Chapter 99

Back then, his skill error had only just resolved, leaving his understanding rudimentary. His proficiency had been low, and enduring even three minutes had been taxing.

Right. Remembering that brings some relief. At the very least, compared to the Isolation Ward or Utopia, the difficulty would be far lower. On Mount Gamak, there was no room for a Fragment to intervene.

“For your information, raid preparations for the Tower of Time are wrapping up,” Hae-gun noted. “Every item from the list you gave Seonha has been acquired.”

“Ah, really? That was fast.”

Having organized the required items and sent the document just Tuesday, Eui-rim was surprised that everything was already assembled. Placing the last cut of meat onto the grill, he asked cautiously, “You packed plenty of potions, right?”

“Yes. Since we don’t have a healer, I stockpiled as many as we could carry.”

Then that’s a relief. More than anything else, potions are what we need most.

“What about you, Eui-rim-ssi?”

“Pardon?”

“Did you check the foresight?” Hae-gun asked.

Eui-rim froze, caught flat-footed. Seo Hae-gun’s brow arched slightly, reading the guilty confession straight off his face.

Offering a strained, awkward smile, Eui-rim rubbed his face with both hands.

Damn it. I should have checked it earlier. Distracted by the galbi, I completely forgot.

Lifting his gaze, Eui-rim met Hae-gun’s steady, waiting stare. After a long hesitation, Eui-rim finally confessed the truth, his voice laden with sheepish sighs.

“The thing is, actually…”

By the time Eui-rim finished his meal, took a hot shower, and stepped out, the dining table was cleared spotless. The dishes and grill pan were neatly soaking in the kitchen sink. Seo Hae-gun had cleaned everything up while Eui-rim was in the shower.

Tomorrow, I should clean up. Or at least ask him to show me how to run the dishwasher.

Sitting quietly on the sofa waiting for Seo Hae-gun to emerge, Eui-rim looked up as Hae-gun stepped into the living room wearing only a bathrobe, casually shaking out his damp hair.

…I’ve noticed this before, but whether he’s sleeping or just lounging around the house, he’s exceptionally underdressed. Does he naturally run that hot?

Whenever the lapels of the robe parted, broad chest muscles were exposed, sending Eui-rim’s gaze darting to the floor in flustered embarrassment. I don’t even know why I’m this restless. I used to frequent public bathhouses without a second thought. Yet exclusively around Seo Hae-gun, situations like this feel beyond awkward—downright strange.

“Are you ready?” Hae-gun asked.

Keeping his lowered gaze firmly anchored to the rug, Eui-rim watched Seo Hae-gun settle into the single armchair across from him. Straightening his posture, Eui-rim replied, “Yes. Shall I check now?”

“Whenever you’re ready, Eui-rim-ssi.”

Taking several slow breaths, Eui-rim felt his rapidly pounding pulse settle.

Closing his eyes, Eui-rim summoned his status window. Following his confession that he hadn’t yet viewed the vision, they had agreed he would check it right here under Seo Hae-gun’s watch.

{Notice}

– Foresight Available for Viewing

The notification pulsed with a far deeper amber radiance than before. As though signaling that the window of revelation had finally opened, the letters flashed with urgent intensity.

Shortly after, mana circulated through his veins, washing his vision in brilliant, blinding white.

Before long, a landscape lashed by a raging blizzard unfolded before him. Amidst howling gales and thick snowflakes driving down like sheets of rain, an hourglass as colossal as a titan’s torso emerged through the whiteout.

As the perspective rushed toward the hourglass, Eui-rim spotted a familiar silhouette. A blood-soaked Seo Hae-gun sat slumped against the glass frame, drawing ragged, labored breaths.

Before Eui-rim could even cry out his name, an unfamiliar presence materialized. Piercing through the blizzard, something approached soundlessly and clamped an ice-cold hand onto Eui-rim’s shoulder.

He whipped around to identify the figure, but the ground gave way beneath him. The vision inverted violently; the blood-drenched Seo Hae-gun dissolved into mist, and with a brief sensation of weightlessness, an unfamiliar subterranean chamber unfurled.

The space resembled an ancient ritual sanctum. Dead center upon an altar, a familiar single-eyed sigil was carved in vivid, dripping scarlet.

“I’m not sure if it’s really alright to do this,” a voice muttered gloomily.

The speaker standing before the altar was Yuk Do-hwan, Guild Master of Moonseong. Gauging the reaction of the cloaked figure beside him, Yuk Do-hwan unlocked his phone and presented a photograph.

“As you instructed, the barricades at the Abyssal Origin Cave have all been burned down.”

The moment the figure clad in pure white robes saw the phone screen, he extended an open hand, conjuring a brilliant azure flame. As the fire coalesced into a transparent sphere, he cast his gaze upon the image reflected within.

At that instant, the features reflected upon the orb’s surface came into sharp focus. A long vertical scar coursing from the left temple down past the jawline. Irises as scarlet as raw flame. And a distinct geometric tattoo inked across the exposed nape of his neck.

