chapter one

De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine;

Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord;

Domine, exaudi vocem meam Fiant aures tuae intendente in vocem deprecationis meae.

Lord, hear my voice. Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.

- Psalm 130

- Traffic is expected to be congested for about 3 kilometers across the Hwangan Bridge from the downtown area. A car crash occurred near the western ring road a while ago, and the handling of the accident has just been completed, but since the control of the lower lanes in the direction of Yeoksam-dong continues, it seems difficult to resolve the congestion.

The monotonous voice of the traffic caster came from the speakers. But no one was paying attention to the broadcast. There was nothing special about it. Without even listening to the radio, they could see a road that was going to be clogged up for hours whenever they looked up, until an unenthusiastic hand reached out and changed the channel.

- The evacuation measures that had been imposed in the Migwang-dong area of Yeondo-gu have finally been lifted. The area had been under lockdown for several months after a gate was found last March and mutant species appeared, resulting in casualties of two civilians and seven Awakened.

Yugeon suddenly looked up from being engrossed in a puzzle game on his gaming console. His father was in the driver's seat, his arm propped on the window frame, his fingers tapping the steering wheel out of habit. His mother had idly leaned back in her seat, staring out of the window. On top of the dashboard, things like finished candy bars and cookie wrappers were scattered. The scene was no different from when they left home.

- At the press conference this morning, the Awakening Management Headquarters announced that all hazards in the Migwang-dong area have now been eliminated, and that two C-class Esper teams will be stationed at all times to defend the area until the gate is completely destroyed. Following the announcement, ‘Taegwang’ and ‘Heelek’, the Hunting Orders who had cooperated in the sweeping operation, expressed their intention to protest...

It was a family outing after a long time. The roads in the neighborhood had been cordoned off for the past few months and had barely been lifted. The citizens who couldn't enjoy their leisure time properly due to the danger of mutants roaming the city immediately left their homes as if they had been waiting for the day. There was almost no room for people to step their foot due to the crowds everywhere.

Decades since the Outbreak swept the world. Large-scale facilities like amusement parks and zoos had become relics of the past that could only be seen in photographs. Open grounds with no cover were the worst possible places if there were mutant attacks. The number of uninhabitable lands continued to increase, while refugees flocked to cramped spaces. Population densities skyrocketed and buildings rose precariously high.

However, Yugeon was not aware of such complicated things. He was just happy to spend his weekend visiting the theater and indoor game center in the neighboring city.

"Mom."

After being locked in the car for several hours, even Yugeon, who had been quietly playing games without throwing a single tantrum, stuck out his head. His mother turned around with an exasperated look on her face. The child's dark, thin eyes stared back at her.

"When are we getting home?"

"The car has to move."

Heeseong, his older brother, who had been complaining of motion sickness for a while, suddenly intervened.

"Ah, hurry up and go. I feel like I am going to throw up. My head hurts so bad, I think I'm going to die!"

"Uh-huh, you are not going to die......"

The moment their mother was about to nag, the car slid forward. The road opened up, as if it hadn't been clogged for the last few hours. Countless cars merged onto the highway as if they were being sucked into the giant bridge.

"Why are we falling all of a sudden?"

"How do I know? Maybe there's an accident ahead."

Squeak! The car screeched to a halt before he could finish his sentence. Yugeon, who was leaning his body forward, was thrown back. He just blankly blinked his eyes at the unexpected turn of events, but his parents looked alarmed.

"Yugeon-ah!"

The shock quickly spread backward like a wave. Ear-splitting horns were heard from all sides. The impatient drivers rolled down their windows and shouted loudly to the front. Something was terribly wrong.

"Baek Heeseong. Fasten your brother's seat belt. You too."

"But I don't feel good."

"Quickly!"

Heeseong frowned and shut his mouth. That was when he realized that this was not the time to complain. He hurriedly dragged his younger brother and put him in his place. A sturdy belt crossed the ten-year-old's tiny body diagonally. The whole time his brother's hands were moving over his body, Yugeon was staring blankly ahead without a word. His jet-black eyes were fixed in one place as if possessed.

"....."

"What's the matter? What are you looking at?"

Heeseong also turned his head. And was too stunned into silence.

"What, what is this...... what's going on?"

His father muttered something under his breath like a moan. But there was no one who could answer that, including himself.

The scene unfolding before their eyes was a calamity. To call it a disaster would be an understatement.

The long bridge, spanning the vast river, had been crushed in the middle. Asphalt and concrete chunks crumbled to dust, and cars lining the roadway crashed helplessly through the cracks of the crumbling half-destroyed bridge. It was a surreal scene that you would only see in disaster movies.

An insidious shadow was cast over the body of their car. Yugeon stared out of the window, tightly gripping his seat belt with both hands. There was something in the air above the bridge. At first, he thought it was a construction crane, but as he stared, he realized it was something else. It was a part of the body of some living creature. Something so huge that it could easily make one feel a distant awe just by looking at it.

Is that a kind of mutant he had only seen in the news or in safety education videos? Yugeon thought, half fascinated. But it was too big for that. The mutants he'd seen on the low-quality CCTV at the accident sites were not this big.

It was impossible to guess what shape it was, how big it was, or how its body was structured. He couldn't tell if the mutant's body the size of the house seen through the window was an arm or a leg, a head or a torso. But strangely enough, for a moment, he thought their eyes met. His mind went blank with abject terror.

The forelimbs, the antennae, the tentacles, no… something that couldn't be clearly defined slashed through the air. Kwaaang! His ears choked up. Concrete shards splattered. His vision jerked violently as several of them hit the side of their car.

"Ahh!"

Someone was screaming at the top of their lungs. Was it dad or mom, or hyung, or someone else out there? He couldn't really tell. There were so many terrible noises surrounding them.

"Guys. Honey!"

Dad turned around urgently. His hands, clutching the steering wheel, were shaking. He looked carefully at the faces of his wife and children, who looked lost and stunned by the sudden devastation, and gritted his teeth.

"Don't panic and move. Then our whole family can live. You boys learned it at emergency training drills at school. Remember?"

Heeseong nodded in tears. But Yugeon couldn't answer. He could see the shadows falling once more through the windshield in the front of the car, behind the backs of their parents looking back at their children.

"You have to get out of the car first. When daddy says one, two, three then......"

"Ah."

Daddy, he tried to call out, but before he could even say those short words, the world turned upside down. The car rattled loudly, and the seatbelt that was still fastened around him was tightened so hard as if it would break his rib cage. For a moment, he couldn't even breathe

Unable to withstand the attack of the giant mutant, the car's ceiling came crashing down. The thick metal was crushed too easily as if it were a sheet of paper. After a brief lapse of consciousness, Yugeon blinked open his eyes, gasping like a drowning man. His vision was all blurred, making it difficult to tell things apart. All he could glimpse was the car window, which had been cracked like a spider web, and the hideous crumpled door.

"Cough, Cough."

The lowered ceiling was making it difficult to clear his throat. He bowed his head and coughed with difficulty. His eyes had glazed over, and his stomach churned from a series of intense shocks that came one after another. 

His older brother sitting next to him had fainted in the same position as if he was seated in a chair. The backseat window had been smashed in, leaving a few scratches on his cheek. There were also cuts on his knees from shattered glass. Fortunately, there seemed to be no other wounds other than that.

What about mom and dad? He glanced up ahead absentmindedly. The front, where the driver's and front passenger's seats were, where his parents had been just a moment ago.

Everything was a mess, like a haphazardly crumpled piece of paper. The dented ceiling had caved in to the point where it almost touched the chairs, and in between.....

"....."

Yugeon stiffened up in his seat. The child's face, bloodied with cuts everywhere, turned white.

He moved his unfocused eyes and looked down. It was all red. Blood was dripping onto the floor and sloshed toward the back seat. It soaked the cookie crumbles that had fallen onto the floor and ran down to Yugeon's feet.

Cracked concrete crumbled into chunks and fell into the river. A loud, deafening roar came with the surge of water. When the ground supporting the front wheels suddenly disappeared, the car body lurched forward. The car with the family was now teetering on the edge of the collapsed bridge.

"Hyung..."

Yugeon forgot he was wearing a seatbelt and desperately shook Heeseong in the seat next to him, trying to wake him up. But with them sitting far apart, there was a limit to the short arms of a small child.

He remembered the seat belt that restrained his body only a bit later. Yugeon looked for the unlock button with his trembling hands. The car rattled loudly as he unbuckled it, tilting forward even more steeply. 

Yugeon grabbed Heeseong's arm sharply to pull him to his feet. It was only then that Heeseong, who had passed out in a cold sweat, came to his senses. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a river rushing past the window.

"Where's mom? Dad?"

Heeseong asked. Instead of answering, Yugeon just gritted his teeth and shook his head. All he could think was that he shouldn't let his brother see the front seats, begging inside desperately, so that he wouldn't look elsewhere.

"Hyung, let's get out of here. Quickly."

He tried pushing the door on the other side as hard as he could. However, since the car's body had deformed to the point where even the door had been warped, it wouldn't open no matter how hard he tried. The handle only rattled in vain. The button to roll down the window was also useless.

"The door won't open."

"What, what should we do?"

A dreadful shock washed over them again. The brothers clung to each other, their faces covered with tears and snot. Yugeon hugged Heeseong tightly with his whole body, as if trying to protect his older brother who was much bigger and taller than him. The car window cracked and shattered once more, sending shards into the car.

"Ah ugh!"

Yugeon's limbs were scraped by the glass shards. Delicate skin was torn and blood spurted out. Heeseong, who saw his younger brother getting hurt in front of his eyes, trembled to the point where he could hear the sound of his molars bumping.

The shattered glass left a hole behind, but it was only about the size of two or three fists at most. They didn't have the confidence to squeeze through the jagged glass and escape through that narrow gap. Just the thought that he might get hurt like his younger brother sent a chill down his spine. But they couldn't stay still. The car was now tilted almost vertically,  with the river filling the entire broken window.

Someone should have already reported it, but in reality, the accident site was a bridge in the middle of the city. It was inaccessible unless a helicopter or a boat was launched. In addition, the only road across the bridge was completely destroyed, causing massive traffic jams back and forth. They didn't know how long they would have to wait for help to come.

If they stay like this, they'll die. He had to do something. His blood boiled on impulse. Heeseong pounded on the window with all his might. Choeag! His eyes flashed. The broken glass that had been clinging to the window frame came cleanly off. It was not just that, the metal door was also left deeply damaged.

"What, what was that? Just now... I."

Heeseong looked down at his hands. They were fine. No, instead of human nails, there were sharp, long claws, no, blades protruding from his knuckles. But he remembered the sensation he had just felt. Sure enough, it was his hands that had ripped the door open.

Before he could think of anything, the impulse hit him. They can get out of here. They can live. The will to survive engulfed his mind. He swung his arms wildly, fueled by desperation.

