My keen senses began to revive in detail.
From where I felt the movement of mana, I could clearly hear the murmuring of people.
Heading straight in that direction, the first thing I saw was a half-blood dressed in a cancan skirt, frozen like a statue in front of a cart.
A Hunter was rummaging through the child’s cart, gathering valuables and toys.
If I had to guess, it was likely Guru’s mana that had paralyzed the half-blood.
Children and spectators were in a panic, and security personnel had formed a tight circle around someone, as if guarding them.
The staff member who had been escorting Guru was nowhere to be seen. And neither was Guru.
Spotting Guru’s watch inside the cart, Jurim snatched it from the Hunter’s hand.
“Hey! Wait a second! You can’t just take that!”
Ignoring the protests with ease, he strode toward a security officer in the lobby who was speaking into a radio.
“Lockdown above the second floor.”
Jurim removed his mask and yanked the earpiece from the officer’s ear.
The startled security officer immediately reached out to grab his wrist.
Thud!
“Urk!”
The officer’s body was suddenly slammed against the wall by an invisible force.
“This is On Jurim of Hyeonak. A four-year-old girl has gone missing. Listen carefully and act accordingly. Evacuate all visitors from the exhibition hall and lock down the amusement park.”
No matter how you looked at it, this was a blatant act of coercion against the amusement park. Yet, the so-called ‘perpetrator’ spoke in an eerily calm voice.
The security officer, upon recognizing his face, stood frozen with his mouth agape.
The one calmly threatening the amusement park... was On Jurim.
“From this moment on, until we find the child, no one is allowed to leave. If you refuse to comply—”
Jurim turned his golden-hued gaze toward the officer.
“—I will enforce a lockdown myself.”
Gulp. The security officer swallowed dryly.
This was On Jurim. It was as if his thick mana was visible to the naked eye. His words weren’t an empty threat.
The only First Generation Hunter. The Conqueror of the Tower. The one who, in reality, reigns above all existing Hunters.
“Confirm it. It’s On Jurim.”
Ending his words unilaterally, Jurim handed the earpiece back to the officer. It was a silent demand—verify my identity and back up my threat.
While the security officer hesitated, Jurim checked his watch with an impatient scowl, making it clear he had no intention of waiting even a second longer.
“...Just do as he says. If he says he’ll do something, he will.”
Just then, an elegant voice cut through the tension.
Jurim turned his head toward the familiar voice.
The elderly woman stood, clutching her clutch bag to her chest, offering him a warm smile.
“You’re the same as ever, Jurim.”
Jurim let out a heavy sigh and checked his watch again.
“I’m sorry, but this isn’t the time for casual greetings. If this process gets delayed, I’ll handle things my way.”
Even in front of the amusement park’s owner, he boldly declared that he would personally shut down her park.
The woman chuckled softly.
“I understand the situation, so let’s save the pleasantries for later.”
As the VIP accepted the decision, the response from the higher-ups came swiftly.
“If you provide the child’s name and description, we will make an announcement for the missing person, Guildmaster On.”
🚨 Attention: Due to a safety inspection, entry and exit will be temporarily restricted. We ask for your understanding...
📢 We are looking for Han Guru. A four-year-old mixed-race girl with light blonde hair...
The entire exhibition hall had been evacuated, but there was no trace of the child inside.
Which meant...
‘Teleportation.’
Teleportation was a heavily restricted skill. If it wasn’t used alone but with others, the travel range would be significantly reduced.
Based on the amount of mana used, the range was undoubtedly within the amusement park.
Scanning his surroundings, Jurim leapt to the top of the Ferris wheel. As he landed on each level, startled screams erupted from the passengers inside.
“What the hell? Is that a Hunter?”
“Holy shit! Is this a movie?!”
Standing at the highest point, Jurim took in the entire amusement park at a glance.
He pushed his super senses to their absolute limit.
The voices of every person within range rushed in at once, slamming into his ears like °• N v l i g h t •° a tidal wave. His brow furrowed from the overwhelming noise.
“Who’s that up there?”
