It was small but definitely audible. It sounded like a rat, or maybe a sneeze…
Feeling uneasy, I looked around the room once more. I focused especially on the wall where the sound had come from.
There’s nothing there.
I didn’t want to think it was a person.
That’s when a picture frame hanging at an awkward eye level caught my attention. Inside the silver frame was a photo of a young child.
?
I removed the frame, hanging in such a strange spot, from the wall.
“!”
My eyes widened on their own. There was some kind of handle behind the frame.
A secret space?
It was a hidden door. One I hadn’t noticed until now because of the flashy pattern on the wall.
A place I never found in my previous life.
As if entranced, I grabbed the handle. My chest tightened with a sharp throb.
If it’s a secret space in a rich household, a treasure vault is the standard. And it’s not even underground.
I could pocket some hidden assets. My breathing grew ragged on its own.
Imagining a space filled with pretty jewels, I threw the door open.
Whoosh!
“…..”
I scowled.
The space behind the door was smaller than expected. At most, the size of a wardrobe. And crammed into that cramped space was a single boy.
I was disappointed. Not a rat or treasure, but a person.
“Ugh…!”
“Shh.”
I covered the mouth of the startled child as he tried to sit up. Elementary school age, or maybe middle school. The mole near his mouth felt oddly familiar.
The child kept dropping tears. His body was completely rigid. This was making me feel like some kind of thug. The one he should resent is his parents, though.
It was obvious why he was here. They probably figured a young kid would just be a burden, so they abandoned him.
I should knock him out…
I reflexively tried to use my ability, but instead of activating, a notification window popped up.
[Penalty incurred: 〈Prohibition〉 in effect. (00:03)]
Even without using my ability, killing one kid wouldn’t be difficult… but for now, I decided to stop.
I couldn’t even imagine how much of a fuss the system would make if I attacked a child with my own hands. I didn’t want to collapse here and get found by the police.
“Mmph…!”
For now, it’d be best to take the kid out of the room. I planned to move to another location the police wouldn’t find and stall until the penalty ended.
But once I pulled him out, the kid’s body was bigger than I expected. On top of that, he started resisting with everything he had.
“Ugh!”
He punched me in the groin, and I momentarily lost my grip.
This damn brat!
Shaking off my hand, the child ran and threw open the window. I stood blocking the path to the door and sneered.
“Going to jump from there or something?”
This was a high-rise apartment, twenty-plus stories up. There was no way a kid could jump with his bare body and survive.
Biting his lip, the child suddenly turned around, grabbed the railing, and threw his body out the window.
In an instant the windowsill was empty, only the curtains fluttering.
“Huh…?”
Seriously?
I quickly moved to the window.
Looking down at the flowerbed, there was no trace of blood. The maple-colored leaves swayed peacefully.
…….
Was he hidden by the tree?
Craning my neck as far as I could, I spotted a single slipper sticking out.
…I should go down and check.
The moment I stepped out of the room—
“Mr. Seo Sinwoo.”
“!”
Go Sangwon appeared from the direction of the stairs.
“Weren’t you supposed to have gone ahead?”
“There was a message from the boss, so I came back.”
The timing was less than ideal. I brushed off my jacket for no reason.
“…..”
“Is something bothering you?”
I hesitated, wondering whether to say something. But—
“No. Nothing…”
I took Go Sangwon’s hand. I’d decided to keep this matter a secret.
He must be dead.
Realistically speaking, there’s no way anyone could fall from that height and survive. A child, shocked at seeing his father’s corpse, commits suicide—that’s the kind of minor episode this would be. A story that would cause a little stir in the neighborhood before being forgotten.
“Oh. What was the message?”
“That’s…”
***
“Huff, huff…”
The child ran off still in his pajamas. In his head, he was desperately replaying the conversation he’d just overheard, trying not to forget even a single small clue.
“Ugh!”
Running blindly, he crashed into something hard. The child fell backward.
“…..”
What the child, lifting his head, came face to face with was a pair of sharp eyes. A man with his hair tied up high was looking down at him with an expressionless face. What he’d thought was a wall had been the man’s back.
Seeing the sword at the man’s side, the child flinched and shrank back.
“S-sorry, I’m sorry…”
“…..”
The man’s hand slowly approached. The child squeezed his eyes shut and trembled.
Contrary to his fears, what came was a gentle touch. The man carefully took hold of the child’s palm and examined it.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“…Hic.”
Hearing that unexpectedly kind voice, the child’s nose stung. He looked down at the man’s hand.
As the child began to choke up, the man, looking puzzled, lowered himself further.
