The Black Bracelet
I stared at the gauntlet, and a laugh bubbled up in my throat. It lay there as if it had been prepared specifically for me—for the man whose right wrist had just been severed. I remembered what an S-rank hunter had once said after discovering an artifact: "It was as if the weapon was waiting for me, right when I needed it most."
There was no need to deliberate. "I’m dead either way..." I extended my severed wrist toward the opening of the gauntlet. The moment the raw stump touched the edge, the gauntlet latched on as if it were a natural part of my own body. I couldn't hear a thing, but I imagined it would have made a satisfying, mechanical click.
"This is absurd..." I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my right hand. The gauntlet functioned perfectly, moving with my intent without a hint of awkwardness. With my right hand, I carefully brushed against my left eye. It felt sunken and hollow in places.
"..."
Up close, the gauntlet looked as if it were covered in scales. The black metal was matte, devoid of any shine, and etched with thin, golden lines running in straight, parallel intervals. The fingertips were sharp enough that a mere touch felt like it would draw blood. As I stood there, turning my hand over and over, something suddenly boiled up from within me.
"Ugh...! Ugh! Argh!"
I collapsed to my knees. Black blood poured from my mouth like a waterfall. I couldn't open my eyes, and the blood kept surging from my throat. "Ugh!" "What... is this...!" When I finally regained my senses, I found myself staring at a pool of the black blood I had vomited onto the floor.
"What is... this... ugh!"
Once the blood was expelled, a wave of agony I had never felt before crashed over me, as if every nerve in my body had suddenly flared to life and started screaming. It was a pain so intense I couldn't even manage a cry. "Argh...! Ugh...!" My vision went black, and unable to endure the torment, I slumped forward, burying my face in the pool of my own blood, and lost consciousness.
"Ngh... ugh..."
I don't know how long I had been out. When I pushed myself up, the dried black blood on my face stretched and cracked with a sticky sound. Feeling disgusted, I wiped my face and looked at my hand. And then... I couldn't help but gape in shock.
"W-what is this..."
The reason for my shock wasn't the grotesque, jelly-like black blood coating my hands. It was my left arm—the one that had been completely crushed—it was perfectly restored. I touched my ear. Though I hadn't even realized it, my hearing had returned to normal. I carefully opened my left eye. My vision was crystal clear. I traced the left side of my face with my left hand. It should have been sunken and mangled, but it was smooth and whole.
It seemed my internal organs had been repaired as well; no matter where I pressed or probed, I felt no pain. "So this... is an artifact..."
At first, I couldn't tell if this moment was reality or a dream. It wasn't until I had poked every inch of my body, coughed, and taken deep breaths that I was forced to accept it was real. "It really feels like reality..."
"But... this."
The biggest problem was my right hand. "Do I have to live with this thing on forever?" I tried to pull it off with my left hand, but it wouldn't budge. I couldn't complain, really—it had saved my life and healed my mangled body—but the Association was the issue. The third search team would be arriving soon. If I walked out wearing this gauntlet, it would be the same as bragging that I’d stolen an artifact.
"It sounds ridiculous even to say it, but they should have at least made it detachable... How do I even release... this..."
Click!
"...!"
The gauntlet vanished. No, when I looked down, a black bracelet was fastened around my wrist. It was a thin, black band with two fine golden lines running through the center. "Could it be..."
I took a deep breath, tensed my arm, and shouted, "Equip!"
The bracelet didn't budge. "..."
Ignoring the awkwardness, I tried whispering softly this time. "Mount...?"
Click!
In an instant, the bracelet disappeared, and the gauntlet was equipped. "Release..."
Click!
The gauntlet reverted back into the bracelet. "What the hell is this, really..." I chuckled to myself like a madman for a few seconds before leaving the room with the altar.
"Huh?"
As I stepped out of the room, the altar collapsed with a rumble. It was as if nothing had ever been there to begin with... it simply returned to being a black wall.
Hummm-
As I stared at the wall, lost in thought, a familiar sound came from behind me. The escape portal had opened. "Ha..."
It felt as if someone were playing a cruel prank on me. Coincidentally, my right wrist was severed... coincidentally, I found an artifact... and that artifact just happened to be a gauntlet that fit my wrist perfectly. A chilling feeling washed over me, as if everything had been designed to happen exactly this way from the start.
"Right... now is not the time... Ah! ...What is... again... damn it..."
I suddenly remembered Hyena lying unconscious. The moment I tried to hoist her onto my back to head for the escape gate, a massive wave of dizziness and drowsiness crashed into me.
"Ah... what is this... this... ugh..."
I barely fought off the maddening urge to sleep and crawled toward the fallen Hyena. "Ah... ugh..." I knelt and tried to lift her, but there was no strength left in my body. "Can't... Hye... na... ugh..."
Unable to resist the sleep and vertigo, my consciousness began to fade. Just then, I heard a loud shout from behind me.
"There! That's them! The escape gate is open too!"
"Hurry!"
As I closed my eyes, head drooping, letting out a shallow breath, someone shook my shoulder. "Hunter! Hunter! Can you hear me?"
"Stay with us!"
"First, give the survivors first aid and move them to the escape gate immediately!"
"Hunter!"
I mustered every ounce of strength left in my body to leave one last word before collapsing onto Hyena. "Sleepy..."
"Ah..."
When I opened my eyes, I saw a white ceiling and an antique light fixture. I was lying on a plush bed. I lowered my head slightly to see Yuna sitting in a chair to my left, her hand resting on my stomach as she slept slumped over. To my right was Nahyun. Seeing the hospital gown I was wearing, it was clearly a hospital. And this room looked like one of those VIP suites I’d only seen in dramas.
