….
[Back In Solo Leveling]
Jin-Woo sat on the rough concrete barrier outside the gate facility, his phone clutched in both hands.
The spring air was cool against his face, but he barely noticed.
His attention was fixed entirely on the screen, on the news report playing for the third time in a row.
"As of the latest investigation, the youngest son of the Yoo family is still missing. It's been six months since this happened, and police are still investigating what occurred. The last footage of him was seen at an airport..."
The video quality was Girany, typical of security camera footage, but Jin-Woo would recognize that figure anywhere.
Jin-Ho in his school uniform, walking through the terminal.
Just... walking, normal and alive.
"But according to reports, he returned home after this." the news anchor continued. "So as of now, the police have still yet to find any lead."
Jin-Woo's jaw tightened.
Of course they hadn't found any leads. How could they? Jin-Ho hadn't run away or been kidnapped or any of the normal explanations police would investigate.
He had simply... vanished.
Leaving only a 'text' that explained nothing and everything at once.
====
[Jin-Ho]: Remember our deal? I will help you out now and you help me out in the future? That's still on. So yeah, don't forget about that
====
Six months - one eighty days of wondering if his 'friend' was alive, if he was safe, if he would ever come back.
"But as netizens are reacting to this case, people are largely dismissing it as rich people problems, especially since this is the second time Yoo Jin-Ho has gone missing..."
Jin-Woo's finger tightened on the phone.
Second time, right.
Because Jin-Ho had disappeared once before, but it was only for a month.
This time was different…
Jin-Woo started to replay the video again - but a voice interrupted him.
"Hey, Jin-Woo! Are you ready? We will be entering the gate now."
Jin-Woo looked up sharply.
Kim Sang-Shik, the leader of today's raid party, was waving at him from near the gate entrance.
The rest of the group, ten other hunters, all low-rank like Jin-Woo himself, were gathering their equipment and preparing to enter.
Right, the raid. He had a job to do.
Jin-Woo's face felt heavy, tired in a way that had nothing to do with physical exhaustion.
He quickly closed the tab on his phone and stuffed it into his backpack. No point bringing it into the gate, it would be useless inside, and there was a good chance it would get destroyed during the raid.
D-rank gates weren't particularly dangerous, but accidents happened.
He stood, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and checking his daggers one more time.
The weapons felt familiar in his hands, an anchor to reality when everything else felt like it was spinning out of control.
"Coming." he called back, starting toward the gate entrance.
But before he could take more than a few steps, a commotion erupted near the adjacent gate facility.
Jin-Woo paused along with the rest of his group, all of them turning to look at the source of the disturbance.
Another raid party was arriving, but this one was clearly different.
Better equipment, confident postures, the kind of coordination that came from working together regularly. And at the center of it all…
"Hey, isn't she—"
"Cha Hae-In! The new S-ranker!"
"Holy shit, it really is her!"
The chatter exploded among Jin-Woo's group.
Several of the younger hunters pulled out their phones, trying to get pictures despite the distance.
"She went from B-rank to straight-up S-rank after her reawakening." someone whispered excitedly. "Can you imagine? One second you're a regular hunter, the next you're at the top of the food chain."
"As if B-rank isn't grand enough on its own..."
"Dude, she's beautiful though."
"No kidding. Like, illegally beautiful."
"Did you hear? There is news that she will be promoted to vice guild master of the Hunters Guild soon."
"Huh, yeah, I can totally see that happening. She has got the skills and the reputation now."
Jin-Woo stood, watching as Cha Hae-In's group made their way toward their designated gate.
She was at the front, her distinctive blonde hair pulled back in a practical ponytail, her sword, Demon Slayer, if Jin-Woo remembered correctly, strapped to her back.
She moved with the fluid grace of someone completely comfortable with their power, every step precise and controlled.
She looked different than she had six months ago, stronger and more confident.
The kind of hunter who belonged in a completely different world than the one Jin-Woo inhabited.
They were entering an A-rank gate, judging by the security measures and the equipment her team carried.
Completely different from the D-rank dungeon Jin-Woo's group was about to tackle.
Two gates, maybe thirty feet apart, but they might as well have been in different universes.
"Hey, get moving!" Sang-Shik's voice cut through Jin-Woo's thoughts.
Jin-Woo blinked, realizing he'd been staring.
Several members of his group were looking at him with varying expressions of amusement and disdain.
"He probably chickened out." one of them muttered, not quite quietly enough.
"Yeah, that guy, right? He's really weak."
"The weakest I have ever seen, honestly. Why does Sang-Shik even bring him along?"
"Stop yapping and get going!" Sang-Shik snapped, shutting down the commentary. He caught Jin-Woo's eye and jerked his head toward the gate. "Come on, Jin-Woo. We are on a schedule."
