Incident in District A (1)
“Ha-joon, perfect timing. The kids…”
I spoke as I lifted the children into my arms. I was planning to take them to a healer at the very least. But seeing this, Min Ha-joon didn’t look particularly flustered.
“So, the kids sensed it too.”
“Sensed it?”
He approached the collapsed children with a calm expression, as if he had anticipated this.
“Wind, we need to move the twins into the glass room so they won’t sense the magic. Can you help?”
Without adding a word, Yi-yul lifted Sua in his arms. Only after the twins were inside the sealed room did they regain their color. Though the shock had been so strong that they couldn’t get off the bed, their breathing, ragged but steady, looked more relaxed.
We exchanged glances. This meant the children had sensed a wave of magical power far beyond what they could handle—even with all the skill control training they’d undergone, they couldn’t stay composed.
“Did something happen outside?”
I immediately pressed Min Ha-joon once we stepped out.
“…Everyone in certain zones has gone missing.”
“Missing?”
A bad thought crossed my mind. Could people have been swept into a gate again…?
“What do you mean by ‘certain zones’?”
Yi-yul tried to calmly gauge the situation.
“All of District A has gone dark. We can’t determine exactly how many people disappeared.”
“All of District A?”
An absurdly large area.
“Yes. The association has already issued a cooperation notice.”
“And the gate entrance?”
“…That’s the strangest part. We can’t find it.”
“Even though the area is this badly affected, they can’t find the entrance?”
Yi-yul interrupted sharply, and Min Ha-joon nodded.
“This doesn’t look like a normal gate incident. From outside, the buildings and streets inside are undamaged. Only people disappeared.”
“And suddenly, those who can sense magic went berserk…”
Yi-yul murmured, glancing at the twins lying unconscious in the room.
“This isn’t an ordinary case, so they’ll mostly deploy Hunters.”
“So that’s why you came to request cooperation?”
“Yes. Right now, the highest-grade ones from the Transcendents are you and me. Also, I want to report the ‘anomalies’ I mentioned before.”
This was clearly a large-scale incident that hadn’t occurred in my previous life. I looked at Yi-yul.
‘Alright. Let’s participate.’
He immediately understood my intention and slightly nodded.
“Okay. But remember, like before, I’m not your subordinate—I’m an equal partner here.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“I won’t be swayed like that weakling over there.”
Was he talking about me? I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at being called a weakling, but I let it slide, feeling guilty anyway.
‘Still holding onto that, huh.’
Min Ha-joon didn’t seem to know how to respond.
“So, should we move out immediately?”
“Yes. The basic setup is ready. We can go straight by car.”
“I’ll pass. I’d rather circle the area first anyway, so I’ll handle it.”
Yi-yul took a step back.
“Alright, it’s close enough this time. Contact me if anything happens.”
Since the situation was still unclear, having a broad perspective would be useful. We split up and headed toward District A.
We drove in a large jeep toward District A. Contrary to expectations of moving with other operatives, it was just Min Ha-joon and me.
“Has the association already arrived?”
Since the Hunters’ Association had moved first, sending two S-rank individuals from the Transcendents was sufficient.
“Yes. They probably arrived inside before us.”
Min Ha-joon replied with one hand on the wheel. Most locals had already evacuated, leaving only scattered abandoned cars on the roads.
Yi-yul: Arrived above District A, nothing unusual. Will continue scouting.
“They said Wind has arrived. They’ll probably contact us again after a quick survey.”
“Did they notice anything?”
“No, they only said nothing unusual.”
The unobstructed sky allowed fast travel. I looked up from my phone, staring straight ahead. Through the glass, the streets lay empty—a feeling of unease grew as we went further.
A sticky sense of dread rose from my feet.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve felt this.’
Even though we hadn’t entered the gate, tension coursed through my entire body.
Soon, a sign confirmed our destination:
“District A”
Finally, we had arrived.
Inside District A, where many had gone missing, the scene felt slightly different from the outside. Unlike the hastily evacuated streets, everything seemed untouched, as if nothing had happened.
‘Even more unsettling.’
No car doors were open. No broken objects from a frantic escape. It was as if only the people had been plucked away.
We drove a bit further, then switched to walking as the roads were blocked by abandoned vehicles.
On foot, even the faint noise of running cars disappeared, and the eerie atmosphere pressed down.
‘The keys are still in the ignition. Where did everyone go?’
It was a bizarre sight. As we walked, Min Ha-joon suddenly stopped and pointed ahead.
“Yu-ha, do you see that?”
I squinted to get a better look at a small speck in the distance.
“…People?”
The silhouettes approached steadily, unmistakably human in shape.
“Not just one,” Min Ha-joon added.
Two more figures followed. They could be the missing people.
We tensed but didn’t move hastily, preparing for any sudden situation.
“I’ll talk to them.”
Min Ha-joon took a few steps forward. The people drew closer, until we could distinguish their faces.
And when we saw their expressions, the unease deepened.
‘No one looks panicked.’
In the middle of an empty street, among ownerless cars, no one panicked. Their steps were neither slow nor fast.
I hid the dagger I had summoned behind my back. We couldn’t be sure yet. If they were ordinary people swept into this, we didn’t want to scare them.
Min Ha-joon seemed to think the same. Raising both hands with palms out, he moved slowly, signaling that we meant no harm.
“We’re Hunters from the Transcendents. Is anyone injured?”
“….”
The three stopped but didn’t respond, eyes rolling blankly into space. Dressed neatly, they were clearly human in form, but their black pupils were unfocused.
“Ha-joon, step back.”
Something felt off. Min Ha-joon stepped backward slowly, careful not to provoke them.
“…Do… not… run…”
Then one of them spoke. Their previously shaking eyes now fixed on us.
‘What are they saying?’
The pronunciation was small and muffled, making it hard to understand. But as Min Ha-joon stepped back further, a piercing shout rang out:
“Do NOT run!”
At that signal, the three rushed at us, arms outstretched, completely devoid of reason. The force in their hands showed a single-minded determination to grab us.
“Yu-ha, this way!”
I dodged the hands reaching for me and ran toward Min Ha-joon. Luckily, I reached him in time.
He deflected their attacks without harming them. We couldn’t rule out that ordinary people had lost their sanity from a mental attack.
“This isn’t ending. Hold on.”
I heard his voice just above my head. Min Ha-joon formed a temporary defensive barrier to hold off the relentless attackers—a broad, spherical ice shield I had seen before.
“They should be okay for now.”
He let out a sigh, but he knew this was temporary.
We couldn’t leave them like this, so some action would be needed—knock them out, bind them, or, if they weren’t human, eliminate them. Just looking through the transparent ice at their bloodshot, murderous eyes drained my energy.
“Do… not… run!”
“They kept hitting the ice wall non-stop. It’s like they don’t feel pain at all.”
“They haven’t even entered a gate… Could a mental monster have escaped?”
I hadn’t expected an attack in the middle of the city.
“Likely. I’ll warn Wind and tell them to check nearby.”
Usually, mental attacks resolve naturally once the attacking monster is eliminated. Yi-yul can move freely, so he could handle it efficiently.
“Yeah. That’s best. I’d rather not harm anyone if possible.”
I sent Yi-yul a message explaining the situation. But the message failed to send, endlessly searching for signal before showing an error.
‘What?’
I tried calling, but it was the same.
A strange notice appeared on my phone:
“Out of Service Area.”
