Old Treasures and Airport Reunion
From the gold ingot the constellation had gifted her not long ago, to the rewards she'd left unprocessed before going into hiding—items that would make anyone gasp at their value were piled high.
As Kwon Yul examined the contents, she muttered with a sigh.
"Might as well swing by the shop and cash some of this in."
Constellation ‘Blind Sovereign of the Sky’ shakes bundles of cash, telling our Yul to look here.
"Ooh... Appreciate it, but I'll take it tomorrow."
It was too much to liquidate in a single day. Any more, and it'd just be a hassle.
Yul began slowly sorting through what to sell off. Dungeon cores, the 'Minotaur's Horn' from a boss...
As she browsed them after so long, a wave of nostalgia hit her.
'Ah, that one too...'
Yul's eyes fixed on a black crystal. Noticing where her gaze lingered, the constellation spoke up.
Constellation ‘Blind Sovereign of the Sky’ asks if you're selling that one too.
Adds that keeping it as spoils wouldn't be bad.
Three years ago. After Yul cleared the world's first S-rank Dungeon, similar-grade dungeons began popping up across the globe.
Up to now, five in total had been classified as S-rank. One more that she'd personally flown overseas to close.
The gate that opened right in the middle of the Champs-Élysées, atop the Arc de Triomphe in France. And the official national request for aid to the world's strongest S-rank hunter—her.
At the time, Korea's Hunter Management Bureau had broadcast nationwide: "Calling the Lee Sunjwa Hunter. Lee Sunjwa Hunter seeing this, please come to the Hunter Management Bureau headquarters as soon as possible..."
"...That crazy dog..."
Yul had gritted her teeth at the nationwide missing person alert, but she'd accepted anyway. The result, naturally, was a success. Another monumental solo clear of an S-rank dungeon—the decisive event that cemented her in the world ranking's top tier.
And as a bonus, France was the country where her popularity overseas was highest.
◈ Core from the third S-rank Dungeon—'The Third Pillar of Revival'.
◈ Filled with an unfathomable dark energy.
And this was the core she'd obtained back then. The key condition for clearing the dungeon. A fist-sized, dark purple orb-shaped crystal, shoved away in her inventory.
'The grade, and that "unfathomable" description made it awkward to sell, so I just left it.'
Yul rubbed the back of her neck with a groan.
"We'll keep this one. Don't wanna cause issues by putting some weird thing up at the shop..."
Constellation ‘Blind Sovereign of the Sky’ says do whatever our Yul wants, laughing foolishly.
And with that, sorting complete. Yul closed her inventory and flopped onto the bed.
A few hours later, she'd see her friend.
The next morning, Incheon Airport.
As expected for the early hour, the spacious airport was bathed in morning's blue light. Voices, suitcase wheels, and announcements echoed through the vast building.
"Ugh, so sleepy..."
Constellation ‘Blind Sovereign of the Sky’ rages at his poor choice of timing for not considering our Yul.
Yul rubbed her crusty eyes. Not her trademark tracksuit, but jeans and a loose short-sleeved tee.
She stared blankly at the gate—not a dungeon entrance, the actual one.
Her friend would emerge from there.
'Time's about up. When's this guy coming out?'
Arrival was at 7 a.m. Now it was 7:20. Baggage claim took time, sure, but sleep-deprived Yul didn't care.
She hooked her arm over the safety railing and leaned on it. Her dark-circled eyes, already hollow, glared at the gate, making her usual impassive face look fierce.
"If he's not out in ten minutes, I'll rip that thing open and go in..."
Constellation ‘Blind Sovereign of the Sky’ claps, saying it's not a bad idea.
"...Hurry up and come out, Ryu Shin-ah. My Star says it's okay."
She muttered in a half-dazed state. Normally, he'd have talked her out of it, but sleep-starved Yul was, in vulgar terms, a few screws loose.
Then the automatic doors slid open.
"He's here!"
"Over here, over here!"
People calling out to each other assaulted her eardrums. Only as the arriving crowd thinned did Yul spot a familiar face.
