RG 53

I roughly shoved the card from Spider’s Web into my pocket and opened the front door. Whatever the case, meeting Eun Woojeong would have to wait until nighttime, when I could use my hidden skill. For now, piercing Cha Sahyeon’s ears took precedence.

“Hey, kid.”

I sat Cha Sahyeon on the sofa and knelt in front of him. As I opened the case containing the earrings, I said, “To wear these, you’ll need your ears pierced. It’ll sting and hurt. Are you sure you’re okay with that? If not, we can switch to a necklace or ring instead.”

“I’m okay.”

Despite the warning about the pain, Cha Sahyeon’s answer didn’t change. No helping it then.

“You win.”

Why was he so eager to wear earrings? Maybe they looked cool to him? At his age, it made sense to be interested in such things.

After cleaning the needle thoroughly, I applied some disinfectant. Although Cha Sahyeon was an Awakened and I could immediately use a healing skill, I preferred to be cautious since he was still a child.

“Close your eyes.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t move even if it hurts. You have to bear it.”

When I brought the sharp needle to his earlobe, Cha Sahyeon obediently squeezed his eyes shut. Honestly, this was kind of cute.

I looked at Cha Sahyeon’s soft earlobe, entrusted to me so trustingly. Was I doing this right? I had never pierced my own ears, so I wasn’t sure about the proper steps.

Believing it would be less shocking and painful to pierce it in one go, I steadied my hand and swiftly pierced through the earlobe. Confirming the needle had exited the other side, I quickly pulled it out and inserted one side of the earring.

I could use the healing skill after piercing both ears, but I used it immediately to prevent prolonged pain in the first pierced earlobe.

《Skill: Divine Power (Class S) activated!》

White light flowed from my fingertips, instantly healing the earlobe, which had turned red and seemed ready to bleed.

“Hm?”

Surprisingly, there were no white wings or awe-inducing status windows this time.

‘Why is that? Because the healing range is small?’

Maybe healing just an earlobe didn’t trigger those effects. Using a minimal amount of divine power might have prevented it.

This was an unexpected discovery. I had worried I would have to deal with those ridiculous effects every time I used divine power, but it seemed using less of it solved the problem.

After successfully attaching the earring to the other ear, I set the needle down on the table and asked Cha Sahyeon, “How does it feel? Does it feel strange?”

Cha Sahyeon slowly opened his eyes and gingerly touched the earring. Then he nodded slowly.

“It’ll be uncomfortable for a while. But since you’ve got them now, try to bear with it. Does it hurt?”

“No.”

Despite my warning about the discomfort, Cha Sahyeon seemed more interested in the gemstone on the earrings, fidgeting with it. The satisfaction of wearing something he liked seemed to outweigh any discomfort.

‘Well, it does suit him.’

With that face, what wouldn’t?

The beautiful sapphire in the earring perfectly complemented his large, round green eyes, making it hard not to stare.

“I’ll keep the case for you, so let me know if you ever want to put the earrings away.”

I pretended to store the case while discreetly removing a chip hidden at the bottom. The tiny, thin chip was smaller than a pinky nail. I inserted it into my phone, which automatically installed an app and opened a map.

The map indicated our current location, with a blinking red dot representing Cha Sahyeon’s position.

The tracking device in the earrings worked perfectly. At least now I had a minimal safety measure in case I lost track of Cha Sahyeon.

‘I hope I never have to use this…’

I sighed quietly and turned off the phone screen.

***

“I’ll be back soon.”

After having dinner with Cha Sahyeon, I started getting ready to meet Eun Woojeong. As much as I wanted to take my time, I needed the information Eun Woojeong had brought. Using my hidden skill, I changed my appearance and covered my face with a mask. The denim jacket I usually wore had been shredded in the last rift fight, so I wore a black bomber jacket instead.

“It’s a bit far, but I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I checked Cha Sahyeon’s ear again while explaining my absence to him. He was much stronger than me, so there was a chance the healing skill wouldn’t hold and the wound could get infected. “You’ll be okay waiting here, right?”

Fortunately, his ear looked fine. I gently brushed the earring-adorned earlobe and asked. His eyes, which had been glaring at me with annoyance, softened. “Okay…”

“If I’m late, don’t wait up. Just go to bed.”

After one last reminder, I pulled my hat low over my face, opened the window, and lightly jumped out onto the street below.

***

Zone B-37 was near Cheonma Mountain, now a dark neighborhood avoided by ordinary people.

Years ago, a rift had suddenly opened in the sky over Cheonma Mountain. The monsters that poured out weren’t completely dealt with, and the area remained infested. Regular folks had moved elsewhere, leaving only criminals and desperate Hunters. Occasionally, monsters still attacked people here.

It was similar to, yet different from, C-281, the district where I grew up. C-281 was practically a separate country, governed by its own rules and laws set by the ruling hunters. It was a closed-off area with strong Hunters, while B-37 was merely a place with extremely poor public safety.

Both were equally dangerous, making it impossible for a taxi to take me to B-37. After getting off in the nearest neighborhood, I walked the rest of the way.

‘Maybe I should get a bike.’

For now, I managed without trouble, but more people would start recognizing me from the second rift video. A miniaturization item would solve parking issues, and it would be handy for trips like this.

With my range of activities expanding, it was a serious consideration. If Eun Woojeong kept calling me to places like this, having a personal vehicle would be better.

Entering B-37, I was greeted by dark buildings and filthy streets. The desolate area looked post-apocalyptic, with broken roads and no sign of life. Any momentary lapse in vigilance could attract stray Hunters or criminals.

I drew my sword from the inventory and headed toward the building mentioned on the card. Although I occasionally felt eyes on me from alleys or buildings, no one dared approach, deterred by my visible weapon.

The “target building” was a dilapidated five-story commercial building. The half-torn name of what seemed to be a former restaurant was still visible on the ground-floor windows. Next to it was a small entrance with stairs leading up.

‘Third floor, right.’

Without an elevator in this old, narrow building, I climbed the stairs.

Upon reaching the third floor, I pushed open the glass door and entered a dim room with just a single sofa in the center.

Sensing only Eun Woojeong’s presence, I cautiously stepped inside.

Someone was lying on the sofa. It was Eun Woojeong, just as I suspected. Covered head to toe in a mask, clothes, and gloves, he remained motionless. His steady, peaceful breathing was the only sound my S-class hearing could pick up.

‘Is he really asleep?’

I let out a dry laugh, half in disbelief.

Of course, he could be pretending to sleep, masking his true intentions behind that façade. Regardless, for someone trying to hide their identity, this was hardly the most inconspicuous behavior.

Or was he testing me, to see if I would try to remove his mask while he was “asleep”?

‘What a lunatic.’

Whatever the reason, it was equally irritating. Clicking my tongue, I kicked the leg of the sofa.

Bang!

“Wake up.”

Finally, Eun Woojeong groggily sat up, his voice slightly hoarse, “…A bit rough, don’t you think?”

“Is that something you say when you’ve called someone over and then fallen asleep?”

“I’ve been waiting here all day, a bit of courtesy wouldn’t hurt.”

Was he really asleep? His sluggish movements and the way he rubbed his face suggested so.

“You didn’t touch my mask, did you?”

“I don’t care about your identity.”

Already knowing what lay beneath, there was no need for curiosity. My disinterested reply seemed to puzzle him.

“No interest in my identity?”

“None. Just give me the information you’ve gathered.”

I had wasted two hours just getting here. I had no time for idle chatter.