chapter six

Breath in, and exhale. If it was the old one-room apartment he lived in the past, the entire bed would be creaking even with small movements, but the soft mattress as if submerged in a cloud was silent.

Breathe in and out again. He listened in the tranquil darkness without opening his eyes. A slow, even breathing sound was heard at a beat different from his own.

Someone was next to him. The moment he realized it, all his sleepiness ran away. Yugeon opened his eyes wide. He found Shinje lying on his side facing him.

The last time Yugeon saw him was in the crumbling Pit. As soon as he crossed the gate in his arms and let go of all the tension, the pain he had forgotten came flooding in. He immediately lost consciousness on the spot.

At that time, Shinje was a sight that would make any witness' spine shudder. His grayish-brown hair was drenched in blood to the point where it was impossible to recognize its original color. The same was true of the uniform he was wearing. Blood was dripping from the sleeves of his black shirt every time he moved.

But now it was different. The reality that he was just fighting the mutants with the appearance of a devil fresh from hell was like a lie. He had his hair neatly tucked back, and dressed in a well-ironed shirt, and even a sleeve garter was tied on his arm. It was a stark contrast to Yugeon, who was only in a baggy T-shirt with gauze all over his body.

The face of the man who was sleeping on the edge of one pillow was ridiculously pure. LIke the first dewdrops on a tender leaf in a quiet dawn. His well-shaped lips were slightly opened, and thick long eyelashes hung around his eyes.

"......."

Yugeon stared at him blankly. He knew all too well how abominable and heinous the insides under that beautiful shell were, but he was still astonished nonetheless. He didn't know people could look like this. Taking a closer look, he noticed the wounds all over Shinje's face. His complexion was also deadly pale. Realizing that, he looked strangely pathetic as he fell asleep with his hair disheveled that must have been carefully groomed by an expert.

This was Yugeon's room inside the Erewhon Headquarters. Shinje had been calling Yugeon out to the top floor as if he was training a dog, but he never came down in person. Why was he sleeping here?

Someone was walking down the marble corridor and approaching this way. Yugeon's room was at the far end of the hallway. There was no reason to come all the way here unless they had business with them. He didn't know who it was, but he had to get up first. He didn't want to show them how he was lying cozily in bed with Shinje and sleeping happily.

He tried to pull himself up. But before he could raise his upper body, he collapsed again. It was only then that he realized that an arm draped in a luxurious fabric was wrapped around his waist.

"Ah..."

"Did you sleep well?"

Shinje held Yugeon's waist tightly and whispered without opening his eyes. His voice was a little hoarse, but he didn't sound like he just woke up from a nap. Yugeon wondered if he was awake all along.

"Leader. Someone's out there."

Shinje held Yugeon tighter in his arms without even pretending to hear him.

"Sleep more. Don't worry about that."

He was like the epitome of an unparalleled affectionate lover. Meanwhile, the sound of footsteps was getting closer and closer. Yugeon glanced sideways at the door with an anxious look. Who could it be? Another Hunter looking for Shinje? Or.......

The door swung open. Yugeon reflexively stiffened his body. A tall man strode in.

"Hey, Woo Shinje. Why don't you pick up any of my calls? You son of a......."

Chan looked up and down at Shinje and Yugeon with an expression saying he wanted to swear both of them in all kinds of language. He was boldly dressed in a jersey straight over his bare torso. With the open jersey in front, he could see a bandage wrapped around his copper chest and stomach.

"What's that stunt with you immediately disappearing after the press conference? There's a lot left to do, but you dare play hooky and roll around with the guide in bed."

"What do you mean? Can't you tell that I'm just enjoying a little break in my busy daily life?"

"Disgusting."

"What about the others?"

"Deputy chief is working like hell in your place, and Kwon Heesu is still receiving treatment."