Soon, the hinges broke and the door fell off in its entirety. The crushed car eventually slid into the river just as the brothers barely managed to get out of the car and sprawled on the ground. Splash! The black figure sank below the surface. The giant calamity that was winding around the bridge with its limbs was nowhere to be seen.

Despite their successful escape, Heeseong was still extremely agitated. He collapsed to the ground and flailed his arms around wildly in a convulsive manner. The asphalt road was dug shallow, splattering gravel every time his fingernails brushed past.

Then all of a sudden, his head felt as if it was about to explode. All his senses became horribly heightened. His senses of sight, hearing, touch, and smell ran wild. It was unbearably painful.

"Haa, haaa. Ah, it hurts."

He raised his hands and closed both ears. All the veins in his eyeballs had burst, turning red, and every muscle in his body was jerking and twitching. Anyone could see it wasn't normal. He didn't know what happened to his older brother, but he knew something horrible would happen if he left him like this. Yugeon hurriedly rushed forward and grabbed his brother.

"Hyung!"

But now, Heeseong couldn't even see his younger brother. With a sweep of his hand, he tossed away the tiny body clinging to him.

Although the brothers were both young, the older brother was a middle school student who was about to enter high school while the younger brother was still in elementary school. The difference in physique and the age difference of five or six were not easy to ignore. Yugeon was easily pushed to the ground helplessly. However, he immediately scrambled to his feet and approached his brother again without showing a hint of pain.

"Hyung, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Make it stop, it hurts! It hurts!"

He swung his hands wildly, his nails scratching Yugeon's collarbones. The T-shirt with a puppy emblazoned in front was ripped open, stained with blood. Yugeon held back the pain with gritted teeth and narrowed the gap. The frenzied fingernails that had long lost their reason raked across the corner of his eye this time.

A searing pain flared in the corner of his eye, then followed by a trickle of hot blood that ran down his eyelashes and cheek. Blood from the long cut in his eyelid got into his eyes, making it hard to see. However, Yugeon did not let go of his older brother. He hugged him with his whole body, wriggling like a ticking time bomb about to explode, and endured the pain like he was prepared to die. He felt like he had to.

"Ugh..."

After writhing in pain for too long, Heeseong began to cough up blood. His arms and legs, which had been stiff and twisted at extreme angles as if they were electrocuted, gradually lost their strength. Is it really over now? Mom, dad, hyung, and I, are we going to die like this? Yugeon wondered in a dazed state of mind, covered in blood from his brother's vomit and his own.

At that moment, a small waterway opened up from the depths of his body. The water, which had been trickling only in one place, all began to move in one direction. It was as if a hose was connected to a full tank of water. Warmth flowed gently through the veins of his body. Slowly, but never stopping, Yugeon lost consciousness as he felt the waves flowing through his body.

How much time had passed? Soon, vehicles bearing government license plates pulled up to the bridge one after another. The inscription on the side of the vehicles was clear. The Awakening Management Headquarters. The people who got out of the car were all dressed in dark red uniforms. They moved in perfect order, controlling the scene and recovering the casualties.

"We are now at the site of Hwangan Bridge. The bridge has been completely destroyed, and there are no signs of mutant species. The gate is also... ah."

As he picked his way through the rubble, radio in hand, the man let out a short sigh. His gaze fixed on one place.

"There are two civilian survivors, no, one is an Awakened. He is not registered, but I'm assuming this incident triggered his awakening. There are also traces of rampage symptoms. Both are minors. No parents in sight. Other than that, no other survivors..... Yes, I understand. I'll rescue them for now."

Chijig. Communication was cut off with an inorganic sound.

The crouching city breathed heavily under the thick darkness. Peeking through the wires tangled like moss, the red and blue neon lights continued to wink as if they were about to go out.

A man leaned back in the driver's seat and looked outside. The night view through the heavily tinted car window was like a swamp submerged in flames. He familiarly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. At first glance, it looked just like a handmade cigarette, but it was a mixture of various psychotropic drugs in high concentrations. Enough to shock an ordinary person to death if they smoked it.

He bit the filter and inhaled deeply. The acrid smoke filled his airways. However, the pounding pain in his head did not subside. He blew out a cold puff of smoke and blinked through his pale colored eyelashes. In contrast to the languid movements, his eyes are noticeably bloodshot.

With drugs, pain was tolerant. Once addicted to drugs, he was no longer satisfied with a small dose, so he had also gotten used to the pain like that of shattering the brain and burning of each cell. Even though he knew it had no effect, the man smoked like a habit.

Ji-iing. The cell phone that he had tossed haphazardly onto the passenger seat cut through the silence. Even that small noise made his sensitive hearing nerves ache. His eyes flashed black and his stomach turned upside down. He frowned slightly for a brief moment, then casually answered the call.

- Are you really going there? It's all been a bummer lately.

Without a greeting or an introduction, a random question flew in. The man leaned his head back with a cigarette in one hand and a cell phone in the other. His throat tasted blood. He inhaled the smoke deeply, trying to suppress the bloody taste.

"I have a feeling. It's for real this time."

- If you're going, recover some health and go. Do you need a rental guide?

He smirked out of habit, even though he knew he was invisible to the other side.

"Since when did we become so close? You are even concerned about my health."

- I don't care what happens to you. I'd be embarrassed to see the news headlines saying our Head lost his mind and died on the streets after having a fit.

"....."

- How many months has it been since you last received guiding? No, should I start counting in years?

"I don't know... ah, forget the rental. Just because I'm hungry doesn't mean I'm going to eat cheap junk food."

- Who can't even eat that junk food and making a fuss?

"It hurts a little. Still, it's not that bad."

- Who wants to be stuck with a rental guide for the rest of their lives? Just buy someone for one night to put out the fire, or borrow someone else's for a few days. Tell me if you want some A-class ones.

"You know. My palate is a little picky."

- What the fuck do you mean, palate? You're about to go rampage, but you are still checking your palate? What a load of bull. That's why all the guides we've gotten have run away.

"This guy..... Why's your mouth so disgusting? Our Chan-ie, what should we do? Sooner or later your mouth will look like a dirty mop."

The man's brows furrowed as if he was genuinely sorry and upset. Soon afterwards, from beyond the speakers, came noisy shouts with a string of profanities. 

- Woo Shinje, you bastard. Just get lost and die in a ditch then. Fuck off!

The call went dead. The man finally threw away the facade he had been disguising with. He swept away his disheveled bangs, opened the window, and tossed the half-smoked cigarette onto the dirty asphalt. It was thrown away untouched, but the embers died down quickly in an odd way. As if someone had trampled it on and rubbed it out.

He put his cell phone on the passenger seat. No, he was going to put it down. Crack. A momentary lapse in control caused the thin edges of the phone to crack in his grip. Glass dust fell from the cracked liquid crystal.

"....."

He twisted his face in silence. There was a hint of madness that lurked beneath the kind, gentle features. The cell phone in his grip began to twist into a mess. The sound of cracks, bangs and smashing of plastics and metals was spine-chilling. Eventually, the cell phone, mangled beyond recognition, was also thrown outside.

Decades had passed since the first time the monsters appeared through the gates. Outbreak. The world's population had been decreased by one-third. The world talked about it as a reenactment of the Black Death, a divine punishment for the human race, and the beginning of the end. There were many people who concluded that there was no longer hope in this world.

However, just as Europeans in the 14th century eventually overcame the Black Death, mankind in the 21st century also made a breakthrough against the Outbreak. Around the time of the Outbreak, people who awakened mysterious abilities that modern science couldn't explain began to appear one after another. As a result, the world order was reorganized around those people who had manifested superpowers, the ‘Awakened’.

All the awakened people, unfortunately however, suffered from the side effects of their abilities. While there were individual differences, the most common side effect was that all senses became terribly acute.

Some people couldn't stand the slightest of smell in the air and became nauseous, while others screamed in pain just by rubbing their skin on their clothes. The same was true for sight and hearing. Even with their eyes closed and ears plugged, they still could clearly see the blood vessels and membranes on the inside of their eyelids, and hear the sound of their own heart beating and organs moving.

It was not uncommon for those who had not been ‘guided’ for a long time to faint, lose their mind forever, go insane, or even commit suicide as they could no longer stand the sensations that were coming at them like a tidal wave. Moreover, the higher the rank, the worse the side effects. This was the reason why the average lifespan of the Awakened, despite having miraculous powers, was so short.

The man sagged into the seat like a soaked cotton ball. Maybe it's too late for the drugs to take effect? A speckled light of ecstasy spilled over his pale face as if it had been painstakingly painted by a romantic painter, over the black dress shirt, and over the randomly sprawled limbs.

When will this terrible pain that had followed him like original sin from the moment he was born end? How long would he have to suffer in vain, longing for unbounded liberation? What if his life ended right now? What if all the mutants disappeared from the earth? What if this long war ended with the defeat of humanity?

"The beast tormenting you allows no man to cross her path, but obstructs him, to destroy him. Has so vicious and perverse a nature, that she never sates her greedy appetite..... and after food is hungrier than before."

The night scene that filled the field of his vision clumped, blurred, and distorted of its own accord. He pursed his lips weakly and muttered like a sigh.

"Many are the creatures she mates with, and there will be many more..... until the greyhound comes who will make her die in pain." [1]

Either way, he had to stay alive. Tracking ‘him’ down until his last breath.

Armed men gathered in a dimly lit alley. Some wore bullet belts, others clanked full magazines, and some had gas masks that covered half their faces. It was a narrow, dirty street that most people shy away from, but the way they carried themselves was peculiar. They were a group of Awakened people, the Hunters who hunted mutants.

Unlike the Awakened who belonged to the Awakening Management Headquarters, called Espers, Hunters were not tied to the state. While Espers were treated like special forces officers, protecting the states, Hunters were free to seek out prey solely for their own benefit. Depending on their abilities, they could earn a penny or an astronomical sum.

Although they were the same Awakened people, the paths they pursued were completely opposite, so the Espers and Hunters naturally had an extremely bad relationship. It was not a day or two where they refer each other by friendly nicknames, such as civil servants pups who would even give their souls to the state or hyenas cubs who turned their eyes at the mention of money.

"Hey, did you get anything?"

"What can you even get from that situation? I saw only shit with my ass on fire."

"Same here."

"Today's job is just pointless. The money won't be enough to eat. I'm going to croak at this rate."

"We're still getting the basic wage....."

"You can barely buy drugs with that amount."

"Just take that and look for a job somewhere else next time."

The two Hunters were sitting on the garbage bags piled up in the corner of the alley, exchanging frivolous conversations. Just from their completely armed appearance, they could be easily comparable to the mercenaries fresh off the battlefield, but the conversation between them gave off the exhaustion of daily work.

"There's not much to go anywhere else these days. There aren't a lot of places that are willing to give F-class people money."

"That's true. If the job is a little safer, it has shit pay. If the pay is pretty good, it means they are going to push F-classes to die at the front."

