Chapter 3:
When Dimensional Rifts sporadically appeared throughout the world, Korea and its neighbors were one of those countries hit the hardest. The upper half of Korea was subjected to an unbelievably massive Dimensional Rift that also ripped into China, Russia, and Mongolia. From this giant dimensional tear poured out countless frenzied Aberrants that rampaged throughout Asia, destroying entire populations within days. Adding more fuel to the chaos were many smaller Dimensional Rifts that sprouted up, five of which appeared in the City of Daejeon resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and billions worth of damages.
But that was 24 years ago. Korea has rebuilt itself to the best of its abilities and continues to thrive in the face of constant danger.
The City of Daejeon still retained its position as Korea's fifth-largest metropolis, boasting a population of 1.7 million people. It's considered to be 'Asia's Silicon Valley' and is a hub for high technology that earned it the nickname 'high technology city'. A name earned for their revolutionary Ether-related technology development.
It's also home to several powerful and influential Hunter institutions. A place where Hunters train to combat the Aberrants and explore Dimensional Rifts. Although the Republic of Korea Armed Forces is much better suited to handle the issues related to Dimensional Rifts, even having their own special divisions like any other country, there are still the issues of logistics and politics to contend with. Plus, the public image of Hunters is much more well received by the population despite most of the Hunters having formal military training as Korea conscripts its population to combat the Aberrants in the north.
“Pft! That hairstyle doesn’t suit you.”
Sung Min-Kyu is a young man dressed in business casual clothes with very dark brown hair combed over. A professional hairstyle his friend finds unbefitting of him.
Sung Min-Kyu sighs and resisted the urge to redo his hair. It couldn’t be helped. He had to make himself presentable this morning and might have slightly overdone it. Fortunately, no one took notice or pointed it out, except for his childhood friend, Rang Kyung-Suk. A cute girl with brown hair tied to a ponytail that matches her brown eyes.
"You knew important people were visiting this morning. My boss wanted everyone appropriately dressed.”
“Ah, that’s right. There were people from Poland and Germany visiting today. My uncle and father are to have dinner with them. I wonder what they’re discussing behind closed doors.”
“Lunar Gatekeeper does have an impressive track record.” Sung Min-Kyu reasons. “Any country would want to partner or conduct joint training with them.”
Both Sung Min-Kyu and Rang Kyung-Suk are a part of the Lunar Gatekeeper, a Hunter Association founded by the Rang Clan. One of the top Korean Hunter Association, it made a name for itself in its early years by safeguarding the country against the Aberrants in the dead of night. To be a part of this association is an honor. Whereas Rang Kyung-Suk has the natural talents as a Hunter, Sung Min-Kyu is considered below average than what the association would probably allow. His only saving grace is his aiming skill with the bow and connection with Rang Kyung-Suk, which is enough for him to be an associate of the Lunar Gatekeeper and not an actual member.
Still, that doesn’t keep people from resenting him for a multitude of reasons.
“Here, let me fix your hair.” Rang Kyung-Suk produced a foldable comb from her bag.
Sung Min-Kyu grimaced and looked around. “Not in public. People are –”
“Going to get the wrong idea? I have a public image to maintain?” She lists off as she does his hair. “None of those are good reasons to not fix this stuffiness your hair is giving off.” A few more swipes of her comb and Rang Kyung-Suk was done. "There! Now you look like someone who belongs in a drama show, not a poor sap about to be stationed in a soulless corporate workplace.”
He patted his hair to make sure she didn’t do anything ridiculous and was partially satisfied with her handiwork. It would have made him feel better if he had a mirror or something to see, but he'll live. Maybe.
“Thanks.”
“Repay me with lunch.”
“Fine. But nothing fancy or expensive.”
“I had enough of those at my family gathering. Fast food is great every once and a while.”
Sung Min-Kyu silently thank her for being kind to his wallet. “So, where to?”
“To Lotteria. Where else?”
The two made their way through the busy sidewalks of Daejeon, thankfully unrecognized by the majority of crowds on the streets. Aside from the typical noise, one would expect from a crowded city, the walk to Lotteria was uneventful. Until it suddenly wasn’t.
