Urban Vagabond: Reload

[Now this is an unexpected pairing.]

When the two of them reached the forest path, Black-White 1 slid into view out of thin air. There was no body—just a mask floating in midair.

[Martial Artist Kim Muhyuk. Martial Artist Yang Hayun. Are you two forming a team?]

Starting with the second-rate martial-artist license exam, the title Black-White used for participants changed to “martial artist.”

It was a sign of respect for those who had passed the third-rate license exam.

“Yes. We’re on the same team.”

Kim Muhyuk answered, blowing out a plume of white breath. Somehow, he’d gotten his hands on a thick jumper, a hat, and even leather gloves.

Right beside him, Yang Hayun flicked her eyes over that getup, then gave a small nod.

“......The time limit’s almost up.”

Black-White 1 had set a ten-minute limit for forming teams.

And during that entire window, not a single person besides Kim Muhyuk had stepped forward wanting to team with Yang Hayun.

No matter how much of a late-bloom talent she was with a Level 1 constitution, nobody wanted to take the exam while enduring Yin-Extreme qi at her side.

In the end, because of the rule that you had to form a team unless there simply weren’t enough people, Yang Hayun wound up on the same team as Kim Muhyuk.

Before they set off, Yang Hayun asked timidly, staring at Kim Muhyuk bundled up in thick layers.

-......You said you could handle it.

-That’s separate. There’s no point wasting inner power on something unnecessary. I’m the efficient type.

It was a rational judgment—nothing like the first impression he’d given, strutting around with baseless confidence.

If anything, Yang Hayun felt relieved.

It beat watching him shiver in thin clothes, teeth chattering for no reason.

-......That won’t be enough. If I use my martial arts, the cold gets worse.

-Then I’ll deal with it when it happens.

Even with an answer that basically told her not to worry, Yang Hayun couldn’t help worrying...... but the second-rate license exam had already begun.

She couldn’t avoid using her martial arts just to spare her teammate.

Yang Hayun looked at Kim Muhyuk in silence, then lightly bit her lower lip.

You’re going to regret this. And you’re going to end up hating me.

She promised herself that if Kim Muhyuk blamed her later, she’d snap right back without losing.

Black-White 1 watched the two of them with a strange look, then spoke.

[You are the final departure group. I will assign your mission immediately.]

At that moment, a single hand appeared—sliding into existence the way the floating mask had, as if only Black-White’s hand had been cut out and pasted into the air.

[Your first mission is target transport. Take the item I give you now and deliver it intact to the destination, following the path.]

At the end of the forest path, several branches split off, and over one of them, an arrow appeared—meant for the two of them.

With directions handed to them that neatly, it sounded like an easy mission.

But the instant they saw what sat on Black-White’s palm, both Kim Muhyuk and Yang Hayun twisted their faces at the same time.

“......An egg?”

[Not just an egg. A fragile, raw egg.]

To them, it looked like Black-White was struggling not to laugh. Black-White placed the egg into Kim Muhyuk’s hand and added an explanation.

[If the target breaks or is damaged during transport, you must return here and receive a new egg. So I advise you to be especially careful.]

ZZZANGGGGG!

AAAGH—!

Are you kidding me?!

Right on cue, shouts, curses, and rage-filled screams drifted from far away.

And then, one by one, martial artists started coming back toward the starting point, holding broken eggs.

[Those who wish to receive another egg, come this way! You two may depart.]

“.......”

“.......”

After staring wordlessly at the raw egg for a moment, Kim Muhyuk and Yang Hayun let out small sighs and started running—using their lightness art far more carefully than usual.

[May fortune favor your blades!]

Black-White’s cheerfully bright voice followed at their backs.

For a while, they ran without speaking.

Only after they’d gotten a fair distance from the starting point did Kim Muhyuk turn to look at Yang Hayun for the first time.

He swept his gaze around cautiously, then spoke in a low voice.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“W-What? Why?”

At Kim Muhyuk’s serious eyes, Yang Hayun flinched.

When she used lightness art, Yin-Extreme qi inevitably leaked out.