The Hunter, filled with self-deprecating lament, chuckled and took out a cigarette. He held the cigarette with a leather-gloved hand and flicked it gently. A red spark flared from the end. Pyrokinesis, the ability to create and control fire at will.

Pyromancers were not rare, but they were very efficient and had many uses, so they were rarely looked down upon wherever they went. Even so, an F-class' ability would only be limited to lighting cigarettes or starting campfires.

"There's that gate that was recently discovered. The boss wants to make big bucks with that one. I heard an S-class Hunter is going to appear at the gate."

"What? S-class?"

"You know ‘Midheaven’? There's a guy I knew over there, so I heard a sneak peek."

"I guess it really is a big fish. Will they put up a daily job announcement? Then I'll quit right here and transfer."

"Ugh. There must already be a lot of high-ranking Hunters over there. Why would they hire an F? It would just be a waste of money for them."

"When you are S-class, a couple hundred millions per raid is just ridiculous. They should do some charity work and throw away some money."

"What's a couple hundred million? I heard the good ones pull in billions and the bad ones pull in millions. It's just a big company, a big company."

"It must be worth living. It's like winning the lottery ten times. They must be very busy every day buying a large house, driving foreign cars, pouring expensive liquor like water, and spending money."

"I don't know. Really?"

"Why?"

The Hunter, who'd been taking in his coworkers's non-nutritious chatter with a cigarette in his mouth, shrugged. 

"S-classes aren't human. I heard it's good for your mental health to just think of them as another species wearing human masks. Do they even like foreign cars or liquor?"

"If they are not human beings, then what, ghosts? Even if it's an S-class, eating, sleeping and shitting would be just like the rest of us."

Instead of answering, he dropped his finished cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out absentmindedly.

"I don't get it either. I've never seen an S-class before."

Just as he finished speaking, both heard a loud noise from the other side. But the others didn't care much and went about their business. A few pairs of unenthusiastic eyes glanced in the direction, as if to say, ‘there they go again’.

"Relax."

A young man, standing with his back against the cement wall with faded leaflets stuck to it, gritted his teeth while maintaining a stiff posture. This was because he intuitively felt the violence that would follow. He bowed his head slightly, and black hair spilled over his forehead.

"Are you already getting tired? Stand up straight."

Again, a heavy fist slammed into his lower abdomen. Even the bulletproof vest he had worn in case of a mutant attack couldn't shield him from the impact of a solid punch to his gut. The young man swallowed a muffled groan and closed his eyes tightly. A scar, drawn thin like a double eyelid, was visible for a few seconds above one eye. 

"Kid, where the hell is Baek Heeseong? Where has he gone again that there's not a single sign of him?"

A tall, burly, middle-aged man clenched and unclenched his fist and asked with a loud voice. He was the leader of a Hunting Order, a group of Hunters. The Hunting Orders also varied in quality, ranging from a place with many members under a systematic structure to a place with just a few idiots. And this place, unfortunately, was closer to the latter.

The man was an F-class Awakened with muscle strengthening type ability. He was a good talker, he was an Awakened, and his ability allowed him to strengthen his entire body, but he was an F-class so there wasn't much difference other than that he was a little stronger than the average person.

"After I gave first aid to his injuries, he received guiding for a short while and now he's taking a rest."

"Huh? Taking a rest? After making all this mess? Mother, these rotten orphans really are messed up in their heads. How can you show that you didn't learn a single thing from your parents?"

The Hwangan Bridge tragedy, which took away his parents and a peaceful life in one fell swoop, eventually became an unsolved incident. Everything happened in under an hour at most, and most of the civilians on the scene were killed. By the time the center responded to the report, it was over. The two boys, the only survivors, were too young and in shock to give a proper statement.

"....."

Yugeon only stared at the floor with his mouth tightly closed in a furious stance. He had already become too accustomed to the unprovoked violence and verbal abuse from others for no reason or for a reason. Skepticism and resistance to irrationality and injustice were the leisure of the haves. Since he didn't have anything, all he had to do was endure.

When he was younger, a little more innocent and naive than he was now, he used to quickly follow what others told him to do. When an adult asked him to answer quickly, and if he did, he would be beaten up for it. Because how dare he talk back and forth. So when he stayed still, he was beaten up again. For being impudent, how dare he keep his mouth shut. His current attitude was what he learned through numerous trial and error.

"This isn't the first time this happened. That's why we don't hire black-headed beasts."

"I'm sorry, sir."

Yugeon apologized in a toneless voice. He had become used to being the recipient of the grudges against his older brother in his stead.

Heeseong made a mistake on tonight's operation. The goal of the operation was to find and destroy the mutants that might still be roaming in the city even after the gates were closed. However, the F-class Hunters, who had only dealt with small mutants until now, unfortunately encountered a higher level mutant, far beyond their capabilities. Faced with the hideous creature, Heeseong immediately fell into a panic and retreated, ignoring the instructions. Since he broke the battle formation without permission, the other Hunters were almost put into danger.

His older brother was always like this, even in the old days, that is, even before he became an Awakened. Even a small scratch on his body would keep him on edge all day, and he couldn't stand seeing blood, whether it was his own or someone else's. Whenever he was stressed, he would immediately fall ill with a high fever. It was the total opposite of Yugeon, who would stand up immediately wiping his hands even after a bad fall, covered in dust and blood.

Heeseong's character, if he had been born at a time of peace, would have only sounded a little eccentric, but would never be a fatal flaw. Heeseong was always at the top of his class, an honor student who had never been out of the top three of his school in every test. No one would blink an eye even if his personality was a bit sensitive. He would have gotten into a prestigious university and gotten a good job without any problems.

Unfortunately, however, this was the era when strength proved everything. The lowest F-class among the Awakened, a person with only a mediocre ability to mutilate, plus timid, nervous and clumsy. Heeseong was a nobody wherever he went. If he hadn't had a guide by his side, he would have already died from the side effects of his ability early on, or he would have been caught and killed by the mutants many years ago.

"Hey, you are right. I should kiss up your asses. I don't have enough people to round up the mutants, so I have to smile and pay for you guys, right?"

"We'll fix it."

"Then what's with that look on your face?"

A thick finger roughly pressed Yugeon's forehead. Yugeon reflexively stood on his toes. His head was jerked back slightly, but his entire body did not stagger.

"Hey, Yugeon-ah. Is it finally making you sick that you have to roll around in the field while other guides get cradled like they are precious treasures, huh? Do you have a problem with that? No, tell me if you have one, don't crumple your face like a motherfucker who needs to take a shit."

"There is none."

"What do you mean no? It's written all over your face."

"No, it's not."

"If Baek Heeseong can only make 0.5 servings, you should be making 1.5 servings. That way, my money to you guys will be a little less wasteful, right? Yes?"

"....."

"It's no one else's fault that your older brother is a fucking moron. So what can you do?"

His heart that he thought had already worn out, frayed and dull was scratched again. Yugeon, who had only been silently looking down with a submissive attitude, raised his eyes for the first time. The piercing eyes, hidden beneath the black eyelashes, glared straight at the man.

The man instantly felt the unrefined killing intent in those eyes. And immediately after that, he became ashamed. To deny the shame he just felt, he deliberately swung his hand even more violently. This time, it was the face, not the gut that was protected by the equipment.

Jjaag! Yugeon's head snapped to the side helplessly. One of the spectators from behind blew a small whistle. That wasn't the end of it. Without giving him a break, the man slapped his cheeks a couple more times in quick succession. It was not long before the edges of his lips burst open and bleed.

"Where do you think you are rolling your eyes at, you little punk."

Yugeon bit down on his bloody lip and didn't let out a single moan. He was quite a vicious bastard. Guides were those that were no different from ordinary people, except for their guiding abilities. They could easily die in a single attack from mutants and rarely healed well if injured. He recognized this kid when he went to battle alongside the Hunters, equipped with only a gun and a short knife, saying if there was anything lacking in his brother, he would make up for it.

What an unpleasant fellow. What's so good about him? The man shook his head, spat and turned away. That was enough taking out his anger for the botched mission. If he hit him the wrong way and the kid ended up crippled, or if he walked out with his brother, saying he couldn't do this anymore, he was the one who would suffer a big loss in power.

In any case, there was only one guide in this Order. Compared to the Awakened, Guides were rare, at most one in a dozen, or one in a few hundred. That was the reason why he couldn't throw away the trash called Baek Heeseong even at great risk. Those damn Baek siblings were so badly in love that the older brother and the younger brother had to come as a set.

"That Baek Heeseong, tell him to fucking pull himself together. Next time, if that fool pulls a stunt like that again, there will be no second chance for you both. The next operation is really important. Understand?"

A low-pitched reply came from behind him, a beat too late. His voice sounded slightly hoarse.

"...Yes."

He climbed the narrow, steep staircase. Old dust caked on the walls and floors covered with low-quality cement, and the emergency lights that marked the number of floors have long since faded. A ramshackle building, not more than a few blocks away from where the mutant sweeping operation was carried out. This was Heeseong and Yugeon's home.

In front of the abandoned old pawnshop next door, there was a shop with a butcher's sign that was so old the letters were barely readable. From the outside, it looked like they were dealing with human flesh, not necessarily cattle or pork. It was an overall unsavory landscape.

Through the cracked glass window, bright red, cheap neon lights in the shape of a cross flashed in. Standing in the front of the door, he slid the key into the rusty keyhole. With the development of technology, and since some Awakened people could easily hack into the locking system without even touching it, even doors that could be opened by recognizing a person's brain waves have been developed. The place where he lived, however, still had to jam a key in the keyhole to open it every time.

"I'm home."

Behind his back, the front door slammed shut with an uncomfortably loud noise.The wood had warped from its old age and wouldn't close well without a lot of force.

The inside of the house was just as shabby as the outside. Anyone could see that it was a cramped one-room apartment, but it was claimed to be a one-and-a half room after separating the kitchen and the main room with a flimsy sliding door. On the old bed in the corner, he could see a large, puffy bundle of blankets. Yugeon fumbled with the zipper of the overcoat he was wearing and asked.

"Hyung, have you eaten?"

"....."

"I told you to eat first. You didn't even go grocery shopping, did you?"

Yugeon threw his coat over his shoulder. The coat hung loosely on the back of a chair. He opened the refrigerator with familiarity and looked inside. As expected, all that was inside were a few bottles of water. A hysterical cry came back from under the covers.

"You're so mean. You want me to go grocery shopping outside? How can you make your one and only hyung to do that impossible thing?

"I always do that impossible thing by myself every time."

"Are you and I the same? Hey, Baek Yugeon. What the hell are you talking about?"

The words were thrown around carelessly again. If they continued this fruitless conversation, Heeseong would get hurt and put a wall around his heart again.

Unlike Yugeon, who was too calm and mellow in nature that he would shrug it off as bad luck even if he had to take insults or get hit in the face in front of many people, Heeseong was extremely delicate and sensitive. A single careless word or gesture from Yugeon could easily hurt him. 