Just because the gate was destroyed didn't mean that everything was over. First of all, their side had to announce the completion of the gate attack through a press conference, and then contact the Awakening Management Headquarters and take the procedure to receive compensation. In addition to that, to compensate those who perished and were injured and to provide incentives for those who performed well in battle, they would have to prepare a result report. Even ten people helping would not be enough to determine the extent of the damage in a single day.

"Please let me go."

Yugeon struggled again to escape from Shinje's arms. He didn't know what it was about, but he knew it wasn't time to lie down like this.

"Ugh!"

As soon as he tossed and turned, the pain he had forgotten flared up from his thickly bandaged ankle. Shinje gently patted him on the back.

"Why does our Yugeon suddenly want to wake up...... You were so cute sleeping just until now. Why are you making a fuss?"

Yugeon never woke up even once when he brought him here to change clothes, clean him up, and give first aid. His face was pale and droopy, and breathing in short, harsh breaths. The figure looked strangely cute. He wanted to embrace him and comfort him when he was in pain, but seeing him being stubborn like this made him want to bully him again. It was odd.

Chan approached them with a hand in the pocket of his sweatpants and tapped Yugeon's ankle.

"Hey, guide."

"Heuk."

The jolt came up to his spine and the ankle ached as if it had been drilled. Yugeon closed his eyes tightly and swallowed a moan.

"......."

Shinje glanced at Chan with no expression on his face, still holding Yugeon in his arms. Chan, embarrassed, suddenly got angry for no reason.

"No, I didn't do anything! Fuck! What are you, a sunfish?"

The Erewhon Hunters, as well as Team 1, were human beings who could stick their dismembered limbs back together in a matter of hours even if they were badly severed. So he just acted like he normally did without thinking much. It's not like he's going to get sick from this and die, is he? He didn't even grab the ankle that roughly, and just tapped it with his fingertips. How are they going to enter Mazzaroth with this kid? Shinje really didn't think it through this time.

"If you can't do it, tell us you can't do it right now."

Chan spat it out irritably.

"The gate at Jangheon Station, which you visited last time, was barely a child's playground. Our team doesn't handle gates that level because they are usually low. Woo Shinje took you there on purpose, saying you need experience or something. This time is how the real gates work."

"......."

"You will have to do something like this many more times until we catch Almuten. Do you think you can endure it? Don't regret it if you end up dying for real."

Yugeon shook his head. If he thought he would run away because he couldn't do this much, he wouldn't have accepted Shinje's proposal in the first place.

"I have no regrets."

"Listen when I'm speaking nicely. You didn't even fight, but somehow you got strangled and sprained your ankle."

"This is nothing."

"Do you even know who carried you back all the way here when you passed out as soon as you got out of the gate?"

"Do you know who helped you up when the cave was collapsing? Please worry about yourself."

"Ha."

He was trying to give him his last generosity because he felt sorry for him, but this pup scratched his temper the other way around. Really, a nasty piece of work, this guy.

"Yeah, yeah. You're saying you're perfectly fine, right? Then, that's good. There's something you can do for me right away."

"What do you mean......."

"Guiding. Guiding."

Yugeon's face, which had a question mark floating on it, immediately hardened. It was as if he received a blow. Chan smiled crookedly.

"I'm the winner, right? That bet. I will be taking the guide right now. I spilled a bucket of blood. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Chan-ah. You did get hit on the head by a rock earlier, didn't you? You're talking a lot more nonsense today."

Shinje interrupted softly. Chan wrinkled his face at the interruption.

"What?"

"When Taein-ssi was finishing up, weren't you knocked out cold like a frog hit with a rock? Let's say that's the first place, um..... isn't that an insult to the real winner?"

"The bet was on the condition that the one who dealt the most blows wins, not the one who dealt the killing blow!"

"Then it's me who wins."

"No. It's me."

The door opened at the same time as he said it. It was Heesu. He had bandages wrapped from above his eyebrows to the bridge of his nose. The middle of the white bandages was slightly wet with blood. Even though he had his eyes covered, Heesu walked into the room with ease as if there were no restrictions. Then he took off the bandages. His red, bloodshot eyes were revealed underneath. They made him look like he had an eye disease. Heesu blinked his stiff eyes a few times and smiled at Yugeon.

