“I already told you. Even if only one person goes, we’ll still get bonus points, and I heard our top spot is practically guaranteed.”

“Maybe I should’ve gone too.”

“No.”

What am I, a bomb disposal team? Ju-eon gave a lonely smile and shrugged his shoulders. The air was quite chilly, perhaps because it was that in-between time of late afternoon and early evening. Gu-young, who had taken the lead, suddenly realized he didn’t know their destination. He turned back to Ju-eon with an awkward smile and asked, “So, what were you planning to do outside?”

“I felt bad, so I was going to grab some food to bring back.”

Gu-young had been resting so comfortably in bed that Ju-eon thought he’d go out to pick up dinner. But instead, Gu-young’s eyes lit up, delighted by the perfect timing.

“That’s great! I’m so sick of delivery food. Since we’re already out, let’s eat outside.”

“Sure. What do you want?”

“Hyung, can I go for something expensive?”

“Yeah.”

At the mention of something expensive, Gu-young immediately changed direction, saying there was a barbecue place he wanted to go to. Ju-eon quickened his pace to follow after him. He felt a little guilty but mostly grateful. He hadn’t explained everything since returning, yet Gu-young hadn’t pressed him for details.

‘Hyung, how do you always end up in these crazy situations…?’

All he did was worry about what might have happened after Ju-eon got involved with Myung-hwon. Worrying wasn’t the same as meddling. Even though Ju-eon hadn’t shared exactly what had happened, sharp-witted Gu-young had already guessed that he’d been caught up in a dungeon incident with Myung-hwon.

‘Yeah.’

‘Aren’t you scared?’

‘I am.’

‘…….’

‘But I’m still going to keep going into dungeons.’

Being by Myung-hwon’s side was only a secondary reason. Working part-time as Yun-jae had wanted had been peaceful, but Ju-eon didn’t want to go back to that time.

He wanted to live as a guide. He wasn’t as capable as he used to be, but it was still something he was good at and something that brought him a sense of fulfillment.

‘I can’t say anything because you seem genuinely happier now.’

But seeing how happy Ju-eon looked when he talked about it, Gu-young held back. Even from his perspective, Ju-eon seemed happier in the dungeon than when he was doing part-time work.

‘…Really?’

He’d been so busy adjusting to training and recovering his memories that he couldn’t recall feeling particularly happy. But to hear that he looked happy to others… Ju-eon pressed his cheek with his hand, trying to shake off the awkwardness of the moment.

“Hyung?”

Lost in thoughts of what had happened since returning from the hospital, Ju-eon snapped back to attention at Gu-young’s call. Smiling at the concerned face looking at him, Ju-eon got up, finished getting ready to go out, and left with him.

**

“We could’ve gone somewhere even more expensive.”

“This place is supposed to be a hidden gem where ability users eat the pork shoulder and cry because it’s so good.”

Looking around at the familiar interior, Ju-eon had to stifle a laugh. He could guess how the story had gotten so exaggerated. This was a barbecue restaurant he’d only visited on special occasions when he was part of Attack Team 1. They’d even come here for his farewell party.

“It is delicious.”

“True, but it’s not tear-inducing.”

“Just an exaggeration, I guess.”

“But our supervisor recommended it as a place where the food makes you cry… Anyway, it was good, so let’s come back with the whole team next time.”

“Sure.”

Gu-young, now full, patted his stomach with a satisfied smile. By then, the sun had completely set.

“Want to take a shortcut?”

“Sure.”

“I just want to lie down as soon as possible.”

“You know me too well, hyung.”

In sharp contrast to the bright neon signs, the small alleyway had no streetlights and was pitch dark. Perhaps because they’d just come from a well-lit area, the alley seemed especially dark tonight.

“They should really install some lights here. Every time I walk through this alley, it gives me chills.”

“Yeah.”

It had felt a bit chilly even earlier in the evening, but now that it was fully night, the temperature difference was stark. The two quickened their steps as they entered the narrow alley.

“Wait, hyung.”

Eager to get home, they had been walking briskly without talking when Gu-young suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong? Did you leave something at the restaurant?”

“Hyung, stick close to me.”

“Huh?”

“I think someone’s following us.”

“What?”

“Run!”

In a low voice, Gu-young grabbed Ju-eon’s arm roughly and pulled him. Ju-eon lost his balance and stumbled against the wall. Before he could even ask why, two figures emerged from the darkness, their faces obscured by masks and hats pulled low.

“Your sensory perception is better than I expected.”

“Stop chatting and get it done.”

“I only said one thing.”