“WEEEW! WEEEW! DIMENSIONAL RIFT DETECTED! PLEASE EVACUATE TO DESIGNATED SHELTERS! WEEEW! WEEEW! DIMENSIONAL RIFT DETECTED! PLEASE EVACUATE TO DESIGNATED SHELTERS!"
The sirens begin blaring across the city as a Dimensional Rift begins to form on the congested roads. The fabric of reality was ripped open. A multi-colored gash split the road, tossing cars and trucks to the side. Immediately the civilians begin to push and shove each other to escape before the Aberrants cross through the rift. A few Hunters nearby made themselves known, doing their best to get the crowd to evacuate in an orderly fashion and rescuing those who had been trampled, injured, or trapped.
“Just our luck! Hold my bag! I need a weapon!”
Ether beings to flow throughout Rang Kyung-Suk’s body in preparation for the Aberrants. She reached out and grabbed the steel rebar from the shattered road, ripping three of them out of the ground. To further showcase her prowess as a Martial Educer and Class B Hunter, Rang Kyung-Suk twisted the three steel rebar tightly and balled up the deformed ends, effectively creating a makeshift mace.
“We need to get those people trapped out!” Sung Min-Kyu had already taken out his bow from his archery bag and affixed several arrows onto the bow’s quiver. “Something is coming out! I have a clear shot!”
An Aberrant, the size of a large dog, dropped out of the Dimensional Rift and dented the container of a truck. It resembled a giant mutated termite with a grey carapace and a giant maw that has snapping mandibles within. The head had no discernable eyes and was roundish. The torso was cylinder in shape and partially protected by chitin plates while its six legs are barbed and dug deep into the metal structure of the truck’s container.
The Aberrant lowers its head and seemed to taste the material it was standing on before opening its mouth and chomping down on the metallic container like paper.
“Shoot it!”
Sung Min-Kyu drew back his bow and briefly analyzed the Aberrant before him. His eyes quickly noticed a vulnerable spot on the Aberrant’s neck whenever it bent its head down to take a bite and let loosed his Ether-infused arrow.
The arrow punched through the Aberrant and continues its trajectory into a concrete pillar of a building leased to a bank.
“Ah, whoops.” He winced at the minor collateral damage, thankful that no one was hurt from that.
As for the termite-like Aberrant, it collapsed on the spot and begins to leak yellowish fluid from its body.
“Good thing a bank was there!” Rang Kyung-Suk made her move and leaped over the crowd of people and landed on top of the container. She covered her nose and mouth. “Ugh! It smells like mold!”
Judging by how easy the Aberrant went down, she estimated it to have a Vulnerability of 1 to 4. Its Category, on the other hand, is up in the air since they haven’t seen its full capability. Whatever they’ll call this Aberrant, it's certainly above Category 2.
“Watch out!”
Five more Aberrants, the same species that was just killed, dropped down onto the abandoned vehicles and raised their heads in the air. They seemed to sense the pheromones emitted from the dead Aberrant and shook their heads left and right, making a distinctive and loud rattling sound. Rang Kyung-Suk acted quickly and splattered two of the five termite-like Aberrants. The remaining three were quickly killed; one by Sung Min-Kyu, the other two by nearby Hunters.
Regardless of how the Aberrants were dealt with, it did not stop more Aberrants from emerging from the Dimensional Rift. By then, every Hunter was hightailing out of the area, having finished evacuating the immediate area and holding no desire to hold off a stampede of frenzied monsters.
“Let’s get out of here!”
Sung Min-Kyu didn’t need to be told twice and kept up the pace with their things in tow. It was a good thing too, for a giant termite-like Aberrant had just crossed through and landed with a resounding boom. Its appearance was that of the smaller ones, but it was noticeably heavily armored and have a wider head compared to the rest. It wasn’t the only one – more of the giant variants had begun to exit from the Dimensional Rift.
“I never thought we’ll get a termite infestation in Daejeon!” Said Sung Min-Kyu upon seeing the Aberrants munching on the buildings and vehicles.
“Is that what those things are?! Oversized termites?!”
“Looks like it!”
Something buzzing could be heard overhead, and it was not a helicopter or a plane that the two of them were familiar with. They looked up to see six sizable flying Aberrants nosediving towards them with maws and mandibles clicking open.
