Fantasy Gate Main Thread IC

[Heyitsjiwon]

Hanyoung Highschool

Haze-

Jiwon looked as one of the other hunters eventually came to help him carry the teacher out of the school. "Thanks." Jiwon said as they began to walk out of the roomwith the unconscious man. "And a plan? Hmm, there really isn't one. Priority is to make sure everyone who is still alive is safe..." Jiwon grimly said as they began to walk past bodies and pools of blood. Perhaps it was because of the points he started to add to his senses, but... the small of iron and blood seemed even more pungent than before and made his stomach begin to churn a bit. Jiwon gulped slightly before speaking again "I'm just focusing on getting Mr. Gwan to safety and medical attention. We can figure out what to do about the portal after. Just one step at a time. But, I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about the portal as well." Jiwon had to slightly side step to avoid stepping on a body in the hallway. The last thing he wanted to do was to disrespect the dead after they had faced a terrible death. The scene was quite tragic, and befuddling. How could no one have noticed a portal for a week? In a school in particular? It clearly wasn't a low level portal either.

"A C-Rank portal... opening up in the middle of a school. This just all seems like it was preventable." Jiwon commented with a grimace. "And like you said, a bunch of E-ranks like us wouldn't have been able to deal with the D-Rank without the help of Mr. Gwan's ability. How much we can really do... I don't know, but we can always do our best to help out." They began to walk out of the school building with the teacher and Jiwon began to wave over towards the Emergency Responders to grab their attention and pass off Mr. Gwan to their care. Jiwon looked over to the female hunter, she looked like a college student who was enjoying a relaxing day off in baggy clothes. Jiwon turned his head back to watch the rescue personnel begin to run over towards them and to avoid staring at the girl. "At least we're fortunate to be hunters, all these guys are probably anxious as hell and hate the fact that they can't do much to help with the situation, just sitting back and powerlessly watching... still they stick around trying to help as much as they can." Jiwon commented before the rescuers finally approached to take Mr. Gwan.

As the men took Mr. Gwan, Jiwon asked the men if they knew where the Hunter Association Representative was and some of them mentioned that they saw him leap to the rooftop of the school not too long ago. Jiwon looked to Min-Jee and said "Didn't think I would find myself here in this mess today, but there seems to be one person who knows what's going on. I'm going to go and try to find Mr. Ryu and see if he could use our help. He seemed confident in being able to handle a C-rank monster by himself, so if there's anyone who knows how to deal with the situation then it's him. Care to join me Miss...?"

 

[The Black Knight]

ERode

“I used to go there,” she answered, her eyes momentarily fixed on the TV. She then regarded Rui-Ling. “Everyone I knew graduated and are in college right now. I hope your friends are okay. Is there someone you can call who is close to any of them that can check on them for you?”

 

[The Black Knight]

Heyitsjiwon Haze-

Rescue teams saw Jiwon and Jwan emerge from the school carrying a casualty. When they rushed to take Mr. Gwan from them, one responder asked, “Are the monsters gone? Is it safe for us to go in and rescue others?”

Duri Wan raced over to Jiwon and Jwan. “Hunters! Hunters!” she hailed.

Once she caught up to them, she bent over, resting a hand on her knee while the other gripped her microphone. She huffed and puffed for a second before she instantly was upright, brushing a finger across her bangs. A strange, light of rejuvenation seemed to metaphorically glow from her as she flashed them her best TV smile.

She turned to the camera. “I am standing here with two E-ranks that trespassed the police tape and took it upon themselves to try and save the students in this school!” She then held her microphone before them and asked, “What are your names? Are you with a guild?”

Mr. Gwan’s wife rushed over to him while he was being rolled on a gerni to the ambulance. She was weeping in relief, but worried about his condition. All she wanted was to touch him.

“Please, let me go with my husband!” she cried.

“There isn’t enough room in the ambulance, Ma’am. But you can follow us.”

 

[Misuteeku]

7/11 Convenience Store​

Jeoung-Eun Nam​

---

Jeoung-eun was quietly browsing through her phone as she waited for the stoplights to turn red. She had the plan to go to the library and do a little by reading or browsing the computers for information regarding hunters. All she knew were the general basics of being a hunter; she needed more research to minimize risk and maximize the potential profit she could gain from this job. Going into her internet browser, she typed,

'Things you need to know about being a hunter.'

Immediately, the first link that popped up was a link to a news broadcast. It was at a school that Jeoung-nam attended when she was a student. Though it didn't contain any sentimental value much for her, to see it ending up in the news headlines was surprising. To think that such incidents could happen anywhere, Jeoung-eun made a quiet prayer that a gate wouldn't appear in front of her part-time job nor home. The red light lit up, and she walked down the street while looking at her phone.

She was surprised that two E-rank hunters, like herself, entered the school despite the potential risk. "I can't tell if that's either brave or foolish of them to do that," She muttered to herself. While she didn't have any experience as a hunter to gauge how risky it would have been, it felt dangerous to go into a situation while you're still inexperienced. Opening up a new slide, she decided to look at the news later after doing her research.

The library was still far away by going on foot, so she continued to browse the internet on her way there. There were a few tips such as, "Join a guild!" or "Make sure to get good equipment!" Unfortunately, she didn't have any money to buy better equipment, and she didn't know if she wanted to commit to a guild yet. At best, she wanted some experience and then weighed in her options before joining.

Hell, she didn't have any skills, nor did she know how to acquire them. Did she need to kill some monsters? Was there some prerequisite she needed to earn them? She needed to find that out before going on her first portal hunting. Jeoung-nam pinched the bridge of her nose as she continued walking.

 

[The Black Knight]

Misuteeku

There was a driver of a navy-blue Hyundai sedan speeding toward the crosswalk. His cell phone had dropped from the holder to the floor, and he cursed as he reached down to try to quickly pick it up. Unintentionally, he had applied further pressure on the accelerator. He grabbed his phone and upon looking up passed his steering wheel, his face paled and heart skipped upon seeing people in the crosswalk.

Pedestrians who hadn’t been distracted or nose-deep in their phones saw the speeding driver and quickly scrambled out of its path, but one girl didn’t. The vehicle was seconds from hitting Jeong-eun when time froze around her. A mysterious, gray, translucent window appeared in front of the grill of the car reading:

Destroy the car or destroy yourself? Choose.

She could see the driver's panicked face frozen with an expression of dread.

 

[Misuteeku]

On The Streets​

Jeoung-Eun Nam​

---

Jeoung-eun frowned as a light shined into her face. She scrunched up her eyes and lifted her arm to see what was the source of the light coming from-

Oh.

There was a car that speeding towards her at the point where the breaks wouldn't stop in time before it collided with her. Her phone slipped out of her hand and started to fall down to the ground. Time slowed down for Jeoung-eun. Everything turned gray except for her, the car, and the person inside the car. It was as if, at this moment, the world consisted of her and them. A gray screen popped up in front of her, and she could slowly turn her head.

Destroy the car or destroy yourself? Choose.

There was no in-between. Destroy the car and save yourself, or save the man in the car and let yourself die. Jeoung-eun could only laugh at the situation in front of her. Her knees felt weak, sweated started to drip down her forehead, her vision starting to get dizzy. What was the point anymore? All her life, she had been trampled on, yelled at, and ignored for another's a pleasure. She was nothing more than a staircase for them to ascend up into the hierarchy known as life. When was the last time she had been noticed? When was the last time was she ever felt happy? When was the last time she did things for herself? There was nothing but a pitch-black wall full of nothing. For her happiness, for her future, for herself.

She turned to look up at the man. It was hard to make out the man's face, but she noticed the dread that covered his face. It was as he was the one at the receiving end of his speeding car. Perhaps he had a family at home; maybe he had a wife and a kid that was waiting for him. Maybe it was a family reunion, and this was the one time of the year where he visited his parents. It could possibly be even that the man was going meet up with his long-time friends and celebrate an important event. Though, what did it matter? From beginning to end, Jeoung-eun had to choose someone else to obtain happiness instead of hers. Looking at the gray screen, she motioned to click on the latter of the options before she stopped. No matter how much she tried to move her body, her mind refused to cooperate.

It all started with a simple question.

Why?

Why did she have to be the one to sacrifice anything? Didn't she do enough to satisfy around her? She spent her money, used her time, and gave all her best in everything she was told to her. Yet, this was her reward? Death!?

The anger that had culminated over the years spent pleasing others had finally breached the floodgates of her restraint. What was the point of life if she wasn't happy? What was the point if she wasn't alive? What was the point of anything that led up to this moment?!

A calm wave swept through her as she straightened herself up. Looking up to the car, she made up her mind. The faint wisps of her aura started to manifest as she opened the palms of her hands. Everything was strangely clear for the millisecond that had stopped. Her aura gathered into the palms of her hand and formed two smalls spheres that fit into her hands. Extending them both out, she made her decision.

"I want to live as well..." She quietly muttered. She released the energy she gathered into her palms and sent it to the sedan. If she ended dying anyways, she didn't have any regrets. After all, at least she tried one last time before the end.

The Black Knight

 

[Mqueserasera]

Name: Ju Ha-eun
Rank: E
Class: Knight
Location: Sector 18, bus stop
Tag:

The early light was pale on her pan of oil. The egg carton was gray beside her stirring hand. And the empty sigh she drew, sparse and half-hearted, was gray. Ju Ha-eun, alone awake in a kitchen with scarcely enough wiggle room, absent-minded by her weariness, went about preparing breakfast for three. Amidst a pop song’s bland tune still played soundlessly on repeat, the rice cooker’s ding reminded her uncannily of a distant cashier machine. Two hours of sleep could not brighten in any way the perpetual darkness about her eyes, and for that matter, neither would the pile of used tea bags she had stashed away. She would have to resort to concealer again before heading to work.