She’d been controlling it as much as she could so the chill wouldn’t touch him, but was it already too much to endure?

Her mouth stuck out before she could stop it, and she muttered with an aggrieved expression.

“I told you from the start. So it’s not my fault.......”

“What are you talking about?”

Kim Muhyuk moved in close at her side, pulled the raw egg from inside his clothes, and—still on °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° guard—whispered.

“This. Can you freeze it solid so it won’t crack?”

“......!”

Yang Hayun stared at him, stunned by a method she’d never even considered.

And when she instinctively let cold seep into the egg she’d been handed......

CRRACK—CRRICK—!

The raw egg hardened, solid as a stone.

Kim Muhyuk gave it a light tap. Then, looking satisfied, he smiled at her.

“Your constitution seems pretty useful.”

“......Hmph.”

She snorted, but in that moment, Yang Hayun thought for the first time that teaming up with Kim Muhyuk might not be so bad.

*****

KYAAAAAAH!

A ghost-shaped anomaly—she’d lost count of how many by now—screeched and scattered like smoke into the air.

“Haaah...... The target?”

When Kim Muhyuk turned and asked, Yang Hayun—cradling the egg carefully in her arms—answered with an exhausted face.

“......Fine.”

Around her, the world looked like the center of a snowfield, dyed white, and frozen arrows and hidden weapons littered the ground.

After freezing the egg, the two of them had accelerated in earnest, pouring on speed with their lightness art. They were betting on the frozen egg and planning to force their way through to the destination.

For a while, it had gone smoothly—but at some point, every kind of interference began.

Beasts burst out of the forest to attack them. Anomalies sprang up from sky and ground. Mechanisms and formations triggered, pouring out thrown weapons.

“At this point, I think they noticed.”

Kim Muhyuk clicked his tongue. If they’d been carrying a raw egg as-is, it would’ve shattered over and over under interference this heavy.

With things this extreme, it was hard not to assume someone on the other side had caught onto their little trick and cranked up the difficulty.

“Should I melt it now?”

At Yang Hayun’s suggestion as she fidgeted with the egg, Kim Muhyuk shook his head.

“Nothing changes. If freezing it broke a rule, Black-White would’ve shown up the moment we did it and told us to go back to the start. Feels like we got slapped with an extra charge for being cheeky, though...... Still. This is a bit much.”

So that’s how you want to play it?

Kim Muhyuk muttered to himself, the corner of his mouth lifting into a vicious smile.

......Yang Hayun was a little scared.

“Let’s find somewhere to rest.”

“......O-Okay.”

The sun was already going down. Night in the forest spread fast, staining everything in darkness.

Luckily, before the sun fully set, they found a small cabin.

Inside, there was a bit of food and survival supplies, and it was fairly chilly.

I don’t even know how much time has passed.

Yang Hayun curled up in a corner of the cabin.

Inside a spell formation, everything felt detached from reality.

It felt like they’d been running for hours, but maybe not even thirty minutes had passed. She couldn’t trust her senses at all.

That fact made Yang Hayun a little afraid. So she lifted her head and looked for Kim Muhyuk.

“......What are you doing?”

Kim Muhyuk had already found a brazier, lit a fire in the middle of the cabin, and was stuffing various items into a backpack.

Every movement looked practiced—like he’d done this many times before.

“If we pack it, it might be useful later.”

“......Want help?”

“No. Sit still. You’re doing your job just fine by guarding the egg.”

Yang Hayun, already pretty worn out, nodded. She drew her body in and closed her eyes, trying to sleep—even if only for a moment.

But there was no way sleep would come easily with a stranger she’d met today in the same space.

When she lifted her head again, she watched Kim Muhyuk moving busily.

He’s weird.

Showing up out of nowhere and asking to team up.

A way to freeze an egg that she’d never even imagined.

And martial arts that were far stronger than she’d expected.

Everything about him was strange.

It felt like someone had secretly put a spell on her.

Could it be...... he likes me?

Embarrassing as it was, she’d briefly thought that.

