014 - Jin Baek-hyeon Jin Baek-hyeon
Lee Chang had seen him once before, about ten years ago.
Late 2020s, early to mid-reconstruction period. It was before the world had properly stabilized.
Back then, Lee Chang had been a squad leader in a hunter unit, deployed for the follow-up purge of a massive gate break on the outskirts of Seoul.
That's when the accident happened. An unexpected high-risk monster appeared.
Lee Chang had braced for death.
And the one who showed up and cleaned it all up in an instant was Jin Baek-hyeon—the man hailed as a hero back then, now recognized as an S-rank hunter.
Lee Chang never forgot that day.
Because while it had been a life-or-death moment for him, amid the chaos of those times, it wasn't considered one of the top-priority fronts.
Let alone a spot worthy of an S-rank showing up in person.
Why had the hero Jin Baek-hyeon passed up other critical areas to appear there himself? It lingered as a small question in Lee Chang's mind.
Anyway, he'd only watched from afar back then. This was the first time actually facing him directly.
'An S-rank hunter...'
This time, it wasn't tension from her little girl's body. Even if Lee Chang himself had been there, it would've been the same.
The weight of that name and title was just that immense.
Lee Jiyeon followed behind Jo Jeong-ah down the corridor of the institute's central building.
After taking the elevator to the top floor and walking the hall, Lee Jiyeon's heart was beating strangely fast.
Finally, they stopped before a large door.
Director's Office.
- Knock knock
"Director, it's Chief Researcher Jo Jeong-ah."
"Come in."
The voice from beyond the door was surprisingly relaxed.
A low, calm tone. Leisurely, yet immediate—no keeping subordinates waiting.
The wooden door opened smoothly.
Lee Jiyeon stepped inside after Jo Jeong-ah.
True to the grand door, the office was spacious.
One wall lined floor-to-ceiling with bookshelves, the opposite with a row of monitors, and a view of the entire institute through the window.
For Lee Jiyeon, whose life rarely brought her to such places, it evoked memories of an elementary school principal's office from her very early childhood, back when the world was still somewhat normal.
The main difference: this one was far larger and more luxurious than that distant recollection.
And beyond it all, seated behind the desk, was the man.
Intellectual attire and demeanor, but a surprisingly sturdy build.
Neatly trimmed short hair.
An appearance in his thirties.
But eyes that spoke of far more experience.
Jin Baek-hyeon.
—And there was one more presence in the room besides the man.
By the window, back against the wall, stood a figure.
Black exoskeleton.
Glowing red eyes.
A Sentinel.
The magic automatons Jin Baek-hyeon had developed to maintain public order across the cities.
But this one was starkly different from the ones Lee Jiyeon had seen on the streets.
Standard Sentinels had overtly mechanical designs.
Metal joints at the seams, serial numbers etched on the chest, shapes humanoid yet unmistakably inhuman at a glance.
This one, though, was eerily human-like.
If not for the face, she might've mistaken it for a real person.
The build of a slightly tall adult male.
A black mask covering the entire face.
Smooth, semi-translucent black surface devoid of any expression.
From beneath that mask, two beams of red light fixed on Lee Jiyeon.
'...'
Lee Jiyeon quickly averted her gaze.
She'd heard of Jin Baek-hyeon's personal bodyguard Sentinel.
But seeing it in person was a first, and it was far more uncanny than expected.
Lee Chang's instincts were warning her.
That's strong.
Regular Sentinels were rated around C- to B-rank in combat power, but this wasn't mass-produced.
A custom unit carried by the creator himself.
Her senses told her it was on par with—or stronger than—her old A-rank hunter self.
As Lee Jiyeon tensed at the sight of the Sentinel, Jin Baek-hyeon was already rising from his seat and approaching.
"Jeong-ah, everything alright lately? You look tired—take it easy sometimes."
"How could I, with work piling up?"
There was no stiff formality in Jo Jeong-ah's voice considering their positions.
Jin Baek-hyeon was the same.
S-rank hunter and non-awakener civilian. Institute director and chief researcher.
Setting aside those distinctions, they seemed quite close.
Like old friends.
Or maybe more than that.
Jin Baek-hyeon was a classified S-rank awakener. His aging would be far slower than a typical one.
Given he'd looked similar back in the 2020s, he was likely older than Jo Jeong-ah.
Whatever backstory they shared wouldn't be surprising.
"Let's sit and talk first. Coffee okay?"
"Oh, Director, let me make it."
"Haha, can't keep tormenting my hardworking staff... Sit, sit."
Leaving those words, Jin Baek-hyeon headed to the coffee machine in one corner.
Lee Jiyeon looked up at them, lost in various thoughts.
Suddenly, Jin Baek-hyeon turned back to her.
"So, you're Lee Chang?"
"Uh, yeah?"
She froze for a moment at the abrupt question.
Lee Jiyeon straightened up and answered hastily.
"Yes, that's me. I'm Lee Chang."
