By Zephyria “Jin Mu-hae. I think it’s going to rain.”
Joo-oh suddenly looked up at the sky and spoke.
The way he twitched his nose and sniffed was as agile as a wild animal.
“There was no mention of rain.”
“It’s going to rain a lot. A whole lot.”
The weather outside was always prone to change, and it wasn’t uncommon for rain to fall during this time.
However, it was somehow amazing that he could accurately predict the weather with just his human senses.
Sure enough, dark storm clouds began to gather as they headed back on the bike. Before long, droplets began to fall on his shoulder, and soon heavy rain poured down as if hammering them.
“This is too much.”
It was difficult weather to ride the bike at full speed. Helpless, Mu-hae found a densely grown tree and sat Joo-oh down in front of its trunk.
Water dripped from the head of the soaking wet Joo-oh. He had put him in clothes that were somewhat waterproof, but perhaps because of his dazzlingly white skin, he looked pitiful for no reason.
But the person himself seemed to be enjoying the smell of the rain, with an excited expression…
“When we get back to the small aircraft, dry yourself off with a towel. You’ll catch a cold.”
“I’m okay.”
“It’s polluted rain. It’s not good to be exposed to it for too long.”
Joo-oh, who had been stubbornly trying to insist he was fine, quickly glanced around and stuck close to Mu-hae.
“Cold.”
Cold? The guy who had been fine just a moment ago suddenly had a stiff expression and huddled up.
Mu-hae briefly estimated the passing shower, then picked up the damp Joo-oh and sat him in his lap.
Snug. As if he had been waiting for it, Joo-oh hugged him tightly and burrowed in. Contrary to saying he was cold, his body was warm and feverish.
“Hehe.”
He chuckled softly and sniffed around his neck.
“Like Jin Mu-hae.”
The small voice, barely audible, was as cheerful as a song.
He always had those words of liking on his lips at every chance he got, but Mu-hae didn’t know why he felt so pleased every time he heard them.
“The predictions are off, little by little.”
“You even make predictions?”
“I think I’m being too hasty. But it’s okay. I can handle anything.”
Joo-oh, whispering incomprehensible things, hugged him tightly again. As he looked at the rain-soaked forest, a strange emotion flickered in his eyes.
He had never been outside his Comfort zone except when following a request, yet he looked at the scenery as if it were all too familiar.
A faint smile appeared on his lips, as if grateful for someone being by his side. Strangely, Mu-hae felt as if he wanted the rain to keep pouring for a while.
A busy night passed. Only after exploring the second location did they find the Small aircraft parked at the designated spot.
Mu-hae dried his wet clothes, checked the rain-soaked equipment, and slept briefly for about four hours.
Joo-oh waited stubbornly by his side even when told to sleep first, and only crawled over after Mu-hae lay down.
Was he going to have nightmares again today? Unlike the fleeting worry that passed through his mind, he fell asleep very quietly, his breathing barely audible.
His awkwardly dried hair was damp and soft, and Mu-hae unconsciously kept touching it.
“Dmitri’s plane. Is this around where you found it?”
While riding the bike, Joo-oh asked as if he had read his mind.
Barely hearing him over the harsh wind, Mu-hae replied with a short, “Ah.”
It was about time to see it. This time, there were no Aberrants in sight, but they had deliberately taken a roundabout route to arrive. In the distance, a small flat area appeared beside the road.
‘…!’
The ground had faint traces of burning. Nothing remained in its place.
Not even a broken Small aircraft, nor a single piece of iron or component could be found no matter how hard they looked.
“Someone cleaned it up.”
Joo-oh patted his waist and whispered. He knew without being told. Mu-hae stopped the bike with a hardened expression.
Although it was a Small aircraft, it was a large machine that could carry several people. To cleanly remove the wreckage, they would have had to bring equipment all the way here.
If they were serious enough to go through this trouble, it must be NPS. Like glitter accidentally spilled, traces stuck stubbornly here and there, and his quiet mind became complicated again.
“Damn it.”
He clicked his tongue briefly and rode the bike again. He had a bad feeling and didn’t want to stay in Buckta for long.
He hadn’t intended to complete the original two-night, three-day request schedule anyway, but he wanted to return to Goryeo City even sooner. Especially with this troublemaker by his side.
15%
24%
52%
…
After recording the appearance of the third Crystal Zone, Mu-hae slowly walked towards the large tree trunk.
Needless to say, unlike last time, there was no foul smell. The grass he glanced over was clean without any traces.
It was when the Beasts were roaming around, so something might have carried away the bones, but an uncomfortable feeling remained in his mind and bothered him.
“That.”
Suddenly, Joo-oh darted out and picked something up. A damp metallic object. A silver bracelet that had turned green.
If something clearly belonging to a person was left abandoned in a place like this, it must be Dmitri’s.
It seemed to have fallen off anywhere as the bones scattered. The sun pattern in the center of the bracelet created an eerie feeling.
“I’ve never been here before, so I don’t know if there’s a story behind it.”
