Outside the barrier, there was a continuous sound of something hard colliding with another. The noisy clamor stirred up Sayoung’s thoughts. He roughly grabbed at the snare that was binding him. Was this the reason Uijae had pushed him away?

Grinding his teeth, Sayoung knelt down beside Jung Bin to assess his condition.

“…What the hell happened to this guy?”

Jung Bin was surrounded by a pool of his own blood. Even at a glance, it was clear that his right arm was completely dislocated. The black chains that had once moved as if alive were now limp, wrapped around their master’s arm. His condition was more serious than Sayoung had initially thought. Sayoung quickly reached into his inventory. Hong Yeseong muttered sarcastically.

“He got like this trying to protect two useless people who can’t fight… You got any potions? Try to keep him alive.”

Sayoung silently dumped a pile of potions out from his inventory. Yun Gaeul quickly reached for one, fumbling to open the cap. Sayoung frowned as he glanced back at her, and she quickly explained.

“I-I recently awakened as an S-rank, but… why won’t this open… I assume you heard about me from Director Jung Bin or the guild master. This is actually my first time meeting you in person, though.”

Sayoung only knew of one S-rank Hunter who was still in high school.

“…The high schooler?”

“Yes, my name’s Yun Gaeul.”

Gaeul nodded as she continued to line up the opened potions. There had been mention of another person besides Hong Yeseong, but Sayoung hadn’t expected Yun Gaeul to be moving with Uijae. He narrowed his eyes as he studied her, but Gaeul, unaware of his scrutiny, murmured gloomily.

“We didn’t have any potions left, so we just bandaged the bigger wounds for now…”

“If you’re going to come to a place like this, at least bring some potions.”

Sayoung responded coldly, pulling out a syringe filled with green liquid and injecting it into Jung Bin’s right arm, pressing down on the plunger. As the liquid slowly disappeared, the bleeding began to stop. Hong Yeseong glanced over and asked.

“What’s that?”

“Something Nam Woojin made.”

“Oh… the emergency recovery kit, huh?”

Most injuries could be healed with potions, but no potion could match the speed of a healer’s ability. Since Nam Woojin, the only A-rank healer in South Korea, didn’t personally enter dungeons, he instead created and sold emergency recovery kits. After tossing aside the empty syringe, Sayoung poured potion over the wounds. The injuries quickly began to heal, and though Jung Bin’s breathing became steadier, his face remained pale.

“…He’s alive for now. But to fully recover without aftereffects, we’ll need Nam Woojin.”

“At least there’s that. As skilled as I am, I can’t make healing items…”

Boom! The transparent shield surrounding them shuddered violently. Hong Yeseong coughed up blood, and Yun Gaeul quickly pressed a handkerchief to his mouth.

“Does the impact affect you?”

“Yeah… the shield absorbs some of the shock, but whatever’s left comes straight to me. I’m the one who set it up, after all.”

Hong Yeseong nodded toward the shield. Sayoung clicked his tongue and pulled out another syringe. Yeseong looked at him with wide eyes and asked.

“You’re not planning to use that on me, are you?”

“Of course I am.”

With a swift motion, Sayoung ripped Yeseong’s jacket sleeve apart.

“Wait, I hate needles! Aaah!”

Shunk, sssssh. The green liquid quickly drained into Yeseong’s arm. The screaming ceased as Yeseong began silently sobbing, though his color improved rapidly. After pulling out the needle and pouring potion on the injection site, Sayoung glanced at Gaeul.

“And you?”

“N-no! I’m fine! You two protected me.”

“Good. Then that’s all.”

Sayoung threw the syringe aside and stood up. Gaeul and Yeseong stared at him, wide-eyed.

“Where are you going?”

“Out.”

“You think poison’s going to work on that golem? And even if my shield can block attacks, it can’t block poison!”

“I don’t need poison. I’ll just beat it up.”

“What kind of reckless idea is that? You can’t—”

Boom!

A loud crash cut off Yeseong’s words. Something massive had just fallen nearby.

It was the giant hand that had attacked them earlier. The wrist connecting to the hand was a shattered mess. Yeseong muttered in disbelief.

“…Well, I guess it can work.”

Gwooooh! The golem, having lost its hand in an instant, clutched at its broken wrist and howled in agony. The sound alone made the air hum. At that moment, a gray shadow darted toward the golem—Uijae.

He leapt up, using the golem’s body as a foothold. His long spear whipped through the air, striking the golem’s other hand. Crack! The enraged golem swung its arm wildly. A gust of wind blew the spear out of Uijae’s grasp, and he too was thrown off balance. But with a deft roll, Uijae managed to land safely on the ground.

“Hey, you’re bleeding!”

Yun Gaeul pointed out, her eyes wide with concern. Sayoung snapped back to attention, the taste of blood filling his mouth. He had bitten his lip without realizing it, and as he wiped it with the back of his hand, dark blood smeared across his skin.

