Chapter 82 - Hollow Eyes
Buaaaaang—!!
The manticore let out a long howl.
Early morning.
A motorcycle sped down the main road, slicing through the dark blue dawn mist like a blade.
It zipped past large and small blocks before gradually slowing down.
The rider kicked down the side stand and dismounted.
As Jin removed his helmet and turned his head, his gaze immediately landed on something across from him.
One of the most notorious eyesores in downtown—
None other than Stray Stadium!
Originally constructed to accommodate an audience of over fifty thousand, the project had been indefinitely halted due to the inevitable clashes between families and corporations.
Left abandoned for decades with only its steel frame completed, the structure had transformed into a ghastly monstrosity—just looking at it made one feel like they could catch tetanus.
To make matters worse, it was located far north of Junk Plaza, the closest thing downtown had to a commercial district, making it a desolate and utterly forgotten place.
Jin would never have come here under normal circumstances.
But today, there was a reason.
Elina's concert was being held here.
According to Khalifa, there was no proper cultural venue in downtown that could accommodate a large audience—this was the only option.
So, after the concert was confirmed, the city hall had rushed a renovation.
But let's be real—what kind of passion would bureaucrats who had essentially been demoted put into this?
They called it a renovation.
In truth, it was nothing more than a cosmetic patch-up, a half-hearted CPR job barely worth calling construction.
The venue's capacity had been slashed to a mere two thousand.
The entire stadium lacked basic amenities, leaving it in a state of raw, unpolished wildness.
It reminded Jin of the festival in his hometown—an international embarrassment due to its poor organization and lack of infrastructure.
"…Yeah, never coming back."
Shaking his head at this embarrassing display of his hometown's reality, Jin was about to step toward the stadium when—
"Jin?"
A familiar voice called out from behind him, making him turn instinctively.
There, standing in his line of sight, were some familiar faces.
D'Andre and Hooker.
And even Greg?
What was this ominous trio doing here?
Just as confusion spread across Jin's face—
"You here to watch too?"
D'Andre grinned and raised something in his thick hands—
A light stick?
"..."
These guys were serious.
The overwhelming aura of hardcore fans radiating from the trio made Jin draw a clear boundary.
"I'm here for work."
"…Work? Ah, security."
D'Andre nodded, looking somewhat disappointed, making Jin even more determined to keep his words to a minimum.
A short silence followed.
An awkward quiet, accompanied by an indescribable sense of embarrassment.
None of them had expected to run into someone they knew in a place like this.
Of course, Jin had the excuse of work, so he felt relatively less awkward.
With that in mind, he decided to strike first, turning to Greg.
"You came too?"
"Ah. I heard the external security for this concert was being handled by solo operatives of Level 4 and above. Since I'm restarting as a solo myself, I wanted to see what kind of people they were. You could say I'm here for motivation."
Greg delivered his explanation with a straight face—without even a drop of hesitation.
In his hand?
A light stick identical to D'Andre's.
"…The concert's tomorrow. Today's just rehearsal."
"The more you see, the better. Just like you."
This guy's smooth talk—?
For a moment, Jin was completely thrown off by Greg's newfound eloquence, perfected after the underground incident.
"R-right. Anyway, I'm going."
"Yeah, sure."
"Take care, boss!"
Jin turned away from D'Andre, who waved awkwardly, and Hooker, who bowed deeply.
Then, as he naturally stepped toward the stadium—
His walking had never felt more awkward.
"Ah, so you're Jin Evernight?"
The man who asked was wearing an in-ear communication device.
His fatigued face looked at Jin, and in his gaze, the artificial glow unique to mechanical eyes flickered.
"Confirmed. Here, take this necklace. You can't walk around here without it, so don't lose it. We don't have any spares."
"So, where do we go now?"
Jin said as he put on the name-tag necklace with his name on it.
Then, the staff member spoke.
