Reality is Cold (You Spend What You Earn)
As I passed through the gate, there was nothing around me. The desolate landscape of the Break Zone stretched out unchanged, and a dull, heavy roar echoed repeatedly from the distance. Vibrations pounded the air, and through the low-lying smoke, the sound of artillery fire continued without pause. I paused briefly to get my bearings, then lowered my body and began to run without hesitation. The direction of the roar was clear, and there was no reason to delay any longer.
The difference became apparent after just a few steps. The sensation of kicking off the ground felt incomparably lighter than before, and distances seemed to shrink rapidly as if the scenery itself were being pulled toward me.
“…So this is what it feels like.”
The words slipped out like a murmur, but even I could clearly sense the change in my perception. Soon, the source of the roar came into view. Beyond the Chuncheon Break Zone, a defensive line had formed at the entrance to Chuncheon city proper. Military forces maintained formation and continued shelling, while hunters poured out mana between them to push back the monsters. Enhancement-type hunters stood at the front, physically blocking the monsters’ advance, but their expressions showed no trace of ease.
The battlefield was chaotic. Even under bombardment, the monsters’ advance never stopped, and the defensive line was slowly being pushed back.
“These things can even tank military artillery! How the hell are we supposed to stop them?!”
“There aren’t nearly enough A-rank hunters!”
“Isn’t the Blue Dragon Guild Master supposed to be here? This is their jurisdiction!”
“You want us to hold the line like this?!”
The voices were thick with anxiety and impatience. I took a steadying breath, then used Blink from where I stood. The view folded once, and in the next instant I appeared in the air behind the hunters and soldiers, in a blind spot relatively hidden from view, before quietly descending to the ground. Upon landing, I used minimal telekinesis to disperse the impact. A faint cloud of dust rose, but it wasn’t enough to draw attention.
I kept low and ran, naturally blending into the hunters’ ranks. In a low voice, I spoke to Arin and Elly.
“Don’t show yourselves. Just amplify the power of the existing attacks a little, matching your attributes.”
“Got it!”
“Even so, I’ll stay close to you, Jihoon. You’ve gotten stronger, but there are still way too many of them.”
Arin subtly increased the intensity of her flames, while Elly gathered the flow of water as tightly as possible to keep it from scattering. Their power didn’t stand out on its own; it simply merged naturally into the hunters’ existing attacks. I formed a small mana bullet in my palm—minimal in size, with the explosion radius deliberately reduced. Timing it with the moment a hunter’s attack struck a monster, I threw it. There was no noticeable explosion, yet the depth of the damage changed dramatically.
“Huh? That attack just worked! Focus on the wounds!”
“We’re getting damage in! Keep attacking!”
Surprised voices erupted from various places. I adjusted my speed and moved, never overdoing it, but clearly influencing the flow of battle. A monster that had been trying to break through the front line suddenly froze, then collapsed under a hunter’s strike the next moment. Elsewhere, the temperature of flame attacks rose noticeably, and the penetrating power of mana bullets shifted subtly. To anyone watching, it would have looked like someone’s finishing move or concentrated bombardment.
One by one, monsters began to fall, and the defensive line’s wavering gradually lessened. I had been holding the line for some time when the atmosphere on one side of the battlefield shifted.
“It’s the Blue Dragon Guild Master!”
“The Blue Dragon Guild is here!”
With the arrival of the Blue Dragon Guild Master and Team 1, the front line was instantly pushed back, and only then did the defensive line visibly stabilize. Taking advantage of the opening, I withdrew to the rear and leaned against a wall, quietly catching my breath while maintaining my current position.
Just then, low voices reached me from nearby.
“Isn’t that the hunter who used to wander the Break Zone alone?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen him a few times before.”
“He must be at least A-rank, right?”
“That’s why he could travel alone and still be fine.”
“The hunter who roamed the Break Zone by himself was pretty famous, actually.”
I let the words wash over me, simply focusing on steadying my breathing. This level of involvement was just right—unobtrusive, yet clearly contributing. A position where I could survive without revealing my true strength.
After catching my breath and looking around, it no longer seemed like my help was needed. The Blue Dragon Guild appeared to have deployed all its members, and the monsters were visibly being cleared out. Even the A-rank monsters were no exception. The Blue Dragon Guild Master, Team 1, and Team 2’s leader each took on their respective opponents, and the battle was rapidly drawing to a close.
As expected of S-rank hunters. Their movements were sharp and efficient, each action carrying immense mana. I didn’t need to watch for long to understand why they stood at the top. Observing their movements, I quietly reassessed my own standards. With my current strength, I might not be able to fully match their flow, but at least I wouldn’t be held back. If I grew more accustomed to it, that gap would likely close faster than I thought.
After watching the hunters a little longer, I decided it was time to withdraw. The battle had already entered its final stages, and there was no longer a place for me to step in. I quickly made up my mind. Remembering the car I had parked in the lot, I headed back toward the Chuncheon Break Zone.
And then—
“Damn it… those monster bastards.”
What came into view was wreckage that could barely be called a car.
“They turned a car I bought less than a year ago into scrap metal.”
Arin tilted her head in confusion.
“Jihoon? What’s that pile of scrap? Don’t tell me… that’s our car?”
“Haa… Yeah, Arin. That’s exactly what it is. Damn it…”
“Jihoon! From now on, when we enter a Break Zone, let’s store the car in the pocket dimension first!”
“Ah… right! Why didn’t I think of that? What an idiot…”
Elly chimed in with a laugh.
“Well, you made a lot of money today. Just buy another one. While you’re at it, get a motorcycle too.”
