TS 004

The man who exited the van immediately headed toward the gate. The Esper guarding the restricted area quickly stepped aside to let him pass. Yoon Taehwa nodded his thanks and entered the site. One of the first actions taken by the Center upon opening a gate was establishing control over the surrounding area.

“Team Leader, we’ve arrived.”

“It looks like someone got here before us.”

“Huu… No matter how fast we respond, social media always beats us to it.”

Of course, despite their best efforts, they weren’t always successful at containing information leaks. Yoon Taehwa accepted the tablet handed to him by a member of the Dungeon Surveillance Team. On its screen, footage from nearby surveillance cameras showed individuals entering the dungeon one after another.

“What’s the rank of this dungeon?”

“It’s E-rank, sir.”

“They sure figured it out quickly…”

Yoon Taehwa had started working as an Esper when he was fifteen years old. Over the past sixteen years, he’d encountered all sorts of people while on duty. Among them were reckless individuals who dared to enter dungeons without permission.

While large private guilds weren’t established in Korea due to the strong influence of both the government and the unity of the Center, smaller guilds did exist. In reality, it wasn’t feasible for the association to manage every single dungeon across the country, so they outsourced minor tasks to these small guilds.

However, the existence of guilds authorized by the government also meant there were rogue ones that ignored orders from the Center and raided dungeons at will. They did this in pursuit of rare minerals and other valuable materials found within. It was an illegal act that put their lives at risk.

“But they don’t seem to be from our country. I tried to identify them but couldn’t find anything online.”

“You’re right.”

Upon closer inspection, their bulletproof vests and weapons appeared Russian-made.

‘It’s possible that news of Liliya’s arrival leaked.’

They certainly looked like they were here solely to kill her.

“There’s no record of them entering Korea either.”

“If it was an E-rank dungeon, it would’ve been cleared within hours anyway……” His dark eyes turned toward the gate. Since he had no idea who entered before him, Yoon Taehwa figured his only objective should be retrieving the two people in the photo.

“I’ll be back out in thirty minutes.”

This job seemed incredibly easy.

“Wow, it feels like forever since I last stepped foot inside this trash can.”

Kim Dohee yawned and stretched lazily. Thud. A rock dislodged by his walker rolled away somewhere.

“The lab has been quite interested in this place lately.”

“Oh really? No wonder I recognized some faces earlier. But why do they call it the trash bin?”

Espers often referred to E-rank dungeons as such. Rare minerals found in higher-level dungeons were out of the question, but unregistered ability users or demihumans—illegal hunters—sometimes raided them for valuables. This was possible because these unique dungeons, named ‘Empty’ for their lack of monsters, didn’t have any other creatures guarding the area.

‘It’s that much easier to deal with the bodies, too. No evidence left when they vanish.’

That was why Taehwa had said earlier that he suspected they knew what they were doing when entering this dungeon. Although it wasn’t clear what brought the Russian hunters here, Taehwa could hazard a guess as to why they chose an E-rank dungeon.

“Well, maybe because dungeons have only appeared over the last few years?”

“Hmm. Come to think of it, weren’t the first E-rank dungeons discovered in Korea? No wonder researchers are so fired up about them. But seriously, where do these things come from?”

The origin of dungeons remained unclear. While research continued on the subject, clearing existing dungeons took precedence over theoretical inquiries. Naturally, studies focused primarily on the danger levels and rankings of dungeons, the uses for gems found exclusively within them, and developing weapons against monstrous creatures.

“We just need to focus on our job.” Yoon Taehwa calmly loaded his gun as if he were doing something trivial. Although there was no monster present, bloodshed seemed inevitable.

“All we have to do is take care of everyone except those two from earlier?” Kim Dohee twirled his gun around his finger as he asked.

“Most likely.”

“What kind of answer is that? I’ve never heard you speak vaguely like this before, Team Leader.”

“Handle it however you see fit.” Yoon Taehwa slightly wrinkled his nose. Since most team leaders, including Kim Dohee, had previously worked under him, they often picked up on his minor habits, which could be annoying at times.

“Are the people we are picking up… the Black?”

Information about Liliya was classified. Director Shin had instructed them to operate covertly instead of officially collaborating with Russia, so Yoon Taehwa gave a vague explanation involving espionage activities abroad.

He couldn’t give him a straightforward answer, so he vaguely mentioned something about Black agents being involved in espionage abroad to deflect suspicion. Since it was possible that the Russians trailing them were their colleagues, his ambiguous response raised more questions than answers.

“I haven’t heard any details either. Guess you’ll find out if they come after us.”

