Gate Break cleared!
🎉 CLEAR COMPLETE! 🎉
Total EXP Gained: +7,544
I nearly popped my eyes out at the sheer amount of EXP I'd just acquired.
So that's why this bastard was so desperate to hunt goblins.
Seeing it firsthand was dizzying. And only I could see the EXP quantified in status window form.
"All of them... dead."
"...!"
My eyes met Han Biyeol's. I felt the grip on my collar loosen.
Stalemate.
The situation wasn't ideal.
A sigh brushed against the arm clutching my collar.
Details later... deal with this first.
I dismissed the status window with a glance. Handy feature.
Anyway.
I stared at Han Biyeol through the gap in the window. His face was a bloody mess, half-smashed.
I'm the one who's gonna bleed out and die, so why do you look like you're on death's door?
…My head...
Anemia had my head spinning like a top. Separate from the level-up, fatigue lingered, slowing recovery.
Exhausting. Even with my arch-nemesis right in front of me, no rage boiled up. Come to think of it, less than half a day had passed since regression. What a dense, chaotic two hours.
If hyung were here, he'd drag me straight to the hospital, no question.
Maybe from the caked fatigue. When I opened my mouth, even I was shocked by the icy edge in my voice.
"Mind letting go now?"
Han Biyeol's pale blue lips twitched.
"What the hell are you...?"
Right then, a shout arrowed into his profile.
"Hey, you!"
Choi Kangshik uncle. Charging over with his golf club, eyes blazing.
"Let go of him! Talk it out!"
Uncle Choi yanked me free with his brute strength. Han Biyeol released me—let me slip—with pathetic ease.
"You okay, kid?"
"I'm fine... me."
"Long as you're good, that's what matters."
Guts and loyalty both S-grade.
"Excuse me."
"...."
I muttered offhand, and Han Biyeol's eyes snapped wide open.
Like a bully getting shut down by the class outcast.
Either way, the vibe was off for any pointless scuffle with Han Biyeol. Since I stayed quiet, Uncle Choi didn't push it either.
Yeah, just play it cool for now.
In a bit...
"Hold on."
An unexpected voice cut in.
Gija-ryeong.
She addressed Han Biyeol in a cool tone.
"I didn't just imagine that, right?"
"...What?"
"You just grabbed this guy by the collar and threatened him. Pretty clear intimidation scenario. Care to explain?"
Han Biyeol let out a hollow chuckle, then twisted his lips.
"Do I owe you an explanation?"
"Nope. But here's your options. I'm a reporter. Gija-ryeong from HTN. Want my card?"
"Re... porter...?"
Only then did Han Biyeol's gaze drop. It locked on her hand and wavered.
"...Lemme see that."
"Trying to snatch a reporter's camera?"
Han Biyeol forced down his trembling voice.
"That's a clear violation of portrait rights. I'm with R&Y. Before the guild steps in—"
Good talk while you can.
I caught him mouthing it. Murder flag right there.
No good.
Even with blood not rushing to my head, I scraped together a plan.
"Hold on."
I slung an arm around Uncle Choi's neck, blocking Gija-ryeong's path.
With us in the way, Han Biyeol flinched preemptively. More precisely, he was eyeing me.
"...."
"...."
A staring contest.
I flicked my gaze from Han Biyeol to Gija-ryeong.
"I know it's nosy, but hand it over. Please."
"...What's that mean."
You're in my debt for your life.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
What the hell's he thinking.
Gija-ryeong stared at the man, lips twitching. Anyone would bristle at being told to cough up a mana stone SD card.
Offers it himself, then...
Her expression shifted.
Mana stone SD cards could link up to two if the owner's ID matched.
In short, cloud system—one storage for the data. Provided the IDs matched.
Which meant.
Hand the SD over to that blonde hunter, and the photos stay in the database.
Gija-ryeong's eyes drifted to Seo Wonseok's pocket.
She hated jumping to conclusions as a reporter, but the pieces fit too perfectly. Plus, this guy already knew she was a reporter.
Calculated approach from the start...
Just a hypothesis.
But her reporter instincts screamed it was all flowing his way.
Far from annoyed at being played, she felt amused. A collaborator who was moderately weaker than a good guy? Ideal.
SD card? Hurt to lose it price-wise, but long-term investment.
"Got it."
Gija-ryeong pulled out the SD card smoothly. Han Biyeol snatched it like he'd been waiting, then said the galling part.
"I'll return it after checking with guild execs."
"If you're wiping it, give me a heads-up first. Gotta take out a loan for a new one."
"Should... that happen, R&Y will compensate appropriately."
