Chapter 76
“What is that insignificant procedure?”
Mujin interjected, wedging himself between the two people as if erecting a barrier. He too was entering a rift without a guild for the first time, so he hadn’t anticipated the intrusion of a Rift Control Agency hunter.
Facing their cold reception, Choi Seongdo rolled his eyes as he looked back and forth between Mujin and Eunseong’s faces. After checking something on his tablet, he turned his attention back to Mujin.
“Um… we need to confirm some things before entry. Since we don’t know how the internal combat situation will unfold. To properly distribute positions, we need to understand each hunter’s abilities in detail beforehand. Especially for those without combat history.”
In other words, they lacked information about Eunseong, a combatant whose abilities weren’t yet fully understood.
After a brief silence, Mujin spoke first.
“Geumseum is a support type, and his registered ability is clearly marked as a buff, isn’t it? He’ll be handling my support during rift entry, so there shouldn’t be any major changes to the overall strategy.”
“Yes, that’s right. However…”
Looking troubled, Choi Seongdo scratched his eyebrow before shifting his gaze to Eunseong and continuing.
“Actually, besides position checks, I also came to see if you could apply buffs to other hunters before entry. Excluding you two, there are 18 hunters waiting to enter… Looking at your grade, it seems you should be capable, but I don’t know how you operate your skills.”
“Buffs?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Eunseong made eye contact. Choi Seongdo continued as if he’d been waiting for this.
“The Rift Control Agency encourages buff guilds to participate in each rift to maintain combat member balance, but since support-type hunters are so few in number, today we only have Hunter Han Geumseum.”
His tone was polite but firm. With a smooth smile attached to the end of his words, he created an atmosphere impossible to refuse.
“I can try if that’s what you need.”
Eunseong volunteered, thinking it would be good practice, but Mujin’s expression was far from peaceful. It was as if he could hear his concerned voice saying, ‘I told you not to use your ability.’
Meanwhile, Choi Seongdo beamed as if Eunseong’s permission was his own achievement. His smile was bright enough to make Eunseong set aside his suspicions and follow him.
Inside the large tent marked with the Rift Control Agency flag, waiting hunters were gathered in small groups. They seemed to have been informed in advance about receiving buffs. Mujin frowned at this fact, but Eunseong showed no reaction, his face unreadable.
A brief silence fell as the two fully entered. Some whispered among themselves while others assessed the situation with just their eyes.
Choi Seongdo guided Eunseong to the center and addressed everyone.
“Please provide buffs focused on health or recovery ability.”
“My skill might feel different for each person receiving it,” Eunseong explained calmly, recalling what Park Jiwon had told him.
‘Geumseum-ssi’s buff doesn’t have its own inherent nature, but rather responds to the recipient’s nature.’
The unfamiliar skill description caused a brief stir, and Mujin crossed his arms, scanning the tent with his gaze. His displeased look silenced the commotion.
“…Well, we’ll understand once we experience it.”
At Choi Seongdo’s gesture, hunters approached Eunseong one by one. Soon, Eunseong’s fingertips reached the closest person. With a light touch on the shoulder, the hunter’s expression changed instantly.
The energy swirling around Eunseong’s body gathered like forming droplets, seeping into the hunter before spreading throughout his body. The man exclaimed that his body felt lighter and checked his senses by clenching and unclenching his fist.
“I thought it would be similar to a stat boost, but it’s a bit different.”
“Oh, this is interesting.”
“It feels like it directly affects the senses.”
Those who received Eunseong’s buff each added their comments. They tried to explain and define it, but in reality, everyone experienced something different. Some had increased strength, others enhanced focus. Some had their weaknesses reinforced while others had their specialties amplified.
“A customized buff, this is hmm…”
Choi Seongdo muttered to himself while adding notes to his tablet.
By now, Mujin’s gaze had lowered slightly, following only Eunseong’s fingertips. Witnessing the energy that had been granted only to him now being distributed to others was a rare sight.
It was at that moment that the source of his unpleasant feeling became clear. Mujin rolled his tongue to ease the bitter taste in his mouth.
“Is this finished now?”
