S Chapter 22

…Let the kids go. Then I’ll do everything you say. I promise there will be no resistance whatsoever.

The masked man pondered. My heart pounded. I had even considered charging in if he refused. But fortunately, a confrontation didn’t happen. Unexpectedly, the hostage exchange proceeded smoothly. Perhaps it’s because having too many hostages makes them harder to manage.

‘Thank goodness.’ Shin Jukyeong subtly let out a sigh of relief.

“Hey, Shin—!” Shin Jukyeong gave Jae-min a look, signaling him to be quiet as he was about to shout.

“Get in!” “Ugh!”

I was dragged away, my wrists bound, and then thrown. Fortunately, we were still inside the amusement park. Shin Jukyeong looked around, then stealthily moved, heading to the furthest corner to untie his bound wrists first. There were still too many eyes watching to attempt anything. Somehow, I needed an opportunity…

Just as I was racking my brain, a familiar sensation enveloped my entire body.

‘…Huh?’ Shin Jukyeong’s eyes widened. Directly beneath me, it was slumbering. The Ancient Artifact, Eve.

‘What a stroke of luck…’ Shin Jukyeong unconsciously smiled at the unexpected gain. I didn’t know if it would work, but I had no choice but to try. Would our contract still be valid even after returning through time? Would you respond to me? Had you not forgotten me? I didn’t know. It was a gamble.

‘Eve.’ Shin Jukyeong called to it.

‘Wake up. Open your eyes. Come to me.’

An irresistible command. And the trembling earth.

Shin Jukyeong had risked his life to save Yang U-dam. After seeing that, many thoughts filled my mind. Honestly, he looked different to me. I wanted to know if I had misunderstood him, if he truly considered us family. I was curious. I wanted to give Shin Jukyeong a chance.

…No, more precisely, I wanted to observe him. I thought that would help clear up my complicated feelings to some extent.

However, like the superstition that a person who does something uncharacteristic will die, everything suddenly felt like my fault.

“Heeugh… Hyung-ah…!”

“It’s okay. It’ll be fine. Don’t cry. Boys don’t cry.”

He said it as if he was okay, but he was just as anxious.

‘Shin Jukyeong, you idiot…! What are you going to do if you, with your weak body, become a hostage instead?’ Anxiety surged.

‘What if something goes wrong with him? What if he dies instead of Eun and me… No, don’t think useless thoughts!’ Jae-min shook his head violently. For now, let’s wait until the police and Hunters arrive. We shouldn’t lose faith. No unlucky words. Right now, I had to protect Eun first. Jae-min swallowed, trying his best to maintain his composure.

But he failed.

Crash— Bang!

“…!”

Because a huge roar came from where the hostages had been taken. The ground shook wildly from side to side, as if there was an earthquake. Something serious was happening. Something had to be going on.

‘Just stay alive…!’

As soon as he prayed, a strong wind blew, hazy with dust, deafening his ears. People staggered violently. Jae-min also hunched over, clutching Eun. Whoosh—! It was so fierce it could easily be mistaken for a natural disaster.

‘Damn it, what the hell is going on…!’

Before the wind cleared and he could gather his wits, someone’s startled shout was heard.

“Look! What is that?!”

Jae-min’s gaze naturally followed. There, entirely black…

‘A person?’

Yes. There was a person. On top of the building where the hostages had been taken, the vague form gradually became clearer. The murmurings grew louder from all directions. Opinions were sharply divided on whether it was a Hunter or a criminal.

There was a good reason for that. The person who appeared was completely black. A black hood over a black hat, black shoes, black gloves. Flawless. And when they lifted their head, the face revealed was static, static! It looked like broken graphics or a malfunctioning TV screen.

‘What… is that?’ It was a bizarre sight. I couldn’t tell if it was male or female, or even human. But one thing was clear: it was certainly not the attire of an ideal hero.

“Hey, was there ever a Hunter like that…?” A female student next to Jae-min muttered, terrified. Her friends shook their heads. I don’t know. I don’t think so. It was all negation.

Just when everyone was worried if that person was also part of a terrorist group, they moved. They slowly lifted a leg, then instantly vanished. It was a movement that couldn’t be defined by the word ‘fast’.

Leaving only a blurry afterimage, they cleanly subdued the foolish terrorists. The scene was tidied up so easily that the citizens were left with question marks.

“No way… really…?” Someone muttered in disbelief. This quickly?