"You see that yellow tent at the end? Turn right there and keep going straight. The Chief of Security should be there…"
After giving rough directions with a few hand gestures, he turned his head.
Then, in an instant, his voice changed as he barked out,
"Hey, hey! The lights are tilting! Are you not paying attention?!"
Jin looked up at the struggling setup of the lights and thought,
No way… Something's not going to fall and cause trouble, right?
Maybe it was the mention of security that made him suspicious.
Having arrived at the location given by the staff, Jin approached a man who, by his sheer appearance, practically announced himself as the Chief of Security.
Despite the crowded and chaotic surroundings, the man immediately noticed Jin's approach and turned his gaze toward him.
Their eyes met in midair.
At that moment, Jin realized—
A beastkin.
And a strong one at that.
As those piercing eyes assessed him, Jin speculated about the man's identity.
Then, the man slowly spoke.
"Who are you?"
"Jin Evernight. Solo."
"Hmm."
The Chief of Security nodded and gestured with his chin toward an empty plastic chair.
"Wait there quietly."
His commanding tone made Jin's eyebrow twitch.
What the hell is with this attitude?
Does he think I work under him?
But despite his inner complaints, Jin took a seat without protest.
Tsk.
I'll let it slide once—for Elina's sake.
The man, who had just granted mercy no one had asked for, crossed his arms.
As he scanned his surroundings, he noticed something unexpected—there weren't many Solos around.
Huh?
At first, he was just puzzled.
But it didn't take him long to understand why.
Oh, I see.
The gazes of the security personnel passing by held clear disdain.
And as a bonus, the "waiting time" dragged on indefinitely.
It was obvious from the start that they had no intention of giving them any real work.
And that went for the other Solos as well.
Calling in outside personnel only to treat them like decoration?
And not just anyone—but Level 4 Solos?
These weren't people you could just brush aside.
Unsurprisingly, one by one, those fed up with being sidelined walked away in exasperation.
Of course, one might ask—
Why are they just leaving quietly?
Wouldn't it make more sense to teach these arrogant bastards a lesson?
The answer came from behind Jin.
"Shit… So it was Malcolm."
Hearing that, a Solo who had been sitting got up.
Jin stopped him.
"Who's Malcolm?"
"That guy—the Chief of Security. He climbed to 2nd Rank a year ago. I was wondering where he'd end up, and here he is."
"Ah."
"Now that we're on the subject—these bastards are probably waiting for us to make a move. I knew this was way too easy."
Clicking his tongue in irritation, the man turned to Jin and continued.
"So, Jin. You should just walk away from this mess too. We're not the kind of people who deserve this kind of treatment."
"You know who I am?"
"Of course. How could I not?"
The Solo nodded as if it were obvious and patted his waist.
Jin's gaze naturally followed.
And there, hanging from the man's belt, was something familiar—
A handgun.
A model starting with R&D…
"The fixed-bayonet fully automatic handgun. I bought it after watching your video."
"Oh."
Without thinking, Jin extended his hand.
The two men shared a firm handshake, grinning at each other.
But only for a moment.
The Solo soon hardened his expression again and said,
"Anyway, I'm leaving. Don't overthink it."
Then, he turned and strode away.
Jin, watching him go, shrugged.
He briefly locked eyes with a security guard who silently asked, You're not leaving?
In response, Jin stood up from his seat.
Of course.
Jin tapped the shoulder of the guy who had turned his head, then walked past his irritated face without a second glance.
The direction he took was completely different from where Solo had left earlier.
That was only natural.
Jin had no intention of leaving this place just yet.
Once he started something—whatever the reason—he had to see it through to the end.
Besides, if he handled this request well, he might be able to unlock another constellation.
So he decided that dealing with the insult could wait until later.
Not that he intended to take orders from anyone anyway.
Using his ID badge as a shield, Jin started wandering around the concert venue.
Meanwhile, the rehearsal began, and a pleasant voice filled the stage.
