Chapter 90

The vertically long rift slowly began to crumple, pressed by the wall.

"Ah."

Thud.

Soram put his hands on his waist.

"Hey, quiet."

"Got it."

Delicate control was still Tae-un's weakness. He misjudged the force, and the rift was struck down, making a small ringing sound. After that, Tae-un pressed the rift with a slightly more focused face.

The length of the black crack gradually decreased. Soram, standing in front of the rift, took in the situation as meticulously as possible with his eyes.

Originally, this technique of Soram's did not have very good durability, to the point of shattering the moment force was applied. So until now, it had only been used as a one-time wide-area technique when a large number of mutants swarmed in.

However, with the addition of Tae-un's power supporting it, it functioned like a wall in this way. Last time at the dam, when pushing the water away, it was doubtful, but this could definitely become a technique.

"Ugh..."

Soon, force entered Soram's eyes. The rift, which had been attacked quietly, was now only about 50cm left. The imaginary blue wall accelerated stamina consumption the longer the maintenance time.

Creak, creak, creak, creak.

As the height was crushed by more than half, the rift moved more violently, as if knocking on the ceiling inside a closed room. The white glow flowed out more and pressed the rift strongly. The rift, pushed by the force, gradually lowered from Soram's chest height to his waist, to his thighs.

Bam!

Finally, the black crack completely disappeared. The lump of blue mist supporting the bottom collided with the other wall that had come down from above and shattered. The white glow was riding on the scattering blue mist. Tae-un, who had descended from the air, landed next to Soram.

"This way, it's waves on a clear day."

Soram said, feeling the faintly remaining traces with his hand. Soon, only darkness without anything remained in that spot.

Soram, who had bent his waist to confirm that the rift had completely disappeared, firmly grasped his thighs with both hands.

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"Han Tae-un, come here for a bit."

Tae-un approached Soram closely. Soram grabbed his arm. And holding his arm as if it were a rope, he barely straightened his waist.

"I'm... dying... I think I overdid it with an unfamiliar technique."

"Are you okay? Can you move your arms and legs?"

"What do you take me for? It's not that bad. Did we fight here for hours?"

His hands and feet moved weakly. Tae-un let out a sigh of relief.

"When you said you overdid it, it reminded me of when the Bukhansan dungeon ended."

"Of course it's not as bad as then. Since you mentioned it, Han Tae-un ssi, you should also remember this. You've had the experience of using your ability recklessly and getting a headache, right? Stop there. If you draw out more, your body will be consumed as a price."

Right after the destruction of the Bukhansan dungeon, Soram couldn't take a single step and had to be carried out by Tae-un, and afterward, he had no choice but to lie in the hospital for several days.

The reason he handed over the in-ear to Tae-un when leaving the scene was also because of that. Soram had said that his tongue might soon stiffen, and by the time he was loaded into the ambulance after chattering for a while, he really couldn't speak.

"At that time, there are quite a few cases where sensory organs become paralyzed, not just limbs, like me. Eyes or ears can go blind, or the tongue can stiffen. So be really careful."

"I don't think it's the time for you to tell me to be careful in your situation. Get on my back."

"It's fine. I can walk."

However, Tae-un didn't let go of Soram.

"Being carried like a princess isn't bad either. I think I can hold on even if you struggle now."

"...I think Chief-nim was right earlier. You got influenced by something strange in Seoul."

After a few words, Soram eventually got on Tae-un's back. In fact, it was true that he had lost all his strength.

Tae-un moved his steps towards the place they had come from. Soram, who had been leaning limply on his wide back, raised his head.

"Ah. Speaking of using abilities excessively, it reminded me that the culprit that stabbed you with a knife suddenly stiffened all over in the interrogation room."

"They said they couldn't figure out that person's special ability in the end, right?"

"They said the grade would be no different from a strong ordinary person, so the special ability would be minimal. And seeing that she awakened around the date her son died, it doesn't seem like the origin of her awakening will be clear either."

The hypothesis of 'the ability to predict rifts' was disproven after seeing her collapse in the interrogation room.

The research lab said it was a symptom that appeared from using the ability excessively. The culprit had attacked Soram, and the force that made her collapse would have been exerted then. If the power was precognition, it didn't match the situation.

In the end, the headquarters had no choice but to hand the culprit, who kept her mouth shut, back to the police without any results.

Tae-un's lips hardened as he recalled the incident at the time. Hunters stand at the forefront of rifts and dungeons to protect the citizens behind their backs. However, among the citizens, there are also people who try to stab the hunters in the back. Tae-un crossed the hill, being careful not to shake Soram on his back.

"I'll reheat the food for you when we go up. Eat a lot and sleep deeply until late."

"Yeah, and I want to drink a little alcohol. ‘Grandpa put in effort.’"

"Okay. A little should be fine."

With the exhausted Soram on his back, he couldn't help but keep thinking of the Bukhansan dungeon. However, the difference was that this time, there was no reason for Soram to overdo it.

"You know it would have been much easier for you to go and ram that forklift over there or get the swords from the car."

"I'm strong, so everything is easy no matter what I do."

Soram swiftly blocked Tae-un, who was trying to express gratitude.

A hero who pretends to be selfish and bluntly refuses formal words, gratitude, or rewards. Paradoxically, that was the most selfless person.

In the past, if he had learned about this aspect, his admiration might have grown even more. But now, Tae-un wished Soram would be at least half as selfish as what he said.

