TS 008

Four hours earlier…

Han Suryeon stared out the rearview mirror with boredom. The scenery outside moved as slowly as the car itself crawled along the road.

This was his second time setting foot on Korean soil, but he felt nothing special about it. He simply wasn’t someone who got sentimental over such things.

‘It’s been a while.’

He had grown up hearing stories about Korea now and then, yet they never held any particular interest or significance for him. Since he couldn’t even feel attached to Russia, where he was born and raised, there was no reason for him to have any emotional connection to his father’s homeland. However, he did find the country intriguing in several ways.

“How do you like Korea so far?”

Suryeon’s gaze shifted from the rearview mirror when he heard a voice coming from the passenger seat. The woman with freckles and curly hair, who looked younger than her actual age, asked while putting on her glasses:

“Why speak Korean?”

Instead of sharing his thoughts, Han Suryeon slowly returned the question. Despite asking why another language was being used, his Korean was impeccable.

“Well, we’re in Korea now. Since we’ll be collaborating with the Center for some time, I figured it’d be good practice to start speaking Korean.”

“Practice…”

Han Suryeon’s pronunciation was smooth, slowly rolling as if imitating the woman’s pronunciation.

The woman sitting in the passenger seat was Han Suryeon’s Korean language teacher. Considering that she was only five or six years older than him, their relationship was closer to being friends than a teacher and student.

She preferred her Korean name, Kim Hye-na, over her Russian name and was of Korean descent, born between a Russian guild member and a Korean guild member. Having known each other since he was four years old, they had been acquainted for over twenty years now.

Of course, her affiliation with Voron wasn’t simply due to their friendship. Voron was one of the top elite teams in Russia, and each guild member pulled their weight. Kim Hye-na was no exception.

『Four…』

Han Suryeon checked the rearview mirror again as he muttered under his breath. He decided not to worry about the cars tailing them but counted four distinctive vehicles following close behind. It made sense that strangers would track their movements after he publicly announced their arrival date and time.

“There’s a dungeon nearby.” Kim Hye-na glanced at her tablet and turned it toward Han Suryeon to show him. Once a dungeon spawned, its location quickly spread through social media, making it hard to miss.

Han Suryeon briefly checked out the dungeon on the screen before facing forward again. His tone was friendly as he spoke from between full lips.

“Should we take care of that first?”

“In the dungeon?” Kim Hye-na asked without much surprise while pinpointing the exact location. She knew well how their leader preferred to operate. Instead of trying to dissuade him from entering another country’s dungeon right after landing in Korea, Hye-na logically agreed with Suryeon’s plan.

“Well, that would certainly be more convenient. We just arrived back in Korea, and it’s not like we can show up at the Center with all these things hanging off us… Plus, I don’t want to make headlines abroad for causing trouble even before reaching our destination.”

Assassins were likely tailing them, so sneaking past unnoticed was out of the question. Kim Hye-na casually asked another question while inputting the dungeon coordinates she had verified earlier into the navigation system.

“Oh, by the way, leader, you realize we still don’t know what rank this dungeon is, right?”

Without any appraisal equipment on hand, they wouldn’t be able to determine its level upon arrival.

“Yes.” His delayed response coincided with her roughly turning the steering wheel. The car, which had been leisurely cruising along, suddenly accelerated down the road.

The sound of honking filled their ears as cars behind and beside them accelerated rapidly. Despite her aggressive driving, Kim Hye-na calmly tied up her long hair with practiced ease. She then turned around to grab the gun and knife carelessly thrown on the back seat.

“It should be fine if it’s an A-rank monster since our leader can handle those solo, but what will you do if it’s an S rank? We don’t even have a guide here. Wait, why did we leave the Center?”

Despite being a researcher, her movements were efficient without any unnecessary gestures.

“If it’s an S rank…” Han Suryeon paused briefly, choosing his words carefully. His response was leisurely despite the urgency of the situation. “I’ll just toss it as bait for other monsters.”

His slightly curved eyes betrayed no hint of humor. They were close enough that blood should have splattered on him, but instead, cold droplets fell harmlessly to the ground as if blocked by an invisible barrier. The futile movement resembled something out of a horror movie.

『Kkeughh, kkeugh, kkeu…』

The humans, their throats clogged with blood, choked out sounds eerily similar to the monstrous creatures they were fleeing from. Han Suryeon frowned, gazing down at the gaping wound on the man’s neck, blood gushing out with each ragged breath. He absolutely hated blood.

Crack!

With a flick of his finger, there was a clean snap as bones broke and the head twisted unnaturally.

『It seems to be over now…』

Standing amidst the blood-soaked scene, Han Suryeon casually scanned his surroundings. A few had chased after Kim Hye-na, but he wasn’t concerned about them. After all, most of the ability users and demihumans were already incapacitated here.

