I sprinted through the night, where even moonlight dared not reach.
The streets were deserted—unsurprising at this late hour. I climbed the outer wall of a shopping building near the arena and pulled myself onto the rooftop, letting out a long, exhausted breath.
‘This is insane...’
A metallic taste rose up my throat like it did after a full-out sprint.
Unable to go any further, I collapsed in the center of the rooftop and desperately held on to my fading consciousness.
This wasn’t going to work. Urgent as the situation was, if I pushed myself any more, I was going to pass out in the middle of the street.
Ignoring Kwon Taehyuk’s offer to give me a ride was one thing—but collapsing in public would mean my identity splashed across the front page of every paper by morning.
Even with the skill altering my appearance—face, build, voice—I didn’t turn into a completely different person. At best, I’d look like Cha Seohu’s brother.
‘If people start saying Cover and Cha Seohu are connected... the lab bastards will figure out that Cha Sahyeon is with me.’
If they tracked me down without the right allies in place, everything would be over.
Peeling off the blood-soaked mask, I looked up at the cloud-covered night sky, then reluctantly retrieved an item from my inventory.
[Recovery Potion]
An item that instantly heals injuries. Drink the liquid inside the bottle to recover immediately.
This was one of the items that came with the “Regressor Growth Package” I had purchased from the Item Shop a while back.
The small glass bottle had a bulging neck and was filled with red liquid—basically identical to the classic health potions from games. Even the name and description were the same.
I turned the bottle over in my hand with a skeptical expression, frowning slightly.
‘A system interface, personalized status windows, an item shop... and now potions?’
It was starting to feel too much like a game. Honestly, the game I bought for Cha Sahyeon not long ago looked just like this. But then again, reality had already lost its mind the moment rifts and dungeon breaks became the norm.
Sighing, I peeled off the cork from the top of the bottle. It popped open with a faint phong, like a wine bottle.
I didn’t know if this was truly a healing item, but right now, I had no other choice. I had to test its effectiveness firsthand before I could trust the other two bottles I had left.
And anyway, what else could I do? Pushing down my hesitation, I downed the entire red liquid in one go.
I’d expected it to taste like strawberries or something, but it had no flavor or scent whatsoever. It was like drinking water.
Then—almost immediately—I felt it.
“Oh.”
The throbbing pain in my shoulder vanished in an instant.
I quickly shrugged off my denim jacket and checked the spot where Park Heeseok had clawed me. The wound was completely gone.
Not just the shoulder—every bruise, every ache, even the sore muscles from overuse were all healed.
It really was a recovery potion. The kind of result you’d see when a game character’s health bar shoots back to full. I hadn’t expected it to be poison, sure, but I also hadn’t expected it to work this well. It was... surprising.
‘Guess I can start trusting the Item Shop a little more now.’
I stood and rotated my left arm a few times. It moved freely—no stiffness, no pain. Not just surface-level healing; this was a full recovery.
The sky was beginning to lighten.
Morning was coming.
It was time to head back.
Luckily, the office wasn’t far from the arena. And with my body fully healed, I could make it in time if I moved fast.
Thanks to my restored body, I made it back before dawn broke completely.
Using ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) the back alley with no CCTV, I climbed up to the second-floor balcony and quietly opened the window of the pitch-dark room.
Click.
As soon as I closed the window behind me, a chill ran down my spine.
‘...Hm.’
Swallowing dryly, I turned slowly.
There—on the sofa—sat a small figure, motionless and drenched in shadow.
Cha Sahyeon sat perfectly still, gaze locked on the black screen of the TV. He knew I was here. He just didn’t bother to look.
From his stiff posture and turned-away profile, I could feel his anger. His stubbornness.
The pressure of his presence made sweat bead on my skin—but I couldn’t just leave him like that. Honestly, I was just relieved the Seed of Catastrophe hadn’t progressed.
“Hey, uh... kiddo?”
“......”
“You stayed up waiting for me?”
I took off the bloody mask as I approached. Cha Sahyeon’s eyebrows twitched. He turned his head sharply in the opposite direction.
He looked just like a child pouting at a guardian who came home late—but the hostility rolling off him was far from cute.
‘How do I fix this...’
