The return happened in an instant.
But… did I really return properly?
Jong-sik glanced around, tilting his head.
All he could see were trees, dirt, and…
A red bee buzzing around.
In an instant, Jong-sik’s face crumpled.
Of course, if they were red bees, they weren’t the common insect-type monsters seen on the Eldar continent.
“Did I fail to return?”
Just as he thought that…
A familiar voice reached him.
“Min-soo. Are you kidding me right now?”
It was Korean.
Well, then.
It seemed he had returned properly after all.
Finally, Jong-sik relaxed his expression and headed in the direction of the voice.
***
2030, Incheon, South Korea.
“What have you been doing all this time? I gave you an extra hour, and this is what you come up with?”
A man with his entire forearm covered in tattoos was yelling at a boy kneeling on the floor. The boy’s face was swollen as if he had been punched.
“P-please, just this once. There were too many red bees… I’ll fill a whole bundle tomorrow, I promise. Please.”
Despite the boy’s desperate plea, the man showed no mercy. Instead, he interrupted the boy and even let out a sinister laugh.
“Hah, this is ridiculous. Red bees? Min-soo, have you ever seen a bee before?”
Thwack!
“Ahh!”
The man’s foot struck the boy’s shoulder. The frail boy’s body slammed onto the ground lifelessly. But the man didn’t stop there.
Thwack, thud – thwack!
“Have you ever seen a bee, huh? Because of this punk, I’m losing out. When I was your age, I harvested right under the beehive. So, you don’t need to make excuses like that. Got it?”
“I-I’m sorry, ahh!”
“What did about what I hate the most in the world?”
“I’m sorry…”
“That’s right! You know well! If you didn’t do things you’re sorry for in the first place, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“….”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Thwack!
“Ugh…”
“Stop whimpering. Have some conscience, huh? I fed and sheltered you even when you were worthless. Now you want to live off me for free? Is it so hard to pick some herbs?”
The man roughly grabbed the fallen boy’s throat and pressed down.
“Yesterday, you said you weren’t feeling well, today you met bees, and who knows what excuse you’ll have tomorrow. Don’t you get it? No, just don’t go foraging. Maybe roam the streets or something. If you’re not going to forage, what do you need fingers for?”
“P-please, please!”
The boy thrashed with all his might on the ground, but the man paid him no mind.
“Hey, if you don’t stay still, your arms will be useless.”
The man’s strong grip shifted to the boy’s trembling hands on the ground. It was then that despair began to fill the boy’s eyes. Someone’s foot appeared in the boy’s line of sight.
“The vouce it’s coming from this way!”
“Excuse me, please help me!”
“Help? This guy’s still acting up till the end. Who’s there…”
The boy urgently shouted, and the man responded with a puzzled look. But soon, a voice from a stranger was heard.
“It’s definitely Korean, but the location isn’t right.”
The man swiftly turned his head towards the source of the sound.
A sturdy physique with a rugged appearance.
No weapon in hand.
Moreover, the attire was shabby.
Clearly not an appropriate clothing for the place where they are standing.
So, there was only one conclusion.
The man scanned Jong-sik quickly with his naked eye and made his judgment.
“I have a question…”
Like beans popping out in boiling water, there are humans who meddle in others’ affairs unnecessarily. This guy must be one of them. Thinking this way, the man rudely interrupted Jong-sik and reacted harshly.
“What’s your deal? Can’t you mind your own business? If you don’t want trouble, just leave nicely.”
But the man shouldn’t have made such an assumption.
“Trouble? Me? Haha. Try me if you can.”
“This guy is unbelievable!”
The man, getting worked up, rushed towards Jong-sik. Jong-sik smirked and swiftly swung his hand like lightning.
Crack!
As a result, the man, not even taking a step forward, crashed to the ground. He couldn’t comprehend the situation at all.
“If you sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind. Isn’t that right?”
“….”
“Well, since there’s something to listen to, I guess I should loosen my grip a bit. So why did you butt in? You could’ve just answered.”
At that moment, the boy who had been cowering on the ground trembled and spoke up.
“No. I, I’ll tell you. I can tell you!”
***
30 minutes later.
“That’s when the Awakened Ones appeared. Thanks to them, people were able to survive. Um, what else should I say…”
The boy finished his long answer while glancing at Jong-sik.
“So, this is Korea, but it’s connected to the Eldar continent.”
“Eldar continent?”
“You’ve never heard of it?”
“No.”
“Really? No one has ever returned from another dimension among the missing?”
The boy nodded silently.
Then where were all those missing people?
The boy mentioned that it’s been ten years since cracks appeared on Earth.
It all started in 2020, the year Jong-sik suddenly went to the Eldar continent.
Since then, cracks have appeared all over the world, and monsters have emerged from them.
Cracks, monsters, status screens, Awakened Ones, and more—a new world unfolded that didn’t exist before.
People were dying left and right, and hundreds or even thousands of people were going missing every day.
Of course, there were also those who returned to their families. Jong-sik seemed to be one of them in the boy’s eyes.
He kept asking about finding family and the missing people.
The boy quickly added more explanation to Jong-sik’s lukewarm response.
“They were all kidnapped and then escaped. Some were rescued from human experimentation facilities, and others escaped from islands.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes. As far as I know, there are no other dimensions. Well, it wouldn’t make sense for there to be another dimension.”