But with his crude sensibilities dulled by countless battles, he could never figure out where he'd gone wrong no matter how much he thought about it. As a result, later on, he stopped talking altogether. Yugeon, who was otherwise already on the quiet side, became even less talkative than he was previously before.

The corners of his eyes furrowed slightly as he pondered how to make his brother feel better? However, he had no talent at comforting someone and no eloquence to end an argument in a gentle manner. So all he could come up with was a muffled apology.

"I'm sorry, hyung. I was wrong."

Heeseong tossed and turned under the blankets at the apology he gave without changing his expression.

"No. I was also mean. That was my problem."

"Next time, let's start by going to the convenience store down the street. It's not like we are going to fight a mutant, it's just a quick 5 minute trip to the store."

"What if I suddenly lose control? Just like in the past..."

"It's okay. Rampages don't happen that easily. If so, then all the Awakened people wandering alone on the streets are all crazy people with a death wish."

"All right, later. It's too soon."

The man who was curled up in bed finally pulled back the covers. The face of a young man in his mid-to-late twenties was revealed. His complexion was sickly pale, and was also sweating profusely.

"Guide me. I couldn't even sleep and kept waiting for you."

Yugeon couldn't muster up the strength to keep nagging the other person when he was in so much pain, and if not to anyone else, at least to his brother. Studying Heeseong's complexion, Yugeon blinked slowly. There was no significant change, but his expressionless face had softened up a bit.

"Is it really bad?"

"I feel like I'm going to die."

"Since when?"

"It has been like that since a while ago, when we were on the mission. I thought I'd get yelled at more if I showed that I was sick."

"So you kept it to yourself?"

Of all the Awakened who suffered from pain for the rest of their lives, Heeseong was at least one of the better off. He was an F-class, which means he had the weakest side effects, and a dedicated guide was by his side at all times. Still, the reason why he grunted about suffering and dying every time was because he was naturally sensitive and vulnerable to pain.

"Yugeon-ah, earlier, I'm sorry. I was wrong. I mean, so please make me feel better."

Heeseong's parched lips trembled as he sobbed. He was almost thirty now, but at times like this, he looked younger than his younger brother. Yugeon sighed softly and propped his knees on the edge of the bed. Heeseong rolled up the blanket and opened his arms as if he had been waiting. A long, skinny hand wrapped around Yugeon's back.

The brothers collapsed in a heap. The cheap mattress creaked under the weight of two grown men. Yugeon smelled a little like the cool night air outside. Heeseong ran his hand down Yugeon's arm, finding the bare skin under his sleeve, and grabbed it. It was instinct. Since guiding over clothes was significantly less efficient.

Yugeon patted him gently, as if to soothe his brother who was hugging him as tight as he could. Soon, a gentle warmth spread throughout the blood vessels and nerves of his body. This special ability was called ‘guiding’, and it was only exclusive to those called ‘Guides’.

"Huh, uh, haaa."

The sharp pain in his head gradually subsided. Heeseong let out a moan of satisfaction without realizing it. His body shuddered intermittently as if he was about to climax.

He always felt that guiding was like a drug. In fact, the Awakened people who could not find a compatible guide would take drugs as a temporary measure. Of course, it wasn't much better than getting a real guide, but they could forget the pain for a few hours.

Risking their lives fighting with mutants, hurriedly jabbing needles in their forearms before side effects set in, go hunting again to earn money for the drugs, and live for only a few years, leaving nothing but desperation and madness. It was a regular scene on this floor.

Heeseong was terrified that it would happen to him. He didn't even have the courage to do drugs. So he became more obsessed with his younger brother. When he first awakened his powers and went on a rampage, it was Yugeon who risked his life to save him. He still couldn't forget the horrible feeling he had of the time when he lost his reason and tore his little brother's flesh with his nails. From that day on, Yugeon had been his lifeline.

"I'm sorry, Yugeon-ah. I'm sorry."

Heeseong's heart relaxed with the sense of calmness as if he were surrounded by thick clouds. The sincerity that had been buried deep inside came out without him realizing.

"What are you sorry for?"

"I know you're being bullied because of me. That guy calls you out just to vent his anger. Beating you up, calling you names, and hitting you."

Heeseong's arms were still tangled around Yugeon's waist. Yugeon hugged his older brother back and leaned his forehead against his bony, hard shoulder. A dry laugh tugged at the corners of his bruised lips, covered with dry blood.

"That bastard is unfortunately the boss so if that geezer wants me to crawl, I have to crawl. If he's mad then he's mad."

"But..."

"Never mind, I'm fine."

"You're going through something like that and I can't do anything. You rarely make mistakes, and you're talented. If only you worked with another Hunter instead of me, you wouldn't be stuck in a shitty place like this, and would be making a lot more money. If it weren't for me."

"Don't say that."

"Yugeon-ah, I, you know. Should I just be weak? Then it'll be less of a burden on you. Other than me, all the other Hunters do it..."

"I told you not to."

Yugeon cut off Heeseong's gibberish words. Despite the bluntness of his tone, the guiding still flowed warmly and circulated all over Heeseong's body.

13 years had passed since the mutant attack on the Hwangan Bridge. In that accident, the brothers lost their parents and their peaceful life. All they had left was a blood-stained childhood and a dilapidated room.

In the aftermath of the catastrophic Outbreak, the old order collapsed. Power became the justification and logic. Some Awakened, intoxicated by their own strength, came to look down on the non-Awakened as if they were second-class citizens. The government also put teenagers in uniforms and gave them rank badges, as long as they were high enough in rank. 

It was an era when compassion for the weak had long disappeared. There were so many people who died hunting mutants or being hunted by mutants that they couldn't even count on two hands every single day. The few welfare facilities were packed just by collecting newborn babies who lost their parents due to sudden accidents. No one could afford to feed, clothe, and house the children over the age of ten. 

Yugeon and Heeseong also had to go out and work to earn for a meal. It was fortunate that one was an Awakened and the other was a Guide. Thanks to their means of earning a living, they had a much less miserable childhood than non-Awakened children.

"Hyung."

Whatever he was thinking, Yugeon, who had been staring into space, holding his brother, suddenly spoke up.

"Hm? Uh huh."

"Let's just do our next mission, and when we get paid, let's take a break for a while."

"What's wrong? Are you mad? Because I... I caused another accident again?

As soon as he finished speaking, Yugeon shook himself out of the embrace and stood up. His unsteady gaze followed behind him as he headed toward the kitchen. Heeseong had always been like this. He'd throw all sorts of nonsense and harsh words at Yugeon and get on his nerves, but then he'd immediately become nervous and look for him. Like he was afraid of being abandoned.

"It's not like that. We should take a break from time to time. We also have to visit our parents' graves, and hyung needs to practice going out alone."

After a bit of hesitation, a weak answer came back.

"All right."

"Let's eat, then drink coffee?"

"Yes."

"You know, hyung always says I can't cook shit to save my life, but I know how to make a good cup of coffee at least."

It was too clumsy to call it reconciliation or consolation. But it was enough to soften the rigid atmosphere.

"That's right... a kid with no taste, no tact, just coffee."

An unconscious smile spread across Heeseong's lips, as if looking back on the years they spent together. Yugeon also smiled softly as he rolled up his sleeves as if nothing happened.

"Wash up and come out. I will get dinner ready."

A group of Hunters had gathered in an abandoned factory in the outskirts of the city on a night when smoke and fine dust covered the sky and no moon to be seen. The industrial complex was abandoned years ago when a large gate appeared in this area and following the devastation of the entire neighborhood. The factory had since been used as an outpost and hideout for Hunters.

Mankind had kept losing territories this way. The mutant hunting zones became dead grounds for the general public, hunting grounds for Hunters, and lines of defense for Espers.

"Haa."

Someone breathed out a sigh while wiping down their equipment. The blade of a special combat knife made of mutant by-products gleamed in the dusky moonlight.

"I have to pay my daughter's tuition fees this week. What kind of middle school kid needs to go to seven different tutions at once? My back is for sure going to break if this keeps up. My wife will weep when she sees me in the underworld."

"Ugh. Are you bragging about having a daughter?"

"Why the hell does she need tuition for every subject? Does that kid have no idea how hard it is for her father to make money off of mutants? Back in my day, I didn't even go to private tuitions and I did well in my studies."

"What do you mean, ‘back in my day?’ You sound like an old geezer. I heard kids these days have to do that. If they don't, they won't be able to keep up. Many universities closed down, so it's a lot tougher than it was back then."

Famous Hunters, whose names had become household words, were almost treated like celebrities, but they were just busy F-classes and absolute commoners in Korea. Talking about children's education and college entrance exams while gathering in a deary abandoned factory to prepare for battle. It was an oddly black comedy-like scene.

"No, no. The days when everyone held pencils instead of guns and knives were so long ago, so I think your memories are messed up. Only two types of kids joined multiple tuitions at the same time. Either one wanted to be the number one in the whole school, or the other one a total idiot. My kid unfortunately inherited my genes, so it's definitely not the first one."

"Really? Let's see. Hey! Kid. Guide Baek!"

The arrow suddenly turned to Yugeon. A black tactile vest, a leather holster for his pistol, and thick-soled walkers. He was dressed in his so-called 'work clothes'.

"....."

Yugeon, who was sitting on a logistics crate taller than his height and swinging his feet meaninglessly, blinked without any expression. The chattering middle-aged men beckoned him to come over.

"Come on, you. Kid. Get your butt over here."

Instead of answering, he hopped off the crate. All eyes turned to him at once. It was not because Yugeon was so young compared to other Hunters that he was called a little punk or a kid. In terms of height alone, he was easily taller than most of them. He stood out particularly among the men of their age, whose foreheads were gradually widening, and flabbing on their sides.

"This kid probably still has wet ink on his ID card. Look, we aren't going to come up with any answer if I only argue with this father-in-law here. You tell me. Did you go to several tuitions too?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I've never been to school properly, so I don't know what tuition is like."

"Huh?"

There was a moment of silence.

"My parents passed away when I was 10, and since then I've been following Hunters around for work. I never went to school, obviously."

Instead, he took online classes. It was provided by the Ministry of Education for minors who could not afford to go to school because of their jobs. The lectures were barely enforced to consider the circumstances of those who were fighting with mutants every day, so even if you left the video on and left the seat all day, you would get a diploma.

Countless tragedies had occurred since the Outbreak. Too many people had lost their parents, children, siblings, friends and lovers to the mutants. There were also quite a few who became Hunters after suffering a loss and became obsessed with revenge. Still, it was rare to find someone who was so blunt about it.

"Still, hyung got his middle school diploma....."

Yugeon continued to speak, then quickly shut up. Each of the rugged-looking men was looking at him with strange eyes. He realized that his words had shocked them, but he couldn't really tell what point it was exactly. Were they surprised that he was more ignorant than they imagined?

"This kid. You should've told us earlier. It just makes people sad."

