Chapter 4: Gate 15

Gate 15 had opened under a shopping mall in Gangseo and swallowed three floors of a parking structure.

By the time Tae-hwan's car reached it, the street was full of Association trucks and orange tape.

A line of hunters in field armor stood at the mouth of the gate.

None of them stood near the man who stepped out of the black car.

Seon-ho noticed it at once.

Even in an emergency they left him a three-meter circle.

"Don't take it personally," Tae-hwan murmured. "Stay behind me and keep your satchel closed."

"You're making that sound like a rule."

"It's two rules. Behind me. Closed."

An Association Inspector in a white vest was waiting by the tape.

He was a stocky man of about forty, with gray at the temples and rimless glasses.

He held a clipboard as if it were a weapon.

"Hunter Yoon," he said. "Inspector Go Hyun-seok. Compliance Division."

"I know who you are."

"I'm assigned to observe you in this gate."

"Observe whatever you like," Tae-hwan said. "Stay out of my way."

The Inspector's eyes moved to Seon-ho.

"And this is the unlicensed E-rank from Gate 12."

"I'm Baek Seon-ho," said Seon-ho. "I'm his healer."

"He has no healers."

"He does now."

Inspector Go wrote something down.

Inside the gate it was cold and wet.

The floors of the parking structure had been twisted into a spiral of black stone, and the air smelled of old pennies.

Tae-hwan went in first, long coat swinging, and the S-rank hunters ahead of him on the ramp parted without being asked.

He did not draw a weapon.

He simply lifted one gloved hand, and the dark in front of him cracked open.

Seon-ho had never seen an S-rank fight.

On the crew he had only ever seen the clean-up after.

It was quick and terrible and very beautiful.

Seon-ho stood against the wall of the ramp, satchel hugged to his chest, and forgot to be afraid.

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