In the Name of God - vanish into fiction

After the elevator doors closed.

Only then did Kwon Jeong-han exhale the breath he had been holding, massaging his nape which had frozen stiff. The gaze with which he checked the mood of Lee Sunho standing beside him was exceptionally cautious.

Do not act stiff in front of Do-yoon.

Act naturally. It would be even better if you did not pay mind to it.

That was the chilling warning Lee Sunho had left behind when they escaped from the dungeon where the large-scale raid took place.

A silent pressure to act so that Seong Do-yoon would not feel any sense of incongruity.

Thinking that Lee Sunho could take his head anytime, anywhere, Kwon Jeong-han had no choice but to follow that command silently.

Because he kept his nerves sharpened the whole time as if walking on thin ice, his nape was beyond stiff and almost paralyzed.

‘I would rather be surrounded by monsters.’

Cracking his stiff neck, Kwon Jeong-han suddenly recalled Seong Do-yoon’s appearance.

Setting aside mana depletion, the injuries on both hands seen when leaving the dungeon were clearly severe. Since the bones in both hands, including his fingers, were badly broken, he thought it would take no small amount of rehabilitation to grip a gun and pull the trigger afterward. In fact, Seong Do-yoon had reportedly received a diagnosis that it would take three or four months just for the bones to fuse, and a good half-year including rehabilitation.

However, Seong Do-yoon’s hands met today were completely fine as if nothing had ever happened. That unhesitating movement of his hands as he chatted with the craftsman and pulled the triggers of heavy firearms made it seem as though he had never broken a single finger joint in the first place.

‘As expected, Seong Do-yoon has something going on too.’

To think he has such astonishing recovery power when a healer-type Awakener was not even attached to him.

‘That must be why he can be partners with someone like Lee Sunho without batting an eye.’

If he followed his heart, he wanted to question him persistently, but with a monster like Lee Sunho present, he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

‘Did Father know about this situation right now as well?’

Kwon Jeong-han recalled the words of his father, Kwon Hae-beom, President of the Awakeners Association, as he was leaving the house early in the morning.

It would be good for you to go pick up the ordered artifact today.

Pardon? But I have not received any contact from the market’s side.

You will receive contact soon. Align your time and depart so as not to be late.

He was indeed his father.

Just as he said, in less than thirty minutes, he received contact from Prestige Market.

Having met the unexpected Seong Do-yoon and Lee Sunho at the place he arrived at like that, he thought his father must have sensed something.

Kwon Jeong-han, who knew painfully well how remarkable a person his father was, nodded internally and headed toward another elevator.

“Wait quietly.”

What caught Kwon Jeong-han’s feet as he turned around was Lee Sunho’s voice.

Because it was a temperature so vastly different from when he was with Seong Do-yoon, the back of his neck bristled once more.

Looking back, Lee Sunho was still staring fixedly at the elevator Seong Do-yoon had ridden down. To be exact, he was obsessively looking at the small display screen whose lights had gone out from a certain moment.

“What is it? Why are the floor numbers not showing…!”

Before Kwon Jeong-han could even complete his sentence, the building shook violently.

Rumble—!

At the vibration and noise of the building, surprised screams were heard from all around. Subsequently, an announcement flowed out from a nearby speaker.

-Announcement. An intense vibration of unknown origin has currently been detected at the basement depth of the main building.

Earthquake-resistant design and protective barriers are functioning in this building, but for the safety of our customers, all areas are being closed. Please do not move from your current location, and move quickly to the nearest emergency shelter under the guidance of staff personnel.

-Repeating the announcement. Currently at the basement depth of the main building…

Among mid-rank Awakeners or higher, there was a rumor circulating that an announcement flowing out in Prestige Market was no ordinary matter.

A space where not only staff members but customers themselves were strictly limited to strong individuals of Rank 6 or higher.

A flawless security system capable of stoutly enduring even if monsters swarmed in like during the holy war.

For an announcement to break the silence and come out in such an absolute safe zone meant that a certain ‘calamity’ beyond the system’s control had struck.

Kwon Jeong-han had no choice but to find it strange.

There should be nothing beneath this building, so why was a full closure measure of this level issued merely due to a strong vibration at the basement depth? Could it be that it was not a simple earthquake?

Whatever the case, for now, they had to follow the market’s announcement.

However, Lee Sunho abruptly grabbed Kwon Jeong-han’s shoulder as he was about to move.

“Let us get moving.”

“What? What do you mean…”