chapter five

Yugeon glared at the terminal screen furrowing his brows. There was only a short message on the default home screen since he had not yet touched a single thing in the device. There was a message informing him that there was a briefing for the next operation.

He double-checked the location specified in the message and the plaque on the door in front of him. A conference room with a stylish interior, spacious enough for 100 people to hold a meeting at the same time. It was a space that was really far from Yugeon. He had been in the business for over a decade, but he rarely ever had a proper briefing. It was quite hard to say that listening to abusive rants while standing in a garbage-filled alley was a briefing.

Was there even a reason why he should attend the briefing? He was skeptical. He didn't want to sit there like a sack of rice and be laughed at for being incompetent and ignorant.

He didn't want to open this door. But he had to go in. If he didn't attend the briefing, he might end up in other people's mouths again. Team 1 Hunters might openly despise him, but the others will pretend they don't but will gossip behind the scenes. Yugeon closed his eyes tightly and then opened. He took a deep breath and swung open the door.

The first thing he noticed was the darkness engulfing the whole room. All the lights were off. The lights are off? There was still less than five minutes left until the briefing time he received in the message, so why? Did he mistake the place or the time? No, it couldn't be. He checked it several times, and checked it one more time just in case before he opened the door. If not......

For a while, Yugeon stood still in the doorway. It was then he found a dark figure moving in the distance, thanks to the light leaking from the corridor behind him. A familiar voice followed.

"Hey, he can't see us."

"Oh, right."

A screen filled an entire wall of the conference room. The bluish light from the large beam projector spread in all directions. Heesu, who was sitting on the sofa in front of the screen and operating the remote control, waved at Yugeon.

"Yugeon hyung. Here!"

What he saw was quite different from what Yugeon had imagined. All the conference tables and chairs were pushed back, and several large sofas were placed on the spot instead. It felt more like a movie theater, not a conference room.

"Hyung can't see in the dark, right? I forgot. Come here quickly."

Yugeon entered the room begrudgingly. He skeptically crossed the empty conference room towards the screen. He found Chan lazily slouching in his seat as if trying to bury his upper body into the sofa. He was holding a large bag of nacho chips in one arm and chewing it boringly. The nachos were crushed by his sharp fangs, making noise in the otherwise silent room. At the sound, Yugeon inadvertently licked the flesh in his mouth with his tongue. The cuts from when Chan had kissed him savagely were still there.

"What are you looking at?"

He glared furiously at Yugeon. His amber eyes gleamed menacingly even in the dark.

"....."

Yugeon, who had already decided it was not worth responding to, turned his head away. On the other side were Shinje and Taein. Shinje had taken over a multi-seater sofa where three or four people could sit comfortably and was lying down on it. He was dressed in light colored cotton pants under a soft semi-casual shirt made of soft materials. The bare ankles exposed under the pants looked even whiter under the pale light. He was lying on his back with a bored face, staring at the screen, and as soon as he made eye contact with Yugeon, he smiled like a habit.

"Hey. You finally found the way here. It's almost time, but you didn't show up, so I was even thinking of coming to pick you up."

Taein's seat was on a single sofa next to Shinje. He was pressing his temples lightly, without looking at Yugeon.

"You just need to come down to the lobby and turn one corner. Even a child can easily find his way."

He couldn't figure out what this was all about. Yugeon opened his mouth abruptly.

"The briefing..."

Four pairs of eyes gleaming with the light from the screen turned to him at once.

"Don't we have a briefing? The message I received says that you are going to give me a briefing about the operation in this room."

"Ah, yeah. That's the excuse I used."

Shinje let out a soft exclamation. He didn't even think about hiding that the briefing was an excuse. Yugeon's lips pursed.

"Was it a lie?"

"Of course. Let's watch a movie first."

The question was finally resolved. The dimly lit conference room, the tables and chairs cleared out, the men comfortably sitting or lying down on sofas, and even the nacho chips that Chan was eating. It was ridiculous and infuriating at the same time. Were they in a relationship to huddle together and watch a movie or something? The mockery under the shallow mask of goodwill was disgusting. He felt like an idiot who was even nervous for a moment, wondering if he was really attending an operation meeting. They must have had fun seeing him coming all the way here fooled by a random excuse they gave him.

"I'm leaving."

Yugeon turned around without hesitation. As soon as the words of rejection fell, Heesu made a sullen expression.

"No, don't go. I prepared everything to watch a movie with hyung. Don't you like movies? Is that why?"

"Why? Are you scared?"

A sarcastic remark came from behind. Chan was looking straight at Yugeon with his chin on his armrest.

"Scared that you'll be eaten by me again? Are you finally going to run away like a dog with your tail between your legs?"

Chan had changed. A violent kiss in front of the burning city was the starting point. He still cared for Yugeon as precious as if he was a pebble on the roadside, but other emotions were now mixed with his reckless reluctance and rejection.

The trigger was simple. The first was the urge to watch the stiff guide collapse. But he had now realized that Yugeon was not a person who would go out on his own feet just because of a few harsh words. The second trigger was competitiveness. The others seemed to have done everything they could do with the guide since it's been a long time since the other guys had a conscience, but the fact that he was the only one who had not yet done anything with the guide had stimulated his desire to win. He didn't want to lose to the others. Whatever it was.

"Better not to irritate us too much. Unless you want to be jumped on by four people on this floor at the same time."

Shinje cut in at a leisurely tone.

"Now everyone is a bit...... starved. And Chan-ie usually talks like a mop is shoved into his mouth, but he's also holding back as he speaks."

"Fuck this bastard. You are the one to talk."

Chan was annoyed. Regardless, Shinje, lying with his arms crossed, turned his head to look at Yugeon.

"Guide Baek, have you ever been to a movie theater?"

"....."

"Have you ever watched a movie at home?"

Yugeon did not answer. He lowered his gaze to the floor and shook his head. His black eyes glinted under the indigo light of the beam projector.

"Be a good boy. I don't think we have ever had a proper leisure time since Guide Baek Yugeon has joined, so I purposely set up a day for one."

Leisure? It wasn't even funny. Asking him to enjoy a leisure time in the midst of these people who were treating him like inferior livestock. Whenever he was treated like this, he felt more humiliated than being beaten up or spat in his face.

But when had Yugeon ever had a right to refuse? Shinje, and others, had decided to do so, so he had to obey. They could play on this bizzare stage as many times as they wanted. Just like the first time he attended the dinner wearing the clothes that Taein had sent him.

After a brief conflict, Yugeon bit his lower lip and turned around. Whether it's a movie or something, he just had to sit still for a few hours. This was better than an extravagant Western-style course meal. He could just do nothing. But his current problem was that there were no vacancies. All single sofas had owners, and the only multi-seater sofa had Shinje lying down. Shinje smiled brightly and spread his arms out.

"Come here. I'll give you a hug."

"......."

Yugeon ignored him and sat down on the floor in front of the sofa. Rather than being offended, Shinje burst into laughter as if he knew it would be so. Heesu, who was choosing a movie looking through a DVD case without any difficulties even in the dark, quickly picked one and played it. A clear video was projected on the wall.

What Heesu chose was a zombie movie. The plot was about an accident when a zombie virus was spread on the university campus due to an unknown cause, infecting students and faculty in droves. Like typical zombie movies, there was a constant feast of gore throughout the entire screening time. Blood splattered non-stop and organs spilled.

It hurts. The screams of people and the growls of monsters echoed from high quality from speakers.

It was the first time for Yugeon to watch a movie like a movie. It was fascinating to see the video spread out on a large screen several meters in width and length. For the first few minutes, he forgot that he was uncomfortable with the situation and was absorbed into the movie. Then, he quickly lost interest. No matter how scary a zombie was, it was far less terrifying than the mutants he had witnessed. The reality to which he belonged was far more devastating and miserable than the world in the movie created with CG and special effects.

He glanced sideways without meaning to. Thinking that the other Hunters would react to this like him. But their reactions were unexpected.

"Ugh. It's way too brutal."

Heesu hugged his body with both arms and shuddered. Chan clicked his tongue while chewing nachos.

"Why are all movies these days so violent? Why can't they make a movie where they are not killing someone?"

"I guess I should have played something else. What if I have nightmares at night?"

Yugeon was speechless. In a short moment, countless thoughts went back and forth in his head. You don't like cruel things? You hate violence? You people who enjoy playing with people like toys?

Suddenly a hand reached out from behind. Shinje, who was lying on the sofa, grabbed Yugeon's wrist and gently placed his hand around his eyes.

"Ah...... I'm scared."

"....."

"It's too scary, I don't want to watch it anymore."

Yugeon didn't know how to reply to that.

"Let it go."

First, he tried to take out the wrist held by Shinje. But he didn't even budge. Shinje gently fluttered his eyelashes under Yugeon's palm and whispered.

"Guide Baek Yugeon, I think you are too cold."

Yugeon pulled out his arm as hard as he could. The hand covering Shinje's forehead to the bridge of his nose barely came off. In that brief moment, a reddish handprint was left on the wrist. Did these people even remember that Yugeon was no different from ordinary people in terms of physical ability? This guy had no hesitation in using his strength.

"Did you miss my face that much?"

Shinje smiled and winked. Ignoring Chan next to him, who was raising his middle finger and pretending to vomit.

"....."

Without realizing it, Yugeon lowered his hand back down and covered his eyes. It was a thoughtless action. The face too close to him was too flashy, he wanted to get it out of his sight somehow. It wasn't until after a while that he realized that he had done something stupid. But it was already too late. Shinje began to laugh, his shoulders shaking up and down with his eyes covered.

"Hyung, me too!"

Heesu quickly approached, sat down in front of Yugeon, and stretched out his arms.

"I'm scared, too. I'm scared to death. Give me a quick hug."

The words were lovely, but the hands slowly crept in, lifting the bottom of the dark green sweatshirt worn by Yugeon. Yugeon grabbed his wrist and pulled it out.

"Put it away."

"Ah, you are so mean."

"Bullshit."

Chan clicked his tongue. The movie was already forgotten. Zombies wailed loudly on the screen without an audience. Ji-ing. A vibration rang out. A call notification appeared on Taein's cell phone screen. Taein, who had been sitting quietly with a frown, quickly got up.

"Yes. I'm Joo Taein."

He crossed the dark room without hesitation and headed for the exit. Those who were left behind seemed to have no interest at all. Rather, they appeared to be strangely relieved as if it was a good thing Taein had to leave. The sound of regular footsteps gradually faded away. Listening to the sound while caught between Shinje and Heesu, Yugeon became envious of Taein at this moment.

"Don't you think it's best for hyung to stick together with me?"

Heesu grabbed Yugeon's arm tightly and whined. Who among the equally insane was better or worse? There was no such bullshit.

"Honestly, the other hyungs are big and old, aren't they gross? How cute and fresh am I by comparison? I'm young and even good at sex. Where else would you get a kid like this? Yes? Hm?"

"Kwon Heesu, are you crazy? Ah wait. You were always crazy, right?"

Chan stretched out his legs and kicked Heesu in the back.

"Ah, fuck. It's dirty."

Heesu glared back at Chan over his shoulder, annoyed at the feeling of the large bare feet touching his back. Then he quickly looked back at Yugeon with a charmingly cute face.

"Yugeon hyung, please love me the most. I'll take good care of you."

The change of attitude was too quick. It was like watching a masquerade. Shinje, who was lying on his back and watching his theatrics, spoke up.

"You have to look pretty for Yugeon-ie to like you."

"....."

If someone else had said that, he would have snapped back saying, ‘I'm prettier than you, hyung, so don't worry about it’, but it was quite difficult since the other person was Shinje. Heesso bit his lips and changed the topic.

"Fingers or toes, I won't touch anything that won't come out again if you cut it once. Fingernails and toenail, uh, um. I can't guarantee it. But I'll try to save you as much as I can. What do you think?"

He felt like he might lose his mind if he kept listening to this conversation. Yugeon pushed Heesu away.

"Get off. It's all fucking shit."

The smile quickly disappeared from Heesu's face as if a video was reversed.

"You don't like it? Hyung."

"That's what I just said......"

"Why did you spread your legs for me last time then?"

"What?"

"You came a lot when I sucked your dick. I thought you are finally opening your heart to me. Was it just me??"

Heesu's brown eyes looking into Yugeon glinted with a strange light. Like cheap doll eyeballs made of plastic and glass.

"It's weird. The other guides are always begging for help every day, so it didn't take long before I got tired of it. But about you hyung, how should I say this? If you like the other hyungs more than me, even a little more, I'll be really angry. Ah...... just thinking about it is making me angry."

Heesu fumbled and grabbed Yugeon's hand. He tried to shake it off again. But no matter what he did, he couldn't get his hands out. It seemed to be wrapped around with a thick, strong vine. The hands began to climb up.

"Do you want me to kill you now? Yes, you're right. I'd rather kill you now. I don't want to see that happen. Yugeon hyung, do you want to die now?"

"Ugh......"

Both shoulder blades gripped in Heesu's hands felt like they were about to be crushed. An unbidden moan came out.

"Who's going to kill mine?"

"It's not yours, it's ours."

Chan immediately refuted Shinje's words. In the meantime, Heesu's hands climbed up higher and higher. White long fingers wound around Yugeon's neck.

"If you wanted to own it, you shouldn't have thrown it between us in the first place."

"....."

"Who was it that told us to do whatever we want? Your words, not mine."

As soon as Chan finished speaking, Heesu had knocked down Yugeon and climbed on top of him. In a brief moment just before his field of vision was tilted, Shinje entered the view. The tightly closed mouth revealed his uncontrollable displeasure. His face as cold as ice.

He never could have imagined that a man who was always cheeky and flirty would be able to make a face like that. Why? Why are you making that face? After all, whether Yugeon was dead or hurt, or gang-raped on this very floor...... he had no reason to care.

The back of his head hit the cold floor. Heesu strangled Yugeon with both hands and kissed him at the same time. A wet tongue slipped between his lips.

"Heueub......"

He couldn't breathe in or out. To make matters worse, Heesu took all the breath that was left in his mouth. From the tip of the tongue through the throat to the inside of the bronchi, everything seemed to be in a vacuum.

"That's true."

Shinje's voice was heard above his head. A smile was back on his face.

"Yes. Do as you please."

Chan grinned and threw away the empty bag of nachos chips on the floor. Then he slowly sat up with his arm on the sofa. The thigh muscles hidden under the sweatpants twitched.

"Hey. Get out of the way."

He tapped Heesu's side with his toes, who was absorbed in the kiss. Heesu let go of Yugeon's neck he was holding, and parted his lips in annoyance. Yugeon's head fell back weakly.

"I'm busy."

"Cough, cough!"

Yugeon turned his head and coughed with a red face. Both of their lips were wet.

"Get out of the way. I don't want to touch your dick and I know you don't want to touch mine."

"Sheesh."

Heesu sulked, but did not complain much. He made room, backing upwards, and wrapped his arms around Yugeon's cheeks. Chan walked over and naturally settled down on Yugeon's lower body. Both were used to sharing one guide. It wasn't just once or twice that something like this happened.

Chan grabbed Yugeon's ankle and lifted him up. The whole ankle was gripped in a large hand with bulging joints. Yugeon drew a sharp breath. Chan slightly frowned.

"This kid, why is your ankle so thin?"

"This, let go......"

Yugeon struggled. Chan gripped it harder, as if suppressing the rebellion. A pained shriek was about to come out, but it was blocked by Heesu, who kissed him just in time.

"Didn't I tell you? You're no better than livestock here, and livestock's duty is to eat well and gain weight, but why are you so thin? How are you going to take all of us if you have shit stamina?"

His shoes were taken off with rough movements.

"If you play with fire, you will get burned. You should have held your breath until the end. You have done all the provocations so far, why. Are you finally scared now that it's time to be eaten?"

Heesu lifted Yugeon's head and placed him on his lap. Chan and Yugeon's eyes met. He thought his face would turn blue or look teary, but there was no expression on Yugeon's face. His lower lips were trembling thinly from the shock and pain, but that was all. Amid the bloodshot whites, his black eyes flashed with subtle murderous intent.

For a moment, the strength of the hand holding his ankles weakened slightly. Yugeon did not miss the opportunity. He felt his ankle was slipping out of Chan's hand, and Puck! A loud smack rang out in the spacious room.

"....."

Chan's head turned sideways. He was expecting a fist, but the kick was quite spicy. Yugeon twisted his lips and retorted.

"I'm not into bestiality."

After looking at the air at an angle, Chan slowly turned his head back to its original position. The dark eyes looking down at Yugeon were out of focus. He burst out laughing.

"......you really are a fucking funny bastard."

Chan grabbed Yugeon's thighs and pulled him closer. As his whole body was dragged all the way, Yugeon's head, which was resting on Heesu's lap, fell to the floor.

"Ugh!"

"Don't hurt him. It's a precious guide."

Shinje suddenly opened his mouth. He was lying face down with his head half-buried in his own arms, looking their way expressionlessly. For someone who claimed to be an audience to this bizarre scene of abuse, he didn't particularly look amused.

"If you're not going to join, go away. You have a voyeurism kink or something?"

"I thought it would make him feel worse if I'm not looking."

"So it's fine for him to get fucked as long as it's in front of you?"

"....."

Shinje didn't bother to answer. Chan no longer picked a fight after that. When did they ever lead a normal and healthy sex life?

Staring down at Yugeon from above, Heesu placed one hand on the floor. A shadow cast over Yugeon. Since Heesu was sitting near his head, it would have looked like Heesu's upper body was protruding from above.

Heesu unbuttoned his pants with his other hand and opened the zipper. As soon as he pulled down his underwear, his dick popped out. The erect, stiff cock raised its head vigorously. The red tip was already wet with precum. His face was as fresh and gentle like a young boy, but not below at all.

"You ate the food I made for you pretty well. Please enjoy this too."

He grabbed his erection and tapped Yugeon's mouth with the bulging tip.

"Open your mouth."

"....."

Yugeon closed his mouth and turned his head to the other side, desperately avoiding it. The feeling of the hot length rubbing his lips was unpleasant.

It was then. Another person's face was buried between his helplessly spread legs. Chan nibbled on his clothes. The high nose bridge and chin pressed his groin at random. Like an animal poking something appetizing with its snout.

"Ah, heu."

A moan broke out. This was the opportunity. Heesu pressed his cock against his slightly open lips and crammed the tip in. Putting his cock in the mouth of the other person whom he was just kissing, a shiver went down his spine. It became a little easier to shove in after the thick head went in. He bent his back slightly, put his weight on it, and thrusted in from above. Yugeon's jaw was gradually widened.

"Ugh...... Keoeog...... Heuk...... Eub."

Yugeon's head was tilted as much as he could to fit Heesu's cock. The exposed throat twitched from the inside. Heesu reached out and felt his neck as if possessed.

"Wow. Yugeon hyung, it's so tight. Do you like it? It's a little swollen here, and it's gotten a lot tighter."

"Gasp......!"

"What if I put it in deeper and the airway gets crushed?"

Yugeon's mind went blank at the innocent words. It occurred to him that it might indeed be so. He could imagine his own dead body with his eyes turned upside down and the cock buried deep in his throat.