"Hello, Yugeon hyung. I look a little bit unsightly, right? Sorry. First place Heesu is here."

"Oh, boy."

Chan chuckled darkly.

"But I'm right. If I didn't stun that giant mutant, Chan hyung wouldn't have been able to catch the timing of the attack either?"

"Yes, I appreciate your help in time. Kwon Heesu. But let's be honest. It was just a debuff, not a blow, is it?"

Taein came in through the door that Heesu had left wide open and didn't close. He took a glance at Yugeon and immediately turned his eyes to Shinje.

"Were you here?"

"Did you finish the work already? How's the report?"

Shinje smiled, leaning his cheek against Yugeon's temple. Taein pressed his brows impatiently. His frown was a lot deeper compared to an average day and there were dark shadows around the eyes.

"You can check it yourself if you have time to ask."

He, like everyone else, had washed away the blood and the grime, and changed his clothes. Clean bandages were wrapped around his horribly bruised hands and new leather gloves were put on. The wounds and fatigue left here and there, however, could not be erased.

"What do you mean just a debuff? How are you going to catch it normally then? Running at it head-on like an idiot like hyung? Try it for 100 days without the debuff, you wouldn't even be able to make a scratch at it."

"What? Idiot?"

"Anyways, it's really not Chan hyung. I don't mind if Taein hyung got first place."

It seemed like there would be no end to the exhausting debate. Eventually, Heesu came up and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Then let's ask Yugeon hyung!"

Suddenly, the direction of the question turned to Yugeon. Yugeon, who was still held in Shinje's arms awkwardly with an uncomfortable expression on his face, responded one beat late.

"Me?"

"Yes. In hyung's opinion, which one of us played the biggest role in catching the boss?"

"I don't... I don't know. I can't even see the movements of the high-ranking Hunters properly."

"That's all right. You don't have to know. Not that I expected you to know. A guide has to be a little stupid to be cute, right?"

"......."

"I'm just saying hyung should choose for yourself. Who do you want to be the first one to fuck you?"

Heesu smiled sweetly until his dimples deepened. Yugeon glanced around. Four different colored pairs of eyes were staring at him. As if they couldn't wait to see how Yugeon would react.

Only then did he realize. They actually didn't want Yugeon to give an evaluation of the battle. They just wanted to force Yugeon to make a shameful choice. Because it was more fun.

"I....."

After a brief silence, Yugeon opened his mouth. There was a pin drop silence as everyone listened with rapt attention.

He was given a choice that meant nothing. Whoever Yugeon chose, it would only heightened their sick sense of pleasure. Rather, they were saying Yugeon should choose the very person who would torment him.

The situation reminded him of people letting their dog loose in the middle of the room and betting on who the dog would go first. Excited shouts, applause, and whistles coming from all sides. And Yugeon was no different from a dog looking around in a daze. They were obediently waiting for an answer from Yugeon in the present just because he was following their rhythm. As soon as he rebelled, their tolerance, thinner than that of glass, would be immediately shattered.

Suddenly, Shinje caught his eye. As soon as he made eye contact with Yugeon, he gave him a smile like a habit. He seemed to be at ease as though the thought that he would not be chosen had never crossed his mind. What he had warned him in the past echoed in his ears.

"I treated you as kindly as I could, but I don't think anyone else would be the same. What are you going to do when you have to do it with several people all at once. Are you going to tell us to get a numbered ticket and wait for a turn?"

A deep sense of shame entered his heart anew. He didn't want to go along with their sick play the way they wanted, even if he might be subjected to even harsher conditions.

"What are you going to do after I pick one?"

The words that came out at the end of the pause were completely different from everyone's expectations.

"Are you going to get a numbered ticket?"

"Ha......."