Ah.

A soundless gasp seized Eui-rim’s throat as his entire body froze. Staring in shock at that face, he ground his teeth, the name detonating in his mind.

Rahul Singh.

The New Human and Foreseer belonging to the World Hunter Association was none other than him.

That chilling realization dissolved into blinding white. The subterranean vision was swallowed by a blazing whiteout, sweeping his consciousness away like a tidal wave.

{Notice}

– Timeline Connection with the Tower of Time Dungeon Complete

– Conquer the Tower of Time to reduce the cohesion of the Fragments

The familiar blue prompt surfaced the moment his senses reconnected with reality.

As the living room and an unharmed Seo Hae-gun resolved in his vision, the translucent panel dispersed into glittering light, leaving behind the newly issued directive.

Staring at the newly issued quest, Eui-rim swallowed dryly. Though the glimpse had lasted only seconds, the psychic backlash felt as if his insides had been wrenched apart, bile rising in his throat.

“Eui-rim-ssi.”

Lifting his head at the hands shaking his shoulders, Eui-rim found Seo Hae-gun leaning over him. Exhaling in a long shudder, Eui-rim fought to steady his wildly hammering pulse.

Though he had only glimpsed the future for a fleeting moment, all strength had drained from his limbs as if his vitality had been siphoned away. His breathing dragged, ragged and shallow, as though he had sprinted up a sheer precipice.

“Haaah…”

“Breathe slowly. It’s alright. It’s over,” Hae-gun murmured.

At the large hand gently stroking his back, Eui-rim’s rigid muscles unlocked slightly. Reaching out to clasp Hae-gun’s other hand, Eui-rim tried to still his heaving chest. As cold sweat evaporated against his skin, the warmth radiating from Hae-gun’s palm felt like a roaring hearth in dead winter.

Only after a prolonged silence did his breathing finally even out, the dizziness subsiding from his mind.

“Rahul Singh… I saw the Association’s Foreseer meeting with Guild Master Yuk Do-hwan.” Eui-rim’s breath hitched.

“Rahul Singh? That Indian Foreseer?” Hae-gun asked, eyes narrowing.

“Yes.”

Rapidly replaying the sequence in his mind, Eui-rim continued, “Guild Master Yuk Do-hwan was showing him footage of a fire. They… burned down the barricades around the Abyssal Origin Cave. I’m certain it was done under the Foreseer’s orders.”

“Did you hear why?” Hae-gun asked.

When Eui-rim confirmed he hadn’t, Seo Hae-gun’s expression hardened. Closing his eyes for a beat, he slid down from the armchair to sit beside him on the rug.

The realization struck without warning. Only after Hae-gun shifted did Eui-rim realize he had been clutching his hand with white-knuckled desperation the entire time.

Hurriedly pulling back, Eui-rim stammered self-consciously, “Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…”

“It’s fine. Just use it as a hand-warmer,” Hae-gun said.

“…”

“Your hands are freezing.”

Seo Hae-gun naturally slid his fingers between Eui-rim’s, intertwining their hands. As if he truly meant for his palm to serve as a heater, he rhythmically rubbed the back of Eui-rim’s hand with his thumb, sharing his warmth.

“Did you only see Rahul Singh and Yuk Do-hwan?” Hae-gun asked.

“…No.”

Perhaps because of the steady contact, Eui-rim’s mind felt far clearer than before. His racing thoughts untangled like a loosened knot, giving him the composure to explain.

“I saw the place where they were meeting, too. It looked like an altar… and carved into it was the same single-eyed sigil I saw in the Isolation Ward.”

“Strange. Those two are infamous for never stepping foot inside dungeons.”

“That’s right. It didn’t look like a dungeon at all. It felt like an artificially constructed chamber.”

Although he hadn’t examined it thoroughly, the subterranean space resembled a ritual sanctuary—or perhaps the inner sanctum of a temple.

As Hae-gun’s thumb stroked over the knuckle on the back of his hand, a subtle jolt of warmth prickled Eui-rim’s skin. A shiver traced up his spine, making his shoulders draw in. Hae-gun glanced over, a corner of his mouth curling faintly. “If things unfold according to your vision… I wonder why the Foreseer is suddenly interested in the Abyssal Origin Cave. Despite belonging to the Association, that bastard never showed the slightest interest in headquarters’ business.”

“Have you met Rahul Singh before?” Eui-rim asked.

“I ran into him once when acquiring the raid rights for the Tower of Time. He appeared out of nowhere and stared at me like he wanted to dissect me. I asked if he had a problem, and it nearly escalated into a brawl. The Association protects their Foreseer like a fragile relic, you see.”

An S-rank psychic hunter who foresaw the future. Because events prophesied by Rahul Singh came to pass with a ninety-nine percent accuracy, his authority within the World Association was practically sovereign.