"Y-You're not going?!"
Yuzen's voice cracked.
Hyejin looked over at him on the bed and smiled politely.
"No. Mr. Yuzen, I'm here to protect you, remember?"
"Uh… uh…"
Shit. I was hoping I could talk my way into her bringing me.
"Um… but didn't you say something appeared at Yonsa? Shouldn't you go there and help?"
She waved a dismissive hand.
"Nah. It's just a Level 5. There are already plenty of rankers and SDR members dispatched to the scene, not to mention the S-class ranker Seo Jaein is there too."
That's exactly the problem. I need to get to where Jaein is!
The watch on his wrist stayed quiet, but the comment feed filled his vision until the scrolling lines of text blurred together.
#anonim23: YESS let's gooo chaos time lol
#highflo31: about damn time
#tresav78: worth every Loen hahaha
#lovelovehani: MORE HANI SCREENTIME WOOHOO my goddess will appear again
#lolledg46: why does the mc look half-dead lol
#sh69: he's giving up? boring already
#puffcat300: still sitting there? bugged stream lmao
#appleisgood: wtf is the owner doing making those options
#newmoon47: yeah what was that vote, that's psychotic
#tresav78: who cares lol more fun this way lololol
#truesupreme: are you all serious right now? that vote's insane, this isn't fun
#worldhopper77: owner's a sadist confirmed
#lovelovehani: hush let my goddess shine
#iamgod7613: can't believe you people still vote knowing what these channels really are
#highflo31: that's a hoax dude
#anonim23: everyone knows it's a gov hoax to stop us watching too much lol
#tresav78: fake or not still fun
#newmoon47: humanity's lost, lol might as well enjoy the show
#puffcat300: i'm here for the chaos anyway
Yuzen looked back at the projection, where Jaein was still sitting on a ruined sofa inside what looked like the remains of an apartment with his pale face completely still.
A sharp buzz suddenly came from Hyejin's watch, not his own.
She pressed a finger to her earpiece.
"Haa… change of plans. You're coming with me, Mr. Yuzen."
Yuzen's head whipped toward her.
"Wait, what? Where are we going?"
She was already striding for the door without looking back.
He scrambled down from the bed and nearly tripped over the blanket as he hurried to catch up, and just as they reached the hall, the doctor came running toward them with a syringe in his hand.
"Wait! Where are you taking him? I've got the sedation ready!"
Hyejin stopped for half a second, turning first to Yuzen who froze in place and then back to the doctor.
"I can't let him stay here unsupervised because the other agents can't come, so I need to bring him with me."
The doctor's eyes widened.
"To Yonsa? This guy will die!"
Hyejin's jaw tightened.
"I'll put him with another agent when I get there."
The doctor raised the syringe slightly.
"But we still don't know—"
Hyejin cut him off with a sharp gesture.
"Look, I don't have many choices with that lunatic out of contact."
The doctor lowered his voice.
"You mean Seo Jaein?"
She let out a short, harsh breath.
"Who else would I be calling a lunatic? That damn brat."
Her upper lip curled in a way that made Yuzen's stomach clench.
Why would she hate him that much?
The doctor's expression softened as he looked at Yuzen, his brows furrowed with concern.
"Still, this guy…"
Yuzen shook his head.
"I-I'm fine. I would rather stay with Ms. Hyejin."
Hyejin gave him a strange look before her expression seemed to reset, her lips pulling back into that polite smile.
"Right. How could I leave Mr. Yuzen all alone in danger? Please keep close to me while we go. I wouldn't want you to suddenly get eaten by dogs… hohoho."
Haha… why does that sound like a threat coming from you?
*****
As always, nothing made any sense to Yuzen while the familiar blue light flashed from his watch, even though his MC was just sitting on the sofa without moving.
[Notification to Channel Owner: Your MC is in danger! Use Loens to change his fate. Remember, if your MC dies, your channel ends too!]