While everyone else was puzzled at Yugeon's unexpected response, Shinje immediately understood what he meant. He stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter. Yugeon's calm expression twisted. He shook off Shinje's arm that was still wrapped around his waist. His body still littered with injuries screamed but he couldn't care less of it.

"Stop pretending to be generous. I don't care if it's one or four, please just do what you want to do quickly and get out. After all, isn't that why you all are here?"

It was the same damn thing whether it was doing it four times one at a time or doing it once with four people at the same time. Then, it would be better if it took less time. It was a conclusion drawn from such a simple calculation. There was no way that Shinje couldn't see what he was thinking. So this was his idea after working that cute little round head so hard. It was so cute that it was hard to bear. And there was also how he kept the numbered ticket he told him before in his heart and brought it out.

"Ahahaha, haha, hahaha!"

Shinje's shoulders shook uncontrollably and began to laugh wholeheartedly. Chan grumbled.

"What is he saying now? What numbered tickets?

"I think he's saying we can fuck him without any order?"

"Woo Shinje, what's so funny about it?"

"Anyways, Yugeon hyung is saying everything's okay, right?"

Heesu's eyes twinkled with joy. They didn't say it out loud, but a tacit agreement was reached with their eyes moving back and forth. The rules of the games had changed. At first, the one who dealt the most blows to the boss was to win. Then, it shifted to the one chosen by Yugeon, and now.....

"I don't know if hyung is just smart or stupid."

"......."

"Why say such provocative things out loud, when you know everyone's eyes will turn upside down and jump at you. If you had just chosen one, the others might have lost interest and left after waiting for a while."

Heesu shrugged his shoulders as he faced Yugeon, whose face had turned white and his lips pursed tightly.

"Well, maybe not."

Although he was a little surprised by Yugeon's unexpected answer, he was soon more moved by his unexpectedness. Wasn't it fun if it was more like this? Now, it's like a game. The more competitors, the better. And the reward would be worth the effort.

"I don't know what a number ticket is, but you are saying just go ahead and jump in right? Fine. Remember, you asked for this."

Chan trudged up and settled down on the bed. He leaned on the bed with one hand and grinned as he looked down at Yugeon. A sharp fang showed itself through his well-shaped lips.

"Thank you for the food?"

Taein, who was standing with his arms crossed, was silent all this time. His gaze seemed to pierce the flesh and penetrate his body. Shinje covered his cheeks with his hands and whispered softly. Like a temptress whispering sweet nothings into the king's ears.

"Guide Baek Yugeon, as I said before. Take my hand. It's still not too late."

Fine soft hairs stood up on the back of his neck. What an honest response. The soft voice flowing into his ear became even more intimate. And bizzare.

"Ask me to save you. Beg cutely and say you don't like anyone other than me. I won't let anyone touch you. You'll only have to cry your heart out in my arms from now on... but wouldn't one be better than four?"

If anyone in this world had rights to those words, Shinje was not the one. He was the one who had locked Yugeon up in the Erewhon Headquarters, just so he could call him and enjoy him to his heart's content. He was also the one who gave him advice to build up his stamina to receive several people casually the next morning after sleeping together for the first time. Shinje's gentle words were more insulting than literal abusive words spitted on his face. It was then Yugeon realized for the first time that even a few words could break his heart.

He hated Shinje's contradictory proposals. At the same time, he didn't understand his own hatred towards him. Didn't he know everything before he came here? There should have been no disappointment if there was no expectations in the first place, on how he would be treated as a guide, as a human being, and not be abused and raped by many. Without faith, there should be no betrayal. But how come, no, did he expect something from that man.......

Yugeon lowered his gaze. His lips, cracked in several places and stained with blood, trembled thinly.

"Leader, I think you're misunderstanding something."

He bit his lower lip, then let it go. Before he knew it, the tremors had stopped. He turned his head and made eye contact with Shinje. His dark eyes tainted with hurt, but they were still clear.

"For me, either it's one or four, it's all the same."

"......."

After a short silence, Shinje chuckled like a sigh. His fingertips gently caressed Yugeon's pale nape.