“At this rate, I’ll be spending everything I earned…”
“By the way, how are we supposed to get home?”
Arin approached with a playful grin.
“Hohoho, Jihoon. Think of it as training your abilities. Just run. With your current strength, you should be fine, right?”
“Exactly! You can fly over rivers and leap over mountains—it’ll be quick!”
“You two… You make it sound so easy, like it’s not your problem. I want to rest too, you know.”
At that, Arin suddenly put on a serious expression.
“Jihoon, I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before. ‘The sweat you shed now extends your life.’ It was a phrase at Han Do-hoon’s dojo… You remember it too, don’t you?”
“…Tch. You got me there. When did you even see that?”
“Jihoon, I may not know much else, but at least I’ll wash your equipment and body for you. You should go home clean, after all.”
The moment she finished speaking, water rose following Elly’s touch and enveloped my entire body. As I entrusted myself to the gentle current, it felt as though all my fatigue was being washed away at once.
“Call me again when we get home… I’ll wash you then too.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Elly. You’re the only one I can count on.”
“Hmph… You always favor Elly. Then should I melt that scrap metal for you? That’d be fine, right?”
“Hey, that’s enough. There’s a proper procedure for disposing of it. We have to wait until the Break is over and things are sorted out.”
“This time, I’ll just buy it under my own name. After all this activity, one car should be fine, right?”
“Yeah. Besides, now that they know you have a Dungeon Core Detector, the Investigation Bureau probably won’t pay much attention to you anymore.”
“Probably. Still, just in case, let’s stay cautious.”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
I looked around once more before turning to the spirits.
“Alright, time to head out. What about you two?”
Arin raised her arms in a stretch.
“Hmm… I’ll head back to the Spirit Realm now. I need to sort out my newly ascended power, and honestly, I’m a bit tired.”
Elly nodded as well.
“Me too, Jihoon. Call me if you need anything once you’re home.”
“Got it. You two go rest. I’ll call if I need you.”
“Okay! Then I’m off. Bye!”
“I’m going too. Bye.”
With those farewells, Arin and Elly returned to the Spirit Realm. I began moving along the path from Chuncheon toward home. When a river appeared, I flew across using telekinesis. When a mountain blocked the way, I used Flash Step to climb and descend. I ran through the trees, turning the journey itself into training—simultaneously honing my agility, stamina, and power control.
After returning home through this training, I took a quick shower and practiced the Harmony Heart Method for a short while. Then, as if I could no longer stay awake, I fell straight into sleep.
The next morning, the first thing I did upon waking was grab my phone and check the news. The Break incident that had occurred in the Chuncheon area yesterday had been fully resolved under the leadership of the Blue Dragon Guild, with around twenty casualties reported. The Break Zone itself had entered the stabilization phase. At the end of the article, there was also an analysis suggesting that a monster vacuum would persist for some time.
The moment I read that news, Yoo Mira’s face inexplicably came to mind. After a brief hesitation, I called her.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Mira. It’s me. Are you busy right now?”
“No. I just finished a meeting. What’s up?”
“Well… I saw the news. There was a monster Break in the Chuncheon Break Zone yesterday. For some reason, I thought of you and decided to call. Your team’s okay, right?”
“Yeah. We’re in charge of the Cheongpyeong Break Zone. The Dark Guild cleaned that place out last time, remember? Hehe.”
“Haha… right. So Cheongpyeong should be safe for a while?”
“Yeah. For now, at least. There don’t seem to be many monsters left.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.”
After a short pause, I added,
“Then… want to grab a meal together when you have time?”
“Hmm… I’ll probably be busy for a while. How about lunch next weekend?”
“Sounds good. Let’s watch a movie and have lunch together.”
“Hohoho… Is this a date invitation?”
“Haha… Yeah. Is that okay?”
“Hmm… Sure. See you then.”
“Yeah. Enjoy your lunch, and I’ll see you next week.”
Only after ending the call did I get up, wash up briefly, and head out. Once again, I opened my pocket dimension bag and checked inside. The mana stones and monster corpses I had organized yesterday were still there. Trolls, griffins, drakes—the corpses alone were valuable, and the quantity of mana stones wasn’t small either. Today, my priority was to sell all of it.
I finished getting ready and headed to the rental car company. After completing the one-month contract and taking possession of the car, I drove straight to the junkyard. The junkyard agreed to collect and scrap the vehicle at no additional cost, and the process went faster than expected. Next, I went to the city hall to complete the scrapping procedure. Standing at the counter, I hesitated for a moment before carefully asking,
“Excuse me. I had to scrap my car because of the monster Break in the Chuncheon area. Is there any kind of compensation available?”
The staff member shook their head.
“I’m sorry. Break Zones are classified as danger zones, so no compensation is provided.”
“…What?”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
“Ugh… I just threw away a fortune. The car alone was worth over 300 million won…”
The staff member glanced over the documents again.
“Ah… It’s a Blue Dragon SUV. You’ve only had it for a little over a year, right?”
“I parked it and entered the Break Zone. It got caught in this monster Break. The car was completely wrecked.”
“Oh no… I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do to help.”
With those words, I left city hall without asking anything further. My stomach churned. A sense of injustice followed a beat later. Because it was a Break Zone, even auto insurance compensation didn’t apply. If the car had been parked elsewhere and swept up, it would have been a different story, but vehicles parked inside the Break Zone were explicitly excluded under the policy terms. Still, what could I do? Rules were rules. I decided not to dwell on it any longer and turned my steps toward Seongwon Industries.