Backdraft Rift
To construct a barrier purely with magic required all sorts of preparations. First of all, a barrier was no simple matter. It wasn't something you could just finish by spurting out mana with a poof!
Creating a barrier demanded three essential elements. The first—and by far the most crucial—was the power source. The second was the barrier's formula. And the last, the third, was the purpose infused into the barrier.
Barriers were typically made to protect something or seal it away. The stronger the sense of purpose, the greater the power a barrier could unleash.
"Oppa, this is delicious."
"Yeah, it is."
With the weekend upon them, Cheon Ji-hoo and Cheon Ji-yoon had ventured out to a bustling street a bit away from home, strolling casually. They munched on chicken skewers bought from a street vendor while taking in the sights.
"Oppa, this suits you." Cheon Ji-yoon plopped a black cap onto Cheon Ji-hoo's head. His looks drew eyes wherever he went. They'd already fielded a few scout offers for modeling or acting gigs just getting here. So, she took the drastic measure of capping him. It didn't hide his beauty entirely, but it did block some stares.
I've gotta protect my oppa! She figured since he'd only been back on Earth a short while, he might be a bit naive about people. No way was she letting some shady scammer get him. Little did she know he was the type to pull scams, not fall for them.
Cute. Cheon Ji-hoo chuckled at her meerkat-like vigilance, glancing around. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "Don't do anything weird. Just walk beside me."
"Uh, okay." Was she acting strange? Cheon Ji-yoon ducked her head, cheeks flushing as she recalled her antics.
After that, they hit up an arcade, enjoyed a tasty lunch, savoring all the fun things they couldn't do alone. Cheon Ji-yoon was a total loner with no friends, and Cheon Ji-hoo was the infamous ill-tempered archmage of another world—no playmates there, not even dragons.
And yet, they were siblings. Reunited after a decade, they played harder than anyone to bridge the gap.
Cheon Ji-hoo lobbed the final dart, popping the last balloon, and claimed a massive teddy bear as his prize.
"Whoa, you're amazing. How'd you not miss a single one?"
"I'm pretty good."
The game had balloons hanging for dart throws, prizes based on hits. He'd nailed all twenty with twenty darts. Cheon Ji-hoo handed the overflowing bear to Cheon Ji-yoon.
"Here, a gift."
"Th-this is too big."
"Then I'll store it." He opened a pocket dimension and tucked it away. Onlookers blinked in surprise, but in Hunter Way—a city teeming with hunters—it barely registered.
"Oppa, you didn't cheat with magic while throwing darts, right?"
"...I didn't."
"Your answer's slow."
"I said I didn't."
He hadn't used it while throwing. He'd cast it before. These games were rigged unless you played dirty—you'd win nothing otherwise.
Chatting amiably about this and that, Cheon Ji-hoo suddenly narrowed his eyes and turned toward a corner of the street. A bizarre flow of mana. Like the dawn incident—was a rift forming? The twisting, warping mana was impossible to ignore.
But it soon dispersed, as if the rift had aborted. Yet he sensed this was merely a harbinger. Tense, he pulled Cheon Ji-yoon close and deployed a Barrier.
And the next instant—
Light exploded.
Bursts of light engulfed the crowded Hunter Way street. Even for Cheon Ji-hoo, it was too sudden to fully counter. The light swallowed the crowd, birthing a massive rift that sucked in everyone nearby.
Sucked into the rift still inside his Barrier, Cheon Ji-hoo clicked his tongue and checked on Cheon Ji-yoon in his arms. She looked shocked but unharmed. Good.
"O-oppa. What was that? Magic too?"
"...No. A rift."
At "rift," Cheon Ji-yoon scanned around. They were in the middle of a long corridor of stone walls, mossy and long unused. Hunter Academy students studied rifts. No matter what happened inside, stay calm: gather intel first, plan raids or escapes. She'd studied diligently, so she swallowed hard and assessed.
"Oppa, this is a Backdraft Rift."
"Backdraft?" He'd heard the term—firefighting lingo?
He tilted his head, and she explained slowly. "Rifts come in types. Normal ones pop up suddenly, but Backdrafts like this suck in everyone around to secure space."
"I see."
"They say it happens when there's not enough room to form, so it yoinks nearby lifeforms... Who knew we'd get caught."
"So everyone else from around us is isolated somewhere in this rift."
