“The path of tracing Hoehang’s footsteps is filled with unfamiliar mysteries.I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t annoyed by the endless stream of incidents, but Jin Muhae felt that this veiled mission injected tension into his repetitive life and supplied it with vitality.In that sense, communicating with Gureum was exactly the kind of thing Hoehang would do. At each irregular contact, Muhae always paid a certain price and gained something new.Even as he counted down the moments until her messages, Muhae found the person named Gureum herself somewhat awkward—though the feeling was roughly the same.“—Solar City, huh. So we’ve finally reached that point.”The voice, tinged with electronic distortion, sounded intrigued. As if hearing the name for the first time in ages, the waveform graph quivered and let out a small exclamation.Comfort Zone residents avoided mentioning the story of a ruined city in public. Unlike accidents or death, the dome city’s ultimate fate felt like the inevitable future awaiting all of humanity, like old age.When uncontrollable disasters spread anxiety, city order unraveled. That was probably why Solar City survived only as an urban legend.Jin Muhae stared silently at the long, oscillating graph and waited for her to continue.“—To be honest, I don’t even know what kind of exchange Hoehang had with them. That seems to fall under Commander Jin’s jurisdiction.”“You must have some guesses, though.”“True enough. But relaying the higher-ups’ speculations isn’t my job.”“And what if I ask for them?”Muhae raised an eyebrow at her. The story he most wanted to hear was off the table, but there was still plenty to dig out.“—Well, given my…age, I do know a bit about Solar City.”Gureum sighed before answering, pausing occasionally as she recalled past events.“—Do you know what prosperous cities have in common?”“I suppose…large land area, high population, self-sufficiency in essentials. And—”“—being as far as possible from the crystal zones. In our times, you couldn’t ask for better conditions.”Her modulated mechanical voice added the final requirement with emotionless clarity. Though she didn’t explicitly name Solar City, it was clearly what she meant.“—I doubt humanity trapped in domes ever had a true Golden Age, but if I had to pick the closest thing, it was Solar City at its peak. It thrived like no other. Even in this cut-off world, its rumors reached us.”“I know that much.”“—Then one dawn, a distress signal came from there. When the cities we traded with sent people to investigate, Solar City had already collapsed into ruins.”“No matter how long the journey, it couldn’t have taken more than a day—unless they didn’t go by land.”“—They checked the remains for the fates of ‘key figures’ and learned the signal had been sent days earlier. By the time neighboring cities received it, Solar City’s destiny was sealed.”“……”“—Then, a massive crystal zone formed nearby, unlike anything before. High-grade anomalies surged in, the blue energy storage facility was catastrophically damaged by the impact—”The chilling tale cast a pall over the room. Muhae glanced at Joo-o, who had stuffed candy into his cheek, then returned his gaze to the panel on the wall.“—It’s not confirmed, of course, but the theory goes that a horrific chain-reaction explosion engulfed the city, shutting down all systems. Most residents must have died before the dome shattered—though perhaps that was mercy. There wasn’t just one blast.”“They fell before they could even respond.”“—Exactly. In an instant. Central’s remains are a charred lump; there’s nothing left. The farther from the core, the higher the survival odds…”“Even if someone lived, there was no data worth salvaging.”“—Those who left Solar City around then knew nothing of what went on inside. Some high-ranking families had applied for group travel to other cities, but those trips were scheduled about half a year after the accident.”In short, Solar City must have anticipated some disaster, but it struck sooner than expected. The conjecture closely matched the recordings Muhae heard in Takla. He nodded, face hardened.“You’re in luck, aren’t you.”“What?”“They tried to save themselves in secret, ha.”Joo-o crunched the candy in his mouth and laughed. His cheerfulness made the atmosphere even heavier.“Shut up and stay quiet.”His cheek puffed out a little at the warning, but he complied.Probably a matter of common sense: even if survival odds rose farther from the core, a completely destroyed city meant those numbers weren’t that meaningful.He hadn’t quite realized that. Joo-o’s likes and dislikes were always so straightforward.