"Yeah, man. Trigonometric functions or relative pronouns or all that shit, you still grew up well. Especially for a guide like you, eh? If you keep your guiding straight and take good care of your partners, you can easily make a lot of money. Don't be discouraged and try to live well kiddo. So you don't have to be embarrassed when you see your parents in heaven."

"But why didn't you join the center? I thought they accept guides unconditionally?"

The center here referred to the Awakening Management Headquarters. It was mainly composed of mid-level Awakened from E-classes to B-classes. F-classes were not accepted since they were underqualified, and S- and A-classes could earn hundreds of millions of won ridiculously per raid if they worked as a Hunter so there was no reason to hang up on the salary given by the state. As a result, most of the mid-level Awakened were affiliated with the center.

"Hyung is an F-class so he did not qualify, and I can't be separated from him."

"Why? Can't you just put another guide with your hyung?"

"There aren't many guides who want to take on F-classes in the first place, but no matter what, hyung will just refuse. Hyung doesn't like touching anyone other than me."

"Huh. Guide Baek, you are also living like a dog, in one way or another."

"Should this hyung-nim give you something good?"

Big hands patted his shoulders and back roughly. He then sneaked out a powdered drug wrapped in paper as if he was being generous.

Unlike Heeseong, Yugeon didn't have a bad reputation among the Hunters. The Leader's beatings and verbal assault on Yugeon was just an angry response to Heeseong's missteps. He might be an official member of the Order, but these daily wage workers had no reason to resent him. But there was also no reason to speak up for him, so they just usually turned their face to the other side if they saw him get beaten up.

"It's fine."

Yugeon pushed away the bag. It was obvious what was inside. Drugs that make you forget the pain and boost the excitement.

"Just take it, this kid."

"Still."

"It's for your brother. What? He doesn't do this?"

‘Yugeon-ah, I, you know. Should I just be weak?’

Heeseong's feeble voice was heard over and over like auditory hallucinations. Yugeon swallowed a sigh and closed his eyes. The scar on the upper eyelid, which was not normally visible, was revealed.

"When an adult gives you something, you don't refuse it. You just say thank you and keep it. What do you mean it's fine?"

The man did not even budge at Yugeon's sharp refusal. Rather, he chuckled and shoved the bag in his hands. Rough hands were placed on top of Yugeon's hands wearing gloves. As the space between them narrowed, the bitter and acrid smell of cigarettes wafted from him. No, it wasn't regular cigarettes, it was cannabis again. It was also of low quality and had a terrible smell.

"And, uh, while you are at it, why won't you do a small favor for your hyung-nims."

"Aren't we and your brother the same? It's not like you will wear out easily from a few favors. Let's help each other, yea?"

He then gently rubbed the bare wrist that peeked out from under his glove. The gesture was clear in its intent. Yugeon looked down in silence.

Yugeon guiding other Hunters other than Heeseong was only when they were injured or in bad enough condition to compromise the missions. Most of the time, it was just holding hands or hugging them lightly. The terms of the contract were like that in the first place.

Some guides sold their guiding for money. Their clients were desperate Awakened who were either on the verge of madness or near death. Holding hands or hugging was the cheapest option, and petting and even sex were possible depending on the price.

But Yugeon was different. He was a member of an undisputed combat group and a life-or-death fellow on duty. They can't treat him like a rental guide they bought with money. If it was a place with strict discipline, there would be an immediate disciplinary action.

Yugeon tilted his head slightly, lowered his gaze, and smirked. The charming eyes were gently curved and the corner of his lips relaxed. It was a friendly smile, a far cry from his usual demeanor.

"Living like a dog."

But the words that came out of his mouth were far from sociable.

"But do I really have to live like a dog?"

Yugeon jerked his wrist out of his grasp. He casually tossed the pack away and stepped back.

"Even if I didn't get to properly learn how to make a living, I'm not cheap enough to sell my body in exchange for a drug packet out of all things."

Those who were dumbfounded by the unexpected response soon smiled in vain. It was a pity. All they wanted was to be nice to this brat as they felt sorry for him, who was obviously struggling to feed his lacking brother.

"Damn it, you bastard."

"It's not that hard to figure out what's going on."

"Hey. You've crossed the line. You think it is hilarious that we are pampering you for being a guide, right?"

Just in time, the heavy container door opened. Heeseong, who looked half-dead, and the leader, who was gripping his forearm like a detective taking a criminal into custody, came out together. He had apparently been called to a corner to be scolded at.

Heeseong rolled his eyes in desperation, and soon spotted Yugeon. Surrounded by Hunters. He didn't know what was happening but something didn't seem right.

"Yugeon-ah!"

He shook off the leader's hand and ran. The leader glanced at him with a look of surprise. He wondered if it was the same guy who was shuddering even when he was just raising his hand to pretend to hit him earlier.

"Don't touch my Yugeon. Stay away from my guide!"

"Hyung."

"I will kill all of you. Uh, I'm going to kill everyone. You-you bullies, I'm going to..... rip you all into pieces."

Black hair that looked just like his younger brother, thin cheeks stained with tears, and a tall, skinny frame. Overall, he looked terribly vulnerable, but they all felt the strange intimidation from his hollow eyes, like that of someone who had been driven to the limit.

Baek Heeseong, this bastard. He looked like he was going crazy. It was surprisingly frightening when these gloomy guys turned their eyes. The Hunters swallowed dryly, their fingers twitching as they gauged the timing to use their power if a fight suddenly broke out.

"Huh? What are you guys up to? The fuck are you doing? Stop fooling around and get your asses in gear! I ain't taking responsibility if you dumbfucks' equipment broke down or whatever on the mission."

It was the leader's thunderous yelling that broke the deadlock. At times like this, it was a good thing that he was someone blinded by money. Several pairs of hostile gazes lingered on the two brothers, then dispersed one by one.

They drove across a half-abandoned industrial complex in a beat-up van that looked like it could be used for human trafficking. Upon arriving at the mission site, he saw a gate large enough to swallow a shipping container, and a group of people gathered in front of it. They were Hunters who had come here, smelling the money.

Seeing that neither Espers in uniform nor access control signs, it seemed that the center was still quiet about the gate. It was understandable. All the information about the newly opened gates or mutants was money. They could earn savory money by selling the information to the Hunters before leaking the news to the government or the press.

"It cost me a fortune to contact the first discoverer. This means I put all my money into this one."

The leader had been repeatedly stressing that this mission was a really big deal for the past few days, and that if they screwed up this time, they'd all die and he'd follow them too. Everyone was already overwhelmed by the pressure.

Gazes judging each other's ranks went back and forth between those who had arrived earlier and those who had just arrived. However, the gate was not in the center of Seoul where large Hunting Orders were situated, so only Hunters from the fringes of the metropolitan area were there.

"I'm sure you guys didn't come here to drink at night. Words must have spread pretty fast in that short time. Is that all of you?"

An unfamiliar Hunter looked them up and down and asked with a hint of disbelief. The leader shrugged nonchalantly.

"We all are just F-class bums. I promise we won't go near the gate, so you big guys just share the goods among yourselves. We just want to snoop around here and there to pick up some scraps."

"If you're just here to clean up the small fries, that's fine for me. Well, we're in a position to work together for the night, so yeah. Let's do our best."

A temporary alliance was established, albeit a strictly self-serving one. There was no need for tedious procedures such as self-introduction or pre-operation meetings. The Hunters immediately surrounded the huge black hole in the middle of the asphalt road. The endless darkness beyond it rumbled uneasily. It was a sign that the gate was about to open and the mutants were on the verge of pouring out.

For once, the timing was just right. The information that the leader bought at a high price seemed to be a real deal. If a new mutant species that had never been discovered before appeared here, they would get the participation points, and even better if they could gain a strategy on how to target the new mutant species. Even if that wasn't the case, the income from selling mutant carcasses and by-products would be quite lucrative.

At first glance, the gate resembled a sinkhole created by the ground caving in. However, unlike a typical sinkhole, the inside was neither visible nor reflected light. Would it be like this if you looked at the dark matter in the universe with naked eye?

In the wake of Outbreak, many had studied the principles and compositions of the Gates, but no one had yet to discover the truth. All that was known was that the gates were passageways between ‘this world’ where humans live and the ‘other world’ where the monsters were from.

Not only was a gate an entrance to an endless stream of mutants, but also a gold vein of mines and a gushing oil field. But it was just as dangerous. The unknown space beyond the gate was called a Pit. Few people knew what was inside. In the first place, the number of those who returned alive after crossing the gate was small, and those who did rarely speak out about what they had seen or heard. As if they didn't even want to think of it.

Hunters were known for their recklessness when it came to money, but even so, no one dared to jump into the gates foolhardy. At the very least, they knew it wasn't worth risking their precious lives, so the lower rank Hunters moving away from the gate to deal with the mutants that managed to slip through the front lines, and the higher rank Hunters hunting right in front of the gates became unwritten rules.

"No matter what happens, stay calm, don't break ranks just because you're freaking out or scared, especially you. Baek Heeseong, you bastard! Yes, you dumbfuck. You better get your head straight. If you pull that shit again, fuck, you'll really croak in my hands this time."

"....."

"Aren't you going to answer?"

"I'll cover him properly. It won't happen again."

Instead of Heeseong, who was turning blue with nerves, Yugeon stepped forward.

"I don't expect you guys to beat up the mutants at your level. At the very least try to bring back the mutants' characteristics and how to target their weak points. We can make a lot of money just by selling the information."

"Yes."

"Oh, by any chance, if you happen to see any carcasses that other Orders took down lying around, grab it right away. Finders keepers. It's not a game. What, no steals? Farming manners, eh? My ass. You know there's no such thing like that in real life, right?"

His nagging voice was relentless. It was something they heard every time they set out on a mission, but today he felt like the leader was being ten times more vicious. Yugeon, who was standing still, heard a murmur from behind.

"What S-class? All I see are people with similar ranks."

For low-rank Hunters, an S-class Awakened was an existence that could only be accessed through TV or the Internet. Even at the Awakening Management Headquarters, C-class Espers were classified as high-level personnels, and one could easily become an executive if they were A-class. It was not an exaggeration to say that the S-classes lived in a completely different world.

They said buildings fly away with a single wave of their hand, that they can move mountains and create rivers. They were said to be in and out of the Pit on a daily basis. There were all sorts of rumors, but very few people had actually seen them. Naturally, he was curious. However, no matter how much he looked around, the aforementioned S-class was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm sure he's coming."

"Wherever you go, you bring back rumors that make no fucking sense."

"I'm telling you it's not a rumor! It came up on the Hunter Community anonymous message board!"

"Didn't I tell you to stop snooping in that damn community or whatever? I'd rather believe in politicians' campaign promises than believe anything that comes out of your mouth."

"Because this time, it's real!"

The Hunters continued to squabble as they left for their positions. Before he knew it, their figures mixed with the others and disappeared. Yugeon also moved along in silence, keeping pace. But the story he heard earlier kept echoing in his head.

