Chapter 38

This is the final cycle. With each recast shaving off ten seconds, the next attempt wouldn’t even register a full heartbeat.

What should I do now?

Should I take Hae-gun’s advice and retreat? What if my mana recovers too slowly? Am I supposed to just sit here with folded hands, leaving everything on his shoulders?

If we struggle this much against a single mutated boss, how will we ever survive when the Shadow descends?

He could surrender the burden to Hae-gun as he had initially planned. He could tell him about the apocalyptic future, dump the responsibility onto the S-rank hunter’s shoulders, and walk away.

Yet no matter how close to perfection a person was, bearing the weight of everything alone was impossible.

Just like the Seo Hae-gun of his previous life, who had died broken and alone in the dark of a bunker. Ruin came impartially to everyone.

That was why someone had to watch his back. Even if he couldn’t stand shoulder to shoulder as an equal combatant, there had to be someone to anchor the battlefield and clear the path.

Then, following a burst of static, an electric shock coursed through Eui-rim’s nervous system. Amid a searing sensation closer to pain than euphoria, a profound clarity settled over his perception, laying bare every trajectory and blind spot across the sky.

Thump!

His reaction was pure instinct.

Moving before conscious thought could form, his fingers twisted, tightening the invisible spring wound around his palm.

Instantly, the meteor hurtling toward Hae-gun froze dead in its tracks. This was no indiscriminate area-of-effect freeze; like a sniper bullet finding its mark, a single, isolated projectile had been arrested in mid-flight.

Only after halting three more obstacles in rapid succession did Eui-rim realize: he was reading Hae-gun’s intent before the man even moved.

As if their minds were linked, the axis of time locked down every projectile along the precise vector Hae-gun was targeting.

Though each pinpoint lock lasted barely a fraction of a second, that narrow window was all the S-rank hunter needed.

The moment the final opening cleared, Hae-gun launched himself off the frozen stone, hurling a colossal lance of pressurized water straight through the sky.

KABOOM!

It was, at long last, the finishing blow.

They say everyone is the protagonist of their own life, but some find even that a burden, choosing instead to remain supporting characters. Eui-rim had always belonged to the latter camp, his temperament naturally shrinking from the spotlight. Ambition and greed had always felt like foreign concepts to him, and he had never yearned for grand achievements or affection.

A modest life and quiet comfort. It would be no exaggeration to say those two things were all he had ever pursued.

To think that disposition would be reflected so faithfully in my trait. “…Ha.”

A listless laugh slipped past his lips like a dry cough. Dwelling on his newly acquired traits only brought a throbbing ache and feverish heat behind his temples. Leaning forward, Eui-rim rested against the divine steed’s neck. He had simply sat in the saddle and cast skills, yet his entire body ached as though he had been beaten black and blue.

Supporter. One Who Crossed the Timeline. And Part of the Fragment…

He desperately needed to process the glimpse of his past life he had witnessed when pulled into the dungeon, yet exhaustion dragged his limbs down like lead, as though he had stayed awake for days on end. Dungeon or not, he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and drift into oblivion.

“Eui-rim-ssi.”

Burying his cheek against the steed’s coarse mane, Eui-rim turned his head to see Seo Hae-gun, slightly flushed from battle.

Staring at him blankly, Eui-rim only realized he had forgotten to dismiss his protective barrier when Hae-gun lightly rapped his knuckles against the empty air. Right. That’s right. I forgot.

At least it was worth the money. In truth, he doubted he could have run around on foot relying solely on the bracelet without the steed, but its defensive performance was undeniable.

When he rolled the node on the inner rim of the bracelet, a subtle ripple spread and the barrier dissolved. As Hae-gun approached, Eui-rim asked, “Are you all right?”

“As you can see.”

Hae-gun gave a nonchalant shrug. To any onlooker, it would seem Eui-rim had fought the fierce battle instead of him. While Eui-rim was so drained he could barely muster the strength to sit upright, seeing Hae-gun completely unscathed after unleashing such immense power left him faintly exasperated. Even knowing full well that Hae-gun existed on an incomparable plane as an S-rank, a petty sense of injustice lingered.

“Can you stand?” Hae-gun asked.

“No. I’m dying here,” Eui-rim muttered.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Completely fine, thanks to you. I didn’t get a single scratch because of the bracelet.”

At first, he had been flabbergasted when told the bracelet cost 1.2 billion won, but having experienced it firsthand, he finally understood why high-ranking hunters favored the Forge’s custom gear. Comparing it to the Watch of Seclusion, even for a fleeting second, felt downright embarrassing.