"Then it's time for us to make a bet. When....... let's see if you can make it through the end."

Chan grabbed Yugeon by the back of his neck and held him down on the bed. His cheeks were pressed against the duvet as soft as a feather.

"Ah......!"

Shinje reached out to his own arm without taking his eyes off Yugeon. Tuk. Tuk. The sleeve garter, tightened on his forearm, came loose.

"Guide Baek Yugeon."

He placed his hand on Yugeon's arm. He patted the bones standing out on his wrist, the back of his hand, and his fingers, caressing them, and pulled him up gently. Yugeon's upper body was drawn to him. Shinje was dressed in a shirt with all the buttons neatly clasped except for the top one. Placing Yugeon's hand on his chest, Shinje whispered sweetly with a smile in his eyes.

"Undo the buttons for me?"

"Yugeon hyung, I'm going to take your clothes off."

Heesu, who came up on his knees, hugged his waist. He leaned his cheek against Yugeon's back and murmured.

"It's weird? I think I made a lot of delicious food, but why aren't you gaining weight at all......"

His arms came from behind and loosened up Yugeon's buckle quite skillfully. Chan, who never wanted to do anything that required patience like slowly taking off the other person's clothes, quickly handed Yugeon over. As for his taste in sex, he liked it only when both sides enthusiatically tear off their clothes and run at each other. He found it tedious to do things like loosening the buttons one by one or dragging down the clothes slowly on purpose.

Yugeon, caught between the three men, suddenly looked up at Shinje in front of him. Shinje smiled at him tilting his head slightly.

"......."

A cold flame flared up from the inside. He couldn't tell himself if this feeling was hatred, fear, or tension. Yugeon moved his trembling hands. He unbuttoned Shinje's shirt starting from below. His hand stumbling over and over again trying to loosen a small button. He usually wore T-shirts made of functional materials that could be worn under bulletproof vests as a combat suit, and hoodies or sweatshirts for everyday wear. He wasn't quite skilled at unbuttoning a dress shirt, or at unbuttoning someone else's.

"Why are your hands shaking so much?"

A question mixed with laughter was heard from above. Yugeon did not bother to answer. After countless vain efforts, the last button was finally loosened. A firm, muscular upper body was revealed through the open hem of the shirt. It was beautiful like a work of art and yet daunting at the same time. There were no buttons left, still, Yugeon's hand climbed up the pale neckline. And wrapped around the neck that stretched over the shirt collar.

"Ah."

Shinje sighed. Yugeon's breathing gradually became harsher. His heart thumping loudly. He wanted to strangle the throat in his hands with full strength. Even though he knew that there was no way this man would die just because Yugeon strangled him.

"You want to kill me?"

Shinje calmly asked even though his breath was cut off. Yugeon clenched his teeth and shook his head slowly. His emotions were murky, even to himself.

"It's not, eug."

Yugeon groaned, cutting off his reply. He felt Heesu pulling his pants down to his knees and grabbing his genitals with his underwear.

"It's not worth it."

"Really....... that's so mean."

Shinje laughed silently, and placed his hands on top of Yugeon's. He pressed down on the hands that were wrapped around his neck awkwardly, making him hold it tighter.

"If you want to choke me, feel free to do so."

As if possessed by the words, genuine strength entered his grasp. Shinje's chin twitched slightly.

"Eugh......"

His eyes and cheeks gradually reddened. The pale eyelashes hanging over the half-closed eyes trembled. In a way, he seemed to be in pain, but he also seemed to be in ecstasy.

Shinje never took his eyes off Yugeon. Their gazes entangled. Thump. Thump. Thump. Yugeon could feel Shinje's pulse under his palm. Yugeon felt like he could be swallowed up to the bones by the other person's gaze. Even though he was holding the opponent's vital point in his hands, he didn't feel like he had the upper hand at all. It was either Yugeon resisted or refused, or Shinje himself changed his mind along the way. Then..... wasn't it Yugeon who was being strangled right now?

