*
“Seruhi oppaa…… are you Guhnosis?”
Dry saliva scraped down his parched throat. Serhi’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
He had thought this ridiculous play would soon end.
That, once they reached the contaminated zone, it would all scatter like a mirage.
Because they weren’t a real family, like the beastmen’s stupid misconception. If anything, they were only people desperate to kill one another.
But not now.
He had never intended to end it now.
After a long silence, all Serhi let out was one stupid question.
“Why…… why?”
If he knew the reason? Because it might be a misunderstanding? Because he might be able to undo it?
“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
The anxious voice that burst from him felt utterly unfamiliar. Serhi clamped his mouth shut until his molars pressed hard together.
The boy was facing a truth he could not bear.
In truth, he had wanted to stay buried in those idle, foolish hours forever. Without any worry, without any anger.
“I can see it in your eyes, oppa.”
Geuru tightened her grip on the blanket.
Once she began paying attention to it, the pattern that had looked blurry came into clearer view.
“There’s a pattern in your eyes……. The one Mister Master showed me earlier.”
After entering the RP dungeon, certain things had begun to appear only to Geuru.
For example, the oak tree’s information window that no one else could see, and the acorn’s information window.
And Serhi’s eyes.
There was a pattern in Serhi’s eyes.
Something that had not been visible outside the dungeon had begun to show inside it.
The first time she noticed it was when Serhi woke up.
“Your eyes…….”
“Mm?”
The thing that could only be seen by looking closely was a triquetra—a shape of three overlapping ovals—wrapped around by a snake.
The pattern shining in gold was dyeing Serhi’s irises golden.
“They’re pretty.”
Clack, clack. The train began passing through the underground tunnel.
The carriage shook, and a long shadow fell across Serhi’s face.
It was hard to read Serhi’s expression.
No, she wanted him to tell her it wasn’t true.
That Geuru was mistaken.
“There’s a pattern in my eyes…….”
Serhi covered his golden eyes and murmured softly.
“……That can’t be.”
His cool, low voice sounded as though he had learned of it for the first time.
Geuru could not judge what Serhi’s words meant.
Did he mean there should have been no pattern in his eyes because he wasn’t Gnosis? Or did he mean Geuru had seen wrong?
She hoped she had seen wrong.
Because they had held hands and gone to the market together.
Because they had defeated the con-artist raccoon.
Because they had raised the acorn together.
“Did Geuru see wrong?”
Serhi’s pale hand covered Geuru’s eyelids, blocking her sight. Darkness settled over her.
“No, you saw correctly.”
For some reason, Serhi spoke in a whisper, as if resigned.
“I’m Gnosis.”
*
Poooooo—
The train’s whistle rang out long.
Siwon, who had been dozing in his seat, opened his eyes.
Outside the window, the morning sun had risen before he knew it.
The train’s speed had clearly slowed. It meant the final station where they had to get off was right ahead.
He was alone in his seat.
‘Are Geuru and Serhi sleeping in the sleeper car……?’
Since it was a train that ran through the night, he had booked two sleeper compartments together so the two children, who were still growing, could sleep soundly.
Siwon moved first to look for Geuru. They had to prepare to get off soon.
For now, he planned to head to the contaminated zone and examine the situation at the Brom Guild.
Cheon Gyuri was in Brom, and Gnosis surely could not control even an S-rank, so her objective and his should align.
If things were resolved well, he intended to leave Geuru at Brom’s base. He himself had to pursue Gnosis’s traces.
Serhi had said he belonged to Freefall, so he would return to his guild……
In the contaminated zone, everyone would part ways.
‘So the game of family is over now.’
It had been a short outing.
Siwon, smiling as he thought of Geuru and Serhi, opened the door to the sleeper compartment.
But for some reason, the room was empty.
Having no choice, he returned to his seat, where he saw Serhi taking down the luggage.
“Serhi, I don’t see Geuru. Do you happen to know where she went?”