"Wow. They're good."
Just as he was admiring the live performance, which sounded nearly identical to the recorded version—
Bzzzt—
A vibration against his chest made him pull out his terminal.
After checking the caller ID, he answered.
"Khalifa?"
[Jin. You're at the venue?]
"Yeah. The rehearsal just started."
[I heard. They're treating you like crap over there. If I'd known, I never would've sent you. Just leave now. I'll find you a much better gig.]
"It's fine. I agreed to do this."
Saying so, Jin ducked under a rusted steel beam covered in patches of reddish corrosion.
"By the way, Khalifa. I have something to ask."
[What is it?]
"If something were to go wrong at a concert venue, what would it most likely be?"
[You mean worst-case scenario?]
"Something like that."
[You've been saying you've had a bad feeling since yesterday… Guess something feels off to you.]
A thoughtful hum came through the receiver before Khalifa spoke again.
[Well, considering the location, structural collapse is probably the biggest risk.]
Jin grabbed the steel beam in front of him and gave it a shake.
"Anything else?"
[There could be a terrorist among the audience.]
"I hope it's not D'Andre."
[Wait—he's there too?]
"Yeah, showed up with the whole office crew."
[...Seriously. Well, I mean, Elina is pretty, I guess.]
Jin brushed the rust off his hands and spoke.
"So, nothing else comes to mind?"
[Jin? Be honest with me. Is this some kind of creative writing exercise?]
Khalifa laughed, and Jin chuckled along.
"Let's just call it curiosity."
[Alright, then. How about this? What if Elina and her entire team were actually dark sorcerers, planning to sacrifice the audience? A horrifying spell wiping out 2,000 people, spreading indiscriminately across downtown. How's that for a scenario?]
"Sixty points."
[Why?]
"Because then the death toll would probably be over 12,000."
[...12,000? Jin. Sometimes, I really have no idea what you're talking about.]
Khalifa sighed, but his tone was light—like he was simply enjoying this conversation with his soloist.
[So basically, you want me to lower the difficulty?]
"You catch on quick."
[...Alright, let's see.]
As Khalifa continued thinking—
Jin, having memorized the venue's layout, turned to retrace his steps.
Thud!
Someone rushing from the distance collided with his shoulder.
Naturally, they lost their balance like they'd crashed into a car and tumbled forward.
"Whoa there."
Surprised, Jin instinctively reached out a hand.
"Elina! Elina! Damn it!"
A loud, booming voice called out.
A burly man, looking like he had swallowed fire, swung his head around behind the stage.
"Shit. Where'd she go?!"
Chewing his gum with a twisted expression, he was clearly agitated.
Jin glanced from the man to the fallen figure—huh?
He spotted a silhouette dashing toward the far end of the stadium.
"...?"
Without hesitation, Jin picked up his pace and followed.
Meanwhile, Khalifa's voice continued from the terminal.
[Then how about this? Elina suddenly awakens as a Psyker during the performance. And not just any Psyker—she releases the psychic wavelength of an A-rank monster.]
[Since psychic abilities are linked to the subconscious, no one can predict their danger before awakening, right? Who knows, maybe Elina has just as much potential in psychic power as she does in music.]
[How many points does this one get?]
Jin couldn't answer.
Because at that moment, he spotted a woman curled up in the corner, trembling.
"I'll call you back."
After ending the call, he carefully stepped forward.
"Hey, uh… You're Elina, right?"
"D-Don't come near me!"
A pale hand slammed against the wall between them.
In response, Jin raised both hands slightly, mirroring her gesture.
If she was saying, "Don't come any closer," he was replying, "I mean no harm."
"Alright. Just take it easy."
"Ahhh—"
Her hands clutched at her hair, veins bulging on the backs of her hands.
Her entire body was shaking violently, as if the cold had seeped into her very bones.
She was already hyperventilating.
Jin furrowed his brows.