Sung Min-Kyu was forced to vault over the abandoned cars while Rang Kyung-Suk sprinted into an alley, narrowly avoiding the dive bombing Aberrants. The flying monsters crashed landed and clamored over each other to reach Rang Kyung-Suk. Their powerful maws and inner mandibles crushed and chopped up the building materials in an attempt to reach Rang Kyung-Suk. Even for a Class B Hunter, the young woman was not going to charge into the blender that is the Aberrants snapping maw.
“Why are they…?” Rang Kyung-Suk raised her makeshift mace and noticed the yellowish goo that was left behind on the weapon after she squashed the smaller termite-like Aberrants. She then look down and saw that her clothes also had the same substance. “They’re attracted to the yellowish goo these guys leak!”
From the other side, Sung Min-Kyu drew his bow and infused another arrow with his Ether.
‘Come on, come on… There!’
Through the wriggling mass, the Ether-infused arrow hit its mark at the base of the Aberrant’s head causing it to splatter the entire area behind it with bits of yellowish gooey fluid. Sung Min-Kyu ignored the yellowish goo clinging to him and readied another attack, but couldn't follow up another good shot as three Aberrants buzzed their wings and lunged at him with terrifying speed.
“Argh!”
He couldn’t dodge on time and had one of the Aberrant’s mandible cut into his shoulder, dragging him over a car and slamming onto another’s windshield. He slid off the car and landed on his injured shoulder making his mind reeling from the intense pain. His adrenaline was enough to keep him moving and Sung Min-Kyu rolled under a car in an attempt to avoid the Aberrants. It was a futile attempt. The Aberrant didn’t even bother to flip over the pileup of cars and simply dug its maw into the asphalt and shoveled Sung Min-Kyu and the car he was hiding under into its mouth.
“No, no, no!”
Sung Min-Kyu could see his life flash before his eyes as he was about to be crushed to death. His body suddenly jerked as something hit the Aberrant hard causing his head to strike a metal pipe of the car giving him a minor concussion. As he slowly lose consciousness, he could faintly hear someone screaming his name.
“Le… -Kyu go…! Sung Min-… Sung…!”
----------------------------------------
Sung Min-Kyu jolted awake by the sharp pain in his right shoulder; lightheaded from the loss of blood and caked in asphalt debris and engine oil. He struggled to move, finding himself slightly rolled up in an uncomfortable position. Gritting his teeth, Sung Min-Kyu flailed around and stumbled out of a compacted car and asphalt only to be greeted by knobby, yet smooth ground.
“Ow…” He rubbed his cheek and froze when he saw where he was.
Or rather, what he couldn’t see. Wherever he was, it was pitch black and there were multiple chittering noises from around him. Fighting his fear, Sung Min-Kyu forced himself to calm down and remembered his training during his time in the military and in one of the Hunter Academy.
‘Deep breathe in. Deep breathe out.’
It was noticeably harder to breathe here, but that didn't stop him from concentrating. Ether slowly and steadily entered his eyes, granting him a vision of sorts. Sung Min-Kyu found himself surrounded by piles and piles of debris strewn across a massive cavern. From crumbled-up blocks of concrete to a chewed-up military tank, all of it was thrown onto a messy pile. On the ceiling and side of the cavern were those termite-like Aberrants crawling around the place. He was in the Aberrant’s nest and in no condition to escape or fight his way out.
He broke his concentration and pressed his head on the smooth ground in despair, tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. What is to become of him? His parents? His little brother? His friends? Rang Kyung-Suk? Is she alive? Are his friends and family members alive? Sung Min-Kyu's thoughts became muddled and jumbled as he lay there and lament his shortcoming.
‘Pull yourself together! Don’t be so pathetic!’
Sung Min-Kyu mentally berated himself. He’ll be damned if he were to let himself succumb to despair after all those training he went through. Shakily pushing himself up with one arm, he refocus his Ether to his eyes and scanned the vast cavern. He then analyzed the Aberrants crawling around the place, finding only the smaller and weaker variants were present. Although there are a few that are bigger than him, they looked nothing like the wide and heavily armored variants.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
‘They’re definitely blind. If real-life termites are to go by, they must sense using pheromones, vibrations, and other senses…’
He recalled the flying Aberrants attacking Rang Kyung-Suk. Her makeshift weapon was coated with a yellowish gooey substance as did her clothes. Sung Min-Kyu then flashbacks to the Aberrant he killed and how the moment he was splashed with the yellowish fluid, the flying Aberrants switched targets quickly. He speculates that the substance contains something that caused the Aberrants to actively hunt down whatever has the yellowish goo on them. As for how he managed to survive and got here, he can only reason that the engine oil he's coated in has masked whatever the Aberrants were sensing. It does have a nauseating smell.