“—Anyway, if you want to know more about Solar City, great. I had a job for you eventually.”Gureum cleared her throat and shifted the topic. It sounded like the real deal was about to begin.“—Did you know? The few survivors were absorbed into cities worldwide. A handful came to Goryeo City, and one of them was the partner of a senior administrator. Or rather, was.”“Then…”“—I gathered a lot of intel from that person, but there’s still untold info. For example, what they attempted during the catastrophe. If they foresaw it, what preparations they made.”When Gureum fell silent, a brief stillness ensued. Muhae stared at the wall and half-lifted an eyebrow.“How am I supposed to extract info you couldn’t?”“—I’m not asking you to magically conjure it. Just get any history related to Solar City. I don’t expect that person to hold all its secrets.”Only then did Muhae grudgingly accept the deal. He didn’t know exactly what past events she wanted, but Gureum’s vague orders were nothing new.“Goodbye.”Joo-o waved at the unlit panel. Pix. The screen flickered.A buzz from Muhae’s link watch notified him of a message.It contained the address in Garam District and a brief profile of a certain individual.“Where to next?”“Right. This time it’ll be easy to set up.”It was unsettling that Joo-o would be part of the mission again, but what choice did they have?Muhae shoved his hands into his pockets and rose smoothly. His range of action kept expanding—soon he’d probably scour all of Goryeo City.A package arrived at the Jaegang District address. The sender was Goryeo Produce. Muhae had never ordered expensive produce, so it had to be from Gureum.He opened the sturdily packaged box and checked the supplies: a few bricks to add weight and two tailored suits with shirts.The plain, unremarkable design looked like standard issue.“Oh. No ‘Jin Muhae’ tag.”Indeed, one suit fit slightly differently, as if custom-made. Not out of favor for Muhae, but simply because no other size fit.He tried it on and it hugged his body as if scarily tailored. The fact Gureum knew someone else’s three measurements left him with an odd feeling.“You remembered everything I said.”“Yeah. I act well.”“Don’t beg me to touch you when I’m busy. You’ll never crawl into my bed otherwise.”“Hmph. If I came while you were asleep, you wouldn’t even notice.”Staring at the brat’s cheeky retort, Muhae activated his link watch and projected a holographic credential.Like any cheap watch, the document flickered faintly, but Goryeo City’s emblem was clear.From now on, whenever Muhae and Joo-o stepped out in these clothes, they’d be Goryeo City intelligence officers. The department managed secrets and public opinion to keep the city running smoothly.Though temporary, the ID felt formidable. Feeling strangely moved, Muhae stared at the inch-high image in silence.“What if someone asks where this came from?”“I won’t answer. I’ll play it cool.”“What if I speak?”“I won’t butt in. If I have something to say, I’ll whisper it in your ear.”Joo-o recited the prearranged answers precisely. Knowing him, he could still cause trouble at any moment, but this manual was better than nothing.“Try it on. Tell me if it feels off.”“Okay!”“Change first. Don’t just wear the shirt over it.”“Got it!”“Sigh…why’d you take off your underwear? Do you think there was underwear in the set?”“I’ve never worn clothes like this. Small mistake.”After a brief tussle, Joo-o donned the dark suit. The waist was a bit loose, but the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) shoulders fit perfectly.Perhaps due to the fine hanger, the formal attire made his bright face look steely and authoritative.If he kept his mouth shut, no one would think he was some madman picked up off the street.Compared to him…“Jin Muhae looks scarier.”Muhae looked more dangerous in his leather jacket than before.Instead of throwing punches, he seemed the type to drag someone off somewhere and return alone.“But you’re handsome, so it’s fine.”Joo-o chattered behind him as Muhae hurriedly brushed his hair. Glancing at his reflection, Muhae clicked his tongue.Damn. His hair had grown and he’d planned to cut it, but it looked like he’d have to leave it for now. Covering at least part of his forehead made him look less threatening.

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