The Break of Dawn (1)
After hanging up the phone, Lee Jun sank deep into thought.
A transcendent-grade artifact—the Bonfire of Antilek.
The other side had just played a very big card.
Artifacts were divided into tiers: Primordial, Mythic, Unique, Transcendent, Legendary, Heroic, Mystic, Rare, and Common.
It felt like something straight out of an RPG, but then again... these were the standards set by the System, so he had no real complaints. Besides, without a status window, Lee Jun couldn't actually see any of these classifications himself. He simply knew them because he'd been told.
And even so, he'd almost never laid eyes on an artifact above the transcendent tier in person. Twice, since settling in Korea. Counting his Arcana days, it still didn't reach double digits. And the tiers above that? He'd never seen one at all.
'A transcendent-grade, of all things... why?'
To be fair, the Bonfire of Antilek could be called a white elephant. The transcendent label drew all the aggro, but in practice it had no real performance whatsoever. Not "underwhelming"—genuinely nothing. You walked near it and it gave off a soft glow and a pleasant warmth. That was genuinely it.
Of course, that was its performance so far. And Lee Jun knew exactly what it would be used for. In the previous timeline, it had clearly... been employed in a gate-clearing gimmick. Still, much about the Bonfire of Antilek remained unknown. Even in the previous round, things had been glossed over rather than explained. There had to be other places it could be used, too.
'But for now... there's no harm in accepting it.'
He took stock of his three-person roster's condition. Choi Jeong-hyeon, for reasons unknown, had already made a complete recovery. Seo Yoon had never been injured in the first place. Which meant the only one not in peak condition was Lee Jun himself—and even that barely counted as strain. He'd spent years when every single day was one ordeal after another. Honestly, he was fine.
The reward was guaranteed, and this side's combat strength had no real weakness. So there were only two things left to consider: the difficulty and gimmicks of the gate they'd have to clear—and whether there was a trick hiding anywhere in this.
'HIM isn't the type to pull a scam, but...'
Then again, you never truly know with anything in this world. No harm in being careful. HIM had been friendly toward Lee Jun the Vice-Chairman of the Hunter Association—not Lee Jun, the no-name CEO of a nobody management agency.
"Hmm."
"Boss? What was the call about?"
"Ah—they've offered us a commission. Normally I'd turn it down, but the reward is... rather extraordinary."
"The reward...?"
Choi Jeong-hyeon seemed more curious about the reward than the commission itself. Fair enough—Seo Yoon had been with him from the very start, so she'd never actually taken on a commission before. Normally, the moment anyone heard the word "commission," their mind went straight to the pay.
"HIM is offering the Bonfire of Antilek as the reward."
"I'm... sorry?"
"What?! Transcendent-grade?!"
Of course both of them knew what that meant. It was obvious, really—no hunter alive could hear "transcendent-grade artifact" and not react.
Lee Jun relayed the details of the commission to the two of them. An A-Class gate raid. Some might judge three people insufficient for the job. Tempting as the Bonfire of Antilek was, right now it was nothing but a name—an artifact he couldn't actually use. Risking too much for it felt unwise.
"I think it's fine to accept, sir."
"I think so too! A transcendent-grade is an enormous deal!"
"Hmm."
Seo Yoon and Choi Jeong-hyeon both seemed to have been swayed by the words "transcendent-grade artifact." And HIM hardly had the scale to bother cheating them over something like this. What kept nagging at Lee Jun was... why they'd put this up as the reward. A legendary-grade alone would have been enticing enough. Overinvesting to this degree actually made him hesitate. These days, kindness without motive was hard to find.
No—come to think of it, he wasn't even sure this was kindness.
"Hmm, so you're the worried one, Boss?"
"That's right. A transcendent-grade is not a light stakes to put on the table."
Even without any real function, transcendent was still transcendent. Simply possessing an artifact of that caliber raised a guild's standing. And they were just tossing it out like that? There were degrees even to the weights you put on a scale. Stakes this heavy would shatter any negotiating table and still have mass to spare.
"This... calls for a more detailed conversation. I'll need to be in further contact with HIM."
If things were uncertain, you postponed the decision. That was negotiation 101—hasty judgment could wait. And even setting this matter aside, there was plenty to do. Choi Jeong-hyeon's prosthetic arm was complete... which meant it was Seo Yoon's turn next.