‘Need to find an exit… Or something… Weapon…?’
Staggering on his two feet, Sung Min-Kyu walked with a slight sway. His vision was blurring with each step, eventually breaking his concentration and dispersing the Ether from his eyes. He stumbles in the dark and barely prevented himself from dropping to his knees at the cost of experiencing excruciating pain from his cut shoulder that made him see color. He held back his groan and blinked away the color from his vision. Only a faint tint remained on the left side of his field of view that he tried to blink away, only he couldn’t. Somehow, this light allowed him to faintly see in the dark.
‘Wait a minute.’
Sung Min-Kyu turned to his left and saw a bright tunnel illuminated by artificial lights, not bioluminescent. Near the entrance to the illuminated tunnel was a sign reading REST-AND-RESUPPLY STOP much to his confusion.
‘… Is this the light at the end of the tunnel?’
It could be the loss of blood getting to his head, or the stress causing him to hallucinate; likely even both. But Sung Min-Kyu was in no shape to choose if this wasn’t a hallucination. Beggars can’t be choosers, after all.
Taking a steady breath, he lumbered towards the illuminated tunnel, haphazardly scooting around piles of debris. It was mere seconds, but it felt like a few minutes to Sung Min-Kyu as he staggered into the tunnel. There was brown and dark green powder sprinkled across the tunnel that smelled of citrus and fruity accents with a hint of spice. It reminded him of the scent of roses from the garden center, but less lemony. When he emerged from the other side, he was greeted by a well-kept sparse chamber decorated with carved-out furniture of the same material that the entire cavern was composed of.
One of those pieces of furniture was a long and smooth table that appeared to be carved out from a mound. A purple silk table runner finely covered the table’s center. Seated on top of the table runner were marble trays of various materials, supplies, and equipment; all neatly displayed. There was an ornate plaque engraved in modern Hangul reading:
[Here and There]
A Store From Out of Nowhere
“Welcome to my store. It’s fortunate that I was expecting guests sometime soon.”
A foreigner dressed in dark blue garb with a red cloth wrapped around the neck and covering his entire shoulder greeted him from behind the stand. He was a teenage boy sporting medium-length amber blond hair tied back and possessed brown eyes. His face and appearance are pleasant on the eyes and in his hand was a book he was reading to pass the time. Despite speaking in what Sung Min-Kyu think is English, he was somehow able to understand the foreign teen perfectly; likely a Psionic ability. Or he’s already dead.
Sung Min-Kyu stared at the amber blond teen at a loss, unsure if he was truly dead and if this individual before him is a grim reaper or angel of some sort.
“Ah… He-help me…” Sung Min-Kyu felt himself lurch forward, vision darkening.
He was caught before he could hit the ground.
“Of course. It would be poor customer service if I were to let you die, much less in a state like this. Worry not, I offer complimentary services that will address your discomfort.” Seth’s hands glowed bright white and transferred to Sung Min-Kyu’s haggard form. The sensation he was feeling could be described as lifting. His fatigue, pain, and the coarse grime coating his clothes and body faded away in tiny white embers. Perhaps Seth is really a guardian angel sent to help him. “Feeling better?”
Sung Min-Kyu absentmindedly nodded. “Ah, yes. Thank you.”
“That is good to hear. Introductions are in order.” The amber blond teen put one hand over his heart, the other behind his back, and bows. “Call me Seth. Traveling merchant and owner of Here and There.”
“Sung Min-Kyu. Associated Hunter with Lunar Gatekeeper.
“A pleasure. Now then, on to business. Yes?”