What the heck? He's just sitting there, and it says he's dying?
The feed below the screen flooded again.
#anonim23: what's happening why's he frozen lol
#highflo31: bruh this event boring
#lovelovehani: WHERE IS HANI my goddess better show soon
#tresav78: lmao maybe he's possessed hahaha
#newmoon47: i voted for nightmare thing what the hell is this
#lovelovehani: more Hani screentime pleaseeee
#newmoon47: why does mc look half dead like that
#puffcat300: where's the monster already
#6327anon: wake up bro this is painful to watch
Yuzen stared at the comments in disbelief.
The projection on his wrist flickered again, showing Jaein still slumped on the sofa with his head tilted forward before something silver entered the corner of the frame.
It was Hani, and she had her hands on Jaein's shoulders as she tried to shake him awake.
Yuzen's stomach twisted as one of the disasters from the vote flashed in his memory, the one about nightmares that could trap the mind.
Don't tell me… he's already inside it?
The blood drained from his face. A voice crackled from Hyejin's communicator.
"Ms. Hyejin, the confirmed nightmare radius is one hundred meters from the Level Five core. Proceed with caution."
Hyejin pressed a button on the console.
"How many S-class rankers are already on scene?"
"Two. Ranker Yun and Ranker Nie."
"Seo Jaein still out of contact?"
"Ranker Hani found him, but it seems he's already pulled into the nightmare."
"Haa… understood. Prepare what I asked for earlier."
The engine roared so loud Yuzen couldn't think while he watched Hyejin's hands move with impossible speed over the controls, steering sharply into the lane as red warning lights flashed across the dashboard.
He clutched the seatbelt so hard his knuckles went white, his body slamming against the door with every turn.
His breath came out in broken gasps.
"Are you—are you even allowed to drive like this?!"
Her eyes stayed fixed on the road.
"It's fine, no one is out here anyway."
The car burst through a checkpoint where soldiers in dark gear were pulling barriers aside, and the world outside became a blur of lights and noise as they entered the edge of Yonsa.
By the time the vehicle stopped, Yuzen's legs had gone so numb that he stumbled out of the car and just stared at the scene. A wide plaza stretched ahead, packed with makeshift tents and floodlights where people in black uniforms moved quickly between them, carrying weapons or stacks of humming crystal equipment.
Some of the people wore armor that was smooth and seamless, unlike anything Yuzen had ever seen before, and most of them had badges on their shoulders with the SDR insignia.
Is SDR really this huge of an organization?
He felt like he needed to learn more about this world, but maybe when he wasn't about to pass out.
Hyejin grabbed his arm and led him through the chaos, pulling back the flap to a large equipment tent and pushing him inside. A voice boomed out the moment they entered.
"Yo, yo, yo! Hyejin cutie, you made it!"
A massive man with wild blond hair stood waiting for them, grinning while his muscles bulged under a fitted black combat suit. A lion-shaped shoulder pad gleamed under the floodlight, and a steel greatsword was strapped across his back.
Hyejin's polite smile snapped onto her face as she sidestepped the man.
"Carlen."
He moved to block her path again.
"Hyejin cutie, why so cold? We've had passionate nights together, don't you remember?"
Yuzen blinked, his mind going completely blank for a second.
What?
Before Hyejin could answer, a flash of a yellow scarf drew his attention as a woman with short brown hair and glasses rushed toward them.
"Hyejin! What do we do?! Hani isn't responding! She tried to pull Jaein out, but she was attacked!"
Hyejin's head snapped toward the woman.
"What?"
Yuzen's pulse jumped and he flicked his watch open, the image immediately filling his vision. The projection showed Hani's silver hair drenched in blood and sweat while she slashed her twin blades at a hooded black figure that melted in and out of the shadows, its long fingers extending like claws from its sleeves.
Shit. What should I do?
Another buzz hit his wrist.
[Notification to Channel Owner: Your MC is in danger! Use Loens to change his fate. Remember, if your MC dies, your channel ends too!]