"Ah. There he is."
Constellation ‘Blind Sovereign of the Sky’ clicks his tongue for dawdling and making our Yul wait.
Long golden bangs, black sunglasses. Around 180cm tall, lean build. A loose black duffel over one shoulder. Light blue button-up sleeves rolled to the elbows, top buttons undone. Black pants and silver suitcase below.
Anyone could tell: "This is Ryu Shin-ah."
"Hey, General!"
He waved at Yul. She waved lazily back.
Finally here, Ryu Shin.
"Why'd you take so long? You were in business class."
"Slept on the flight."
"What, soundproofed your ears? Where'd all the noise go?"
"Checked your updates before bed two hours ago. Woke up the second I closed my eyes."
Ryu Shin-ah pouted with a grumble. Yul naturally snatched his suitcase.
They walked toward the exit, chatting briefly.
"How was the States?"
"Not bad. Their Management Bureau's on another level, for sure. With that population, awakenings pop up non-stop."
He answered casually. Of course, not as good as our General.
Ryu Shin-ah and Yul had become sudden friends in their sophomore year of high school. They met at cram school, in an elite class of just two, and bonded in a day.
"Name's Kwon Yul? Like General?"
That was when her nickname "General" stuck. Then, at nineteen, end of December, waiting for college after surviving Korea's brutal college entrance exams—gates appeared.
Ryu Shin-ah awakened as a hunter the next January. Rare ability type, top-tier rank in Korea.
"Fastest flight I could find landed in Korean morning hours."
He took off his sunglasses, wiped the nose pads, and placed them on Yul. Her furrowed brow finally relaxed against the direct sunlight.
"My Star says you're inconsiderate and wants to kill you."
"Harsh."
Ryu Shin-ah chuckled, adjusting his bag.
"And I brought all this authenticated gear."
Yul knew that bag was stuffed with equipment. Post-hunter era, airport security had evolved. Inventory storage bypassed normal checks, and cases like Ryu Shin-ah's, where powers linked to physical items, required special precautions and Management Bureau certification for flights.
Whirr. The entrance doors opened. Sunlight poured straight down on them.
Ryu Shin-ah rummaged in his bag and asked.
"So, General. Lots of incidents, sure, but that's not the point."
He donned new sunglasses. Golden eyes peered at her through dark brown round lenses.
"You rest well while I was gone?"
Yul looked up at him wordlessly. They'd exchanged endless trivial updates via calls and texts.
But this question meant something else.
"...Eh, somewhat?"
She answered dryly. Ryu Shin-ah chuckled and patted her shoulder.
"Welcome back, General."
"Sigh."
"Gonna be busy for a while."
He knew better than anyone. Yul sighed again.
Ryu Shin-ah. A+ rank hunter, domestic ranking 7th.
Like most hunters, his real name and identity were public knowledge—a celebrity whose photo could be snapped on the street anytime.
So walking with "Kwon Yul" instead of "Lee Sunjwa Killer" might spark identity rumors.
"General, gimme your hand."
"Why?"
"Got a way so no one suspects you're Lee Sunjwa even next to me."
To reiterate, Ryu Shin-ah was the one who'd tampered with Yul's Management Bureau records.
"So, any plans for today?"
Ryu Shin-ah asked from the taxi seat. Yul held up her phone. He nodded at the cracked screen—no words needed.
He gave the driver the destination, then turned to her.
"Sleep. What'd you take here?"
"Taxi."
"Up at 5:30 at latest, then. Sleep quick. Keep the sunglasses on."
Yul closed her eyes in reply. Behind the black rectangular lenses, she fell asleep instantly.
A status window visible only to her popped up beside her.
Constellation ‘Blind Sovereign of the Sky’ draws his sword toward whatever tired our Yul out like this.
"Feels like the General's constellation's sharpening its blade at me..."
Ryu Shin-ah broke into a cold sweat. If Yul were awake, it'd be a perfect "How'd you dodge that?" moment.