Kim Sibaek caught him in his arms, holding up someone taller and heavier than himself. Tae Woon rubbed his face against Kim Sibaek’s cheek and nape, whining like a child.
“There were so many monsters. They just poured out, way too many to count… I couldn’t focus at all… I couldn’t even tell if my limbs were still attached and working.”
“Yeah? That bad?”
“If Gaeun hadn’t protected me, I would’ve been in real trouble.”
Seo Gaeun, overhearing the childish complaints from nearby, stood there with her mouth slightly open. What made it worse was that he wasn’t even lying.
Tae Woon had taken down the Portal Keeper of the External Core. Without him, the raid would’ve been nearly impossible. But every other monster had been dealt with by her alone. Just a few seconds ago, he had even tousled his hair to make it look like he’d been through utter chaos.
But she had no energy left to argue over someone else’s (presumed) love life. So Seo Gaeun just collapsed to the floor with a thud. Kim Sibaek, who was still patting Tae Woon gently, handed her a canteen.
“Thanks.”
She accepted it casually and took a drink. Then something strange happened. Just moments ago, her body had been utterly drained, pushed far past its limits—but as the cool water slid down her throat, energy surged through her.
Even with the body of an S-rank Hunter, she had been hunting monsters nonstop for over seven hours without a break. She had no visible wounds, but the muscle strain and joint fatigue had built up layer upon layer. And yet, after drinking the water, the exhaustion simply vanished.
She tested her limbs, stretching them out. Her body felt noticeably lighter—like she’d gotten a full night’s rest, followed by a sauna and a full-body massage.
“Hey, you okay? Judging by Tae’s state, I’m guessing he dumped everything on you.”
“I feel fine?”
“Cut the tough act.”
“No, really, I’m actually fine? Why do I feel fine…?”
She had no idea Kim Sibaek had secretly blessed the water, turning it into holy water. All she could do was tilt her head in confusion again and again.
After a brief rest, they resumed the meeting. Kim Sibaek, who had stayed behind under the pretense of supporting the drained Tae Woon, ended up joining in. The conversation resumed with Seo Gaeun’s startled voice.
“It’s been over seven hours on our end… but only one hour passed over here?”
Apparently, the journey to the External Core had taken a long time, but the return trip only lasted ten minutes. Gwak Yoonsang clicked his tongue.
“The time discrepancy’s bigger than expected. Should we rest another two hours before heading back in?”
“Strangely, I feel completely fine. How about you, Guildmaster?”
“I’m exhausted. We walked for seven hours… That’s I wish hyung—”
He didn’t even finish his sentence—“I wish hyung would keep supporting me”—before Kim Sibaek reached out and pressed his index finger against Tae Woon’s lips. It was just the closest spot to touch, nothing more. But to the others, it looked like something entirely different.
A faint shimmer passed through Tae Woon’s lips and sank into his body, instantly washing away all his fatigue.
“Feeling better now?”
“So hyung was my stamina potion…”
Tae Woon murmured, his earlobes turning a soft pink. Kim Sibaek just smiled at him. But their childhood friends—who had grown up witnessing every sort of nonsense from their toddler years—looked increasingly pained. No one wants to see their own sibling’s love life. And that cloying cuteness was the final blow.
Gwak Yoonsang averted his eyes and cleared his throat, forcing the meeting back on track.
“You two—no, Hunter Seo Gaeun, you’re a critical asset. If it becomes too much, speak up right away. What was the situation at the External Core?”
This couldn’t be hidden, so Seo Gaeun explained about the Portal Keeper.
“All I could do was hold off the debris so we wouldn’t fall through the floor. As for finding and destroying the core… that was all the Guildma—”
“Seo Gaeun.”
“…Yes. I did it all myself. I found the core and destroyed it.”
So the Guildmaster did it.
Gwak Yoonsang, having adjusted quickly, wrapped up the summary in his head.
“Did you check the building interior?”
“Only the lobby matched. It doesn’t seem like the portal’s host is anyone from our guild or someone who visits frequently.”
Although the portal reflected reality, if the host didn’t recognize something, it wouldn’t appear as it was in real life.
Still, it has to be someone related to the Seven Guild, right?