"Hm..."
Jin Baek-hyeon stared piercingly at the girl from the coffee machine, not turning around.
What's that about?
A flicker of unease rose, but Jin Baek-hyeon soon turned away as if it were nothing.
"Like coffee?"
"I can drink anything."
"Still, coffee's not great for a growing kid. I'll make cocoa— you sit too."
...Then why ask?
Lee Jiyeon sat across from Jo Jeong-ah with a slightly pouty expression.
Moments later, Jin Baek-hyeon returned with two coffees and one cocoa, setting them on the table.
Coffee for Jo Jeong-ah, steaming cocoa before Lee Jiyeon.
He grabbed his own coffee and settled on the sofa.
"Honestly, I was half-doubting from the reports, but seeing you in person... can't deny it. A magical girl?"
"Yes..."
The weak reply slipped out.
It was a fact confirmed multiple times already, but hearing it from an S-rank hunter made the reality hit anew.
Jin Baek-hyeon continued, unable to hide his amusement.
"So, how's it feel to become a magical girl? Considering your old self... heh heh."
"Haha... I volunteered, so I'll deal with it."
Lee Jiyeon forced a laugh.
A 2-meter brute turning into a 142cm girl was funnier than any comedy in the world.
She'd have lost it too if it happened to someone else.
"Still, it's been five days already, right? Adapting okay? What do you think, Jeong-ah?"
Jin Baek-hyeon turned to Jo Jeong-ah.
"Jiyeon—no, Hunter Lee Chang is trying her best to adjust."
"In what ways?"
"Well... she's seeming more comfortable day by day?"
Lee Jiyeon frowned slightly at that.
She wanted to argue that getting comfortable wasn't the same as adapting, but remembering how she'd voluntarily put on a bra that morning left her speechless.
"Hmm, I see. So that's how it is. What about beyond daily life?"
Jin Baek-hyeon took another sip of coffee, shifting tone.
"Beyond...?"
"Strength. Strength."
Jin Baek-hyeon eyed Lee Jiyeon, who was sipping her cocoa.
"You volunteered for a 0% success, 100% fatality experiment to get a trait. Satisfied with the power?"
Before Lee Jiyeon could respond, Jo Jeong-ah spoke up.
"You must not have seen the latest data I sent. We got new results last night—check this."
Jo Jeong-ah pulled out a tablet and handed it to Jin Baek-hyeon.
Data from last night through this morning.
Aura usage, artificial mana core waveform synthesis, and the morning test results.
Jin Baek-hyeon's eyes scanned the tablet rapidly.
The speed was extraordinary.
He devoured masses of data and graphs in seconds, occasionally zooming in on specifics.
"Oh ho, oh ho."
The director's expression grew intrigued.
"I see. Aura, huh? You can use it like this?"
He looked up from the tablet at Lee Jiyeon.
"Impressive... Can you show me now?"
"Sure."
Lee Jiyeon set down her cocoa, stood, and focused immediately.
Just demonstrating was no big deal.
Three artificial mana cores in her lower abdomen. Tune their waves, synthesize to approximate the heart's waveform.
Resonance initiated.
- Kiiing
Crimson haze rose from the girl's entire body.
"Ooh... so this is aura."
Jin Baek-hyeon leaned forward with interest. Jo Jeong-ah chimed in from the side.
"Seems like a highly unique application. Worth more research, right?"
"Of course."
Jin Baek-hyeon nodded.
"Compile it when you have time. No rush—take it slow."
Lee Jiyeon dispelled the aura and sat back down.
Activating and deactivating still took focus, leaving a bit of fatigue, but she didn't show it.
Jin Baek-hyeon sipped his coffee again, eyeing her.
"You're handling it better than expected, Lee Chang."
He paused, then smirked faintly.
"Or should I say Jiyeon now? Feels like yesterday you were trembling behind me."
Lee Jiyeon's eyes widened.
"...You remember that? It was over ten years ago."
"I've got a good memory. Why else call me a genius? This brain remembers things from a thousand years ago like yesterday."
Jin Baek-hyeon chuckled lightly, and Lee Jiyeon gave a wry smile. The joke was eerie.
More than that—he remembered. Her rookie self from back then.
She'd made a name locally, but compared to the hero, she was just a dim lantern.
Yet he'd remembered her.
Lee Jiyeon swallowed the awkwardness with a sip of cocoa.
The atmosphere wasn't bad.
More relaxed than expected.
Jin Baek-hyeon was surprisingly human for an S-rank, soft in how he treated people, as seen with Jo Jeong-ah.
The Sentinel's red glow from the corner was a minor annoyance she could ignore.
As Lee Jiyeon thought that—
"The problem is..."
Jin Baek-hyeon set his coffee cup on the table.
Clink.
The sharp sound echoed clearly in the director's office.
"You're doing too well. Would be nice if you weren't."
"...Pardon?"
Lee Jiyeon's hand froze over her cocoa.
What?