Dark Curtain Hunt (1)
“Hey, hey! Let’s have a drink and blow it all off!”
A familiar voice offered me a drink from across the table at the Hope House.
It was the voice of Kang Tae-san, my close friend of ten years, whom I had heard for a long time.
“It’s late to say this, but honestly, I felt more sorry for you. That’s right! Why would the world-famous Han Sung-hyun be dragged around by a woman? I never said anything, but every time I saw you like that, I felt so frustrated….”
I accepted the drink my friend offered me without saying anything and gulped it down in one gulp.
A feeling of discomfort that is both familiar and unfamiliar.
But I was suppressing the pain of heartbreak with alcohol, so I didn’t have time to worry about anything else.
-There was a news story that shook the world a while ago, right? It was the breaking news that the leader of a global terrorist group operating all over the world was finally arrested in the United States. Then came the additional news that ‘■■■’ had been sentenced to death. This was an unusually quick sentence…
I drank until I was drunk, listening to the news coming from one side of the store with one ear and the other ear.
Then, I had to be dragged out by my friend who kept apologizing to everyone around me while making a fool of himself by hugging the toilet and crying out for a relationship that had left me…
Well, isn’t that what happens when people live?
That was just something normal that everyone experiences.
‘···After thinking about it carefully, I don’t think that’s the case.’
I really shouldn’t have called.
It was a regret of mine that I didn’t erase the number because I had some lingering attachment to it.
Now that I’ve finally been blocked, it seems like a good problem to have.
‘If that’s his personality, he’ll probably spread the word to those around him. He might even record it.’
My job was as a freelance video editor.
At first, I started this as a hobby when I was in high school, but before I knew it, I had given up on my grades and the college entrance exam and was devoting myself to this.
Fortunately, I had an aptitude for this field and was recognized for it, so I started earning a decent income while I was still in college like other people, so I had no particular complaints.
···Until I gave everything I had to a female broadcaster whom I met through work and started dating, and then suddenly received a notice of breakup.
‘Ahhh… I don’t want to live. I wish the world would just end.’
I let out a deep sigh, curled up in a corner of the house, lying there like slime.
Of course, it was just the usual grumbling.
If the world were to end every time there was a complaint like this, there wouldn’t be a trace of Earth left.
[■■■■■—!]
however.
The world has truly been destroyed.
“······.”
After I opened my eyes, I stared at the ceiling for a long time.
“···What the hell is this dream?”
Then, he started mumbling softly and slowly got up to look around.
A bedroom in a house on the outskirts of Seoul that has become a familiar sight.
I frowned and rubbed my eyebrows.
“Oh, really. Things like this happen.”
It was a dream that felt strangely similar to one I had a while ago.
The fact that the world ends with the destruction of an unknown being is also like that.
But the situation up until the end was clearly significantly different from then.
‘Video editing… I never even thought about that.’
In my previous dream, I was entering college normally and enjoying campus life.
Since it was just a dream, it probably didn’t have much meaning, but I couldn’t help but find it quite interesting.
And the ugly sight he showed after getting dumped by a woman…
“Ahem, ahem! Of course, the last part is really important.”
An unidentified deity appears again in his dreams.
By this point it was certain.
I’m sure I’ll get involved with him one way or another, sometime.
“Tsk, just one cup of Beoncheonhoeju is enough to give me a headache.”
I clicked my tongue lightly and sat quietly in thought, holding a cup of morning coffee.
The dream that was repeated again and again, like last time, felt like it was somehow spurring me to be more active.
‘Now that I think about it, it’s been quite a while since Hoon stayed in Sabacheon.’
Originally, I didn’t plan on staying that long.
At that time, I was only thinking about awakening Ramyu.
Then, I ended up staying there unintentionally and ended up staying longer than expected···.
“Well, that doesn’t mean it was all that bad.”
It was a great gain that Hoon gained the useful ability called chakra, and also gained new possibilities through it.
After all, aren’t all avatars the most precious assets to themselves?
There’s just one problem.
The fact was that the place was now rushing into chaos in real time, with no way of knowing what would happen even an inch ahead.
‘I originally didn’t intend to intervene so actively.’
From the looks of it, a large-scale war was about to break out.
If that happens, Yun Ga, who has been calling himself the guardian of peace, will also be swept here and there and end up like a beacon in the wind.
It’s said to be balanced and neutral, but if you think about it, isn’t it pointless to call it a bat?
‘I owe you a lot, and I can’t just ignore you and leave, knowing full well that I’ll be in trouble.’
In the end, the conclusion was almost as good as already made.
“Ugh, I guess there’s nothing I can do. It ended up like this again.”
In a way, it may have been a predetermined fate from the moment I arrived in Sabacheon following Ramyu.
A full-scale professional swindler… no, there’s no way he, the savior of the world, would just sit back and watch such an evil plot unfold!