When the meal was all prepared, and the light had slightly angled, she made a little roll call around the apartment. Slowly, the sleepy residents emerged from the only bedroom. Her two brothers made quick morning routines and came around the floor table.

Min-su, her little brother gave a mighty yawn, hand blindly thrust out to receive a filled rice bowl. He was tall and lean, bright eyes glimmered intelligently under his wavy fringe. “Got home late again?”

“The store called me to fill in,” she explained before coming down on her bowl.

“Again?” the boy whined, “tell them to stop already, you’ve quit that place for who knows how long.”

“Who knows,” she shrugged off his concern. “They pay well.”

“You could’ve let me make breakfast at least. And get some sleep. Don’t you have work later?” Then his eyes glinted dangerously, a defiant mood brought a sharpness to his words. “Or, here’s a thought: Dae-hyun can start cooking instead.”

Ha-eun threw a glance her big brother Da-hyun’s way, then decided to do away with the subject. “The last thing I want is to wake up to his cooking. I can’t imagine what it’d be like even.”

“Because he never did!” But just as soon as his voice raised, he registered his own over rashness and consequently softened his tone to a light jest. “You never know, there might be a talented chef in him.” And his smile, though laced with awkwardness, did salvage the mood.

Again, Ha-eun looked to Dae-hyun, waiting for his reaction. He was still eating, slowly, languidly like a victim of a chronic illness. Then he said, just as leisurely, “You’re right; I should learn to cook. That would help.” And then, to top it off, to make a final and a punch line out of the labored speech, he added: “I’ll think about it.”

Ha-eun hung her head low. He’ll think about it. Of course. It’s always that nonsense. Why can’t he just out with it?

“Well you eat now,” to her little brother she commanded, “no more funny thoughts, you hear? Fill your stomach well and someday you may make your sister’s life easier as a fine prosecutor.”

“Roger that.” The boy pulled out his phone and began to devote half his mind to the scrolling feeds.

Following a sigh of relief, Ha-eun refilled his bowl. And then a quick glance, then a sharp cry. “Hey! What are you looking at?”

“What am I looking at?”

“I know that site,” she snatched the phone with startling speed.

“Since when did you become so freaking fast?” he mumbled and avoided her glare.

Weekday morning – nursing assistant (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) – Masung Oriental Clinic
Snack Kitchen Part-timer – Paradise Snacks – Dongdaemun-gu
Night cashier part-timer (4-5 times a month) – Itaewon A-One Hotel

Ha-eun’s eyes narrowed dangerously. And the angle in which she held her chopsticks now, as noted by a panicked Min-su, pronounced a calamity in the making.

“Hey! Stop that! Stop, woman, stop! Ow!” he protested the wooden chopsticks pressing against his forehead. “That was freaking filthy! Ow! Those were in your mouth, you nasty monkey!”

The furious sister finally settled down after several assaults. Though her glare did not. Abruptly, she raised the chopsticks in her fist again. Only a warning this time. But Min-su knew better than to try an angry monkey. On his ass he crawled his escape from the table, guarding his precious forehead in both hands.

“I think with that, you know?” he indicated the sacred region under his wavy fringe. “Don’t you want me to become a freaking prosecutor or not?”

“Then you better not get any silly idea in there. Keep up your study, young man! Do you think it’s that easy to get into a law school?” She spun the sticks in the air for effect.

He returned sulkily to the table, “the landlady came yesterday, you know that?”

“So?”

“So? She’s gonna kick us out if last month’s rent isn’t paid soon.”

“And that’s your problem how?” And yet Ha-eun’s shoulders shook slightly.

Not just that, of course, she knew. They were not only behind on rent, but also the money for food. It was a lie that she’d agreed to work the occasional night shifts for that one convenience store because of their high pay. It was only a return for the little charity she had been living off; having pity for her situation, the store manager had told her he would put off her grocery bills until her payday. But Min-su’s supplementary classes simply cost too much for the meager income of a waitress. And the hunts hadn’t been paying off lately.

Then what’s the problem? Exactly nothing. Ever since their mother’s death, money struggles had been an everyday thing to the Ju family. They knew well their situation, the brothers and the sister. And if they had been bothered by it before, they treated it now as nothing more than a chronic illness, one with incessant symptoms you can’t get rid of, nor can you live with, but are ever reminded of its existence. You just have to keep on living. Poverty ain’t so bad when it’s the only thing you have ever known. But recently things had changed. And not just the tightening grips of the mounting bills, but also the change in the dynamic between the younger brother and the sister. Unlike the eldest who was now inert in his own world, Min-su was growing full of youth and kindness, and compassion. He wanted to help? Of course he did. He had the energy to spare, young as he was. But it was a sister’s job to dream. And she knew that her older brother Dae-hyung was a lost cause, and herself was a lost cause. All she could do was to do all she could to secure a future for her little brother, so at least one of them would be able to climb the ladder of society. And the snapshot filled her with tender feelings: that of Min-su one day standing in court, donning the robe of a prosecutor or even a magistrate, barking orders and other such idealized concepts of a respectable defender of justice. So she resisted the change, fought against it to preserve a dream. It was the only thing keeping her feet on the grueling march of life.

“You just keep with your study, okay?” Her voice was non-combative now. She turned away from him and picked a napkin from the plastic box, and wiped her chopsticks with it. Then she ate. With her silence came a pall of heaviness over the family of three.

Min-su broke the silence. “I don’t like your hunter job. It’s just too risky.” Then he looked over to her unfaltering chewing face and saw that he wouldn’t be able to break through. “There are other ways to make money I’m sure.”

“It’s not as dangerous as they say,” she attempted a cheeriness to her words and a shrug, “I just go in there after the guys from the guild and pick up whatever they leave behind on the floor. Like you really-really have to try to even get to something remotely alive to beat it up. Way easier to deal with than the cats at the café I’d say.”

“Is that all you’ve been doing?” he asked, unconvinced.

“Lots of competition. As I said, it’s a booming business.”

“Well, you know what?” something in her artificial tone put bitterness in his mouth, “I’ve been thinking. If this hunter business is so easy, then even Dae-hyun can do it, right? While looking for a better job, I mean.”

There was not so much as a twitch on the eldest’s still face. He finished his meal at his own pace. He never ate much. “I don’t like violence,” wiping his mouth without once looking at his siblings he said, “but I’ll think about it.”

Neither of them bothered to look for evidence of dishonesty or apathy on Dee-hyun's sunlight-deprived face. Min-su had made ready a sharp retort, but only to swallow it down from the tip of his tongue. Her sister’s frown had stayed him. It was a frown packed full of finality, the sort that announces his sister’s true scariness when a family dispute is approached. But one of these days, he swore silently.

What broke the stillness this time was Ha-eun’s vibrating phone. Moving the bowl to her chopsticks hand, she poked with the other at the screen. Her eyes lit up. The message was from the group chat with her guildmates. She watched the linked news, at first with the passivity she had grown up with towards news of disasters, of portals, and of monsters. Then it registered to her: she was among the people this message was directed to. And it came with a purpose. Already, several messages expressing disinterest popped up under the video. Her reaction seemed to form around them, the more of her guildmates disregarding the value of this rooftop portal, the less she was inclined to consider this hunt. It was a C-rank. And it stank of murder.

No. Min-su was right. There were other ways to make money. And there would always be the next portal. But instead of bringing her relief, the fact hit her with gravity. Sooner or later she would have to get in another of them. And they always come along, like stormy nights to fishers. Is it right to keep playing safe like this, tailing guildmates for meager profit? Sometimes she had accused herself of being a coward. It seemed temptingly lucrative the way many hunters flaunt their wealth well earned from running headlong into portals. To get decent loots, you have to brave dangerous portals. To come back alive you have to be strong. And to level up, you have to go out there and take risks. And yet it’s amazing how things like “it’s impossible for me”, “that is just too much” or “there’ll always be the next time” can comfort a shamed soul.

If no one’s going then I’ll pass too, she texted the group chat.

“What’s wrong?” asked Min-su.

“A portal appeared at a school.”

“For real?” and he picked his phone up to check the news, face wrinkled as he read.

That’s right. That much is the extend of a normal person’s reaction to news of disaster. Did she think she was a hero or something? She should just go with her pay grade, by God. Occasional venture to high-ranked portals behind better hunters is fine, but none more. She’d just get herself killed. It was impossible for her. Simply too much. And there would always be a next time.

“What’s wrong? You look ill.”

“Nothing. Just tired,” Ha-eun dismissed her brother’s concern. “Anyway, I’m off to work now. You do the dishes.”

“Yeah yeah. Just go.”

The fresh air rejuvenated Ha-eun. Her mind started to wander, as it always did on her way to work, on the long route from Yeongdeungpo to Gangnam. She thought of the future to come, of portals popping out of nowhere. At the bus stop, she played with her phone while daydreaming, as girls do in difficult times, of a prince charming to come along and do away with all of her problems. Perhaps a rich executive, heir to some enormous conglomerate, or a rebellious scion with too much money for his own good.

 

[The Black Knight]

Misuteeku

Black smoke oscillated and billowed off the vehicle. The car dissolved into smoke that spilled onto the asphalt and dissipated into nothing. The window faded and time resumed. As though nothing had happened, there were cars stopped at the traffic light, blaring their horns at Jeoung-eun. The light had been green, and they wanted to continue on their way without some pedestrian being in the way. The others had already crossed the street.

Spell acquired!

