Chapter 156

The person who had barged in went behind Soram and pulled him into their arms. Soram voluntarily tilted his neck to the side, making room. A cold magic stone touched that spot, and Soram's uncontrollable ability suddenly stopped.

The arena instantly became quiet. As the blue mist slowly cleared, the surrounding area was revealed to be completely devastated.

After confirming that the mist had almost disappeared, Park Jae-seon removed the magic stone. At his gesture, the ice walls shattered with a jjeong sound, and Tae-un, realizing the sparring was over, walked over with an awkward gait.

"You both did well."

Park Jae-seon vigorously ruffled Soram's hair twice as much, on behalf of Tae-un who was far away. It quickly became a lion's mane.

"They'll ask for the video, so go up to the office and check it slowly while resting. Soram, focus more on control, and Tae-un, let's analyze a bit more. How to best use your ability."

"Yes."

"Go on up now. You worked hard."

As if it were now an established final greeting, he patted both Tae-un and Soram's backs with his hands.

Returning to the office and sitting across from each other at their desks, both looked tired. But the causes were opposite. One had desperately used his ability, while the other had tried to suppress it somehow.

'Are they really both 1st-grades...'

He couldn't help but think this.

Soram, who had shown an overwhelming difference in power, sat with his chin propped up, looking dazed. This was how Soram usually looked in the office. Once, when asked what he was thinking about, he said he wasn't thinking about anything. When asked if he was sleeping with his eyes open, he said no, he was just staying still. Soram's routine was to kill time like this, participate moderately when dispatches and training came in, and return to the dormitory when it was time.

In the drowsy, silent office, Tae-un refreshed his email inbox several times. Not long after, the training video of the two arrived.

150903 Central Arena Training Record

Subjects ―

(1) Jin Soram (18 years old)

Grade: 1st-grade

Special Ability: Movement of objects or substances without contact (Classification―Psychokinesis)

(2) Han Tae-un (17 years old)

Grade: 1st-grade

Special Ability: Removal of force fields (Temporary)

The temporary name given to his ability by the headquarters was 'force field removal ability'.

He could float his body by partially erasing the gravity beneath his feet. He could increase his attack power by reducing air resistance touching his sword. How much it applied to other hunters' powers or rifts was still in the experimental stage.

The research lab said it was an ability with many elements to be transformed. They said a hunter's power is made of wind, so there are almost no cases where it can be precisely defined as 'the power to do XX'. Therefore, it was up to him to figure out how to utilize and handle this power in combat.

Tae-un played the received video. On the screen, Soram and himself were standing face to face. As soon as the match signal started, an overwhelming amount of blue mist poured from Soram's side, engulfing Tae-un. Tae-un drew his sword to block it, but he looked like Don Quixote charging at a windmill. He sat up straight to suppress his fatigue and concentrate.

Tak.

Just then, the laptop closed. In place of the screen was a white back of a hand.

"Why?"

"Don't. What more are you going to do with that exhausted face? Let's just hang out and go eat dinner later."

"...Jin Soram, you can play around, but I have to do this."

"Instead of spending time on that, practice your Seoul dialect intonation... no, never mind. Just rest a bit. It's not like anyone's rushing you."

"It might not be rushing, but... they say the 3rd Great Rift might break out soon. They said to train right away as my ability utilization grows."

"Ah...? Who said that?"

"The Reconnaissance Bureau, and the research lab said to do it if they have the capacity."

"You can ignore it if the team leader didn't say it. Especially the Reconnaissance Bureau."

Soram added in a firm voice.

"The 3rd Great Rift won't break out for at least a few years."

"How do you know?"

"I have a spirit. Actually."

It was a very half-hearted reason. But somehow, Tae-un found this more trustworthy than the words of the Reconnaissance Bureau person who had been saying things like "as a 1st-grade, you should prepare for emergencies and so on".

"So don't stress out and get dragged around for training."

"Even if I'm not being dragged around, I still need to train. Right now, if something happens, I can't do anything and will be caught by mutants."

He had explained his situation very objectively, but suddenly laughter burst out from across him.

"No, I just thought it was funny. You being caught with that size..."

The smile that appeared on his previously blank face was just like a bell hung above a door in a cafe. Small but clearly ringing in the ear, and ending quickly.

"If you're in danger of being caught, I'll risk my life to save you."

"Forget the life-risking. Just save yourself."

...What's this? Do Seoul people casually say such things? Tae-un, for some reason he didn't understand, couldn't look at Soram directly and lowered his gaze.

"Take it. Thinking you must have had a lot of virtue in your past life. Ah, what? Are you embarrassed because this is teasing too?"

"It's not that."

"You're red from here to here. Practice being bold before your Seoul dialect."

Tae-un hurriedly touched the neck Soram had pointed to. Even to him, it felt hot under his palm.

"Han Tae-un, when researching, don't focus too much on just attack techniques, but first figure out what your ability applies to best. Related to your awakening origin. That will make the next stages easier."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've seen someone with a similar ability?"

Tae-un lowered his hands placed on the desk and fidgeted. It would be troublesome if it only affected the awakening origin.

"Oh, come to think of it, what's your awakening origin?"

And Soram asked as if he had read his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"What exactly is your awakening origin? I'm curious."

"..."

The team leader seemed to notice right away... doesn't he know?

