Overcoming

"It's been a while since I've been to the Hunter Association. I think the last time was that field trip back when I was a kid."

Looking up at the Hunter Association building for the first time in years, Kanghyuk found himself drifting into old memories.

"So where are we supposed to go now? All three of us only got F-rank assessments. We can't do anything with that."

"What does the Constellation say?"

"He says to go to the rescue team."

Seong Jina was still riding on Kim Chulmin's back. No — riding wasn't quite the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠word. She was swaddled like a baby in what looked like a custom-made carrier she'd brought from somewhere.

"Um. Could you maybe put me down and let me walk while we're here?"

It felt like everyone around was staring at us. No — they actually were staring at us.

"Oh, sorry. I've been carried around so long it's become a habit."

Only then did Seong Jina climb down from Kim Chulmin's back. Kanghyuk thought Chulmin looked oddly disappointed about it.

That guy's not right in the head either.

Vmmm-vmmm-FOOM.

Just then, Breaker suddenly began to vibrate, and flames leapt up along its shaft.

"What is this, a level-up notification? Did it really need to catch fire? It doesn't even have any functions."

"Aesthetics my ass. Info!"

"I knew it was too good to be true, just handing it over like that. This is the same thing with a fresh coat of paint. If you're going to keep it locked, why bother leveling it up at all!"

"Ugh, he really just does whatever he wants. So where's this rescue team?"

"I'll go ask."

Seong Jina stopped a passing employee.

"Hello. Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me where the rescue team is?"

"Go to the Rescue Support Department in the annex building."

"Thank you very much."

When they arrived at the Rescue Support Department,

"Wow. I think we came to the wrong place."

Kim Chulmin and Kanghyuk both had the same feeling that something was off. The people looked frazzled. The staff was thin. Everyone moving through the room was running on fumes.

"Should we... maybe just go home?"

They tried to escape, but the employee was faster.

"Could you be here to volunteer for the rescue team?"

"Well, yes, but—"

At that answer, the employee's eyes shifted to those of a hawk sighting prey.

"Welcome aboard! You can go on standby starting now!"

"Excuse me? We're F-rank?"

Kanghyuk and his party were dumbfounded. They'd expected ID checks, interviews, license verification — some kind of process. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Instead, all of it had been skipped and they were being deployed on the spot.

"What more do you need than the will to save people? Have a seat and wait; we'll verify your credentials separately. If a dispatch request comes in, you'll just come along."

"Kanghyuk, I really think we came to the wrong place. It looks like they're drowning in work."

Seong Jina murmured under her breath.

"I heard gates that don't get discovered until they're on the verge of collapse have been increasing lately. That's probably why."

Kim Chulmin seemed to have heard that somewhere before.

"It's not going to blow up the second we walk in, right?"

He wanted to say no, but Kanghyuk's gut kept sending warning signals.

"Something's off about this."

"Like what?"

"The rescue team was never this short-handed."

"Could it be something you don't know about, Constellation?"

At Ping's words, Kanghyuk searched his memories but came up empty.

"The rescue team was where I started my hunter life. In my memory, there was always at least one or two teams on standby with room to spare. Now there isn't a single one. Did changing my fate a little really ripple that far?"

"Or it could be something the Constellations of Ruin orchestrated."

Ping's expression grew serious.

"Constellations of Ruin?"

"Yes. They haven't made any notable moves so far, but if gates keep going unnoticed until the brink of collapse like this, the damage will only grow."

"Then the chaos will be worse than before?"

"Probably. People who were supposed to die might live, and people who were supposed to live might die. The future will change more and more."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

Anxiety stirred in him, but he refused to rush. He'd learned far too often that haste ruins everything.

"For now, just keep doing what you're doing. Even the Constellations of Ruin probably never imagined a Constellation would do something this insane."

"Why? What's wrong with what I'm doing?"

At his words, Ping jerked her chin toward me — hammering away at my own Core.

"That. Exactly that. No Constellation has ever thought of doing that, and even if they had, they'd never have believed it would actually work."

My Core and I were both wreathed in orange flame.

"So you're saying I'm the wildcard."

"Yes. If you and Kanghyuk twist more fates than the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Constellations of Ruin do, you can stop them."

"That's too passive. Isn't there another way?"

He asked, swallowing his frustration.