Jin-Woo shook his head, trying to clear it, and started walking toward the gate entrance.
The familiar pre-raid anxiety settled into his stomach, not fear of the dungeon itself, but the gnawing worry that he would mess up, that his weakness would get someone hurt, that he would prove all those whispered comments right.
The weakest hunter.
Korea's weakest hunter.
That's what they called him. What everyone called him, though some were polite enough to not say it to his face.
Meanwhile, just beside them, the Hunters Guild group was passing by, heading toward their own gate.
The gap between the two gates was only about thirty feet, but it felt like miles.
Two different worlds, two different levels of power, two different destinies.
Jin-Woo fell into position at the back of his group, the rear guard position that was really just a polite way of keeping the weakest member out of the way during combat, just beside the mage.
He kept his eyes down, focusing on his footing, trying not to think about the massive gulf between where he was and where hunters like Cha Hae-In stood.
The gate loomed ahead, its swirling purple-blue surface rippling like water.
In a few seconds, they would enter, and Jin-Woo would have to focus entirely on survival.
No time for thoughts about missing friends or impossible comparisons to S-rank hunters.
Meanwhile, Cha Hae-In is almost at their own gate entrance, but something makes her pause.
A scent.
Cha Hae-In stood frozen, her head turned sharply in his direction. Her eyes, even at this distance, Jin-Woo could see them widen with recognition.
"Jin-Woo!" she called out, her voice cutting across the space between them.
Time seemed to slow.
Jin-Woo had maybe two, three seconds before he would pass through the gate.
Enough time to acknowledge her, to wave, to call back.
They knew each other, after all.
Jin-Woo's hand twitched, an automatic impulse to respond.
But he didn't.
Instead, he turned his face away and stepped through the gate, letting the swirling energy swallow him.
The last thing he saw before the dungeon consumed him was Cha Hae-In's expression shifting from surprise to something that might have been hurt or confusion.
The transition was instantaneous and disorienting as always.
One moment the outside world, the next moment the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon, stale air, dim lighting, the faint sounds of monsters in the distance.
"Huh, hey, did you hear that?" one of the hunters ahead of Jin-Woo asked, glancing back.
"What?"
"I don't know... it sounded like Miss Cha Hae-In called out to someone."
"Yeah, dream on, dude." another hunter laughed. "Why would an S-ranker like her be calling out to anyone in our group?"
"Did you fall in love or what? Get your head in the game."
"Shut up, I am serious—"
"Focus!" Sang-Shik barked. "We are in the dungeon now. Eyes forward, weapons ready."
The group fell silent, adjusting their formation as they began moving deeper into the dungeon.
Jin-Woo took his position at the rear, his daggers drawn, his senses on high alert despite the turmoil in his mind.
He had deliberately ignored her.
It wasn't the first time, over the past two six months, Jin-Woo had been avoiding Cha Hae-In whenever possible.
Not answering her calls, declining invitations to meet, making excuses when she tried to reach out.
It was easier that way, than having to see the pity in her eyes, or being reminded of all the times the three of them, Jin-Woo, Jin-Ho, and Hae-In, had hung out together.
Will she be waiting when we come out? The question popped into Jin-Woo's mind unbidden. Will she try to talk to me?
Probably not.
The Hunters Guild was tackling an A-rank gate. They would be in there for hours, maybe even the better part of a day.
Jin-Woo's group would be done with this D-rank dungeon in maybe an hour, two at most.
By the time Cha Hae-In emerged from her raid, Jin-Woo would be long gone.
Which was fine.
Better, even.
He didn't have the energy for that conversation, for the inevitable questions about how he was doing, if he had heard anything about Jin-Ho, if he needed support or help or—
"Jin-Woo! Eyes up!"
Sang-Shik's shout snapped Jin-Woo back to reality just in time to see a goblin burst from a side passage, its crude spear aimed directly at him.
Jin-Woo's body reacted on instinct, dodging to the side, not quite fast enough, the spear leaving a burning line across his shoulder, and lashing out with his dagger.
The blade connected, but weakly. The goblin shrieked and stumbled back, more annoyed than injured.
"Dammit, Jin-Woo!" one of the other hunters shouted, rushing forward to finish off the monster. "Pay attention!"
"Sorry." Jin-Woo muttered, pressing his hand against the bleeding cut on his shoulder. Not deep, but it stung. Another reminder of his inadequacy, his weakness.
"Heal yourself and stay focused." Sang-Shik ordered, his tone more exasperated than angry. "We can't afford distractions here."
Jin-Woo nodded, pulling out one of his precious few healing potions and downing it.
The cut sealed itself slowly, the pain fading to a dull ache. He fell back into position, forcing his mind to focus on the dungeon, on survival, on not being a burden to his team.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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