Sacrifice Lv 1.
Sacrifice can be cast on an E-rank enemy. Upon the enemy’s death, their soul becomes an offering, and the caster recovers HP equal to the enemy’s max HP.
MP Cost: 20
Fatigue: 10​

 

[ERode]

---

Sector: 16 [Yangcheon]
Mentions: The Black Knight

---

Not friends. Just acquaintances, his only strong memories of them being a fragmented pastiche of faces that may or may not truly be them. A smile or two maybe. Introductions quickly discarded. He was too busy being stuck up in his own head those days, too busy trying to piece together his escape plan and live his own life. The cameras continued to roll. Some selfless heroes, E-rank Hunters just like most of the students in the school, were being interviewed, while a teacher (was that the D-rank he had heard about?) was being dragged into the ambulance. In the background, students continued to crawl out of the windows from the first floor and yet the way the light reflected off those windows made it impossible to get a clear view of what was occurring within the higher floors. For all he knew, the fact that no one tried to jump out from the other floors just meant that they had all headed downstairs first, trying their best to get away from the rooftop Gate.

That was what he assumed. But was he really all that happy with that?

Rui-Ling sucked in a breath through his teeth. He stared at his own screen, the blue light that shone from his smartphone showing the names of all those from Hanyoung High School that he had saved two years ago into his contacts. The first years would be third years now. The third years would be on the highest floor then. If he got involved, this wouldn't be just another incident involving a Gate. But if he turned away now...

The pink-haired youth looked at the barista, who had chosen to answer his question about fun events by turning on the TV and showing a fucking disaster instead. The barista who had implanted the idea of checking up on those he knew. The fucking barista. He chomped his cake pop whole, then flashed a bright smile at her. "That's a super idea, big sis!"

And before allowing him to think much harder about it, he pressed the first contact on the list: Myung-Ki Gi, a now-third year boy who had been passionate about chemistry, with dreams of moving to France for his post-secondary studies. So rare, for any student to have dreams of the future in their first year. That had been why Rui-Ling remembered him. Why, when picking up a fellow idol member during after school hours, he'd chatted with that oddball. They exchanged numbers, but never followed up with promises of chatting. His fingers tapped a staccato beat.

The phone continued to ring.

 

[Megilagor]

Name: Narae "Hana" Haneul

Rank: E

Class: Healer

Location: Sector 10, Front Gate of Hanyoung High School -> Inside of Hanyoung High School

Tag:


Hana rode his bike ever so forcefully, to arrive at the scene as fast as he could, taking as many shortcuts as possible.
He finally arrived at the Front Gate of Hanyoung High School, the first thing he saw was a familiar car from the Animal Control and not so far away loads of rescue and news vehicles, with a massive crowd of people standing there.
He got off his bike, parked it by the wall, and walked up to the front of the crowd, there he saw a magnificent scene.
A young girl and a boy just a few years younger than him coming out of the building, carrying the injured teacher.
At that moment a small tear formed on Hana's cheek that slowly went down his face, it was a tear of happiness for he now knew some people survived.
Hana didn't disturb the hunters who came out, much rather he walked towards the school building to help.
His walk ever so springy carried him towards the building, but the sight of what was inside made him ill for a short while.
The smell of blood easily overpowered his nose, making Hana woozy, but he still carried on checking for a pulse, body after body, and applying triage tags on each one of them.
It only strengthened his hope that someone from the students or faculty members might still be alive, but the reality wasn't as nice as a forest of black tags hanged on the bodies that he found and his face grew ever so somber.

 

[Dextra]

When a great party came together, Dae-Jung was ecstatic. The female warrior took his hand in hers, and he couldn't agree with her more; a warrior and an archer were a good team, and with the addition of the third member, who appeared to be a magic caster, the trio had a great start. Dae-Jung listened intently to the Hunters' associations member and couldn't agree more, while being blunt and to the point he was right. In theory, the trio of E-ranks shouldn't have shown up because the dungeon was a higher treat level than they could handle, but it seemed like all three of them wanted to help, and the Hunter association member didn't seem to want to stop them; if anything, he just seemed hesitant to let the trio in due to the threat. Dae-Jung took his words to heart and devised a strategy based on them: he intended to go inside and assemble as many people as possible, relying on numbers to attempt to calm the situation.

The third member had some questions for Dae-Jung, as it had for Haneul Seo before he came here, since he had dealt with a dragon. Sure, Dae-Jung had dealt with a thief in a same manner, but a dragon was a completely other monster, so he chose to keep his inquiries to himself. If they were to survive, he would most certainly question the individual about it because it seemed like an intriguing storey. The three entered the school, and the scent of blood made Dae-Jung take a hasty step back; while death and blood were common in his line of work, he had never gotten accustomed to it, and knowing where they were just made it worse. An idea struck Dae-Jung as he quickly stepped outside the school, he intended to try to get any nearby hunters to join the trio's party. "If any nearby hunters are hesitant to approach alone, we have a party of three entering; feel free to join us!" Dae-Jung shouted before rushing back to the other two, the scent of blood made his heart sink as he thought of all the lives and futures that had already been lost here today, but he was determined to keep going in order to save anybody who was still alive.

Young-Soo, the third individual, finally had a name, and he was a mage, which was a great start to forming a small group. This would be a fantastic combination of Archer, Warrior, Mage, and Healer. He gave Haneul Seo a brief nod before joining in with the introductions. "I'm Dae-Jung, and I'm an archer." It was simpler to get introductions out of the way even if Young-soo wasn't talking directly to him. "If you need to switch out, I can take the front if needed; I'm confident in my defence." From what he had heard from other E-Ranks, Dae-Jung's defence was superior to that of even certain knights. Dae-Jung assumed the two men rushing past carrying an injured guy were some of the other hunters who had arrived first. He offered them a simple nod of acknowledgement but chose not to slow them down, hoping that the two would get the injured man out alive as soon as possible.

As Haneul Seo slowed the group down and lowered her voice, Dae-Jung looked at the fur she pointed out and nodded. "Sure looks like it." Dae-Jung drew his bow and stood ready "I suggest that we go room by room, looking for survivors; given the danger, we should try to avoid combat if at all possible, but if it becomes necessary, we should arrange ourselves with Haneul in the front, me in the middle, and Young-Soo in the back; if needed, I'll switch and take the front. Does that sound good to everyone?"

Interacting:
Twist SilverFeathers

Mentioned
Heyitsjiwon Haze-

Indirectly interacting
Megilagor

 

[Misuteeku]

Name: Jeoung-eun Nam
Rank: E
Class: Healer
Location: Sector 23, On the Streets
Tag: N/A

---

Time resumed.

Kliiick

Her phone landed on the ground, and her attack made contact with the sedan. The attack imploded into the car sending black smoke everywhere in its wake. Jeoung-eun had to cover her eyes with her arm before looking at the destruction that she had made. To her shock, the sedan was dissipating into smoke? The driver and car were nothing more but a construct of something else entirely? Before she had time to assess the situation even further, the color of the world had come back, and the sounds of the streets returned. She flinched when the horns of the cars were beeping right next to her.

Jeoung-eun quickly grabbed her phone, bowed in apology before dazedly running towards the other end of the street. There she could only mindlessly walk forward down the street. The reality of the situation came crashing down, and she collapsed down into a chair that belonged to a restaurant. Leaning onto the table for support, she pressed her hands onto her now sweating forehead. Reality seemed too bizarre for her to comprehend at the given moment.

What the fuck just happened

Did nobody see the car beelining towards her? What about the driver that disappeared along with the car? Did he just suddenly stop existing? It was as if reality was warped and changed right in front of her eyes. Jeoung-eun was still in the process of processing the information. Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to an hour. She was sitting on the bench while the waiters would occasionally come outside and ask what she would order before leaving when Jeoung-eun didn't give them a response.

Finally, she came to a conclusion. It doesn't matter how it started and what happened in the middle; what matters is what happened at the end.

Looking into her status screen, as ironic as it was considering she was going to do research on hunters, she had gained a skill.

Sacrifice Lv 1

It was a skill that enabled her to, presumably, instantly kill a target as long as it was an e-rank enemy. While she was at first disappointed by the skill's description, she realized that perhaps this is what she needed to level up quickly. She was also an e-rank, so it fits with her description, and the fact that the skill could be possibly leveled up could mean that it would have a lot of potentials. Meaning that-

"Hello? Miss? Would you like to order anything this time?" A young female waiter said as she took out her notebook.

Jeoung-eun felt a little hungry and tense after that little escapade. After all that entire ordeal, she felt like she should value herself a little bit more as a person rather than a stepping stool for someone else. "Ah, yes, sorry. What's the most expensive, tastiest food you would recommend on your menu?" Jeoung-eun inquired as she felt like spending her well-earned paycheque.

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

Name: Park Jiwon
Rank: E
Class: Mage
Location: Sector 10, Hanyoung Highschool
Tag: Haze- The Black Knight

---

Jiwon looked at the rescuers and replied "So far, we've only cleared out the first floor. If you're going in, just be careful and avoid the higher floors until they're properly secured. Good luck in there... it's not a pretty scene. I hope you're prepared." with a cautionary warning.

Jiwon turned his attention back to Min-Jee and tried to speak with her again, but was abruptly interrupted by the TV reporter as she shoved a microphone into their faces with a barrage of questions. Jiwon was rather annoyed. This was a crisis scene, not a paparazzi photo shoot. Jiwon had to take a deep breath and sigh before he spoke up. "Ma'am this is an evolving crisis scene. Please, give us some space to help the victims and get them the care that they need. I'll be glad to answer any questions later, but now is not the time for this."

Jiwon looked at Min-Jee and spoke once more "I'm going to head back in now and look for Mr. Ryu to see if there's anyway we can help out. Up to you if you want to join me."