What would it feel like to live as an S-class Hunter? At the very least, there must be a big difference from Yugeon's busy life living from day to day. It was said that there were fewer than 10 S-classes nationwide. 

Money, for them, must be rotten to the point where it would be meaningless to count, and with a single word or gesture from them, not only Hunters, but also most high-ranking politicians, celebrities, and Espers from the Awakening Management Headquarters would come running. They would only have a bunch of subordinates around trying hard to please them, instead of bosses who verbally abuse and raise their hands for littlest things.

A life where he'd never have to endure abuse or bow his head to anyone ever, and where he'd never have to worry about the living expenses for the next month. If he lived a life like that..... would he be happy?

"Let's go together."

Heeseong hurried after him and grabbed his hand. Only then did Yugeon come to his senses. He'd been so lost in thought that he'd forgotten to take Heeseong with him. 

"Oh, sorry."

"I mean, it's scary."

An adult male, who would be turning thirty next year, whined in a weak voice. Heeseong's time seemed to have stopped on that winter day when he was sixteen, when the bridge was torn apart and the car with their parents disappeared into the icy river. However, Yugeon himself also had no right to feel sorry for him. Since he too was pretending to be all grown up on the outside, and a part of him was also hanging on to the bridge, forever ten years old.

Yeah, this mission shouldn't be a big deal either. It must have been that he was a bit anxious when his brother got excessively worked up over him a little while ago. Rather, now was not the time to be distracted. They had decided to take a break for a while after they got paid from this gig. All they had to do was to finish today's job safe and sound.

Please let this night pass safely. Yugeon thought, trying to erase all the thoughts from his head. Beside him, Heeseong kept throwing curses around, his wet eyes glistening. The S-class the Hunters were arguing about still had yet to show up.

As soon as the Hunters were assigned assorted tasks, they scattered to their respective positions. Heeseong and Yugeon were assigned to guard the alley on the outskirts far away from the gate, and were in charge of handling any mutant that might slip away towards the main road. It was clearly obvious that the boss was getting rid of the troublemakers out of his sight.

Yugeon leaned against the narrow alley and double checked the equipment. A pistol and a combat knife were his weapons.

He was completely like a regular person except for his guiding ability. Fire and ice did not come out of his hands, and he did not have excellent physical prowess. Therefore, he had to take good care of these things to keep himself alive on the hunting grounds.

"Are you okay?"

Yugeon asked, habitually tapping the hammer on the back of the pistol.

"What?"

A casual reply came back. He stopped fiddling with the gun and raised his head to properly look at his brother.

"Earlier."

"What about it?"

"Hyung got angry. Before the departure."

"....."

"Don't mind them. They also made similar demands like that before, but I always refused."

"Ah that. Ha, haha."

Heeseong began to laugh hysterically. Ever since he became an Awakened and started working as a Hunter, he became an older brother who was always irritable every day and rarely ever smiled. Something was wrong.

"What I said earlier, they are not empty words."

"What?"

"When I said I'm going to kill everyone who touched you... they are not empty words."

"....."

"I also don't want to be bullied forever either. Why should I? I'd rather kill all those assholes and die too."

He knew his sanity was wearing thin. Even Yugeon sometimes thought he might go insane from the life of repeated slaughter while covered in monster blood. There was no way Heeseong, whose mind was already fragile and sensitive from the beginning, would be able to keep it together. That was the reason why he suggested that they finish this job and rest for a while. They really just needed to get through this safely just this once, just tonight.

"Hyung."

"Anyone who messes with me and my guide, I will rip them to shreds, so they won't even find a body..."

Heeseong bowed his head, his shoulders shaking intermittently. Unrefined, dreary words stuttered out.

"Hyung!"

Heeseong's head snapped up at the stern voice. The brothers' eyes, about the same height, met in midair. Both had dark hair and dark eyes, but there was a marked difference between Yugeon's calm, sunken eyes and Heeseong's blurred, slight out-of-focus eyes. 

"....."

Yugeon bit his lip and frowned, trying to decide what to say next. He knew it in his head. As always, he had to placate Heeseong. He had to talk about Heeseong's favorite dark coffee and microfiber blankets, and talk about the vacation that they would get once this mission was over, so that he could relieve his mood somehow.

Until now, Yugeon had never said a harsh word to Heeseong, not even in jest. Because he knew how hard it was for his brother to get through each day. He thought he had to work harder and do better to take care of him since his brother was suffering from side effects that would never get better for the rest of his life. No matter how many times they argued, he always apologized in the end, saying he was at fault, and clumsily tried to calm his brother's nerves. 

But at this moment, for the very first time, the impulse triumphed over reason. Words that had never been said before came out of his mouth.

"I'm your younger brother before I'm your guide."

"What are you saying?"

"Do you even think of me as a little brother? No, as a family?"

Heeseong's lips parted in shock.

"Baek Yugeon, you."

Heeseong's hurt was palpable. He glared at Yugeon, as if he was a traitor, as if he heard terrible things he'd never imagined.

"How can you say that to me? I'm having such a hard time. How can you..."

"Hyung."

"Yeah, it's all my fault again, isn't it? It's all because I'm useless, right? I see what you mean. You are on their side, too."

"It's not like that."

"You're just taking care of me because you feel sorry for me, right? You finally want to throw away this useless brother now, don't you? You're really..... so mean."

Yugeon opened his mouth to say something, but then froze.

"....."

He realized it all too late. A long time had passed since the battle began, but it was too quiet. There were no signs of mutants that should have crawled out of the gate by now, nor the sound of other Hunters fighting. It was all silent. Just like when he was lying in the middle of a bridge full of corpses and wrecked cars.

A chill ran down his spine as the old trauma rose from the depths of his memory. Yugeon forced his stiff head to move, looking neither outside the alley nor behind him..... but upward. 

The sky had darkened. The original sky was filled with soot and fine dust, so it wasn't very bright to begin with, but even the faint glow of the city's artificial lights was completely gone. Something huge loomed overhead, completely obscuring it. It was too big to say it came out of the gate that was, at best, the size of a large truck. Soon, not only the vicinity of Yugeon and Heeseong, but also the surrounding streets darkened as if there was a power outage.

He glimpsed its body through the thick darkness. It reminded him of a star. Of course, he wasn't talking of the stars in fairy tales that sparkled beautifully with golden lights. It was instead close to the surface of an old planet, with all elements intermingled, hovering between all-melting high temperatures and absolute zero.

That's a mutant? A living, breathing thing that they were supposed to hunt? No way. Impossible. How the hell could that thing..... Instinctive fear and revulsion coursed through him at once.

It went from floating lazily through the air like a cloud carried by the wind to a halt. He knew it intuitively. Its gaze was now on Yugeon and Heeseong. It seemed to have recognized the two boys who had desperately struggled to survive on a collapsed bridge a long time ago... No, it can't be. It was too much of a guess.

"Ah, eugh, heug, euh..."

Heeseong's legs gave out and collapsed to the ground. He couldn't even scream in his overwhelming terror, muttering like a madman.

"Why... Why? Why me again?"

Yugeon gritted his teeth and forced his ice-cold limbs to move. Heeseong's mouth had to be shut. They'd already been spotted, but there was nothing good about drawing its attention any longer.

"Why the hell would... keuheug!"

With a shriek, Heeseong's eyes sharply rolled back, revealing only the whites of his eyes. He collapsed on the spot, foaming at the mouth.

"What's that matter? Are you okay?"

Heeseong, sprawled on the ground, trembling convulsively, suddenly scrambled up back to his feet. He then flailed his arms around with a roar.

"Ugh...!"

A random blow sliced long across Yugeon's forearm. It cut through the hem of his thick garment and tore into his bare skin, leaving him bleeding. No matter how competent he was, guides never had combat power. Likewise, even though Heeseong was the weakest F-class among the Awakened, he was still superior to an average person. There was nothing he could do as he was caught off guard.

A flurry of blows followed. Yugeon slumped against the wall. He couldn't feel his legs either. He wondered if a wrong muscle or nerve had been cut.

"Eurgh!"

Heeseong, who had been howling in agony, suddenly bowed his head and coughed up blood. As if that wasn't enough, he banged his head against the wall, tearing off his own flesh. He looked as if he was going crazy, unable to endure the pain surging from within. He staggered out of the alley like he was trying to run away from it.

It was a classic case of rampage. Rampage symptoms in Awakened people appeared in those who had just awakened their powers, or those who had not been guided for a long time and were on the verge of madness. The former was the most fortunate, since the Awakened would be still immature in their abilities, so they could calm them down without much effort. The latter, however, could easily become the worst possible case. The Awakened, who had lost their reason and on a rampage, squeezing every last drop of life out of them, would be much stronger than usual. The guides would have to risk their lives to get close and try to guide them, or they had to attack and subdue them with the intent to kill them altogether.

But it was strange. Heeseong had been an Awakened for over a decade and it wasn't that he had not received guiding for a long time. But why was he suddenly going on a rampage like he had 13 years ago? Was he panicking after reuniting with the monster that had killed his parents in the past?

"Where did that sound just now come from?"

"This way."

There was a stir outside the alley. The others seemed to have come after hearing the noises. A sound like that of a growling beast leaked out of Heeseong's teeth. The Hunters were getting closer and closer.

"No..."

Yugeon muttered something like a groan. But his body didn't listen, and blood gushed out from his deeply cut leg.

"Isn't that Baek Heeseong's spot? Hey! Hunter Baek. What's there?"

"No wonder we didn't even see a mutant nose. Apparently they all flocked to this place."

"I think they're fighting."

Yugeon held his breath for a moment. Everything seemed slow in his eyes because of the extreme tension. Beep....... A long tinnitus filled his ears. 

Heeseong moved like a broken marionette. Familiar Hunters appeared around the corner. The first thing he saw was the scowling face of the leader. He opened his mouth immediately to question Heeseong out of habit. However, there was no way that Heeseong, who had gone insane, could hear him. Panting and glaring at his colleagues with unfocused eyes, he then swung his sharpened hands.....

Kwajik! Hot blood spewed up like a fountain into the air, and the world sank and shattered into pieces like a black-and-white silent movie. As if the unmute button was pressed, all those terrible noises rushed in all at once.

"Hey, dude, get a grip!"

"What are you doing... Ugh!"

Something round and heavy fell from where it was originally attached. Thump, thump. The head of the leader, severed neatly from the neck up, was thrown onto the cold asphalt ground. Someone else's blood splattered onto his face. Yugeon continued to watch without even a blink, for he couldn't even muster up the strength to shut his eyes, frozen stiff in his place. Arms were blown off, legs severed. Heeseong was also covered in blood from the attacks pouring in from all directions. Desperate screams cut through the air.