Yugeon arched his back. He frantically felt around in agony. The remote control got caught in his blind hand. When the volume button was pressed accidentally, the sound of the movie that was still playing as a background noise suddenly grew louder.

"......"

Irritated, Heesu grabbed the remote control and threw it away. He still had his arousal stuck in Yugeon's mouth. The remote control flew through the air and hit the DVD player. Crash! Both the remote control and the DVD player were smashed beyond recognition. Plastic, metal and glass fragments scattered on the floor. The screen flickered a few times, the no-signal indicator appeared, and the room went silent.

Chan raised his head from Yugeon's groin and flicked the half-swelled front with his fingertips.

"Heueuk!"

"If you hate it, why is yours hard?"

He spread his thighs wide apart to prevent them from moving, fixed them in place with his body and zipped down the pants.

"Hey, guide. I heard your dick is tasty?"

Taein made do with his hands and Heesu sucked it, and Shinje...... well. The quiet cat is the first to go up to the stove. That black hearted bastard was only pretending to be elegant and relaxed on the outside, but he might have already fucked the guide early on.

"......I've heard the rumors."

Chan smiled crookedly. His underwear was pulled down. The exposed dick was barely hard and still soft enough. The color was clean and the shape was nice. It was another guy's dick but strangely, he didn't feel repulsed.

"It's a pretty dick. Too bad you won't ever use it again in the future."

Chan opened his mouth wide as soon as he finished speaking. He took a mouthful of the soft length and sucked hard. It was too inconsiderate and barbaric to call it an intimate act. He felt like his whole dick would be gulped down into Chan's throat. Chan tilted his head back, sucking hard until his cheeks were concave. Yugeon's waist, unable to withstand the pressure, bucked up and down with the movement. He grabbed Chan's head and tried to push him away.

"Heub, heueuk......"

But Chan did not budge. Rough, thick black hair was clenched in his fingers. It was like touching the mane of a beast.

"Stay still. If you don't want your throat pierced......"

Heesu's hand gently pressed Yugeon's neck. He caressed his neck, chin and cheeks, as if to gauge how far his cock had gone.

"Look at your cheeks getting plump. It looks like you are sucking candy. Is my cock that good? Like candy? Ah, so cute......"

The large cock was blocking his airway. His face reddened as he was suffocated. It stayed there for a while and then slipped out. The blunt head scraped the roof of his mouth and tongue.

Below, Chan kneaded Yugeon's buttocks as he sucked his genitals. He just quickly pulled down his bottoms, so the loose hem of Yugeon's sweatshirt kept coming down and touching his nose and lips. The material was quite rough. Why was he still dressed like this? After becoming the exclusive guide for Erewhon Team 1, he would have received a lot of expensive clothes that he didn't deserve. From head to toe, there was not a single sexy corner. He was not even a baby and the smell of something soft from the clothes made Chan's mood even more worse.

He pulled up the shirt to his chest, licking his whole length. Both the pants and underwear were also pulled down, trying to take them all off entirely. It was done hastily, however, leaving them hung around one ankle.

He remembered what he had seen the last time he went into Yugeon's room. He had just got out of the shower, and had a towel wrapped around his waist, exuding a moist and fragrant smell all over his body. At that time, Chan had never guessed that in the near future he would be holding Yugeon and do something like this. It was a meaningless assumption. What was the point of all that now? Chan erased his thoughts.

He wrapped his tongue around the entire erection and sucked with force. He put the glans between the roof of his mouth and his tongue, and moved his head up and down with vigor.

"Ack!"

Yugeon's waist moved back and forth, his thighs clutching Chan's face between them. Veins stood out on Chan's forearm, pressing him down.

"Keog...... Heug. Ugh. Ah."

Blue veins stood out on Yugeon's pitifully reclined neck. His neck moved up and down, intermittently choking on Heesu's cock, as he tried to swallow the precum. As Yugeon felt his consciousness slipping little by little, he thought he had become a spoiled fruit infested with bugs.

They rushed at him not because he was a particularly attractive and a coveted person. It was just because he was flawed. Just like when the peel was scratched and the juices leaked from the crushed fruit, giving off a sweet scent. Had he been a guide who had a prosperous life without any shortcomings, he would not have had to go through this. There would have been no need for him to accept the conditions that Shinje had offered, and there would have been no need to put himself on the edge of the cliff at every moment.

So what was even dirtier here? The rotten fruit, or the bugs that were drawn to it? Who was worse? He did not know. His head was empty and he could think of nothing, anything.......

"Hyung, ah, I think I'm going to come....... Are you going to swallow it all?"

Heesu asked in a feverish voice, and without waiting for Yugeon's answer, he shoved his wet cock vertically in. His jaw, stretched to the limit, convulsed. Soon, semen flowed into his swollen, narrow throat. A fishy smell came up from the back of his throat.

Did the smell of it kill his brain? What he had been holding back twisting his hips and shrinking his thighs until now was let go at that moment. He came undone. A bitter shiver spread from the lower abdomen and stomped on his groin, waist, fingertips and toes. Chan's mouth, filled with his cock, was sprayed full of cum.

"Heueu........ uh, heuk, heueub."

Suppressed sobs leaked out of Yugeon. Dimples appeared on his tense buttocks. The flat belly went up and down with sharp breaths.

Chan pressed down his hardened thighs and sucked hard as if he was pulling out his genitals. Every time he hollowed his cheeks, a stream of cum hit his throat. Yugeon was still a young man in his prime after all, so it was understandable.

"Haa......"

Heesu pressed his glans against Yugeon's tongue releasing all the remaining drops of semen. After a satisfying peak, he grabbed Yugeon's chin and pulled out. His cock, wet with saliva, came out with a muffled sound.

Not only his jaw, but also his tongue and throat hurt. The jaw joint seemed to have been completely dislocated. Yugeon moved his stiff jaw muscles and managed to close his mouth. A mixture of saliva and semen that he couldn't swallow dripped down from the edge of his lips.

"Cough!"

He choked on the semen that had gone wrong into the airways. Yugeon covered his mouth and curled his waist to cough them out. Even the sound of coughing was pitifully cracked. He looked down involuntarily. The situation in his lower body was even worse.

Chan had spread Yugeon's thighs wide to both sides. He still had Yugeon's cum in his mouth without deliberately swallowing it. He pressed his groin hard with a firm palm, immobilizing him. The smooth perineum was taut. Chan's face came closer between his thighs. Hot breath hit the exposed hole. Yugeon, who had instinctively guessed what he was about to do, shook his head like crazy.

"Stop, cough, don't...... don't do it!"

Chan didn't even pretend to listen to him. He tilted his head to a distance where his lips seemed to touch the hole, and spilled the semen that he had been holding in his mouth.

"Aheueug......."

White liquid pooled on the puckered entrance, and one or two streams ran down the hip. Yugeon clenched down his hole unconsciously.

"Are you that happy that you finally have something in your hole?"

Chan chuckled. He raised his upper body and pulled down his sweatpants and underwear he was wearing with one hand at the same time. A bulging cock popped out. It was the size of a child's forearm and had thick veins wrapping the entire length, making it look hideous.

Chan held his genitals with one hand and took in the sight before his eyes. The guide lying defenselessly beneath him, and a wet entrance between his wide open legs, panting with tears in his eyes. His well-tanned abs twitched with excitement.

There was no kindness to spread the semen or loosen up the hole. He grabbed his throbbing dick and pushed it in recklessly. Of course, it could not be easily put in at once. The shriveled and closed rim firmly pushed the bulging tip out.

"Ah! Heueu! Aag!"

He felt like his whole pelvis was going to fall apart. Yugeon couldn't even open his eyes and his chest was shaking like having a fit. Heesu, who had been watching while holding his breath, turned back to Yugeon. He propped his upper body against himself reaching forward to play with both his nipples. Yugeon looked like he was not even aware of it. His sweat-soaked face was contorted and his eyes were red.

Chan was also in a hurry. The palms holding Yugeon's legs were sweaty and he kept slipping. In the end, he put his nails out and clutched down. A scar that looked like an animal scratch bloomed on his thighs. He pulled back a bit and then pushed his dick back in.

Whenever the stiff glans tried to squeeze in the hole, Yugeon felt a burning pain deep in his bones. It was as if all the soft mucous membrane were being peeled off.

"Heuk, ah euh......."

Yugeon couldn't even breathe properly. Someone grinding his teeth could be heard, possibly from Chan.

"Ah..... Fuck."

After watching the explicit debauchery in a lax manner, Shinje eventually sat up properly. His fingertips slowly tapped on the armrest of the sofa.

"I told you not to hurt him."

Shinje sitting on the sofa, and Chan on the floor after knocking Yugeon down. The eyes of the two men met in the air. It was a perverse situation of one watching another person's love affair, and the other showing their own affair to another person. But there was no embarrassment or shame on either side. Only insidious hostility rose. Chan roughly swept away his sweat-soaked bangs, and swore, exposing his fangs.

"Do you think I'm you? Am I hurting him on purpose? Just, this bastard's hole is too tight."

"Chan hyung! I haven't got to play with it yet. Save the guide for the people behind you, okay? Don't just tear it apart."

"This little shit is yapping again."

He grumbled irritably, gave up and turned around. Yugeon looked like he had no intention to relax. At this rate, it seemed that this whole thing would not end even after half a day.

How many times had he been ridiculed by Heesu saying that he couldn't even eat if given a guide, or pretending to be an intellectual that didn't suit him? It wasn't even funny that a little bastard whose blood on his head hadn't dried up yet was boasting that he was the one to suck the guide's cock first. It was irritating enough when Taein always looked at him with a slightly pathetic gaze, and now Shinje was acting and barking like some kind of guardian for the guide. He didn't want to lose the pecking order fight as a male, if nothing else. [1]

He let go of the hand that was pressing on Yugeon's groin and grabbed the back of his knees and lifted him up. By objective standards, they were fine, but by Chan's standards, Yugeon had legs that might break if they were gripped hard. He put his knees together and slipped his erection between the thighs. Yugeon's thighs were already slippery with semen and saliva, so it went in without much resistance. Yugeon reached out his trembling hand and tried to push Chan's chest away. Chan grabbed his hand by the wrist and threw it to the floor.

"Stay still. Or else I'll really shove my dick in, torn or not."

He threatened, and began to move slowly. The cockhead popped in and out from between Yugeon's thighs, sliding and rubbing the soft skin of his thighs, his dick and scrotum.

Yugeon did not have much flesh in his thighs, so it was not that great. Chan's taste in guides were both men and women on chubbier side, fun to crush and knead in his hands. Especially the hips and thighs. What's wrong with this punk? Chan grabbed Yugeon's thighs closer, irritated.

The rough sensations from below were unfamiliar and distressing. Yugeon leaned on Heesu's chest and took a deep breath. He tossed his head slightly at a particular rough thrust, and his eyes met with Shinje.

"....."

Time seemed to have stopped. He could barely feel Heesu's slender fingers rounding and pinching his nipples, or Chan fucking his thighs, rubbing their genitals together. Shinje was sitting crookedly with his chin resting on the armrest. He then raised his upper body and loosened his crossed legs. It was all done in such a slow motion that it seemed lazy. However, his eyes never strayed from him, as if possessed.

There was no expression on Shinje's face. He did not look like a human. He looked like a graphic created by a computer program or a decorative doll made of something cold and hard like glass or ceramics.

A smile slowly spread across his lips, and Shinje held out his hand towards Yugeon.

"Yugeon-ah. Come here. Take my hand. Then...... I won't let any of them hurt you anymore."

What? What did he mean? From the current situation where he was being violated by Heesu and Chan at the same time? Or the situation that Yugeon was in? Did it mean that Shinje himself was also included in the scope of the phrase ‘any’?

"Hm? Hurry."

Thoughts like tangled threads came to mind and disappeared at the same time. There was no reason to weigh this and that. Yugeon pushed Heesu away with his trembling hands. It had been a long time since his eyes had lost focus. He flailed around, barely managed to free himself from the entanglement. Chan's grip on his waist and thighs slipped away.

"Ah, euheug, ugh......."

He reached out his trembling hand to Shinje, breathing out pained moans. Bodily fluids, he did not know which belonged to whom, mixed in his groin and thighs, dripped down.

"Look at this."

Chan raised his brows with a harsh look in his eyes. He was generous enough to wait until Yugeon could accept him, but this guy really had guts to do something this cute in front of his eyes and crawl around. He should be begging him for forgiveness, but instead reached out for that guy, out of all people. You chose the wrong guy to mess with. Chan coldly pressed down the trembling waist to the floor, pulled Yugeon's waist up and shoved in his erection with one rough thrust, splitting him open.

"Ah, ah ah...... ag!"

The bulging tip slipped in, breaking through the resistance. The entrance stretched to the limit and he felt blood trickling down. Yugeon closed his eyes tightly in agony. Shinje's figure, which was filling his view, blackened out. Tears ran down his wet eyelashes. The arm that was outstretched toward Shinje also fell. Chan took a pose as if he was about to fuck in earnest. It was then.

Tak, Tak, Tak. They could hear the sound of the heels from the other side of the door. The sound drew near without missing a beat. Taein had immediately noticed what was going on. How could he not know when he heard an unmistakable moan, and when the room was filled with hot and humid air. When he saw Yugeon rolling on the floor amidst the men, he frowned for a short moment. Nonetheless, he tried to hide his displeasure and spoke in a businesslike tone as usual.

"We have to leave now. They said ‘Wild Hunt’ is imminent."

The smile disappeared from Shinje's face. He swept away the hand that had reached out to Yugeon. Chan also dropped his hand holding Yugeon. The cockhead, which had been pushed in with difficulty, fell out again.

"The timing, damn it. Are you telling me to pack up and leave now that I'm finally doing the real thing?"

"We don't have time for this. Let go of the guide. It's hard to wash and change his clothes, and take him out."

"No, to be honest, deputy chief, don't you feel a bit sorry for me? Just one round, okay? I'll take it out shortly after that, so please take a look."

Chan sarcastically grabbed Yugeon's thighs and spread them open. He grabbed his still erect dick, fit it into the hole and pushed it back in.

"Stop."

Standing tall in front of him, Taein reached out and blocked Yugeon from Chan. It was a low, resolute voice that was without doubt saying he wouldn't back down without a fight.

"....."

Yugeon in front of him was covered by his gloved hands. He could only see the painfully moving chest and the thin waist held in his hand, but not what face he was making. Somehow, his heart felt heavy. Chan looked up and glared at Taein. The beast's eyes gleamed menacingly, interrupted at the moment of relieving the rut. Taein also didn't back down a bit. The exchanged gazes were sharp as knives.

"All right, the briefing ends here."

It was Shinje who broke the precarious deadlock. As if it was a lie that he was keeping a close eye on Yugeon all this time, he got up from his seat with a flippant attitude.

"If that's the case, have we prepared enough?"

"Leader, prepare?"

Heesu asked. He was the last to join Team 1 after Chan and Taein. Wild Hunt only happened once every few years. He had never participated in this particular raid before, so it was understandable that he wasn't aware of the necessary preparations.

"Are there any zombies in the place we are going?"

"No zombies."

"Ghoul? Gangsi? Or ghosts? Anything with necromancy?"

"Similar, but think about it in a more realistic way."

"Revenants?"

"Correct."

Heesu giggled, a glint of belligerence shining in his eyes. He was easily interested in new things, and with that same ease, he also lost interest in them. The interest in unfinished sex had vanished before he knew it.

"Taein-ssi, prepare Guide Baek Yugeon and bring him out."

Taein frowned openly. Last time was enough to take care of the guide.

"Why is it me again?"

"Do you think the others will do a better job?"

"....."

"Then I take it as no objection, and I will trust and leave it to you."

Shinje turned around without waiting for Taein's answer. He was speaking rather softly, but the tone was strangely sharp. Did something happen while Taein was away, and got upset?

"Ha......"

Chan grimaced and pulled up his pants, irked. The mood was already ruined. Heesu and Shinje had already left their seats, and Taein was looking down at him with a dark expression. No matter how faithful he was to his instincts and desires, he no longer felt like holding on to Yugeon, who was curled up like a corpse on the cold floor.

"Hey, guide. Get up."

Chan tapped Yugeon on the shoulder.

"I won't touch you any more, so get up, hey."

Yugeon was drenched in sweat and didn't even budge. He was lying on the floor with his eyes closed, not even thinking of fixing his clothes that he couldn't take off. It was as if he had entirely exhausted himself.

"Did you faint? WIth just this? What's wrong with this kid? What the hell are you playing at......."

"Let's fix him first."

Taein leaned down and gently lifted Yugeon with one arm. For someone who hunted monsters that went far beyond the scope of common sense, Yugeon felt like a feather in his arms. Yugeon weakly drooped down in Taein's arms. Chan irritably scratched the back of his head and held out his arms.

"Give him to me. I know where his room is."

"If Hunter Yoon Chan takes him, do you even know how to wash him? He'd be lucky if the guide didn't drown in the bathtub."

"Ah, that's right. Our deputy chief is very good at taking care of children, isn't he? Just like how you took care of your little sister, right?"

"Shut up."

A harsh growl mixed in with Taein's sharp voice, which had always been businesslike and had a neat low-pitched tone. Chan didn't hesitate at all and smirked.

The relationship between Shinje and the other Hunters, or between Heesu and the other Hunters, was relatively clear. Shinje firmly pressed down on the others with his strength alone, and cemented his position as the leader. Although he pretended to be educated and cultured on the surface, in fact, the most primitive and barbaric of them was Shinje.

Heesu was also sensitive to the logic of power as much as Shinje. That was how it was when he first came to Erewhon. He boldly declared that there was no reason to listen to the orders of those who were weaker than him, and that if they wanted to make him a subordinate, they should prove their abilities first. In conclusion, he was nearly beaten to death by Shinje, Chan and Taein, and in that order. In another word, it was sorted out. In particular, Shinje nearly killed him, and was the reason why Shinje was the ‘leader’ while the others were ‘hyungs’.

However, Chan and Taein had a somewhat ambiguous relationship. In terms of ability alone, Chan was stronger, but he conceded the position of Deputy Chief to Taein because he did not want to be bothered. Taein was lower in rank than Chan, but was superior in terms of authority and influence. It could be done if they tore each other apart to set the order, but they did not have to do that because they respected each other's positions. That was the extent of Chan and Taein's relationship. Chan called Taein ‘deputy chief’ and spoke formally, but it did not come attached with politeness, and Taein used the ambiguous title of ‘Hunter Yoon Chan’ for Chan in return.

Ambiguous relationships were unstable. The balance that had been barely maintained by not invading each other's territory and not interfering with each other's business had begun to shake. With the appearance of a variable called Baek Yugeon.

"Is there any reason why I shouldn't take the guide with me? Otherwise, you have no reason to refuse. I'm going to save you some work."

"....."

"No matter how beastly I am, I am still sensible. I'm not going to do something reckless with the guide when we have a mission, so hold on to your concerns. I have no intention of doing that."

It was Chan who provoked him first, but it was also Chan who took a step back first. Taein's eyes narrowed.

