One Week Later – Suwon Hunter Gate Zone 3
It was early morning when Ha-Joon's temporary support ID was activated.
He'd been assigned to Observation Unit B—a low-priority field group with no awakened combatants, tasked with basic gate readings, energy measurements, and crystal identification.
Just another junior support squad.
The transport van smelled faintly of dust and instant ramen.
> "You nervous?" asked a girl with short black hair beside him.
> "A little," Ha-Joon replied, though his heartbeat never changed.
> "First field assignment?"
> "Yeah."
> "Relax. These are minor gates. Level 1 threats. We won't even go past the outer pulse ring."
She extended a hand.
> "Lee Min-Kyung. Rookie analyst."
> "Jung Ha-Joon. Support class."
They shook hands. No spark. No pressure. Just normal.
And he liked it that way.
---
Outside the Gate – Perimeter Zone
The gate pulsed softly in front of them like a massive glowing ripple in the air—shimmering blue, standing still over cracked asphalt.
It was roughly four meters high and three across. Stable. Quiet. A Tier-1 passive gate.
Two junior awakened hunters stood nearby with wooden spears and mana-scouting tools. Their job was to step in only if something strange came through.
The leader of Observation Unit B was a broad-shouldered man in his 30s named Choi Hyun-Tae.
> "We're not going in," he said firmly. "We're reading, tagging, and logging. If anything comes out, fall back. Understood?"
Everyone nodded.
Ha-Joon stood silently, observing.
---
Energy Sweep – Scan Protocol
Ha-Joon approached the gate carefully with a basic sensor device strapped to his wrist.
It beeped rhythmically as it picked up residual fluctuations. Most readings showed minor instability—nothing dangerous.
> "Crystalline signature low," Min-Kyung muttered beside him, scanning her screen.
"Gate decay expected in under 20 hours."
Ha-Joon narrowed his eyes.
> "No core fluctuation?"
> "None."
But something was off.
He could feel it—not with any sensor or tech—but with something deeper.
Something built into him after surviving 60 trillion years inside worlds just like this.
The gate wasn't dead.
It was waiting.
---
A Flicker in the Light
Just as he turned to walk away, the gate shimmered—barely. A flicker. A ripple outside its normal pulse cycle.
It lasted less than a second.
No one else noticed.
But Ha-Joon's eyes—now slightly glowing crimson under his contacts—locked onto it instantly.
> "This gate is masking," he thought.
A dormant core pretending to be empty.
It was hiding from the Association scans.
Which meant something—or someone—was on the other side.
---
He Did Nothing
He didn't alert the others.
Didn't raise his hand.
Didn't shout "anomaly" like a good trainee should.
He simply made a mental note.
> "If it activates, I'll end it before anyone sees."
Because if he warned the Association now… they'd ask questions.
Too many questions.
And he had no intention of stepping into the spotlight.
---
The Assignment Ends
By noon, the team finished logging data, completed their crystal density reports, and returned to the van.
> "Nice work, rookies," Choi Hyun-Tae said with a short clap. "You get paid next week."
Everyone laughed and stretched as they climbed back inside.
Min-Kyung elbowed Ha-Joon gently.
> "See? Nothing to be scared of."
> "Right," he said, smiling politely.
But his mind was still on the flicker.
The pulse.
The lie inside that gate.
---
Back at Home – Evening
He handed his mother a bag of groceries as he returned home.
> "You didn't have to do that," she said, ruffling his hair.
> "I passed a market on the way."
His father was already napping on the couch, and Ha-Rin was sorting receipts in the corner.
Ha-Joon slipped upstairs, entered his room, and locked the door.
Then he stared at his own reflection in the mirror.
He pulled out the contact lenses.
The crimson glow returned instantly.
Not burning.
Just… steady.
> "The gate was alive."
> "And it knew I was watching."
---
Rooftop – Late Night
Wind whistled around him as he stood above the city once again.
Somewhere beyond the horizon, new gates were opening.
Too many, too fast.
And some were hiding their true forms.
> "Is it starting again?" he wondered.
"Or is this world… already changing?"
He didn't know yet.
But if the gates were evolving…
If something from the realm he destroyed had followed him back…
Then hiding forever wouldn't be an option.
---
Next Day – Hunter Association Internal Message
> "To All Support Staff: Gate Zone 3 has been flagged for anomaly review due to late collapse. Reopening surge suspected. All field agents within 24 hours of the last scan will be contacted for debrief."
Ha-Joon read the message on his phone.
He calmly set it down.
No fear.
No surprise.
Only certainty.
> "So it begins."
---