Three days passed after the Distorted Gate incident.
Three days of silence.
And somehow—
That felt worse.
Because nothing about the world seemed different.
Hunters still moved through the city normally. Guild advertisements still covered the digital billboards above the streets. Low-rank gates continued opening across Seoul, and ordinary people walked past hunters without realizing how close the world stood to changing.
Everything looked normal.
But Suho knew better now.
The cracks had already begun.
Most people just couldn't see them yet.
---
The training grounds behind the outer hunter district remained mostly empty at dawn, only a few independent hunters using the early hours before official gate assignments began. The air was cold, faint mist drifting across the concrete fields as weapon impacts echoed from distant sections.
Suho stood alone near the center platform.
Sword in hand.
Breathing steady.
---
[ Hunter: Suho ]
[ Lv: 77 (C-Rank) ]
[ Trait: System Administrator (EX-Rank) — Hidden ]
[ Trait Evolution: 42% ]
[ Corruption Influence: 0% ]
---
The corruption had disappeared completely after leaving the distorted dungeon.
But the feeling hadn't.
---
"…Again."
---
Suho moved.
The blade cut through the air smoothly, each motion controlled with unnatural precision. Not flashy. Not overwhelming.
Efficient.
Every step aligned perfectly with his breathing, his center of gravity shifting instinctively as Modifier adjusted microscopic imbalances in real time.
---
[ Skill Synchronization: Stable ]
---
But something still felt wrong.
---
Not externally.
Internally.
---
The system was becoming easier to use.
Too easy.
---
The Boundary Walker's warning replayed in his mind again.
«"Your problem is the opposite."»
---
Most candidates struggled because the system resisted them.
Suho's system adapted willingly.
Responded naturally.
Almost eagerly.
---
His blade stopped mid-motion.
---
"…Why me?" he muttered quietly.
---
The system didn't answer.
But it flickered faintly.
---
[ Hidden Protocol Active ]
---
That alone irritated him now.
The system had stopped feeling like a tool.
More and more—
It felt aware.
---
"…You're already training?"
---
Sera's voice broke the silence behind him.
Suho lowered the sword slowly as she approached carrying two canned coffees in one hand. Her hunter jacket hung loosely over her shoulders, hair slightly damp from the cold morning air.
---
[ Hunter: Kang Sera ]
[ Lv: 75 (C-Rank) ]
[ Skill: Resonance Field (A-Rank) ]
[ Synchronization Compatibility: High ]
---
She tossed one drink toward him casually.
---
"You haven't slept properly again, have you?"
---
"…I slept."
---
"That's not an answer."
---
Suho opened the can quietly.
---
"…You're starting to sound annoying."
---
Sera smirked faintly. "…Good. Means you're listening."
---
For a moment things felt almost normal again.
Just hunters talking before training.
Not candidates standing near the edge of something terrifying.
---
Then the ground trembled slightly.
Both of them froze instantly.
---
Not a dungeon tremor.
Not an earthquake.
---
Something else.
---
The system activated automatically.
---
[ Environmental Distortion Detected ]
---
Suho's eyes sharpened immediately.
"…You felt that too?"
---
Sera nodded slowly.
"…That wasn't mana."
---
No.
It wasn't.
---
The air itself felt unstable for half a second, like reality briefly shifted out of alignment before correcting itself again.
Around the city—
People didn't notice.
Cars continued moving.
Hunters continued training.
---
Only certain individuals could feel it.
---
And that alone—
Was terrifying.
---
Suho looked upward.
The morning sky remained clear.
But faintly—
For less than a second—
A crack appeared.
---
Thin.
White.
---
Then vanished instantly.
---
Sera's expression tightened. "…Tell me that was a visual bug."
---
"It wasn't."
---
Because Suho recognized it immediately.
The same type of fracture from the distorted dungeon.
Except this time—
It appeared in the real world.
---
The system reacted violently.
---
[ Boundary Instability Detected ]
[ Dimensional Integrity: Fluctuating ]
---
Then—
It disappeared again.
---
Silence returned.
---
But now the atmosphere felt heavier.
---
Sera looked toward Suho slowly.
"…This is starting already, isn't it?"
---
He didn't answer immediately.
Because deep down—
He already knew.
---
Yes.
---
The Resonance had begun.
---
— World Hunter Association: Seoul Branch —
Far beneath the center of the city, hidden below layers of restricted facilities and reinforced barriers, dozens of screens flickered inside a massive underground monitoring chamber.
Personnel moved rapidly between consoles, tension visible across the room despite the silence.
Then—
Another warning appeared.
---
[ Spatial Distortion Detected ]
[ Location: Seoul Sector ]
[ Classification: Unknown ]
---
"…Again?" one analyst muttered.
---
A woman standing near the central display narrowed her eyes slightly as the distortion pattern expanded across the screen.
---
[ Director: Han Minji ]
[ Rank: S ]
[ Position: World Hunter Association — Korea Branch Director ]
---
"…That makes seven this month," she said calmly.
---
One of the technicians nodded nervously.
"…And none of them match ordinary dungeon signatures."
---
Director Han remained silent for several seconds.
Then—
"…Pull up all nearby hunter activity during the fluctuation."
---
The monitors shifted instantly.
Hunter data flooded across the screens.
Guild movement.
Gate clear records.
Mana signatures.
---
Then one profile highlighted automatically.
---
[ Hunter: Suho ]
[ Rank Registered: C ]
[ Activity Correlation: Abnormally High ]
---
The room became quieter.
---
"…Who is this?" Han asked calmly.
---
One of the analysts hesitated slightly.
"…Independent hunter. Recent rapid growth. Cleared multiple irregular gates over the last few weeks."
---
"…Guild affiliation?"
---
"None."
---
That alone was unusual.
---
Han studied the profile silently.
Then—
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
---
"…Flag him."
---
"…For investigation?"
---
"No."
---
A pause.
---
"…Observation."
---
Because instinct told her something important.
---
This hunter—
Was connected.
---
— Later That Night —
Suho stood alone on the apartment balcony, staring quietly at the city lights below.
The world still looked peaceful.
Still ordinary.
---
But he knew better now.
---
The boundaries were weakening.
Slowly.
Quietly.
Inevitably.
---
The system flickered again.
---
[ Hidden Protocol Updated ]
[ Phase Four Threshold: Approaching ]
[ Estimated Compatibility Requirement: Incomplete ]
---
Suho's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Still not enough."
---
Then—
For the first time—
Another message appeared beneath it.
---
[ External Observation Increasing ]
---
Silence.
---
Then a second notification followed.
---
[ Warning ]
[ You Are Being Watched ]
---
The city wind grew colder.
---
And somewhere far beyond Seoul—
Something opened its eyes.