Shortly after, Choi Seongdo looked around at the now-energized hunters. Eunseong nodded and straightened his back. His cheeks were flushed with satisfaction. His eyes met with the last hunter who received the buff. The hunter, also blushing, opened and closed his mouth. He seemed to want to express his gratitude eloquently.
“Let’s go.”
Mujin cut off the hunter’s existence with a short command and turned Eunseong around. Without waiting for Choi Seongdo’s response, he left the Rift Control Agency tent. Ignoring people’s gazes, he moved indifferently, taking Eunseong back to their tent.
Perhaps in consideration of Eunseong who had provided buffs, their luggage had been moved inside the tent, and simple snacks were prepared on a makeshift table.
Eunseong seemed to have already spent all of his energy for the day. Exhausted, he sprawled on the folding chair. After briefly glaring at the helmet on the table, he began unwrapping the snacks provided by the Rift Control Agency one by one.
“Will you be alright?” Mujin asked with concern.
“With what?”
“Entering the rift.”
“Isn’t that question a bit late?”
“I’m saying we can cancel if you want to.”
“Hmm.”
Before answering, Eunseong took a moment to think. He had heard from Yeon Seokchun that his past self couldn’t enter rifts due to severe trauma from when the plane he was on crashed specifically into a rift. Apparently, he had lived with acrophobia and various mental disorders.
What about his current self?
Eunseong looked straight up at Mujin.
“I can’t avoid it forever. And if I say I’ll be fine because you’re with me… is that too reckless?”
“…”
“Correction. I’ll be fine as long as you’re by my side.”
“Hmm.”
This time Mujin hummed. He seemed to consider his response before rubbing his eyebrow with his middle finger.
“You shouldn’t go around saying things like that carelessly.”
“What does that mean?”
Eunseong’s eyes widened at the unexpected response before breaking into a smile. When he asked if it was burdensome, Mujin said it wasn’t. As always, Mujin occasionally showed incomprehensible reactions.
A lighthearted laughter passed between them. Mujin, perhaps more nervous, kept rubbing his palms against his pants.
Outside the waiting tent, there was commotion as preparations for rift entry continued. In contrast, the space occupied by just the two of them was narrow and quiet.
When was the last time it was like this? Eunseong slightly furrowed his brow at the strange sense of déjà vu.
“…”
The timer counting down to rift entry still had quite some time left. That was the case even after distributing all the buffs. Perhaps the motorcycle had been too fast.
“…”
Eunseong, attributing the awkwardness to the motorcycle, got up from his seat while swinging his arms. Then he moved his hand, beckoning Mujin closer. Mujin approached with noticeably slow steps.
“I need to give you a buff too.”
“Ah, buff.”
Buff. Mujin echoed briefly.
“Standing face to face makes me nervous. Actually, I was really nervous when giving buffs to those people earlier. Did you know?”
“…”
But this time, the trembling that reached his eyes seemed to be caused by more than just the buff. Eunseong tried to concentrate while slightly avoiding Mujin’s intent gaze. He lowered his gaze somewhere below the eyes, around the nose.
“Still, by the fifth hunter, I was applying them quite skillfully, but why am I so nervous with you?”
Mujin raised his thick eyebrows in displeasure. The gathering energy dispersed helplessly. What’s this? Why isn’t it working? Eunseong looked down at his palm in dismay.
“What’s going on? I was doing fine earlier…”
Is it because of nervousness? Could I have used up all my energy? His skill malfunctioned in front of the very person he wanted to buff the most.
As he clenched and unclenched his hands in frustration and embarrassment, Mujin suddenly pulled something from inside his clothes, broke it with a snap, and threw it toward the entrance. Following his action with his eyes, a brief explanation followed.
“Barrier.”
“Barrier?”
“No one can come in for a while.”
So.
“…Why?”
Eunseong, after looking at the faint veil at the entrance, turned his puzzled face toward Mujin and promptly shut his mouth.
Was it his imagination? Mujin looking down at him seemed unusually tall today.
“…”
Eunseong bit his inner lip, which tingled under the gaze. Then Mujin whispered in a deeply lowered voice.
“This is a buff.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
