Black (1)

The next day, articles flooded the internet. The topic? Seol Ha-woon had finally opened a social media account.

I wondered if something so trivial was really newsworthy.

But it was a good thing.

My public recognition, which had been stagnant for so long, was finally rising.

"...Should I have done this sooner?"

No, maybe joining late was exactly why it drew so much attention.

Let's look on the bright side. Positive thinking.

I checked the address on my smartphone.

"This is the place..."

The place where I was supposed to meet Kim Yoon-jun for a meal.

He had definitely said it was a restaurant, but all I saw was a narrow alleyway. I looked back and forth between my phone and the alley.

"Hmm..."

As I looked around, a man who had been sitting nearby like a homeless person suddenly stood up.

"You may go inside."

He pointed toward the alley.

"Ah. Right. Thank you."

It seemed to be a security measure.

I stepped inside. After walking just a few paces, I was surprised to find myself inside a restaurant. The spacious interior was completely empty, save for a single person.

Kim Yoon-jun waved at me.

"You're here."

"Yes. What a fascinating restaurant."

"It's highly private. I hear it's a sacred ground for idols' secret dates."

That explanation made it feel a bit awkward for two men to be dining here.

"Please, sit."

Kim Yoon-jun pointed to the seat across from him. I sat down. In front of me was an array of side dishes and premium beef.

"Can I just start eating?"

"Yes. I'll grill it for you."

Kim Yoon-jun smiled and placed the meat on the grill.

Sssssssss—

The color of the meat as it cooked was exceptionally beautiful.

He placed a piece of medium-cooked beef onto my plate.

"Have some first. It'll be delicious."

"Yes. Thank you."

I took a bite. It melted on my tongue. My eyes widened. I thought it was cotton candy.

"This is... incredibly delicious."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Kim Yoon-jun sliced the cooked meat and placed it on my plate. I quickly picked it up and kept eating.

It was delicious.

And not just ordinary delicious.

Clack.

Setting his tongs down for a moment, Kim Yoon-jun stared at me. I flinched slightly and met his gaze. Did I stuff my face too much?

Suddenly, a sense of incongruity struck me.

"Your irises... they're different."

They were similar, but subtly different.

Specifically, there was a minute difference in how they reflected light.

"Yes. I received a transplant from a friend."

I paused just as I was about to pick up another piece of meat with my chopsticks. Kim Yoon-jun chuckled softly.

"It's nothing major. We failed a labyrinth exploration, and I simply paid the price."

"Ah... they must have been a very close friend."

Kim Yoon-jun picked up the tongs again.

"We still spent more of our lives together than apart. I met him when I was four. We were childhood friends."

His voice was tinged with bitterness as he placed more meat on my plate.

"You must have been devastated."

"...Actually, it wasn't quite as tragic as you might think."

Kim Yoon-jun furrowed his brow slightly.

"I understand. Everyone thinks that way when they hear about it. They jump to conclusions about why I received this eye. They assume my friend died in the labyrinth, and I lost an eye there."

Kim Yoon-jun was solemnly recounting his past, but my appetite only grew.

It was because of the beef.

I wasn't usually a glutton. In fact, I had very little interest in food.

But this was a first.

A taste like this... I had never experienced it in my life, and perhaps not even in death.

"My friend committed suicide."

I swallowed hard.

"...Suicide?"

"Yes. He did have an accident in the labyrinth. His eyes were tainted by Anomalous mana, and from then on, he suffered because he could see things that shouldn't be seen."

Gulp. I popped a piece of meat into my mouth and chewed as slowly as possible.

"My friend couldn't bear it and took his own life. I was curious. I was annoyed, and I was angry. Just how agonizing could it have been?"

Kim Yoon-jun laughed, as if finding his own past self absurd.

"So, I took the transplant. By force."

"Ah..."

Indeed, this man was no pushover either.

"How was it? That eye."

I asked cautiously. It was an unusual enough story to pique my curiosity.

"One eye is manageable. But my friend had both, so I can understand why he broke."

Kim Yoon-jun also picked up a piece of meat and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ate it.

Chew, chew. He ate as if he were chewing on rubber. How could anyone eat such delicious food like that?

"Ha-woon."

"Yes?"

A serious tone slipped through Kim Yoon-jun's lips.

"This program is dangerous. Far more dangerous than you think—perhaps even more than you can imagine."

A warning.

My expression sobered.

"You've probably noticed to some extent as well, Ha-woon."

"..."

I might actually know more than Kim Yoon-jun.

But Kim Yoon-jun might also know things I didn't.

He was undoubtedly a good person.

However, I couldn't fully trust him yet.

The only reason I couldn't trust him was simply because I was not a good person myself.

"Don't worry. I have no intention of dragging you into this prematurely."

Kim Yoon-jun placed more meat on the grill.

"Still, it's a relief. Knowing there's someone as sharp and aware as you."

I listened to his words. Keeping my true thoughts hidden, I probed the doubts he harbored about this program.

"There's something I'm preparing. Once it's ready, I'll contact you."

Kim Yoon-jun stood up from his seat.

"What? You're leaving already? There's still meat left."

"I'm short on time. I'm sorry I can't stay and keep you company."