“By the way, how did you do that?” Hae-gun asked, his gaze narrowing thoughtfully.

“Pardon?”

When Eui-rim looked puzzled at the sudden question, Hae-gun leaned in closer, his voice dropping low. “Your skill changed halfway through. You stopped those meteors with pinpoint aim.”

Catching the faint glint of intrigue in Hae-gun’s eyes, Eui-rim realized the S-rank had taken quite a liking to the altered mechanic. Anticipating that his next words would pique his interest even further, Eui-rim answered readily, “Well… a trait—”

“Suddenly?” Hae-gun cut in, sharp and immediate.

“Yes. Out of the blue.”

Contrary to his expectations, however, Hae-gun’s reaction was cold. If anything, the air between them chilled considerably, Hae-gun’s features hardening.

Why? Shouldn’t he be pleased that I’ve become more useful than before?

Furrowing his brows, Hae-gun tilted his head slightly. “Is that related to the status abnormalities as well?”

“Yes. I believe so.”

“What trait awakened, exactly?” Hae-gun pressed.

Though taken aback by the frosty reception, Eui-rim couldn’t leave the question hanging. He replied with measured caution, “Supporter.”

“What?”

“A Supporter trait manifested,” Eui-rim repeated.

Hae-gun’s eyes widened slightly. For several long seconds, he simply stared down at Eui-rim in absolute silence before unmasked displeasure settled across his brow.

“Absurd. Did it truly appear just like that?” Hae-gun said at last, his frown deepening.

Once again, the unexpected reaction left Eui-rim at a total loss. He had assumed Hae-gun would be thrilled, thinking he could now work him to the bone without a second thought. Finding him visibly displeased instead left Eui-rim struggling to grasp his reasoning.

“Then does that mean you can coordinate like this with other hunters as well?”

“What?”

After a quiet pause, Hae-gun looked down at him with a slight curl of his lip. “A strange notification popped up earlier claiming resonance was complete. I was wondering if that was connected to your trait as well, Eui-rim-ssi.”

Did he not see the same system window I did?

Breath hitched in Eui-rim’s throat. Caught completely off guard, he could only meet Hae-gun’s piercing gaze with a blank stare.

The notification Eui-rim had received explicitly stated that resonance had been ‘enhanced’ alongside their respective traits. Discovering that Hae-gun’s prompt had read subtly differently plunged him right back into confusion.

Why did his say ‘complete’ while mine said ‘enhanced’? Is that also due to the difference between 〈Fragment〉 and 〈Part of the Fragment〉?

Eui-rim wanted nothing more than to untangle the chaotic thoughts swirling in his head, but this was hardly the time or place. After a brief hesitation, he offered carefully, “…I’m not certain myself. Whether that status window only applies to you, Seo Hae-gun-ssi, or if resonance is possible with others as well.”

Given the explicit mention of fragments, it seemed far more likely to be a link exclusive to Hae-gun, but…

In the end, it was mere speculation, and speaking carelessly carried too great a risk. He decided the safest path was to test the skill on someone else first and broach the subject only after confirming the truth.

“Why do you two look so grim? Did something go wrong?”

Ahn Moonhyuk dismounted from his steed as he jogged over, wearing a thoroughly puzzled expression. Having just brought down an elusive, tricky boss, he had clearly expected a celebratory atmosphere, only to walk straight into a suffocatingly tense silence.

“Moonhyuk-ah.”

Hae-gun, who had held his tongue until then, addressed the burly hunter. With an indifferent chin gesture, he pointed toward the scorched field behind him.

“Did you retrieve all the broken blades?”

“Huh?” Moonhyuk blinked.

“You didn’t? Chief Hong specifically asked us to recover every broken fragment rather than leave them behind,” Hae-gun said smoothly.

“When on earth did she say that?”

“Yesterday, during our transaction.”

“Wait, I wasn’t even there for that deal! How was I supposed to know?”

“Well, you know now, so go gather them,” Hae-gun replied coolly. “You’re the only one here who did nothing.”

“Ha!”

“Hurry up before the Core Room opens,” Hae-gun added dismissively.

Ha, wow. Unbelievable. Moonhyuk’s face flushed a blotchy red as he huffed in utter disbelief. It was impossible to tell whether he was more indignant at Hae-gun’s unilateral command or humiliated by the stinging jab that he had contributed nothing.

Eui-rim watched blankly as Moonhyuk stormed off, grumbling under his breath. Though he couldn’t put his finger on the exact reason, the nagging conviction that Hae-gun had deliberately dismissed him refused to fade.