That's why he didn't like Chan. He seemed like a simple, ignorant and hot-tempered person at first, but he was subtly cunning. He pretended to be conscientious by not wanting to bring in a child who didn't know anything at the beginning, but once the reins were released, his answer came out when he set his eyes on the guide, trying to eat him to the bones. Chan stretched out his hands as if asking for Yugeon. Taein shook his head and hugged Yugeon tighter.

"Go ahead and get some bath water. Since you know where his room is."

"Yes, of course. I'm the one needlessly meddling here."

Chan grumbled and trudged out with his hand in his pants pocket. Taein looked at his back for a moment and let down his guard. He glanced at Yugeon in his arms.

There had been countless guides who have come in and out of Erewhon so far. He couldn't even remember their faces or names. Some were taken to the hospital, some ran out on their own feet crying, and some fled at night, risking their lives. Of course, Taein did not care much whether they died or not. If they were going to run off, he just wished they would run off as soon as possible. If they held out longer than necessary, and if he was negligent, his work only increased. He thought Yugeon would be one of them. There was nothing different between Yugeon and the previous guides, except that Shinje had brought in the guide himself.

Everything became twisted one thing after another. The start of the anomaly was the oddly high fit rate. He couldn't understand why this guide was unknown to the public until now. It was a jewel that anyone would covet, but it was abandoned in a back alley not in anyone's hands, and Yugeon himself wasn't even aware of his own worth. It was understandable that Shinje was anxious to get his hands on him. But Taein would not be swayed. No matter what happened to the guide.

"Ha......"

In the end, all that came out was a sigh. Taein walked out of the conference room with Yugeon in his arms.

It would take quite a while from here to Yugeon's room, no matter what shortest route he took. They would have to go through the lobby where countless people come and go. He wondered what other rumors would spread after seeing Yugeon carried away in the Deputy Chief's arms with a very disorganized appearance. Taein already had a headache.

He took Yugeon to the bathroom in his room and put him in the bathtub. Taein rolled up his sleeves and knelt down in front of the bathtub. He slowly poured warm water on the guide who was still unconscious and faintly ill, washing away the body fluids from his hair and skin.

He felt slightly bitter as he mechanically moved his hands. He didn't know he would be taking care of a much younger guide when he had reached a respectable position and at this age. But it was better than leaving it to someone else, so there was nothing he could do about it.

Heesu was somewhat the best at taking care of someone in Erewhon Team 1. The problem was that the focus was a little off, he would pour water into someone's nose and mouth to make them drink water, or force feed them until the veins in their eyes burst and vomit. Then he would sincerely insist that he did it for the other person's good. Shinje was not the type of person to do chores for the others, while Chan was short-tempered and clumsy. In that sense, Taein was a far better choice.

He roughly washed his hair and his face. Now only the lower body was left. He moved the shower head and doused the lower abdomen and thighs. Then there came a problem.

"Ugh."

As soon as the hand with leather gloves touched between the open legs, Yugeon frowned and tossed and turned. The black hair that was soaked in water was tucked behind his ear, making his facial features stand out. Both his cheeks were slightly flushed due to the hot air in the bathroom. Maybe it was because he had closed his eyes, or maybe it was because he was lying down quietly without bluntly talking back to everything and everyone, he looked a little younger than usual.

He held his thighs with one hand so that Yugeon couldn't unconsciously close his thighs, and pushed his fingers in again. As soon as his fingertips touched the red rim, Yugeon flinched and shrank back.

"Ah! eu....."

Taein pondered for a moment. Whether the guide was in pain or not, he will wash away the dirty things by squeezing his gloved hands underneath, or.

After much consideration, he slowly pulled off the his gloves. Tuk. Gloves fell to the wet bathroom floor. The bare hand exposed underneath was big and smooth. Because of his physique, he had long fingers and thick joints. The veins on the back of his hand also stood out clearly. But there were no calluses or scars. Holding a keyboard or fountain pen seemed more appropriate for his hands than a gun or a knife. But this was a hand that had killed many mutants and people. With a sickening ability.

Taein pursed his lips. He had stopped breathing without realizing it. Just a minute. It would only take a minute. His bare hands touched the hot water pouring from the shower. In an instant, the back of his fingers and hands got wet. A steady stream of water splashed all the way up to his wrist. He lowered your hand further down.

The guide's skin finally touched his fingertips. It was warm, moist and smooth. When touched, the flesh did not rot, nor the guide burned black and melted. Nothing happened.

"....."

Yes, nothing happened...... Taein ended up closing his eyes tightly.

Some time passed. Taein stood up after finishing his work. Immediately, he obsessively rubbed his hands dry with a towel. He decided to ignore the bulge in his pants.

Outside the room, Chan took out a change of clothes and sat on the bed. The closet, the drawers, and everything was empty, so he didn't have to take much trouble finding the uniform. Taein took out Yugeon and laid him on the bed, and went back in to clean up the bathroom.

"Why are you doing it yourself? The staff will clean it up anyway."

After muttering discontentedly, he soon gave up on understanding Taein. How could he understand Taein and Heesu when he had not yet fully understood Shinje, whom he had been together for decades? Actually, he didn't really even want to understand these people. Crazy people were crazy because you would never figure them out anyway.

"Hng......"

Yugeon, who was bare and wearing only a bathrobe, tossed and turned. His eyelashes trembled as if he was trying to open his eyes. Chan was startled. At a time like this, he didn't expect him to wake up so suddenly. If he was in the guide's room and he found that he was waiting quietly with his clothes, how much would that dirty guide bastard laugh at him? He shuddered at the thought of it.

He looked around the room hurriedly. It was ridiculous, but for a moment, he felt the need to hide. Unfortunately, Yugeon's room was like an empty room, so there was no way to hide someone his size.

When Yugeon finally woke up, the first thing he saw was a black cat sitting by his bedside. The fur on his back stood up stiff and his tail standing tall as if in surprise.

"....."

Yugeon turned his head while lying down and stared at the cat without blinking once. The cat also faced Yugeon with its wide pupils in the middle of its yellow eyes.

"......what is this?"

He mumbled in a hoarse voice. He knew that he had fainted. The last thing he saw was Taein walking into the conference room after the phone call, but when he came to his senses, he was lying in his room. But other than that, everything was full of questions. Where did everyone else go? Who took him back to his room and washed him, and why was that cat here again?

"Why are you here again? Are you homeless?"

Yugeon asked, raising his aching body. The gown, which was worn loosely without the front fastened, slid open, revealing the red marks on the bare chest and stomach. Chan and Heesu did take turns marking his whole body. The cat did not answer. It was a natural reaction, of course, because animals couldn't understand people's words.

"Maybe...... Did you recognize me as your owner?"

"Nyaan!"

The cat snapped its tail and cried sharply. He didn't know, but it didn't look so happy. Then the bathroom door opened. Yugeon was instinctively on edge. He never thought there would be anyone else here. Who in the world was in his room, and why in the bathroom?

Taein appeared through the open door. Whatever he was doing inside, his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His neatly pulled back hair was also slightly messy. His face was also slightly flushed, maybe from the humid air in the bathroom?

"Are you awake?"

Taein did not look that surprised when he saw Yugeon awake. He greeted him with an indifferent face, then walked out putting back his gloves on. He soon found a cat sitting on Yugeon's bed.

"....."

"....."

An empty room without the warmth of human life. The eyes of two people and a cat met.

"What are you doing?"

Taein threw out an odd question with a stiff expression. At first, Yogoeun wondered what he was asking about, but soon realized that he wasn't talking to him. He was talking to the cat instead.

"You know, cough, you know this cat?"

His throat that Heesu fucked felt swollen and torn, and was left with a bitter taste.

"....."

He thought he asked a normal question, but Taein raised one eyebrow at him as if he was saying something strange and looked at Yugeon and the cat alternately.

"It also came into my room one time before, so I'm just wondering if you know where it's from."

"He lives around here. Nothing to worry about."

After a brief silence, Taein replied casually. The cat lowered itself heavily, revealing its fangs, and growled as if it was about to run at him.

"Do you like that cat?"

"It's not like that, but we can't just let some animal walk around in the building."

"If the guide is going to take care of it, neuter it first. It's a male, but he's always in a rut, and frankly, it's a nuisance."

Yugeon tilted his head with a fearful look. No matter how severe this man was towards him, he thought the words were too harsh towards a mere animal. But that was how he was. At least that man was equally cold-hearted to everyone and everything.

Ever since he became a high ranking Awakened, the chances of getting married and starting a normal family were already slim, and not that there was a lover or a guide whom he cherished. Taein's life was as bleak as Yugeon's. A life of duty, where wishes and desires were completely ruled out. But at least Yugeon had Heeseong. The remnants of ordinary and tranquil days and the bond between them. Does Taein have someone to protect?

"Kyaaag!"

The cat couldn't get over its temper and took an offensive stance towards Taein. It was also pretty mean to Yugeon, but it wasn't to that extent.

"How dare......"

Taein raised his hand, muttering through his teeth. Was he really going to slap that cat? It was rather big for a cat, but obviously much smaller than a human. It was clear if it was hit by an A-class Awakened, he wouldn't even be able to pick out the bones.

"Stop."

Yugeon barely stretched out his weak arm and blocked the cat in front of him. The wrists exposed under the sleeves of the gown were also messed up with red handprints.

"Isn't it an innocent animal? Why don't we just calm him down and let him go."

Taein frowned.

"Do you even know what exactly that thing is that you're covering for?"

"Is this cat a mutant species?"

"If you don't know a thing, don't meddle. It's none of your business."

"The cat looks like it really wants to kill you, so what's there to know and not to not know?"

Taein looked down at Yugeon with a high-handed stare. Even without the guide's rude words and actions, the cat with its yellow eyes gleaming murderously from behind was very annoying. He soon just sighed and put his hand away. If you adjust to your opponent's rhythm, you will end up stooping down to the same level. He ignored the cat and picked up a towel. He thought he had to dry that hair quickly to get him out on time.

"Hurry up. We must leave soon."

"Where are we going......?"

Yugeon visibly startled without continuing his words. Taein's hand came into his view. Large hands strangling his neck, grabbing his hair, pulling his waist, and spreading his legs; terrible memories replayed dozens of times in his head in a short amount of time.

As he tried to put the towel on his drenched, darkened hair, Taein noticed something strange. Yugeon was strangely quiet. He knew he was not so docile as to be easily subdued by his words.

"....."

Yugeon was frozen in that position as if he had broken down. He didn't even attempt to avoid Taein's touch and was frozen in place. His dark eyes were out of focus and stuck in the air. The body in the bathrobe was trembling intermittently.

"Guide Baek Yugeon."

"....."

"Guide Baek Yugeon?"

Only then did Yugeon stare up at Taein blankly.

"Ah, I...... did I doze off?"

He looked puzzled. He didn't seem to know what he was just like. Taein glanced to the side. Chan forgot the blades in his eyes, and watched Yugeon silently. Both of them didn't have a good feeling about it.

A large number of people gathered in front of the main gate of the Erewhon headquarters. All heavily armed. Dozens of cars, mostly black and silver, filled the front of the building. A car conspicuously stood out. It was a large limousine that boasted grandeur among crude off-road vehicles, vans, and SUVs.

In front of them stood a man fitted in a tailored black dress shirt. He ruffled his gray hair and took out a cigarette in a familiar motion. It was the season where the days were getting warmer, so he didn't have a separate coat on him.

"Still on drugs? What's the use of the guide then?"

Chan, who was standing a bit far away from him and had his arms crossed with a sour look, interjected.

They were both S-classes, but unlike Shinje, Chan never had any interest in drugs. For him, it was more productive just getting any guide rather than depending on drugs. Heal yourself and have fun at the same time, isn't that hitting two birds with one stone?

"If I do whatever I want, our Yugeon will die."

Shinje replied, puffing out smoke through his lips. His gaze remained meaningless up in the cloudy sky revealed through the downtown skyscrapers.

"Our Yugeon?"

Chan laughed in vain, thinking it was ridiculous. Pretending to care about the guide's well being and human rights? It was abominable.

"Since when did you care about that? No, what's the point of bringing him here in the first place? You dragged him here by hand and locked him up, and now you are pretending to cherish him. What? Trying to be a romantic?"

Leaning against the car and inhaling the smoke, Shinje pulled out the cigarette that was bitten between his lips. Then he turned to Chan's side and smiled.

"I was always a romantic?"

"Oh, really? Fuck you."

The reaction was sharp as a knife. Chan was already too used to be embarrassed by every word and action from Shinje. Which was not a good thing.

"Back off if you're not going to use it. More for us if there is one less person. Just sit back and watch the others fuck your precious guide. Ah...... right."

Chan raised the corners of his mouth and laughed vulgarly. His eyes gleamed with triumph.

"The guide's hole was amazing."

Shinje was neither embarrassed nor angry even though he was being provoked openly. He smirked and turned his eyes back into the air.

"I know that better, I just didn't think I needed to tell you."

"What?"

"Aren't you too excited about it when you only got to put your tip in? It's not like you've had a guide once or twice."

"Ha."

No wonder he was strangely relaxed watching the guide nearly get fucked, so he had already slept with the guide and done everything secretly. Was that it? Chan gnashed his teeth.

"Chan-ah, you should take care of your teeth. What if you have to get dental implants at a young age? A beast with fake teeth, it won't look good."

"You fuck......"

Just as he was about to spit out curses, the front door opened at just the right time. Taein finally showed up.

"Hello."

"Hello!"

The greetings of the Hunters who recognized him poured out. He was followed by a black-haired young man. It was Yugeon in Erewhon uniform. It was obvious even from a distance that those who had looked at Taein with respect were completely ignoring Yugeon. Shinje quietly hummed and took his cigarette out. The half-smoked cigarette was crushed immediately.

"Why are you throwing it away?"

Shinje replied with a glum face.

"Yugeon said he doesn't like it."

"....."

Shameless. Chan's expression crumpled to the max. He was tempted to ask the guide if he knew what this bastard was doing.

Heesu was already in the car and was fiddling with his cell phone. When the door opened and Yugeon entered, he warmly waved his hand.

"Yugeon hyung! You are here."

His attitude was no different from when he strangled Yugeon and kissed him, or when he whispered that he wanted him to commit suicide. He started chattering with a look of excitement before Yugeon could even sit down.

"This is my first time raiding Wild Hunt. Aren't you looking forward to it?"

"What's that?"

"Huh. You don't know? There are a lot of articles and the Internet is going crazy."

"....."

There was no way that Yugeon, who had never lived with a cell phone, would know something like that. His previous raids had been monotonous, beating down low-level mutants that got away far from the gates. The types of mutants were also not that significantly different from each time.

The wheels began to roll gently. Through the heavily tinted window, he could see a procession of numerous vehicles moving along the limousine.

"The original name was ‘Wilde Jagd’. It got its name because it was first discovered in Europe."

A soft voice interrupted. It was Shinje. A foreign language that Yugeon did not recognize flowed smoothly from his mouth. Looking carefully, Shinaje's appearance was also strangely exotic. Light-colored hair that was neither gray nor brown nor gold, with white skin like freshly bloomed magnolia flowers.

"When the same type of gate appeared here, we came to call it ‘Wild Hunt’, which is the name of the gate, and the collective term for the mutants that come out of it."

It was not common for gates to be named separately. Even if a name was attached, it was only serial numbers that Awakening Management Headquarters made up with alphanumeric characters. Most of the time, they were called after the location the gates appeared, like ‘Jangheon Station Gate’ or ‘Seonram-dong Gate’. There were two main cases if the gate had its own proper name. Either if it was recorded as a historical event because the gate was cleared only after inflicting too much astronomical damage, or if it had not yet been successfully targeted even after many years and notorious among people. Wild Hunt was the latter.

"No one has successfully cleared it yet, so they closed it down. We haven't had any major problems so far. We usually don't take any action, but instead we only have to subdue it once every few years."

"Why hasn't it been attacked yet?"

The horizontal limousine seats were almost like a sofa. Shinje replied, leaning back on a soft backrest.

"Because it's Type 3. It's a pretty troublesome one. When mutants pour out, we're busy blocking the waves, and then the gate closes immediately after they are all killed, so we never had time to target the boss."

"It keeps messing with us this whole time. Is this the fourth time, or fifth?"

Chan was looking for something to drink in the minibar in front of the limousine seat. He found a rosé wine that looked sweet just from a glance, frowned, and eventually picked up a bottle of soda.

"That's why whenever there is a sign that the gate will open, the Awakening Management Headquarters sends out official letters of cooperation to all Hunters of a certain rank or higher. They only have a bunch of small frys at the center, so they are short-handed. What's the rank? C-class or higher?"

"B-class."

Taein corrected his words.

"C or B, whatever. It's a bit risky, but if you become a first-time attacker, your value will rise sharply, and even if not, the center owes you one, so no one really refuses. But aren't you a guide? Even if you used to roll around with F-classes, how come you don't know this? It's just ignorance."

"Why are you bullying Yugeon hyung? Chan hyung looks more ignorant than anyone here?"

"Say that again?"

"Yugeon hyung is cute and he sucks dicks well, so he doesn't have to know anything. Rather, someone like hyung should be the one studying. Oh, right. It's not that you don't do it. You can't do it, right? Is it because of your intelligence?"

"Wanna die?"

"Be quiet, both of you. My head is ringing."

"Who cares? Deputy chief and us haven't got motion sickness since we awakened anyway."

"Hey hyung, what exactly is motion sickness? I've read about it in a book, but reading it only in text doesn't make sense to me."

"Ah, I'm going crazy. That's why I can't communicate with this guy."

There were brutal conversations disguised as familiarity. Yugeon looked away from them and looked at the scenery of the city passing by outside the window. He was just terribly tired.

His aching body, the unknown enemies he would soon face, and the last stamp he had to collect to visit his brother. His mind was all over the place. The necklace that Shinje had hung and locked with his own hands pressed down coolly on his collarbone. He leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. Not knowing that Shinje kept staring at him while the others quarreled.

The car that was moving so smoothly that you wouldn't even notice you were in the car, came to a stop at some point. It was an abandoned town on the outskirts of the city. The half-destroyed buildings were covered in thick vegetation and vines. They arrived at a rather shabby nursing hospital, its run-down facade welcoming them. It was the largest building in this deadly quiet town. Dirts and cracks were visible everywhere on the yellowish walls.

Hunters who had arrived first were gathered in the front yard of the now-closed hospital. At first glance, he could see the number of people easily exceeded 100. The people here were at least B-class, so they were all outstanding in their abilities. The waiting time of the low-ranking hunters was mostly full of complaints about their unlucky fate, gossip about the people they didn't like, bragging about their children, and talking about making a living. But it was strangely quiet here. In the cold atmosphere, glances went back and forth keeping each other in check.

Hunters weren't the only ones who came here. There were also people with cameras and microphones in the corner of the vacant lot. Reporters. The newly discovered gates rarely had room for the media to intervene, as Hunters kept the monopoly of the information, and the Awakening Management Headquarters also strictly controlled civilian access. However, it was different for gates like Wild Hunt, where it had not yet been successfully cleared even after several years, and when the reports were already out in the open. Reporters smelling for new information flocked to cover the big event that happened every few years.