Yugeon forced his body to push himself to his feet, barely holding on to the wall with his clenched fists. Before he knew it, the shape that was floating in the night sky had vanished without a trace. Exactly like 13 years ago, when it had gone on a rampage, smashing the wide bridge to pieces, and then vanished in an instant. As if it was satisfied with the carnage it had inflicted. 

Just a little while ago he was talking with his brother. He still had to apologize for being harsh, still had to calm him down so that they could finish this job and get home safely..... A ball of fire rose from the inside of his stomach. You took my parents away, my peaceful life, and even now, you're going to take my brother away too? And just like back then, you're going to disappear again like nothing happened?

"Help me....."

"Keuheug!"

"Stop that bastard. Stop him!"

With trembling hands, Yugeon pulled out the gun from its holster. Even in the midst of this, his body moved with the steadiness of countless years of combat experience. He raised his gun and aimed it straight ahead. But he didn't know who to shoot. Hunters running at his brother, intent on killing him? Or the older brother, who was on a mad rampage, hurting people?

As much as Heeseong was afraid of being abandoned by him, Yugeon was also terribly afraid of losing Heeseong, of losing the only family he had left, and he was so, so afraid. 

"Help me! God damn it, somebody help me!"

Someone had gone mad. Yugeon's fingers, which had hardened like stones, suddenly moved. He moved the muzzle of the gun slowly, aiming at the target. Then he tensed his index finger hanging on the trigger.

There was a faint movement from the gate beyond the alley. The sound of greedy croaking of a throat, of multiple legs crawling across the ground, of saliva dripping from a snout full of fangs. It was unfamiliar and all too familiar at the same time. It was the sound of a mutant, humanity's nemesis, climbing out of a dark pit in search of its prey. The Hunters' faces turned blue just as they were all focused on stopping Heeseong. 

The chaos unfolded once again. It was literally hell on earth. The Hunter and the prey were now reversed. Those who hunted monsters were now merely prey that were being hunted helplessly.

An insect-type mutant whose entire body was covered with a hard shell and blade-like spikes on its front feet. It wasn't much different from what they had predicted in advance. If only everyone had straightened up their ranks and responded calmly, they wouldn't have been slaughtered one-sidedly. But now there were variables. Due to Heeseong's rampage, the hunting power had been considerably reduced, and even those who were still alive were panicking.

"Lord, I don't want to die, ah, I don't want to...!"

"Argh!"

Very few men remained at their posts in combat readiness. They were all gripped by extreme fear and too busy fleeing in a panic. Drenched in their own or other people's blood, abandoning all their cherished weapons and equipment.

"....."

Yugeon stood frozen in place with his gun aimed. His hand then slowly slid down. His head was screaming at the top of his lungs that he had to go save Heeseong now, that he had to protect him with his life, but his body..... did not move.

He looked up at the dark, starless sky, and the ground, which had become an abyss. A deep despair swelled up from his ankles to his neck. He was enveloped in the stench of bloodshed that drifted like night mist, and it was then that he realized it.

Here was...

He was in the middle of a deep, deep abyss that could never be escaped.

Taang! The bullet struck the approaching mutant's forehead, its black eyeballs shining. It succeeded in scratching the hard epidermis covering its entire body, but not in penetrating its brain. Yugeon clenched his teeth and readjusted his stance. The wound from Heeseong's scratch still hadn't stopped bleeding and he was already light-headed. But his aim was still unwaveringly accurate.

Another shot, this time in the mouth. Dark, thick blood spurted out. The mutant flailed and writhed on its several legs. The grimy streets lined with abandoned factories had taken on an even more gruesome appearance. Blood splattered like graffiti on the dull concrete walls, and the bodies of the mutants and Hunters littered the streets like illegal waste. In the center of it all, the black gate stood idly by, mouth agape.

"Kieeg!"

A strange sound, like that of a wind leak, came from the mutant's throat. Its airway seemed to have been torn. But he still couldn't rest assured. These things were not just extremely difficult to kill with a conventional weapon, they often came alive even if their heads were cut off and their stomachs split apart. 

The magazine was empty from the previous shot. Without hesitation, Yugeon gave up the attack and turned around. Heeseong was lying on the ground, covered in blood. Dozens of Hunters had attacked him indiscriminately, so while the rampage was finally stopped, he was in terrible shape. His whole body was covered in wounds, and his limbs were twitching uncontrollably from overexertion. Yugeon slung his arm over his shoulder for support. He winced in pain when he put weight on his injured leg to stand up. 

"Ugh..."

They had to hide before the enemy came after them again. He took Heeseong and went into the alley around a narrow, winding corner. Until he was sure they could escape the mutant's attention for the time being. Breathing hard, he laid Heeseong on a flat ground. He also sat down leaning against the half-collapsed wall. However, there was no time to rest. There was something more urgent.

"Hyung, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

"....."

No reply came back. His breathing was coming and going. It was dangerous. The principle was to subdue the rampaging Awakened as quickly as possible and take them to the hospital. Even with such prompt action, the survival rate was not high. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, the aftereffects remained and their bodies and minds were left damaged permanently.

"Please, please....."

Yugeon knelt down in front of Heeseong and hastily removed his bulletproof vest. The clasp was soaked in blood and wouldn't open, so he had to rip it halfway off. His hands were shaking terribly as he fumbled with it again and again. He brushed away his hair several times, frustrated. He then bent down and pulled his unconscious brother into a hug. As tight as he could, heart to heart. The blood from Heeseong's wounds came to drench Yugeon as well. 

"You can't die. Wake up. Wake up."

Yugeon murmured raptly in a daze as if he had gone mad. His voice shook pitifully, a far cry from his usual blunt tone.

"Is it because I didn't know what to say? I made you feel bad... I was wrong. Hyung, I'm sorry about everything. So please."

He tried desperately to guide. Just like that time when he was holding onto his unconscious brother on a broken bridge. But even that didn't work out. It was because Heeseong was dying. Guiding was a means of calming the abnormally heightened senses and maximizing the body's natural ability to recover. It was only a catalyst for healing, it could never be the healing itself.

"Kieeeeek!"

The roar of the mutant was heard. It was wounded and full of tantrums. He had dragged a wounded patient with him, so he knew it would catch up with them sooner or later, but he hadn't expected it to be this fast.

"....."

Yugeon bowed his head and gritted his teeth. His breathing, which had been shaky as if he was about to cry, gradually subsided. He slowly rose to his feet, clutching his trembling hands tightly. Dark sunken eyes appeared from between the messy bangs.

The ammunition he was equipped with was already used up. The gun had become useless. Now all he had left was a small knife, half a blade's length at most. But he couldn't just run away. There was his older brother, bleeding out and dying, just behind him.

Even though guides had no fighting power, if he had prepared to die and rushed in, he could at least get rid of one mutant. How many years had he been rolling on this floor? Once he made up his mind, his head went cold with surprising speed. Soon, over the half-crushed telephone pole, the hideous body of the mutant appeared. The mantis-like creature howled with delight as it spotted its prey. It was then.

Kuung. The world warped. The air became heavy and hard to breathe, like there were shapeless hands squeezing his lungs. A moan that couldn't come out rumbled in the back of his throat.

The very first thing that happened was to the insect-type mutant in front of him. The hard epidermis that did not break no matter how many times he shot at was crushed. As easily as crumpling an empty aluminum can. Then, a series of crunching sounds followed as the body's joints and digestive organs were crushed. Ppagag. Ttug. Wageujag. Several legs twisted in different directions. Its whole body was trampled all over as it floundered like crazy.

"Kkig! Kieg! Kkeueug..."

The screams of the mutant stopped midway through. It couldn't even make a sound. And finally. Peoeog! The head with antennae could no longer withstand the formless pressure and exploded. Brain matter and body fluids spread in a radius of several meters, as if someone had dropped a watermelon from a considerable height. Flakes of epidermis and flesh splattered, mixed with the purple body fluid.

In the place where the mutant had died, there was only an eerie silence. Yugeon stood frozen in his place, unmoving. His fingertips and toes were icy cold as if he had dipped them in ice water. How much time had passed?

Then the sound of footsteps pierced through the terrible silence. It was the sound of hard-soled shoes or walkers.

A strange man appeared from beyond the cold darkness. He strode leisurely through the chaotic alley. One step, then another. Following his steps, the street lamps snapped. The cars left unattended on the side of the road crumbled. The dead bodies of the mutants were squashed again. The Hunters, whom he didn't know whether they were unconscious or dead, were no exception.

The sound of the crunching of flesh, human and monstrous, rang out one after another. The man moved gracefully between them, as if he were a conductor savoring the harmonies of an orchestra. It was an unreal sight. He then stopped dead in his tracks. His face was a stone's throw away from Yugeon's. A precarious breath escaped his lips.

The man was unusually tall. He was well-dressed, like an heir to a chaebol family or a successful entrepreneur at a young age, but underneath the dress shirt, there must be a body hardened by countless battles. It didn't feel rough at all, however, perhaps because his face was like a rose made out of glass.

He stretched out his gloved hand and pointed up into the air. To the clear dark night sky.

"Did you see it?"

It was an off-the-cuff question that cut both ways. His voice was perfectly smooth, as if he wasn't someone who had just committed a horrific massacre. 

"....."

Yugeon remained silent without lowering his vigilance. The man tilted his head slightly as if hinting at an answer. His disheveled hair had trickled down his forehead. His hair was also a rare color. A color that looked like it had been dried over a long winter night, a half dull brown, half dull gold. If he had to define it, it was ashen. But where could someone find this splendid ash color?

"Are you going to keep your mouth shut?"

"....."

"Are you really that stingy with your words?"

The man lowered his eyes. It was quite a theatrical gesture, and the small change in expression was enough to give him a surprising air of vulnerability. 

"You don't want to talk? What can I do for you then? Maybe, if I blow that guy's head off, will you be more than willing to answer?"

He spoke as if he was contemplating whether to kill a bug by stepping on it or not. He couldn't be more sincere, and he was fully capable of doing so. Cold sweat was forming in his palms.

Yugeon squeezed his eyes shut. The mysterious mutant he had encountered as a child, Heeseong's sudden rampage, the rumors of an S-class coming, and the strange man in front of him. Fragments of information swirled dizzyingly in his darkened vision. Did his injured leg not only spill blood but also drain his ability to think? His head was clearly not working properly. Everything was terribly confusing. He finally opened his eyes and bursted out a question.

"What do you mean?"

"Ancient calamity."

"Calamity..."

Yugeon repeated his words in a daze. It was a strange metaphor that would have been difficult for him to understand, who had always spoken in straightforward, crude language. But somehow he understood.

"If you're talking about that big mutant that was floating in the sky, it appeared out of nowhere and then immediately disappeared. And..."

Words spilled out of his mouth like he had been bewitched. But soon he forcefully shut his mouth. He shouldn't talk to this man any more. Go, run away, his instincts were warning him.