"What kind of hospital room has a living room and a sofa... It's bigger than our living room at home..."
"Hm?"
On the sofa, Hyena, also in a hospital gown, was snoring away with one leg draped over the backrest. "Why is she here..." Aside from the bandages wrapped around her, she looked fine. "Thank goodness."
I turned my head and saw Yoon Jihyun sleeping on the guardian's bed to my right. "Ah."
As I retraced my memories, I hurriedly pulled my right hand from under the covers. A black bracelet was fastened around my wrist. "It wasn't... a dream."
I reached out with my left hand and stroked Yuna’s hair as she slept soundly. "Mmm..." Yuna made a pleasant sound, then slowly opened her sleepy eyes and met my gaze. She bolted upright, staring at me in silence for several seconds like someone who had lost their soul.
"What should I say..."
"Yuna... I... I’m back."
Tears began to stream down Yuna’s face like a waterfall. "Huh? Hey, don't cry, don't cry." I sat up and wiped her tears with my hand, but they kept pouring out endlessly.
"Sob..."
"Huh?"
Yuna pulled me into a tight embrace and began to sob. "I'm really okay..."
"Sunghyun!"
"Yeah?"
Nahyun must have woken up at the sound of Yuna’s crying; she was staring at me with tear-filled eyes. "So don't cry..."
Nahyun also hugged me and began to sob. "..."
I looked to the side and saw Yoon Jihyun had woken up at the noise and was watching me. "You... you're not going to cry, right?"
"You... idiot..."
Jihyun didn't sob out loud, but tears streamed down her face as she approached and hugged me. "No... I just took a nap and woke up, why is everyone..."
"Back in the day, you were all 'I'm in my rebellious phase' and 'having a family just makes you soft when you enter a gate,' so you didn't need us... You're pretty popular, huh?"
Hyena was standing in front of the bed, smiling. Her eyes were red-rimmed as well. "Please, don't you cry, my friend..."
Hyena answered with a laugh instead of tears. Just as we were having our tearful family reunion, someone opened the hospital room door. The nurse who opened it gasped when she saw me, shouted "Doctor!", and ran off somewhere. Soon, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway, and several doctors entered. My family, who had been holding me, stepped back when they saw the doctors.
The elderly-looking doctor, who seemed to be the most senior, approached me and asked, "Patient, how are you feeling right now?"
"Pardon?"
I didn't understand the question at all. "Uh... I'm actually a bit hungry..."
It wasn't a joke; aside from the hunger, I felt perfectly fine. No, if anything, my body felt more energetic and refreshed than ever before. The doctor laughed as if my answer was amusing.
"Patient... you have been in a coma for a week."
"What? Ha..."
Hearing that I’d been in a coma for a week left me stunned. Now I understood why my family had cried so hard when I woke up. According to the doctor, when everyone was found collapsed in the gate, I was discovered alone, kneeling, and was immediately rushed to the hospital, but I had remained unconscious. They had run every test possible, but there was nothing wrong with my body. I had simply been in a coma.
"I see..."
"Still, just in case... we will keep you hospitalized for another week to monitor you."
"Yes."
Just then, with a creak, people in suits entered the room. The person at the front was... Association President Han Jihyuk. I quickly hid my right hand under the blanket.
"I'm not so rigid that I'd make you stand. Stay lying down." As I made a move to get out of bed, Han Jihyuk waved his hand, telling me to stay put.
"To what do I owe the pleasure..."
Han Jihyuk bowed his head toward Yuna with a gentlemanly tone and said, "Could you spare us a moment? I would like to speak with Hunter Yoon Sunghyun alone."
When I nodded to Yuna to let her know it was okay, everyone left the room. This was my first time seeing Han Jihyuk this close. He looked like a middle-aged gentleman with neatly groomed white hair and a stylish beard. Even at a glance, he exuded an immense presence. He truly looked the part of the pinnacle of hunters.
"Is your body alright?"
"Yes."
Han Jihyuk stroked his beard with an intrigued expression. "As soon as Hunter Choi Seojin regained consciousness, she spoke of you. She requested that you be appointed as the second-highest contributor and immediately be given the highest-grade biological catalyst... an elixir."
"Pardon?"
"Damn it..."
That look in his eyes was a mix of suspicion and interest. Choi Seojin had been unconscious, but she must have known my condition was critical the moment I asked for the elixir. And yet, I had returned completely whole... no, without a single scratch. It was enough to warrant suspicion. I desperately retraced my memories. When I was being whipped by the tentacles and flying around with a severed wrist, every other hunter except Choi Seojin had been unconscious. Whatever happened, the leader must have done something. In other words, Choi Seojin was the only one who saw me severely injured.
"However... seeing your condition, you were perfectly fine aside from being unconscious, so I declined the request. I hope you understand."
"Of course... I asked for it anticipating I might get hurt, but I was lucky and didn't sustain any injuries... Did Hunter Choi Seojin say anything after being refused?"
I asked about Choi Seojin after desperately making my excuse. Han Jihyuk smiled and replied, "When I told her you had no injuries..."
My heart hammered. I swallowed hard to hide my tension. "...she asked one more time if you were really uninjured, and then said, 'Very well, I understand.'"
"Ah... I see."
Whatever happened, Choi Seojin... she seemed to have a sense of loyalty.
"My apologies... I've spoken too heavily to a patient... What I wanted to say is thank you. We'll discuss the rest after you're discharged. An association staff member will come by to explain the compensation. Get some rest."
"Yes. Thank you."
Han Jihyuk gave a gentle smile and left the room.
"Whew..."
"I hope I didn't get caught..."