Five hours later, the quiet hallway of Seung-hoo's apartment complex was broken by a sharp knock.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Seung-hoo, already awake and dressed, paused in the middle of tying his shoes. He glanced at the door, then at the small clock on his wall.
"…Right on time," he muttered.
He walked over and opened the door.
Seo-yeon stood there in her hunter uniform, hair tied back neatly, eyes sharp despite the early hour. Behind her, half the hallway was filled with curious neighbors who had gathered like it was a farewell ceremony.
"Oh—good morning," Seung-hoo said awkwardly.
"Good morning, S-rank," Seo-yeon replied with a small grin.
Immediately, voices erupted behind her.
"Seung-hoo! Come back safely!"
"Please protect Busan too!"
"You're so cool!"
"Take a picture with me next time!"
Someone even handed him a bottle of water like he was a celebrity athlete about to enter a competition.
Seung-hoo stiffened under all the attention. "…You guys are making this feel like I'm leaving forever."
"Nonsense!" one of the neighbors laughed. "Heroes always come back!"
Seo-yeon stepped aside and gestured down the street. "Our ride's waiting."
Seung-hoo gave an awkward bow. "I'll… uh… do my best."
They walked together through the crowd of neighbors, who parted like a path had opened just for him. Whispers followed them.
"That's really him…"
"The new S-rank…"
"He looks so normal…"
A black van waited a short distance away, engine already running.
The driver stepped out the moment he saw them.
"Good morning, Sir Seung-hoo!" he said with a deep, respectful bow. "I'm Kim Sai-un. I'll be driving you today."
Seung-hoo froze. "…Sir?"
Seo-yeon snorted. "Get used to it."
They climbed into the van, the door sliding shut with a heavy thump. As soon as the engine started moving, the noise of the apartment complex faded behind them.
For a while, the ride was quiet.
The city slowly turned into long roads, then into stretches of ocean view. Sunlight reflected off the waves, making the windows glow.
Two hours later, the van finally slowed to a stop.
When the doors opened, salty wind rushed in.
They had arrived at a beach facing Dongbaek Island.
Tents were set up in rows. Armed hunters stood in groups, checking weapons and equipment. Officials in dark suits spoke into radios and tablets. Cameras hovered in the distance, trying to keep their distance but clearly waiting for something dramatic to happen.
Seung-hoo stepped out of the van and looked around.
"…This feels bigger than I expected."
Seo-yeon adjusted her gloves. "Because it is. An A-rank Rift near a tourist area? They can't afford mistakes."
Some hunters noticed him immediately.
"Who's that guy, why is he here?"
"Who in the hell is that—?"
"probably a useless piece of Cra—"
Seung-hoo gave them a small wave. "Morning."
They stared at him like he had just greeted them from another world.
One man in a neat suit approached Seo-yeon with a clipboard.
"Good morning, Miss Seo-yeon," he said politely.
"Good morning, Sir Byung-chul," she replied..
He glanced around her. "So… where is your S-rank?"
Seo-yeon opened her mouth. "He's—"
Suddenly, Seung-hoo stepped forward and clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Mmmpf?!"
"He—uh—" Seung-hoo stammered, bowing slightly. "He's… not here, sir. He's… busy."
Seo-yeon's eyes widened in disbelief behind his hand.
Byung-chul blinked. "Busy?"
"Yes! Very busy. Important… S-rank business. Extremely… S-rank."
There was a long pause.
Byung-chul studied Seung-hoo from head to toe, clearly confused.
"…I see," he said slowly. "Then we will proceed with the current lineup."
He turned and walked away, already calling into his radio.
The moment he left, Seo-yeon shoved Seung-hoo's hand off her mouth.
"What was that?!" she hissed. "Why did you lie?!"
Seung-hoo scratched the back of his head. "I panicked."
"You panicked?!"
"If they announce me right now, every camera here will turn this place into a circus," he said quietly, glancing at the nearby reporters. "I just want to do the mission, not a press conference."
