Kepala 91: Kemungkinan

BZZZZT!

Laluan mulai penoksi, lalu bentuk para manusia-sandia berubah sekejut demi sekejut hingga hencak di laluan Minjun penuh gambar takkaruan.

Pupilnya tremble vuruk pada kaos mutlak yang terunfurl di depan mata dia.

‘La ken ya ini?’

Kan ni Team Leader Jung yang kabim sun confident di sistem sun i la ken stabil? Jika beton, la ken ya fenomena ini yang lagi terjadi sekarang?⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

‘Gat na jika ada yang benar-benar sai?’

Rasa takut crawling di spine Minjun.

Lupakan test. Keamanan di atas semua.

Minjun try untuk send signal untuk abort test, tapi sebelum dia bisa, kalok notification yang simulation la sudah terminated dan door capsule open di sendiri.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“Phew...”

Moment capsule open, Minjun let out breath kasar dan cepat assess situasi. Ketika dia lower head, dia melihat yang clothe dia sudah wet through with sweat. Ketika dia look up lagi, dia melihat Team Leader Jung dengan expression flustered dan intern, Kim Miru, staring at him dengan shock yang outright.

“Hunter Yoon, are you all right?”

Team Leader Jung rushed over as soon as capsule open dan check kondisi Minjun. After noticing how drenched dia, Miru bring over towel dan hand it to him.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“La ken yang exactly terjadi?” Minjun ask Team Leader Jung while dia wipe away cold sweat dengan towel.

“Sistem suddenly... encounter an unexpected error.”

Team Leader Jung stare bitterly at monitor penuh error messages.

“Kita akan investigate exact cause separately, tapi for now, aku suspect it may be connected to skill yang you use at end.”⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Moment Minjun use Dragon Fear, sistem display message yang unidentified force detected. Then, ketika Minjun use Dragon Tongue, strange phenomena begin appearing throughout simulator.

Every piece of circumstantial evidence point toward whatever Minjun yang use sebagai cause.

“I don't know what skill you activated, but it seems to have caused a critical error in program's calculations.”

“...”

At words Team Leader Jung, Minjun feel awkward for no reason. Had power yang dia use completely scrambled sistem?

At same time, dia can't help feeling disappointed. Dia had hoped test ini would give him at least some clue about power dia sendiri, while juga measuring in detail where full combat ability dia actually standed. Now all that had gone up in smoke.

Dia nearly sigh, but after seeing expression Team Leader Jung yang grim, Minjun instead feel guilty.

Moment Team Leader Jung notice look apologetic that, he hurry wave hands.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“Ini bukan fault you, Hunter Yoon. Ini entirely problem technical di side kami.”

Even with Team Leader Jung reassure him, expression Minjun tidak brighten much.

“Then yang happens now?”

Team Leader Jung, yang had been hang head, rub face dryly for moment before answer.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“I don't think kita can continue testing hari ini. There are safety concerns, dan kita perlu investigate exact cause dari error... so unfortunately, kita tidak have much choice.”

Problem baru yang discovered during test, yang berarti para researcher tidak have choice selain halt simulation.

“I see.”

Minjun nod dengan expression conflicted.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“I'm sorry about ini.”

“You don't need to apologize.”

Minjun had done nothing wrong, tapi dia still can't help feeling somewhat responsible, jadi expression dia remain troubled juga.

“Kita akan still reimburse transportation expenses you dan pay participation fee as planned. And I don't know how useful ini will be, but... kita akan at least extract data yang recorded before test was stopped.”⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“Yes, please do.”

Yang Minjun really wanted adalah untuk learn how power dragon manifest in combat actual, jadi dia tidak sure how meaningful data akan without part itu. Still, going home completely empty-handed akan feel even worse, jadi dia decide untuk take whatever results Team Leader Jung bisa provide.

Dia wonder whether might still be something useful hidden in data, tapi unsurprisingly, tidak ada much to gain karena test ended halfway through.

Taken together, report merely said that dia somewhat stronger daripada ordinary Hunter A-rank, bahwa capabilities dia undervalued relative to stats dia, bahwa dia have several traits distinguishing him from other Hunters, dan bahwa specializing in certain areas akan beneficial. In other words, itu contain only things Minjun already know.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

After check report, Minjun begin prepare untuk leave dengan disappointment still written di face dia.

