RG 124

‘L-class? L-class!?’

Cha Seohu was shocked internally by the rank that appeared in the status window.

The highest rank he had ever reached, even after using a “Combat Power Boost Orb” bought from the item shop, was SS-class. Back then, he had been too overwhelmed to fully process it, but that was the first time he learned such a rank even existed.

But now—L-class?

If the rank structure displayed by the status window followed the same logic as he understood, then L-class was two tiers above S-class.

An SS-class could kill three A-class Hunters within five minutes without using a skill—so what kind of strength did an L-class even have?

“…!”

That’s where Cha Seohu’s thoughts stopped, and his shoulders flinched.

At some point, the floor around him had been swallowed by pitch-black shadows. The corpse that had collapsed in front of him was now being devoured by the darkness. The heavy energy emanating from the vast shadows… He had felt this chilling, powerful aura once before.

“Ah…”

His vision turned red. The scent of blood and acrid gunpowder passed under his nose.

Thump, thump! His heart pounded in sync with distant screams echoing faintly from far away.

A sky dyed crimson by the setting sun. A city in ruins. Fallen Hunters. Ryu Seonghyeon, growing cold in his arms… and the source of all that death.

A man wielding a massive scythe made of shadows. Green eyes peeking through his long hair blowing in the wind. The Great Calamity he had witnessed right before dying overlapped with the presence now standing before him. The hair was shorter, and the build a bit smaller, but the emerald eyes glowing in the darkness hadn’t changed.

With the clicking of heels, Cha Sahyeon slowly closed the distance. With every step he took, Cha Seohu’s face grew paler.

The fear he had barely buried in his memories surged back to the surface. Gasping for breath, he pressed his back tightly against the wall, like trying to flee.

Cha Sahyeon stopped at a close distance and looked down at Cha Seohu. With the moonlight filtering through the stained glass behind him, his face was cast in shadow.

Still in that backlit silhouette, Cha Sahyeon reached out his hand. Drenched in cold sweat, Cha Seohu noticed the hand above his head and reacted instinctively.

Smack! Cha Seohu harshly slapped away Cha Sahyeon’s approaching hand.

It was a reflexive act driven by overwhelming fear. Right now, all Cha Seohu could see were those green eyes staring at him from the darkness.

Cha Sahyeon stared silently at the hand that had been rejected. After blinking a few times, he slowly knelt down.

Now eye-level with Cha Seohu, Cha Sahyeon reached out again. This time, from a lower position, his movement slower than before—and Cha Seohu couldn’t bring himself to push it away.

“I get why you’re like this.” The cautious hand wiped the bloodstain from Cha Seohu’s cheek. “But we have to go. If we stay any longer, your information might leak.”

Information. Even with that short explanation, Cha Seohu immediately understood what he meant. His head was still spinning with fear and confusion, but now wasn’t the time to sit around in a daze. Reminded that they were in the heart of a danger zone, Cha Seohu forced himself to speak. “Who…?”

“No idea,” Cha Sahyeon replied curtly as a black shadow shot up behind him. The round form quickly took shape. Four black birds emerged, flapping their wings as they awaited their master’s command. Without taking his eyes off Cha Seohu, Cha Sahyeon spoke. “Three of you scan the surroundings. One of you, go secure the extraction point.”

The four birds flew off in different directions. Watching one pierce through a building and vanish, Cha Seohu swallowed hard.

Cha Sahyeon was using the skill with fluidity and confidence. Was that related to the “Synchronization” he’d seen in the status window earlier?

“If the shadows bring back confirmation, we’ll know for sure—but I think it’s probably a spider. Brother, did the Spider tell you my location?”

“That… how did you…”

“Because the only ones who’d watch the office and follow us all the way here are them,” Cha Sahyeon replied flatly, lifting his head to glance east. “Let’s go.”

“What?”

“We need to get out. The ones outside the building have started moving. They’ll be in here soon.”

Judging by their coordinated movements, it was obvious they had a goal. Cha Sahyeon was certain that goal was Cover’s identity.

Everyone who had seen Cover’s uncovered face had been eliminated. There was no need to increase that number.

Cha Sahyeon grabbed Cha Seohu’s arm and pulled him along. He felt Cha Seohu’s trembling body through his palm but activated the skill without hesitation.

The black shadow rising from the ground instantly swallowed the two of them.

