“I think I need to go see him myself.”
He started walking before even finishing his words.
Mujin had endured long while harboring Hwanghwa. Originally, adulthood was when the core’s growth was completed, and that time was the most opportune for opening Hwanghwa. Missing that timing and enduring for over 4 years already, his body must be in tatters.
Baek Sangyeon, who was Huiseon’s guild leader and Mujin’s father, surely had his thoughts too. Just as he had recommended the re-awakening project to him, Mujin might also be aiming for re-awakening to surpass his own limits.
But the more he used his power, the more painfully unbearable it would become. Knowing all too well that Mujin’s body was burning from the inside, watching him enter the rift was torture for Eunseong.
On the path toward Huiseon Guild’s barracks, an armed hunter blocked Eunseong’s group. When they explained that they couldn’t contact Mujin and asked for passage, what returned was a cold refusal without any additional reason.
“Hunter Baek Mujin has declined the meeting request.”
“…What did you say?”
“Since rift entry is imminent, the order is for everyone except related personnel to retreat outside the standby line.”
All of Yuseong Guild including Eunseong were not permitted to enter the front row where Huiseon Guild was located. But they hadn’t expected to be refused even a brief personal meeting.
“He really won’t even say hello.”
Eunseong clenched his fist tightly. Seeing that all the blocking hunters were high-grade, Mujin was serious.
Since the dispute at the auction house, Mujin had been avoiding Eunseong’s contact. Even though he had the item Jung Isaac gave him, there was no monster to attempt re-awakening with, so Eunseong felt like he had reached a dead end.
“Then please deliver at least this.”
Yeon Seokchun blocked Eunseong’s urgently extended hand. He shook his head and discouraged him, saying it wouldn’t work.
“It’s obvious they’ll lose it. You might as well entrust fish to a cat.”
“Then what should I do?”
“You shouldn’t entrust this kind of item to me either. You know that well.”
Faced with Yeon Seokchun’s firm expression, Eunseong had to ultimately back down. The item in his hand, Seorin’s sharp edges, painfully pierced his palm.
How about trying to get swallowed up?
But there wasn’t even a monster for that.
Eunseong’s hands trembled as he turned around. He took out his phone to call Mujin, but he still wouldn’t answer.
Really, in this way…
[Mujin.]
[What do you mean by acting like this?]
[Are you really going to leave like this?]
[I was wrong.]
[I’m sorry.]
[I won’t do it again.]
[Please.]
The messages showed read receipts as soon as they were sent. Yet there wasn’t even a simple word of reply.
Boom- The heavy siren sound announcing rift entry rang out. Eunseong’s heart also sank with a thud.
When his knees gave out completely and he collapsed, his phone buzzed. In his now blurry vision, he saw a brief reply Mujin had sent.
[Mujin]: I’ll come back.
* * *
Eunseong’s world spun round and round.
It was to the point where he couldn’t distinguish between floor and ceiling. When he came to his senses after returning to District 1, there was no one around him.
The scenes after being driven out from the rift site as if chased were fragmented. His last memory was of wildly shaking off Yeon Seokchun’s restraining hands and running away.
Still, he didn’t care. Eunseong had no intention of pulling himself together from this mess. With staggering steps, he headed straight to Mujin’s house.
District 1, evacuated by all citizens except a few hunters, had instantly become a ghost town and was eerily desolate. The same was true for Huiseon Guild’s entrance.
The hunter guarding Huiseon Guild’s entrance recognized Eunseong and wordlessly stepped aside. If there was even the slightest possibility until the very end, Eunseong was a precious guest at least here.
From the entrance security checkpoint to the elevator, to Mujin’s front door, Eunseong entered his biometric information and went in as if it were his own home. Throughout the unobstructed movement, his vision was blurry and his head held only one thought.
What if Mujin doesn’t come back?
I shouldn’t have fought that day.
When he told me to accept it, I should have accepted it… I should have at least said goodbye properly.
He kept having terrible premonitions.
‘…If you die, how am I supposed to stop it?’
He couldn’t believe that such words were the last conversation he had with Mujin, the last words he had given to his ears.
Eunseong collapsed onto the ownerless bed.
Beyond the large glass window, he could see his own house far in the distance.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
