Cheon Seyean ran to the bow of the ship and glanced around.
Where did he go?
There had been someone here just moments ago, blocking the enemy's attacks. She'd rushed over to confirm who it was… only for the person to have vanished cleanly into thin air.
He wouldn't have gotten off the ship…
BOOOOM!!!
"Wh–what?!"
Her mouth fell open at the erupting blast.
She could say with absolute certainty—
It was the largest explosion she had ever witnessed in her life.
[Guardian of Saint Lareel]
Regaining her senses, Seyean slammed her shield into the bow.
From that point, a golden barrier spread outward, wrapping around the entire New Cali.
They weren't caught inside the explosion's radius.
She simply anticipated the aftershock would shake the vessel violently.
KWAAAAAA!!
As expected, the roaring shockwave made the sea writhe like a beast gone mad.
What is even happening right now?
Maintaining her shield, Seyean scanned the surroundings.
No ballistic missile had been launched.
No torpedo had fired from underwater.
What on earth could produce such explosive force?
Did they self-destruct?
The most realistic explanation she could come up with—yet even that felt wrong.
What kind of lunatic would blow themselves up with enough force to swallow an entire fleet?
And what's with that ice?
In one direction, an enormous glacier had suddenly formed.
Everything was chaos—none of it made any sense.
She'd always thought of herself as one of the more seasoned freelance Hunters, but she would have to reassess that opinion today.
The shockwave gradually died down.
Rescue workers, who had been crouching for cover, began entering the ship.
Seyean stared at the burning wreckage near the bow.
No need to check for survivors…
They'd been told the incoming fleet belonged to a terrorist organization anyway.
They had no obligation to save them.
And even if they had received orders to rescue, it would've been impossible.
You can't save something that left no trace behind.
Once she confirmed there was no further external threat, she headed inside.
"Whoa, it's Hunter Cheon Seyean!"
"No way. Can I take a picture?"
"Get a grip. We were almost killed in a terror attack and your first thought is selfies?"
"I was just saying…"
Ignoring the murmurs, Seyean kept looking around.
Behind her, Eun Gangseok whistled.
"Pretty flashy crowd, huh."
"Well, of course. All the big-name influencers are gathered here."
"Aren't you a pretty well-known influencer too, senior?"
"Pretty well-known? I'm extremely famous, thank you very much."
"Then why didn't you come earlier? It's not like you were busy."
"You have to be invited to come."
"Oh."
Realizing his mistake, Eun Gangseok wisely shut his mouth.
He had narrowly avoided getting smacked in the back of the head.
"Ugh."
After scanning her surroundings for a while, Seyean grimaced.
"You still can't hide your expressions, Hunter Cheon Seyean."
"And you still haven't learned that it's rude to cross your arms while talking to someone, Miss Jin Seohee."
"I told you not to call me that. You never remember anything."
"I remember just fine. I'm just choosing not to change."
Sparks practically crackled between Cheon Seyean and Jin Seohee.
It was always like this whenever they met.
Which was why they made every effort not to run into each other.
"Where's Jinhyuk? He boarded as your partner, didn't he?"
At the sound of that name from someone completely unexpected, Jin Seohee's eyebrow twitched.
"How do you know Jinhyuk?"
"We're close."
"My partner is my responsibility. Go help with the rescue. Aren't you in the middle of an operation?"
Seyean flashed a bright smile.
"Wow. Your tongue is just as sharp as ever, Seohee."
"Thanks for the compliment. Not that I need one from you."
Yikes. This is deadly.
Standing nearby, Eun Gangseok slowly backed away before the sparks hit him.
He slipped to the window, lifted his eyepatch, and surveyed the dark sea.
"Hm? What ship is that? HQ? This is Eun Gangseok. There's a pretty large patrol craft out on the water."
#HQ here. Don't worry about it. Genex sent that team.
"Understood."
Whatever it was, it wasn't his business.
He turned away—
"Eh?"
Spotting something, Eun Gangseok narrowed his eyes.
Using a skill to maximize his vision, he finally managed to see it clearly.
He glanced at the two women still growling at each other.
"Excuse me."
Both Seyean and Seohee snapped their heads toward him.
"The person you two are looking for—Yoo Jinhyuk—seems to be over there."
"Where exactly?"
Seyean stepped toward him and pressed her face to the window.
"I don't see anything."
"Of course you don't—it's dark. You don't have eyes like mine, remember?"
"Right. Wait—so where is he?"
"Way, waaay over there. Just floating around in the sea. Might've been blown away by the shockwave?"
WHACK!
"Ghhk!"
"You say that part first! Mark the location!"
While Eun Gangseok doubled over from the hit, Seyean shot upward through the open ceiling.
"Still hits like a truck…"
Clicking his tongue, Gangseok once again looked out the window.
[Reveal.]
Golden light flowed from his eyes, and a pillar of light dropped onto the spot where Jinhyuk drifted.
The moment the location lit up, Seyean sprinted across the deck and leapt toward it.
"Yeah, they're definitely dating."
Gangseok muttered to himself.
No doubt about it.
Otherwise she wouldn't have bolted off that fast.
"Hunter Eun Gangseok! We need your help over here!"
