Chapter 85
Chapter 85. Oppa, You Want to Handle This by Yourself?
Hours slipped away at an astonishing pace, and almost without our noticing, our outing was rapidly approaching its conclusion. Our final destination for the afternoon was a cozy cafe overlooking the sea, timed perfectly so we could watch the twilight settle over the water together.
“Dusk is already rolling in. It won’t be long before the sun drops beneath the waves.”
“So soon? What a shame…”
My genuine wish was to linger beside her until the final glow faded into night and the moon took its place, but our shared time was governed by strict limits. Sia and I were allowed a window of merely six hours at best.
While that granted us roughly ninety minutes more than we used to have, the duration still felt painfully brief to both of us.
Sia glanced at the clock, her disappointment impossible to conceal.
“We have under an hour left before our time runs out.”
“Is that all?”
“Truly. It honestly feels like barely two or three hours have slipped by since we met. How does time move this quickly…?”
As the moment of our inevitable separation loomed over us, Sia formed an adorable, sulky pout with her lips.
“That probably just proves how wonderful today really was. Boring hours drag on forever, but whenever joy takes over, every minute vanishes before you know it.”
“I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, Oppa. We truly had a wonderful time today, didn’t we?”
Taking sips of our coffee, we reminisced over every small highlight of our outing. Each stop along the way had brought genuine delight, as if fortune itself had escorted us every step of the day.
The botanical gardens had been curiously deserted, giving us the luxurious illusion that the entire estate had been reserved exclusively for our private stroll. Meanwhile, at the bustling local bazaar, friendly merchants kept offering us extra treats, letting us experience the heartfelt generosity of the community firsthand.
Yet far more precious than any of those pleasant surprises was the simple fact that our outing had proceeded completely unhindered.
No random female acquaintance had popped up out of nowhere to fluster me and sour Sia’s mood. My consciousness hadn’t randomly blacked out without warning, nor had any sudden spatial catastrophe burst open around us while we were peacefully dining.
‘The ridiculous part is that every single one of those absurd scenarios has actually happened to us before.’
All I hoped for was to see this date through to its peaceful conclusion. We could continue chatting idly like this a bit longer, stroll out to the cafe’s open terrace bench, and bring our day to a gentle close beneath the crimson twilight.
Capping it off with a gentle embrace and a kiss beneath the dimming sky would make the evening complete.
“Sia, it looks like dusk is settling. Shall we step out into the garden?”
“I’d love to!”
Moving into the open air, we settled onto a garden swing situated in a quiet corner of the yard, letting it rock in a slow, rhythmic sway. With each gentle arc, Sia’s silken strands drifted softly against the breeze.
Fingers interlaced with hers, we watched the shoreline unfold in front of us as the horizon began to blaze in deep shades of crimson and gold.
We eventually stood up from the swing, captured a few keepsake photos against the radiant backdrop of the twilight sea, exchanged a sweet kiss, and then moved to a nearby wooden bench to observe the last sliver of daylight vanish into the ocean.
Yet the very second we settled down, an unnatural tension shattered the calm.
“…Hold on.”
A foreign tremor resonated through the air, carrying the distinct mana signature that every Hunter recognized immediately. I had experienced this precise spatial shudder once before.
‘A Gate Break!’
Sia must have detected the phenomenon at the exact same instant, her gaze snapping toward mine in immediate alignment.
“Why on earth does this always happen when we’re out together…?”
“…And here I was foolishly believing we might actually finish an entire date without a single crisis.”
Sia let out a weary, disbelieving breath as she watched the atmospheric fracture tear open before our eyes. Equal parts exasperated and helpless, I ran a hand over my face before locking onto the expanding rift.
It wasn’t as if this were an obligatory holiday ritual, so why did an emergency manifest every single time we went on an outing?
Having grown just as accustomed to this absurd pattern as I was, Sia rose to her feet with an expression of quiet, seasoned acceptance.
“The mana density feels around A- to B-rank. Don’t worry, Oppa, I’ll clear it out in a flash.”
During our prior interruption, Sia had dashed away from our half-finished bowl of tteokbokki, handled the entire crisis single-handedly, and strolled back in under five minutes flat.
Treating this incident like a quick trip to the powder room would probably save my sanity, given how swiftly she could resolve an anomaly of this tier.
Yet this afternoon, I felt a strong urge to stand beside her.