“What story?”
“But the quest keeps getting recorded. Is it hidden?”
Joo-oh wandered around, muttering incomprehensible things. Then, he suddenly widened his eyes and turned his head sharply to one side.
“Jin Mu-hae.”
At his suddenly serious expression, Mu-hae also silenced himself and surveyed the surroundings.
Joo-oh, who was twitching his ears as if listening to a distant sound, grabbed Mu-hae’s wrist.
“Run.”
And with a strong pull, he started running as fast as he could. He didn’t know why, but when he acted like this, it was best to follow him first.
Mu-hae kicked off the ground with all his might, increasing his speed, and ran towards the road where he had parked the bike.
However, just before exiting the forest path, Joo-oh’s feet stopped as if he had slammed on the brakes. His red eyes, turning around sharply, gleamed with light.
“We’re surrounded.”
Several red dots ambled on the radar he urgently checked. However, the sound of the Aberrant was not heard. The way they moved was also more like beasts than…
“Coming out?”
In the vicinity of the Crystal Zone where the Aberrants were wandering. In the area tacitly occupied by Goryeo City, the language of unfamiliar humans was heard.
Someone was occupying the bike on the road and waiting for them. Mu-hae calmly took the gun in his hand and moved Joo-oh behind him.
“I can see everything…”
Taang-!
Before the other person could finish speaking, Mu-hae pulled the trigger.
The drone floating in the air was smashed to pieces and plummeted to the ground.
“A quick-witted bastard.”
The sound of several humans moving in unison echoed from ahead. Mu-hae grabbed Joo-oh and quickly slipped into the forest.
Throughout the escape, abandoning their means of transportation, Joo-oh’s face, turned towards the sky, was frighteningly hardened. As if he had guessed what was happening, his flawless face was stained with a subtle anger.
Then taang-!
Along with the sound of a gunshot, a stinging sensation grazed Mu-hae’s thigh. His running body lost its balance and tumbled onto the wet ground.
Joo-oh, who had been holding on tightly, was dragged along as well, but it was closer to him rolling along with Mu-hae’s speed rather than falling.
He got up first and examined Mu-hae’s leg. Blood gushed out, but the wound wasn’t deep. It seemed the bullet had just grazed him.
“Shit.”
“Catch them!”
Tang-!
Before Mu-hae could even get up, he aimed his weapon. He easily shot down one of the men rushing at him and quickly scanned the ground.
Taang-! Pow!
The muzzle narrowly missed. Mu-hae got up from his spot as if he were fine and threw the cylindrical cartridge from his waist in front of him.
“Close your eyes.”
At the same time as he opened his mouth, he wrapped his arms around Joo-oh’s head and held him in his arms.
Flash! A flashbang exploded, emitting a pure white light. Even though he closed his eyes and turned his head, his vision blurred for a moment, and Mu-hae strained his brow several times.
“We can’t go that way.”
Joo-oh grabbed Mu-hae, who was trying to go back the way they came, and shook his head wildly.
“What’s there?”
“Aberrant.”
As soon as he heard that, a sense of being screwed chilled his blood. Aberrants in front, and humans trying to kill him behind.
Were they probably guys related to NPS? It felt like he had fallen into a trap. He couldn’t figure out how they knew about his schedule and were waiting for him in Buckta.
“They were told.”
Joo-oh muttered quietly.
“But Buckta was originally a place I wouldn’t come to. A prank overlapped with a bad moment, making it dangerous.”
Despite his injury, Mu-hae was running fine, but Joo-oh’s gaze, looking at his blood-soaked leg, was terribly fierce.
Those eyes with greatly dilated pupils. He had seen them before. The day he faced the 〈Grade 1〉 Stone Mason, the day he was half out of his mind.
“Get a grip.”
Even though he grabbed his nape tightly and growled, his rough breathing didn’t return to normal.
Kereureureuk-!
Unfortunately, at that moment, an ominous howl was heard nearby. Suddenly, pow! A huge shadow covered them, as if breaking through the bushes.
Argos. The Aberrant they had avoided in the first Crystal Zone. A 〈Grade 1〉 hunter that was not commonly seen in this area.
Taang-!
Mu-hae, pushing Joo-oh away, shot the Aberrant’s body.
He immediately jumped and grabbed a tree branch. He barely sent the struggling, crawling thing under his feet.
Throb. His injured leg ached as if it were throbbing, but he didn’t even have time to pay attention to it. Mu-hae climbed up the tree and braced a large Taser on his shoulder.
Teoong-! Zzzzzzz!
Kueeeeek!
Argos, spasming several times from the electric shock, screamed, and naturally, their location was also exposed to everyone.
Argos, enraged to the extreme, swung its many limbs and instantly destroyed the tree Mu-hae was on.
Kwaang! Jin Mu-hae rolled on the ground as best he could to absorb the impact of the fall. But then his side stung, and his leg buckled.
Something like a giant awl flew and pierced through his jacket. This is… a tranquilizer dart…