A franchise café in Gwangjin-gu, just a moment ago.
[As I reported yesterday, I'm in Gwangjin-gu. The weakening potion didn't work, so the bracelet is the only thing being worn. Currently, the ability measurement is in progress.]
Shall I send it? Yes.
Seo Min-gi sent a text message to the Guild Leader and adjusted his sunglasses as he looked around.
He had come to the café to keep his one-sided promise with Cha Eui-jae. As it was a weekday late afternoon, the franchise café was quiet, which was fortunate since the task needed to be discreet. Just then, his phone buzzed briefly.
Guild Leader Lee Sa-young: OK
Surprisingly, Lee Sa-young replied! Normally, he would have read the message and ignored it. Seizing the moment to send an additional report, Seo Min-gi was interrupted by a clear voice calling him.
"Coffee Saraminki-ssi, who ordered via Smart Order! Your Americano Grande and Java Chip, and Green Tea Frappuccino with an extra shot and extra whipped cream, are ready!"
"Thank you."
He decided he would make the additional report once back in the truck. Holding the coffee in both hands, he pushed open the café's glass door with his shoulder and quickly walked out. The measurement process wouldn't take long, so he had to hurry back to the truck to monitor the situation and be ready for any sudden developments.
Seo Min-gi sucked on the straw of the Green Tea Frappuccino loaded with whipped cream.
Would Cha Eui-jae get a D grade without any issues? Unfortunately, it seemed highly unlikely. Even drinking all the weakening potions wouldn't have been enough, let alone just wearing a bracelet. A look of resolve flashed across Seo Min-gi's face.
'I was sent for situations like this.'
Hunter name: A Small Miracle Seo Min-gi, real name: Seo Min-gi. Ranked 34th in South Korea, and the man who received a higher ranking than his superior, Lee Sa-young, in the annoyingly memorable Hunter Name Voting.
'Don't worry, Guild Leader.'
He was,
'I'll handle the manipulation perfectly.'
A pro in stealth and infiltration.
The long shadow behind him wavered.
There was a reason Lee Sa-young assigned the 34th ranked hunter in South Korea to Cha Eui-jae. The measurement device developed by top researchers worldwide had almost no errors. Even trying to deceive it with weakening curses had its limits.
'So, the only option is to manipulate the result itself.'
Seo Min-gi was dispatched under the assumption of this worst-case scenario.
It would take a great deal of effort to infiltrate a securely guarded awakening management center, but it was a different story for a temporary registration center. In such an environment, infiltrating and manipulating information would be a piece of cake for Seo Min-gi. Of course, if caught, he would face a severe punishment, so getting caught was not an option.
'Don't worry, Cha Eui-jae-ssi… Even if things go south, I can handle the cleanup.'
With a safety net in place, Seo Min-gi felt at ease. However, upon returning to the parking lot, he witnessed a shocking sight that made him doubt his own eyes. He even lowered his sunglasses to take a clearer look, but the sight remained unchanged.
The container meant for data manipulation was gone, and a blue rift was pulsating in its place…
'…Why?'
It was chilling.
Unconsciously, his hands trembled, causing hot coffee to spill, but that was the least of his worries. Fluorescent-vested Rift Management Bureau staff were running around, controlling the area near the rift.
Familiar faces appeared there. For instance, A-grade hunter Yang Hye-jin from the Rift Management Bureau was there, wearing a yellow safety helmet and a fluorescent vest, waving a safety baton.
"Move quickly!"
"A 5th-grade rift has emerged at the Gwangjin-gu temporary registration center!"
"I've contacted the management bureau!"
"The disaster message?"
"It will be sent soon."
"It might be an absorption-type rift, so make sure to control the surroundings."
"How many civilians were caught up in it…"
"Is there any hunter nearby who can support?"
"Ah, Matthew is nearby!"
"Lee Sa-young is also here, but…"
Yang Hye-jin's serious expression turned blank upon hearing that name.
"There's no way he'd come. Try contacting him, but don't expect much. Also, contact Matthew immediately!"
'…There's no way the center would have a rift. This isn't a movie.'
Seo Min-gi tried to ignore the urgent voices. He was sure he was seeing things.