Meeting eyes full of concern, the child burst into quiet tears.
“Please help me…”
***
Some time had passed since the incident at the apartment.
The days had been peaceful, almost mockingly so given my worries. These days, I was still basically living at the hideout under the boss’s orders.
Running dungeon after dungeon as instructed.
Today was no different. Right now I was in an underground waterway with water flowing through it.
Along with Choi Haegang.
“…..”
“…..”
I don’t know why. I came in, and Choi Haegang was just there. For reference, I’d entered through an Association employee the boss had bribed.
The moment our eyes met as soon as I walked in, part of me wanted to just turn around and walk right back out. But my body had already stepped inside the Gate.
So that’s how we ended up facing each other. Without a single word exchanged.
“…..”
“…..”
Of course, we couldn’t stay like that forever. In the end, I was the one who gave up first.
“Wow. We meet again, haha.”
As I spoke, I sidestepped to put some distance between us, crab-walking away. His gaze clung to me persistently.
“Well then, I’ll just be on my—”
A decent gap had formed. I started walking in the direction the detector pointed. Then, from behind, came the sound of footsteps on the damp ground, following me.
Choi Haegang followed me at a fixed distance. Whenever I looked back, our eyes would meet—made me wonder if he was even watching his surroundings at all.
“…..”
There was a lot I wanted to say, but I didn’t bother running my mouth.
It would’ve been nice if I’d built a good image from the start. But honestly, that ship’s probably sailed. I even had the memory of mocking Choi Haegang while he protested his innocence, so even shamelessly clinging to him felt awkward.
Somehow, this uncomfortable companionship continued. As we went further along the path, vertical iron bars blocked the way. In front of the bars stood a crocodile-shaped monster holding a spear.
A gatekeeper, huh.
Looking at the bars, I saw the gate had a chain and a small padlock.
That monster might be holding the key. While I was thinking that, Choi Haegang approached the bars. Instead of attacking the monster, I glanced over at Choi Haegang.
“A monster…”
Might as well make use of him while he’s here. There was also a hint of not wanting to reveal my full strength mixed in. As I stood back and watched, Choi Haegang finally opened his mouth.
“I already know about your ability.”
“I see.”
Not surprising, since we’d already fought.
“And that your real name is Seo Sinwoo.”
“…..”
“And that you’re working under someone called ‘the boss.'”
“O-oh, I see…”
I was trying hard to keep smiling, but my mouth had gone dry. How did he find out?
“Turn yourself in to the police. If you do, I won’t take any personal action against you.”
“Well then… should I turn myself in?”
The man, who had been silently glaring at me, readjusted his grip on the sword’s handle.
“I’ll turn myself in the moment we get out!”
I hastily changed my answer and nodded. But Choi Haegang didn’t let go of his sword. With a click, the blade slid out of its sheath.
Whoosh!
Choi Haegang swung the drawn sword in a wide horizontal arc.
“…!”
I stepped to the side. I barely avoided getting hit by a hair’s breadth.
That was a shock.
The target wasn’t me—it was the monster. The monster, taking the attack head-on, split diagonally and collapsed.
Having killed the monster, Choi Haegang sheathed his sword.
“I’ll go look for the key.”
I kept my mouth shut and nodded.
He passed by me and approached the monster’s corpse. I lowered the hand that had been awkwardly covering my face.
“You’d better keep your word about what you just said.”
“…Yes.”
It seemed like my promise to turn myself in had worked.
Like hell I’m turning myself in. The moment I’m out, I’m running.
While I was inwardly laughing at gullible Choi Haegang—
A chill ran down my spine.
“…?”
I whipped my head around. Looking around, there were no monsters left. Choi Haegang had his back turned, rummaging through the monster’s corpse.
Even though I’d confirmed there was no danger, my instincts were still blaring an alarm.
What is it?
No sooner had the question crossed my mind than I felt intense killing intent from behind me. I hastily spun around to identify the source of the presence.
“…..”
All I saw was the empty waterway.
This isn’t normal.
Could there be an invisible monster?
As I stepped backward, I froze. I thought I heard the sound of light footsteps.
Then, the flow of air shifted. As if someone were running toward me.
Shhk!
I felt a sharp sting in my stomach.
“…!”
Choi Haegang, with his back turned, didn’t seem to have noticed the situation yet. He only stood up after finding something on the monster’s corpse.
“I found the key.”
“…Yes, but.”
I grabbed the hand that had stabbed me and was pulling away.
“Is this brat also one of your guild members?”
The child caught in my grip revealed himself.