"Hey. There! They are here! Hurry up!"

Several people recognized the black limousine and quickly pointed their cameras at it. As soon as the car door opened, a lot of noise poured in.

"Please give us a simple interview!"

"Hunter Woo Shinje! This is the first time for Team 1 to participate in Wild Hunt since Hunter Kwon Heesu has joined the team. How do you feel?"

"I have a question for Hunter Yoon Chan. As an S-class and one of the top shape shifters in Korea, any comments for this raid?"

It was difficult to keep his eyes open to the pouring camera flashes. Yugeon frowned and turned his head away. On the other hand, others were not that bothered since it was not something they had experienced once or twice. One of the reporters who was snooping around from behind met Yugeon's eyes.

"Uh...... Huh?"

Yugeon was riding in the innermost part so that he couldn't be seen clearly from the outside because he would be covered by the others, but this person still managed to find him. Still, it was only for a brief moment, so he seemed to be wondering if he saw correctly. Shinje rolled his eyes and glanced at Yugeon. Then he turned his head again immediately and smiled straight ahead.

"Nice to meet you. I see you all came this far."

He slowly got off and stood in front of the car like an actor stepping on the red carpet amidst the pouring flashlights. Yugeon's figure was cleverly hidden behind his back.

"Yes, I think I have time to answer a question or two."

Shinje glanced at his watch and nodded. It was the attitude akin to a ruler instructing his subordinates. But, far from being offended, everyone raised their hands enthusiastically, exasperated.

"Gate Anomalies!"

Someone shouted loudly. Many people were asking at the same time, so the words kept getting buried, so they seemed to have decided to just bring up the main topic. The whole place immediately became quiet, and all the attention was focused on one place.

"Yes, speak slowly. I'm not going anywhere."

Shinje smiled and pointed to that side. The reporter's face brightened up.

"Since you mentioned gate anomalies at the last press conference, the public's anxiety has increased dramatically. Are you aware of that? Do you think it will appear in this raid as well? The abnormally strong mutant."

"Hmm... Reporter, what's your name?"

"Yes? Ah, yes! This is from 〈Seongdong Daily News〉. I'm Kim Jaewon!"

"Reporter Kim. Do you like exorcism movies?"

"Yes?"

"You know, those horror movies? Priests coming out with crosses and catching demons."

Shinje smiled and pretended to make a cross. Why are you talking about the movies all of a sudden? The reporter frowned with a bewildered look on his face.

"Yes, I do watch them often. But why?"

"The demons in those movies have something in common. They've been with mankind since the beginning, and hiding out of sight. If they find a sacrificial lamb that they like, they stick to it and torment them to death. But the funny thing is."

"....."

"If the devil had existed for so many years, wouldn't have been known to the world? But no matter what movie you watch, it's never like that. No one believes it at first. It must be a coincidence, it's just a disease, there's no such thing as demons in the world......."

"It seems that way. I recognize that, too. There would be a scene where the exorcist priest was treated like a quack and beaten up."

"Then reporter, have you ever thought about this?"

"What do you......"

"If someone uses shock therapy to publicize the existence of the devil on a large scale, and people become anxious and wary, wouldn't the damage be reduced at least a little less?"

It sounded a little out of place at first, but gradually they got the hang of it. The reporter got a sense of what Shinje was trying to say with a journalist's unique intuition. His eyes lit up. It was a good scoop. This interview could be a big hit if it was well polished.

"Then, is Hunter Woo Shinje claiming that the powerful mutant that keeps appearing unexpectedly at the gates is the devil?"

"I don't know......."

It was a question that struck the main point, but Shinje blurred the end of his words ambiguously in the most important part.

"Isn't this era too worn out to use innocent metaphors like devils and such?"

"Yes? What do you mean?"

Shinje smiled slightly. The mischievous smile on his face, like a masterpiece from the old days, seemed out of place.

"That's all for today's interview. Thank you all for coming. Have a safe trip home."

Reporters remained lingering even after the Q&A session with Shinje, snooping in front of the other Hunters who arrived later, and returned to their stations only after obtaining satisfactory coverage. The front yard of the hospital quickly became quiet after the outsiders left. Only a peculiar unsettling tension remained among those preparing for the battle.

"We really should end the attack this time. At this rate, we will be called in every time until we retire."

Chan yawned loudly and stretched. There was a rattling noise from the joints, which had become stiff from the long ride in the car. Heesu asked.

"But isn't it fun? We don't usually get to go on a raid on a large scale with so many people like this."

"What fun. You should come a few more times. I'm sick and tired of this place."

"Why? The atmosphere is great, and I absolutely love it. This place is like those horror movies."

"Why does that building look even more run down than I remember? Ugh."

Chan wrinkled his face, looking up at the dilapidated building which had become almost like a haunted house. Taein tried to put an end to the conversation with a voice filled with annoyance.

"If you can't help but make noises, talk quietly. Don't let other people hear you."

"Taein hyung always has something to complain about."

"If they find out that your conversation level is like this, Erewhon's image will fall to the ground."

"We still have an image to fall? I thought the rumors were already out there that we're all crazy druggies."

Yugeon remained sidelined throughout the chatter. There were a lot of stories he didn't know, and even if there were stories he knew of, he didn't want to chime in.

A few Hunters approached. He saw a familiar face among them. A woman with pale yellow bleached short hair was walking towards them with both hands in the pockets of her blouson uniform. It was Seok Munyeong.

"Leader Woo, hello. If you don't mind, just a minute."

Munyeong winked at Shinje. Those who were standing beside her were also the heads of other Hunting Orders or a position equivalent to that. No matter how much Hunters didn't care whether they died or not unless it was their Order, or if it was not worth the money, but in large-scale raids like this, there was at least one operational meeting.

"I don't mind."

Shinje nodded his head and followed them. The other three continued having small talk among themselves, disinterested in whether Shinje was away or not.

Left alone, Yugeon stood motionless like a well-trained dog for the first few minutes. Then, as the waiting got longer, he started digging the dirt floor with the tip of his shoes. Shinje showed no signs of coming back, and others were indifferent to the point where they wouldn't even know if Yugeon disappeared. Everyone looked like they were accustomed to the situation, except Yugeon. He felt like he was in the wrong place where he shouldn't be.

Eventually, he moved to a deserted spot. He sat down on the moss and weed-covered steps leading down to the underground parking lot, fiddling with his combat knife and swinging his feet in the air.

"Ah, um......"

There was a shadow from behind. He looked back right away. A young woman was standing on the stairs. She tucked her wavy brown hair behind her ears and tilted her upper body slightly.

"Remember me? Last time, in front of Jangheon Station."

There was no change in Yugeon's expression. Did he really not remember? Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"I was with Munyeong then. Do you know Munyeong? Seok Munyeong."

"Yes."

It was only then that the woman's stiff lips were relieved. She squatted down in front of Yugeon, closing the hem of her blouson with two badges pinned like last time.

"I see you are all alone. You're bored, aren't you? And can't follow what people are saying."

"......"

"So am I. I'm here with Munyeong to see her off. I'm Seulbi. Lee Seulbi. I'm two years older than Munyeong... Ah, Munyeong is 28 years old this year. What's your name?"

"It's Baek Yugeon. I'm twenty-three years old." [2]

"No. You don't have to be too polite. I'm not even one of your superiors. Feel free to speak comfortably."

The people Yugeon had met had never said anything like that to him before. Rather, he had been told many times by the seniors not to be rude. Even when he acted comfortable according to their whims, he was often scorned and beaten for being a disgruntled jerk. No, there was one, recently. The Hunter who came to deliver the terminal at the Erewhon headquarters. She also told him to speak comfortably, too.

After listening quietly, Yugeon called her softly.

"Seulbi...... nuna?"

"Ah."

Seulbi grabbed her chest without realizing it. Bari was named after Princess Bari, and all the members were women, starting with the Leader Seok Munyeong and her guide Seulbi. She had become accustomed to being called "unni" a hundred times a day, so this "nuna" really hit differently.

"Let's have a good time together. It's fate that we meet as guides. Ah, I'm not pushing you too hard, am I? I hardly ever get a chance to talk with people from other Orders, and practically never with the guides."

"That's all right."

"This is not an ordinary opportunity that comes often, so I guess I'm a little excited. Why, Awakened people don't really like it when their guides mix with other people."

Yugeon didn't know that. Heeseong was the only Awakened he was in charge of before he came to Erewhon, and he never had a chance to meet other guides. Of course, Heeseong hated it terribly when Yugeon had to make contact with others. It was the reason why Yugeon had to stay by his side all day long without being able to enter the Awakening Management Headquarters or find another job. At that time, he thought it was just that Heeseong's personality was eccentric.

"Still, our Munyeong is very considerate of me. As you know, the principle is that the exclusive guide resides in the headquarters, but she allows me to commute from home. She will just stupidly wait for me until morning even if side effects hit her after I get off work. When she has every right to call me even in the dead of night."

Yugeon looked up at Seulbi blankly. The conversation flew by so quickly that it was hard to just listen without missing out on what the other person was saying. Was she this talkative? Last time they met, it was just a briefest of glance so he couldn't really guess. She started chatting nonstop as if she was really happy to meet someone in the same field of work after a long time.

"This...... I don't know if this is a rude question. Yugeon-ssi lives in Erewhon headquarters, right? Those people...... Do they let you go out?"

"....."

Yugeon did not answer. But she could tell just by looking at his side profile as he turned his gaze away from her and stared down at the dark basement. Seulbi laughed bitterly.

"Of course, they don't."

A long-sleeved shirt, long pants, high-ankle walkers, plus black leather gloves. Erewhon's uniform was generally unobtrusive and practical. The shirt buttons were all fastened except for the one at the top. Still, horrible traces were visible. She could see better now that she was sitting next to him. Red bruises that ran down the nape and spread to the collar seen through the shirt, and the handprints on the wrists peeking out from the slight gap between the sleeves and leather gloves.

Munyeong held onto Seulbi whenever she had a chance and warned her repeatedly ever since they had returned from the Jangheon Station gate. That all those jerks from Erewhon are all crazy, so don't ever mess around with them. True, they are a little aggressive, but they looked like capable people, so she was wondering why it was like that......

"You know, um, maybe......"

Seulbi twisted the tip of her long hair with her fingers, blurring her words in the end. She hesitated, wondering if she was doing things too impulsively. But the worries did not last long. This kind of thing is not at all a whim.

What to do...... That kid doesn't look good.

It was something she had been thinking about since she whispered those words into Munyeong's ears in front of Jangheon Station. It was a poor kid trapped in a bad situation so she had thought it would be nice if she could help him. But she didn't know they would meet in person like this again when it wasn't even that long since they first met.

She quickly made up her mind and looked at Yugeon with determined eyes.

"Don't you want to get out of there?"

"Get out of there?"

"Hunting Orders are also a workplace after all. If you want to move, you can move. Why are you tied up in that place when you are being treated like that?"

"....."

"It's not like Yugeon-ssi is staying there because you like it, right? Are the terms of Erewhon's exclusive guide contract that good? Are they paying you a huge salary? Or, what, were you threatened?"

"....."

"Really? Really? What in the world, it's really crazy."

Seulbi grew up beautifully as the only daughter of a wealthy family. All the days she had lived so far have been smooth without any ups and downs. It was no different after she became a guide. Since she had never been short of money, she didn't even think about working as a rental guide or as a guide affiliated with the Awakening Management Headquarters. In the Awakening Management Headquarters, regardless of whether you liked it or not, the affiliated guides had to tend the Espers matched by the superiors. Otherwise, they would be punished by the military law for disobeying orders.

She wasn't that ignorant that she didn't know there were guides who lived in poverty in the midst of exploitation and abuse. But it sounded like a whole different world to her. Her partner, Munyeong, was always kind and considerate to her, and the other members were the same.

"I consented. I knew it would be like this, but I came in knowing that."

"Consented? What consent is there between the owner and the property?"

Without saying a word, Yugeon just looked down quietly. It was more pitiful than crying out loud because it was so hard to look at.

"It's really ridiculous that they are taking a guide to the gates. How would a guide like us fight? Isn't it just they are telling you to die?"

The other person must have said it to express her worries about him, but it felt strange. He had been doing that nonsense for years.

"So get out of there. Yugeon-ssi may not know it well because you have a short career, but there are many other orders that treat guides well and pay a lot of money. It's a little difficult for us because our Order only accepts women...... but I'll ask Munyeong to introduce you to a good place. Yes?"

After a brief silence, Yugeon shook his head slowly.

"......no."

He was tied to Erewhon to pay Heeseong's hospital bills. But it wasn't the only reason.

The monster that drove Heeseong and him to ruin 13 years ago was targeting them once again. Probably no one knew the monster better than Shinje. And the shackles that Shinje himself put on his neck. As long as these were present, Yugeon could not leave him. No matter how kindly other people coax him, no matter how much money they gave him.

To those who were unaware of his circumstances, Yugeon might look pitiful and pathetic in their eyes. He didn't think she would understand even if he told her everything. It would even be fortunate if she didn't react like the Esper from the Awakening Management Headquarters who came to the hospital room to interrogate him, asking if he was crazy from ‘the trauma of the big accident when he was young’.

"No? Why the hell not?"

Seulbi sharply raised her voice, clearly frustrated. Yugeon's lips tightened even more. He actually expected this kind of reaction. After galloping at her own pace, Seulbi eventually decided to take a step back. It was understandable if he became embarrassed when she suddenly brought up the job change at the first meeting. She rummaged through her pockets and then held out her business card.

"If you ever want to move in the future, please contact me."

Yugeon took her business card by surprise. Just like their uniform, Bari's business card design was also very loud. Princess Bari's Mushindo (巫神圖), which filled one side of the yellowish card reminiscent of a talisman, boasted a splendid figure. It looked more like a business card of a shaman known for their excellent craft rather than that of a Hunter's. It totally contrasted with Erewhon's business card, which had a simple logo embossed in the center of the black card and only the name and contact information engraved in silver and white on the other side. [3]

"The design is a bit unique, isn't it? Our atmosphere is a little off like that. And the location of the headquarters too. I heard Erewhon's headquarters used to be a five-star hotel building? Ours is a hanok under a mountain. It was used as a shrine." [4]

Yugeon tried to picture a group of Hunters armed with all kinds of firearms gathered in a quiet hanok with a serene mountain in the background. He wondered if there would be any other mismatched scenery like this.

"Munyeong is the daughter of a shaman family. Their family business was inherited by the women from generation to generation. Her maternal grandmother is a famous shaman in the country, and Munyeong was also said to be a rare spiritually powerful child born in generations. Everyone thought Munyeong-ie would take over the family business. But she became an Awakened just a few days before Naerim-gut (내림굿)." [5]

Excluding the family history, Munyeong, who was just an ordinary middle school student, suddenly developed a high fever from an unknown cause and fell ill. Ordinary people would have taken her to a hospital and tried to find the cause. However, as it was, it was that kind of family so everyone had no doubts that Munyeong would be fine. Discussions were made about whether or not the auspicious date, which had been set in advance, should be postponed.

Two full days passed like that. They didn't use any medicine or perform any rituals, but the fever that had risen to over 40 degrees went down completely. Munyeong stood up briskly from her bed, and asked what day it was. Everything that had been prepared for her to inherit the family business became useless. Munyeong, who had received the expectations of the whole family, became an Awakened, a necromancer who controlled the corpses.

"The house turned upside down, grandma collapsed, it was crazy...... But in the end, grandma gave up. She said, if it is God's will then so be it. Then later, the shrine was also given to the Order to use as our headquarters."

"....."

"Ah, I end up saying too much. So what I am trying to say is...... Munyeong is a good kid. I'm sure there is someone out there who is as good as Munyeong-ie, responsible and takes care of their family. Someone who genuinely cares about Yugeon-ssi."

Seulbi then put down her hand that was twirling the ends of her hair like a habit and stood up. As she was walking back to where she came from, she looked back to Yugeon and pretended to call with her hand.

"Don't forget what I said, okay? Keep in touch!"

Yugeon shoved the business card into his pocket. He then got up after folding his legs that were loosely stretched down the stairs. He also had to go back soon. He didn't think anyone would be concerned just because he disappeared. He could be punished instead for leaving the operation area without permission.

A figure hidden in the shadow behind the abandoned building kept watching Yugeon as he trudged along. It was from a distance that Yugeon and Seulbi would not notice. After a while, the shadow left without a trace.

They parked the cars in front of the nursing hospital and went up the mountain with only the necessary equipment. The mountain was steep, and because it had not been visited by people for a long time, there was no such thing as a well-maintained hiking trail, and the old abandoned trail was covered with thick bushes.

If you were an ordinary person, you would have tripped and fallen over several times even with full-mounted climbing equipment. However, the Hunters climbed up the trail smoothly without even breathing hard. After several near death-experiences dealing with mutants, this kind of thing was bound to feel lighter than a morning walk.

The gate was located halfway up the mountain. From there, mutants would pour out. It would be inefficient to place all combatants in one spot.

The operation was simple. Those with the highest aggressive attacking power would hunt right in front of the gate, reduce the number as much as possible as soon as the waves started, and the rest would defend the rest at their respective positions. The nursing hospital at the foot of the mountain was a last line of defense and a base camp. The purpose was to hold the defense line until the enemy's mass offensive was over to prevent the mutants from coming down.

"Midheaven and Yehan will scatter from here."

"We'll take care of the northwest. Good luck."

"Bari will be on our way now. Good luck, everyone."

The Hunters dispersed in perfect order as they had discussed during the meeting prior. Erewhon was in charge of the front line. As they moved forward, there were fewer and fewer people.

Yugeon, who had been following silently without saying a single word of difficulty, suddenly faltered. His foot tripped on a jagged stone.

"Ah."

Thorny vines and tree roots were intertwined on the ground, there was no place to balance his steps. At this rate he would fall down like this. At that moment, a solid forearm appeared in front of his chest. Taein, who was ahead of him, stopped Yugeon's fall with his arm outstretched without even looking back. It was clearly a move without consideration. Yugeon nearly choked as the arm hit his stomach hard. This time, the center of gravity tilted backward. Shinje staggered back and supported Yugeon.

"You have to look carefully and walk."

"....."

"It's adorable trying to catch up with us so eagerly...... but I'm worried. Do you want me to carry you?"

Shinje already had his arms wrapped around Yugeon's waist naturally. He looked like he was ready to hoist him up in his arms and walk. Seulbi's words suddenly came to his mind.

"Someone who genuinely cares about Yugeon-ssi."

He didn't understand why he suddenly remembered those words. Even if Shinje said he was worried about Yugeon, it would be no different from worrying about his property being damaged or that it would not function properly because it broke down. Yugeon pushed his arm away.

"That's all right. I can walk."

"Really? I don't think so?"

"Earlier, it was a mistake. I just tripped......"

Chan and Heesu chimed in one after another.

"Oh dear. You can't even walk anymore?"

"Yugeon hyung, do you want to walk holding hands with me?"

Yugeon shook his head firmly and went ahead as if to shake them off. Shinje burst into laughter from behind.

