The team had found a short pause from battle in a clearing surrounded by broken terrain — jagged rocks and patches of Rift residue that shimmered faintly underfoot. The red haze in the sky had lightened slightly, casting a dull, washed-out glow across the Rift. It had been about five hours since they entered.
Scattered in small groups, the Coreborns sat and caught their breath. Some quietly munched on compact rations; others drank from crystal canisters marked with thin traces of core energy. A few leaned back against stones, adjusting their gear or closing their eyes for a moment's rest. Their armour still showed signs of the earlier fight — dirt, burn marks, and faintly glowing scratches.
Jaemin sat alone a short distance away, legs pulled in slightly, hood drawn low over his face. His gaze was fixed on the ground. The broken remains of his blade rested nearby, snapped clean from the earlier encounter. His right arm, though bandaged, still hung stiffly from his side. He hadn't spoken since the last clash.
He could hear the others — soft talk, the sound of gear being checked—but he stayed apart. It wasn't shame, exactly. Just a quiet feeling that he didn't belong among them. Not yet.
A soft wind moved through the Rift, carrying a faint chill.
He heard footsteps — light, steady, and heading toward him.
"Still pretty shaken up, huh?"
Hana approached quietly, crouching down beside him.
Jaemin didn't respond at first. His lips parted slightly, then closed again. After a moment, he said.
"It would've been a faster win… if I hadn't gotten hurt. I dragged all of you down. Diverted your attention. I'm… sorry."
Hana tilted her head, a small, knowing smile on her lips.
"This is what a team is. We cover for each other. We're all in this together against the Abyssals."
She looked up toward the others — some still munching on dried rations and compressed bars, others resting in silence.
"Survival is what brings us together. We don't leave anyone behind."
Her words were kind… But a part of him still questioned whether he deserved them.
Without pushing the moment further, Hana reached into her pack and pulled out a small, warm container. The faint aroma of kimchi fried rice — with bits of egg and sausage — wafted toward him.
"Here, you must be exhausted. Have some."
While the rest of the team chewed on nutrient bars and processed snacks, Hana had saved a proper meal — just for him.
Jaemin stared at the container for a moment, then looked up at her.
"…But you all did the fighting. Why are you giving me something like this while the rest chew on bars?"
Hana paused, then gave a half-shrug, a faint grin tugging at her lips.
"Well, I don't know. I could say it's because you're a non-Coreborn and probably need it more than us… but that's just absurdly rude."
Jaemin blinked at her.
She was trying to joke — an ass attempt maybe, but her eyes were steady and warm. No mockery. No pity. Just sincerity.
He glanced away, then back again, realising something quietly unsettling: she meant it. She saw him as one of them. Equal, even after everything.
Hana exhaled softly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Well… to put it simply, I'm giving you this meal because I feel happy doing that," she said. "Feels right."
A small, almost awkward smile followed. Like she wasn't sure how he'd take it — her cheeks were slightly red while saying it
"Eat up, kid."
Jaemin looked up.
The voice came from behind Hana — deeper, composed, and almost fatherly. The team leader stood there, arms crossed, a soft half-smile breaking the usual stoicism on his face. Around him, the rest of the squad had begun gathering, forming a loose circle around Jaemin. No one said it outright, but their presence alone spoke volumes.
"All good fighters need to rest and charge up," the leader continued. "You're no exception."
"You did pretty well in your attempt to fight…" came Jisoo's flat voice, arms folded across her chest.
"Though the result was pathetic, it was applaudable."
Juri narrowed her eyes and shot a sideways glance at Jisoo.
"She means to say you did well."
She clarified, clearly unimpressed with the phrasing.
Jaemin, though still tense, couldn't help the faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Jaemin blinked, then looked down at the meal in his hands —A humble Korean home meal, yet to him, it looked like a feast.
He hesitated only a moment before lifting the chopsticks and taking a bite.
The flavours were simple and comforting, and maybe that was why it hit so hard. He hadn't eaten something this fresh, this warm, in months. Under his usual financial strain, even bread was a rare luxury. This? This felt unreal.
***
The air inside the Rift had settled into a quiet unease. No one spoke much, but their movements were steady. They had all fought long enough to know when something was wrong—and this Rift was far from normal. The usual cues were missing. No Overseer in sight.
Jaemin stayed close to the middle of the formation, eyes low. Then, as the group walked through a jagged pass, he found himself beside Hana once more.
