But that feeling of excitement was quickly cut short the moment the ferry slowed and bumped gently against the dock at Gongbaek Island. The engine's hum faded into the sound of waves crashing against stone, and an uneasy silence spread across the deck.
Hunters began stepping off one by one. Some rolled their shoulders as if trying to shake off tension, while others hesitated at the ramp, staring out at the island with pale faces. A few whispered prayers under their breath. Others laughed too loudly, pretending they weren't nervous.
The island itself felt like it struggled to stay.
The air was heavy, thick with mana, like breathing in mist mixed with electricity. Even the seagulls were gone. Only the wind moved, brushing past broken rocks and bent trees that looked as if they had been scorched long ago.
Since no vehicles had come with them, the group had to walk.
Boots crunched against gravel as they headed toward the far side of the island. What should have been a simple three-minute walk felt much longer. Every step closer made the pressure in the air grow stronger.
Some hunters slowed down, hands clutching their weapons. One of the D-ranks stumbled and had to grab onto a teammate's arm to keep from falling.
"Is it just me… or is it getting harder to breathe?" someone muttered.
By the time the Rift came into view, several hunters were already sweating.
It stood there like a wound in space itself—an enormous tear of swirling violet and black light. Mana poured out of it in violent waves, bending the grass and kicking dust into the air. The sound it made was low and constant, like something growling from deep underground.
A few hunters dropped to one knee the moment they felt its presence.
Some barely managed to stay standing, teeth clenched, legs shaking. Their faces were tight with fear and pain. Even the A-rank hunters looked serious now, eyes narrowed as they studied the Rift.
Meanwhile, Seung-hoo and Seo-yeon stood near the back of the group.
Seung-hoo slipped his hands into his pockets and stared at the Rift as if it were nothing more than a strange doorway. Seo-yeon adjusted her gloves calmly, her expression focused but steady. The pressure that crushed others didn't seem to touch them.
Byung-chul walked to the front, clearing his throat loudly.
"All right," he said, trying to sound confident. "You all know the formation."
His eyes swept over the group. "We enter in teams. No heroics. No wandering off.
Hunters began lining up automatically.
"C-ranks first. Then D-ranks. A-ranks will follow."
The C-rank group moved forward together, shoulders tense. The closer they got, the louder the Rift's hum became. One of them swallowed hard before stepping into the swirling light, his body disappearing as if swallowed by fog. One by one, the rest followed.
Next came the D-ranks. They clutched their weapons tighter, exchanging nervous glances. A few took deep breaths before stepping in, like soldiers walking into a storm.
The A-ranks stood straighter, masks of confidence on their faces, but even they could not hide the seriousness in their eyes.
Seung-hoo watched quietly as group after group vanished into the Rift's glow, the wind tugging at his jacket and the mana in the air pressing against his skin like an invisible tide.
Then he entered, nonchalantly, like he had experienced this hundreds of times, Byung-chul looked at him in distain, then entered after him, planning something.
Inside the Rift, was a forest described in a fantasy novel, the thick mana now disappeared, replaced with cold air brushing against the leaves of trees
Then Seung-hoo stepped forward.
Unlike the others, he didn't hesitate. He didn't tighten his grip on his weapon or take a deep breath. He simply walked into the Rift as if he were entering an elevator he used every day. His body was swallowed by the swirling light, and the glow wrapped around him for a split second before he vanished.
From behind, Byung-chul watched him with narrowed eyes.
A look of clear disdain crossed his face. He clicked his tongue quietly, fists clenching at his sides. To him, Seung-hoo looked careless—too calm, too relaxed for someone who should be terrified.
"Tch… idiot," Byung-chul muttered under his breath.
A moment later, he stepped into the Rift as well, his expression hard, thoughts hidden behind a forced scowl. Whatever was going through his mind, it was clear he wasn't just entering to supervise anymore.
The world shifted.
For an instant, Seung-hoo felt weightless, as if his body were being stretched thin through a narrow space. Then his boots touched solid ground.
Cold air brushed against his face.
The oppressive mana outside was gone, replaced by a quiet, chilling breeze that carried the scent of damp soil and pine. Towering trees surrounded him on all sides, their trunks thick and twisted, roots crawling across the forest floor like sleeping snakes. Pale light filtered through the canopy above, painting everything in soft shades of green and silver.
It looked like something straight out of a fantasy novel.