When they reached the middle of the mountain, a huge mass was blocking their way. Containers, drums, unbroken logs, and rocks were wrapped in barbed wire. It was a hideous structure that did not fit in with the surrounding greenery. Come to think of it, Yugeon hadn't heard any chirping birds or crying insects since a while ago. In a mountain this deep, one or two wild animals should have appeared, but he never saw one on their way up.

He could see black waves swaying over the large structure. It was the gate. Shinje raised his hand.

"Stop."

Everyone stopped at the low-pitched voice. Even Chan, who had been grumbling all the way up to here, quickly shut his mouth.

"Taein-ssi and Chan-ie have been here before, so they know it well. But, this is the first time for Heesu and Guide Baek Yugeon, right? That's the gate right in front of you. The gate name and operation name is ‘Wild Hunt’. As always, I want each of us to find our own work."

It was a briefing that made Yugeon wonder who Shinje was making fun of because it was so insincere. However, for Erewhon, especially Team 1, this style was for the best. Each member of the team had such strong personalities that even if he gave detailed instructions, they wouldn't listen properly. It was best to present only the final goal and leave the rest to their own.

"It is the gate where the yearly attacks have not been successful for nearly 20 years. As long as we stick with what we have always done, hold out and block the waves, we will get a decent result this year too."

Shinje grinned. His leisurely gaze changed in an instant as if they had come to play games.

"We're not here just to get a decent result."

"Right. Let's put an end to this lousy annual event this year."

Chan followed up immediately. The words were laid back, but he also seemed to be itching to fight. Taein silently checked the ear mic stuck in his ear. Heesu hung his finger on the trigger of the gun he was holding, spinning it round and round. The sleek barrel shone with silver. It was a special weapon made by mixing mutant by-products from barrels to bullets, exclusively crafted for the Awakened. It was powerful, but the recoil was so severe that when a normal person used it, the wrists and shoulder joints would snap immediately.

"The mutants here are not at a level that Guide Baek Yugeon can handle. You don't have to deal with it. There are only two things you need to do. Provide emergency guiding to team members in poor condition. And above all, to survive."

It was the first time he was told that he didn't have to deal with mutants on a mission. He felt strange. He felt like he was finally being treated like a real guide, but also like a useless piece of baggage at the same time.

"If you are in danger, call anyone right away. I will also be notified as soon as your biometrics fall below a certain level, so don't worry if your communication device is broken or lost."

Shinje tapped the area around his neck. Yugeon, who was stroking the safety switch of the pistol with his thumb, nodded.

The soft vibrations coming from the gate gradually increased. The earth's axis shook. The noise was deafening. Then, at one point, the vibrations stopped as if washed away. The mountain, where even the crowing of the insects could not be heard, went completely silent. The wind blew from far away. The lush leaves and grass swayed with the dreary wind.

A bird fluttered across the gray sky. For a moment, Yugeon thought that it was a bird that lived in this mountain. But he had no choice but to change his mind soon after. The bird with its wings outstretched was much larger than humans. It had two heads, and instead of feathers, its whole body was covered with sharp scales and spiky thorns. A disgusting creature that did not belong to this world. It was a mutant.

The bird flew low, looking down with its eyes as murky as a frog's eggs, and found the Hunters beyond the structure. It opened its beak wide. At the same time, Chan lowered his body to the fullest. The black tiger rushed at it at an invisible speed. He swiftly stepped on the piled-up structures and jumped into the air.

"Kkaa...... kkag!"

It tried to cry out loudly, but the bird's cry did not last until the end. The arteries along with the vocal cords were cut off at once when the black tiger bit its throat. The tiger landed gently back to the ground. The big bird bitten in Chan's mouth drooped with blood bubbles. He opened his mouth and spat out the bird stuck in his fangs.

Yugeon felt a strange sense of deja vu. Strangely, he felt like he had seen it somewhere. There was no way he had ever seen a tiger other than Chan. Even when he was a kid, he had never been to a zoo. The only animal he was familiar with was the stray cat that sometimes appeared at the Erewhon headquarters. Chan was an Awakened with an S-class shape shifting ability, there was no reason to turn into a small and weak animal like a cat. So where did he see one?

"Get your act together. That thing's not the real enemy."

Taein's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He was not even looking at the bloody corpse of the bird, just looking straight ahead.

"Then where is the real enemy?"

"To find prey, you must unleash the hawk. That thing was a hunting hawk."

As soon as the words were finished, heavy footsteps echoed from behind the structure. Thump, Thump, Thump! A long horn blared, unbecoming to a highly civilized society. Almost at the same time, dogs and wild beasts barked and howled sporadically.

He didn't know what was beyond, but the sound alone was intimidating enough. The instinctive fear chilled his hands and feet. Unlike Yugeon, however, the others were calm. Rather, they seemed to be ready to welcome the enemy who finally turned up after making them wait for ages. They felt even less human.

Because a large structure was blocking the front of the gate, the procession of enemies rushed out from both sides. It was an unprecedented number of mutants. A three-headed hound came running with its bright red eyes. Behind it, a monster cladded in rotten leather armor was riding a horse made of bones. Hundreds of mummies without heads or limbs creaked. There were also several more monstrous birds (怪鳥) identical to the mutant that Chan bit and killed. [6]

Yugeon finally understood. The reason for the name ‘Wild Hunt’.

A fierce battle ensued using the structure wrapped in barbed wire as a cover. The hound, whose body was covered with lumpy muscles all over, instinctively aimed at Chan. It perhaps judged that Chan, who looked more like a beast than others, was a threat.

Chan was one step ahead of it. He stepped on a nearby tree trunk and climbed up, then jumped down from above and attacked the hound. The three heads sprouting from a thick neck struggled in different directions. Chan put his claws out, crushing the hound, and bit its neck off. The black tiger's back, stained with blood, twitched.

Heesu ran past him. He raised his gun and aimed at a Revenant, a mutant that looked like a parched corpse.

"Kyaaag! Kig! Kii......ig."

The Revenant, who was stretching his arms toward Heesu, suddenly stopped all movements. The light in its eyes leaking through the dirty clothes wrapped around the face faded. It suddenly stood upright in an alert posture and raised both its hands.

"I won't let you go even if you surrender."

Heesu grinned. Soon after, a bullet wrapped in bluish flames was lodged in the middle of the Revenant's forehead. The whole head flew off at once. Chan kicked the Revenant that was approaching him with his foot and sent it to Heesu. He couldn't be bothered to deal with these little things with the hounds focusing only on him.

Taein pulled out an iron crowbar that was loosely plugged into the barbed wire. He threw it like a spear, spun it around in the air and plunged it into the monster who was aiming for him. Then he grabbed the feathers of the fallen bird's wings and crushed them with his bare hands. The scales of the mutant melted black. The bones and flesh melted and there was a pungent smell of burning. Taein lifted the half-dead bird with the crowbar and threw it at Heesu.

"This too."

"You guys are so mean! Am I the garbage disposal?"

Heesu vented his resentment. But no one acknowledged his grievances. It hadn't been a day or two since Team 1's personality was like this. Heesu would complain in the present, but it wasn't that he wouldn't screw other people up if he saw a chance. He grumbled and vowed to dump on his share of work to the others when the opportunity comes later.

Yugeon couldn't find Shinje in the mess. He must have gone to the other side beyond the structure. Hearing the constant screams of the mutants and sound of crushing bones, it seemed that he was right in front of the gate attacking the hoard head on.

No matter how powerful they were, they were only four people and the enemy was thousands of times that. They could not eliminate all the mutants by themselves. A wave of mutants that escaped their four-person-defense line spread to the back. What awaited them were the other members of Erewhon. Dozens of Hunters in the same achromatic uniforms began to attack the escaping hoard.

All the Hunters here were high-ranking individuals and their attacks were flashy. Flames and ice rose, and lightning fell from the dry sky. They fired bullets and wielded swords. Yugeon's ears were deafened by the constant explosions. The ground shook violently and attacks flew in from all directions, making it difficult to stand still in one place.

The enemies pushed out of the gate showed no sign of diminishing. If they killed 100, 200 new ones appeared. Grass, trees and rocks that had grown up to waist height were stained dark red with blood.

"Don't try to catch everything. If you missed them, just let them go! Another Order will take care of them."

Taein shouted behind him. Hunters took a breath and nodded. All were covered in blood and their eyes gleamed with killing intent. They looked like a group of devils. In the meantime, Yugeon was busy avoiding the attacks. Shinje was right when he said that there was no need for him to deal with mutants. No, it wasn't that he didn't have to deal with it, it was that he could never deal with it.

In the sky, giant monsters circled round and round, aiming for openings, and the ground was full of mutant corpses. They couldn't even secure enough distance to sniper, so they had to point their guns at the enemy's head and shoot. Brain matter and blood splattered out. It was truly hell. Were they always going through this kind of pandemonium? He could somehow understand why Erewhon Team 1 was all out of their minds.

As he hid behind a large tree, Yugeon suddenly felt a chill in his back. It was a hunch close to intuition. Yugeon decked down. The thick tree trunk was neatly cut down in the next second. A huntsman riding a horse made of bones brandished a rusty sword. If he had avoided it a little later, Yugeon's waist would have been cut in two along with that tree.

His body moved first before he could think. He aimed his gun at the enemy and fired in succession. Taang! Taang! Taang! A bullet was lodged in the chest of the mutant, but did not do much damage. The enemy, which stopped for a moment, began to approach again. He couldn't give up the attack just because the damage wasn't great. Yugeon mechanically pulled the trigger. One magazine emptied quickly. He had to reload. Without taking his eyes off the approaching mutant, he fumbled for the holster. Taking advantage of this, the mutant quickly swung its sword the size of a human.

At that moment, someone wrapped their arm around Yugeon's waist and lifted him up. The giant sword hit the spot where Yugeon had been standing a while ago. He heard a low click of a tongue.

"That's why I told him not to bring the guide."

Taein. He put the Yugeon on his side and distanced himself from the enemy. The scenery of the battlefield flashed by. Taein's arms wrapped around his waist were strangely damp. Yugeon turned his head and looked back while he was dangling. Taein's forearm was cut by the blade, and the shirt torn and stained with blood.

"Deputy Chief."

Yugeon struggled with his legs. Taein's brows furrowed.

"Please stay still."

"Deputy Chief, wait!"

Eventually, Taein roughly put him down on a flat rock. He tapped Yugeon's face with his hands a few times after he let go of him as if annoyed.

"You are injured."

"It's nothing."

"I'll guide you."

"No need. Stay hidden from view. Don't add unnecessary work, I'm leaving."

Taein unilaterally ended the conversation and turned his back.

"You!"

Yugeon raised his voice to his back. Taein's footsteps stopped.

"The only thing I can do here is guiding, but don't do that? You've always treated me like nothing. But I don't know who's actually stopping me from doing anything."

"Can you? Emergency Guiding."

"I'm wearing the guide badge and getting paid, but if I can't even do that, I'll let go of my spoon."

"Ha."

Taein let out a low laugh. He swiftly turned around and strode up. In such a short moment that he couldn't prepare his mind, he grabbed Yugeon's collar and dragged him up.

"Eug......"

Ignoring Yugeon's flinch, Taein turned his head and kissed him. As soon as their lips overlapped, he recklessly pushed his tongue in.

Dizzying. It was the first feeling Taein felt.

After surviving so many years without touching the guides and dependent on drugs, he was extremely hungry and had no immunity. So much so that he couldn't get himself together with just one kiss. Like a person who had suffered from chronic pain for a long time felt the extreme pleasure just getting rid of the pain. Even though it had only gone from minus to zero, he couldn't stop there. If only he could add a myriad of pluses to zero...

"Hmm, heub......"

Yugeon pushed his chest away. However, the body immersed in guiding happily accepted even that. The tight pectoral muscles twitched once under the shirt. He grabbed Yugeon's wrist with his free hand and put it around his neck. Yugeon's hand, so tense that the thin bones stood out on the back, rested clumsily on Taein's neck. It was an ambiguous position whether he wanted to hug his neck or choke him.

Taein had no choice but to admit it. Yes, they started off on the wrong foot from the beginning. When Yugeon was first brought to Erewhon, he shouldn't have participated in Shinje's vulgar play. What happened between the two, he should have ignored and left. He shouldn't have sat Yugeon down in his arms and jerked him off. He shouldn't have grabbed Yugeon's head, who was panting out of his mind. He shouldn't have kissed him.

If it hadn't been for that kiss at that time, Taein wouldn't have known what kind of guide Yugeon was and how amazing his ability flowed inside his body for the rest of his life. He would have continued hating guides and lived with contempt for himself. Just like it's ever been. If it hadn't been for that kiss...... he wouldn't have been jealous of Shinje, jealous of Chan and Heesu, and even Yugeon's brother, who he had never even seen before. It was an ugly emotion.

Did Woo Shinje make him take care of the guide because he knew this would happen? Why didn't Baek Yugeon turn him down then? If he had refused, no, even if he did, I...... Irrational hatred rose, sporadic and without a hitch. He was disgusted with himself to death.

He pulled away. He let go of Yugeon's collar, which he was still holding. Yugeon staggered, reached back, grabbed the rock and barely managed to balance himself. He seemed to be trying his best to pretend to be expressionless, but his eyelashes were trembling with shock.

Rejection and sense of duty were fighting in the dark, transparent eyes that reflected Taein's appearance. His lips gleamed red, like the surface of a moist fruit. He endured well to violence and verbal abuse, but reacted to kisses like a frightened puppy. That face was also disgusting.

"The injury was shallow, so it's done, but in the case of serious injury, you would have had to lie on the dirt floor and spread your legs."

Taein wiped his wet lips with the back of his hand. The long cut under the torn hem had been healed.

"Don't speak easily when you know nothing. You couldn't even stand this much."

"......"

Yugeon wanted to ask. Rather, weren't you the one who couldn't stand it because you didn't like it? But he didn't bring the question out of his mouth.

Taein disappeared among the thick trees, leaving Yugeon on the rock. He hoped that the guide would not crawl into the middle of the battlefield needlessly again. He hated the increase in work.

Even after slaughtering the mutants for a long time, the waves showed no signs of ending. As time passed, the Hunters realized one by one. Something was out of the ordinary. The first to realize the oddity were the Hunters who had participated in the previous raids. Of course, it was a few years ago, so the memory might be blurred. But even taking that into account, these mutants were too strong.

"Why isn't it over yet?"

"It wasn't like this last time. Something is definitely wrong!"

"What about the other side?"

"It's the same. Everyone is struggling."

Hunters from Erewhon were somehow managing slightly better. Since they kept continuously challenging the powerful high ranking gates to the point where they were asked if they were purposely seeking death, most of them were used to the reckless battles that drove their mind and body to the limits. The other Orders, however, were barely hanging on. Some places were called Orders not because they specialized in combat, but because of the high ranks of their members, and some places did not have much experience in such high-level battles because they were seeking stable money.

"Aaaah!"

And then the worst happened.

"Emergency! An unidentified mutant appeared. Support us!"

It was the very first time a new unreported mutant species appeared ever since the first raid of Wild Hunt ended. A giant with dozens of eyes all over its bumpy head, tall enough to rise above the primeval forest. With one swing of its arm, the trees were swept away like millet.

"Emergency! Emergency! Please support us!"

The battlefield, which had been a mess, became even more chaotic. Radio calls, screams and shouts for support flew around. All the people who were in charge of the rear came running and added firepower. In the middle of it stood Shinje. Like a boulder standing alone in the middle of a flowing current. He was also covered in blood from head to toe.

Almuten never showed its true self. The figure that occasionally popped out of nowhere at completely unrelated gates was nothing more than an alter ego or a psychic body. The real body was always in the Pit. Beyond the closed gate, Mazarroth. After numerous deaths including Shinje's father, it was designated as the highest rank danger zone. Almuten could not inflict damage properly unless someone entered Mazzaroth. Controlling other mutants or messing with the Awakened' minds were the petty tricks it had always done outside of its own territory.

Once again, this guy had thrown a bait. The composition of Wild Hunt that had always had the same attacking pattern for all these years, where there were even targeting manuals floating around, had changed for the very first time in its 20 years of existence. It was not known whether this guy was bored and wanted to find another victim, or whether it wanted to check if Shinje or Yugeon was still alive.

It would have been a pleasure if it was the usual. So delighted that he would have unleashed his killing intent, destroying everything that was around him, crushing everyone—mutants and Hunters alike without distinction. But something came to his mind before that.

"Guide Baek Yugeon?"

Shinje murmured to himself. The gray eyes with their pupils wide open scanned the surrounding landscape without filtration. There was no answer from the shared ear mic.

"......Yugeon-ah."

He adjusted the frequency to a one-on-one conversation mode with Yugeon, rather than the entire channel. Again, there was no response from beyond the speakers. If the communication was properly connected, even the sound of breathing or footsteps should be heard, instead, there was only a faint noise. Either Shinje's ear mic was broken, or there was something wrong with Yugeon. He heard the voices of the other team members at intervals, so it must be the latter.

A mutant rushed at him who was standing still in place, distracted. A loud roar rang out. Shinje frowned and closed his eyes.

"You have to be quiet. I can't hear Yugeon's voice."

Paijg! The earpiece that he was touching with his fingertips was smashed into pieces. Plastic and metal dust fell from his ear.

"Noisy. Be quiet, be quiet......"

Shinje clenched his fist that was hanging down. The leather gloves rubbed against each other. Blood vessels burst in the whites of his eyes, gradually turning red from the edges.

The mutant's knee, which was about to hit Shinje, was bent. Then, a blast. From the knee to the bones below, the whole bone was crushed. Next was the waist, shoulders, and then the neck. Unable to control his power, the surrounding trees and rocks were also flattened altogether. The mutant could not even scream and constantly vomited blood as its body parts were crushed one by one while alive.

Shinje took a step forward, sweeping up his blood-soaked hair. The mutant who had died in a miserable manner was left behind without a single glance. Before he knew it, his breathing had become unstable. Then, with a smooth motion, he looked at the watch on his left wrist. If it weren't for the blood soaking his whole body and the hellish scenery around him, he could have looked like a businessman rushing to meet the meeting time.

He pressed a small button on the side of the watch. It was an analog luxury watch with pure gold watch needles, but when he pressed a button, a screen appeared on the glass. Yugeon's biometric values linked to the chip hung around his neck was normal. It was fluctuating, however, unclear whether he was surprised by the sudden appearance of the giants or if he was injured somewhere, but looking at the coordinates below it, he did not seem to be far away.

Shinje whispered with a blank face. Knowing that the other person wouldn't hear him.

"Wait for me. I'll pick you up."

Yugeon leaned against a large rock and crouched down. Thump, Thump. The giant mutant's thick legs passed by him causing heavy vibrations to the ground. Dozens of eyeballs embedded in the giant's face moved in different directions. However, it could not seem to find Yugeon hiding right in front of his nose. The giant snorted, looked around, and eventually left.

In order to avoid the sudden appearance of a powerful enemy, Yugeon ran a long way down the steep mountain path. He even had to roll on the ground to avoid the attacks. His whole body was a mess with scratches, dirt and leaves. Eventually, he tripped on a tree root, and badly sprained his ankle. Hiding himself crouching behind a rock with a leg that was not properly obeying his command was the best he could do in this situation.