“She’s sleeping in my room. I’ll bring her, so pack the luggage.”
“Yes, please.”
When Siwon spoke gently, Serhi nodded and headed toward his room. In Serhi’s hand as he turned away, a single note crumpled and disappeared.
As Siwon picked up his simply packed bag, the train stopped.
Serhi, carrying Geuru in his arms, followed behind Siwon, who held the bag.
Since it was the final station, it was crowded with beastmen coming and going. They got off the train and slipped into the stream of beastmen moving busily.
Serhi stared silently at Jin Siwon’s back.
His shoulders were broad and he was tall, but his build looked slender. His movements were slow, and at times he even misplaced his footing, acting clumsy.
As though Serhi could easily subdue him with one hand and throttle his neck.
Serhi raised his hand toward his neck.
“…….”
Only one goal was engraved in his mind.
The Gnosis hunter.
He had to kill him when he had the chance.
Just then, Siwon turned around.
Serhi quickly lowered his hand, but Siwon had already strode right up before his eyes.
A cold sensation touched the very center of Serhi’s forehead.
“……?”
It was the muzzle of a gun.
“What the hell is this bullshit all of a sudden?”
But Siwon, holding a Glock pistol, asked back with an expression utterly devoid of emotion.
“Where is Geuru?”
“What are you talking about? I’m holding her right here.”
“Where is Geuru?”
“Can’t you see her here? Are you blind?”
But Serhi’s answer did not seem to reach Siwon.
In a tone so flat it sent chills down the spine, he asked again.
“Tell me. Where is Geuru?”
“Enough with the bullshit—”
Bang!
Before he could finish speaking, the gun fired.
At the same time blood splattered across Siwon’s face, Serhi’s body crumpled downward.
A pool of blood flowed to his feet and gathered in a round puddle.
“Aaaaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaa!”
Screams began to strike the station. The beastmen, one and all, fled the station like the ebbing tide.
Siwon stood like a lonely island amid the crowd streaming around him in a circle.
Geuru was still cradled in the fallen Serhi’s arms.
With an indifferent face, Siwon approached Geuru and shot her in the head.
Bang!
The child’s body went limp.
‘A mannequin…….’
Jin Siwon blinked slowly.
Serhi and Geuru, vanished.
Mannequins in their place.
‘Gnosis…….’
Siwon pressed firmly against his chest.
For an instant, a hollow emptiness, as if a hole had been punched through his chest, dragged him down into an abyss.
It was a familiar pain.
Then, his green eyes, their light gone, searched left and right. With a rush, a massive amount of mana drained away.
[Skill “Phantom Time” is activating.]
—Glimpse 10 seconds into the future. Activates suddenly, regardless of the caster’s will.
Regardless of his intent, what brushed past that instant was the next ten seconds of the future.
When the skill activated, the events of the future played out for ten seconds.
His somewhat clumsy movements and dazed attitude were all because of these scenes of the future that came upon him without warning.
The sight of the beastmen surrounding him throwing themselves forward flashed before his eyes.
‘They’re all mannequins…….’
Ash-gray mana billowed from Siwon.
He aimed at the beastmen’s heads.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets of mana flew into their heads and exploded. The explosions engulfed even the nearby beastmen in raging flames.
“Gaaaaaah!”
Siwon cut through the screaming mannequins.
‘Geuru.’
He looked around desperately, but the baby flying squirrel was nowhere to be seen.
Returned to reality again, Siwon frowned and unconsciously checked his shoes.
Though there was no one at his feet, he felt as though someone were clutching his shoes.
‘Geuru…….’
It still felt as if warmth remained in his hand.
The things he wanted to protect always crumbled this easily.
If the mannequins were mixed among others, then with his Reading skill blocked, Siwon could not distinguish them.
In that case.
‘I have no choice but to kill them all.’
Now he had only one objective.
He had to find Geuru.