“….”
“Is there anything else you’re curious about?”
“I think that’s all for now. You mentioned earlier, right? Down this way, there’s a police station.”
“Not a police station, but um, a Missing Person Center.”
“Anyway, you can find your family there.”
“Yes.”
“Alright then. Thank you.”
Jong-sik thought the conversation with the boy was quite informative. After exchanging light farewells, he was about to move in the direction the boy had indicated.
“Just a moment!”
The boy urgently called out to Jong-sik.
“…?”
“Can I ask you one more thing?”
Jong-sik shrugged. The boy pointed to the man lying on the ground.
“He doesn’t seem to be dead, could he possibly move again?”
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
“Should I break his neck?
“Absolutely not!”
The boy exclaimed, clapping his hands roughly.
“Just let me touch him. Just in case….”
“What did I just say? Even if I break his neck, he won’t resist and just die. Isn’t that enough?”
Given that the boy seemed to know nothing about blood magic, there was no way for him to move the man.
“…Yes. Thank you for your help.”
Understanding Jong-sik’s words immediately, the boy suddenly extended something towards him. It was an old bag.
“And this too. Please take it.”
Perhaps it was a minor healing potion. He remembered using it a few times during his days as a penniless mercenary.
In reality, it was of no use to him now, but Jong-sik accepted the bag without a word.
Finally, the boy smiled broadly and bowed deeply. It was a gesture of gratitude.
***
As Jong-sik walked in the direction the boy had indicated, it didn’t take long before he spotted the modern-style building that was imprinted in his memory.
“A meal is served.”
A restaurant with a half-lit signboard was open for business, and further down the block, people were selling something on the cluttered street.
“Selling dried manuka. Get it cheap!”
“Red bee honey, thirty thousand won per jar. Sweet as can be!”
Jong-sik walked past them, continuing on his way.
How far had he walked?
He saw a metal bulletin board at the heart of the messy street. People were gathered around it, and he squeezed through them.
He hoped to find a neighborhood map attached to that board.
???????
[Hunter Murder Suspect Wanted
Name: Choo Tae-sik (35 years old, male)
Characteristics: Familiarity with poisons. Petite stature. Likely capable of hiding in poison-infested areas.
Reward: Recommendation for entry into the Grand Guild. Bounty of 20 million won.]
*Welcome to the Grand Guild Tip Line*
[Recruitment for Dungeon Ingredient Clinical Trial Participants – Samcho Pharmaceuticals]
[Notice Changcheon Guild Hiring Contract Workers for 1 Year
-Salary negotiable
-Seeking individuals who want to experience both field and office work
-Those who want to learn quickly
-Welcoming individuals with good personalities and passion
-Possibility of regular employment after 1 year
-Family-like atmosphere
-Inquiries welcome]
[Searching for Missing Persons]
????????
“The Poison Zone? There are plenty around here. Could it be that he’s entered this neighborhood?”
“If they catch Choo Tae-sik, they get a free pass into the Grand Guild…”
“Even with a bounty on his head, do you think he’ll be caught easily? They’re also hiring people over there. At Changcheon.”
“That place is garbage. A regular position after a year? What a joke. Plus, a family-like atmosphere? Must be really cozy. Look at the ‘permanent recruitment’ written there. That’s just a sign that means they can’t keep people.”
Contrary to Jong-sik’s expectations, he couldn’t find a map on the bulletin board. Instead of the information he wanted, he noticed flyers that furrowed his brow.
“Searching for Missing Persons.”
It was noticeably worn and tattered compared to other flyers, indicating how long it had been posted there.
He wondered if Jong-pal searched for him like this.
Thoughts of his younger brother naturally come to mind.
Feeling a sudden sense of urgency, Jong-sik called out to the man standing beside him.
“Excuse me.”
“Did you call me? I saw my younger brother going in there and…?”
“Yes. I wanted to ask for directions. I heard there’s a place called the Missing Persons Center around here…”
At the mention of the Missing Persons Center, the man glanced up and down at Jong-sik. He looked at the worn bag Jong-sik was holding and said,
“Ah, caught up in the collection job, huh? Must have been tough. Well, at least your face isn’t too messed up.”
There’s something off-putting about his tone. Jong-sik looked at the man without expressing approval or disapproval. Scratching his head, the man continued,
“Oh, I said too much. You should go to your family. That Missing Persons Center is just a ten-minute walk that way.”
“Thank you.”
Family.
Once again, Jong-sik’s heart races with worry at the man’s words. He suddenly feels concerned about his younger brother. What if he’s been caught up in the chaos of this changed world? What if they can’t meet again?
“Then I didn’t need to come here.”
That impatience persisted even after arriving at the Missing Persons Center and while the staff were inquiring about family relations.
“It’s been ten years since you were reported missing. According to our records, your brother filed a missing persons report. We’ve contacted your family, and they’ll be here shortly. In the meantime, please fill out this paperwork.”
The staff at the Missing Persons Center offered Jong-sik a warm cup of tea and asked about what had happened during the time he was missing
Jong-sik vaguely answered the staff’s questions, recalling his conversation with the boy he had met earlier. He didn’t bring up the topic of the Eldar Continent.
After some time, the closed door of the Missing Persons Center opened, and someone walked in.
“…Uncle!”
It was someone he hadn’t expected to see.