He remained vigilant until the enemy had completely disappeared from his sight, and it was not until a long while later that he took a breather. The foot wrapped in the ankle-tight walker was aching incessantly. Yugeon bit his lip and took a deep breath. After making up his mind, he grabbed the injured ankle with his hand and tried to move it.

"Ugh......"

He held back his scream. He didn't want to do something stupid like making a loud noise in a situation where he had no way to know when an enemy might appear. Fortunately, the bones seemed to be intact.

"This is Baek Yugeon. Can you hear me?"

He tried to communicate with others, speaking quietly into his earpiece.

"Leader? Can you hear me?"

Instead of the other person's voice, he could only hear strange noises. To make matters worse, even that noise soon disappeared and the device became completely dead. After several more futile attempts, Yugeon eventually ripped the mic out of his ear.

If it had been normal, he wouldn't have reacted so nervously to something like communication equipment breaking down. But now, his mind and body were currently driven to the limit. The bruises and scratches all over his body were hurting all at once. While his mind was still calm, vigilant in all directions, his body was drenched in fatigue. His heart sunk, he was at a loss.

He couldn't keep hiding here like this. It was dangerous. He had to either seek help from the others or find a safer place to hide. Yugeon barely managed to stand up, leaning on the rock. The moment he put his injured foot on the ground, a sharp pain came up. The upper body slumped down.

"Ah! Heuk...... heueug."

He rested his forehead on the back of his hand on the rock and tried to relieve the pain. He didn't think he could walk at this rate. It was then that he felt a movement right next to him. His reaction was slower than usual, distracted by the pain. His mouth was blocked.

"Eub!"

He reflexively grabbed the opponent's arm and tried to break it. However, the unidentified opponent did not even budge. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the opponent quickly pressed Yugeon down against the rock. Yugeon was suppressed without even being given a chance to scream out.

"Well, hello there."

Yugeon glared at his opponent with bloodshot eyes, his nose and mouth covered. It was a man he had never seen before.

"You have to be quiet. Otherwise, they might come."

As the distance between them drew closer, details became apparent. There were reddish spots on the thin skin, including his cheeks and neck. Moreover, his complexion was deathly pale, and his eyes were red, like a person with a disease. Awakened who had not received guiding for a long time and had used their abilities without restraint showed such symptoms. Just like Shinje when they first met.

"Promise me you will be quiet. Then I'll let you go."

"....."

His sharp breathing gradually subsided. However, the eyes filled with sharp daggers were still vivid. Sweat dripped down, and after a while, the sticky hands fell off.

"Who are you?"

"It's our first time talking in person, right?"

"I asked who you are."

"I heard everything you talked with that guide earlier. I know your name, too. You said it was Yugeon, Baek Yugeon."

There was no one around when he was sitting on the stairs and talking with Seulbi. So he thought it would be okay. He was used to being around F-class Hunters who were not much different from ordinary people in their physical abilities, so he forgot. The fact that high rank Hunters could secretly listen to that much with ease.

"You said you wanted to get out of Erewhon. I'll help you out. Instead, Yugeon-ssi will be my guide from now on."

"What?"

"I can make illusions. I can make your body look like a corpse. Then everyone will think Yugeon-ssi is dead. You can sneak out secretly later."

The man shrugged his shoulders and grinned. Yugeon got goosebumps. This person was not well, not just physically but also mentally.

The pain in his ankle was getting worse. His back and waist were already drenched in cold sweat. Yugeon clenched his teeth and muttered as if chewing and spitting.

"Fuck off. I'll never be your guide."

Unlike Erewhon Team 1 Hunters, this man was a complete stranger. There was no contract binding them and no reason for Yugeon to kill his temper.

"Then why did you say that earlier? You said you don't like Erewhon, and that they are bullying you. Ah, right. That, too. You are even tagging along the raid. Why, aren't you here to seduce other Hunters to take you home?"

The man narrowed the distance between them rambling gibberish. The cold, hard rock touched Yugeon's back.

"Fuck. I'm trying to save you here. I really felt sorry for you, being treated like a public toilet. You are the one wagging your tail in front of me first! Who do you think you are playing with here, huh?"

Every time he spoke, hot breath spurted onto Yugeon's face. Yugeon frowned and turned his head to the side.

"This bitch is acting like he is expensive. Haven't you slept with those bastards from Erewhon? Ha. I see what you are mistaking. You are not the only guide in the world."

"....."

"You got that girl's business card earlier, didn't you? Do you think I don't know?"

He thought of the business card that he had roughly put in his pocket. The angular edges of the business card seemed to pierce the fabric and prick his thigh. Yugeon tried to put on a poker face.

"So?"

"If you keep acting like this, I'll call her. She looked so innocent. I could easily show her your illusion and ask for help, and she will immediately believe it without a doubt."

The man looked down at Yugeon's thigh with a strange smile. It was exactly the side with the business card. He slowly stretched out his hand. There was an indescribable sense of rejection. Everywhere his gaze touched, he felt as if insects were crawling all over his body. Yugeon slapped his hand away. Immediately after that, with a swift motion, he pulled out a gun from his holster and aimed it at the Awakened' forehead.

"Shut up, or......"

He lowered the gun he had placed between the man's brows and shoved it roughly into the man's mouth.

"I will shut you up."

"Ha!"

The guide, who he thought would come over if he gently coaxed and threatened with a few words, raised his head straight and rebelled. The man's eyes turned red with anger. He deftly twisted Yugeon's wrist with one hand to make the gun drop, and grabbed his hair with the other and pulled it back.

"Do they even know you're loyal? Ha, ahaha, I'll let you know. That thing, they are calling Erewhon's Leader, is not even a proper human being ."

"....."

"You didn't even know that and gave your ass to him? Woo Shinje, that guy, no, I don't even want to call that thing a human. That disgusting freak."

"What...... what are you talking about?"

Yugeon was frowning and gasping with pain, but still asked. He really seemed to have no idea. Caught you. The man's mouth ripped open.

"There is no father or mother for that thing. That freak is a biological experiment that the Awakening Management Headquarters designed and built from the genetic level."

"....."

"It doesn't even know what blood it sheds or what race it's of. Everyone knows about it, to tell the truth."

Yugeon's eyes grew bigger. The man watched him happily, looking forward to seeing him shivering with betrayal and shock. But the response that came back was unexpected. Yugeon grinned as he looked up at his opponent, even with his hair grabbed. It was an obvious provocation.

"What does it matter?"

"......what?"

"He's not human, so what, what's that got to do with you holding onto me now and talking shit?"

"There's a limit to stubbornness and being naive. Was Woo Shinje's cock that good?"

"That good? Do you want him to fuck you too?"

Yugeon shot back without hesitation. The man grinded his teeth with a nervous look. Then a hand flew in. Slap! One ear went deaf. His cheeks tingled and then immediately became hot as if it was on fire. Blood spilled through the cracks in his lips.

His hand reached out for Yugeon. He had to avoid it. He knew he could avoid it, but his body didn't move.

"....."

Yugeon stiffened up. The man's hand, which was getting closer, was reflected in the empty eyes. His legs, which were barely leaning against the rock, trembled. Eventually, Yugeon lost his strength and slid down.

"What? What's wrong with you all of a sudden? No, wait. This is easier."

The man, who was briefly embarrassed, broke into a crooked smile. There was no reason to hesitate. Wouldn't he have to be welcoming if this one easily gave up resistance? He gripped Yugeon's neck.

The landscape in front of him shifted.

Yugeon was lying on the bed in a hospital room. He sprang to his feet. The texture of the thin patient's clothes and blankets was too realistic. There was another bed on the other side. The side view of the patient was seen with a blanket up to his chest. The faint vapor inside of the large respiratory tract smudged and disappeared intermittently.

"Hyung......"

Yugeon choked up. How long had it been since he last saw his brother?

A large shadow suddenly fell over the window next to Heeseong's bed. The whole room went dark. Yugeon raised his head. His eyes met with a huge monster looking his way from the other side of the window.

The monster's reddish eyes scanned the room. The eyeballs were as big as a glass window. All Yugeon could see was the eyes, but somehow it felt like it was smiling. It was disgusting to the point of nausea. He was also deadly afraid at the same time.

The closed window creaked open without even touching it. The monster thrusted its forelimbs or tentacles through the gap. Towards Heeseong, who was lying unconscious on the bed.

"No...... No!"

Yugeon got out of bed and tried to run to Heeseong. But with a click, his arm was pulled back. He found his wrist handcuffed to the bed frame.

"Stop. Let me go! Hyung!"

He yanked out his handcuffed hand frantically. So much so that the skin peeled off and the flesh came off. But the handcuffs didn't budge. Hundreds of wriggling tentacles wrapped around Heeseong's whole body and pulled him over the window. Yugeon let out a screech reaching his hand out desperately to his brother. The moment Heeseong disappeared beyond the window sill, the room was dyed black.

"Yugeon-ah."

A gentle voice called out to him in the dark. A hand in leather gloves was covering his eyes. Then it was gently removed.

"You have to open your eyes now, okay?"

There is a voice telling him to open his eyes...... He didn't know why that voice suddenly came to mind. Yugeon opened his eyes with a breath of urgency like a person who had fallen into the water and was dragged out.

"Gasp!"

His vision was filled with Shinje. The man who was strangling him was nowhere to be seen. He realized it then. It was a vision. The hospital room, the handcuffs on his wrist, and Heeseong being dragged away by the monster. Strangely, he felt like Shinje in front of him was less realistic than the terrible nightmare earlier.

Shinje held out his hand as if to get up. Yugeon gasped and reached out his hand. But his body was trembling so badly that only their fingertips touched and he slumped back down. Yugeon looked around with unfocused eyes. He tried to get up leaning on the rock in front of him, but slipped heavily again. For a moment, he couldn't even see anything in front of him because of the pain coursing his body.

"Argh! Eung......"

Yugeon collapsed back onto the ground and groaned. His shoulders and back were shaking up and down. His forehead and the hair under his ears were drenched in cold sweat.

Shinje stood tall staring down at him. A bright smile gradually spread across his expressionless face. He looked cute squirming like a newborn fawn. Yugeon, who had never complained of pain or a hard time, was panicking after seeing an illusion. He just wanted to enjoy it as it was.

But the red handprints on his neck were bothering him. Shinje glanced back with indifferent eyes. The illusionist was lying far behind him in the grass with his eyes turned upside down and foaming in his mouth. Ten fingers were loose, and all the joints of his limbs were all turned in opposite directions. He thought about twisting his neck all together, but he deemed it was enough. Like that, it didn't matter how high rank this guy was, he would die immediately. No fun in letting him die that fast.

"No matter how empty your ass is. There are four people who will fuck you whenever you say you want it, but you're looking for another man. Our guide is greedier than we thought."

"Le...... heuk, ah, leader."

"Yes, baby."

Shinje held Yugeon in his arms and responded with a dry voice. Yugeon did not resist. Rather, he stretched out one arm with a lot of effort and even hung onto Shinje's arms.

"Stamp......"

Yugeon muttered desperately, delirious. His vision shook every time Shinje moved to take a step. The smell of blood and perfume mingled without knowing who it belonged to.

"The fifth stamp, what should I do...... Yes? Please."

Did he see his brother in the illusion? In all likelihood, he must have. There was no other reason for Yugeon to be this desperate.

Did Yugeon know? The fact that if Shinje was only a few minutes late, Yugeon would have been drunk with illusions and not even realize that he was being violated. Yugeon, who was dazed with his eyes out of focus, and the illusionist trying to take off his clothes and strangling his neck. It was the first sight he saw as soon as he arrived at the location Yugeon's coordinates were pointing to. Wasn't it generous enough to crush the joints and cut off the nerves?

"Okay, I'll give it. I'll give it to you."

Mutants are not the only thing to watch out for. This is all because my guide is too attractive. He couldn't let him take one step out of the Erewhon headquarters alone for fear of this.

"Yugeon-ah, when we go back..... you should cry a little."

Contrary to the harsh words, the hands holding him in his arms and brushing his hair were gentle.

In Shinje's arms, he returned to the vicinity of the huge structure blocking the front of the gate. The situation did not calm down, but worsened instead. The giants ravaged a radius of several hundred meters. It was a mutant species that appeared for the very first time and they knew no strategies or characteristics to take care of it. In the meantime, more mutants were also constantly being pushed out.

The number of injured people increased drastically. The tide had turned sharply against the Hunters. At this rate, rather than hunting the mutants, they were going to be hunted in reverse.

"What happened to your mic? Did you eat it?"

Chan had already turned back to a human. Turning into a beast was advantageous for the battle, but it was also inefficient as in consuming a lot of energy and not being able to communicate with the others. He also looked tired.

"The fuck were you doing? We couldn't get in touch with you since a while ago."

"We'll have to switch to another model next time. It breaks down so easily. Isn't that right, Guide Baek Yugeon?"

Shinje asked Yugeon in his arms carefully. Yugeon was brought to this point and had regained some reason. While the battle was in full swing, him being held by another person became rapidly awkward. He pushed Shinje's shoulder and wriggled to be put down.

"For now...... please let me down."

Chan frowned and looked at him. He could see a bright red bruise on the guide's neck. It was obviously a handprint.

"Why is this kid's neck like this again? He can't just end up with a bruise like this if a mutant grabbed him. Did you do this?"

"Me? Don't joke like that."

Shinje opened his eyes wide as if he could never do such savage things. It was absolutely disgusting. He shouldn't have asked him in the first place. Chan turned the arrow of the question.

"Guide, did Woo Shinje strangle you?"

"....."

"How did you get hurt?"

"What are you going to do if you know?"

Yugeon snapped back flatly. But since Chan had become sensitive in both body and mind, Yugeon's words did not come out beautifully and the reply came to him as if he was shouting loudly next to his ear.

"Ha, this is ridiculous."

Chan reached out and grabbed Yugeon's face. Yugeon stiffened as he watched his hand approach. He could avoid it easily just by turning his head slightly, but his body didn't listen.

"Eug......"

The thin cheeks were held in one hand. Like this, if Chan applied even a little force, his jaw might be crushed. However, instead of breaking Yugeon's jaw, Chan squished his cheeks with irritation.

"You. Why am I the only one you talk back to like this? You put up with Woo Shinje and the deputy chief all the time."

"Even Yugeon knows. Whom to obey."

"Both of you bastards are making me pissed off."

"Leader."

Taein suddenly appeared. He was also in bad shape after the prolonged battle. The hair that was always straight back was disheveled and wounds were visible all over his body.

"The mutant waves are endless. The number of mutants has exceeded five times the average of all time. We wouldn't be able to control it at this rate."

The soft smile hanging from the corner of Shinje's lips disappeared. He let Yugeon down slowly. The moment the injured foot touched the ground, a sharp pain flared up. Heesu, who was standing next to Yugeon, grabbed his arms without hesitation.

"Hyung, hold me."

"Are we going in?"

Shinje replied in an indifferent tone.

"We have to go."

Wild Hunt was a Type 3 Gate. In order to break the constant waves of mutants, they must enter the Pit beyond the gate. Whether they killed the boss or something else in it, certain conditions must be met.

The moment they entered the Pit, the difficulty level of the raid rose sharply. This was the reason why this gate had not been cleared until now despite incurring numerous casualties. Before even that, it was also extremely difficult to access the gate.

As you approached the Pit, you would attract hundreds of mutants pouring out the gate. To put it simple, the aggro was focused on you. No matter how strong the Awakened were, if they were surrounded by an absolute majority of enemies, anyone would be defeated without even being able to do a single thing.

When Wild Hunt first appeared, the Awakened tried to attack without knowing anything and several Hunting Orders suffered a disastrous defeat. They purposely put up a barrier for this very reason. But currently, they would have to crawl through the said barrier to get inside.

"Prepare to enter. Pass it on to everyone. Help us clear the way to the gate. You know, mine's broken."

Shinje tapped his ear.

"Are you going to take the guide with us?"

"Naturally, of course."

"How about leaving him with another team for a moment? I don't think he can even move properly with that injury."

"That's why we have to take him with us. Are there any bodyguards stronger than us?"

"It's still too dangerous to take him all the way to the Pit."

"It would be more dangerous to leave him here. And...... shouldn't we speed up his learning progress if we are going to Mazzaroth?"

Taein swallowed a sigh and nodded. It was Shinje who found Yugeon and brought him into Erewhon. Regardless of where and how Shinje used Yugeon, Taein had to follow. With or without his approval.

Soon, Taein's instructions were delivered to all the members who participated in the raid. Hunters who had been fighting scattered throughout the mountain regathered. Each and every one of them were a mess, drenched in mutant, or human blood. It had been a long time since they reached their limits, but they were barely holding out with strong drugs. Even then their eyes were still full of vigor.

"Did you hear that, druggies? Our deputy chief wants you to open up the way. Get some expensive drugs and make him pay for it!"

Chan smiled and shouted loudly at the group. As if in response, there were sporadic bursts of mad laughter and shouts of agreement. There was also a mixture of swearing and shouting with excitement.

Chan was popular in Erewhon in a different way from Shinje and Taein. He was an idol of those with physical combat abilities. The fact that he was an S-class Hunter who stayed as a member of the rank without wearing any coat was also an object of admiration.

"Take care of the boss and come back quickly!"

"Be careful. Try not to be eaten by the mutants."

"Drugs flow in our veins instead of blood, mutants probably won't like our meat."

"Who knows. They might like drug flavored human meat."

Everyone was laughing out loud. If a passerby saw them, they would have a chill in their back wondering what kind of crazy bunch of people it was. Yugeon grabbed Heesu's arm and leaned forward, watching the scene. His heart was pounding, either from exaltation or fear.

The Hunters resumed their attacks. This time, it was not to kill the enemies that came pouring out endlessly. It was to send Team 1 over the gate.

"Kieeg!"

"Eueug......"

"Stop it!"

There were explosions everywhere. The defensive structure, wrapped in thousands of turns of barbed wire, eventually broke down. A Hunter hurriedly turned his head and shouted, blocking a random mutant rushing in.

"Now! Enter!"

Heesu nodded and lifted Yugeon up.

"Hup."

The two were quite similar in height and build. Perhaps because he has a pretty face, Heesu looked a little thinner on the surface. However, he lifted Yugeon up with one arm without any difficulty.

"Wait, Kwon Heesu!"

"Hyung can't run right now. You wanna roll to the gate? Well, that sounds fun, too."

Heesu started running with Yugeon in his arms. Whenever a mutant attacked him on the way, he jumped over the surrounding trees and rocks and avoided them. Yugeon's field of vision was swinging around wildly. The gate was under the iron wall. A huge black hole opened its mouth in the gap between the ragged stone walls. The ominously shimmering black surface was suffocating just by looking at it.

Kurereung, kwaang! A thunderous roar was heard overhead. Yugeon looked up with difficulty and saw where the sound was coming from. A giant that had just emerged from the gate raised its fist and smashed the cliff. Rocks the size of most small cars fell on Heesu and Yugeon.

"Watch out!"