"Yes, yes, I'm coming."
He lowered his eyepatch and turned away.
Seyean would handle the castaway.
He should focus on his own tasks.
The night sky is pretty.
Jinhyuk stared up at the stars.
Maybe because he was adrift in the pitch-black middle of the ocean, the starlight shone especially clearly.
Glad I kept the life jacket.
Even though Darc's ice had blocked most of the blast, he hadn't escaped the aftershock entirely.
His jet ski had gone whoosh and vanished who-knows-where.
So now, Yoo Jinhyuk found himself bobbing along under the starlit sky.
Certified romantic super-moment.
But—
Swiish.
He peered down into the dark waters below.
…There aren't sharks here, right?
He liked swimming, but sharks were another matter.
He had thalassophobia—the belief that sea monsters lurked in the deep.
Suddenly, everything felt terrifying.
…Maybe I should head back.
He turned and began paddling gently.
Even if a shark did appear, Seira or Darc would take care of it.
Still, he'd rather avoid the meeting altogether.
"Hm?"
He looked up.
Something had flashed in the sky—
BOOM!!
Jinhyuk flinched and kicked backward in the water.
A familiar face dropped out of the night sky.
"Oh?"
"'Oh' what? And why are you so relaxed for someone stranded at sea? You're making the rescue totally unrewarding."
Standing atop a broad rectangular shield, Seyean let out a small laugh and extended her hand.
"Will it hold two people? It won't sink?"
"Jinhyuk, I'm a Ranker. Do you think I'd come rescue you just to sink with you?"
He grabbed her hand and climbed onto the shield.
As expected of a Ranker—
not even the slightest wobble. Steady as a rock.
"It might get a bit fast."
"Sorry? What will—"
He didn't get to finish.
Light burst out, and the shield shot high into the sky.
It reminded him of the Gyro Drop he'd ridden as a kid.
Meaning: it was terrifying.
Afraid he might fall, he clung tightly to Seyean's arm.
When they reached the New Cali, Seyean dismissed the shield and formed a circle of light beneath their feet.
Softly—
They touched down like feathers drifting in the wind.
If this had been an airplane landing, he would've applauded the pilot.
"Whew."
He pushed back his hair, now thoroughly marinated in seawater.
He'd showered not long ago, but it looked like he needed another.
"Thanks, Seyean."
"Don't mention it. You were stranded; of course I had to rescue you."
More people were coming up onto the deck.
The New Cali crew surveyed the ship with despair.
Understandable—the structural damage was no joke.
"Where'd that jet ski go?"
"Seriously. That part wasn't even attacked."
"Oh, that…"
He was about to admit he'd taken it and lost it, promising to compensate—but—
"Such a waste. Those cost one-point-five billion won each, and we didn't even get to use it once."
Hearing the horrifying number, Jinhyuk slowly turned his head.
Your sacrifice was for the greater good, my brave jet ski. I'll remember you.
He nodded solemnly, doing his best to rationalize it.
"Why is she coming now…"
Jin Seohee appeared, having just stepped onto the deck.
She halted in front of them, looking between Jinhyuk and Seyean.
"I need to speak to Jinhyuk for a moment."
Seyean bit her lip hard.
"Oh. Sure."
For Jinhyuk's sake, she stepped aside.
She still had to report back to the Hunter Bureau anyway.
Once Seyean left, Seohee examined him.
"It really is strange."
"Huh?"
"When I saw that explosion earlier, I wasn't worried about you at all. Somehow, it just felt obvious that you'd be completely fine."
"I am pretty sturdy."
"And you're okay with this? Everyone thinks a terrorist fleet was wiped out by the blast—but it was you who caused it. You're a hero. You saved the New Cali and everyone on board."
Jinhyuk shrugged with a light smile.
He didn't care about praise or recognition.
All he wanted was to get what he came for and go home to climb the Tower.
He needed to get stronger as fast as possible—to reach new floors, new worlds.
"…Fine. Since you don't want the spotlight, I'll do my best to frame the story appropriately."
"Thank you."
Seohee took out a small box and handed it to him.
"Don't refuse this. I know exactly who saved me—I can't just pretend otherwise. As the only witness who knows the truth, I'm obligated to repay the debt."
Jinhyuk opened the box.
Ooh.
Inside was the very reason he'd boarded the New Cali: the Star Necklace.
"Thank you. I needed this badly."
"Don't think that's enough. Take this too."
She handed him a black-and-gold card.
On the front were the words Genex and VVIP.
"You know Felid Department Store, the one that held the Ganjangmakya event? This is a voucher you can use there. If you go over the limit, charge the rest to me. Don't hesitate—pick something good."
He bowed slightly and quickly tucked the card into his pocket.
He'd recently learned the necessity of decent gear outside the Tower.
Maybe it was time to finally buy something.
"And also…"
"Yes?"
After a moment, Seohee spoke again.
"Thank you. For saving me. For teaching me how to use the sword. For everything."
Jinhyuk smiled.
"Don't mention it."
She extended her hand and he shook it firmly.
Then, he took the Star Necklace to store it in his inventory—
…Wait.
Jinhyuk froze, a question mark forming on his face.
Why…
Why wasn't it going in?
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T/N:
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