“That’s reassuring.”

The two continued walking through the empty dungeon while exchanging idle banter. Kim Dohee did most of the talking, and Yoon Taehwa occasionally responded with curt remarks.

Despite appearing casual, both hunters maintained a steady pace until they stopped abruptly at the strong scent of blood. As they rounded a bend obscured by a large rock formation, they encountered numerous corpses strewn across the area. Yet, neither seemed fazed by this gruesome sight.

“Wow. Looks like they’ve already been taken care of. Must be those guys we saw earlier on camera. Not sure though; all foreigners look alike to me.”

Yoon Taehwa half-heartedly listened to Kim Dohee as he nudged one of the corpses with his foot. Judging by their attire and weapons, these were indeed the Russians from the footage. Although there was a possibility that they could have been his colleagues, he hadn’t considered it likely, but seeing them now confirmed his suspicions. Liliya’s group had undoubtedly dealt with them.

At the fork in the path, Yoon Taehwa gestured toward the left road with a nod.

“You check over there. I’ll take this side. Be cautious since one of them is a civilian.”

“Yes, sir.”

Suddenly, he thought about the possibility of Liliya attacking him. She might recognize the uniform of the Center since she had come to Korea but they hadn’t been formally introduced yet and there was no contract between them, so it was uncertain how things would go.

“It is troublesome.”

This situation would make others fearful but Yoon Taehwa just muttered lazily. His lazy voice sounded like he wasn’t thinking at all about the possibility of danger. They walked while deliberately showing their presence when suddenly, a man far away was shouting loudly while pointing his gun at someone. His eyes moved towards where the muzzle was pointed and saw a tall man standing still. He looked like a fool who couldn’t comprehend the situation.

Yoon Taehwa aimed at the man holding the gun instead of hastily running towards him. Stopping to measure the distance would be a waste of time. He maintained a steady stride and fired without hesitation.

Bang!

The bullet pierced the man’s arm amidst the acrid smell of smoke. These bullets were developed specifically for killing Ability Users, regardless of their constitution.

“влин!” The man spat out curses as if he had just discovered his uninvited guest. His gun swiveled towards Taehwa, but the problem was that Taehwa had already opened fire.

Bang! Bang!

A precise shot targeting the thigh caused the man to collapse on one knee. Aiming for the femur ensured it shattered completely.

‘Since he still retains human form, he can’t be a demihuman. Is he an Esper?’

Unfazed, Yoon Taehwa approached the fallen figure.

Whack!

As blood began to seep from the walker, it kicked away the gun held by the man’s hand. With ease, the walker dropped the weapon and aimed its own gun at the fallen man while pressing its left foot on his chest.

“Affiliation.”

The response was more curses.

Yoon Taehwa let out a short sigh as if he expected this, then pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Blood mixed with brain matter splattered everywhere. Even for an Esper, resurrection would be impossible with their head completely crushed. The smoking barrel of the gun showed no hesitation as it turned towards another figure standing silently nearby.

“…..”

It was hard to pinpoint when the second man had moved, but one thing was certain: they were now close enough to embrace each other. Yoon Taehwa pressed the gun against the man’s chest and held his breath quietly. He recognized the individual from photographs but couldn’t afford to step back hastily.

As the man’s arms wrapped swiftly in his black coat moved slowly, Yoon Taehwa’s eyes followed the motion until something gently touched his shoulder.

“Ha.”

Yoon Taehwa chuckled briefly and looked down to see that the stranger he had never met before was resting his forehead on Taehwa’s shoulder. Was this the researcher? He recalled seeing a photo of someone sitting in the driver’s seat, but it seemed unlikely for Sonju Pakhan himself to have been driving.

‘Besides, if he were an S-rank Esper, he would’ve torn me apart before I could point my gun at him.’

The sight of such a tall man, seemingly over 190 centimeters, leaning like a child against Taehwa felt unusual, but it made sense if he was indeed the researcher. Fear affects everyone equally, after all.

‘What should I do?’

He had no experience dealing with adult men acting like this, let alone children. As he pondered how to handle him, the man slightly raised his head from where it rested on his shoulder.

Their eyes met naturally as he was already looking down at his ash-colored hair. His gray irises were rare in Korea.

“What are you doing…?”

As he squinted under his relentless gaze, his clear gray eyes suddenly softened into a smile. The corners of his elongated eyes curved gently, revealing teardrops beneath his long eyelashes.

“So, this is what it feels like to meet a prince riding a white horse.”

Smooth Korean flowed effortlessly from between his seemingly painted lips. He was an insane bastard.