Suwon – Evening
The air felt… strange tonight.
Soft, cool winds blew over the rooftops, yet beneath that breeze was a deeper stillness. One that trembled just slightly, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Jung Ha-Joon sat alone on the rooftop of his apartment, knees pulled up, arms resting on them. His crimson eyes gazed silently at the stars—unchanging, calm.
But deep inside those eyes swirled infinite power.
He had survived 60 trillion years in a hellish world of time loops, gods, monsters, and isolation.
Now, he was here.
Alive.
Free.
Normal in appearance.
And yet, not of this world anymore.
---
Elsewhere – One Street Away
The girl in black stood with her arms crossed on the rooftop of a nearby building. She didn't blink.
She hadn't sensed mana.
She hadn't detected system pressure.
And yet…
> "What are you?" she whispered to herself.
Her name was Baek Seo-Yeon, a 17-year-old ranked B+ hunter, trained by the Seoul Association's internal surveillance division.
Sharp senses. Clairvoyant potential. Assigned to quietly monitor energy fluctuations in districts close to portal emergence zones.
She wasn't supposed to notice anything unusual in Suwon.
But when she passed by Ha-Rin's small convenience shop earlier…
She felt it.
A silence too deep.
A presence too heavy for this world.
And now—she saw him.
Not glowing.
Not radiating any energy.
But still—
Her instincts screamed: invincible.
---
She raised her hunter lens device.
Nothing.
No readings.
No threat level.
Just a teenage boy sitting under the sky.
But her hands trembled anyway.
> "This… thing is beyond any classification…"
---
Back at the Jung Family Home
Ha-Joon stepped down from the rooftop, brushing dust from his hands.
He opened the door softly and entered.
Ha-Rin was already asleep on the couch, hugging a hot water bottle.
Their mother stirred in the room beside the kitchen, murmuring his name softly in her sleep.
His father's boots sat by the door.
It was warm.
Peaceful.
He smiled faintly and walked toward his room.
But just before he closed the door—
He stopped.
He felt it.
A presence.
Someone… was watching.
---
Across the street – Rooftop
Seo-Yeon froze as Ha-Joon turned and looked directly at her.
Across buildings. Across shadows. Across distance.
His gaze found hers like gravity.
Her breath caught.
> "He saw me."
She stepped back—but too late.
He was gone from the rooftop.
She blinked.
Then—
> "You're not supposed to be here," came a voice from behind her.
She spun.
He stood there.
No teleportation spell.
No portal.
He simply… arrived.
Ha-Joon looked completely human. No aura. No pressure.
But her legs nearly gave out.
> "Who are you?" she whispered.
> "Just someone who came back home," he replied gently.
> "Why… why can't I sense anything from you?" she asked, gripping her dagger.
He tilted his head.
> "Because I'm not trying to be sensed."
---
She stared, eyes wide.
> "Are you… awakened?"
He shrugged.
> "Not by your standards."
> "Then what are you?"
He paused for a moment.
Then said softly:
> "Just someone who survived too long… and returned too strong."
---
Seo-Yeon's hand trembled.
Not out of fear—but from something deeper.
Awe. Dread. Uncertainty.
Ha-Joon turned to leave.
> "Wait!" she called out. "You erased your energy on purpose?"
He didn't look back.
> "There are things this world isn't ready for yet."
Then he vanished into the air.
Not with a sound.
Not with light.
Just gone.
---
An Hour Later – Seoul Association Internal Report (Classified)
> Name: Unknown
Gender: Male
Approximate Age: Late Teens
Location: Suwon
Detected Traits: Absolute concealment, non-systemic presence, impossible density
Risk Level: Unrated
Personal Assessment: "This entity is not awakened. Not a monster. Not a dungeon product. He is… something outside the system."
Recommendation: Observation only. Do not engage.
Filed by: Baek Seo-Yeon (Hunter ID #B-112)
---
Back at Home
Ha-Joon lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
He wasn't angry.
He understood.
The girl had noticed something no one else could.
That was dangerous.
But she hadn't attacked.
She hadn't exposed him.
Instead, she watched—nervous, but cautious.
He respected that.
> "That girl…" he murmured, "…might become useful. Or dangerous."
> "Let's hope it's the first."
---
System: Offline
No Guidance. No Warnings. No Restrictions.
For now, his life would continue in this small apartment in Suwon.
As a student.
A son.
A brother.
A returned boy with crimson eyes…
…who had already lived through more than any being in the universe.
---