Jiwon was about to turn back towards the school and head back in to try and find Mr. Ryu when he heard Mrs. Gwan cry out from not too far. He stopped in his tracks. Those who were physically harmed were not the only victims in this emergency. Jiwon frowned slightly as it seemed like Mrs. Gwan wasn't allowed to escort her unconscious husband. He instead turned way from the school and started to walk towards Mrs. Gwan to console her and attempt to cheer her up a bit. "Mrs. Gwan, your husband is a strong man. Without him, all those students wouldn't have made it. He'll be all right. He's just very tired and a bit beat up, but he isn't seriously injured. He'll be up and walking around as a hero soon. Heck, he deserves teacher of the year at the very least." Jiwon said with a slight grin to attempt to alleviate some of her biggest concerns with a little bit of humor. He then looked back towards Min-Jee with a pleading look to come back him up in trying to console the poor lady.

 

[DuckPrince]

Name: Chin-Mae Jun
Rank: E
Class: Healer
Location: Sector 10, Cult ---> Outside Hanyoung Highschool
Tag: The Black Knight Heyitsjiwon

It was quiet at first, Chin-Mae was having a quiet day at work, but gradually, commotion started to sound outside. "I wonder if some hunters are having a scuffle.." He sighed to himself. That thought was cut short by his boss, who popped his head into the kitchen. "Mae, a gate opened at the high school nearby. I think you should go." His boss said and Chin-Mae nodded after taking a moment to process the information. "Thank you, boss. I'll make up the hours if you need me to." He flashed a light smile, filling his boss in on things that were still in the oven before rushing off to the changing room to get into his armor.

Stepping out of the back of the café, Chin-Mae opted out of taking his car and simply walked to the school. It wasn't too far by foot. He made sure to braid his hair and wrap it into a neat bun on the way there. Couldn't afford getting his hair snagged somewhere or grabbed. Once arriving, he took in the situation one thing at a time. There were casualties, reporters and lots of people. Right now he needed hunters thought. He couldn't be idle, not when he could help in some way.

Eventually he spotted one, trying to comfort a weeping lady. He managed to hear most of the commotion concerning her. Biting the inside of his cheek, he slowly came over. He let the hunter notice him first, giving a slight wave. "I'm sorry for overhearing and my words might be unnecessary.. but you should follow the ambulance, if you can, madam.. I'm sure your loved one would be happy to wake up and see you at their side, no?" He hummed, casting a glance at the fellow hunter.

 

[The Black Knight]

Seocho (Sector 22) is known as one of the richest neighborhoods and part of Greater Gangnam. A portal had opened in Green Wood Park, and two guilds had gathered before it. There were members of Dynasty with their Mining and Collection crews already positioned in the area along with a formation of Spear soldiers. Two team leaders were in charge there.

There was a red-headed man with two battle axes hanging from his belt. His hands were resting on his hips as he stood before the stark-haired team leader of Spear.

“We were here first Spear,” he irritably declared.

Hyun-Woo Bang
Rank: C
Class: Barbarian
Guild: Dynasty

The woman smiled, standing before him with her own hands resting on her hips. “Can we not divide the party? I have some new recruits who need the training.”

Sam Do
Spear Rank: Lieutenant
Rank: C
Class: Exorcist
Guild: Spear

“Why do I have to divide the party when we were here first? Certainly, there’s another portal somewhere you can fall behind on,” Hyun said with a mocking grin.

Sam’s lips parted but before she could speak, her grey eyes lowered to a man who was crouched behind Hyun and peeking just beyond his leg at her. Her words were caught in her throat as she felt the lecherous eyes rolling over her body. Hyun saw her looking elsewhere and blinked before his eyes lowered to the man thing behind him. His lip quirked in disgust as he raised his leg as though the pervert were infectious. One of the miners walked over and snagged the lecher by the back of his collar. He started dragging him back over to their group, waving a hand of apology over his shoulder, “Sorry about that. He got away. Sheesh, I turn my head for a second…”

A sweat drop both rolled down the sides of the team leaders' heads. Sam raised a gloved hand to her chin and cleared her throat. “I would try to persist with your cooperation, but your slight against my guild is clear enough.” She grasped her glove, pinching a digit between her fingers and slid it free from her hand. Her arm then became a blur, bringing the glove to slap hard across Hyun-woo’s cheek.

Hyun-woo winced and gawked at Sam, and the cute pout she tried to make into an intimidating expression. He rubbed his cheek as he tried to process what even happened. How old school was this girl?

“Spear challenges you to a duel, but it won’t be me fighting for I do not need this gate. Since you wish to deprive my soldiers of experience, you must value your E-ranks. I want to see if your E-ranks are even worthy of going in that portal. Everyone knows how Dynasty takes in trash off the streets. Your trash versus my elite soldiers.”

“Elite soldiers?” Hyun repeated in amusement. “We’ll see who the real trash is!”

Sam smiled and slipped her glove back on her hand. “I’m glad that we’re able to agree on something. Go ready your men.” She turned, cape swirling behind her as she marched back over to her formation.

Hyun scowled at her back and silently mouthed under his breath, Bitch.

He returned over to his gathered group and sighed, sulking a little.

“What happened?” one of the E-ranks asked.

“Spear has challenged us to a duel for spots in our party.”

“Those assholes! We were here first!”

Hyun scratched his head, frowning about the whole ordeal. He wouldn’t have agreed with Sam in front of his guild, but Dynasty did happen to recruit some trash, and he usually had to deal with them. He doubted his group would stand a chance against Spear’s disciplined guild members. They probably functioned like a Special Forces unit! Just thinking about it raised his anxiety! Ragh! Why did this have to happen today?

“We’ll kick their asses!”

“Of course we will,” he said, putting on his best fake and reassuring smile.

 

[ERode]

---

Sector: 16 [Yangcheon] - Starbucks > Seocho
Mentions: The Black Knight

---

A moment later, the call picked up. Shallow breathing sounded from the other end, and in the background, worried murmurs and the shifting of furniture could be heard. There was silence, briefly, before being broken by a low voice. “Hello?”

Rui-Ling wasn’t sure how to proceed from there. He didn’t feel that much concern, nor did he feel like it was appropriate to sound all that chipper either, so he mirrored the same tone of the one on the other side. “Myung-Ki, that you?”

“Yeah. Who is this?”

He let out a breath, then flashed a thumbs up at the barista. “Rui-Ling. I saw the news. Uh, you’re alright? Like, what happened?”

“Just...a little banged up. Most of the school’s made it to the library and it’s locked down now.” Another long, rasping breath. “The shutters are holding out and we’ve managed to shove the shelves there too.”

Right. That made sense. It’d been a decade since the matter of monsters and portals had been discovered and considering the danger that unsupervised portals posed to surrounding areas, all public buildings had been renovated with at least two shelter zones. For Hanyoung High School, that would be the library on the second floor and the teachers’ office on the first floor. The problem would be if the lockdown system didn’t work, or if the students and teachers didn’t make it to those zones before they had to be shut down, but thankfully…it sounded like they were alright. “Good. That’s…definitely good.” Rui-Ling checked the news again. More Hunters, young rookies with a mishmash of gear, were converging, ignoring orders from the police, and heading in without hesitation. “Sit tight, man. Rescue teams are heading in like, super fast now.”

“Yeah.” The voice continued to sound. “We’ve been texting the police for some time now.” A laugh escaped. “Hey, which Guild’s coming over? Blitz?”

“Oh, uh…” Rui-Ling narrowed his eyes. No emblems, no uniforms. Just people the same age as him. But there was that Hunter’s Association guy…who went on to handle the gate, rather than the people still sheltering inside the building. “Dynasty. I think. They’ve got a small army coming in.”

“Sweet. Haha, shit.” A deep sigh whistled out. “That’s great. I dunno how many more students are outside, but hopefully the freshmen are alright. They didn’t learn anything about lockdown drills n all…”

That, Rui-Ling could talk about. “Yeah, they’re great. Heading out from the windows of the first floor even. Really, it’s just you oldies who’re still gonna be stuck here for another hour or two.”

“Ah damn, another hour?” There was a shift in tone briefly, a resignation. “Hey, a bit late to say this, but who are you anyways?”

“…seriously?”

“Seriously.”

The pink-haired youth leaned back against his chair. “We met during your first year. Don’t think about it too much though. Glad you’re hanging, Myung-ki. You still do art, right? I’m a bit of a big deal on Youtube; after this, let’s meet up and I’ll do a bit on your paintings!”

“Sure, that’d be lovely.” Another pause. “Ah, my mom’s calling now. So…”

“Totes get it, dude! Toodles~!” Even without having Facetime on, Rui-Ling did a little wave to his phone before ending the call. Good. After the incursion of the first Gate, granting superhuman powers upon mortal beings, even students with no training weren’t so weak as to be instantly slaughtered by like-ranked monsters, and that wasn’t even taking into consideration the capabilities of the adult staff of the building. So the whole situation was relatively fine after all. Children still died, which was already an unacceptable result in a modern society that should’ve prepared plenty well for such occurrences, but the number ought to be low enough that it was an individual tragedy rather than a wholesale murdering spree.

He drained the rest of the tea from his plastic cup, washing away what worries he had about Hanyoung High School with a hit of fruity sweetness, before saying to the barista, “Yup, it sounds like most of them are totally safe! Great news, right?”

Awful fucking news to come across when all he wanted was to know if anything fun was happening in Yangcheon though.

Before the barista could portent any more doom and gloom, Rui-Ling left the Starbucks, making a beeline for the metro. His conversation with Myung-Ki hadn’t been the only thing that his phone offered him, after all. During all this, the Hunter’s Association notified Seoul residents of a portal opening up in Seocho as well. A rich district, filled with influential people, one where Gate emergences couldn’t just be ignored by noteworthy guilds. It was almost a guarantee that at least one of the top Guilds in South Korea would make their presence known there, and as a lowly E-rank Hunter, this was an opportunity that Rui-Ling certainly couldn’t let go. After all, with his only personal connection to Hanyoung High safe and sound, he was free to go make money guilt-free.