Leaves rustled gently, and somewhere in the distance, water trickled like a small stream. The forest felt alive—but not in a comforting way. It was too still, as if it were holding its breath.
Hunters began appearing around him one by one as they exited the Rift.
Some looked around in awe.
"Woah…"
"Is this really inside a Rift?"
"This looks… peaceful."
Others shivered the moment they arrived, hugging their arms as the cold seeped through their armor. A D-rank hunter coughed lightly, breath fogging in front of his face.
Seo-yeon appeared a few steps away from Seung-hoo. She adjusted her jacket and glanced around cautiously. "So this is the inside…" she murmured.
Byung-chul emerged moments later.
His boots hit the ground with a heavy thud. He scanned the forest with sharp eyes, then immediately turned his glare toward Seung-hoo's back. Seung-hoo stood there calmly, observing the trees as if he were sightseeing.
Byung-chul clenched his jaw.
"So you think this is some kind of walk in the park?" he snapped.
Seung-hoo glanced over his shoulder. "I didn't say that."
"Hmph." Byung-chul looked away. "Don't get careless. Places like this are the most dangerous."
Around them, the other hunters gathered into small groups, forming loose formations. Weapons were drawn. Mana began to glow faintly around a few A-ranks as they activated their skills.
The forest seemed to react.
Branches creaked softly. Shadows shifted between the trees. The wind whispered through the leaves, carrying a faint sound that almost resembled breathing.
Seung-hoo felt it then—a subtle pressure beneath the calm surface. Not overwhelming, but deep, ancient, and watching.
He lifted his gaze toward the darker part of the forest ahead, where the trees grew closer together and light barely reached the ground.
The cold air brushed past his cheek again, and the silence stretched just a little too long.
Then the forest changed.
The trees that had stood quietly only moments ago began to tremble. A low, wet cracking sound echoed through the woods, like wood being torn apart from the inside. From the tangled roots beneath the trunks, thick black tentacles slowly pushed out of the soil, writhing and twisting as if they had been waiting for this moment.
One by one, the tree stumps split open.
What had once looked like harmless bark peeled back to reveal enormous mouths, lined with jagged teeth as sharp as daggers. Sap dripped down like dark saliva, and a deep growling sound rumbled from within their hollow bodies.
The hunters froze.
"…T-trees?"
"They were pretending to be part of the forest!…"
Panic spread through the lower-ranked hunters almost instantly. Some stumbled backward, nearly tripping over roots as the tentacles slammed into the ground with heavy thuds.
Byung-chul reacted first.
"C-ranks! D-ranks! Fall back—now!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Get out of the combat zone!"
The weaker hunters didn't need to be told twice. They turned and ran, boots kicking up dirt as they fled deeper toward the safer edge of the Rift. A few glanced back in terror, watching the trees slowly crawl forward, roots dragging like massive legs.
Meanwhile, the A-ranks stepped forward.
Weapons were drawn—swords glowing faintly with mana, bows tightening, shields raised. Their faces hardened as they formed a rough line between the monsters and the retreating hunters.
"Don't let them pass!" one of them yelled.
"Target the roots!" another called out.
Through all of this, Seung-hoo stood still.
He hadn't drawn a weapon. He hadn't even shifted his stance. His hands were in his pockets, eyes calmly watching the forest as if he were observing strange animals in a zoo.
Byung-chul noticed immediately.
His eyes widened in fury. "You!" he barked. "What are you doing just standing there?! Move!"
Seung-hoo didn't answer.
Tentacles slammed into the ground only a few meters away, sending dirt and leaves flying. The sound alone made several hunters flinch, but Seung-hoo didn't even blink.
Seo-yeon stood beside him, already channeling mana into her hands. A faint glow wrapped around her arms as she took a step forward, placing herself slightly in front of him without realizing it.
"He's fine," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than anyone else.
Byung-chul clenched his fists. "Are you deaf? Get out of the way before you get killed!"
Seung-hoo finally turned his head toward him. His expression wasn't scared. It wasn't angry either. It was strangely blank, like he was trying to understand why everyone was shouting.
Behind them, one of the tree monsters let out a distorted roar, its wooden mouth stretching wide. Several tentacles whipped through the air, snapping branches like twigs.
The ground trembled.
Hunters shouted commands. Mana flared. The cold forest air filled with tension so thick it felt like it could snap at any moment.
And still, Seung-hoo stood there, calm in the middle of the storm, while Seo-yeon tightened her grip and the first of the monsters began to surge forward.