On the other hand, the truly selfish one was himself. He fell for the hero, but as soon as he monopolized a part of him, he now wished for him not to be a hero.

But the person on his back was someone who would stand in front of a rift first, even while complaining that it was bothersome.

"Soram-ah."

"Why?"

"You asked me before, if I save you and die, what would be the reason, right?"

"...Yeah."

"I think I know now. It's not like telling you to save the world or something."

Step. The sound of walking on the roughly cut country road continued.

"Whether I calculated it or not, my body moved. Because I can't bear to see you die."

"..."

"Even if something like that happens, don't think about it at all."

The sleeve of the loosely worn short-sleeved T-shirt brushed against his elbow. The streetlight cast a long shadow. The shadow reached the cowshed that it couldn't approach closely earlier, boldly crossed the fence, and peeked at the sleeping cow. Soram looked down at the dim ground with empty eyes.

"You're really a bad guy."

"Why again?"

He was indeed a very bad guy, even to the point of not knowing anything. Soram let out a sigh and answered.

"Just a bad guy."

* * *

"Jin Soram!"

"Yes."

"Is that guy in his right mind or not!"

"Seems like he's not."

On the day of Chuseok, Soram's face, summoned to the director's office, was swollen. More than half of the reason for his puffy cheeks was due to a hangover, but it also contained dissatisfaction that the one who called him was not the director of the Field Operations Bureau, his superior, but the director of the Reconnaissance Bureau.

"What kind of liquor did you drink so much!"

"It's liquor that Han Tae-un's 96-year-old relative personally dug up wild mountain roots and infused 20 years ago."

"..."

That... shouldn't be described as 'what kind of liquor'.

The director of the Reconnaissance Bureau glared at Soram with an expression of throbbing pain. Director Park Jae-seon of the Field Operations Bureau leaves that guy alone, who acts like a rough stone, but the director of the Reconnaissance Bureau was always displeased with Soram, who caused all sorts of accidents and ran wild instead of setting an example as a hunter representing the headquarters.

"Destroying rifts and dungeons is the job of the Field Operations Bureau, and recording the occurred rifts and coming up with countermeasures is the job of the Reconnaissance Bureau. If you're not going to follow that, why are you in the organization? That's not freedom, it's recklessness."

"..."

Occasionally, there are cases where a rift is arbitrarily eliminated under the judgment of a hunter from the Field Operations Bureau. Even so, in most cases, the location is immediately reported to the Reconnaissance Bureau, and the Reconnaissance Bureau can grasp the scale through nearby CCTVs and other means. However, in this case, no traces were left at all.

The reprimand from the director of the Reconnaissance Bureau was not wrong, but Soram stood there with an indifferent face. That action was classified as a mistake by the headquarters' standards, but Soram would do the same if he went back again.

Soram's treatment of people inside the line and people outside the line was clearly different to anyone's eyes. And the director of the Reconnaissance Bureau was someone he had no particular reason to be polite to.

At that moment, someone opened the door to the Reconnaissance Bureau director's office and entered.

"Soram-ah."

"Ah, Director-nim. What brings you to the headquarters on a holiday?"

The director, who was wearing casual clothes instead of a suit, perhaps having come from home, let out a hollow laugh.

"I heard that my child caused trouble and was called to the faculty office, so I came."

"Oh my, I see. Even someone like Director-nim can fail at raising a child. Indeed, human affairs are unpredictable."

Director Park Jae-seon silently pulled Soram's cheek. For reference, he was married but had no children.

He spoke to the director of the Reconnaissance Bureau while stretching Soram's cheek.

"Let's stop here. I'll take him since he needs to hear the report."

"We should be the ones hearing the report!"

"Regarding the rift, check the report that Chief  Han Tae-un will submit. It will be much better organized than Soram's explanation."

"Oh, is that so? If he caused trouble with Han Tae-un, it must have been quite an incident."

"Jin Soram. I'm taking you to scold you directly, so restrain yourself."

"...Yes."

When the director lowered his voice, Soram also erased his playful demeanor. The director of the Reconnaissance Bureau had no choice but to let them go after seeing that atmosphere.

Director Park Jae-seon passed through the corridor and entered the Field Operations Bureau director's office on the same floor. Soram followed him in and quietly closed the door.

"Are you going to scold me?"

"Forget it. Why would I on a holiday? I think I know why you did it, so just pretend to be gloomy when you leave."

"I'm good at that."

Soram smiled brightly with the opposite expression from when he was in front of the director of the Reconnaissance Bureau. He scurried over and sat in front of the director.

"Director-nim. I have something to ask you."

"If you caused any more trouble, tell me everything now and go. I might not be able to take calls later."

"Where are you going?"

"I think I'll go down to the basement to look into something."

"Aha."

"So, what do you want to ask?"

"Were there any precursors to the 1st and 2nd Great Rifts?"

"..."

The director's eyes widened. The perplexed look that he would never show in front of the hunters under his command was quickly withdrawn, but the surprise did not subside immediately.

He stared at Soram. The child who sharply judged and caught him off guard once in a while, even though he constantly did absurd things. His appearance waiting for an answer was the same as when he said untimely things, but he remained still.

The director finally opened his mouth.

"It was a nationwide rift occurrence. Previously, the criteria were places or cities with large populations, but at that time, high-grade rifts burst open even in places where rifts were unlikely to occur, as if 'this country' as a whole had become the target."