As Cha Seohu sank into the shadow while held in Cha Sahyeon’s arms, a new status window appeared before him.

Ding!

《Main Quest: Reunite with the antagonist—Succeed!》

***

On the rooftop of an abandoned building not far from the church, a pitch-black shadow swelled upward from the ground.

The shadow split open, revealing two figures within. As Cha Sahyeon and Cha Seohu safely escaped from the church, a bird cried loudly as it flew overhead.

Caaaw!

Cha Sahyeon stood and walked toward the rooftop railing. Morning seemed to be approaching, and under the gradually brightening blue sky, the church landscape stretched below.

Caw, caw! Caaw!

The other three birds that had dispersed earlier circled the area, letting out their cries.

After analyzing the information the birds had gathered and observing the Hunters entering the church, Cha Sahyeon returned to Cha Seohu. “There are five Awakened who infiltrated the church. As expected, they’re all wearing masks.”

“…”

“They must’ve been sent to check what happened to you after you entered the church alone. I thought you traded your information for the church’s location, but I guess not?”

Bathed in the soft morning sunlight, Cha Sahyeon let out a faint smile.

Seeing that smile, Cha Seohu frowned deeply, his expression tense. A bead of sweat trickled down from his temple.

“Why… are you asking that?”

Now, standing face-to-face in the daylight after escaping the dark church, Cha Sahyeon’s face looked so much like it had when he was younger. Though his cheeks had thinned and he’d grown much taller—making him feel unfamiliar—the slightly curly black hair and the long, narrow eyes were unchanged.

There would be countless other similarities if one searched. After all, the boy Cha Seohu came to save and the man before him were the same person. But to him, all he could see were those unwavering green eyes staring directly at him.

“What do you want from me?”

“Want from you?”

“Why did you…” Cha Seohu trailed off before he could finish.

From the moment Cha Sahyeon had appeared until now, not a single one of his actions had made any sense.

‘Why did he save me from the A-class Hunter? Why didn’t he kill me on the spot, and instead brought me here?’

There was no child Cha Seohu needed to protect anymore. He knew all too well just how cruel this being, once called the Great Calamity, could become.

“…”

“…”

Cha Seohu remained silent, while Cha Sahyeon stood still with an unreadable expression. The morning breeze swept past the two of them.

After watching Cha Seohu for a long moment, Cha Sahyeon knelt down again like before. Then he asked in a genuinely curious tone, “Am I not pretty?”

“…What?”

The question, completely out of place for the situation, made Cha Seohu question his hearing. But Cha Sahyeon asked again, looking directly at him, “Am I not pretty?”

“What… are you even saying…”

“I killed the Director who was threatening you.” Cha Seohu’s heart dropped. He clenched his fists to hide his trembling fingers. Cha Sahyeon continued, “Even if she hadn’t threatened you, I would’ve had to kill her anyway. She knew your face.”

“…”

“I didn’t interfere when you were fighting. I waited on purpose, in case you’d be shocked to see me. I only stepped in when your skill suddenly deactivated and you were in danger. If that hadn’t happened, I would’ve kept waiting.” Cha Sahyeon fluttered his long eyelashes and tilted his head slightly to one side. “Didn’t I do well? Why won’t you praise me?”

“…”

“Are you not happy to see me?”

That last question struck right through his chest.

Cha Sahyeon’s expression as he asked whether Cha Seohu was glad to see him seemed genuinely hurt, and Cha Seohu couldn’t bring himself to answer right away.

Coo, coo. Creak.

Even the birds that had been flying through the air landed beside Cha Seohu, brushing their bodies against him. Their cries were subtly different from when they were acting under Cha Sahyeon’s command, and the way they bounced around and lightly bumped their round heads against his arm felt almost affectionate.

Now surrounded by Cha Sahyeon and the birds, Cha Seohu was utterly flustered. Only then did he truly register Cha Sahyeon’s presence—not just the green eyes, but the person himself.

“Praise me, Brother.”

“…”

“Please?” Cha Sahyeon gently closed his eyes.

Faced with such an unguarded gesture, Cha Seohu bit down on his lip. After a long hesitation, he slowly raised his hand. His trembling fingers came to rest on Cha Sahyeon’s head. As he gently stroked his hair, the soft strands shifted under his hand.

It was a sensation he’d felt many times when patting that kid’s head.