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‘Okay, let’s hurry up and sort out the situation quickly. Since Hoon has obtained some information this time, we can use that as a basis···.’
Fortunately, all the problems that had been restricting his actions up to now had been resolved.
The reason Hoon came to Sabahcheon and the culprit that got him tied up there.
Ramyu, who had been in a long sleep, finally woke up.
***
The accommodations moved from the original room that was in disarray due to the battle with Anton.
“You can’t travel to another dimension.”
“······.”
Hoon blinked his bloodshot eyes, a side effect of the magic eye, as he looked at Ramyu’s face, who was hesitating while checking his reaction.
“It seems like something is locked. It’s not like it’s permanently locked, and I think I can unlock it somehow… It’s a bit ambiguous. I think I’ll need some time to find out for sure.”
It was something that came out while exchanging information with Ramyu, who had opened her eyes.
It means that we will have to stay here in Sabah for a while longer.
Of course, it was a relief just to be out of that completely unconscious and defenseless state.
Anyway, this way, there’s no need to worry about problems like him being kidnapped while he’s away.
‘I wasn’t planning on getting out of here any time soon anyway.’
Originally, it took some more time for Ramyu to come to her senses.
However, the stimulation of the link in the oath during the fight with Anton had some effect, and he opened his eyes much earlier than expected.
In the process, it was a bonus that Hoon’s chakra reached the upper layer.
‘Since all the really difficult conditions were already met from the beginning, this kind of growth is not strange.’
The two most important things in chakra practice are understanding the element and having the mental strength to implement it.
These were things he already had more than enough of.
All Hoon lacked was the bare minimum of proficiency in the mystery of chakras.
And the continuous battles against formidable opponents with all sorts of growth corrections added were enough to make up for his lack of skill.
‘It seems like there should be a special realization beyond that.’
For now, this much was enough.
Even when he was a lower class, he was a person who could easily defeat the strong men of the depths.
Now that he has reached the upper level, the chakra output problem that had been holding him back has been solved…
“···The atmosphere has changed a lot. I haven’t been asleep for a long time, have I?”
Ramyu tilted her head, perhaps sensing the aura emanating from Hoon.
Then, as if he had decided that it was okay, he slowly looked around and continued speaking.
“So what are your plans for the future? From what you’ve said, it seems like this place will become a lot more dangerous in the future. Don’t you think we need to come up with some kind of plan?”
“Don’t worry about that. I have something else in mind.”
Hoon shrugged his shoulders and turned his gaze to the window, looking at the Sungcheon Yun family members who were busy cleaning up.
The raid itself didn’t last very long, but the damage they suffered during that time was astronomical.
I heard that not only the main house but also those in other areas were attacked at the same time, so for the time being, they will probably have to lock the main gate and focus only on organizing the inside, not to mention external activities.
‘Besides, we haven’t even tracked down all the spies yet. They seem to be somehow tracking down the perpetrators who made holes in the barrier, but it won’t be easy to pinpoint the traitors in high positions.’
In the world called Sabacheon, Seongcheon Yunga, who was in charge of one of the major axes, began to creak and fall silent.
That gap is exactly what the villain who planned this incident wanted the most.
I didn’t have the whole plan figured out yet, but that didn’t matter.
‘You can go and find out from now on.’
Hoon, who had been squeezing his heavy eyes shut, suddenly got up from his seat.
And as I was about to leave the room with brisk strides, I stopped.
“Oh, I forgot to ask something important.”
“···yes?”
Then, he asked a question while looking at Ramyu, who was blankly staring out the window.
It was about the unique skill that I couldn’t ask about because I lost consciousness as soon as I woke up.
The abilities you originally had may have been temporarily restricted, but you will still be able to use the unique skills granted by the system.
While here, it was necessary to know for sure what kind of ability it was, as it was Ramyu’s only means of self-defense.
“Oh, that?”
Ramyu nodded to his question and answered coolly.
She had no intention of hiding it from anyone else, not even from her guardian, Hoon.
“「Space-time control」. It seems similar to my original ability… but I think I’ll have to try it myself to find out more details.”
***
“Ah! You came out?”
As Hoon left his room and came out into the lobby of the accommodation, he was greeted by Myat, a Myanmar native.
She sat alone in the empty lobby, quietly smoking a cigarette and watching the people busily passing by outside.
“I heard that the child you were carrying woke up. Is Mr. Hoon okay? Mr. Morris still doesn’t seem to be getting out of bed.”
She happened to be at the training ground for night training, so she was able to avoid the commotion at her quarters.
Of course, enemies had also invaded the training grounds, but those who had come there were not enough to cause trouble for her, a practitioner from the upper level.
“I’m fine. Is Mr. Mac Morris’s condition very serious?”
“Well, it’s not that bad. I’m a very strong person. It’s just that I have a little PTSD, so I’ll shake it off after a few days of rest.”