For a brief moment, Ju-eon hoped that maybe Gu-young was just being overly cautious. But the two figures who appeared clearly targeted them. Moreover, their loud conversation, audible even to Ju-eon, made it obvious they were talking about Gu-young.

“We don’t intend to hurt you.”

The two figures, after confirming the faces of Gu-young and Ju-eon, nodded to each other in agreement. Watching them reveal themselves, Ju-eon swallowed dryly. His abilities weren’t what they used to be, but his sensory perception hadn’t dulled.

‘They’re ability users.’

Having spent time in Attack Team 1, surrounded by monsters, Ju-eon could roughly gauge their threshold.

“For people who don’t intend to hurt us, you seem awfully prepared to attack.”

“If you resist, we’ll have to subdue you.”

“Who sent you?”

“We haven’t even received our certification yet, so we’re just civilians. Don’t you know it’s illegal for ability users to attack civilians?”

Still in a defensive stance, Gu-young shouted boldly. He must have realized how menacing the two figures were, as he was visibly frightened. It didn’t make sense that there were no passersby in this area, even though it was dark. That meant there were likely others involved besides the two in front of them.

“If that’s the issue, you don’t need to worry.”

“What?”

“We’re civilians too.”

For a moment, it seemed like they might back off, but their unexpected answer threw him off.

“Wait, why would civilians deliberately attack other civilians?”

“Because we were asked to.”

Their cheerful tone, devoid of any remorse, made Ju-eon furrow his brow. He slipped his hand into his pocket. Even if he couldn’t see the screen, he had to try something.

“If I asked who requested this, would you tell me?”

“Keeping that a secret is part of the request. But if you come with us, you’ll find out.”

“Is the request only about me?”

Maintaining his composure, Ju-eon continued the conversation. His fingertips trembled.

Swoosh.

“Ugh.”

Before he could react, the distance between them closed in an instant. One of the figures struck Ju-eon’s wrist sharply before Gu-young could even respond.

Smack!

“It was a good attempt to stall for time, but it’s a shame.”

His phone clattered to the ground. Though the blow hadn’t seemed that strong, his wrist throbbed. Clutching his wrist, Ju-eon staggered back a few steps.

Wham.

Before the figure could return to their position, Gu-young lunged at them. Planting his feet firmly, he closed the gap in an instant and threw a punch.

“I’m not just going to sit here like an idiot!”

Gu-young shouted in frustration. He had no weap*ns, no partner, and was outmatched from the start.

Swish.

Though it was a surprise attack, the figure didn’t panic. They tilted their head slightly to dodge and struck the back of Gu-young’s neck with a powerful blow.

Thud.

“Ugh!”

Crash.

Gu-young crumpled to the ground. It all happened so quickly that Ju-eon didn’t have time to react. Rushing over, he caught Gu-young and held him up.

“Gu-young!”

“Just go.”

Paralyzed and unable to move, Gu-young mumbled, chastising Ju-eon. The figure, whose breathing hadn’t even quickened, looked down at them.

“Should we subdue them further? Hmm. What do you think?”

The figure tapped their lips with a finger, feigning innocence.

“We were told not to cause a scene. Let’s just take them.”

“You decide.”

The figure handed the choice over to Ju-eon. Though they pretended to give him options, it was clear he had no real choice. Resist and get dragged away, or go quietly.

Ju-eon took off his jacket and draped it over Gu-young, whose body was stiff.

“I’ll go quietly. Just leave him alone.”

He had no idea who might be behind this, but he was certain they wouldn’t harm him immediately. Expanding the scope of possibilities only increased the number of suspects. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out who had orchestrated this attack.

“Hyung!”

Gu-young called out from behind. Ju-eon murmured a small apology and followed the two figures.

“Sorry.”

This time, he wanted to keep his promise to stay out of trouble, but he couldn’t.

“Where are we going?”

“Oh, right. We can’t show you the destination.”

Thud.

A dull pain struck the back of his neck.

As one of the figures muttered that they could’ve just used a blindfold, the one who had hit him let out a sheepish “Oops.” That was the last thing Ju-eon remembered.

**

“Hello, this is NDC reporter Kwak Do-yoon. I’m currently standing in front of the Seoul International Convention Center.”

The conference, originally scheduled to take place at the L Hotel, had been relocated to a venue better equipped to host international events securely.

Click. Click. Click.

The sound of camera shutters echoed endlessly. One by one, the key figures of the Allied Conference were entering the convention center.

Even those who had previously shown no interest in ability users were now paying attention due to the unexpected emergence of a dungeon at the hotel. The realization that a dungeon break could occur in the middle of the city had sparked widespread concern. What had once been dismissed as something unrelated to ordinary life was now a source of anxiety.