"New comrades, huh?"
The voice echoed faintly from the dark chamber, the glow of an oracle sphere flickering on a figure's face. Their expression twisted into something unreadable.
"Let's see… how this ends up."
The next day arrived with sunlight pouring through the half-clean windows of the old house their house now.
Everyone had come early, arms full of bags, boxes, and whatever counted as "personal belongings."
Since there were just enough rooms upstairs, Minjae, Kyun, and Hyunjae shared one room three beds lined up against one wall, already looking like a war zone. Across the hall were Nayeon and Joohe's rooms, both surprisingly neat.
At the very end of the hallway, right between the two sides, was Jaehyuk's room quiet, plain, and somewhat isolated.
The base was perfectly arranged:
Bedrooms upstairs.
Living room and kitchen downstairs.
Two bathrooms one on each floor, because no way were the girls sharing one with the guys.
Outside, the front yard had small patches of planted crops and, beside it, a makeshift training area filled with handmade dummies. It wasn't luxurious, but it was functional their first real home as a guild.
Everything seemed perfect.
Until-
(The next day)
"AHHHHHH! WE'RE FLAT BROKE!"
Nayeon's scream shook the walls as she clutched a cup of coffee like it was holy relic.
"Oh, my precious coffee... Do I have to save you until next week? What if we run out and can't buy any because we're broke!?"
"You're exaggerating," Jaehyuk said flatly, flipping through his system window, pretending not to care.
"Haha... unnie, there's still some coffee left on the counter," Joohe said awkwardly, trying to calm her down.
"Ahhhh! It won't last us three days!" Nayeon wailed dramatically, collapsing on the couch.
"Hey, pumpkin brain," Jaehyuk said, rubbing his temple. "In case you forgot, we're heading to the Guild Registration tomorrow. Once we get our cards, we'll be qualified for the weekly raid. We'll get money then. So stop panicking."
"Oh right…" Minjae muttered, chewing his toast. "That's tomorrow."
Just then, footsteps echoed down the stairs.
"Hmm? It's so early… what's going on?" Kyun asked, hair messy, still half-asleep. "What's tomorrow?"
"Weekly guild raid," Hyunjae replied while yawning.
Kyun's eyes snapped open instantly.
"REALLY!? IT'S TOMORROW!? I CAN'T WAIT!" he said, practically bouncing in excitement.
Minjae snorted. "Sit down and eat before your energy burns the floor. We already had breakfast."
"What!? You didn't even wake me up!" Kyun complained.
Minjae grinned wickedly.
— Flashback —
"Hey… hey Kyun, wake up."
Minjae poked his cheek repeatedly, no response.
— End flashback —
He leaned closer, voice dripping with mock drama.
"OHHH REEEAALLY? I'M SORRY, SIR KYUN! IT LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE SO ENJOYING YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP THAT I COULDN'T POSSIBLY INTERRUPT!"
The others burst out laughing. Even Jaehyuk cracked a rare smile before shaking his head.
"...You're dead to me," Kyun muttered, glaring as he grabbed his plate.
"Love you too," Minjae replied with a grin.
Their laughter filled the room again loud, chaotic, and warm
(In the City)
While on their way to the central guild hall to finalize Zero's registration, but the sound of commotion nearby made everyone pause.
A large crowd had formed near a cordoned-off plaza. The hum of mana rippled through the air unstable and distorted
"What's going on over there?" Hyunjae asked, craning his neck.
"Let's go check it out," Kyun replied, already stepping forward with that reckless gleam in his eyes.
As they approached, uniformed officers from the Regime Security Bureau shouted at civilians to step back. The once-steady blue portal shimmered violently, cracks of black light leaking from its edges.
Then came the roar.
A hulking beast scales torn and glowing burst from the portal, its claws slashing through the barrier like paper. The crowd screamed, scattering as armed hunters from another guild surrounded it.
"What… what's going on?" Joohee's voice trembled as she watched from behind the line. Hunters shouted orders, runes flashing around them. The other guild's leader barked,
"Keep the civilians back! Nobody cross the perimeter!"
Jaehyuk's eyes narrowed. He silently scanned the beast through his interface window.
> [Analyzing target...]
[Species: Wolf Beast — D-class]
[Threat Level: Minor. Status: Contained anomaly.]
'A D-rank… and they're panicking like it's an S-class breakout,' he thought dryly.
"Hey, Nayeon. Let's keep going."
She blinked at him, incredulous.
"But shouldn't we help? People could get hurt."
Jaehyuk turned to her, expression flat.
"And what would we gain Recognition? Fame?" His tone was cold, sharp.
"If you think that'll cure your brother, then by all means- go help them slay a D-rank beast. It shouldn't even take ten minutes of your time."
The words cut deeper than steel.
"Jaehyuk…" Joohee said softly, a hint of reproach in her voice. She reached out, placing a hand on Nayeon's shoulder.
"What? Am I wrong?" Jaehyuk's gaze didn't waver.
Nayeon's lips pressed together, eyes dimming. "…Whatever. Let's keep going."
The air felt heavier after that. Even Kyun, usually loud, stayed quiet.
As they walked past the chaos, the roar of the Rift Beast echoed behind them, followed by bursts of gunfire and spellfire. Jaehyuk didn't glance back once.
After a moment, he spoke again, quieter this time.
"Nayeon. I didn't say that to insult you."
She didn't reply.
He continued, tone low but steady.
"It's about control. Anything could be a trap. Never involve yourself in something that's not your business unless you understand the risk. Sympathy doesn't save lives- strategy does."
He brushed past her shoulder, leading the way down the street.
Minjae scratched the back of his head and let out a nervous chuckle.
"Ah… haha. He's rather more serious today, huh?"
Kyun elbowed him. "Serious? He's colder than my breakfast."
They laughed weakly, trying to break the tension, but deep down each of them felt it.
That weight in Jaehyuk's voice wasn't just coldness.
It was something older and heavier.
Like a man who had seen this all before