“Then I'll be going.”

“Yes. But before you do, may I ask you one thing?”

Team Leader Jung pull notebook kecil dari inside clothes dia as he address Minjun.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“That skill yang you use at end. Could you tell me... what kind of skill it was?”

If mereka know skill apa yang affect simulator, would much easier untuk identify cause dari error.

Unfortunately, Minjun couldn't tell him truth tentang apa itu.

After wonder whether there was some reasonable excuse yang dia could use, Minjun ultimately choose untuk give answer deliberately vague.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“...I don't really know either. I didn't deliberately activate any particular skill. I just did what I normally do.”

Minjun know Team Leader Jung will not take answer itu entirely at face value, tapi for now, it was best yang dia bisa do.

And sure enough, Team Leader Jung sense that something tentang answer Minjun yang strange, though dia seem reluctant untuk interrogate him over it. Cases like ini did occasionally happen, dan even if dia keep pressing, there was no guarantee Minjun will reveal answer anyway.

“...I see. Then it can't be helped.”⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

If Minjun unwilling untuk reveal skill dan deliberately keep it hidden, then probably ada reason untuk that.

Neither Minjun nor Team Leader Jung had resolved all questions mereka, tapi both decide bahwa ini right place untuk end things for today.

“Please have a safe trip home.”

Minjun leave dengan expression bitter, while Team Leader Jung return untuk stare at data error-riddled dengan look equally bitter.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Ada, however, one exception. Intern Kim Miru, yang had quietly watch entire incident unfold, wear expression oddly different from either of them.

* * *

Kim Miru looked like woman utterly ordinary in mid-twenties yang only recently entered workforce. In reality, however, she was dragon dari dimension lain.

Curious tentang kombinasi magic dan science yang created oleh humans, she had blend naturally into society human while pretend menjadi employee young ordinary.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Then, one day while peacefully enjoy amusement among humans, she happen encounter Minjun during internship dia.

‘So that's human yang trying untuk form Eternal Covenant dengan dragon.’

Moment Minjun enter examination room, Miru recognize him. Minjun was already quite famous among dragons, after all.

Once simulation begin in earnest, she carefully observe performance dia while review documents containing information personal dan details noteworthy.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

‘Not bad.’

Compared to dragon like her, dia absurdly weak, tapi even Miru couldn't deny bahwa dia strong by standard human.

Still, level strength ini alone will never be enough untuk achieve dream dia changing species untuk claim love dia. At very least, dia would need master Dragon Tongue perfectly before changing species could even become possibility realistic.

Despite think way that, Miru was one of few dragons yang support path Sia.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Love yang transcend life, dimensions, dan even species, yet receive no blessing dari kind mereka sendiri—how heartrending dan romantic could love story possibly be?

For reason that, Miru support love antara Sia dan Minjun, dan inwardly hope bahwa Minjun will use opportunity ini untuk show her something beyond expectations dia.

Wish dia came true ketika alert yang indicate unidentified skill detected appear di sistem.

It might have been disaster news untuk researcher, tapi not for her.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Because ini combat simulation, she could not judge dengan certainty absolute, tapi after consider all circumstances, Miru was convinced bahwa unidentified skill yang Minjun use was Dragon Fear.

‘A human used Dragon Fear?’

Dragon Fear yang Minjun produced was weaker daripada even newly hatched little hatchling, tapi mere fact bahwa dia bisa use it at all was significant. Even in dimension yang Miru came from, number humans throughout entire history continent yang ever used Dragon Fear could be counted on one hand.

And that wasn't all. Not long after use Dragon Fear, Minjun had successfully invoke Dragon Tongue right before eyes dia.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Dia had failed several times before succeed, dan dari perspective Miru, Dragon Tongue dia was crude. Even so, that alone was enough untuk reveal potential yang sleeping within him.

Yet even that was not end of it.

‘His Dragon Tongue feels... slightly different from normal, doesn't it?’

