There was no real need to eat, but I’d eaten anyway. The hospital I visited afterward was quieter than expected.
Baek Tae-beom’s younger brother, Baek Seon-woo, lay in bed like I was asleep—and surprisingly, I bore no resemblance to Baek Tae-beom at all. Light brown hair, delicate features, eyes clouded with unmistakable signs of illness, a pale complexion.
If not for the oxygen mask on my face and the machine beeping at regular intervals to confirm I was breathing, anyone would have thought I was already dead.
It was the first time seeing me like this in person. Maybe that’s why I was at a loss for words. Baek Tae-beom smiled at me as if to say it was okay.
“Why are you making that face, hyung?”
I wasn’t sure what kind of expression I was making. But one thing was clear—it wasn’t a normal one. I sat on a chair and looked up at Baek Tae-beom.
Then I asked.
It was a presumptuous question—maybe even the thing I most wanted to say right now.
“Why do you like me?”
Baek Tae-beom clearly looked taken aback by the sudden question.
“Huh?”
I carefully reflected on the nature of their relationship.
But there was nothing to reflect on. It was an entirely one-sided relationship. From the start to the end, I had shaped its course. A bond that should’ve ended simply with my death had been sustained by Baek Tae-beom’s affection.
“You’re not like this with other people. Right?”
“……”
“I saw it with my own eyes. How sensitive you get about the fact that I died. Isn’t that right? But we only spent a few months together.”
Baek Tae-beom looked down at me with subdued eyes.
“That might be enough time to grow attached to someone. But… it’s not long enough to wait two years for them. Everything I’ve received from you feels far too much…”
“Hyung,”
Baek Tae-beom spoke slowly.
“You’ve got the wrong idea.”
“Me?”
“The one who’s received a lot is me.”
I slowly leaned forward.
“Why were you good to me?”
“That’s—”
“Because you’re my Constellation? Because I’m your Contractor? Was it really just that simple?”
I turned my gaze to avoid Baek Tae-beom’s face, which had drawn so close. But Baek Tae-beom’s words held me fast.
“I don’t think so. And I’m still perfectly capable of thinking clearly. It’s not like I’m being good to you without reason.”
“Tae-beom.”
“You don’t know. Just how low my thoughts really go.”
Baek Tae-beom’s expression looked like I was suppressing something.
“You asked me why I like you, right?”
“……”
“I like you because you’re you.”
That made it even harder to understand.
I was not someone worthy of being liked. I couldn’t understand Baek Tae-beom at all.
The car ride back was filled with silence. I fidgeted with my phone.
[Breaking News: World’s First Hunter with Unmeasurable Rank Appears]
…Authorities are expected to release a statement shortly regarding the emergence of the world’s first Hunter whose rank cannot be assessed. Reporter Choo Hye-yeon [[email protected]]
[Comments]
[Unklio]: What’s the big deal about an unmeasurable rank? lmao people freak out over anything.
[Anonymous3365]: You can tell the ones whining are all C-rank and below LMAOOOO
[BlueMoon]: Still, isn’t this a good thing for Korea’s economy? Let’s look on the bright side.
[Anonymous99042]: Just look at who I hangs around with—Beom, that bastard. Probably has trash-tier personality too.
I scoffed as I read the comments under the article.
[Anonymous44905]: People who write comments like this? You can tell what kind of life they’re living.
I tapped “like” on that comment and left the article, looking through other headlines. One in particular stood out—an article announcing that Baek Tae-beom had finally joined the Hansung Guild. The article was written like it was some kind of exclusive scoop, but all it had was a big, bold headline and a single photo of Baek Tae-beom.
[Anonymous54289]: Wait, wasn’t I already part of the Hansung Guild? Guess I was wrong;;;
[Cortis]: Honestly don’t get it. Thought I’d go solo forever. What’s so great about Hansung that I joined?
[Anonymous1290]: Bet there’ll be a flood of applicants now^^ It’s a dream job.
[Anonymous9531]: LMAO it’s like y’all wanna post updates every time Baek Tae-beom breathes or eats or takes a damn walk
[fewioj]: So does this mean Hansung Guild got one more S-rank now???
I couldn’t help but make a strange face at some of the comments.