As he hesitated, bibibibik, the pagers went off. Both Soram's and Tae-un's at the same time. Soram frowned as he checked his pager.

"What? Why is this person calling?"

***

"Jin Soram, Han Tae-un, you two are not yet ready to have power."

At first glance, it sounded like an ordinary admonishment, but it was a bit funny to say to two people who already had power. Who had the qualification to evaluate that 1st-grade awakeners weren't ready? Wasn't that itself an arrogant act?

Thinking this, one could just let it go in one ear and out the other, but the person next to Soram was listening attentively. More than the Reconnaissance Bureau Director's unreasonable nitpicking, that irritated Soram more.

Why on earth did this life's Han Tae-un come to the headquarters in this state? It's not at all a good environment for a child.

"Don't you feel anything seeing the training ground all destroyed? What if this had been in the field, if there had been colleagues next to you? And yet, do you feel like sitting comfortably in a situation with no dispatches?"

If it had been just him, he would have ignored it. But some diligent guy next to him said, 'Still, we should go when an adult calls us...'

That diligence even made him reflect on this ridiculous scolding.

"I'm sorry."

The Reconnaissance Bureau Director seemed a bit flustered at the docile Tae-un and shifted his gaze to Soram. Soon his expression became one that said he hadn't expected anything from him anyway.

He understood the situation and everything, but.

Seeing Han Tae-un acting like this, his irritation grew more and more.

"Look here. I know you felt sorry that only combat hunters got hurt during the 1st Great Rift, and you struggled hard to create and grow the Reconnaissance Bureau system to support the Field Operations Bureau. I know, so I haven't said much until now."

There was a reason Soram had dealt with the Reconnaissance Bureau Director moderately in every life, even though they didn't get along well. People don't have just one side. The Reconnaissance Bureau Director in front of him now was already a senile old fogey, but at the same time, he was the person who had devised the dispatch system and various other things that allowed Field Operations Bureau hunters to go directly to specific locations.

So he had endured 19 times. This time, he didn't want to endure.

"Stop nitpicking. You've got guts to act tough in front of an idiot who can't even control his ability."

"What did you just say!"

"Since we seem to be in a mood to ruin each other's day, let's just not create situations where we have to face each other."

"Jin Soram."

Tae-un tried to stop Soram as the Reconnaissance Bureau Director grabbed the back of his neck.

Click.

"Why are you taking our kids?"

Then the door opened and Park Jae-seon entered. The Reconnaissance Bureau Director exclaimed that he had come at just the right time.

"Do you know what that brat just said?"

"He must have done well. I taught him to hit back ten times if he gets hit first and to give me a post-report."

"It's because you teach him like that that the kid's manners are in such a state!"

"Then why did you call out kids who aren't even under your jurisdiction for such a trivial matter? If there's scolding to be done, I should do it."

"At a time like this, why are you so carefree? If the 3rd really comes in half a year..."

"If it comes. Are you saying we should work the kids hard from now and send barely 20-year-olds with swords into danger? I wouldn't do that even if the Great Rift broke out tomorrow. I'd go alone if I had to."

"..."

"Remember. These aren't adults who volunteered to become 1st-grades, but kids who suddenly gained abilities overnight. Tae-un and Soram are under my charge now, so don't ever take them without my knowledge again."

In the face of Park Jae-seon's firm opinion, the Reconnaissance Bureau Director finally couldn't say anything. He took the two and went outside.

"Jin Soram."

Although he had protected them in front of the Reconnaissance Bureau Director, as soon as they came out into the corridor, he called sternly.

"I'm sorry. I'll be careful with my words."

Soram also showed a different attitude.

"Your attitude towards adults is a problem, but you need to stay at the headquarters for a really long time. So why are you deliberately making enemies? You should be able to read the situation better than that."

"..."

Park Jae-seon firmly pointed out the mistake until the end. Soram also got punished. It was to watch today's training video and write an analysis. Rather than punishment, it was something Soram should have done originally...

"That guy is out of his mind now, talking about the 3rd Great Rift approaching and whatnot. He's the type who would have written a will and buried it in a time capsule in 1999."

"Why in 1999?"

"...Ah, you don't know? Never mind. Anyway, don't worry about it and go..."

Park Jae-seon, looking at his two team members, scratched his cheek and checked his watch. Then he suddenly flung open the corridor window.

"Come on, kids. Let's go on a field trip."

The field trip destination was a meat restaurant that had opened in place of a 30-year-old Korean set meal restaurant in Jongno, a place of history and tradition. Since it was a time with no customers, they occupied two tables and grilled meat.

"Take your time with training. We'll go at your pace. For now, just eat a lot."

With these words, well-cooked, nicely browned meat was pushed in front of the two teenagers. At that moment, Tae-un glanced at Park Jae-seon's face several times while receiving and eating the meat.

"What is it, Tae-un?"

Tae-un seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.

"...You're just like a homeroom teacher in charge of the last-place class..."

"Kup."

Laughter burst out before denial. It meant that was a somewhat valid comparison. Park Jae-seon belatedly realized and waved his tongs in the air.

"What's wrong with you two! Of course, I don't want anything except for you to grow up healthy!"

Soram put the meat piled high on his plate into his mouth while listening to that voice. The savory aroma of oil spread. Suddenly, he thought.

What kind of day was this originally?

Although not every day in each life was the same, it was difficult to find a day similar to today.