His thumb hovered over the options as a new thought froze him. If Jaein was trapped in a dream, would using a mod affect the nightmare or the real world? What if it just made things worse?
Before he could decide, Hyejin grabbed his arm and dragged him toward a chair set up near some equipment, pushing him down into it.
She leaned in close.
"Mr. Yuzen, listen carefully. You'll do three things."
He stared up at her.
"Eh? Y-Yes?"
Her hand gripped his shoulder, the pressure of her fingers digging into him through his shirt even as she smiled.
"First, stay here with that guy."
Yuzen turned his head to find the man, Carlen, standing right beside him while grinning and blowing him a kiss.
Ugh!
Hyejin continued without pause.
"Second, if you feel another attack coming, shout for help immediately."
Her expression shifted, her eyes becoming sharp and focused.
"Third. Don't die. No matter what happens, try to survive."
Yuzen blinked.
She leaned a little closer, her voice dropping.
"I don't like having someone I'm assigned to protect… die on me."
For a second, the lines around her eyes softened and the smile left her mouth, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her usual flat expression.
"Understood?"
Yuzen managed a nod.
"Y-Yes."
He understood her words, but he couldn't follow them because there was no way he could just sit here while Jaein was trapped somewhere in that nightmare.
Hyejin turned to Carlen.
"He has a condition, like I mentioned in the report. Make sure he stays stable, and…"
Her voice trailed off for a moment.
"Never mind."
Carlen puffed out his chest.
"Don't worry, Hyejin cutie! No one passes my Storm Bringer!"
He unsheathed his massive sword and raised it high, the blade slicing straight through the tent fabric and ripping a clean tear through the roof. Yuzen ducked on instinct, and the woman with the yellow scarf smacked Carlen's arm.
"Carlen! Watch where you swing that thing!"
Carlen just laughed awkwardly and scratched his head while Yuzen looked up to see that Hyejin had already disappeared beyond the tents.
Carlen leaned toward him with a grin.
"Yuzen cutie, don't be scared. My Storm Bringer will pave the way."
Yuzen just stared at the man, his mouth dry.
What's with this guy? He's terrifying.
The woman with the scarf gave him a small, reassuring smile.
"Don't mind him. Carlen calls everyone 'cutie.' He thinks it makes him less intimidating. Oh, I'm Lia, by the way. Nice to meet you, Mr. Yuzen."
No. That just makes it worse.
Yuzen sank back into the chair, his hands trembling and his heart still pounding in his chest.
Then all of a sudden, someone burst into the tent wearing the same uniform with the SDR insignia on his sleeve, his face pale and sweat dripping down his neck as he panted for breath.
"The Creeper is heading this way! Ms. Lia, we need a hand!"
Carlen let out a booming laugh.
"Hahaha! Now it's time for my Storm Bringer!"
Lia smacked his arm and shot him a glare before he could even lift the sword, though Carlen only grinned and scratched his head again. He cleared his throat.
"Ehem. Let's go!"
She shook her head.
"We can't! We need to protect Mr. Yuzen here!"
The man who had just entered looked between Lia and Yuzen, an expression of panic twisting his features.
"But Ms. Lia, we need a healer out there!"
Lia's gaze darted from the exit back to Yuzen, and she chewed on her lower lip as her shoulders tensed.
"I'm sorry. I'm under different orders."
She stayed rooted to the spot, her jaw tight. The SDR agent sighed.
"Ah. What a pain."
The sudden shift in the man's tone made Yuzen's entire body go rigid. He lifted his head and stared at the man, who was now standing unnaturally still. The pale desperation from seconds ago was gone from his face, replaced by a thin smile that spread slowly across his lips.
Yuzen's stomach dropped when a black grimoire formed in the man's left hand, and the air around it seemed to darken and ripple.
The man's voice was calm.
"I was planning to give you a quick and easy death. But now you've made it complicated."