And so, the Thief was going to leech.

 

[Misuteeku]

Name: Jeoung-eun Nam
Rank: E
Class: Healer
Location: Sector 23, On The Streets - > Sector 22, Seocho
Tag: The Black Knight

---

A notification popped up on Jeoung-eun's phone. Looking at it, Jeoung-eun immediately raised from her seat at the restaurant. A portal had opened at Green Wood Park, Seocho. It might be her opportunity to get some experience in both meanings. Seocho was nearby Gangnam, so she would have to pay a fee to arrive in Seocho. It was a little unfortunate in her eyes, but it'll hopefully pay off in the end. After paying for the meal and giving the waiter a tip, she immediately made a mad dash to the bullet train. The next train should be arriving soon.

Running up the stairs while holding onto the railing, she brushed against some people. Thankfully, her frightening height gave her some resilience to being pushed around by the crowd. It wasn't one of the traits she took pride in. She hated being tall. It made her life a lot more complicated. Bending down to look into the cabinets was a hassle, being made fun of in high school didn't help, and most of all,

She couldn't get a date!

All the boys at her high school preferred the cute, petite, Ju-won body type instead of her tall and average-looking girl. Hell, even the girls that were average-looking got a guy. Jeoung-nam didn't have a terrible personality, nor did she look that bad. It was all because she was way too tall for a guy to like. That was how she felt anyways. It didn't help that everybody around her called her, "Big Nam," as if it wasn't insulting to be called tall and a man. Though what did that matter right now, what mattered now was that her height was proving to be helpful.

Making her way to the train terminal, she inputted her information and slid her card before getting on the train. It should be a relatively short drive, but it would feel a lot longer to Jeoung-nam. After all, this was her time to see if she could profit from being a hunter.

 

[ERode]

Name: Jeoung-eun Nam
Rank: E
Class: Healer

Name: Rui-Ling Kazanari
Rank: E
Class: Thief

Location: Sector 22, Seocho - Green Wood Park
Tag: The Black Knight Misuteeku

---

The moment the train stopped and the doors opened, Jeoung-eun burst out of the bullet train. She would have to apologize to the poor souls that she brushed past against, but their sacrifice would not be in vain. After all, she was finally in Seocho. Before pushing more innocent people aside, she took a moment to look around.

Ironically enough, this was her first time being in Seocho. She spent most of her life inside Gangnam. The only places she has been to were Dongdaemun, Gwangju, and Guro.

It still looked relatively the same as it was in Gangnam. Towering buildings that touched the sky, people were walking around, cars driving down the road. However, that didn’t matter now. It would change in the future when she officially became a hunter.

Turning her heel, she made a mad dash towards the stairs. She needed to get to Green Wood Park as soon as she could.

~~~

Stepping out from the underground station and into the cold light of day, Rui-Ling hummed a cheery little tune as he looked about the sector, trying to get his bearings. The affluent district was, as always, buzzing with business, shining cars surging through well-paved roads like salmon down a stream, while men and women dressed to impress strode with purpose, clutching onto luxurious and classy suitcases and bags. In another district, Hanyoung High’s Gate continued to pulsate. In this very district, Green Wood Park threatened to spill all manner of monstrosities upon the world.

And yet, business continued as usual. With both the courts and major corporations having called this district home, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that any gate called here would be dealt with summarily by any Guild wishing to curry favour.

Here, Rui-Ling’s kitschy, high-contrast outfit popped out from the sleek, monotone aesthetics of the district. He spared the professionals not a single glance though, and they did the same, accustomed as they are to ignoring aberrant individuals striding through their cloistered cityscape. Green Wood Park would be another five minutes away, and already, he could see other people in non-professional outfit make their way to the area. Flamechasers, seeking wealth and power by risking life and limb whilst others gained the same at the click of a button or the nod of a supervisor.

“Buncha crazies.”

~~~

She really needed to work out more. When was the last time she had run this much before? It was probably in her last year of high school. Most of the time, she had to sit around in the convenience store and wait behind the cash register and clean up the store. Jeoung-nam noted to herself that she would try to work out after all this was over.

“Sorry, excuse me.” Jeoung-nam said as she ‘brushed past’ a man with pink hair. She didn’t spare much thought for Rui-Ling as she ran towards Green Wood Park. She was almost close to the park before she had noticed the huge array of guild members sitting right in front of her the portal.

“What are they doing?” Jeoung-nam muttered to herself as she hid herself behind a wall. They seemed to be talking over something. There were two distinguished individuals that seemed to belong to two different groups. Looking closely, she would hazard a guess based on their uniforms.

The woman was most likely apart from Spear. The clothing she was wearing was formal, militaristic, and the presence she had exuded a bit of charisma. Her fellow party members also seemed to be in a formation of sorts befitting a squadron.

As for the other group, it could be either Cerberus or Dynasty. It couldn’t be Blitz nor Noblesse for obvious reasons. The group’s leader was a male, and he didn’t look that strong compared to the S-ranks on the magazines. It could mainly be Cerberus or Dynasty since she read that they were invested in the harvesting and mining industry. Even then, she was leaning more on Dynasty. They were becoming more proactive and had a lot more members than Cerberus.

~~~

“Hmm? Whatcha doing here, sis?”

From behind, Rui-Ling approached, a bright smile on his face. He looked at the brunette, then at the Gate, and then back to her again. “Don’t tell me you’re a journalist or something?”

~~~

Jeoung-eun jumped back from where she was standing and hit her back against the wall. “Ah! Why the h-” She quickly composed herself and had a more ‘natural’ confused look on her face.

“Ah, sorry, what are you doing behind me?” Jeoung-eun asked calmly.

“I’m not a journalist, I’m merely curious about what’s going on over there,” Jeoung-eun said as she pointed her thumb back at the commotion behind her.

~~~

“Eh? Did you forget little ol’ me already?” Rui-Ling winked, flicking his pink bangs out frivolously. “The one that you bumped into on the way here? Now, let’s put our heads together, okay? Are you really just curious about what’s happening there?”

~~

“Bump?” It took a second for Jeoung-nam to realize what Rui-Ling was talking about but even then that didn’t narrow things down. Jeoung-nam bumped into a lot of people when she ran over to the park.

“While what I said was truthful, I’ll elaborate.” Jeoung-nam said. She scanned the man in front of her up and down. He didn’t seem to be affiliated with any guild. “I’m more interested in the portal than the guilds at this point. I want to join in but as you can see…” Jeoung made a motion with her hand.

“That’s not going to happen any time soon.”

~~~

Rui-Ling cocked his head to the side, the perfect embodiment of cute befuddlement.

“Why not?”

~~~

Jeoung-nam only glanced at the pink haired man with a neutral expression. Her thoughts were far from neutral however. Did the man in front of her lack the common sense that came along with his age?

“From what I’m assuming is happening is that there are two guilds arguing over ownership of the gate,” Jeoung-nam explained.

“Since I’m not affiliated with either guild, it’s going to be a lot harder getting into the portal itself. Not to mention it’s dangerous if it’s only me.”

~~~

“Eh…”

Rui-Ling cast his gaze over the two guilds once more, watching as both sides (well, really just one side) get more and more riled up. This was dangerous, but more for their surroundings rather than for each other. After all, only a total idiot would kill someone else over a single Gate.

“If it’s dangerous alone, then how ‘bout just coming with me?” He snapped his fingers and manifested his kusari-gama, whirling the smaller scythe in lazy circles. “Honestly, if they’re gonna start scrapping before they even get started, that’s grounds for the Hunter’s Association to do that thing where they do some legal wizardry.”

A shrug. “So, like, Dynasty wouldn’t give a shit because they’re just a mass of ruffians, but Spear lives and dies on their reputation as being disciplined and law-abiding. Which means that...well, let’s make that a riddle! Whatcha think’s gonna happen if things are actually gonna get bloody?”

~~~

For a split moment Jeoung-eun had a look of disgust, disappointment, and dread when looking at the man in front of him. She could already tell he was the type that was going to test her patience if she got to know him in the future. Thanks to her skills in the Convenience Store, she quickly changed her expression.

“I don’t know, but I’m not one to deny help,” Jeoung-eun said. This time she wouldn’t be the one at the losing end. Though what surprised her was the wise words that came out of the man’s mouth. She wasn’t the one to think about the law or about hunters, so that was out of her field of expertise.

“Spear would face massive backlash from their ‘Commander’ while Dynasty wouldn’t suffer as much.” Jeoung-eun answered. Her opinion on the man had slightly risen. Perhaps it wouldn’t be bad if she associated with him and tolerated his presence. “So, the only option would be for Spear to leave. That would be the safer choice.”

~~~

“Ka~ching~!”

Rui-Ling raised his spare hand up for a hi-five.

“Now let’s move onto the bonus round, big sis! Between this Dynasty and Spear, who do you think is safer to party with?”

~~~

“Dynasty,” Jeoung-eun said with certainty. If Spear was going to back off then Dynasty was her only option. “Also this better not be a trick person and say that the correct choice was you,” A soft laugh left her mouth. That would have been one of the worst pick up lines she would have heard.

She high-fived his open hand.

~~~

“Naw, I can do many things, but single-handedly clearing a Gate isn’t one of them, even at the request of a cutie like you.”

The kusari-gama disappeared again, slipping into the invisible space that served as Rui-Ling’s inventory, and he offered a hand to the nameless woman.