‘Damn it.’

Should he stay with the others or join Uijae? And even if he did join, would he actually be of any help? If, by chance, his poison caused Uijae to fall…

Boom!

Another deafening sound echoed around them. Sayoung’s head shot up. The golem had slammed its fist down where Uijae had been. And then…

A pair of sharp blue eyes met his.

That fleeting moment felt like it evaporated like a bubble, and Sayoung, entranced by that blue gaze, found himself speaking.

“Hong Yeseong, do you have a spear?”

“A spear? What spear?”

Yeseong turned to look at him, bloodshot eyes wide. Sayoung answered shortly.

“My spear. Give it to me.”

“The giant spear? Why would that be yours?”

“I won the bid, remember? Want me to pay you right here?”

“Ugh, as if that would help right now. You think I need money? What am I supposed to do with it, build a bed or something? Kid, hold this for me.”

“Yes? Oh, okay!”

Yun Gaeul quickly took the shield from Yeseong. She held it much better than Yeseong had. After rummaging through his inventory, Yeseong finally pulled out the giant spear with a grunt.

“Fine, let’s try something. Want a bomb too? That crazy golem’s not going to go down with just poison.”

“I don’t need it.”

Sayoung took the spear and stepped out of the shield. Ash and sand-laden winds whipped through his hair. Yeseong quickly took the shield back and shouted after him.

“Hey, hey! What are you going to do? Do you even know how to use a spear?”

“No.”

Sayoung had never used a spear before. But he knew someone who could wield it better than anyone else. Watching the swirling white ash in the distance, he called out to him.

“Cha Uijae!”

Instantly, those blue eyes locked onto him again. Just like before.

‘Ah.’

Sayoung’s heart raced. And in that moment, he realized something. He had been waiting for this day—for the day he could see those eyes again.

“Catch!”

Sayoung raised the giant spear high and took aim at the golem’s body, preparing himself.

Sometimes, he was like a shackle, holding Uijae back.

He spread his legs, bracing himself solidly. Drawing his right arm back, holding the spear tightly, he inhaled, held his breath for a moment, then exhaled—

Sometimes, like the wind stirring up the waves.

And he threw the spear.

Whizz! The heavy spear cut through the air like an arrow. Uijae was already sprinting toward it.

There was a brief moment, just before the spear overtook him. A fleeting moment where spear and man ran parallel, side by side. A seasoned Hunter never missed that opportunity. His hand, which had gripped countless weapons, skillfully snatched the spear from the air.

Wham!

Without staggering, just as he always had. As if he had been waiting for this exact moment.

You want to live quietly?

Screech! Uijae’s worn-out sneakers skidded roughly along the ground as he came to a stop. With a swift motion, he spun the giant spear and gripped it firmly. The golem slowly turned to face him. Thud, the ground quaked. Thud, he stood unwavering. Thud, his heart raced. Without hesitation, Uijae began to run again.

I don’t know what that means.

Cha Uijae didn’t know how to live quietly. No one had ever taught him, and none of the talents that helped him do everything else effortlessly mattered here. Still, he always tried his best in his own way to live a quiet life…

Because there was nothing else he wanted.

He felt empty. From the moment he became aware of his surroundings, the world he knew had vanished, replaced by one full of things he didn’t recognize. Living each day felt like a burden.

A world with nowhere to go and nowhere to rest. Every moment was new, and every moment was painful. Whenever he thought deeply about something, the fractures always came to mind, making it impossible to dwell on anything for long. It felt like he was lost.

A giant fist came crashing down. His heartbeat quickened.

Was it because of nerves?

Because of fear?

No. In moments like this, his heart always raced. It was only at times like these that he felt truly alive. Uijae smiled. The weight of the spear in his hand was reassuring.

In his vision, countless white system windows began to appear.

---

[Attribute: Strength Enhancement (S+) activated.]

[Unique Attribute: Master’s Hand (S+) activated.]

[Unique Attribute: Perceiver of All Things (S+) activated.]

---

As if unshackled, a massive wave of power surged from his head to his toes. Uijae pushed off the ground and leaped high into the air. *Thud!* He lightly stepped on the golem’s swinging arm, using it as a springboard to leap even higher.

How grateful it is to know there’s someone you can protect.

Twisting his body midair, Uijae drew the spear back with his right arm, preparing for the strike. As he held his breath, the world seemed to slow down, everything around him passing in a blur. His bright blue eyes captured the scene below—the golem, Hong Yeseong, Yun Gaeul, Jung Bin, and...

Lee Sayoung.

Their gazes met, Sayoung’s violet eyes fixed steadily on him.

And how wonderful it is to know there’s someone waiting for you.

Uijae smiled.

It was a joyful thing.

---

<Heart Pierce!>

---

*Boom—!!*

A brilliant white light exploded outward.