Her explanation pieced it together for him. That odd mana flow was the rift prepping, then fizzling, before erupting to drag people in. Per her words, it was a big one. The alley he'd seen was wide.
Chewing her nail in worry, Cheon Ji-yoon cried out. "Oppa, the people! We have to save them. It's Hunter Way, but tons of civilians too!"
"Calm down. You're a civilian yourself."
Cheon Ji-hoo was nominally one too. And as long as Ji-yoon was safe, the others... No, wait. He shook off the thought. Dangerous mindset. This was Earth. For real. He wasn't a hunter—just a magic-wielding civilian caught up. Saving others was conscience, not duty.
Still, as her big brother, couldn't he show off a bit? She brimmed with humanity, unlike his worn self. Even swept into a rift, she wanted to save others.
"Ji-yoon."
"...Yeah."
"Wanna save them?"
"Yeah."
"Guess no choice then."
He'd flex a little for his sister. No more seeing her cry. Spreading his arms, his white hair whipped in surging mana. A bluish magic circle etched around his feet, intricate formulas spinning, overlaying more circles with ever-complex runes.
He parted his lips. "Wide-Area Detection."
Unlike basic Detection, which used mana waves to scan structures, this spread farther. Mana flowed like electric signals along walls, mapping vast interiors and lifeforms straight to his mind.
Overwhelming data flooded in instantly—enough to knock out most mages. But Cheon Ji-hoo just got a mild migraine. That's what an archmage was.
Wincing, he exhaled long, thrust his arms forward. The floor circle winked out, then boom—vibrations rippled outward. Right hand: Coordinate Setting. Left: Barrier. Mana poured from him wildly.
The rift's structure from the scan: a "labyrinth." Like the mummy fight, but simpler—no moving walls. Just traps, undead, wraiths wandering. Except for the mind-shredding-screaming banshees and proud knights-turned-death knights.
Shortest path from entrance to core: about 7km.
People inside: 89.
Banshees: 49. Death knights: 46. Ghouls: 73.
Lots. Monsters outnumbered people vastly—doomed to be torn apart anywhere. If he weren't here.
Next instant, bluish circles bloomed over people's heads, Barriers of mana shielding them. Those under attack or about to trigger traps survived. Miraculously, no deaths before his cast.
Confirming zero fatalities, he exhaled and deployed a fourth spell. "Echoing chime of silver bells. Tiny lights shall guide thee. Guide Bell."
Clasping extended hands and shaking: jingle-jingle—the sound rang through the darkness, across the entire rift. Heads turned, entranced. Small lights appeared before them, beckoning. People followed.
The lights led to a small cavern—a deliberate "safe zone" in the maze, monster-free, big enough for all. Wraiths lunged but bounced off barriers, then veered elsewhere.
Gathered safely, people snapped out of it. "Wh-what the hell happened?" "I was just getting attacked..."
They didn't know how, but they lived. Embracing survivors, they sighed in relief.
Cheon Ji-hoo, who'd cast it all, confirmed their safety, dispelled his spells, and exhaled deeply. Migraine from Wide-Area Detection. Vision slightly blurry—not major.
"Oppa!" Cheon Ji-yoon rushed from her vantage, supporting him.
He leaned in, deep breaths. Wide-Area Detection drained mental stamina more than mana—data tsunami needed time to sort.
"Let's go. Got 'em gathered for now."
"You okay, oppa?"
"For now."
A few more big spells, and he'd need a break. Save 'em, exit, then shake down the association for extra pay.
Leaning on her, he drew ambient mana to recover, shuffling to the cavern. People debated: push for exit or wait for rescue. Some hunters—C or D-rank at best—couldn't handle death knights or banshees. Consensus leaned toward waiting.
Sitting in a corner, sorting his mind, Cheon Ji-hoo opened his eyes once clear. Cheon Ji-yoon beside him spoke. "Oppa, I'm sorry. I asked you to save them..."
"Nothing to be sorry for. If I hadn't, you'd be sad."
"Oppa..."
"More importantly, we need to lead them out."
"Isn't this a safe zone?"
"It is, but..." He glanced at the connecting passage. Something approached from there. Missed in the first scan.
Two possibilities: entered post-scan, or stealthy enough to evade. He bet the latter.
Languidly inhaling, he stood. No need to escape. It was calling him.
"Ji-yoon, wait here. Gotta have a quick chat and I'll be back."
I'll one-shot it and return.