Gija-ryeong nodded curtly and turned away.
Han Biyeol didn't bother stopping her.
Ring ring!
Phone bells erupted everywhere, belatedly. Signal was back. Seo Wonseok's pocket vibrated furiously, but he lacked the strength to check.
Seo Wonseok let out a ragged sigh, inwardly relieved.
No ordinary guy. Made her think it was just one card, naturally.
One snag: that glance when handing it over. The look lingered in his mind.
Seo Wonseok didn't know.
About SD card linking.
No interest in reporters' gear, never owned one.
If Gija-ryeong had warned him, maybe.
But she'd handed it over of her own will.
Even if mistaken.
One worry down, anyway.
Han Biyeol's eyes bulged.
"Planted a reporter to bury me?"
That instant, an ominous presence loomed overhead. Crushing pressure sliced the night sky, landing with a thud.
Debris flew on the shockwave. Amid the dust, fierce eyes gleamed.
"Signal cut out completely..."
A hunter.
"Gate Break blocks signals, makes sense."
"...!!"
Worlds apart from this blonde thug.
"Told you to take a cab."
The hunter's mouth smiled, eyes cold. Those icy eyes glared at Han Biyeol gripping his curved sword.
"How am I supposed to read this situation?"
"S-sunbae-nim."
Korea's undisputed strongest hunter.
Seo Boseok replied in a withered tone.
"Han Biyeol Hunter, right? But were we ever seniors and juniors? Pretty sure we just crossed paths a couple times."
"Th-that's not—"
"Besties, apparently."
I blurted it out.
"Wh-when did I?!"
Lie, huh.
"We're besties, Han Hunter?"
"I never said that!"
"...."
Hyung shot me a grumpy look.
Han Biyeol kept denying.
Uncle Choi caught on late to hyung's identity.
Meanwhile, Gija-ryeong eyed me oddly.
Like, this is... for real? Why...?
....
The whole scene blurred into haze.
The vertigo I'd fought off finally numbed my brain.
Relief from Korea's top hunter arriving? Surface thoughts faded, mind sinking deep.
"...?! Hey, Seo Wonseok!"
I felt hyung's panicked gaze.
Wanted to reply, but I couldn't hold on.
Dizzy.
Even the grudge slipped away briefly.
"Dream..."
Hope not.
I blinked a few times, then closed my eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
When I opened my eyes, acrid medicine scent hit me first.
Hospital.
Emergency ward, specifically.
In my haze, I lost all track of time. Nurses just swapped IVs when due.
Anyone else, maybe not.
But me.
At least me, I could empathize with the staff.
I lay awake through the night, steeped in that familiar med smell and the screams of other patients.
Wallet.
A shabby wallet sat on the bedside table. Hyung's. ER was off-limits to outsiders.
Handed it over in case of an emergency call...
Hyung's style—probably waiting standby.
Haa.
"Gotta get up soon—"
Vision spun a full circle.
Side effect of the blessing ability?
Worth the risk for such a cheat power. Dizziness as drawback? Not bad. Pop aspirin and done.
Wrong.
The doctor adjusted his glasses.
"Anemia."
"Ane... mia...?"
"Yes. Simply put, you're short on blood."
Too simplified from the jargon.
Not wrong, broadly speaking.
Wait, no—
Did I have anemia?
...No, never.
Never sensed it once.
"Hate to say it, but severe anemia of all things... Other conditions, fine, but anemia's a pain."
Instantly.
A pale green aura beaded on the doctor's white coat. Pupils glowed with that auspicious light.
Awakening ability.
Scanning my condition, yet my mouth felt parched. Healers appeared, I dropped out of school.
"Yep, anemia. Blood won't heal with healing skills, but no other trauma, so you're good to discharge. If symptoms persist..."
The doctor added a bit more and left. Alone, I gathered my thoughts—or tried.
Get outta here first.
I grabbed the wallet, slid off the bed. A nurse came, removed the IV needle.
"Thanks."
Stumbling out of the ER.
Sure enough.
"...Seo Wonseok...!"
Exclamation marks shivered above hyung's head.
Same for me.
Because.
Red thread.
A red thread extended from my index finger...
Connecting to Hunter Seo Boseok.
Why didn't I think of that?
Yesterday with hyung, I wasn't all there.
Post-regression blackout drunk. At Hangju Bridge, anemia had me delirious.
Bloodline.
Common phrase, but seeing it hit different.
Hyung and I—blood related.
Eternal Blessing binding us was natural. Too dark under the lamp to notice!
At the same time, I realized my anemia's cause.
The red thread's woven from my blood.
So much draining out. Miracle I hadn't gone into shock.