[Anonymous391]: I’m been tagging along with Hunter Choi Ga-hyeon—don’t you think I joined the guild because of me? Feels like there’s something going on between them.
There was something. A Constellation and a Contractor.
[Anonymous90564]: Anonymous391^^ Maybe Baek Tae-beom’s being blackmailed or something?
Blackmailed? If anyone was being blackmailed, it was me—not Baek Tae-beom.
[Anonymous7899]: Choi Ga-hyeon’s the issue; should be careful. What if I’m threatening me? That guy’s scary strong.
Not threatening—protecting. I was under protection.
[Anonymous69332]: That bastard Beom’s trash, but at least trash goes into the garbage on its own.
What the hell is this guy’s problem?
None of the comments made any damn sense. I gave them all a downvote. How was it that even after two years, these people were still writing this kind of garbage? Their intelligence wasn’t evolving—it was actively devolving. It was deeply depressing.
I typed a comment.
[Anonymous12393]: Let’s stop with the hate comments~^^
Then watched as downvotes rained in like a flood, feeling a profound disappointment in society.
[CH. Private / One Who Guides the Dead]: What are you doing?
[CH. Private / One Who Seeks to Escape Destruction]: Mourning the sad reality of this country.
[CH. Private / One More Dazzling Than the Sun]: This guy really can’t go five minutes without doing something pointless….
[CH. Private / One Who Seeks to Escape Destruction]: As an honorary Korean, can’t you at least empathize?
I was making a snide remark at Apollo when the car suddenly slammed to a halt, nearly sending me flying forward. If Baek Tae-beom hadn’t caught me with my arm.
“Are you okay, hyung? See? I told you to wear a seatbelt.”
“You do realize you almost killed me just now?”
“Seatbelts are life-belts, hyung.”
Baek Tae-beom said it nonchalantly as I turned the wheel. Watching the car make a sudden U-turn, I couldn’t hide my confusion.
“Where are we going?”
“We?”
“Yeah, we.”
Baek Tae-beom tapped the steering wheel with my fingers, then cautiously asked,
“Can you say that again?”
“Say what?”
“What you just said.”
“Where are we going?”
“Ah.”
Baek Tae-beom’s lips parted slightly, then curled up in a smile.
“Lee Myung-won called. It seems to overlap with your situation.”
“My situation?”
“Yeah. The Association’s got its eyes on you.”
That was a hard thing to react to calmly.
“Me?”
“Yup. It’s ridiculous, right? But they’re still doing it… Seems like Lee Myung-won was trying to handle it on my own, but then—what do you know—a rift popped up.”
Glancing at me through the rearview mirror, Baek Tae-beom continued.
“Looks like it’s a dungeon estimated to be at least A-rank. Some civilians got involved, so Association-affiliated Hunters are heading in. And apparently, some of them are insisting you come with.”
“Why, though?”
“They want to verify your ability. On top of that… Oh.”
Baek Tae-beom frowned while reading a message on my phone.
“The troublesome bastard showed up, too.”
“So what you’re saying is, we’re in for a long day. Where is it?”
“Sanggye-dong.”
Sanggye-dong?
Something sparked in my mind. I grabbed Baek Tae-beom’s forearm, not even registering the startled expression on my face.
“Any other weird signs? Anything else?”
“Uh, hold on. I’m checking the messages…”
“Are they here?”
“The Rift is on fire—”
Baek Tae-beom opened my mouth.
“Flames are raging, and civilians have been completely restricted from approaching.”
At that, there was no room left for doubt. It was Kang Si-hoo. Kang Si-hoo was there.
***
The moment I looked up, what met my eyes was a massive entrance. A truly enormous gateway. A dungeon that had swallowed up an entire housing complex whole—blazing flames turning it into a calamity incarnate.
High-grade dungeons, especially those rated A or above, often manifested in forms like this.
If left alone, either the fire would consume everything, or the monsters inside would burst out and devour the people—it was one or the other.
“You’ve arrived.”
Waiting there were Lee Myung-won and several Hunters I had never seen before. Dressed unmistakably in civil servant attire, they were clearly members of the Association.
‘Information.’
[Retrieving target information.]
[Jeon Pil-soo of Waiting]
[Title: Waiting
Grade: C
Status: Cannot be confirmed.