“A person?”
“A Hunter?”
“They blocked the entrance! What do we do?”
“We can’t leave? Why? What’s happening?”
“Did a dungeon open? Did we get an emergency alert?”
“Damn! Blue Dragon Express is so damn fun! Who said it wasn’t?!”
“This kid again? The plan’s ruined!”
“I wanted to see the parade!”
Among the flood of voices, Jurim extracted a single clue and turned his head toward it.
“Who is this kid? Why is the exit blocked? Are they some kind of VVIP?”
‘Found them.’
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Jurim leapt, his form vanishing mid-air.
‘This is... a bathroom?’
Guru looked around, staring at the old toilet.
Just moments ago, she had been pushing through the crowd. But in an instant, the space around her had shifted to this dimly lit bathroom.
The first thing she did was check her bag. But—
‘My bag...’
It must have fallen during the abduction.
Inventory space was proportional to one’s mana. Guru’s inventory, with her limited mana, contained only a duck grabber, a teddy bear costume, and a bicycle.
Her eyes met Wooju’s.
Wooju, having assessed the situation, looked just as dumbfounded.
But only for a moment—having witnessed Guru’s earlier prowess, Wooju’s expression shifted into one of hopeful expectation.
“You have more items, right?”
“...No, dun haf any...”
The hope that had momentarily flickered in Wooju’s eyes died out. A wave of helplessness rushed in.
“Then... is there no other way?”
“Dunno right now...”
Just as the two were whispering—
Bang!
“Shut the fuck up, will you?!”
The sound of a foot slamming into the bathroom door was followed by a rough male voice.
Startled by the loud noise, Guru flinched and shrank back. She crawled over to Wooju and clung to him.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Beyond the pounding of her heartbeat, she could hear two voices.
One was a husky voice she had never heard before. The other belonged to their chaperone.
“...What do we do with those brats?”
“...Kill them.”
“...Evidence...?”
“...Did their faces get caught on camera?”
“...The USB...?”
Terrifying words slithered into her ears. Guru squeezed her eyes shut, tightening her arms around Wooju.
This wasn’t the first time she had faced death.
After all, she had stood face-to-face with Malikian.
But the fear she had never felt, even in front of an S-rank monster, was now crystal clear—in front of humans.
‘Why?’
Back then, Malikian had said something strange.
‘Guwungjuuung.’
Maybe... it had something to do with this.
Recalling the moment she had confronted Malikian, her racing heart began to settle.
With her panic receding, the voices outside the bathroom became even clearer.
“You don’t have any more useful skills or items?”
“Items? Do you have any idea how expensive that shit is? If I could afford those, would I be here helping with petty theft?”
The man sneered.
Since Guru hadn’t sensed any mana from their chaperone, it was safe to assume that this man was the one who had brought them here.
Her mind was gradually sharpening..
Taking down a human with a duck grabber was impossible.
But...
Guru fiddled with the accessory in her hair. If necessary, she could at least defend herself.
Her trembling fingers reached out and grasped Wooju’s hand tightly.
She recalled a memory from the orphanage.
Once, during a blackout, a single child’s scream had thrown everyone into a panic.
Fear spreads like an epidemic.
“’s okay, Wooju.”
Guru whispered softly, trying to comfort him.
“’s okay.”
Wooju bit his lip hard and nodded.
The erratic pounding of their hearts made it painfully obvious just how terrified they were.
Guru took a slow, steady breath, then murmured into Wooju’s ear.
“Pretty Wooju... This is a secret, but Guru is super good at running away.”
Then, she grinned.
“Back at da orphanage, I wuz real good at not getting caught. So, trust me, ‘kay?”
“...’Kay.”
“We just hafta run.”
“...’Kay.”
As the children clung to each other for warmth—
‘Huh?’
Guru’s head lifted.
It was as if something massive had shifted.
Like the earth itself had moved.
The very air around them trembled.
Thud!
Thud!
Two dull, heavy impacts rang out.
Guru’s arms instinctively tightened around Wooju.
The bathroom door creaked open.

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