----------------------------------------
When I arrived in this particular dimension, I was unamused by the sheer size of everything. It was like I’ve been shrunk down to ant size and that comparison was justified since all the fauna were titanic. Even the insects are bigger than a rhino. Everything is out to get me because I’m smaller. That’s why I’ve made myself comfortable inside a Megalith Termite nest since they’re relatively tamed, which is saying something considering how aggressive they can be.
But I digressed.
This is Sung Min-Kyu; a Korean national. My first and likely only customer in this Dimensional Rift. He’s a Hunter, the title of the profession of hunting Aberrants and conducting raids in Dimensional Rifts. Additionally, his Hunter’s license listed him as Class C and a low-ranking Strider judging by the diamond-shaped radar graph printed on the right.
If I can recall, people possessing innate special powers are called Educers and are put into four generalized classifications: Guardian, Psionic, Strider, and Martial.
“Do you know a way back to Earth?”
Alas, Sung Min-Kyu has no interest in what I have to offer outside of a way to get him back to Earth. Regardless, I’ll spare him the pleasantry and do my best to assist him. Good service retains customers.
“I do. However, I must warn you that the rift back home is currently swarming with Megalith Termite Soldiers and the rest of this nest’s caste, minus their queen. It’ll be difficult to get through them.”
He deflates at that.
“So, we’re both stuck here for the time being…” Sung Min-Kyu paused. “How did you end up here?”
“My aimless wandering has led me here, but that is an uneventful tale. Shall we address the issue at hand? You wish to return back to your dimension, and I have a few stock goods that can do just that.”
“You have a plan?”
“Indeed. Would you please turn your attention to the tablets over there?” I gestured at the five painted tablets detailing my service.
[Here and There]
A Store From Out of Nowhere
Supplies
Medical provision, utility equipment, you name it!
Smithy
Buy, upgrade, repair, or design your own weapon and armor!
Clothes & Accessories
Spare wear while being functionally fashionable!
Food & Drinks
A wide selection of ingredients, meals, and drinks to choose from!
Sell
'What are ya selling?' Because everything has a price!
“Okay…”
“May I redirect your attention to the tablet reading Supplies?”
He did just that and the tablet lit up, startling Sung Min-Kyu as a light blue accent of a hologram window appeared before him.
“Whoa.”
[Supplies]
Medical provision, utility equipment, you name it!
Search: [Enter here to search for a specific item]
Filter
{Bio-Regen Healing Salve}
₩24,520.67
{Dimensional Recall Shard, Prototype}
₩104,372.50
{Multi-Tool Field Knife, 87mm – Red}
₩84,677.43
{S9D023 3-Q Heavy Duty Flashlight}
₩59,565.00
{Vega Flare Gun w/ 6 flares}
₩94,429.78
{Industry Grade Glow Sticks, 30 count – Green}
₩22,625.57
...
Out of the first few rows, Sung Min-Kyu was drawn to the Dimensional Recall Shard listed on-screen since it’s considerably different from the rest of the products. He wordlessly selected the item listing to get more details about the product. The entry details a colorful and smooth crystal shard fastened by a bronze-colored metal ring and chains.
{Dimensional Recall Shard, Prototype}
₩104,372.50
Upon activating, returns the wielder back to their dimension. Requires Ether to activate and can be reused after 5 minutes have passed since activation.
Activation Requirement: 179.3g Ether
Recharge duration: 5 minutes (300 seconds)
[Buy]
“A bit costly, but a life-saving tool for a quick escape out of a messy situation. Simply channel your Ether into the shard and you’ll find yourself back on Earth near the steps of the Dimensional Rift you’ve gone through. There were several working prototypes. The majority did not perform well or were unsafe to use. This is one of the safer ones and will get you back home intact. And the best part is, it’s reusable!”
I’ve been experimenting with devices that could teleport users back to safety much like a Return Scroll. You know – the useable items that send you back to a nearby town or a safe zone that some RPG or dungeon crawler games have? I plan on selling the disposable version since they’re easier to make and will rack in profit when I release it, so I might as well sell off one of my prototypes to someone in need.
“Do you really have such an item?”
Sung Min-Kyu was rightfully doubtful since I doubt something like this doesn’t exist on Earth. At least, they weren’t able to develop one with their current knowledge and technology.
“That I do. I would never list an item if it’s out of stock.” I produced the reusable Dimensional Recall Shard prototype and dangled it before him to see and feel the otherworldly aura radiating from it. “Quite a condensed aura you’re feeling, yes?”