Simulator had failed untuk record data proper tentang Dragon Tongue, jadi she couldn't state it definitively, tapi sebagai dragon, Miru instinctively sense discrepancy. Dragon Tongue yang Minjun use was subtly different dari kind yang employed oleh dragons.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Of course, even she couldn't say exactly how it differ dari Dragon Tongue ordinary.

Even so, instinct dragon was never something untuk dismiss lightly.

Minjun had already been person of interest within society dragon, tapi after what she had witnessed today, Miru at least will be watching him far more closely dari now on.

And one more thought linger in mind dia.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

‘Looks like claim dia bahwa he'll become dragon wasn't baseless after all.’

Miru had seen possibility in Minjun.

* * *

That night, after fatal error discovered in simulator rank-assessment, researchers involved in development dia gather in one of large conference rooms building Association.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Among them was Team Leader Jung Woohyun, yang had watched simulation Minjun in real time earlier that day.

“...To give you conclusion first, I believe we should temporarily suspend beta test simulator dan identify problem before proceeding.”

Holding microphone, Jung Woohyun brief core researchers seated around enormous round table tentang what happened that day.

Once briefing dia ended, sighs dan groans rise from around room.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“We obviously expected some kind of issue to appear, but I never imagined we'd discover an error this critical...”

“Didn't we all confirm that there were no problems with either data or programming?”

Specialist world-class had gathered in one place dan check everything meticulously again dan again.

“We did. We absolutely did... but that's nature of this kind of work, isn't it? We have no choice but to consider ourselves fortunate that we found it before system officially introduced.”⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

It was disappointing, tapi damage already done. Researchers immediately begin discuss bagaimana untuk correct errors simulator.

After hours nonstop discussion, mind mereka begin to overheat. One researcher finally suggest changing subject for moment so everyone bisa clear head.

“By the way, wasn't Hunter involved in incident ini Yoon Minjun?”

“Yes. It's same Hunter Yoon all of you are thinking of.”⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Nama Minjun known not only among Hunters Korean. Hunters foreign know him juga, dan so do people like researchers ini yang work in industry Hunter.

“I heard that incident recent di Pulau Jeju connected to him too. Wasn't he one yang encountered intelligent beings from another dimension rather than monsters?”

“Jake, how do you even know about that? It's still under embargo, so there hasn't been a single article about it yet.”

Moment incident gate Jeju came up, Team Leader Jung couldn't help being startled. Other than handful personnel Association Hunter Korean dan Hunters yang had been present at scene, almost no one should have known about it.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Man yang called Jake smile dan say, “I only happened to hear about it by chance. Don't worry. I have no intention of spreading it all over the place.”

“Come to think of it, there's another rumor going around days ini.”

Researcher Russian named Vladimir suddenly join conversation.

Wondering what subject will come next, gaze Woohyun sharpen.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

“What rumor?”

“I've heard United States trying untuk persuade Hunter Yoon untuk change nationality dia.”

Still wearing light smile, Vladimir turn toward Jake beside him dengan gaze far sharper daripada expression dia suggest.

Not long ago, Hunter SS-rank dari Russia had become citizen United States, further worsen relations antara two countries. In age where each individual Hunter could affect military strength nation, naturalization Hunter was issue yang every country watch dengan sensitivity extreme.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Yet Vladimir had brought up delicate topic that here anyway.

Rather than raise voice in anger, Jake answer calmly.

“I haven't heard anything of sort. If anything, I've heard rumors bahwa package naturalization proposed Russia include not only Hunter Yoon but even girlfriend dia.”

Jake speak loudly dan distinctly, almost as though intend Team Leader Jung untuk hear every word.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

Not to be outdone, Vladimir launch counterattack subtle of own.

“I juga heard bahwa American Aura Guild targeted Hunter Minjun recently. Couldn't that have been groundwork before try naturalize him?”

“Please refrain from baseless speculation, Vladimir. I heard tentang Aura Guild contacting him too, but that's quite a leap.”

Sparks seem to fly dari looks two men exchanged.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​⁠

It had started sebagai nothing more than casual topic untuk clear head, so bagaimana atmosphere become this hostile?

Woohyun sigh inwardly dan suddenly find himself wondering what expression Minjun sendiri akan make jika bisa see scene ini.