The opponent was not normal. He couldn't tell from a distance, but now that he was up close, he finally noticed the oddity. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot and hollow with ruptured blood vessels, and his pupils were flickering intermittently. The white skin visible on the inside of his shirt sleeves and the collar was pockmarked with blood. They were no external wounds, but the internal wounds that had spread to the surface of his skin. 

Carnivorous plants make use of their colorful appearance and sweet scent to lure their prey to eat them. Charm and madness are two sides of the same coin. That man was dangerous. Much more than the mutants that were after Yugeon and Heeseong.

"Ah... ha."

The man who had been watching Yugeon so intently smiled. Like an angel who had fallen in the middle of the ruins. His eyes glistened with dangerous light.

"So you saw it."

Yugeon reflexively recoiled. He had never felt so regretful for not bringing extra magazines with him.

"You saw it. How can you be okay? Was there another S-class in this country that I didn't know about?"

The man approached, asking softly. Yugeon backpedaled, keeping Heeseong behind his back, shielding him from the man's gaze. A large stainless steel column lay in the middle of the alley, blocking the way between them. The man moved forward nonchalantly without even looking at it. The column crumpled in on itself when he came near, and was slammed into a wall in the distance.

"You don't feel anything like that."

His eyes staring intently at Yugeon were like a television screen messed up from statics, trying hard to keep the focus on him.

"But you also don't seem like a normal person."

Something hard caught on Yugeon's foot. It was a gun thrown haphazardly on the ground. It seemed like another Hunter was equipped. They either dropped it on the run, or dropped it when they died. It was either one of them. He focused on the gun at his feet without taking his eyes off the man. The hairs on his back prickled with tension. Just a moment, just a brief opening.

"I see. You are a guide."

Yugeon didn't miss the chance. He kicked the gun to the front with his tiptoe and quickly snatched it up. The weight of it in his hand was enough to tell him that it wasn't an empty gun, thankfully. He skillfully fixed his gun and aimed it straight ahead.

"A guide with a gun. I'll shoot you if you come any closer."

He didn't think any S-class would get killed easily by a mere gunshot. However, no matter how powerful he was, he was still basically a human being, made of blood, flesh, and bones. If there was a hole in the heart or brain, he would definitely die.

"Scary."

He didn't bat an eyelid even though the muzzle of the gun was aimed at the center of his forehead. He just smiled brightly and raised both his hands in the air half-heartedly.

"But why is Mr. Guide with a gun here? And without a leash. What if someone takes you away?"

Instead of an answer, the gun in Yugeon's hand clicked. He was already half pulling the trigger.

"I don't really have a hobby of picking up things off the street. But this one is just sitting here, just thrown away carelessly..... So, I'll say I got a little greedy."

Even after hearing those words, Yugeon didn't budge. When to shoot? Could he even land a hit? Even if he did, would he even get hurt? That was all he could think about. It was then his hair moved gently. It was a deserted alleyway with no wind blowing at all.

"....."

Yugeon stiffened and rolled his eyes to the side. His hair was moving of its own accord. An invisible force gently swept his disheveled hair back. His hair was kept short, so there was no way it could get stuck in his ear.

Recognizing the oddness, his legs gave away. Yugeon staggered in place and fell to the ground. The forgotten pain flared up from his injured leg. The man laughed out loud as if he were going to die of amusement.

"Surprised? I was just kidding."

He narrowed the distance between them. A shadow cast over Yugeon.

"I came here a little late, so the show's all over when I got here. I was even thinking it was a waste of time again."

He groped for the ground and grabbed the gun again. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the man put his palm on the muzzle. If it were an ordinary person, the palm, no, his whole hand would have been blown off. But it didn't.

"Shouldn't I make it worthwhile?"

He smiled with his eyes and snatched the gun from his hand. The alloy barrel was crushed together with the bullets inside. Yugeon's lips curled in disbelief, dazed, having lost his means of resistance in an instant. 

The man took off the leather gloves that wrapped tightly around his hands. The bare hands exposed underneath were as white and smooth as the face. A large hand grasped Yugeon's neck in a vicious grip and slammed him to the ground. The shock on the back of his head jerked up, and his vision was dyed black for a split second with the impact.

"Ugh!"

Sparks flew out from where they touched. The energy inside his body was sucked into the other person. When guiding Heeseong, Yugeon always had to be careful. He was a full tank and Heeseong was a small glass. He had to pour the water carefully in a slow and steady stream so that it wouldn't overflow and so that he wouldn't tip the glass over in the rushing water. This man, on the other hand, was a desert. A vast, barren, scorching land that hadn't seen rain in a long time. A drop of water spilled by accident was swallowed up in an instant and without a trace.

It's not enough. A little more, more, more. Until the guide stopped breathing and even the body dried up. Until all this hateful thirst was gone. A ferocious craving coursed through the veins of his body. This was not guiding. It was too one-sided to be called a guiding. It was violence and extortion. Yugeon couldn't imagine how much the man had been starved, if it was just from the mere touch of a hand on his throat. 

Yugeon tossed his head frantically and struggled. He clawed at the arm that was strangling his throat, kicking the man on the top of him with his feet. But the man didn't even budge. He let him scratch the back of his hand until it was covered in blood, then wrapped his other hand around Yugeon's waist and pulled him close. At first glance, from a distance, they might have looked like lovers fervently making love in the middle of the ruins.

"Ah... Ugh."

A moan escaped from the man. Yugeon barely managed to open his eyes. The man's face was visible through his eyes brimming with tears. His cheeks had flushed red and his eyes had lit up like stars. His eyelashes trembled as they fell. 

Yugeon gulped and struggled hard again, realizing the look of ecstasy on the man's face. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out of his throat. His vision blurred, and his ears had gone deaf. The despair of not being able to escape no matter how much he fought back flooded his mind. 

"I didn't know it was this crazy because I never had a guide. I never really understood the guys who were crazy about you guides......"

He relaxed the grip on his neck. The air immediately rushed in.

"Kulleog! Keogh, haa, heog!"

Released from the strangle, Yugeon fell to the ground. He heard a low chuckle from above.

"I think I can get hard from this."

"You... crazy, bastard."

"You have to use pretty words."

"....."

"Doesn't it hurt your pride that you are only getting an F-class cock for that ability? Does rank no matter as long as you are getting fucked?"

"Shut up."

"Is he that good? His face though, it's quite... unfortunate."

The man looked back at Heeseong, who had collapsed long ago, and shrugged his shoulders. Yugeon's eyes burned up.

"Shut your mouth!"

"Didn't I just tell you not to say mean things?"

His brows furrowed slightly. His tone was like he was scolding a small child. It was so out of character for the situation that it sounded more like a mockery. Yugeon stared up at him blankly, and then ferociously twisted his face. 

The look on his face made him feel terribly amused. Just where have you been all this time? How could you only show up now? He held Yugeon close and looked into his eyes tenderly. He gently stroked his disheveled black hair and clasped his chin. It became even more unbearable. He quickly pressed their lips together without giving the other person a chance to react. He firmly fixed Yugeon's head, who was trying to bend down albeit weakly, and slipped his tongue between his lips. The wet tongue darted in, sucking relentlessly at the flesh inside. There was a faint taste of blood as if the wound at the corner of his mouth had reopened.

Yugeon, stunned, came to his senses only belatedly. The moment he realized what was happening to him, his eyes reddened.

"Uh, heueub!"

Desperate, he reached out his arms, and tried to push the man's chest away, but he didn't budge. This time, he grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt. A couple of buttons ripped off in Yugeon's hands. He thought about grabbing the man by the scruff of his neck to pull him off, but it didn't work either. The man laughed, the sound rang in the back of his throat, and pressed their lips together even more ferociously.

He was terribly persistent. He sucked on his tongue until his cheeks were sunken, then nibbled on his lower lip. He dipped the tip of his tongue against the hard roof of his mouth, stinging. The man's body was loaded between his open legs, making it difficult for him to take a breath. It was just a kiss, but Yugeon felt like he was being plowed deep inside. The horrible hallucinations flashed before his eyes.

Little by little, the bloody bruises visible through the open collar of the shirt slowly disappeared. It was like looking at an upside-down replay of ink seeping into paper. The man's injuries were healing in seconds just from being guided. It gave him chills down his spine. Was this what they were talking about when they said ‘don't think of S-classes as humans’?

As soon as their lips parted after a long indulgence, a fist flew straight from Yugeon. The man grabbed his wrist to block the attack. Yugeon then pulled out the knife from his waist and tried to stab, but his opponent mercilessly pressed down his injured thigh. A handful of blood gushed out over the torn pants. Yugeon swallowed a groan as his chest heaved.

"Eurgh..."

"I told you to say only pretty words. You just had to be a good boy and listen. Then I wouldn't need to quiet you like this, right?"

Yugeon glared at his opponent, undaunted, even as he was pinned to the ground by his wrists. His scarred eyes narrowed, sharp breaths escaping through his wet lips. His wrists should be feeling like they might be shattered any minute now, but he didn't show the slightest bit of pain.

Most guides usually fell into one of two categories. Cursing their situation, wallowing in self-pity, or trying to get the Awakened under their feet as if their guiding abilities were some kind of government post. But this young man was neither the former nor the latter, and that was refreshing. It was ridiculous to see a guide on the battlefield with a weapon in their hands in the first place. As much as the king of the chessboard was on the front line alongside the pawns.

A king who had left the throne should be given a weapon to match. It was no fun reaching a checkmate too easily.

"Almuten."

The man leaned down and whispered in Yugeon's ear.

"It's the name of the calamity you are facing."

He let go of the wrists he was holding onto. But Yugeon couldn't do anything. He could only gasp with his eyes half-closed, his consciousness fading. Until now, he had only been enduring without backing a step down. 

"He'll come back for you one day. He never let go of his prey once he set his eyes on it."

The man stood up, licking the blood from the corner of his lips clean with the tip of his tongue. His demeanor was too nonchalant as if he hadn't had enough. He had accomplished everything he came here for. No, he had accomplished far more than he set out to do. There was no more reason to waste his time in this filthy alley.

"And we'll be seeing each other again soon."

"That, heu, what does it..."

"Hello, Mr. Guide with a gun. Next time, I hope you feed me something other than bullets."

The man turned around and walked away. The thudding footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Only his last words, and his laugh, lingered in his ears. The sound of sirens and helicopters could be heard faintly from the distance. The Awakening Management Headquarters seemed to have finally arrived. Those damn Espers never came on time, for better or worse, and now, it was the latter.  

Yugeon groggily closed his eyes. His whole body ached as if he was stuck under a boulder, and he felt chilled to his bones from all the blood he'd lost. He couldn't think of anything anymore. Not even the thought of his brother collapsed beside him. Soon, his consciousness sank to darkness.

[1] Dante Aligieri, Divine Comedy: Hell, Park Sang-jin, Minumsa, 2007.

⤷ The original annotation from the ebook. 

Psalm 130 translation was taken from here.

Divine Comedy english translation was taken from here. (although I paraphrased it a little bit for smoother reading.)