Yugeon warned Heesu. The reaction unexpectedly came from another place. Shinje, who was dealing with mutants from a far away distance, raised one hand and pointed at the rocks with his index finger. The rocks that had been falling with a terrifying force with acceleration exploded above their heads. Dust rose like a cloud, and crushed pebbles and sand fell on them like rainwater.

"Ah. What a surprise. The leader himself is providing all these services. I guess it's because I have Yugeon hyung."

If that boulder just fell straight on them, both of their bodies would have been crushed beyond recognition. But Heesu was very nonchalant.

"We usually don't care about each other even if something like 100 times bigger than that boulder fell on one of us. You can't help it if you're dead, or not."

It sounded like he wanted other people to die. Heesu was running around with Yugeon in his hands for a while, but he wasn't out of breath at all.

The ground shook as if there was an earthquake. Large and small rocks fell one after another. Even at this moment, mutants were still coming out. They couldn't relax even for a moment.

"Kwon Heesu, take the guide and go in first. Hurry!"

"Yep."

Heesu answered Taein's instructions brightly. Then, holding Yugeon tightly in his arms, he rushed into the middle of the rampaging monsters.

Numerous Hunters opened their way, giving their lives to clear the attacks on them. However, the damage could not be completely eliminated even then, and Heesu was still attacked by the mutants plenty of times. The hem of his shirt was torn, and blood was dripping down his white cheeks.

As the gate got closer, Yugeon started to gasp out short breaths. His hands and feet were ice cold, trembling. It was a natural reaction for those who were not familiar with this space.

Finally, a black fog fell before his eyes. His whole body was enveloped in the fog. As if he had fallen into a shapeless deep sea, he felt like the fog would stick to his eyes and enter his airways if he opened his eyes and breathed in. Yugeon held his breath and closed his eyes tightly.

When he opened his eyes again, everything was gone without a trace. There was nothing. No fog, no shouts from Hunters, no gravel falling overhead, nothing. In the damp darkness that swallowed everything, only an unidentified stench came to their senses.

"Yugeon hyung, welcome."

A clear voice was heard right above. He was startled. Heesu smiled quietly.

"Don't be afraid. You're with me."

He had been hugging Heesu for a while. He forgot even that for a moment as he was immersed in the darkness that he couldn't distinguish between the top and the bottom and the front and the back.

Heesu let Yugeon down gently. The moment he put his feet down, he wondered if he would fall into the deep, deep darkness with no end in sight. He was frightened out of his wits. Yugeon slowly stood on balance. The ground touching the soles of his shoes was unpleasantly sticky.

As time passed, his eyes gradually adapted to the darkness. They were standing in the middle of a spacious cavity. He could see the uneven walls and floors that looked swollen. The air was incredibly heavy. Yugeon took a deep breath and exhaled. He felt like he had to get more oxygen so that his senses wouldn't go blurred and go crazy in this alien space.

"This is inside the gate. Often called the Pit."

Unlike Yugeon, Heesu was used to this place. To him, this place was more familiar than everyday places like classrooms, homes, and cafes.

He was born an Awakened from birth. His mother died at the same time as he was born. Her cause of death was the newborn baby, who could not control his power, accidentally shocking his own mother to death by his ability that went out of control. The father abandoned his own son, deadly afraid of the mind control abilities, and went into hiding. When he took his first steps, learned to speak, read and write, and learned how to handle his abilities to a certain extent, he was sent to the battlefield as if it was natural. That was around the age of ten. From then on until now, he had lived a life surrounded with carnage. To learn common sense and morals? It was one more lucky day if he didn't go crazy. He didn't even know it was strange because there was no standard to compare.

Those born and raised inside the gate were called mutants or monsters. So, what was he again? A human? Or a monster?

Heesu murmured with indifferent eyes.

"........Hell given to us."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a presence behind his back. Black figures popped out. The surroundings were so dark that with Yugeon's eyesight, he could barely see the silhouette of what was in front of him. A few pairs of dazzling eyes gleamed in the deep darkness.

"That big bastards, fucking filthy."

Someone grumbled exasperatedly. It was a familiar voice. Yugeon was somehow relieved, a bit unintentionally.

The smell of fresh blood wafted from Chan. Even Yugeon, who had a dull sense of smell compared to them, could smell it. Did he get hurt? If the bleeding was this bad, it would be a pretty big injury.

"I......"

After a brief hesitation, Yugeon called him. He was wondering if he should offer guiding. Chan spat out his words without hearing him out.

"It's fine. It's not my blood."

"Guide Baek Yugeon."

This time it was Shinje. His voice was calm, as always.

"You have a portable light, right?

"Yes, I do."

"Turn it on."

Yugeon felt for the leather pocket around his waist. He found the long, thin pen-shaped light and pressed the power switch. The white light turned on. The darkness receded a little after the glare died down. The range of light was strangely narrower than usual. It felt like the tiny light was desperately struggling not to be eaten by the darkness. He wondered if it was because of the influence of the Pit.

Shinje loosened the harness that crossed his shoulders and chest. And without hesitation, he knelt on one knee and settled on the dirty floor.

"What...."

Yugeon flinched and tried to back away. However, instead of his body moving as he intended, only a sharp pain came up from his injured ankle. Shinje wrapped the leather strap around Yugeon's ankle. He was thinking of using the harness as a temporary ankle brace. The harness was originally used for that purpose, so it was appropriate in a sense.

"I'll do it."

Taein, who was watching with his arms crossed, intervened. Shinje replied without even looking up at him.

"Why? Can't you trust me?"

Shinje was a person who was accustomed to destroying things rather than protecting them, and was used to receiving support from others rather than taking care of them. Taein was in the right to be worried that he might break Yugeon's ankle altogether.

"Are you afraid I can't even provide this much first aid? I was in the army for over 15 years."

Shinje added little. He couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Even if he was at the Awakening Management Headquarters, he probably wouldn't have to do chores like other lower-ranked Espers. Since he was a precious S-class, he must have been supported without a drop of water on his hands. Well, if the guide broke his ankle or not, it had nothing to do with him. Taein shut his mouth with an uncomfortable look.

Shinje expertly tied the harness around Yugeon's swollen ankle. The high-quality leather firmly fixed the joints together.

"Why are you doing things you have never done before?"

Chan took a jab at him. The guy who wouldn't blink even if the team members were fatally injured during the missions was making a fuss about the guide's sprained ankle.

"Chan hyung, even if your arms and legs fall apart, they will stick back together if you wait for a while. Like amoeba. But Yugeon hyung is not like you."

"What? Amoeba?"

Shinje got up and handed Yugeon over to Heesu.

"Take good care of him. Don't run around recklessly carrying him. It will break."

"Yes, I'll be careful!"

Yugeon was being treated as a baggage so naturally. Actually, ‘baggage’ was reasonable. Since Heesu's movements would be severely restricted carrying Yugeon.

"I'd rather wait here."

"So cute saying innocent things...... but you can't. You know what happened when we left you alone."

"....."

"Keep your head straight. No matter what happens in the Pit, it's not weird. Don't settle for common sense, don't believe anything you see or hear."

"What does that mean?"

"Literally."

"Then you're saying..... I shouldn't trust everyone here or even the Leader?"

Shinje tilted his head slightly and looked at Yugeon, smiling brightly.

"Of course."

Yugeon went farther into the dreary darkness in Heesu's arms. There was no sign of anything. He couldn't hear a thing, the sounds of breathing, the rustling of clothes, or the sound of their footsteps, even when they were all wearing hard soled shoes. Only the light in their eyes, which occasionally gleamed in the dark made it possible to guess their existence. Heesu's body temperature was the only thing Yugeon could rely on. The hands that were supporting Yugeon's back and knees were surprisingly firm.

The atmosphere was significantly different from the other missions he had participated in so far. Everyone was extremely sharp. The jokes exchanged even under serious circumstances had disappeared without a trace. They were not even exchanging necessary operational instructions. A precarious silence passed by.

It is reckless to move forward like this. A reconnaissance was needed. Chan took a deep breath in the dark. And wordlessly turned into a beast. It was a coal-black cheetah. It was dark on all sides, and his fur was black, so it was perfect for camouflage. Two bright yellow eyes seemed to float in the empty air.

"Keureureung....."

A terrifyingly low cry echoed in the sticky darkness. He stretched out his front paws and lowered himself, then jumped out as if being bounced off by a recoil. There was no animal better than a cheetah when it came to sprinting at top speed. His presence disappeared in an instant.

If there was anything ahead, Chan would let them know with a cry. Conversely, it meant that it was safe as long as there was no news from Chan. The rest of the party followed his path. As they progressed, their surroundings changed little by little. At first glance, he could see something piled up in the open passage. Yugeon strained his eyes to see it more clearly.

A familiar outline rose gray in the darkness. The limbs and torsos in ragged clothes overlapped one after another. Dozens? Hundreds? He couldn't even count. The flesh, once tightly attached to the bones, had melted mushy and became semi-liquid.

"They're our seniors. It must have been a while since they got a junior."

Heesu giggled and whispered into Yugeon's ear. He was joking in his own way to lighten the mood, but he felt Yugeon became stiffer in his arms.

"....."

Heesu tilted his head. He didn't know if Yugeon was not originally good at jokes or just that Heesu had a different sense of humor from him. When he joked like this with the Hunters of other Orders he met during missions, most of them laughed.

It was then, a roar of the beast was heard in the distance. Finally, Chan sent a signal. There was an enemy ahead. Shinje and Taein sprinted to the place where the sound was coming from. Their movements were so fast that in Yugeon's eyes they looked like they disappeared in a blink of his eyes. Heesu also tightened hold on Yugeon. And lightly kicked off the floor. They soon reached where Chan was.

Tak, Tadadak, Tadak....... Spine chilling noise came from all directions. The dried up corpses were crawling along the walls and ceilings at high speed, their red eyes gleaming in the darkness. Revenants. It wasn't just that. The walls rumbled and fluctuated, and the dark red membrane buried in the wall burst out and a three-headed four-legged beast appeared. Warm steam rose from his body dripping with body fluids.

It was a similar combination of mutants that they faced countless times outside. But the current situation was different. This place was their territory, beyond the gate. The longer they dragged on and the deeper they entered, the more disadvantageous humans became and the more favorable for the mutants. The others, who were Awakened, were better off, but Yugeon couldn't even breathe properly from the overwhelming pressure, softly wheezing in Heesu's arms.

Chan let out a loud roar. The mutants were temporarily stiffened by the threat of a living beast. He took advantage of the hesitation, ran over and bit a mutant's neck. Black blood spewed out like a fountain.

A difficult battle broke out in the narrow passage. No matter how much they killed, new enemies kept appearing over and over again. The mutants kept rushing at them, even trampling over the corpses of their same species. Body fluids splattered all over the slippery floor.

"Kyaaaag!"

A revenant climbed down the wall and rushed at Yugeon and Heesu. Yugeon felt for his gun reflexively. The holster was empty. He belatedly remembered that he had dropped the gun during the fight with the illusionist.

"Ah."

Heesu narrowly avoided the attack, tilting his upper body with Yugeon in his arms. He stuck out his tongue.

"Wanna play with me? Peek-a-boo."

Then, he stepped backwards, widened the gap, and hummed a song.

"Mugunghwa...... flowers...... has bloomed." [7]

The movement of the mutant gradually became unnatural. It started to creak like a robot with broken joints, and finally stopped. As if tied to an invisible rope.

"Ah, that's not good."

Heesu grumbled to himself. As expected, the enemy was not easy to subdue like before because they were in the Pit. Had it been outside the gate, it would have been stunned by a single command from him.

Now it was time to put an end to it. Heesu fixed Yugeon with one arm and looked for the gun with the other. Yugeon was a little faster. He pulled out the silver gun out of Heesu's holster and handed it to him while he was still in his arms. He was injured and the air was thin, so he should be in the worst condition. It was not an ordinary mental strength. It wouldn't be strange if he had already passed out since a while ago.

Taang! Blue flames burst out. For a moment, the room brightened up. Shinje, who was dealing with the enemy a few meters away, glanced back at them. Yugeon somehow managed to meet his eyes. A spark flashed in his gray eyes with the flash of the blue light. His blood-stained cheeks also shone pale. The flame went out in an instant. Shinje turned back as if he had never done so.

The longer the battle, the more damage they took. In a moment of carelessness, a mutant slammed Chan with its body. Chan crashed into the wall with a loud noise and fell down.

"Keureureu......"

Chan shook his head from side to side and got up again. He snarled at the enemy with all his fangs exposed, and rushed towards the mutant. There was blood all over his black fur. Another hound bit Taein's arm, which he grabbed the hound's neck and pressed. Before long, the gums, snout, throat, and brain melted one after another, killing it. The disastrous wounds on his arms did not disappear, however.

Heesu was also busy controlling the enemy and avoiding the attacks at the same time. He had more things to be concerned about than the others as he was also keeping Yugeon safe. Then, at one point, black trails were drawn along his white cheeks. Yugeon realized it was red blood trickling down from his eyes instead of tears.

"......Kwon Heesu, you."

"Ah, ha, hahaha...... I look a little weird, doesn't it? Wait a minute."

Heesu wiped his eyes roughly with the back of his hand. More blood welled up from his eyes, and blood stains smeared on his pale cheeks. As he was busy wiping away the tears, more blood ran down from his nose. It looked like a scene from a nightmare.

"Ew, it smells fishy. And tastes awful. Annoying. I didn't want hyung to see me like this. It's really annoying......"

Heesu murmured nervously. Then he started rubbing his face recklessly with the back of hands, palms and wrists. Blood dripped down on Yugeon's chest, one after another.

"Kwon Heesu!"

A shrill cry came from Shinje. It was the first time he had ever seen Shinje lose his composure like that. Yugeon turned his head. Before he knew it, a humanoid mutant species was right in front of them, holding a rusty sword. Their eyes met at a distance where it could reach them easily if the mutant stretched out its hands.

Heesu admitted his mistake. He let his guard down, distracted with the side effects. He was an A-class Awakened, but for his mental abilities. He was not physically strong and good at hand to hand combat like the others. On top of that, his arms were tied up holding Yugeon. There was no choice but to be at a disadvantage. He wouldn't be able to stun the mutant at this point, and it was too late to dodge with Yugeon. There was only one option left. Taking the hit with his own body to reduce damage as much as possible.

The mutant struck down the sword that was held high. In the distance, Shinje clenched his teeth and stretched out his hand. Time slowed down. The blade swerved to the side as if someone grabbed it with all their might at the last minute.

Kwaang! With a loud roar, the sight that had stretched like slow motion returned to its original state. The rusty sword with rugged blade fell to the floor. Tug, Tudug. Blood dripped down the floor. Drops of blood quickly became a pool of blood in an instant. Heesu looked down. He avoided being split into half from the top of his head, but could not completely avoid the attack. His forearms were all covered in blood. Muscles and tendons were cut off, his hands trembling, losing control. In the end, Yugeon slipped down from his arms.

"Heueug......"

Yugeon fell to the floor and groaned. Heesu held out his bloody hand to him. Yugeon, who had barely raised his upper body, ignored Heesu's hand and turned his head. It felt like an outright rejection. Disorganized thoughts strewn like scratches In Heesu's head.

Why are you avoiding me? Are you scared of me? Or is it gross? Hyung and the other guides, why the hell do you hate so much? I've been like this since I was born. I tried to take care of you as best as I can. Why are you looking at me like something more horrible than the mutants? What more do you want me to do?

"Kwon Heesu, Heesu!"

After examining the enemy's movements, Yugeon turned back at Heesu. He thought he would be shaking with fear and disgust, but Yugeon's eyes were surprisingly calm.

"We have to deal with him first. Come on."

He grabbed Heesu's wrist without hesitation. He didn't seem to care that his hands were stained with blood, and the moment he touched the red wet bare skin, an exhilarating shiver coursed his veins.

The mutant became even more annoyed when its decisive attack failed. It lifted the gigantic sword that fell to the ground with all its might. Heesu faced the mutant. Without taking his eyes off it, he poured all his abilities into his brain.

"Eugeug, kkog, kkeueug."

The mutant eyeballs swirled. Hands and feet covered in dark leather twitched and flinched in different directions. It was like a patient having a seizure. The mutant gripped the sword with an awkward movement. Holding it upside down with the blade facing inward, it thrusted the sword into its own stomach.

"Keueg!"

The blade pierced the mutant's body at once. But it hadn't stopped breathing yet when someone's hand rested gently on the knobbly handle of the sword.

Shinje had walked over and stood next to the mutant. It didn't seem like he was putting too much force on it, but the sword cut through the guts and the backbone, and then pushed out of its jaw. Like a nail that was hammered down one hit after another. When the tip of the sword finally stuck out behind its back, the mutant had completely stopped moving.

"I told you. To take good care of the guide......"

"I'm sorry."

Heesu bowed his head. Both Shinje and Heesu didn't care much about Heesu's arm that was nearly cut through. An injury of this magnitude was not an injury to them.

"It's scary. I'm afraid I'll lose my Guide Baek Yugeon in there."

That day, Shinje said that while holding Yugeon in his arms. Even though he said he was afraid, he didn't know it at the time. He didn't know it would be so unpleasant to watch Yugeon going through life and death in front of his eyes.

Shinje passed Heesu and walked to Yugeon. The gray eyes looking down at him gleamed hazy. His eyes were murky like water in a vase that had not been changed for too long. As soon as the stem was soaked, the water would slowly rot it from the end and eventually lead it to death.

"It's the same as before...... It seems that our guide likes to roll around. Still you can't because it's dirty here. Shall we get up now? I'll make you roll around in bed later."

Shinje reached out his hand. The image of a black and withered flower superimposed on the face of the man smiling down at him.

"....."

Yugeon didn't hold his hand. He put his hands on the dirty floor and staggered up weakly, as his legs had no strength, but he managed to stumble back on his feet and stand up by himself.

"I...... Eug, I'll walk alone. I can walk."

"Is that so...... good boy."

Shinje drew back his hand, whispering like a sigh. His fingertips trembled slightly when he returned to his position. It was from when he used his abilities to save Heesu and Yugeon from a far away distance that made them look as big as his fingers.

The more competent Yugeon was, the better it was for Shinje. In the first place, didn't he choose Yugeon because he needed someone to help him stay sane even at the bottom of the abyss and be his guide? But at the same time, he wanted Yugeon to do nothing and depend on him only. He wanted Yugeon unable to move even a single step on his own if he wasn't holding him, and cry anxiously in the darkness where he couldn't hear or see a thing, only looking for him. Wouldn't that be really cute?

It was an incompatible, contradictory wish. In order to achieve one, he must give up the other. The most contradictory thing, however, was...... he, himself, who wasn't willing to give up on either of them.

The winding passage that seemed to last forever finally came to an end. From there, a great void unfolded. It was comparable to a large concert hall or a sports stadium. The gate was on a cliff at the foot of a mountain. There was such a big space in that narrow gap? Common sense did not seem to exist in this place.

Yugeon was walking with difficulty one step at a time at the end of the group. No matter how much Heesu was physically stronger than him, he wasn't brazen enough to be carried by someone bleeding from his arm.

"Ha, heueug......."