“Wow…” That was the beginning.

“Woooooow!”

“Crazy! Amazing! Amazing!”

“Hey, take a picture! Hurry and take one!”

Explosive excitement erupted. Countless people corrected their perception of him. An unknown, completely black figure? An unconventional hero? Nonsense! He was a perfect hero who ignited the hearts of the people.

‘Ah… from there, two lines would be perfect.’ Shin Jukyeong clicked his tongue, watching the busy people, feeling a pang of regret. Habits are truly terrifying. My body itched to clean up the scene.

“Jukyeong!” A voice broke through my thoughts. It was an odd voice, as if half child and half old man. It was even a little spooky. Shin Jukyeong looked down at the chaotic crowd and replied.

‘Yes, Eve.’ The owner of the voice was Eve. Shin Jukyeong’s partner.

What was truly amazing was that Eve seemed unaffected by the time regression. Was it because it was an Ancient Artifact, free from such constraints, or because Eve transcended space and time itself? I didn’t know the reason, but for Shin Jukyeong, it was a grateful situation that didn’t require further questioning.

“Do you like the outfit? Nobody can see Jukyeong’s face. Eve is interfering.”

‘Yes, thank you.’

The clothes Shin Jukyeong was currently wearing, no, the black form that enveloped him, was Eve. It could freely transform, allowing it to be used in this way. Moreover, it had cast an illusion to prevent anyone from recognizing his face. The static visual was simply Eve’s preference and a prank.

‘It’s time to go.’ People were moving to rescue the hostages. Shin Jukyeong saw Jae-min among them. He needed to quickly return to his original position. Just as he took a step with that thought, something sharp flew in from a distance. Of course, Eve automatically deflected it.

‘I knew this would happen.’ An arrow with an icy tip. Shin Jukyeong frowned. To attack so abruptly despite being late. This is why the Association guys get told to cut their salaries.

“Take off your Mask immediately and surrender obediently!” Are you an idiot…? Where is the Mask? Clearly, these were mere fledglings, perhaps 1-2 years into their careers. Shin Jukyeong pressed his forehead, looking at the swarming Hunters. Please, just let me go, you damn seniors.

‘I don’t want to fight.’ But they weren’t the type to say, ‘Oh, go ahead’ if I asked, ‘Excuse me, please let me pass,’ so what was I to do? It’s good that they’re diligently doing their duty… but I also have my own circumstances.

Hmm. Shin Jukyeong, deep in thought, made a decision.

‘No choice. I’ll just casually shake them off and escape.’ Tricking fledglings was easier than eating a bowl of cold porridge. I’m leaving, so you guys can play among yourselves. After an internal farewell, I leisurely tried to get away, but an attack of a different caliber than before flew in. …I nearly lost my kneecap.

“Where are you rushing off to?” Ah… this bastard. Shin Jukyeong’s eyebrows twitched. A grinning face. It seemed familiar, and then I realized it was him. The one currently ranked 2nd in personal rankings… hmm, let me rephrase. The one currently ranked 2nd in personal rankings…!

‘Who was it?’ I didn’t know. Just ‘whatchamacallit’ for now. I forgot his name. Anyway, this guy, in the future, gets caught having two families, sued by his spouse for hundreds of millions in alimony. He even got kicked out in the ugliest way during the generational change.

But no matter what, he was still Rank 2. I couldn’t fight him carelessly. Provoking the Hunter Association’s second-in-command meant turning the entire Hunter Association into an enemy.

Ha… what a headache. Can’t you just let me go?

“You must know that an Unregistered Hunter using abilities is a serious crime. Look! If you come along quietly, I won’t do anything rough. I promise. After a simple investigation and official registration, you won’t be charged. What do you say, isn’t that a bad offer?!”

‘What do you mean, old man? Official registration. That’s the problem. The moment my identity is revealed, it’s over.’

‘It’ll take a bit of time… but it’s not like I can’t shake him off entirely. Let’s resolve this quickly and go.’ This was the choice made to avoid a fight as much as possible. But then, from somewhere, a crash! was heard.

“Kyaaak!” A scream also erupted. Shin Jukyeong and Whatchamacallit’s (Rank 2) heads turned simultaneously. The situation was quickly assessed. The surrounding structures had collapsed due to various impacts!

‘The kids…!’ Just then, Jae-min was visible. And the collapsing building descending as if to cover him.