“Ah, yes.”
“With such a noticeable sensation, it has the downside of attracting Aberrants who are sensitive to the distortion. Hence, it is a prototype. A highly functional and safe prototype with a downside.”
There are still a few kinks to work out on the Dimensional Recall Shards and this is irritatingly one of them.
“Wait a second! If I use this and it works as you described it, won’t I be surrounded by Aberrants on the other side?”
“You would. Which is why I’m throwing in two pouches of my personal mix of Wild Geranium Powder if you’re to purchase this to ensure your safety.”
I picked up two brown pouches containing the powder mixtures and opened one of them to let him see the content. The citrus and fruity aroma wafted out and Sung Min-Kyu's eyes widen slightly, recognizing it.
“This is what you used to keep those Aberrants away!”
“It is indeed. Geranium is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants. They have many usages, but I’ve found use in warding off the Megalith Termites. They don’t like the scent it produces which is why I have it laced on all the tunnels leading to my store.”
Sung Min-Kyu straightens up and stared at the Dimensional Recall Shard and the two pouches in my hands.
“Who are you, really?”
“Me? I’m just a merchant.”
The expression on Sung Min-Kyu’s face tells me he doesn’t exactly buy it. After a moment of careful consideration, Sung Min-Kyu reached into his pocket and pulls out his wallet.
“I’ll have one of those knives over there as well.” He picks up a trench knife from the selection of combat knives I had on display on the table.
{CloseTact 9566 Trench Knife}
₩58,795.15
“An excellent choice, Mr. Sung Min-Kyu. Please review your cart before you proceed to check out.”
Cart:
1x CloseTact 9566 Trench Knife – ₩58,795.15
1x Dimensional Recall Shard, Prototype – ₩104,372.50
2x Wild Geranium Powder, Strong Mixture (promo) – ₩0.00
Total: ₩163,167.65
“I’m guessing you don’t take credit?”
“I do actually." I showed him the card reader. "Don’t ask how I can access the banking systems in another dimension. It’s a trade secret.”
“Uh, sure.”
Transaction:
1x CloseTact 9566 Trench Knife – ₩58,795.15
1x Dimensional Recall Shard, Prototype – ₩104,372.50
2x Wild Geranium Powder, Strong Mixture (promo) – ₩0.00
Total: ₩163,167.65
THANK YOU!
"Thank you for doing business with me. Here are your items, receipt, and my business card."
He accepted them and looks over my business card with a frown.
“I think your phone number was printed incorrectly.”
"It's an interdimensional area code. The hash and star are needed to contact me through the phone.”
“… Right. So, how does this work?” Sung Min-Kyu held the Dimensional Recall Shard in front of him.
“Fully charge the shard and you’ll find yourself back where you came from.”
“And it won’t randomly teleport me elsewhere?”
“It will not.”
Sung Min-Kyu took a deep breath and clutched his newly purchased knife. “What about you?”
“We’ll likely meet again soon. I’ve been meaning to visit Korea again.”
“If I make it back alive, I’ll let Lunar Gatekeeper know that you’d helped me. Their HQ is in Daejeon, where I work.”
“Much appreciated, Mr. Sung Min-Kyu. Oh! Before you go, you might want to sprinkle a little bit of the Wild Geranium Powder on you. If the big ones aren’t deterred, toss a handful of the powder at them.”
“Got it. Thank you.” Sung Min-Kyu prepared himself as he channeled his Ether into the shard. “Here we go…”
Brilliant colors encompassed Sung Min-Kyu and his form blinked out of the dimension, sending him back to his realm.
----------------------------------------
Rang Kyung-Suk was restless.
She had lost her childhood friend, her long-time crush, to an Aberrant. Right before her eyes, she had failed to save him, leaving a hole in her heart – replaced by a burning hatred and vengeance.
Right swing, left swing. Crumpled bodies of the termite-like Aberrants' were sent flying in a gooey mess. Stab and bash. Their insides showered the air and splattered the ground. Everywhere she walked, she left a trail of carnage in her wake. Her heavy, hissing breathing could be heard even in the thick of the fighting, sending chills down everyone’s spine.