『Tsk.』

He clicked his tongue at the corpses littering the ground beneath him before slowly turning around and strolling away. The kills had been effortless enough that no guidance was necessary from his companion.

Han Suryeon leisurely moved through the dungeon both to locate Kim Hye-na and explore the area. Since he was already in Korea, it wouldn’t hurt to investigate this E-rank dungeon’s origins.

“Well, my true purpose is something else entirely.”

As he was kicking stones along his path like a child playing with their feet…

“…..”

His playful kicks stopped abruptly as he sensed a presence behind him. Sure enough, when he turned around, it was one of those late arrivals chasing after him. With bodies littering his path, he must have been driven insane by now.

『You crazy bastard!』

Han Suryeon decided to stand still rather than run away. He had heard the insult ‘crazy bastard’ so many times that it no longer affected him. In fact, it occurred to him that perhaps the ones pursuing him were even crazier. It seemed like a pointless thought at this point.

Click.

Thanks to not running away, the distance between him and the approaching man quickly decreased. The sound of the safety being turned off echoed as the gun barrel was aimed at his head. Han Suryeon stood motionlessly, staring at the gun pointed towards him and the Russian holding it.

Why isn’t he doing anything?

It didn’t seem like he was a demihuman, but this would be the right moment for an Esper or Shooter to use their ability. It was strange. There wasn’t anyone stupid enough to confront someone with just a single gun.

‘Could it be…?’

Han Suryeon searched through his fading memories. Was he here? I didn’t expect to meet him outside the Center.

『What are you doing? Shoot.』

Or maybe he is just foolish.

When he generously suggested shooting, the man flinched. However, Han Suryeon merely blinked without moving a finger. Despite the possibility that his opponent might have hidden cards up his sleeve, he displayed an unruffled attitude.

It didn’t matter what kind of supernatural ability or hidden card his opponent possessed. If he wished, he could compel him to shoot himself in the head with his own gun. Moreover, he knew dozens of ways to kill someone without using any special abilities.

『Since you’re going to shoot me anyway, why hesitate?』

He had given him ample opportunity, even playing along to some extent, but he was wasting time for no apparent reason. His eyes widened out of genuine curiosity as the man started ranting hysterically.

『Do you find this situation amusing? Huh? Is it all easy because you grew up privileged and have these powers?』

Han Suryeon attentively listened to the man’s tirade. If his intention was simply to kill him, why not just pull the trigger instead of talking so much?

‘Should I just kill him?’ His eyes narrowed slightly as he briefly debated his next move.

Bang!

A dull sound echoed as a bullet pierced through the man’s arm.

『Ahhhhh! Damn it!』

Han Suryeon turned towards the direction where his opponent was pointing his gun. A man clad in a black Esper uniform strode forward, firing relentlessly. As soon as he acknowledged his presence, his fingers instinctively twitched. Despite this subtle movement, his gray eyes remained unwavering, like they were frozen in place.

Bang! Bang!

Each shot fired without hesitation hit its mark precisely.

『Kuegh…!』 

The man collapsed to the ground after consecutive bullets struck his knees. It was time to focus on their enemy, but Han Suryeon couldn’t tear his gaze away from the man with black hair. There was no doubt about it – it was Yoon Taehwa.

“State your affiliation.” The man who trampled over the fallen figure without hesitation asked in Korean.

Han Suryeon watched him intently. He couldn’t hear the curses of the dying man due to his soft voice being drowned out by the newcomer’s question.

‘Finally.’

The moment his blurry form started becoming distinct was accompanied by an eerie sensation that gave him goosebumps. His fingertips began tingling with anticipation.

Bang!

As Yoon Taehwa blew away the head of the fallen man, Han Suryeon exhaled sharply and moved instinctively, paying no heed to the cold metallic object pressed against his chest. His arms, about to wrap around his waist, consciously halted as he realized it wasn’t quite time yet.

“…..”

Instead, Han Suryeon took a short breath and rested his forehead against Yoon Taehwa’s shoulder. With his keen hearing, he easily picked up on his heartbeat. It was so calm that it seemed impossible for him to have killed someone just seconds ago.

It proved harder than expected to maintain composure. Han Suryeon tightened his hand into a fist, momentarily suspended in mid-air. Yoon Taehwa couldn’t detect this movement due to its position outside his field of vision.

He took a deep, calming breath and only turned his head slightly to look up at the man who had given him his shoulder.

“What are you doing…?”

His sharp features now held a hint of disbelief. As he gazed upon his cold, chiseled face like ice crystals, Han Suryeon chuckled softly.

“So, this is how it feels when meeting a prince riding a white horse.”

A crow never misses what it desires.