"Hey, Hana, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"How strong is our captain?"
Hana smiled faintly.
"Captain? Oh—you mean Seok Jinhwan?"
Jaemin nodded.
"He's very strong. Probably stronger than he looks," she said.
"He's a seasoned Coreborn, after all."
Jaemin wasn't all that surprised, though. It made sense.
"Then why isn't he... I don't know, a Covenant leader? Or at least famous?"
Hana let out a small breath.
"Not every seasoned hunter wants attention, Jaemin. Some prefer to work quietly. Jinhwan's the kind who finishes rifts alone and unharmed and walks right past the crowd. He stays low on purpose."
That answer stuck with Jaemin for a moment. A man that strong, choosing to hide his strength. It felt... different from what he'd expected.
"How strong can Coreborns really get?"
Hana tilted her head slightly, considering how to answer that.
"Hmm… are you familiar with the ancient chakra system? The one where the term 'Corewheel' originally came from?"
"To some degree…"
Hana nodded slightly, walking beside him.
"It's not just some term we made up."
"When someone awakens as a Coreborn, the energy starts moving through their spine—upwards. It flows through three main points. It hurts like hell every time you push further, but it changes you. First chakra? That's just awakening. You become a Coreborn. Second? That's when your body starts adapting. Strength, reaction time, aura control—it all sharpens."
"The third is the big one. Most seasoned Coreborn stop there. It's where your core energy chooses its path, where your element locks in."
"Elemental imprint," Jaemin said.
"Exactly. That imprint… It's not random. It aligns with who you are. Your temperament, instincts, even your fears. Once that happens, you start using Elemental Overrides. That's what makes a Coreborn dangerous."
Jaemin looked at her again. "So… does Jinhwan have one?"
"I don't know. He never showed it."
"Then why does the energy stop there? Why not go beyond the third point?"
Hana sighed.
"Because past that point… your body can't handle it. If you force core energy further, it starts tearing you apart. It's like pouring fire through glass. It breaks."
She looked at him directly now.
"There are a few exceptions, though."
Hana leaned back slightly, brushing her fingers through her hair as she looked ahead at the dim landscape.
"Us Coreborn... we awaken after coming into contact with fragments of the giant rock. But only if we have the calibre to hold it."
Jaemin turned to her, curiosity surfacing. "You mean those glowing fragments scattered across the globe?"
"Yeah. But there are some... different ones. Eight of them. Unique. Powerful."
Jaemin raised a brow.
"Only eight?"
A slight smile tugged at her lips.
"People say there used to be nine. But that's just a myth."
He leaned forward, intrigued.
"So, they're like... specialised cores?"
"No, they're something else entirely. The cores we awaken with—those are filtered remnants of the Giant rock's energy. What those eight hold is the divine—the raw power of the original Giant rock's power, untouched and superior to all others."
"They don't carry elemental imprints either. Makes sense, though. The giant rock... it wasn't a natural creation of this earth."
Jaemin blinked, taking that in.
"So... it was made by someone?"
"Possibly."
"If I had to guess? I'd say aliens made them."
Jaemin blinked.
"Aliens?"
She waved a hand lazily.
"Yeah, but that's kind of a boring idea, right? Feels like the kind of answer you give when you've got nothing better."
"So… what exactly are those eight cores?"
Hana's gaze sharpened.
"They're called the Special Cores. No one really talks about them, but we Coreborn? We know. There are eight in total—well, nine, if you believe the myth."
Jaemin frowned. "What did the myth say about the ninth Core?"
"They say there was a ninth core once. Stronger than the rest. But that one's just legend now."
"As for the others... Five are known to be awakened. Five Coreborn in the world hold them."
"Only five?"
"The rest are either lost, dormant, or never meant to be found. But those five? The power in those cores isn't just raw strength—it's authority. Those Coreborn don't follow the same limits as us."
"Their power isn't based on elemental imprint or chakra resonance. It's something deeper, something ancient. Like the cores themselves rewrite your body and spirit."
Hana gave a soft nod as she watched Jaemin's brows furrow in deep thought.
"The team you're with now, Jaemin... it operates under Covenant: NOVA. One of the most respected covenants in Korea."
Jaemin glanced toward the resting group, surprised. He had always assumed they were just a random freelancer squad. Hana smiled at his expression and continued.
