On the restricted rooftop of a building along Fantasy Road in District 23 of Academy City, five adult men and women gathered in secret.
Below the barbed-wire fence, a large jewellery store, its windows glittering beneath the afternoon sun.
“If we pull this off properly like you said, even split five ways, it’ll be enough to live on for a while,” one woman said, her voice low but edged with doubt. “But are you absolutely sure? They’re saying a large-scale rift is going to occur around here soon. Even if it does, what’s our escape plan after we grab the goods?”
“Why are you nitpicking every little thing?” a man snapped. “You said you needed money, so I brought you in. If you’re scared, then back out. There are plenty of others who’d jump at the chance.”
“You think I don’t trust my own guy? If I felt like it, I’d smash your face in right now—”
“…I agree with her,” another added quietly. “Asking for a full escape plan might be pushing it, but at least give us some basis for believing a rift will really happen.”
They were villains, Hunters who had long since abandoned their code in pursuit of personal gain.
Creatures of the shadows that clung to Academy City’s underbelly.
They felt no guilt in plotting to rob a jewellery store. Their only problem was aligning their opinions.
At that moment, the man who had spearheaded the job let out a snickering laugh, his shoulders shaking.
“Proof? Of course, I’ve got proof. Would this be enough?”
His slicked-back hair revealed a scar etched across his temple. He tugged down the collar of his shirt and exposed his left chest.
A black-winged emblem was branded there.
They recognized it at once. The symbol of the Demonic Society.
“You… became one of the Demonic?” someone whispered.
“Yeah. Running from Hunters forever didn’t seem like much of a life. If I’m going to gamble, I might as well gamble with everything. So I became one. That’s the result.” He grinned. “Got lucky and earned a place in the Society.”
“So the information about the rift…”
“Came straight from them. Is that enough to convince you?”
“…Then we don’t need to question it.”
“Sorry for doubting you.”
The Demonic Society, whose full membership was unknown and whose members often acted alone, possessed considerable intelligence networks.
The villains accepted the man’s words without further resistance.
Even if the information was wrong, it didn’t matter.
If he had truly become one of the Demonic, then he could cause a rift himself whenever he pleased.
“Let’s make this a big one,” he said, eyes gleaming.
For them, there was nothing to worry about.
Having finalized their plan, they decided to relocate. Better to leave now and avoid potential pursuit later.
They reached for the rooftop door.
“Ah.”
A collective groan escaped them.
The door was locked.
After exchanging awkward glances, they simply leapt off the rooftop instead. Breaking the handle would have left traces.
The next day, Saturday, the trial session was held following the orientation.
For those of us who had joined the club yesterday, it was our first official activity.
We headed to the commercial facilities of District 23 to participate.
“Fantasy Road in District 23 is famous for frequent spatial distortions,” Kim Sa-mo, the president of the Mystery Exploration Club, explained enthusiastically. “Tourists visiting Academy City often come here to watch the monsters that appear from rifts. That’s why we’re here. If we’re lucky, we might witness one ourselves.”
In the game, Kim Sa-mo had only appeared briefly at the beginning. Now, he looked visibly excited.
More people had shown up than had applied in advance.
For a club president who had been fighting to save a group on the brink of dissolution, it must have felt like a miracle.
In a way, it was thanks to us.
Most of the participants had signed up to build connections with us. I could feel their subtle glances, their quiet attempts to find chances to speak.
Some came up directly to greet us.
There was no way Yeon-ha-neul and the others failed to notice.
“….”
Kim Sa-mo probably knew as well.
Yet he led the session cheerfully, as if none of it bothered him. The senior members followed his lead and treated us warmly.
Amid the crowd, Yeon-ha-neul gently tugged at my sleeve.
“There are too many people. It’s a little overwhelming. Will it always be like this?”
Her rabbit-like ears drooped halfway, betraying her discomfort.
I felt much the same. The constant attention made it hard to relax.
“It’s just because it’s a trial session,” I reassured her. “People who aren’t serious will drop out on their own. If too many remain, I’ll talk to the president. He won’t want members who aren’t genuinely interested. There’s a limit to how many the seniors can handle anyway.”
“…I hope so.”
“If it gets too much, we could just start our own club.”
“Huh? Us?”
“Maybe Si-eun noona would approve if we ask nicely.”
“…It’s not impossible.”
“If that happens, you’ll be president. I’ll be the power behind the throne.”
“What?”
“How about calling it the Strawberry Milk Exploration Club? Or the Carrot Cultivation Club.”
She sighed. “How much of that is serious, and how much is a joke?”
“I’m always serious when it comes to you.”
“….”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll make it happen. Isn’t that my role?”
In the game, the club existed mainly to bring key characters together. The storyline was secondary. As long as that function was fulfilled, it didn’t matter what the club was called.