It seemed the effect of the weakening potion he tested yesterday hadn't worn off. Well, I did drink quite a lot. The weakening potion might have even caused mental weakness. After rationalizing, Seo Min-gi opened the truck door.
Beeeep— The loud emergency alert tone shattered his escape from reality. He put the coffee on the car seat and hurriedly took out his phone.
[Rift Management Bureau]
[15:34 Seoul Gwangjin-gu Temporary Awakener Registration Center 5th-grade rift occurred, area under control, avoid approaching]
Wh… what the heck.
Seo Min-gi despaired. Then he mentally prepared a Q&A as if he were writing on a knowledge-sharing platform.
"JisikON"
Q. [Question] Hello, Guild Leader. While I was out buying coffee, the target got caught up in a rift. What should I do?
A. Die.
Seo Min-gi's legs gave out, and he collapsed in front of the truck door like a mermaid. After receiving a special assignment from Lee Sa-young, he had simulated every possible scenario… but never imagined a rift appearing at the measurement site!
Faced with a major crisis, his brain started spinning rapidly, leaning toward a rather extreme solution.
'Should I just jump into the rift?'
With Rift Management Bureau staff controlling the entrance and reporters rushing in, it was possible to ignore them all and jump in, but doing so would lead to tomorrow's headline: "A Brave Act by A Small Miracle Seo Min-gi (34th in South Korea)… as He Dives into a Rift," with his back featured prominently. The YouTube video of him diving into the rift would surely surpass a million views. He could already imagine the comments.
—Username: "The nickname is uniquely bad"
—Why is he being criticized? Isn't it good if a hunter jumps into a rift voluntarily?
⤷He was reported to have entered a dungeon in Jongno this morning and then dived into a rift in Gwangjin-gu in the afternoon, hence the criticism.
⤷?? How can someone who entered a dungeon also jump into a rift?
⤷I'm curious about that too ^^
'Absolutely not.'
Seo Min-gi shuddered at the mere thought. As someone who made a living off stealth, such exposure would be unbearable. Moreover, A Small Miracle Seo Min-gi was supposed to have entered a dungeon in Jongno 3-ga with Bae Won-woo this morning!
Who would have thought his well-prepared alibi would become a trap? Seo Min-gi was dismayed. The perception-disrupting effect of these sunglasses had its limits; getting publicly exposed would ruin his carefully crafted alibi.
Damn it! Seo Min-gi clutched his head. He should've just ordered an iced Americano instead of a Green Tea Frappuccino with extra shot, extra whipped cream, and half Java chips blended and half drizzled. If only he had come a bit earlier, he might have been able to enter before the Rift Management Bureau hunters arrived. As he lamented endlessly, his phone buzzed at the perfect moment, as if to tell him to snap out of it.
[Guild Leader Lee Sa-young]
Sensing his fate, Seo Min-gi stared into space for a moment.
If I answer this… I'm going to get scolded terribly. And if I don't, I'll get scolded five times worse and be made an example of in the meeting. Seo Min-gi respectfully pressed the call button with both hands.
"Yes, this is A Small Miracle Seo Min-gi…"
—You answered?
"Excuse me?"
—So, you're not inside the rift then.
Seo Min-gi swallowed hard. The low voice was gently coaxing him.
—What's the situation?
After a brief silence, Seo Min-gi answered.
"…First, the current situation is entirely my fault. I am truly sorry."
—Sorry?
"…The target seems to be inside the rift."
—Seems?
"Yes. The temporary center container and part of the district office parking lot were swallowed by the rift. The Rift Management Bureau is in place, controlling the rift entrance. As it's a registration center rift, the Awakened Management Bureau should send support soon."
—Should?
It was hard to tell if Lee Sa-young was nitpicking or agreeing. He had seemingly mastered the art of killing someone with words alone.
Seo Min-gi's future looked increasingly grim, and he banged his head against the truck's body repeatedly. The truck's body dented bit by bit.
"I'm sorry. Should I just end it?"
—Forget it.
Lee Sa-young cut him off indifferently.
—I'll be there soon, so wait.
"Excuse me?"
Click. The call ended abruptly. Soon? The Guild Leader? Here? Seo Min-gi wondered if he was hearing things wrong and rubbed his ears hard. Still dazed, he looked at his now-silent phone and asked again.
"Excuse me???"