I crouched down to his eye level, letting out a sigh.
“Sorry. I meant to come straight home, but something came up.”
Telling him I fainted would just sound pathetic. Right now, he didn’t need reasons—he needed comfort.
“Not even gonna look at me?”
I gently cupped his cheek with my hand.
He refused to meet my eyes, still glaring off to the side.
Maybe I should bring out snacks and talk it out with him. I was just considering that when—
“......”
Tears welled up in Cha Sahyeon’s eyes in an instant, his face scrunching up.
And then—he cried.
Big, heavy tears rolled down his cheeks and splashed onto my hand.
I froze.
“W-Wait, you’re crying? Are you really... crying right now?”
“......”
Panicking, I scooped him up into my arms.
He didn’t resist. Just clung to me quietly, his body hotter than usual. Even as he cried, he stayed curled against me, letting out heated, trembling breaths.
“I’m sorry. Please don’t cry...”
I patted his back, apologizing again and again, desperate to soothe him.
“I won’t be late next time. Were you really worried?”
My clothes were already soaked with blood and sweat, and now his tears were soaking through as well.
He must’ve been able to smell all of it, but Cha Sahyeon didn’t care. He just sobbed harder, clutching my shirt with pale, trembling hands.
“It’s my fault. I’m sorry. Please stop crying, okay?”
I never expected him to cry like this.
‘He’s gonna pass out from dehydration at this rate...’
How could such a small body produce so many tears? I was a nervous wreck the entire time.
Whether he understood or not, Sahyeon finally calmed down after what felt like forever. By the time the sun was fully up, my skill had worn off, and I was back to my normal self—physically exhausted from holding and comforting him.
“Annoyed.”
“Yeah? You were annoyed?”
Still pouting, Sahyeon mumbled his complaint. I wiped the lingering tears from his long lashes.
“Want to wash up together? Then we can have breakfast.”
He’d gotten dirty clinging to me anyway. A warm bath might help him reset.
“...Okay.”
After hesitating and glancing up at me, he finally nodded. A small sign of forgiveness.
Afraid he might change his mind, I hurried to carry him into the bathroom.
I hoped that by the time we came out, his mood would be much better.
“W-What just happened!”
“Cover Hunter blocked Hunter Park Heeseok’s attack with his body!”
Inside a dimly lit bar, the TV blared through the quiet room, lit only by a few scattered bulbs.
Click. A lighter flared, igniting the end of a cigarette. The hand that offered the flame withdrew quickly.
The man holding the cigarette tilted his head, eyes fixed on the screen.
“Cover Hunter looks badly injured!”
“It seems he’s unable to use his left arm!”
On screen, Cover struggled against Park Heeseok. His mask was splattered with blood, golden hair whipping around as he fought to hold back the assault.
Clunk!
Suddenly, the bar door creaked open, and someone peeked in.
“You called for me?”
The newcomer stepped in with a cheerful voice. Their hair was a pale, washed-out pink that fluttered as they walked, revealing ears lined with piercings.
At a signal from the man at the TV, a bodyguard handed the newcomer a tablet.
The screen displayed photos and a detailed address of a certain building. The youth pursed their lips in a pout.
“Ugh, I don’t wanna go out again. Who is this? Want me to bring them in? Eliminate them?”
“Watch them.”
“...Watch?”
“They’re injured. Don’t touch them.”
That was unexpected. The youth tilted their head at the odd instruction—but upon realizing who the address belonged to, a wide grin spread across their face.
“Ah, this is where Seohu-hyung lives? So he really made a guild.”
Their bored crimson eyes now sparkled with interest.
“But just surveillance? No snatching? And he’s hurt?”
They asked again, surprised. But the man remained silent, exhaling a slow stream of smoke.
He wasn’t the talkative type, so the youth shrugged, handing the tablet back to the bodyguard.
“I’ll head out tomorrow, then. You interrupted something fun.”
Their oversized white shirt was only half-buttoned, reeking of perfume and alcohol—no need to ask what they’d been doing.
“I’ll report back after I meet Seohu-hyung. Later~”
With a short bow, the youth left the bar.
Once alone again, the man returned his attention to the TV.
Through a veil of curling white smoke, he watched Cover swing his sword.

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