“Excuse me, sir…” Lunar Gatekeeper’s Deputy General Manager, Chom Dong-Min, leans to whisper in Rang Tae-Yeon’s ear. Rang Kyung-Suk’s uncle. “Your niece won’t last much longer if she keeps this up. She must rest.”
Rang Tae-Yeon is a solidly built man with well-trimmed short cropped hair. Despite his appearance, he’s a powerful Psionic Educer and prefers to do things from a distance rather than up close.
“I’ll step in when she exhausts herself.” The man rumbles. He looked on with empathy for his niece, knowing how it feels to lose someone close to you.
Rang Kyung-Suk flitted through the torn roads, bulldozing through ranks of termite-like Aberrants. She kicked off the ground with a resounding boom and descend upon a towering, heavily armored Aberrant, caving in its carapace.
“Huff… Huff…” Rang Kyung-Suk could feel her body shutting down from overexerting herself. Yet the burning vengeance in her heart continued to fuel her rampage.
Clack! Clack! Clatter!
She reacted instantly to the sound of an Aberrant emerging from a destroyed building, throwing her war hammer at the source.
“Hel- Euagh!”
The war hammer narrowly missed a humanoid-shaped figure and smashed through layers of concrete blocks.
Rang Kyung-Suk blinked and took a second to discern the figure. She blinked again when the figure was Sung Min-Kyu, uninjured albeit dressed in slightly ripped clothes.
“Min-Kyu?” She numbly walked toward him. "Is that you?"
“Yes, it’s me. And you nearly turned me into red paste!”
She grabbed his face, making sure that he wasn’t an illusion. “B-but how?!”
“Ah, well… There was some foreign guy in the Dimensional Rift who helped me back. It’s a complicated story to…”
He was cut off by Rang Kyung-Suk hugging him tightly and nuzzling the crook of his neck.
“I’m glad you’re okay…”
“… Yeah. You too.”
He returned the hug and felt a shiver down his spine. Sung Min-Kyu looked up and found a group of Hunters from Lunar Gatekeeper with most of the males jealously glaring at him.
“Tsk. Lucky bastard.”
“What’s so great about him?”
Sung Min-Kyu gulped and tried to let go of Rang Kyung-Suk. “Um… Everyone is watching. Rang Kyung-Suk?” But the young woman was not responsive. “Hey, Kyung-Suk?!”
A shadow suddenly loomed over him and for a moment he thought it was an Aberrant. It was worse. It was Rang Kyung-Suk’s uncle, Rang Tae-Yeon, and he looked very upset. His lip twisted downward and his eyes blazed like a furnace. Sung Min-Kyu felt the color drain from his face as he looked around for help. No one stepped in. Even the ones glaring at him earlier had suddenly decided to do their job and kept watch over the area, not wanting to be involved anymore.
“Boy…” Rang Tae-Yeon growled.
“Y-yes?”
“You’re coming with me.”
All of a sudden, Sung Min-Kyu missed being in the Dimensional Rift he found himself in earlier. The Aberrants aren’t as frightening as Rang Tae-Yeon and the traveling merchant who calls himself Seth is an amicable individual despite his oddity.
“Yes, sir.”
----------------------------------------
“What a touching reunion.” I watched Sung Min-Kyu get dragged off by the girl’s uncle, or father. “So, this is the Korea of this world? It’s certainly a lot more advanced than what I’ve been to.”
The buildings are relatively mundane, but the same could not be said for some of the technologies the city uses. A brief glimpse tells me that the advancement in technology has drastically progressed thanks to the Dimensional Rifts introducing Ether and otherworldly materials.
‘Right then. Give me today’s earning.’
[End-of-Day Sales Totals Report]
1x CloseTact 9566 Trench Knife – ₩58,795.15
1x Dimensional Recall Shard, Prototype – ₩104,372.50
2x Wild Geranium Powder, Strong Mixture (promo) – ₩0.00
Total: ₩163,167.65
Conversion Amount: 39,160.24
‘Lower conversion rates. That is to be expected.’
I stood up to stretch my legs and arms before slinking into the night to avoid the Hunters’ attention.
“Now then, let’s see what business ventures I can open in Korea. It’s been a while since I’ve mingled in a big city. First thing first. Try out their cuisines!”