If Yeon-ha-neul truly wanted it, I would have made it real.
She smiled softly and shook her head.
“Thank you. But I’m okay for now. You had your reasons for asking me to join. I don’t want to get in your way.”
“It’s nothing that important. Don’t push yourself.”
“I won’t. I’ll try my best. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll ask you then. Deal?”
“Deal.”
She held onto my arm and gave it a playful shake. When our eyes met, she giggled, trying to suppress her laughter.
“What were you two whispering about?” Go Eun-bi demanded. “You’re practically sparkling. Spill it!”
“Not telling.”
“Me neither. It’s a secret.”
“That just makes me more curious!”
Amid her protests, we continued exploring Fantasy Road.
At some point, Yeon-ha-neul and I had linked arms. I wasn’t sure when it happened.
It felt natural, so I left it that way.
A little embarrassing, maybe.
But if she liked it, that was enough.
Unfortunately, no rift appeared that morning.
After hours of wandering, we gave up and decided to grab lunch before the afternoon session.
Around then, people began slipping away one by one.
“Sorry, we have plans this afternoon.”
“Oh! I just remembered an appointment.”
“My dog suddenly got sick! I have to go!”
“This isn’t quite what I expected. I wish the club well.”
Some were polite. Some rambled. Some were blunt. Some disappeared without a word.
By the time they were gone, our numbers had noticeably dwindled.
Kim Sa-mo and the seniors didn’t seem disappointed. If anything, they looked relieved.
“You all like hamburgers, right?” Kim Sa-mo asked brightly. “There’s a great place nearby. I made a reservation.”
The restaurant occupied the third floor of a building overlooking District 23’s famous scramble intersection.
When the lights changed, pedestrians flooded the crosswalk from every direction. We watched in awe.
“I heard this place is pretty popular. How did you manage to reserve it?”
“The owner’s a former club senior. Our club has a surprisingly long history.”
“And since there’s heavy foot traffic, rifts occur often here, too. If we’re lucky, we might see one while eating.”
We took our seats by the window, courtesy of Kim Sa-mo.
Excited chatter filled the table as everyone chose their meals.
Laughter and playful exchanges drifted back and forth.
I was spreading strawberry jam on a biscuit when Kang Han-byeol leaned over.
“Geon-woo, is that good?”
“Want to try?”
“Really? Can I?”
“Only if I get a chicken nugget.”
“Deal!”
He bit into the biscuit, eyes lighting up.
“Nutty and sweet. I’ll order this next time.”
“You’ve got jam on your mouth.”
“Where?”
“There. No, a little to the side.”
“Thanks. Here, have this!”
I split the nugget in half and offered some to Yeon-ha-neul.
She blinked her red eyes before accepting it with a smile.
We ate together, sipping our drinks, watching the intersection below.
According to the game’s storyline, this was when it happened.
During this first club activity, a rift would suddenly tear open at the scramble intersection. Monsters would pour out, and villains would exploit the chaos.
Kang Han-byeol, brimming with justice, would not stand by.
Among the villains would be a member of the Demonic Society.
Though only an extra, that Demonic would mark the first encounter between Kang Han-byeol, the player, and such a being.
More importantly, this event introduced a future ally.
A direct descendant of the Iron Bastion Kwon family, renowned for their shield techniques.
A member of Shield, the student-based organization maintaining order in Academy City.
The city’s own sheriff.
Kwon Bo-ram.
I waited.
Then—
Crack.
Without warning, space distorted around the scramble intersection.
A shattering sound rang out as a fissure split the air itself.
Pedestrians looked up.
From the fractured void, like shards of broken glass, red eyes gleamed.
By the time they realized what was happening, monsters had already emerged.
And it did not stop there.
Crack.
Another rift tore open.
Monsters burst forth as if flooding through ruptured gates.
Chaos swallowed the road in seconds.
Blood splattered across the pavement. Lives were lost with terrifying ease. Some were trampled as the desperate crowd shoved and crushed one another.
In the game, it had passed in a brief scene.
In reality, it was brutal.
Nearby Hunters rushed in to contain the situation, but they were too few. There weren’t enough to control the panicked civilians, evacuate the injured, and fight the monsters all at once.
And then—
Boom.
It had begun.
Villains were moving, exploiting the confusion.
I rose to my feet at the sound of the explosion. The navy-blue sword, previously in device form, returned to its true shape in my hand.
Gripping it tightly, I addressed my still-stunned friends.
“Are you just going to stand there? Let’s move. It’s serious. We need to help.”
They hesitated only a moment before pulling out their own devices.
It was a shame about the seasoned fries I hadn’t finished.
But this was no time for leisure.
Save as many as possible. End it quickly.
And meet Kwon Bo-ram.
I focused on what lay ahead.
Leave a Reply