Suwon – The Next Morning
The news called it a "mana anomaly."
An unexplained burst of pressure.
No gate was officially recorded.
No casualties.
No video footage worth analyzing.
Just confusion.
But among the awakened community, whispers spread like wildfire.
> "Something was here." "A gate without mana?" "Some say a hunter stopped it alone." "No one saw him clearly. Just… red eyes."
Crimson Eyes.
A myth?
Or a warning?
---
Jung Family Apartment
Ha-Joon sat at the breakfast table, stirring his soup. His mother was checking online recipes on her phone while humming softly. His father had already left for work, and Ha-Rin had gone to the shop early.
Everything was peaceful.
But Ha-Joon could feel it.
Not one gate…
Ten.
Scattered across the globe, preparing to open.
Each one seeded with something from beyond the veil.
> "This isn't random," he thought.
"It's coordinated. Someone is testing Earth."
His eyes narrowed.
> "They're trying to see if I'll act again… or stay hidden."
---
Hunter Association HQ – Emergency Session
Red markers blinked on the global gate map. One in Norway. Two in Japan. One in Cairo. Another off the coast of Busan.
All inactive—for now.
But their readings were inconsistent.
No monster signatures.
No core temperature.
No atmospheric change.
But there they were.
Tangible. Waiting.
The Director slammed his fist against the table.
> "They're phasing gates into our world like needles into skin."
One researcher added:
> "If they're artificial… who's building them?"
A grim silence.
> "Not who," someone finally whispered.
"What."
---
Meanwhile – Suwon High School
Ha-Joon entered class as usual, quiet and low-key.
But this time, more eyes were on him.
Rumors had begun.
> "That new hunter who handled the Rift? He's from Suwon." "I heard he wears a hoodie and never talks." "Some say he has… red eyes."
Ha-Joon ignored it all.
But Baek Seo-Yeon didn't.
She watched him carefully from her seat near the window, mind racing.
> "You were there," she thought.
"You stopped it."
And then a thought struck her.
"Why are you hiding?"
---
Training Grounds – Late Afternoon
After class, Ha-Joon visited a discreet training center hidden on the third floor of a rundown martial arts gym. It wasn't registered under his name—he paid cash, used fake IDs, and no one ever saw him enter or leave.
He stood before a reinforced wall, fists clenched loosely.
And without warning—
He struck.
A casual punch.
But the wall bent inward like soft metal.
Then again.
And again.
Each time, he made slight adjustments. Not for power—but for control.
> "I can't afford collateral," he whispered.
"Not here. Not around them."
---
Elsewhere – Tokyo Gate Monitor Facility
The Japanese Gatewatch division had locked down their gate. Layered with barriers. Surveillance drones. Hunter guilds on standby.
And then the gate moved.
Not opened—moved.
Shifted thirty meters northeast in a blink.
> "That's not supposed to happen!"
Guards scrambled. Scientists yelled.
The gate trembled.
A hum began to rise.
And somewhere in Korea… Ha-Joon felt it vibrate in his bones.
---
Back at the Rooftop – That Evening
He sat with legs crossed, eyes closed.
The stars above were dim. Clouds rolled slowly overhead.
But in his mind…
He was counting.
> "Ten echoes."
> "Seven are still dormant."
> "Two are shifting."
> "One is waiting… for me."
He opened his eyes.
Crimson light reflected faintly off the metal rail.
> "You want to test me."
> "So I'll play along."
> "But only once."
---
Meanwhile – Inside the Veil
The architect behind the echoes paced across a bridge of frozen light.
Around him: shattered moons, rusted stars, and fragments of countless forgotten worlds.
Each destroyed.
By him.
He turned to a writhing orb hovering in place.
> "He lives soft now. Quiet."
> "But beneath it all… he's still what we made."
A long pause.
> "Let's see if he remembers."
He extended a hand.
And the tenth gate on Earth opened.
---
The Tenth Gate – Busan Coastal Line
No sirens.
No warnings.
Just a quiet flash of violet light over the dark sea.
The waves calmed unnaturally.
A single, six-meter-tall figure walked out of the gate and stepped onto the beach.
No aura.
No mana.
But with each step it took, the tide receded further.
Like the ocean was afraid.
---
Hunter HQ Alert
> "Busan Gate active! Unknown entity has emerged!"
> "No combat signature—but all sensors reading null."
> "Contact the nearest hunter division!"
But it was too late.
Because someone else was already moving.
---
Suwon – Ha-Joon's Apartment Balcony
He stepped out into the cool wind, hoodie already on.
No one in the house noticed.
He whispered just one word:
> "Busan."
And vanished.
---