Seo-yeon crossed her arms. "You realize they'll find out anyway.
"I know," he said. "Just… not yet."
She studied his face for a moment, then sighed. "You really don't like attention, do you?"
"It makes my chest feel tight," he admitted. "Like I can't breathe."
Around them, hunters continued preparing. A siren sounded in the distance. Officials began calling teams into formation.
The wind from the ocean picked up, carrying a strange, heavy pressure with it.
Seo-yeon looked toward Dongbaek Island, her expression turning serious.
"…You feel that too, right?"
Seung-hoo nodded slowly. "Yeah. Something's already awake."
He slipped his hands into his jacket pockets and stared at the distant shoreline, where the Rift was expected to open.
Behind them, radios crackled with urgent voices, boots marched across sand, and the quiet before battle settled over the beach like a held breath.
"Everyone!" an official shouted through a megaphone, his voice cutting through the sound of waves and murmuring hunters. "It's time!"
A ripple of excitement spread across the beach.
"Yeah!!"
"Let's go!"
"Finally!"
Shouts erupted from every direction. Boots shifted in the sand, weapons were lifted onto shoulders, and radios crackled to life.
Seung-hoo and Seo-yeon stood a little apart from the crowd.
Seo-yeon clapped once, then stopped when she noticed Seung-hoo wasn't reacting at all.
"…You're really calm," she said quietly.
"I don't feel calm," Seung-hoo replied. "I just don't like shouting."
Another official raised his voice again.
"Someone will be supervising the clearance operation today!"
All eyes turned toward the front.
"Give a round of applause to Mister Byung-chul!"
Byung-chul stepped forward from among the officials, straightening his suit and lifting one hand in acknowledgment.
Thunderous applause broke out.
Clap clap clap clap—
Seung-hoo stayed still, hands in his pockets, watching without expression. His gaze drifted past Byung-chul and toward the distant island, where a faint distortion shimmered in the air.
Seo-yeon leaned closer to him. "You're supposed to clap."
"I already used up my energy earlier," he muttered.
She laughed softly. "You're unbelievable."
The official with the megaphone waved his arm toward the water.
"Everyone on the ferry!"
Right on cue, the large ferry docked beside them let out a loud horn.
HOOOOONK!
"Hurry up, everybody!" the ferry captain yelled from the deck. "The Rift isn't going to clear itself!"
Hunters began moving in organized lines. Some joked loudly, others checked their gear in silence. A few newer hunters looked pale, gripping their weapons too tightly.
As they walked, Seung-hoo noticed how different everyone felt.
One man laughed nervously.
Another whispered a prayer.
A woman rolled her shoulders like she was preparing for a race.
Seo-yeon bounced slightly on her heels, clearly energized. "This is exciting, isn't it, Seung-hoo?"
He glanced at her. "Exciting isn't the word I'd use."
"What would you use?"
"…Heavy."
She blinked, then followed his gaze toward Dongbaek Island. The air above the sea looked warped, like heat rising from asphalt.
"I get it," she said more softly. "But this is what we trained for."
They stepped onto the ferry with the others. The deck creaked under the weight of dozens of hunters and equipment. The smell of saltwater mixed with metal and oil.
Seung-hoo rested one hand on the railing as the ferry slowly pulled away from shore.
Behind them, the beach shrank into the distance. In front of them, the island grew larger, and the strange pressure in the air became harder to ignore.
Some hunters began stretching.
Some sat quietly, heads down.
A few stared straight ahead without blinking.
Seo-yeon stood beside Seung-hoo, gripping the strap of her gear bag.
"…You okay?" she asked.
"I think so," he replied. "My heart just won't stop reminding me where I am."
She smiled faintly. "That means you're still human."
The ferry's engine roared louder as it cut through the waves.
Wind rushed past them, carrying the distant sound of something unnatural—low, almost like a whisper echoing from the island..
Seung-hoo's eyes narrowed