"Let's say we're both firing arrows into the fog. The Constellations of Ruin don't know who came back through time either."

"So until the outlines start to show, it's a free-for-all where everyone does their own thing?"

"Probably. So if you can get ready before they catch on, you'll be in a much stronger position."

"Then getting stronger fast is what matters."

"Yes. Both you and Kanghyuk."

"Still, what I'm doing right now is necessary. You can't trade speed for distance."

Ping nodded.

"The Constellations on our side will ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠keep doing what they've always done, but if they see hope of winning, they might push a little harder. If a little more effort means beating an enemy that's fighting for their life, everyone would do it."

"No. I'm going in assuming we have no allies. Right now it's just you and me. Three of us."

"Wow. I'm a little touched. But why three?"

"You're one, and I count as two."

"Constellation, could you please pick one? Either Kanghyuk is one person or he's two. Just pick."

"It's my call, isn't it?"

"Ugh!"

For the first time in a while, Ping started ruffling my hair.

"Is there no one you can trust?"

"Chulmin and my sister-in-law are trustworthy for now. But the Chulmin I met back then and the one here now are different people, so I can't be certain. Same with her. Let's just call them strong candidates."

"Going by how things look now, even Kanghyuk is a little..."

"Then for now, let's say it's just the two of us. You and me."

"Is this really happening on our first day? Actually, we didn't even think of today as our first day."

Kanghyuk agreed with Seong Jina. He'd figured it would take at least a few days, but they were on mission standby the moment they walked in. The Constellation had known and sent them here on purpose.

That damn Constellation.

"Wow. This is brutal."

As they sat in the waiting room, people with dark circles under their eyes began filing in.

"Huh? Who...? Did you come to volunteer for the rescue team?"

"Sorry? Yes. It's our first day. Is it always like this?"

At Seong Jina's answer, their eyes went wide.

"Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"

"Finally!"

Kanghyuk wondered if this really warranted that much excitement.

"Um, we're still F-rank though, so I'm not sure how much help we'll be."

"It's fine. Really. We're not just saying that — right now we'd take a cat's paw. If a cat brought us a bandage, we'd want it on the payroll."

As more people crowded around, Seong Jina quickly hid behind Kim Chulmin. But nobody even batted an eye at her climbing onto his back, which suggested they really meant what they'd said.

Beep-beep. Sector 33, please respond.

"Seriously? They just walked in."

"Let us eat. Just let us eat."

Watching them grumble and gear up anyway, Kanghyuk felt something strange stir in him.

"Where's Sector 33?"

"You haven't been briefed yet? Everyone, step onto that number 33 on the floor."

"Sorry, what?"

Before Kanghyuk's group could stammer a response, the crowd swept them onto the spot where "33" was painted on the floor.

"I'll be quick — it's urgent. It's a spatial ability; details are classified. We number the locations for easy identification, and we're heading to Sector 33 now—"

Before the sentence finished, the scenery around them changed.

"Orange gate confirmed. Three minutes until it bursts. Run."

The hunter who'd been briefing them immediately sprinted toward the site.

"Since it's your first time, head toward the gate and check whether anyone failed to evacuate. We'll go on ahead."

The last hunter gave them equally brief instructions and hurried off toward the gate.

"What is even happening. Let's move too."

Kim Chulmin, Seong Jina on his back, raised his shield.

"No. I'm going alone. Follow at your own pace."

Kanghyuk needed somewhere to release the frustration he'd been bottling up.

"Are you sure you don't want to go together?"

At Seong Jina's words, Kanghyuk shook his head.

"We've never fought together once. Why force it? I'm going ahead!"

"Saving people is supposed to mean killing monsters, damn it!"

Kanghyuk wanted nothing more than to sweep the monsters aside, but he had no choice — he threw himself into the Constellation's quest.

"How unusually considerate, giving me the location and everything. Getting there in five minutes means running until I drop."

Kanghyuk began sprinting madly toward the arrow floating in the air.

"Whoever this person is, they must be someone incredible if I absolutely have to save them."

He was curious what would happen if he ignored the Constellation's demand, but the pain he'd experienced before was not something a human body could endure.

"Move!"

At some point the gate must have burst, because a monster blocked his path. A Great Mantis. The massive praying mantis raised its scythe-like forelegs and glared at Kanghyuk.