“Now that we’ve got a general method of stopping a meaningless battle then, shall we go and give ‘em a nice little lecture on Hunter behavior?”

~~~

Jeoung-nam looked at the hand and looked back at him. Her cheeks flushed when she heard his compliment. This was possibly the first time someone called her cute. It faded as quickly as it came when she took his hand. She owed him that much. For the compliment and how to resolve the issue in front of them.

“Yes, let’s go, hopefully they have enough dignity after this.” She could only imagine how they would react if they were lectured by a bunch of E-Ranks.

~~~

“Mhmm~! And, I know this is a bit crazy since we’ve already talked this much, but like, who even are you?”

~~~

“Ah, that’s embarrassing. I forgot to introduce myself.” Jeoung-eun stroked a lock of her hair before looking back at the man.

“I am Jeoung-eun Nam, I’m an e-ranked healer. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

~~~

“Definitely!”

Rui-Ling squeezed her hand lightly, and with that, strode for the center of this multi-guild collision.

 

[Mqueserasera]

Name: Ju Ha-eun
Rank: E
Class: Knight
Location: Sector 18, riding a bus -> Sector 22
Tag:

The message came during a most crucial moment for Ha-eun. Her mind was being momentarily focused to a single point in the ever sprawling space-time. Nothing else mattered. Not the chatty group of college students besides, nor the roaring engines to and fro. Painstakingly, her finger moved across the phone screen with the precision of a neurosurgeon. Rectangles and squares, in shades of orange and yellow and red, came aligned as destined by their creators to realize the glorious wonder of perfect intention. Ding ding. Three empty stars became golden. Stage cleared.

Yay, she muttered a little victory cry.

After briefly checking her progress, she closed the app and flick open the guild’s group chat. Within the small window of her delay, several people have already responded to the announcement of a newly found portal. There was even a summon from leader Bang. Her irises didn’t quite manifest in the form of a twin ₩, but her fingers did tap lightning fast on the small keyboard. With leader Bang at the frontline of the party, this hunt was pretty much guaranteed to be a literal stroll in the park. And who knows, she might get one or two hits in, or even score a couple of valuable loots.

Hmm, Seocho? Ha-eun checked the bus schedule. The district was luckily right next to Gangnam, and the route of the bus she was waiting for was going to pass straight through it.

“Hello, miss Chae, I can’t come to work today.” The girl could barely contain her excitement through the phone.

“It’s the highschool thing, isn’t it? The news saying it’s pretty bad! Are you hurt? It’s true there’re tons of dead kids?” the old woman sent a barrage of questions her ways. All of which was out of the concern for her well-being as much as the immense curiosity of a lady heavily involved in the neighborhood’s latest gossips.

“Huh, no. Not really, I don’t know. I’m heading to a different portal.”

“Oh.” The old woman clicked her tongue. “Still another one hah? I swear they’re everywhere these days. But do you really have to go? It’s not an emergency or anything?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll ask someone to cover my shift.”

There was a silent interval, as if out of consideration for Ha-eun’s right to decide for herself. But then the woman pushed on, “I mean do you have to go at all? No offense, sweetie, but I ain’t thinking a feeble young girl like you ought to do these fighting business at all.”

“You’re just way behind the time, gramps. See, I went inside them a-plenty, and I’ve been just fine. Anyway, the bus’s here. I’ll come to work tomorrow.” Ha-eun hastily ended the call despite knowing that the old woman wouldn’t keep protesting anyway. She couldn’t risk it. She had little confidence as it is that she would keep emerging unharmed from portals. Strong leader or not, it only takes a very unlucky day for someone to get hurt badly.

But she swallowed the last of her doubt and got onto the bus, heading straight to Green Wood Park.

 

[Haze-]

Jwan Jeong-Ho - B-Rank Healer // SSSS-Rank Little Brother

Sector 12 - Dong-Yul's House


“Jung-Ho! Come set the table!” – The room tilted as he shot up from the blankets. He flailed his arms in a stupor at the sound of clamor crashing with his ears, not finding where he was, he froze, narrowed his eyes and overworked to get his senses together. Whatever loose screw tightened, and he could feel it like an electric shock sending pinpricks down the spine. He groaned at the world drifting back into focus. Ever since he became a hunter, whenever it was that he stopped feeling human, even the little things such as waking up occasionally came with a surprise. Sensory overload. Hands of time unwound, and it didn’t feel the same, that sheer amusement of seeing every detail in a vivid yet disorienting closeup, it only grew more familiar to him. Just some background noise, a chore and a half to get through. Once he was, though, Jeong-Ho sprung back to life

He stretched, the fog covering his vision eased up as though it thinned, what seemed like a pitch black room before started to brighten, enough for him to glance around as a self-satisfied grin split his face. It was his old room, back from when he still lived with his dad. Old, rock solid mattress. The ever-so persuading bedsheets. A closet stuffed with cheap, printed T-Shirts. The slit on the sagging curtains leading to the balcony, a natural highlight to the latticework in the only fancy thing in the room, a wooden chair; angled perfectly at a mismatch desk – Everything in the room appeared same as the way he’d left it, from that cold and gritty feel the floor left on his bare feet, to that lump of messy clothes greeting him – He’d moved on from this place. Hell, he’d moved on from Seoul itself. But never did he let go of those memories, he kept them with him.

And just the hard hit from old friend nostalgia must’ve knocked him out; he was still foaming at the mouth from that nap he took – “Jung-Ho!?” – His father bellowed up the stairs, sounding as if he’d been having a death battle with the table in Jeong-Ho’s absence. And he was losing it, apparently.

He straightened up, making a conscious effort not to hiss as he stumbled on his own step, his foot connecting straight with god knows what hid beneath that pile of clothes – “Coming!” – He hastily tugged his dress shirt inside his slacks, loafing no longer as he rushed down the stairs. They were all supposed to be dressing proper, they were having dinner. Even if the two of them knew their main guest wouldn’t be. That smile crept in again; the only time he’d talked to her was over phone, Min-Jee slacking off at work and himself on whatever trip the pseudo-professional hunter lifestyle demanded of him. This time around, Jeong-Ho would get to flaunt what he’d achieved in front of his big sister. In front of the whole family, rather.

Jeong-Ho waited until the last second to jump down the final step. The entrancing aroma of base spices and steaming hot Italian cuisine reaching him. Even going as far as to stand up on the ball of his feet and lean backwards, eyes closed in deep mirth as he took in the scent before a sigh left him. He was that cheesy. Something big sis would’ve smacked him in the back of the head for – “Took you long enough,” – His dad was grinning at a bowl of salad from across the table, neither bothering to nod nor glance up at Jeong-Ho, instead busied himself by scraping messily chopped tomatoes into the salad – “Jet lag?” – Old man was 37 already, still dressed like a plastic stamp gangbanger from an 80’s crime novel. Khakis as old as the tats gone colorless on his bulky arms, sleeves rolled to display them as if he were genuinely proud of them. Hearts, chains, wolves, flames, knives; you name it. He was that stereotype. A lifetime of ‘wrong place, wrong time’ scenarios built him to be shameless in that regard, so much so that playing the role of the cocky hardass became second nature.

Somewhere in the middle, he became a hunter. On the lowest spectrum of the A-ranks; could’ve gone pro – but he had this thing with his knee. Then there was the thing with his back, shoulder, neck… It kept piling up – he just couldn’t keep up. Even then, seeing him there in the kitchen, something didn’t quite click for Jeong-Ho – “I guess so,” – His features scrunched up as he stretched, hands going high over his head and a yawn escaping his mouth; he couldn’t hold back that small glare he gave to the old man – “And what’s with the apron? Trying to win a talent show, pops? I’ll tell it to you straight, never really saw you as a great cook or anything.” – He inched a painfully slow strut over to the cabinets, eyebrows raised in mocking bemuse while he restrained himself from looking over at his father’s expression.

“Because we’re having guests,” – Dad took a beat to look at Jeong-Ho dead in the eyes as the kid went to open up the kitchen cabinets, his arms almost gesturing as if to square up with him, but they instead brought down a stack of five plates – “And your mom’s already tired enough.” – Jeong-Ho whistled in sheer amusement, grabbing a handful of utensils and napkins. Five, six years, maybe even a decade-long nonstop rhythm of household chores and his dad went through a metamorphosis. Turning out to be a lot calmer and composed than before, donning a hat sitting halfway down his nose to hide his bad hair, even excusing himself for cooking in mom’s place – It spoke of the things retirement, settling down, had done to him– truly, in the dew of little things the heart indeed finds it’s morning –“And you watch that tone with me. The apron stays on, period.” – His dad took a pause from the reprimand to wipe his hands on the apron, a hint of resignation as he raised his chin at him.

Jeong-Ho shrugged, raising his hands in plead surrender. He stepped up to the table in the dining room – “Just saying. Wouldn’t want to give mom’s guest food poisoning.” – he paused, musing over it for a while before lining up the dinner table with plates and everything else – “Miss Seo-Jun, was it?” – Mom’s lifelong friend and an acquaintance of his dad.Close enough of a relationship for Min and Jeong-Ho themselves to address her as their aunt. But most importantly, that old hag used to be his math teacher back in his loathsome freshman years – “On second thought… Go off, you’ve always been a great cook.” – His dad fought down a string of curse words once he got back to the chopping table, muttering the unintelligible under his breath as the cooking grew more violent.

A little too relaxed, too confident, he leaned back on a chair once he had everything set up for the night, making sure that Min-Jee’s usual, yet now unfortunate, spot sat right beside Miss Seo-Jun’s. Knowing how the woman kept talking her tongue dry on constant tangents, he wanted Min-Jee’s awkwardness concentrated up into one spot.

He smiled, it was diabolical – “So,“ His dad started – “Will she be here anytime soon or…?”