"Let's stop here for today. You've all built up fatigue, so get some rest early tonight."
He glanced at the clock. Ten o'clock already. So much for early.
"Ah—and Seo Yoon, come to my room in a little while."
Skrrt—
The moment the words left his mouth, both of them froze at the same time.
"I'm... sorry?"
"What?!"
"......?"
Ah.
"Hold on. You're both thinking something very wrong right now."
"Umm... I..."
"B-Boss..."
"It is absolutely NOT that!"
Choi Jeong-hyeon's face flushed scarlet. Looking closer, the tips of Seo Yoon's ears were a little red too. Apparently, both of them had thoroughly misunderstood.
{You keep saying things that invite misunderstandings. Stop sorting it out only in your head and actually say it out loud.}
You're not wrong, but...
Why do they jump to that misunderstanding with zero context?!
{Hmph, who knows. Not my problem.}
Flustered, Lee Jun quickly pulled something from his Pocket. The artifact Jeanne had given him before parting—the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Essence, treated as an elixir.
"I'm going to treat Seo Yoon's mana overload with this."
"Oh..."
"Ahaha... r-right, of course. Why would we have... misunderstood... something like that..."
Choi Jeong-hyeon fanned her blazing face furiously. Seo Yoon, her throat perhaps a bit dry, headed for the kitchen in search of water.
"......"
Without another word, Lee Jun rose from his seat and headed upstairs. He couldn't exactly tell Seo Yoon to dress lightly before coming... Not after that. Who knew what misunderstanding that would spark next.
"Haah..."
Thump—
The moment he entered his room, Lee Jun flopped face-first onto the bed.
Knock— knock—
A sound reached him. He opened his eyes at it, but everything around him was pitch-dark.
"Mmn...?"
Rubbing his eyes, Lee Jun sat up. Judging by the texture beneath his hands, he was still on the bed. Had he dozed off?
Knock— knock—
The sound came again. Apparently, Seo Yoon had come looking for him. Right—once the door opened, there'd be light. With that thought, he spoke toward the direction of the sound.
"Come in."
But nothing changed. The sound simply rang out once more.
Knock— knock—
"...Can you not hear me?"
It seemed his voice wasn't carrying past the door. Soundproofing too good could be a problem too, apparently.
"Mmn... it's way too dark in here..."
Lee Jun slowly got up and headed for the door. How long had he been asleep? If Seo Yoon was only arriving now, it couldn't have been that long. He still had to contact HIM again, and he was supposed to run performance tests on Choi Jeong-hyeon's prosthetic. A mountain of work—and here he was, completely passed out.
"Hm?"
Wait. Why wasn't there a wall?
Normally, he should have reached the door after a few steps. But he'd walked double that distance and felt nothing at all. And—had it ever been this dark...?
"......"
Oh, come on. You again?
{......}
No answer came. Lee Jun simply stood alone in a darkness empty of everything.
Knock— knock—
That sound again. This time, from the left. He started to reach toward it—and now it came from the right.
Knock—
Knock—
Knock—
"......"
Ah. Now he understood what the sound was. He'd thought it was knocking. It wasn't.
Splash—
One step forward, and his foot sank into a puddle. No—wait. Was this even water? If he remembered right... this should be—
"...red."
Whooosh—
The instant he recognized it, light flooded back into his surroundings. A sea of blood stretched in every direction. Acrid smoke from the explosions, screams pouring in from all sides. The air of that day pressed against his skin, cold and clammy.
Yes. He knew this place. How could he not. This was... somewhere he never wanted to remember again.
"...Damn it."
This was a dream. And the moment you recognized a dream as a dream, you were supposed to wake up. But this was a little different. It was a dream, and yet not a dream. A goddamn trauma—that's what it was.
Splash—
He took another step, and the pool of blood sloshed around his legs. But Lee Jun paid it no mind and kept walking. The pool grew deeper with every stride. His ankles. His knees. His waist. Before he knew it, the tide of blood had risen to his chest—and beneath it, he sank his head low.
"...Annoying."