Contracted Constellation: None
Coins: Cannot be confirmed.
Skills: [Slyness], [Swiftness]
An Awakened with no contracted Constellation.]
[Retrieving target information.]
[Kim Ki-won of Waiting]
[Title: Waiting
Grade: B
Status: Cannot be confirmed.
Contracted Constellation: None
Coins: Cannot be confirmed.
Skills: [Iron Wall], [Tenacity]
An Awakened with no contracted Constellation.]
One man was thin, with narrow eyes; the other was broad-shouldered and well-built.
And standing behind them was a man wearing a mask.
[Retrieving target information.]
[??? of the Black Rain]
[Title: Of the Black Rain, The One Who Took Root With Wings, The One Who Holds Despair…
Grade: Hidden
Status: Cannot be confirmed.
Contracted Constellation: Hidden
Coins: Cannot be confirmed.
Skills: Hidden
Unable to confirm accurate information due to the mask obscuring my identity.]
I was at least as tall as Baek Tae-beom, with reddish-brown hair falling over my nape. Though dressed identically to the other two, my presence was undeniably extraordinary.
But what caught my attention was the way the man was hunched over, fidgeting as if nervous, sneaking glances like someone too anxious to stand still.
“Let me introduce them, Choi Ga-hyeon.”
Lee Myung-won emphasized my name as I spoke.
“These are members of the Association. They’ve come specifically to meet you, and they’ll be accompanying us in this dungeon expedition.”
Choi Ga-hyeon straightened my posture and looked them in the eye.
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Choi Ga-hyeon.”
“Ah… so you’re the one we’ve heard so much about. It’s an honor to meet you in person.”
Kim Ki-won extended my hand with a smooth grin.
“I’m Kim Ki-won, and this here is Jeon Pil-soo.”
“We’re truly thrilled to meet you this soon.”
After a light handshake, they continued.
“Originally, we would’ve liked to greet you with more pomp, but due to severe manpower shortages… we regretfully could only send three of us. A shame, really. A proper welcome for Hunter Choi Ga-hyeon should have involved something flashier, don’t you think? Like, say, an S-rank Hunter.”
The tone was laced with sarcasm.
Ga-hyeon narrowed my eyes, briefly mulling over the remark, before my thoughts drifted to Oh Kwon-hyuk. Considering what had gone down in the Hansung building lobby of all places, it was no wonder rumors had spread like wildfire.
Baek Tae-beom stood there, face hardened and icy, glaring at the newcomers. I looked as if I would slam their heads into the ground the moment Ga-hyeon showed the slightest sign of discomfort, so Ga-hyeon forced himself to maintain a composed tone.
“It doesn’t matter. But…”
I turned to look at the man huddled behind them.
“That guy?”
The man darted my eyes around nervously, then jolted as if electrocuted and pointed to himself. my reaction was absurdly exaggerated.
“M-Me?! Are you talking about me?!”
“Yes, you.”
“I-I, uh, I… I’m, um…”
my voice wavered, trembling behind the mask, unable to finish my sentence as I ducked behind Kim Ki-won. An incongruous action for someone of such large stature.
Ga-hyeon activated a skill and focused on the masked man.
[Skill: Eye of the Dead]
[A skill that allows you to pierce through others’ conditions by borrowing the power of the dead. The strength of this skill depends on your Constellation’s ability.]
[Skill: Eye of the Dead]
[You use the skill: Eye of the Dead.]
[The Eye of the Dead activates. The blessing of your Constellation flows through you.]
[Some of the obscured information behind the mask is revealed.]
“I’m…”
Just as the man behind Kim Ki-won tried to speak, Jeon Pil-soo cut in.
“No need to worry about this one.”
[Kang Si-hoo of the Black Rain]
[Title: Of the Black Rain, The One Who Took Root With Wings, The One Who Holds Despair…
Grade: Hidden
Status: Cannot be confirmed.
Contracted Constellation: Hidden
Coins: Cannot be confirmed.
Skills: [Cryptic Mask], others unconfirmed
Unable to confirm full information due to the mask obscuring my identity.]
“I’m just some nobody.”
I half-listened to Kim Ki-won’s words, lips parted in disbelief.
Why the hell are you here, doing that?