“I’m coming along.”
Even knowing she could wrap up the threat effortlessly on her own, leaving the burden entirely on her shoulders felt wrong to me.
“Back then, I lacked the ability to stand at your side. But things are different today.”
During that earlier rupture, my strength had been far too insufficient to offer meaningful backup. Now, however, the gap was closing. I possessed sufficient power to pull my own weight on the battlefield.
I wanted to fight as her partner. Beyond that, I yearned to demonstrate just how far my capabilities as a Hunter had evolved.
Rokan had already witnessed my growth during our recent sparring match, but Sia had not yet seen firsthand how much stronger I had become.
After a brief pause, Sia studied my expression, reading the resolve in my gaze, and gave a firm nod.
“Understood. Let’s do it.”
Taking my hand, she instantly engaged spatial movement, pulling us directly to the focal point of the dimensional tear.
When the scenery stabilized, we found ourselves standing on an isolated, nameless stretch of beach. With the summer crowd long gone and autumn well underway, the shore was practically abandoned.
Almost the moment our boots touched the sand, the fracture expanded outward, sending the few wandering pedestrians fleeing in panic with startled shrieks.
Any nearby Hunters picking up on the mana fluctuations would undoubtedly mobilize before long. Even considering this was Jeju rather than Seoul—where Hunter density was considerably higher—reinforcements would still arrive within ten minutes.
Our actions needed to account for that tight window. Drawing my blade from subspace, I locked my gaze onto the violently throbbing rift.
Right then, an unexpected desire surged from within my chest.
“Sia.”
“Yes, Oppa?”
“Would it be alright if I dealt with this gate entirely on my own?”
I was well aware that doing so went against sheer efficiency. Had Sia intervened directly, the entire incident would be resolved cleanly within mere moments.
Nevertheless, I wanted to seize this chance to show her the fruits of my training and prove what I was truly capable of achieving by myself.
Naturally, such a request meant hijacking the final moments of our outing. From her perspective, it was hardly a reasonable proposition.
Our precious time together was already ticking away, and here I was, asking to spend the remainder of our date hacking away at a Gate Break in isolation. Had our positions been swapped, I might have found the request bewildering myself.
Knowing this, I carefully laid out my reasons, adding that if she disliked the proposal in the slightest, I would drop it immediately without another word.
Sia held my gaze with a calm, gentle expression before a radiant smile blossomed on her lips.
“Go for it. But if things become overwhelming at any point, let me know right away.”
The moment the initial mana wave struck her senses, a flash of pure irritation had ignited within Sia. Just like Minjun, she had silently prayed, ‘Please, not today of all days,’ only for fate to disrupt their date yet again.
For an instant, the sheer frustration made her want to turn her back on the anomaly entirely, relocate to a quiet sanctuary, and savor every remaining second in Minjun’s company. Even without her intervention, local combat teams would eventually mobilize and contain the threat somehow.
‘Still… Oppa would surely look down on me if I acted so selfishly.’
Swallowing her annoyance, Sia reluctantly decided to neutralize the breach just as she had done before—only with far greater speed this time around.
The ambient energy indicated an easier clearance than the incident during their tteokbokki meal, leading her to believe she could suppress the rift within five minutes and return to their private evening.
That had been her intention, right up until Minjun declared his wish to join the fray.
Direct assistance was hardly necessary when she held the power to resolve everything in the blink of an eye, yet his fierce resolve was unmistakable, prompting her to bring him along without argument.
‘Come to think of it, this might actually be a blessing.’
From her vantage point, standing side by side meant remaining physically close to Minjun for a bit longer. She had assumed they would dispatch the threat together in record time and hurry back to the seaside terrace when Minjun delivered his surprising petition.
“Sia, would it be alright if I dealt with this gate entirely on my own?”
He wished to conquer the spatial rupture single-handedly.
‘Why push himself to such extremes?’
Her initial reaction was pure confusion, but as he patiently shared his thoughts, his motivation became crystal clear.
‘Yet our time today…’
Their moments together were vanishing with every breath, making it difficult to justify spending them in such a desolate place. Then a different perspective surfaced in her mind.
What if she treated this as a private showcase to watch Minjun unleash his full prowess, dismantling the horde in a display of martial elegance?
Framed that way, the spectacle held its own distinct charm. Above all, Minjun had asked with such sincere earnestness that refusing him was impossible.