When he opened his eyes again, this time it was black. He was alone in a space shrouded in complete darkness. Lee Jun let out a sigh and lay down right where he was. This dream would end regardless. He just had to burn through the time until it did.
"Are you okay?"
"......"
A familiar voice sounded right beside him. Lee Jun offered no reply and quietly closed his eyes.
"Ignoring me now?"
"......"
"Hmm. You've gotten colder while I was away, haven't you?"
The voice rang in his ears. Don't be fooled. This is a phantom I've built inside my own head. If I let it sway me, in the end... all that awaits is pain.
"My, how composed you've become. Nothing to worry about anymore, hmm, Jun?"
He opened his eyes. What was that supposed to mean? That was—
"Heheh. Not quite there yet, I see."
"......"
When he opened his eyes, what filled his vision was a bright expanse—and a single woman. Her expression as she looked down at him... was so radiant that no fitting words came to mind.
"Finally deigning to look at me, are you?"
"...That tone doesn't suit you."
"Hehe, but~ you like me better like this, don't you?"
This was like a swamp. No—maybe a carnivorous plant was the better analogy. Even knowing you'd die if you sank in, you found yourself drawn deeper and deeper.
"And yet you always come talk to me anyway."
"Guess I still have lingering attachments."
Damn it. Got caught again.
Lee Jun pushed himself up from where he'd been lying. The woman standing before him. If there was still attachment even now, then there was only one answer. Someone he'd been in love with for quite a long time.
Number 16—the Tower. Yoo A-ra.
"Ahem... though the me right now is, in the end, nothing but a phantom?"
"You're saying that with your own mouth."
"I was made from you. Your thoughts are my thoughts."
"......"
Every time. Every time, every time, every time. He couldn't cut this loose.
The doctors had said that the manifestation of his trauma, entwined with the anomaly known as gates, expressed itself in a unique way. Even his old comrades didn't know about these episodes. He didn't want to cause them needless worry. And if he admitted that she came out of it... who knew what kind of pitying looks he'd receive again. He hated that. He hated it.
"You still worry about them terribly, hmm? They're all S-Class too, you know? I'd think they'd bristle at being treated like that."
"Everyone's got at least one thing they're struggling with. Somebody has to look after them."
"Hoho. But the one struggling most of all is you."
"...Can't argue with that."
The weakest one here was me. And that wasn't limited to the physical. Mentally, too... I was fragile. The things I still hadn't shaken off made that plain enough.
"So. What are we talking about today?"
"Hmph. You say that like you've been waiting."
"......"
"Well, you have been so busy lately, haven't you? I never got a chance to reach out."
With those words, she gave a soft, gentle smile.
"See? Even now, it's the same, isn't it?"
"What do you—"
Knock— knock—
That same sound again. This time—
"Goodbye, Jun. I don't know when we'll meet again, but I'll always be waiting for you here."
"...I'd rather we never did."
"Heheh. Liar."
His consciousness floated free. And then—
He fell.
"Boss...? Are you all right?"
"......"
Let's assess the situation for a moment. So, in other words... Seo Yoon was in his room right now, and she was... why exactly was she carrying me princess-style?
"Seo Yoon...?"
"Ah. Allow me to set you down."
With that, she lowered Lee Jun onto the bed. Her expression was the picture of composure. Meanwhile, this side was thoroughly, catastrophically confused.
"Um... what's going on, exactly?"
"You opened the door for me, sir... and then collapsed."
"I did?"
"Yes. Are you not fully recovered yet? As I suspected, HIM's commission should really be—"
"No, this has nothing to do with recovery. It was just... sleep-talking, I think."
"Sleep-talking?"
"Yes. Something like sleepwalking. I've been so busy lately that I haven't been sleeping properly."
"Then all the more reason you must decline the commission..."
Apparently, he'd caused her worry yet again, entirely by accident. Seo Yoon kept circling back to his condition, clearly unable to let it go.
"Then... let's keep observing for a few more days for now. If my condition doesn't improve, we can decide then."
"Yes... understood, sir."
That topic ended there for now. After all, it wasn't why Seo Yoon had come.
Lee Jun turned his gaze, slow and quiet, to the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Essence sitting on the desk.
The multiple mana overload that had tormented Seo Yoon for so long, so mercilessly. Today, it ended—once and for all.