Just looking at her made it feel hard to breathe.
Hadn't he trembled in the same way when the black tide had tried to swallow him?
He understood better than anyone what it was like to drown outside of water.
"It's okay. I'm here. Really. I'm not going anywhere."
His voice was gentle, his stance cautious—like a fencer closing the distance one step at a time.
But the closer he got, the worse Elina's trembling became.
"Ahhh, ahhhhhh!!!"
Her tightly shut eyelids twitched, her pupils rolling upward like she was glimpsing the universe inside her mind.
Then—
A firm, warm hand wrapped around hers.
"Hey."
Maybe it was the warmth seeping into her skin.
"…Huh?"
Elina struggled to lift her eyelids, her hazy vision slowly focusing on Jin.
"W-Who…?"
"Me? I'm security. But also a fan. Just since yesterday, though—brand new, right? Oh, and I came for your autograph. Gotta frame it at home."
"..."
Elina stared at his face in a daze before shaking her head, like someone waking from a bad dream.
"I-I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
"Thank goodness, thank goodness…"
She sighed in relief, her body relaxing as Jin let go of her hand.
Then he turned his head to the side.
"They're here now."
Just as he spoke, the burly man who had been shouting moments ago came charging forward with a group of security guards in tow.
Not wanting any unnecessary trouble, Jin took a few steps back.
The man shoved his way between them and barked,
"You! Where the hell did you run off to? Are you out of your damn mind?"
Then he turned, his gaze landing on Jin's ID badge.
His face twisted with contempt.
"Get back to your post."
"Give me a break."
Jin snorted but turned away without protest.
As he walked off, he felt a pair of pale green eyes watching him from behind the mountain of a man.
He waved a hand in acknowledgment, and the nearby security guards practically glared daggers at him.
Honestly, he was tempted to smack them all upside the head, but true strength came with mercy.
As a Level 4 who might as well be a Level 5, he would let it slide.
Jin left the scene.
But as he turned his head once more—
"…Tch. Something smells rotten."
His gaze narrowed as he looked back at Elina and her entourage.
***
A day passed, and finally—performance day arrived.
Elina, seated in the waiting room, stubbornly refused the medication.
The fear rampaging inside her mind had overpowered her addiction.
But the cost was clear—her body was trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Watching her, the burly man—no, the producer—rose from his seat.
"You fucking bitch."
With a crude curse, he pulled a small packet from his pocket, tore open the capsule, and emptied its contents into a glass of water.
"Hey. Hold her down."
At his command, the bodyguards rushed in, pinning Elina's body in place.
"Let go!"
Her scream tore through the room, but the grip restraining her only tightened.
"Let's not make this harder than it has to be, alright?"
The producer stirred the water with a finger before grabbing Elina's face and forcing the liquid into her mouth.
Then, pressing her jaw shut and pinching her nose closed—
Her desperate struggles weakened, her body going limp.
The man spat on the floor.
"...Fucking hell."
Wiping his sweat-drenched forehead with the back of his hand, he muttered,
"She's getting too rebellious. This won't do. As soon as the tour is over, I'm installing a port in her head. Maybe a full reset is in order. Shit. I tried controlling her with drugs since her body rejects implants, but she's turned into a complete lunatic."
Speaking so casually about erasing her humanity, he turned to the bodyguards.
"How much time until the show?"
"..."
"I asked, how much time?"
"..."
"Answer me, damn it! Have you all lost your minds?"
It was then—
Something rolled across the floor, stopping near the producer's feet.
"...What the hell?"
His gaze naturally dropped.
A red ball.
Trailing behind it, a long streak of crimson—was that blood?
A chilling unease crept up his spine, making him instinctively step back.
He lifted his head.
And there she was.
Elina, standing still, staring at him.
A blank expression.
Hollow eyes.
When did she get up?
That thought flickered through his mind.
And then—nothing.
───────────CRACK!!