"Ugh, seriously. What a nuisance."

He wanted to fight it properly, but watching the clock tick down, he deflected its attack carelessly and—

CRUNCH!

"Count yourself lucky. If I had the time."

He swung Breaker, crushed one of the Great Mantis's hind legs, and kept running.

"Ten seconds! Damn it, how am I supposed to get there?"

Far ahead, another Great Mantis came into view. It seemed to have found its prey — it flashed its foreleg and cleaved a car clean in two.

CRACK.

"Waaah! Daddy!"

Hiding inside the car was a little girl.

"Damn it. You damn Constellation. That one — that one's way too young!"

The image of the girl trembling on the car seat overlapped with the memory of himself as a child, hiding inside a walk-in closet.

"Daddy!"

Paralyzed with terror, the girl couldn't even scream for help.

"DAMN IT!"

Realizing he was too far to reach her in time, Kanghyuk poured every ounce of his sprinting momentum into the ground. His body bent like a bow, and using the full recoil, he channeled all his strength into Breaker and launched it forward.

"Please, please hit!"

Carrying Kanghyuk's prayer, Breaker flew at the Great Mantis — but at the last instant, the creature glanced sideways at the weapon and snapped its head back.

"No!"

As the Great Mantis turned its gaze back to the girl, Kanghyuk desperately wished — with everything he had — to save her. Just as he had once wished someone would come save him, Kanghyuk now wanted to save this girl.

The moment the message rang out, Kanghyuk instinctively understood what it meant.

"Breaker!"

Responding to his shout, Breaker returned with all its force intact — as if it had been fired in that direction all along — and there, in its path, was the Great Mantis's head.

SPLAT.

Without a thought for catching the returning weapon that had just obliterated the creature's head, Kanghyuk ran and wrapped the girl in his arms.

"It's okay. You're okay now."

"Huaaah..."

Kanghyuk knew there might be others who hadn't evacuated, but he needed someone he could trust with the girl.

"Kim Chulmin!"

He set the girl down and ran.

"Kim Chulmin! Where are you, Kim Chulmin!"

"Keep it down! Are you trying to summon every monster in the area? Over here."

Finding Kim Chulmin, Kanghyuk handed the girl over to Seong Jina.

"Oh my, who's this?"

"She almost died. I barely got her out. Please protect her. And calm her down."

"Oh! Don't worry! Sweetie, did that scare you?"

Leaving Kim Chulmin and Seong Jina behind, Kanghyuk started running again. He hunted down every monster in sight while searching for survivors.

There was no satisfaction in it. Only desperation remained. The hunters who'd gone ahead hadn't earned their reputations for nothing — most of the monsters were already dead, and the situation was wrapping up.

"Mister!"

As Kanghyuk approached Kim Chulmin, the girl popped out from behind the massive shield.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No. But have you seen my daddy?"

Just then, a voice calling the girl's name echoed from far away.

"Hyunseo!"

"Huh? Daddy!"

Kanghyuk snatched the girl's father by the collar mid-sprint.

"Mister? What are you doing?"

"You! Where the hell did you go, leaving your child behind!"

Staring at the father's face, Kanghyuk saw his own parents.

"Is your life the only one that matters? You're supposed to get your child first."

A child left behind in an abandoned car. Kanghyuk was certain the man had run for his life alone.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Just as the father was apologizing, someone yanked Kanghyuk's hand away.

"Stop it! You don't know anything. He lured the Great Mantis away to save his daughter. Can't you see? His chest was slashed open — he was on the verge of death when a hunter with a healing trait finally found him and saved his life!"

Only then did Kanghyuk notice the father's shirt, soaked through with blood.

Oh. Thank god. He didn't abandon her.

Kanghyuk's legs gave out and he crumpled to the ground.

"I'm sorry. And thank you. For not abandoning her."

He wasn't the girl's father, and yet Kanghyuk kept crying, feeling as though he himself had been saved.

"No, I should thank you. For saving Hyunseo. Thank you so much."

"Mister, don't cry."

It was a hand extended to the child who had once hidden in a closet, crying alone.

Kanghyuk felt he finally understood why the Constellation had sent him here.

"Hey. Constellation. Is what you want from me saving people? If I do what you say, can I end this damn gate?"