“Nah, you know of she is. She’ll be here late…” – Avoiding his gaze as much as he could, Jeong-Ho tried to keep his nonchalance. Make it sound like a regular Tuesday morning, lift up the spirits. That was his forte. Though he monitored his dad from the corner of his eye, busy identifying any signal or indication, any shift in mood. They both knew about Min-Jee’s troubles. The bags under her eyes, her monotone that only seemed to swing to anger every now and then, trampling over her own habits as if a spider spun over its own web. Both son and daughter were no longer nailed to this place; they were free to do as they pleased. And she lived vicariously by that, as though she’d grown a hunger for poison – “But she’ll be here.” – The words rolled off his tongue not to his dad, almost as if reaffirming a constant. Letting himself know that however sunk in her troubles, his big sister never changed in essence.

There was an awkward silence permeating the room for a while, until Jeong-Ho switched to a jovial expression – “And that’s that, I guess. Not like her lazy ass can’t make time for us anyways. She’s probably stuck at work or something.” – He scrambled to pick himself back up, turning on the TV for some filler noise to untangle some of the tension. Freezing in his tracks as the news broadcasts started blaring – “I am standing here with two E-ranks that trespassed the police tape to try and-“

A clatter startled the both of them, Jeong-Ho struggling to pick back up the fork he’d just dropped –


Name: Jwan Min-Jee
Rank: E
Class: Mage
Location: Sector 10 - Hanyoung Highschool
Tag: Heyitsjiwon DuckPrince The Black Knight


The walk back to the entrance wasn’t nearly fast enough; she was already starting to worry about Mr. Gwan’s injuries. Hearing his faint, arrhythmic breathing and even feeling the pained thrumming of his body reverberating as he leaned on her, Min-Jee realized just how much of a beating the man had taken in order to protect his students. She knew how tough most hunters were in comparison to regular folk, especially those beyond the dreaded E-rank chain, but even if he could heal it all in a matter of weeks, she still felt sorry for not arriving there in time. She’d been there a few times, a broken rib, dislocated shoulder, that sort of trauma was common for most in her line of work. But getting through the process of healing wasn’t a cakewalk. At all.

Funny how you started picking up on a sense of respect for someone, started to look out for their wellbeing once it was already too late.

Lost in these thoughts, they arrived at the entrance all too soon. She could already hear everyone’s gossip; it reached her as muted whispers playing in the ambiance around them. The sun wasn’t quite setting yet, but it was halfway there. Whatever light remaining refracted a soft glow on the world around her, peeking from a veil of clouds, all that sunlight felt like bliss. Though she knew this fake sense of tranquility wouldn’t last

Now Playing. . .

She kept only one earbud on, surveying the surroundings with a tinge of bitterness in her stare, she took in a deep breath. Catching a glimpse of the officer she’d talked to a couple of minutes ago, she deflated. He seemed a lot less tense; two cups of coffee propped by his side on a nearby bench, the one she’d given to him tumbled over, not going against the wind. It was empty – She couldn’t blame him. Their eyes met for a brief instance, and he only rose one cup at her without bothering to take his eyes off the crowd. Min-Jee did the same, waving him off as the rescuers carried Mr. Gwan to an ambulance. They both shrugged their tangled nerves loose with that small interaction.

Jiwon was right in one thing. If they were standing here among the shaken masses, then they could also do their part. As Jiwon ended his spiel on this Mr. Ryu person, she chimed in – “Smells a lot more promising than it tastes.” – Words laced with cynicism. She was still skeptical about putting her trust on pretty boy with the fancy suit upstairs, but facts were facts, everyone could unanimously agree that he was the only one competent in this whole ordeal – “Y’know, I’m very passionate about not dying…” – She started on a scoff, her eyes drifting to the skies as she was lost once more in deep thought. Min-Jee saw that bird again, from the corner of her eye, struggling on its flight before landing on the nearest tree. It gave her an estranged look, tilted its head as animals usually do for some reason. She wondered if that bird had enough brain capacity to process whatever pandemonium was going on around it. Moving out of sheer instinct, capable of flying anywhere it wanted; Life must be a damn breeze. After a few seconds she looked back down at Jiwon, cracked her knuckles from the inside of her pockets – “I think I can make an exception here, though. Don’t think I’d be able to sleep tonight if I let you go up there on your own.”

A faint chuckle that lacked any sort of mirth escaped her, her lips slightly curving to an honest smile. She found the way she presented her act as laughable. Maybe the whole ‘hero’ thing had stuck to her.

“Name’s Min-“- She extended a hand to Jiwon after a reluctant sigh of surrender, retracting after a rescue team approached and cut her off. A little too enthusiastic but it was understandable given the situation, Min-Jee stood quiet and let Jiwon did the talking, only adding a nod once it was over. Glancing back over at Jiwon, their back and forth was once again interrupted. This time by the news reporter bombarding them with questions, which she wouldn’t have minded if the cameras weren’t right on her face. She feigned stage fright and avoided staring directly at them, once more acting as a mere third party and letting Jiwon take the spotlight. Her eyes lost their glimmer as she finally faced away from the cameras, and one could’ve seen her shoulders going up and down when exasperation took the form of an icy sigh, then her face contorted into what could only be described as petty annoyance – She’d have a lot of explaining to do back home if someone had caught a glimpse of her face in those few seconds she was on camera – she started taking notes: Taking your armor off in public was indeed a rookie mistake.

Alas, that annoyance couldn’t overcome the wave of gloom that came moments after, like she’d slammed hard on the solid edge of reality. Mr. Gwan had a wife and probably some kids waiting on him at home. A house, a job, a car; that life; and she still didn’t understand how the teacher fought the way he did considering he had everything to lose. But she didn’t meddle on it for too long, hands out of her pocket and standing up straight, Min-Jee stood alongside the two men that were attempting to be there for the woman – “Miss, I’m sure everything will be alright,” – She tried to plaster the most comforting, warm smile she could muster in her tired factions. Her words strung with a light and pleasant tone that sounded almost uncharacteristic coming from her, it was mostly a matter of thinking what corny one-liner her brother would give in a situation like this. She nodded at the newest face, hard to take her eyes off of him now that she noted his high fashion – “He’s right. If you can follow behind the ambulance that would be a great relief for your husband when he wakes up. But do make sure to worry about your own health first, I know all of this must be really stressful…” – She placed one hand on the woman’s shoulder, lightly nudging Jiwon with her elbow and raising her eyebrows at the other guy, eyes darting from him and Mrs. Gwan, once she was sure the woman wasn’t looking.

 

[Megilagor]

Name: Narae "Hana" Haneul
Rank: E
Class: Healer
Location: Sector 10, Hanyoung HighSchool
Tag: Twist SilverFeathers Dextra

The atmosphere and the view at school were at the very least horrific if not nightmare-inducing, after wandering the halls checking for a pulse from anyone he found nobody alive, but then he heard a small rustle in one of the classrooms.
So he jumped at the chance quickly equipping his items and ran towards the source of the noise, he found himself in one of the classrooms.
Hana started to search for the source of the noise but he couldn't find it so he started checking if anyone here was alive, but at that moment he once again heard a noise, so he quickly turned around towards it.
The sound was coming from one of the lockers in the classroom, so he walked up to it and tried opening it but it was locked, so he tried harder, then he heard someone's voice from inside the locker.
"Are they gone? Are the monsters gone?"
It was a voice of a scared boy, and upon hearing it Hana replied in the calmest and most warm voice he could muster.
"Don't worry everything is all right, you are safe. But I need you to get away from the locker door since I need to pry it open."
The boy did not reply, and Hana searched for something he could safely open, finally finding something to pry it open he repeatedly jammed it to the side of the locker door, finally opening it.
As soon as Hana opened the locker he threw away that metal table leg he used to pry the locker open, and held his hand out towards the boy.
"Come on let's get you up and away from this mess."
The boy slowly grabbed Hana's hand, and Hana then pulled him in such a way to help him get from the ground.
He then walked up to the window, opened it, and said to the boy.
"Ok go through the window and go to the school gate there should be a rescue team there. Now go."
He kept his eyes on the boy who looked a bit small for a 15-year-old exit the school via the window and when he ran towards the school gate, Hana turned around and entered the hallway there in the corner of his vision he saw a group of people so he turned around and yelled.
"Hey need some help over there?"

 

[The Black Knight]

Heyitsjiwon Haze- @DuckPrince

The rescuers listened to Jiwon’s report and nodded. “Right. We’ll start working on the first floor and avoid the higher ones. Great work!”

The rescuers raced inside the school. One group searched for victims, while a second began taking accountability of the casualties. Some were already tagged by someone, and they needed to check all the bodies to ensure those that had a heartbeat were saved. They hoped for survivors.

Meanwhile, Duri Wan’s eyes widened when Jiwon made her out to be some rude reporter. He had some nerve! She retracted her microphone and pouted before watching him race over to Mrs. Gwan. A grey window appeared in Jiwon’s face as he was talking as though demanding his attention.

Spell acquired!

Banishment Lv 1.
You summon a black vortex that sucks in 3 enemies of similar rank into an eternal abyss.
MP Cost: 30
Fatigue Cost: 20​

Mrs. Gwan regarded the young man who had helped rescue her husband. Tears welled in her eyes and her face scrunched up with emotion as she listened to him recount her husband’s brave efforts. He always loved his students like his own kids. A young lady approached then, but when she spoke…well…she had been mistaken. She had not been a lady but a very beautiful man. She removed a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her eyes and nose.

“Thank you. I will,” she whimpered.

At Min-Jee’s approach and advice, Mrs. Gwan bowed to the three and sniffed. “I will. Thank you all and thank you for saving my husband!”