In fact, it would have been normal if it didn’t end like that.
The Chakra of Fear, which reaches deep into the depths, causes severe mental damage to the practitioner of lower rank simply by coming into contact with it.
This was all thanks to Hoon’s quick response at the scene.
“Whew— By the way, you’re really amazing. I knew you grew quickly, but I didn’t think it was to this extent.”
Miyat, who had been spitting out smoke, looked at Hoon with a look of disbelief and burst out laughing.
How can you have already reached the upper level after only being initiated into the chakras?
Isn’t this simply a case of rapid growth?
‘You’re a monster. No, you’re crazy. What kind of life have you been living all this time…’
Even if it was said that chakras were a mystery that was not greatly affected by time as long as the conditions were met, there was a limit to it.
Would anyone believe that it took less than a month to go from beginner to advanced?
It was fortunate that I didn’t get scolded for no reason.
“Haha! Thank you for the compliment. By the way, Mr. Miyart, have you heard the story about Anton?”
Hoon, who had nothing to say about his own rapid growth, changed the subject.
It was a bit awkward to explain that it was a new sub-character that was being raised after already reaching the peak in other fields.
“Huh— Well, that’s true. I didn’t know he would do something like that. He seemed a bit gloomy and twisted, though…”
She smiled bitterly and brushed away the ashes from her cigarette.
Unlike Hoon, who had only recently arrived here, she had known Anton for several years.
It was hard not to feel complicated, seeing such a person locked up in prison with the raiders he had captured this time.
“I see you’re worried.”
“Yes. It’s not like we didn’t know each other at all.”
“But why did you do that?”
A sudden question.
Miyat, who was about to put the cigarette in his mouth again, stopped and slowly turned his head to look at Hoon.
He was looking at her quietly with a faint smile on his lips.
A pair of bloodshot eyes shining bright red as if blood might flow out at any moment.
“Huh? What did I do?”
“Hmm, are you trying to avoid it?”
“No, I have no idea what Mr. Hoon is talking about…”
“I understand how you feel. Even Anton himself doesn’t know why he did it, so it would be nearly impossible for others to find out. ··· But you know?”
Miyat quietly stared into Hoon’s eyes.
He met her gaze and continued speaking with a cheerful tone.
“There is nothing impossible in this world.”
A declaration of confidence.
“······.”
Hwaaaaak—
As soon as those words were spoken, darkness engulfed the entire lobby, swallowing up the small light at the end of the cigarette.
Pitch-black darkness without a single ray of light.
‘Is this the dark chakra?’
Hoon looked around as if he was interested.
It wasn’t just the light that was blocked.
It’s amazing that a barrier of this scale can be created in an instant without any warning.
From the moment he brought it up, it was clear that he had sensed something and had been secretly preparing for it.
[···This is really difficult. I didn’t know that there would be someone who could restore and confirm erased memories.]
At that moment, Miyat’s voice, which shook the entire space, resonated from all directions.
[But you are even more arrogant than that. Knowing that, you came to see me alone.]
“Ahaha— well, if you have the skills, wouldn’t it be confidence rather than arrogance?”
Hoon smiled brightly.
He had already hunted down two deep-level practitioners.
Moreover, he had already caught the upper-level practitioner without any mental disturbance, so there was no reason for him to be unnecessarily nervous now.
Of course, you can’t be completely at ease since you don’t know what unique skills your opponent might have.
[Hahaha, that’s true. Besides, if the fight goes on for too long and people come, I’ll be the only one who suffers.]
“Right? So just be obedient···.”
[Then there is nothing we can do. It is regrettable, but shall we take our leave now?]
Hoon, who was preparing for battle, frowned at those words.
This is inside Yun Ga’s territory.
Even the situation was such that all the boundary disturbances were restored and the border was further strengthened.
But there’s no way that Miyat could escape this Yongdamhohyeol with his skills…
[What Mr. Hoon said earlier? It’s the same for me.]
Her voice flowed into Hoon’s ears as he raised his chakra to the max and kept his guard up against his surroundings.
[There is nothing impossible in this world.]
“for a moment···!”
[Then goodbye.]
Hooooooo—
A storm raged in the darkness.
A whirlwind that sucks in from the outside to the center.
He quickly raised his chakra and pierced through the darkness, but by then the situation had already ended.
“······.”
The lobby of the accommodation returned to its usual appearance as if it had never been enveloped in darkness.
Hoon, standing alone in the middle of it all, looked around with a stern face.
But no matter how much I looked, there was no trace of Miyat left.
“···Did you go?”
He is the only one left here.
The corners of his lips twitched slightly as he confirmed it once more.
“Okay, then···.”
Hoon lightly clapped his hands, rubbed his palms together, and smiled sinisterly.
“Shall we start a real hunt?”
I hope the guide goes up as high as possible.