Well, there was no real need for him to stay. In fact, it was probably better since I could eat the rest by myself.

"I'll leave through the back door. We shouldn't be seen together. Eat as much as you like. The bill is already taken care of. Since you're here, make sure to grab a membership card on your way out. This is a famous place."

"...Yes. Thank you."

I stuffed my face. Actually, it wasn't even a struggle.

I definitely had to get that membership card.

"You know, we..."

Kim Yoon-jun spoke suddenly. He was still standing there. I thought he had already left.

Kim Yoon-jun smiled as he looked at me, my mouth stuffed with beef.

"We might actually become close friends. Once this show is over."

I swallowed the meat in one big gulp.

"...Yes. Our ages are closer compared to the other explorers, at least."

Kim Yoon-jun was probably in his early to mid-thirties. While he was a whole ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠zodiac cycle older than most of the contestants, he was only five or six years older than me.

"Indeed."

Kim Yoon-jun turned around.

As he walked away, I suddenly called out his name.

"Yoon-jun."

"...?"

Kim Yoon-jun looked back at me.

I wanted to say something, but I swallowed the words.

He was a swordsman of the Volcanic Sect. A man far stronger and more resilient than I.

"Never mind. See you later."

"Yes."

Kim Yoon-jun smiled and walked away.

Night in a penthouse overlooking Gangnam, Seoul.

"Yoon-jun. Did you receive the documents you asked for last time?"

Kim Yoon-jun was on the phone with someone.

"Yes. I got them."

"But what are you planning to use them for?"

"It's nothing major."

Kim Yoon-jun scanned the contents of the documents. It was just as he had expected.

"Alright, then. Anyway, I'm really enjoying Labyrinth Exploration NaN, Mentor."

"Haha... Thank you."

"Yep!"

Kim Yoon-jun hung up and placed the documents inside his personal safe.

"...Sigh."

He let out a sigh and picked up his smartphone. Feeling strangely restless, he browsed social media and stumbled upon Seol Ha-woon's Instagram.

The account was pristine, looking as though it had been created just yesterday. Kim Yoon-jun scrolled through Seol Ha-woon's feed. A still cut of him walking through Raynos with his cane looked remarkably cool.

Seol Ha-woon was an excellent spellcaster. As a mentor and a Ranker, Kim Yoon-jun felt a swell of pride whenever he discovered juniors like him.

It was as if his original passion was being rekindled.

There was a time when I, too, was overflowing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with passion, when I believed in my own talent without a shred of doubt.

The reply came almost instantly. Kim Yoon-jun was about to type a response, but—

*Tap, tap.*

Some creature tapped on the penthouse window. It was a hawk. A small note tied to its leg caught Kim Yoon-jun's eye.

"A carrier hawk?"

Though largely obsolete in the modern era, it was still a method of communication frequently used in Murim.

Kim Yoon-jun opened the window. He untied the paper from the leg of the hawk as it fluttered inside.

"..."

His expression darkened as he read the letter. After carefully digesting it line by line, he rose from his seat.

He grabbed his coat and stepped outside.

The day the explorers were scheduled to return from their break. As usual, I was undergoing my dawn training.

Actually, today was less about training and more about reinforcement.

Nervous system reinforcement.

This was my current perception tech tree.

Despite using Sequence so much that my head felt like it was splitting open, it had only risen this much.

If I didn't want to drop dead suddenly, I needed to raise these as quickly as possible.

I invested 1 Tech Point into Perception Boost, 1 into Cognitive Expansion, and 2 into Nervous System Reinforcement.

From the Lower-Intermediate rank onward, each Tech Point only filled 50% of the proficiency bar. From the Intermediate rank, it would probably be 25%.

With the one remaining point...

I checked my mana.

My mana skills were already at the Intermediate rank. They rose well enough on their own without me having to invest Tech Points.

Since only Mana Memory was at Lower-Intermediate, I decided to bring it up to speed.

"Still a long way to go."

To explain it in MoMo terms, most characters' Public Recognition level usually capped around 30. A 'lock' would be placed on it.

It was a ceiling that could only be raised by unlocking specific achievements, such as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠"Gain recognition as a Mage" or "Earn the respect of the Murim."

Thump. Thump.

I made my way down the mountain, leaning on my cane.

"Ah, I'm hungry."

I was planning to head to the cafeteria to grab some food, but...

"...Hmm?"

The staff members were running. They looked incredibly frantic. A large crowd of explorers followed closely behind them, and among them, I spotted Im Hae-jun's face.

Everyone looked dead serious.

*Tap-tap-tap-tap.* I walked as fast as I could and grabbed Im Hae-jun using telekinesis.

"Ah, what the—!"

Im Hae-jun turned around irritably.

"Hey. Hae-jun. What's going on?"

"Ah, Master!"

"Hyung-nim!"

Lee Jong-su was standing next to Im Hae-jun. His eyes were already brimming with tears.

"What is it?"

Im Hae-jun spoke in a rushed, panicked voice.

"Mentor Kim... Mentor Kim Yoon-jun was murdered last night!"

When I heard those words, I momentarily wondered if I was still half-asleep.