“In that case, Oppa, I’ll construct a containment barrier over the area. Unleash everything you have. Just make sure to call out the moment it becomes too much.”
Until their allocated time expired, Sia made up her mind to serve as his silent safeguard while allowing him to tackle the Gate Break unimpeded.
Should Minjun find himself in genuine peril, or if their parting hour arrived, she would step in without hesitation. Until then, she was determined to honor his ambition and grant him an uninterrupted battlefield.
The primary concern was how to assist him without compromising the purity of his trial.
To shield the surrounding area from any stray collateral damage, Sia manifested an expansive ward across the shoreline. Over this boundary, she meticulously wove complex illusionary and spatial-distortion wards, ensuring that anyone observing from beyond would see only an ordinary, tranquil seaside.
The stage was flawlessly arranged for Minjun’s performance. All that remained was to discover just how profoundly his abilities had transformed during his journey through Pangaea.
‘Grandpa mentioned something about it.’
Right after Minjun’s return to Earth, Rokan had tested his state through an impromptu duel. If Rokan’s account was accurate, Minjun had surpassed all expectations, even managing to wield Dragon Fear.
Standing at the edge of the barrier, Sia observed him closely, her chest tightening with eager curiosity.
Before long, the dimensional rupture tore wide open, disgorging a wave of vile creatures onto the sands.
‘Goblins, orcs, along with… a goblin shaman.’
The regular goblins held C-rank power, the orcs ranked at B, and their shaman commander possessed A-rank strength. Against the current Minjun, this vanguard was far from insurmountable.
However, that assessment took for granted that he would fight alongside equally capable companions. Tackling the entire assembly single-handedly within the span of an hour still seemed like a daunting trial from Sia’s perspective.
‘Oppa undoubtedly recognizes the danger as well.’
Regardless of his newfound might, Minjun was far too perceptive to misjudge the tactical reality before him.
And yet, his demeanor carried a composure far greater than she had anticipated. It seemed he genuinely believed he could dismantle this horde alone.
Right at that heartbeat, a brilliant radiance surged across his blade.
It was the very energy Sia had previously only heard Rokan marvel at: a breathtaking luminescence reminiscent of a midnight sky adorned with shimmering constellations, possessing a beauty so profound it could entrance any witness.
With the dying rays of the sun painting the horizon, Minjun lunged forward, his weapon draped in that celestial brilliance.
SKREEEE!
A single, decisive sweep sheared through the front ranks; the towering orcs collapsed helplessly upon the sand, utterly unable to mount a defense. Without pausing for breath, Minjun instantly directed Dragon Fear straight into the surviving monsters.
The second that primordial pressure erupted, an involuntary chill rippled across Sia’s skin.
‘He truly mastered it…’
Hearing a tale second-hand from Rokan could never compare to witnessing the phenomenon manifest in the flesh.
Minjun had undergone less than two months of training in ancient draconic arts and was still unable to articulate the Dragon Tongue. Yet here he was, cowing an entire horde of goblins with an aura once thought to belong solely to the sovereign dragons.
Krrrk…?
Smothered beneath a suffocating, alien terror, the goblins froze instantly. Several were paralyzed where they stood, others collapsed into unconsciousness on the spot, and a few violently retched, overwhelmed by an unfathomable dread they had never known existed.
Nevertheless, that crushing aura primarily incapacitated the C-rank goblins. The sturdier B-rank orcs and the commanding A-rank goblin shaman withstood the initial shockwave and began closing their ranks, maneuvering to trap Minjun in a pincer.
‘Should I intervene now?’
Sia was confident that monsters of this caliber could never bring Minjun down. Even if the flow of combat briefly turned sour, his absolute safety was assured so long as she kept watch from the perimeter.
Even so, a protective urge instinctively tugged at her core. Though Minjun had explicitly requested to conquer this battle alone, she couldn’t entirely quell the impulse to shield him from harm.
It was never a lack of confidence in his ability. Sia was simply deeply protective by nature, and whenever Minjun was involved, that instinct amplified tenfold.
Lurking just inside the barrier’s edge, she anxiously twisted her fingers together, her gaze locked onto every shift in the sand.
Yet as if declaring all her anxiety utterly groundless, Minjun raised his gleaming sword once more with fluid, unwavering grace, his gaze burning with absolute conviction.
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