"About the Special Cores... they're not something most people talk about. There are eight known—Core of Revelation, Core of Ruin, Core of Tempest, Core of Shadows, Core of Vitality, Core of Steel, Core of Echoes, and Core of Flame."
"And in NOVA? The one who holds a Special Core is Ha Yura. She bears the Core of Revelation—and carries the title 'Truthsplitter."
Jisoo says as if trying to chime in.
"She's... different. Even among us Coreborn, she's something else entirely."
Hana continues.
"How does she look?"
Jisoo crossed her arms and let out a dry exhale, her expression unreadable.
"You'll see if we make it out of this hell alive."
"The moment you lay your eyes on her… you'll just know. No guessing. No asking. That's Ha Yura."
Jaemin wonders just how strong a Coreborn would be to have a whole team, let alone the whole Coreborn's world respect.
A sudden ripple of movement stirred through the team's formation as a sharp mutter broke the brief calm.
"Give us a break, bastards!!!…"
Jinhwan growled under his breath, eyes narrowing as his Corewheel surged crimson in irritation.
"Striders. Roughly seventy of them—incoming!"
"Fuck," Minaje hissed.
Jinhwan didn't waste time. His voice cut through the team like steel.
"We need a calculated strike with this one. No chaos—follow my calls!"
His aura flared, war-ready.
"Hana, Minaje, Naeun—apply buffs on our DPS. Keep them moving sharp and clean."
"Tanks—on me. We hold the front. Protect the buffers, no matter what."
He locked eyes with the others, nodding once with finality.
"The rest of you—DPS. I want you to slaughter each one of those Striders. Don't leave a single fucker breathing."
Weapons gleamed. Aura flared.
"Jaemin...Stay close to us yea? we will get out of this together"
Jinhwan's Bastion Core flared as he stepped forward, a deep, fierce roar reverberating from within him.
"Bastion core: lion's mane!!"
The two tanks flank and create a protective dome with embers like before.
"Same strategy as last time, we bring the dome up big—embers rising to the sky."
Jinhwan's lips curled into a murder-filled smirk.
"Bastion core: Absolute Oblivion."
This special skill, granted by his experience as a seasoned hunter, ignited a fierce power within everyone around him, flooding every Coreborn nearby with a primal, raging bloodlust.
"Auxiliary Core: Dynamic Overboost."
A sharp pulse surged from Hana, electrifying every hunter's limbs, sharpening reflexes, fueling speed and precision.
"Auxiliary Core: Shimmering Light."
Naeun's healing lamp floated into view, bathing the team in a gentle, shimmering light.
The constant stream of healing energy eased wounds and steadied hearts, a soft balm in the eye of the storm.
"Axiliary Core: Strings of Life."
Minaje's eyes glinted as he raised his hands, a radiant glow wrapping like golden threads around the DPS members' arms and legs.
The strands wove tightly, healing fatigue, absorbing incoming attacks, and neutralising the poisons that threatened to rot their flesh, lasting for a full minute.
Jisoo yelled.
"Flux Core: Dynamic Overdrive!"
Her purple aura shifted into deep indigo, inheriting the sharpness of Precision Core and the speed of Velocity Core, fueling her strikes with unmatched finesse and speed.
The Precision Cores stepped forward, voice sharp and steady.
"Precision Core: Bolstering Snipeshots!"
Their blades flashed as they shot down twenty charging Striders with deadly accuracy.
The remaining three Velocity Cores surged.
"Velocity Core: Breakneck Blitz!"
They spun like a cyclone, circling the Striders and weaving through them with dizzying speed, leaving the beasts confused and off-balance.
With the Striders clustered tightly, Jisoo leapt high into the air, her movements fluid and precise.
"Flux Core: Blades of Afterlife!"
Her chakrams melted seamlessly into twin blades, gleaming with lethal energy.
From above, she slashed down through the gathered beasts. As her blades cut through the air and flesh, a burst of scalding steam erupted, engulfing the Striders and wiping out all fifty in a single, devastating strike.
"Dirty Bastards"
Jisoo dropped to the ground with a controlled grace, as if the massacre of fifty Striders was nothing more than a routine move.
Around her, the others exhaled slowly, weapons lowering, but eyes never leaving the creeping mist ahead.
Silence stretched, thick and heavy — a quiet before the storm.
They all knew what waited beyond.
A Tier 3 Rift.
And whatever lurked inside, it wouldn't give them a second chance.