Cold sweat trickled down his chin. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Moist moss seemed to stick to his lungs, his airways, and his throat.

As they walked passing through the mountain of corpses made up of many mutants and a few humans, Yugeon's sense of smell gradually became dull with the scent of rotten blood enveloping the small group. The rest of the group, however, was not as fortunate as Yugeon. The more they used their abilities, the sharper their senses rather than becoming dull. The stale, damp air, mixed with filth and stagnant blood could be felt terribly vividly.

A tremble echoed from beyond the endless darkness. Kung. And after a brief silence, again, Kugung. It was repeated at regular intervals. It sounded like a train entering the platform of the subway station. Was the enemy approaching this way? No, the vibrations only resonated in the same spot and did not come closer or moved farther away. It must be standing still.

Something flashed through his mind. Yugeon looked up. A dull pulse could be felt in all directions. The far high ceiling of the cave wobbled intermittently. Like a sewer pipe carrying wastewater.

"....."

He finally realized. The enemy had been here from the very beginning. It hadn't moved even for a second. This whole large space was the body of a mutant. They should be around the heart, seeing the pulse beating vigorously. The gate was an entrance into the body.

What Hunters risked their lives fighting outside were nothing more than cells or parasites procuring nutrients for this giant mutant. Countless people died in vain just dealing with them.

He remembered the bodies of the old challengers he had seen while coming here. They would have been promising Hunters in their lifetime. They must have come in with the ambition to catch the boss and end the gate attack. Was there any guarantee that they wouldn't meet the same end as them? In the face of overwhelming fear, the feeling of helplessness surged like a wave.

"Is this the boss? Just looking at it, it's super huge...... It's going to be annoying."

Chan spat out saliva mixed with blood.

"Hey, how much do you think this guy's rank will be?"

"I don't know. A?"

Heesu replied, rubbing his blood-stained mouth roughly on his sleeve. The shirt, which was already soaked in blood, became even wetter. It was fortunate that the fabric was black.

"I think it's S. But just barely."

"Ah, I can't. I might die if it's S."

"This brat is exaggerating again. Deputy chief and I do all the heavy lifting anyway."

"Do you want to make a bet?"

"What are we even betting?"

"The person who guessed it right will get to have Yugeon hyung first."

Yugeon was breathing heavily with his eyes wide open. His condition was getting worse and worse, and he could only stand in the same place. When his name was heard, he reflexively turned his head. Their eyes met with Yugeon, and Heesu burst into hysterical laughter. He waved his half-broken arm around. Blood leaked out from the clumsily wrapped up injury.

"Hyung. You are not going to let my arm fall off like this, are you? I want to go first. You even called out my name earlier. And very sweetly. I nearly got hard. But if you get an erection while bleeding, you'll get anemia."

"Hey, hold on. I'm also in a terrible condition?"

Shinje, who had been listening to their conversation without a word, bowed his head and laughed darkly.

"You guys...... are noisy."

"What?"

"Shut up and do your job properly. If something goes wrong with Yugeon just like before......"

Shinje slowly raised his head. Among the bloodshot whites, the gray eyes rolled towards Heesu and Chan.

"It won't be just one arm that will be cut off."

"Fuck, that bastard got a temper again."

"It woke up."

Taein, who had remained vigilant, warned the group. The crack in the ceiling had slowly opened. The veins that covered the red mucous membrane like a spider's web wiggled. A gigantic eye was seen looking down at them from above.

"The one who deals most damage will go first."

Chan glaced at Yugeon and immediately suggested.

To be honest, he was the one with the most body count here. It was not that he had not yet touched the guide at all, but he had not held him enough to be satisfied, and wouldn't it be proper to let him taste a little?

"What? It's not fair. I'm going to lose if it's like that."

"If you don't like it, you can abstain. What about Woo Shinje and deputy chief?"

"....."

Taein ignored him neatly, as always. Shinje shrugged instead of answering. As if saying, if you want to do it, do it. That annoying response raised his desire to win the bet even more.

"Then let's do it."

A bet was established in Yugeon's face without even seeking the consent of the involved party. Without even waiting for an objection, Chan, who had turned into a cougar, kicked the floor and jumped.

"Wow, that's mean."

Heesu grumbled and held out his injured hand. Still, it seemed that the main nerves were alive, seeing how it was moving. He quickly drew his gun. Before Chan could reach the boss, he aimed at the giant eyeball and pulled the trigger. Taang! A bright blue flame cut through the darkness and flew straight at it. It didn't do much damage, but he was successful in winning the first attack anyway.

The eye resembling that of reptiles or fish trembled once. The walls and floor trembled uneasily. Ddak, ddak ddak! A long piece of tissue that they thought was just a nerve buried in the wall came off. The enemy swung it like a whip and struck at them.

"Hup."

Heesu lowered his gun and quickly stepped back to avoid it. The heavy tentacle hit the floor. Chan then dug his claws deep into the skin of the tentacles.

A fierce battle ensued. The walls and the floor roared like boiling water, then bulged up. A dark figure wiggled from within. The swelled surface burst out several meters high. Warm bodily fluids splattered all over the place. From there, large and small mutants crawled out of it.

Chan's eyes lit up belligerently. He was expecting this. Even though it was a fight with the boss, it would be disappointing if the little ones didn't show up. Quantity rather than quality, wouldn't it be easier to grab a bunch of them and get points?

A mutant swung its giant sword at Taein. Taein bent down to avoid it and grabbed his opponent's arm. The mutant screamed in agony from the pain of its burning flesh.

"Kyaaag!"

The rusty sword fell to the ground with a heavy sound. Taein's eyes turned to it. Dealing with these disgusting things with his bare hands was slowly becoming unbearable. Taein picked up the sword. He swung the clunky scrap metal with one hand a few times, skillfully wielding it with a flourish, and launched a counterattack.

A riot broke out. Tentacles swept through wherever the giant eyeball stuck in the ceiling looked at. From the walls and floors, new mutants kept multiplying. Even if they tried to attack the eyeball, which seemed to be the core of the giant mutant, it was not easy as the smaller mutants kept blocking their way.

Shinje stood tall and absent-mindedly watched the spectacle. He was not impressed by the height of the bloody battle scene unfolding in front of him. Since he had been through so much already, he could not even remember how many mutants he had killed or how many gates he had destroyed.

This war would not end even if they catch that boss and complete the attack on Wild Hunt. Nothing would change with just one gate missing. There were countless gates that had not yet been cleared yet, and many more gates would be created in the future. If they destroyed one, one more would respawn, if they destroyed it, another would respawn, weren't they just repeating a meaningless war of attrition? Hunters struggling to stop the mutants rushing out of the gates, and Hunters entering the gate just to end up as horrible corpses.

The solution was simple. The root cause must be eliminated, the king above all the mutants. He wouldn't stop there, he would destroy everything. The vulgar mutants, the arrogant Awakeneds, the hateful guides, including everyone in this gate including he, himself, he would destroy this fucking world to pieces. A grand suicide it would be. Just imagining it was ecstatic.

His body slowly simmered with self-destructive vengeance. He wanted to tear, crush, blast and kill all those who were rushing at him with such force as if he was the top predator stomping on the lowly garbage, crushing even the corpses so that their original forms could not even be recognized.

Sswaeaeaeg! A tentacle the size of a house flew in. Shinje raised his head. The tentacle that seemed to have wanted to wrap around his whole body and crush him immediately suddenly stopped. Then it began to twist randomly, as if wringing out a rag. Ppajig, Tteog, Ppudeudeug. Unable to withstand the ominous pressure, the tissues on the surface were gradually torn apart. A little more and the whole thing would be ripped into pieces.

It was then. The cougar stepped on the wall and quickly jumped off. Then he bit off the middle of the taut tentacles. Stealing an enemy that he could deal with alone? His intentions were clear.

"Chan-ie, I didn't know you were this hung up on the guide."

The cougar growled from this throat, discontent, and spat out a lump of flesh that filled his mouth. There were a lot of injuries here and there. His sides covered with fur and muscle were cut long, revealing the red flesh under.

"You said you didn't want an exclusive guide...... but now how come you are the most enthusiastic one among us?"

The tentacle was not completely ripped apart yet. Shinje reached out to finish when a blade suddenly split the tentacle in half. Black poison smeared along the surface of the blade. Chii-ig...... Smoke rose. The cut was immediately cauterized.

"Are you really going to make that ridiculous bet?"

Taein let go of the sword handle without any regrets. The entire blade had burned black and became unusable. Weapons, it didn't matter as he could get them back from the corpses scattered all over the place.

"Sometimes, it's okay, isn't it? It's motivating."

"The mission is no joke."

"That, I think Taein-ssi is also very enthusiastic. Aren't you too worried about the bet?"

"I just think it's better to finish the job quickly and get out of here instead of having fun."

Tain cut off his words and replied flatly. It was such a stubborn attitude that not even a drop of blood would come out of his body even if he stabbed him. Unlike Heesu, who had been jumping around saying he liked the guide from the beginning, Chan and Taein had openly opposed Yugeon's presence. The only difference between them were active and passive protests. At that time, it was like having a war of nerves over Yugeon.

Actually, it was not that he didn't really understand. They couldn't help it either. As long as they were an Awakened, no matter how stubborn and cold-hearted they pretended to be, if you put a seductive guide in front of them, all that self-confidence would inevitably collapse someday. Just like he did.

Yes. Ultimately, it was irresistible. Harsh on both the attractor and the attracted.

"Yes. I suppose."

Shinje smiled and turned his head. That was the final conversation they had in front of the enemy. Yugeon was sticking to the wall of the cave so as not to be swept away by the attacks. Occasionally, whenever the mutants' eyes turned to him, the others would immediately be right beside him like a ghost and block the attacks for him. His whole body ached, especially his injured ankle. He tried not to let out a single moan, however. The situation was too urgent to complain about a measly sprained ankle.

Each time the eyeball embedded in the ceiling turned its gaze back and forth, a number of black tentacles stretched out. It was as if the roots of an old tree were coming to life. Heesu attempted to manipulate its mind to slow down the enemy's movements. He looked up at the ceiling without blinking an eye. Blood dripped down his eyes and nose, but there was no time to wipe it off. The huge eyeball trembled and stopped for a moment. Tentacles also slowed their movements when no command came from the central nervous system.

This brief stun broke through the low probability. Chan did not miss the chance that came with hard work. He threw his whole body and digged his claws onto the surface of the gigantic eyeball. Several blood vessels connecting the eyeball and the orbital ruptured. Even though all the tentacles' attacks had come to focus on him, he clung to it.

Shinje approached after throwing out the giant he was dealing with into the air. The small scratches made by Chan's claws were widened with telekinesis. The eyeball slowly fell from the ceiling. The walls and floor began to shake violently. Hot bodily fluids gushed out like magma. Yugeon stumbled and sank down in place.

Eventually, the eyeball and the ceiling were completely separated. Chan, covered in blood, crashed down together with the eyeball several times larger than his body. Kwang! A heavy vibration rang out and blood splattered. When the vibrations died down, a man with gruesome wounds all over his body lying in the place of the black cougar was revealed. He didn't seem to have left any strength to maintain his beast form.

"Hah, heuk......"

Taein took deep breaths and approached him. He, too, was drenched in blood. Only his black eyes shone brightly while his whole body was dyed dark red. He raised the sword smeared with blood and flesh. He held it upside down with the blade facing down, and stabbed it deep into the eyeball lying on the floor.

Kwajig! The tip of the sword pierced the hard surface. It was filled with an unpleasantly lumpy liquid. Taein clenched his teeth and breathed poison into the sword. The eyeball began to rot from the inside with a terrible stench. The pupils expanded and contracted repeatedly, and the blood vessels that covered the eyeball like a net wriggled. Then finally.

Puck, Puck, Puck! The gigantic eye exploded, spitting out yellow fluid. Subsequently, the walls and ceiling, the floor, the tentacles and mutants, everything that made up this space began to melt. After losing the boss, the Pit was collapsing. They had to get out before the gate disappeared. Otherwise, they would be trapped in the limbo between the two worlds and no one would be able to find them again, even their corpses.

"Keuheug, fucking...... shit."

Chan lifted his head. There really was no loyalty in these guys even to pull their injured colleague up by hand. He had to take care of his own life.

"The guide!"

Taein exclaimed. His eyes were busy trying to find a way out.

"......what?"

Heesu asked back a beat late. The blood dripping down from his face was soaking up his chest, and his eyes were completely unfocused.

"Get a hold of yourself."

"....."

"The guide. Where is he?"

Heesu looked around sluggishly. More than half of the place where Yugeon should be located had already been devastated. Fortunately or unfortunately, Yogoeun was not there. He didn't think he could entrust Yugeon to Heesu who had become like this. The same went for himself.

Taein glanced down at his own hands. His gloves had long been corroded. His bare hands were also chapped and covered with bloody ooze, there was no clean spot. The poison from him had completely melted the boss down into liquid. A body made up of ordinary bones and flesh could never bear this ability. He wouldn't be able to take Yugeon out like this. As soon as Taein held him with these hands, his body would melt.

"Guide Baek Yugeon!"

Masses of tissues and body fluids poured down from the ceiling, making it difficult to see. Taein's eyes, which were urgently looking around, stopped at one place. Yugeon was in the middle of the collapsing cave. Struggling to support Chan, who had not yet been able to pull himself up, while he couldn't even walk properly by himself alone.

"......Ha."

He sure is full of energy. Is it time to take care of others? This very fragile guide who will never be of use in combat.

A large boulder plummeted down on Chan and Yugeon. Shinje narrowly stopped it. Then strutted towards them with the rock left floating in the air.

"Where did you go...... Found you."

Shinje wrapped his arm around Yugeon's waist and lifted him up. Chan's arm fell off his shoulder.

"Let's get out of here. Unless you want to be buried together forever with the mutant corpses......"

"But, Leader."

"Hm?"

"Shouldn't we help him?"

Shinje looked at where Yugeon was pointing. His hair, wet with blood and mutant body fluid, obscured the view. He ruffled his bangs irritably.

"Ah, that. I thought it was trash because it was so shabby and dirty."

"....."

"Let's just leave it alone. Die or whatever."

"You fucking bastard!"

Chan cursed out loud and barely got himself up. The vibrations were getting worse and worse to the point where it became difficult to even stand up straight. Shinje left him alone, took Yugeon and turned around. Taein and Heesu had already long gone that they couldn't even see their noses. As he always thought, these bastards must have had something fucked up with their personalities a long time ago.

Finally, Chan staggered toward the dark passageway. As soon as they escaped, the spacious cave collapsed unrecognizable to its original appearance.

They went back the same way they came in. They moved non-stop past the humans and mutant corpses piled up on the side of the road. There was no time to lose.

Yugeon ran on his own feet without being carried by anyone. After rolling around and bumping here and there, the pain in his ankle had already become a little dull mixed up with the other injuries on his body. He could still hold out for a little while. He didn't want to bother the others since his legs were still usable after all. Plus, Team 1's condition was not so good that it was difficult to ask for help. Chan and Taein had a close fight, while Heesu was bleeding out severely. Shinje was not much better. If he were an ordinary person, he would have died several times already with his whole body covered with injuries from head to toe.

He was out of breath and his vision was getting blurry when the gate appeared in front of them. It was the place where he first stepped into the Pit in Heesu's arms. If he just ran a little further from here, he could finally go outside......

"Eugh!"

His legs gave out. Kudangtang! Yugeon collapsed with a loud noise. His body, thrown onto the cold, damp ground, complained of excruciating pain. The passage they just ran down was rapidly collapsing from behind. He had to get up again. If he stayed like this, he would be devoured by the void.

"Uh, heueug."

Yugeon reached out and scratched the floor. He tried to get himself up somehow. But his legs did not move as he wanted. He fell back down, barely lifted his head and looked ahead. His eyes met with Shinje's.

Shinje was a few meters ahead of Yugeon, already in a position where he could exit immediately by throwing himself out of the gate. He stared at Yugeon with an unreadable face. Even the darkness closing in from behind was pushed out of mind at this moment. Eyes blurred with panic, and body trembling, his hands instinctively stretched out to stay alive. A strong sense of dread sinking in.

He had been through this before. At that time, Shinje was at Yugeon's place. Eighteen-year-old Shinje, who was left behind while everyone was frantically running away.

"Ah."

Shinje, who had fallen and couldn't pull himself up, stretched out his hand to the one in his front. It had been a long time since the once neat and sleek uniform of the Awakening Management Headquarters was ruined to tatters. The white shirt underneath was drenched in blood. But no one looked back. They were all busy running to the gate, saving their own lives.

There was one man at the back of the group. An Esper with a weak and mild presence that anyone would say he looked more like a scholar rather than a soldier.

"Father."

"....."

There was no answer from him. But his eyes were speaking plainly. I'm glad it was behind me. I'm glad I'm not the last one. I'm so glad I could run away with that as a sacrifice. He glanced back at Shinje with a face mixed with fear and relief and turned his back. He ran towards the exit without any regrets.

How did he feel back then? He didn't feel betrayed. Betrayal meant there was faith in the first place. He wasn't shocked or sad. At that time, he didn't even know that such feelings existed.

But he thought. One day. He would kill them all. All these disgusting mutants. The Awakening Management Headquarters. All without a trace...... He thought that was how he swore back then.

"Yugeon-ah."

Shinje turned back. The collapse was now at Yugeon's feet. It was a situation that could endanger not only Yugeon but also Shinje. If they ended up trapped in a disappearing gate, there was nothing they could do, even as an S-class.

A shadow fell over Yugeon. Shinje softly whispered.

"Now...... let's go back."

A strong arm slid onto his back. In the next moment, his whole body was hoisted up. Shinje stumbled holding Yugeon with one arm. The floor that he had been standing on until a while ago was half gone. A void opened up beneath their feet, gaping its mouth. He clenched his teeth and balanced his body. And the last of the group threw themselves at the gate. Yugeon closed his eyes tightly in his arms.

A cold shiver ran down his spine the moment they passed through the quaking black gate. It felt like his whole body was broken into a million pieces and then reassembled. It seemed like no matter how much he went through it, he would never get used to it.

The attack on the Type 3 Gate, Wild Hunt, notorious for nearly 20 years, finally came to an end.

Volume II Ends.

[1] ‘blood on his head hadn't dried up yet’ ‘머리에 피도 안 마른’ - literally, newborn infants have blood on their heads, not yet dried. expression used to insinuate that someone is too young or inexperienced in something to be acting a certain way or to be performing a certain action. the context was that heesu was still immature/younger than chan, yet he has already done sth chan hasn't, and was boasting about it. somewhat similar to ‘still wet behind their ears’.

[2] yugeon was speaking extremely politely here. I just felt like the english language was not making it obvious.

[3] mushindo (巫神圖) - painting of korean shaman gods. example.

[4] hanok (한옥) - korean traditional house. wiki.

[5] naerim-gut (내림굿) - initiation rites performed by korean shamans. wiki.

[6] monstrous birds (怪鳥) - em, literally. but here's the link for visualization purposes.

[7] ‘mugunghwa flowers has bloomed.’ ‘무궁화꽃이피었습니다’ - korean version of right light, green light game. link.