If it was an emotional reason like that, it explained why he’d approached her first, why he’d suggested a team, even though everyone avoided her.

But even so, something felt...... off.

“Not sleeping? Then freeze this, and you carry it.”

Kim Muhyuk shoved a small bag toward her—he’d found it somewhere too—and it was stuffed full of food.

What, did he think she was a refrigerator?

Yang Hayun complained inwardly, but did as told, freezing the food in the bag and setting it beside her.

He’s unfriendly.

His eyes were sharp. His tone was cold. After fighting anomalies, all he asked about was the egg—he didn’t even ask if she was okay.

Without realizing it, Yang Hayun glared at Kim Muhyuk with a sulky face, but Kim Muhyuk didn’t seem to care at all.

Or...... did he just feel bad for me, being alone?

Yang Hayun shook her head. There was no way.

She was a late-bloom talent with a Level 1 constitution—someone everyone expected great things from.

And she was also the only disciple of the Glacier Priestess, the strongest expert in Sun and Moon Gate.

Even if she hadn’t chosen to become a martial artist of her own will......

“Yang Hayun.”

“W-What? Why?”

“Looks like you can’t sleep anyway. Let’s talk.”

“......Talk about what?”

Pop, pop.

Sparks jumped from the brazier between them.

Either way, they were a team. They needed to know at least a little about each other to work together.

Kim Muhyuk slowly roasted a skewered potato over the brazier and said,

“Just stuff. When did you start training?”

“......Fifteen. You?”

“Twelve. I wanted to be a martial artist since I was a kid, so I begged my parents. You’re the case where you started because your special constitution showed up, right?”

“How do you know?”

“You can tell just by looking.”

With a faint smirk, Kim Muhyuk handed her the roasted potato and started roasting another.

“It’s good.......”

After one bite, Yang Hayun murmured with a look of admiration.

At the same time, the stiffness in her chest began to melt away.

He had to be hungry too, but he’d offered food to her first. Maybe he was better than she’d thought.

Watching that reaction, Kim Muhyuk asked casually,

“Tell me about you. I’m curious how someone with a Level 1 constitution learns martial arts.”

“It’s nothing. I.......”

Her constitution had manifested out of nowhere at fifteen, turning her hair pure white.

The Glacier Priestess—the Grand Elder of Sun and Moon Gate, one of the Eight Great Sects—had come looking for her and spent a full month persuading her that she had to learn her martial arts.

How she’d become master and disciple with the Glacier Priestess.

And how her hopelessly doting master had stuffed her with all kinds of precious elixirs, and the side effects made it hard to control Yin-Extreme qi until she reached sufficient attainment.

The words spilled out of her without stopping.

Did I talk too much?

Regret rushed in late, but Yang Hayun stared at the fire to hide her embarrassment.

Pop, pop......

Watching the sparks jump, her eyelids grew heavy before she realized. As the atmosphere softened, the fatigue piled up inside her swept in.

“......What about you? I talked a lot, so you tell me too.......”

Yang Hayun forced her heavy eyelids up and looked at Kim Muhyuk. He was smiling.

“You look tired. Sleep. I’ll tell you about me tomorrow.”

“......I’m not that curious.”

Yang Hayun pressed her lips together, stared at the fire for a moment, then slowly closed her eyes.

Hnnngh.......

“......Yun. Yang Hayun. Wake up.”

And the moment she startled awake at the voice calling her—

Ssssssshhhh—

Yin-Extreme qi spilling from her body snuffed out the brazier’s fire in an instant.

“S-Sorry.”

“It’s fine. It was time to get up anyway.”

As if it were nothing, Kim Muhyuk cracked his neck from side to side, loosening up. Then he grabbed the sword he’d set aside and said,

“Just in case—have you ever made an enemy somewhere? Like someone who holds a grudge?”

“......What are you talking about?”

When Yang Hayun blinked and asked back, Kim Muhyuk muttered, “I see,” and rose to his feet.

“It’s nothing. Just looks like we have an uninvited guest.”

Kim Muhyuk turned toward the direction where killing intent seeped in, his eyes flashing coldly.