Gwak Yoonsang didn’t know exactly when the Eid Portal had opened. But with three Hunters from the 7777 Guild and the External Core housed in the guild’s building, it was hard not to suspect a connection.
If we can’t identify the host, we’ll have to ask the Guildmaster for cooperation… But will he?
If Tae Woon decided to play the victim and refuse to cooperate, they’d be stuck again, just like before. Gwak Yoonsang’s eyes drifted to Kim Sibaek, still carrying Tae Woon clinging to his back. He couldn’t hear what they were whispering, but Tae Woon was smiling sweetly, eyes crinkled.
A chill ran down his spine.
Still, if they could persuade Kim Sibaek instead of Tae Woon, things might go smoothly.
Feeling more at ease, Gwak Yoonsang clapped his hands and suggested they begin preparations to move.
The distance to the department store hadn’t changed, but the outcome after clearing the External Core was undeniably different. Previously, they had wandered aimlessly in the mist for over three hours, making little progress. This time, they reached the department store in just thirty minutes. Though they had arrived relatively safely, the tension was plain on the civilians’ faces.
Hunters from the Paranormal Phenomena Response Agency, who had scouted the perimeter, delivered their report.
“There are no entrances other than the main gate.”
“Not even the underground parking lot?”
“It’s sealed off.”
Was the core located on the highest floor of the department store—or the lowest? As he weighed the possibilities, Gwak Yoonsang led the group inside. The heavy glass doors abruptly morphed the moment they were touched, transforming into a gaping maw lined with rows of jagged teeth. Pi Minhyung stepped forward and cleaved it clean in two.
Unlike the 7777 Guild headquarters, the department store lobby replicated reality down to the smallest detail. According to the employees, even those who worked there daily could spot no difference; it was rendered with unnerving accuracy.
“Mister! Look, even the popup store that opened this week is there!”
Bae Ji-han, who had somehow grown close to Kim Sibaek during their brief absence—a fact that clearly grated on Tae Woon’s nerves—chattered excitedly beside him.
Then it happened.
KRRRNNGG!
A deep, thunderous crash echoed from the ceiling. Something massive plummeted down, smashing into the floor and instantly cleaving the lobby in two.
“Hyung! Sibaek-hyung!”
It split the group—Kim Sibaek and Bae Ji-han on one side, Tae Woon and the rest on the other.
The Eid Portal, brimming with hostile intent, had deliberately divided them.
They hadn’t even had time to react before the falling structure solidified into a towering wall. It resembled a blast-proof shutter, but it couldn’t be one—no one would ever install such a thing in a way that bisected a lobby so unevenly.
Thankfully, no one had been caught underneath. Even so, Tae Woon’s face had gone completely pale.
“Hyung!”
He unleashed his power toward the wall, but it didn’t so much as crack. Pi Minhyung quickly grabbed him by the arm.
“Hey, hey. Calm down! I know you’re worried, but hyung’s an S-rank Hunter, right? This isn’t his first Eid Porta—”
“He’s weak against kids!”
“…What?”
“There’s a brat younger than me in there with him!”
“……”
Ah. So that’s what he’s worried about.
Pi Minhyung grimaced and let go of Tae Woon’s arm. Tae Woon, still fuming, landed a few punches on the wall before catching his breath.
Raking a hand through his hair, he grabbed the coat draped over his shoulder.
“Seo Gaeun, Pi Minhyung. You’re on defense. We’re going the fastest, shortest route possible.”
As soon as the wall came down, darkness swallowed everything. They couldn’t see a thing.
“Eek!”
Bae Ji-han screamed and instinctively latched onto Kim Sibaek. From above, an unshaken, composed voice drifted down.
“Ji-han, can you stay calm?”
“I-It’s just… so pitch black…! This is your arm I’m holding, right?!”
The dense darkness rippled slightly. A halo of soft light began to bloom, gently illuminating the space around them with a warm, translucent glow. In that ambient radiance, Kim Sibaek smiled gently.
“I’m right here, Ji-han. I promise—I’ll get you out of here. You don’t have to worry.”
Bae Ji-han wasn’t into older people—especially not ones old enough to be his parents—but in that moment, he was certain: if Kim Sibaek were a woman, he would’ve fallen head over heels.