One of the EMTs walked over. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but the ambulance is ready to leave ma’am. Please follow us. We will wait for you but only for so long. Please hurry.”

“Y-Yes,” Mrs. Gwan said as she hurriedly sought out her vehicle.

DuckPrince

A gray window expanded in Chin-Mae’s face.

Spell acquired!

Soothing Tune Lv. 1
You play a tune that calms and heals your allies. +3 HP Regen All for 3 turns.
MP Cost: 10
Fatigue Cost: 10​

 

[Phineas Forge]

Name: Ji-Ho Hak
Rank: E
Class: Thief
Location: 10 - Hangyoung High School - entrance
Tag: The Black Knight , SilverFeathers Dextra Twist Megilagor

---

Ji-Ho's closed eyes opened slowly, taking in the classroom. She rolled over onto her back, looking at the doorway. She'd expected that creature to attack, she was sure she had heard it chasing her; now she was looking into the empty hallway. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she knew she should take the opportunity to escape. That was until a message popped up in front of her telling her of how much XP she had been awarded. She had never seen something like this before, but no matter which way she turned, the message stayed in her field of vision. Slowly reaching her finger forward, she tapped the virtual message and it disappeared. Ji-Ho had never heard of such a thing among hunters, but she also wasn't terribly interested or educated on hunter things, so maybe this was just one of those things she wasn't informed on. The message read "End of Battle XP" which Ji-Ho assumed meant the battle was over, the area was safe. Another message popped up, it said Level Up! but then it disappeared and another popped up, then another and another. Ji-Ho didn't understand what was going on, but another message popped up asking her to allocate her stats.

Her mind was still overrun from the adrenaline that had flooded her system moments ago and she couldn't even understand what the stats did or meant. Like a computer, she pushed the little x at the top corner to simply close the message. Stats and hunting were the last things on her mind at this moment and numbers and math were beyond her capabilities at the current moment. She laid back, flat on her back, coming down from her heightened state. Her breathing deepened, as she was no longer on the verge of hyperventilating. Her brain still couldn't grasp what had happened, but she was safe and that was what mattered. Her right hand raised above her face, still covered in the armor she'd donned in hopes of protecting herself. She looked as the hand before her eyes shook with fear as the adrenaline in her bloodstream began to dissipate. Ji-Ho knew she should get up and try to go outside, but her body wouldn't move on its own.

Those eyes, ferocious yellow eyes appeared in Ji-Ho's vision every time she closed her eyes, but her body was so tired she could barely keep them open. Every time her consciousness would fade, those eyes would scare her conscious. She rolled to her side as fear gripped her innards, causing the teenager to vomit on the floor beside her. She heard others in the halls, "He..." she tried to call out. Her voice was scratchy and quiet, her throat and mouth dry despite the vomit still clinging to her lips and chin. "Help!" she called, her voice still not much louder than if you were talking to a friend sitting next to you. Those yellows eyes jumped into her mind once again, spurring a more scared scream than she herself had expected to come from her lips. "Help me!" The echoes ringing in her own ears as she waited for someone.

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

Name: Park Jiwon
Rank: E
Class: Mage
Location: Sector 10 Outside Hanyoung Highschool
Tag: Haze- DuckPrince

---

Jeez, these windows that pop up really try to grab your attention. Almost worse than when you go on to strange and shady websites... almost. Jiwon thought to himself as he got rid of the window while he began to look at the crowd that had formed around the police cordon. Truly a travesty, that's all Jiwon could think about as he looked around the chaotic scene. Mr. Gwan was lucky that he managed to get out alive along with some of his students as Jiwon looked around to look at worried and mourning parents starting to gather outside of the school, hoping to hear word of their children or already fearing the worst. This all could have been prevented... What kind of a sick joke is this that the government and Hunter Association couldn't figure out that a school was in danger? Jiwon thought as he felt his blood starting to boil.

Suddenly, he felt an elbow nudge his ribs and draw him back to the present situation in front of him. Jiwon looked back at Mrs. Gwan and said "Absolutely, I'm sure there's nothing more that Mr. Gwan would love other than the sight of you sitting right beside him with a happy, reassuring smile when he wakes up, Mrs. Gwan." It was then that she thanked the three hunters and bowed to them. One of the EMTs interrupted to let Mrs. Gwan know that they were about to depart. Jiwon watched as Mrs. Gwan began to look around and head off towards her vehicle. At least this story had a happy ending. Though, Jiwon could already imagine the news articles... this tragic day would be presented as a statistics. No names and stories of the dead, only the amount of sheer casualties would be the focus while dozens if not hundreds of families were shattered today.

*thump*

Jiwon felt something small and soft gently smack his right cheek. He turned to see a familiar white face staring back at him from his shoulder. It seemed that Shiro had at some point jumped onto his shoulder and then smacked him to grab his attention... Maybe it knew that Jiwon was getting lost in his thoughts again? Or... it was just like a cat and wanted some random attention? Either way, the little paw swat brought him back to earth. Ahh right, now isn't the time to be overthinking this situation. Not while I can potentially do something to help people. Thanks Shiro. Jiwon thought to himself as he reached over with his left hand to give Shiro a quick head scratch. He then looked back towards the two other hunters to make eye contact and then looked back at the school. "We should start heading back towards the school and find the representative. Thanks for the help, you two. I didn't really know what to say or do with Mrs. Gwan, but I think we did a great job cheering her up." Jiwon took a step back towards the school, and suddenly stopped in his tracks. He pivoted on his rear foot to look back at the two hunters "Ahh, before I forget again. I'm Park, Jiwon. Pleasure to meet you both." Jiwon said as he offered a handshake towards Min-Jee.

 

[Mqueserasera]

Name: Ju Ha-eun
Rank: E
Class: Knight
Location: Sector 22, Portal
Tag: The Black Knight , ERode , Misuteeku

It was something she should’ve seen coming. The bus had rocked her like a cradle, and the pair of salarymen and their commentary of the match last night done her in like a gentle lullaby, carried her into a troubled sleep. When a bump on the road'd awakened her, the sun had not proceeded too drastically on its course, and it was a small blessing. But by the time she’d located herself in the webbing streets of Seocho using her phone’s GPS, another station had been put between her and the Green Wood Park.

She checked the chat with her guildmates, and she checked the distance she would have to cover in short order. She faced the streets. The bus was leaving, some of the people who had poured from the bus with her still lingered in the vicinity, many walked with sure steps full of purpose. There were many such people, shoving, moving, contending in an endless stream of everyday lives. People with enough troubles to deal with without her adding to the equation.

Nevertheless.

Her thumbs flew on the tiny keyboards, I’ll be there right away, don’t leave me behind pls T.T

With a huff and then a sigh, Ha-eun replaced her phone deep and snuggly in her shoulder bag.

A translucent dome glittered in the daylight about her body. As it faded, a deathly weapon materialized in her hand. A black halberd intricately carved, a weapon of beauty, of which Eun-ha couldn’t quite appreciate in her current circumstance. She hugged it close to her frame, with the blade reached slightly above her head, to lessen the frightening image of a batshit-crazy, halberd-wielding girl in broad daylight. Already, people had drawn away from her in terror, a particular fainted-heart woman shrieked. Color rose to the girl’s face.

Geez, it’s not like hunters roaming the streets in period-drama get-up is that rare nowadays.

Activate equipped weapon’s passive effect.

The heads that had turned to her before now wore an even more pronounced terror. And she had gathered the attention of every single person within the area now.

Ugh, why couldn’t you be a handsome white horse or something?

She winced at her summon beast: a strong and terrible black stallion. Rotten flesh repulsive to look at, in many places had revealed white bones; eyes two ghastly pale orbs; and the sound he made that of a dying beast’s last fury. The horse was by definition the stuff of nightmares.

Nevertheless.

Ha-eun rose to the challenge with a grimace and mounted the tower of bulging muscles and malice. She seated easily and securely on the cushioned saddle.

Then they raced to the park. The great stallion parted the currents of people with his threatening appearance. His cry of doom and demise chased away even the bravest of the commuting salarymen, and before long, though too long for her comfort and battered conscience, they reached the promised portal.

With a sigh full of relief, the girl dismounted before leader Bang and her guildmates. Beside her, the stallion tapped his hooves on the ground, snorting loudly in gaily satisfaction for a duty well accomplished.

“Well done, buddy,” Ha-eun stroked the beast’s neck with restrained affection, “but you go now.” And in a brief but brilliant flash, the faceted dome enveloped the beast before quickly faded along with his existence.

With as wide a grin as she could muster, Ha-eun greeted the red-headed man. “E-rank Ju Ha-eun, present! Boy, do you look as deadly handsome as always, leader Bang!”

Poking a glance over his shoulder, Ha-eun paid the Spear people an admiring look. Among them, a proud woman stood out. Though the woman didn’t care to spare Ha-eun a moment of attention now.

“Are we going to cooperate with them today? Phew, I worried for nothing. With the Spear on our side, we are sure to breeze past this one without breaking a sweat. And we have you too, of course, leader Bang! But who goes there? I don’t recognize those faces. New recruit? Hey!” Ha-eun cheerfully waved at the approaching pair.

A boy and a girl, and what a strange pair they were. The boy was the embodiment of the word flamboyant, perhaps a firework of colors as well in personality. Not the kind she would usually associate with on the streets, but someone like him, she estimated, would be easy to get along with. And Ha-eun ha wouldn’t mind a few more to watch her back. The girl though, she realized, looked like she would fit right in with her circle of miserable hunters scrapping for leftover loots. Which, admittedly, was not a very nice thing to say.

“E-rank Ju Ha-eun. Looking forward to working with you two!” and with the energetic greeting, she brought a wide grin, waving at the two with the blade of her halberd.