A gut feeling suddenly flashed through his mind. Maybe this was what this man really wanted all along? As soon as he realized it, his grip relaxed. He didn't want to do what the other person wanted.

"Well done....... Maybe next time, put a little more strength into it. I might get hard another time."

Doubts always followed. Whenever he made eye contact with Shinje, whenever he heard something the other person never meant, whenever he was pushed without even given a chance to refuse.

He seemed to wish to destroy Yugeon, and at the same time, he wanted to destroy himself. He wanted to monopolize Yugeon while throwing him away at others at the same time. His entire being was full of contradictions. It was Shinje who was strangled, but it was Yugeon who was suffocated. His limbs became heavy as if being dragged into the deep sea. Maybe, one day, Yugeon would too sink down to the dark and cold bottom and wither away.

Yugeon's hands finally slid off Shinje's neck. The fingertips brushed against the open chest and stomach. His arms were bent backward before he could reach the pants.

"Ha eug!"

Chan turned Yugeon's wrists back and held them together in one hand. The index and middle fingers burrowed into the gap between his lips.

"Suck it properly. If you don't want to be like that last time..."

"Heueup. Cough, cough!"

Hard, long fingers crawled in and pricked the roof of his mouth, making him cough. The soft mucous membrane was torn apart one after another. Yugeon tossed and turned his head in agony. His eyes met with Taein then, looking down at him from above. He was the only one still standing by the bed. After Chan decided it was enough poking in his mouth, Yugeon's lower lips were left wet and shiny with saliva. Taein frowned at the lack of cleanliness.

A hand in black leather gloves clasped Yugeon's chin. It was a dull, careless touch as if checking the condition of an object.

"Guide Baek Yugeon. Are you satisfied now?"

It was a question with two meanings. Are you satisfied doing the guiding that you were so confident about doing so well, or are you satisfied with what you've made yourself into. The tactless guide might not understand what he meant, with him always unnecessarily clinging to his stubbornness. It didn't matter though. He didn't expect an answer in the first place. It was better to keep his ugly thoughts undetected in his heart forever.

"That's what I warned you about, after all."

He then pulled Yugeon's head up. Taein put his other hand on the bed and leaned his upper body down to overlap their lips. It was no ordinary kiss. The word ‘eaten’ echoed in his mind. The tongue digging between his lips tightly wrapped around and sucked as if to pull out the root of his tongue. Their front teeth bumped into each other, and the cut on the corner of his mouth that had just barely scabbed over after the slap from the illusionist burst again.

Heesu, who had already taken off his pants, and palming the outline of his genitals over his underwear, finally pulled it down. Chan took over, and before he could feel the cool air brushing his bare skin, a large hand with calluses grabbed his buttocks and spread them apart.

"Eup, heueub!"

Taein swallowed his moans. Yugeon twisted his body and struggled. Chan firmly grabbed him by his ankles. He didn't want to have another fucking kick in his face. Yugeon was tense all over and he thought it would be tough to recklessly fuck him at this rate.

"Hey, guide. Relax, okay?"

He clasped his hips in his hands and kneaded them a few times. Yugeon was slender enough that one would wonder if he was even eating enough, but he still had some flesh here.

"I'm not a psycho like Woo Shinje or Kwon Heesu, and I don't enjoy seeing blood either. I don't want to force myself on someone who would just squee and cry, okay? Let's make it so that both of us feel good. How about it?"

"What do you mean psycho?"

Shinje, who was leaning against the headboard with his shirt loose and watching the scene, tilted his head. He looked as if he had never heard such a thing before.

"Want me to help you relax?"

Heesu's hand dug into his groin and rubbed his cock and scrotum. With the other hand, he felt his chest and rounded his nipples. The soft nipples gradually stiffened. A finger, slick with saliva, touched the entrance. He rubbed his fingers slowly on the tightly clenched rim, and dug in when it seemed to have relaxed to some extent. The fingers gently scratched the smooth walls. Perhaps it was just him, but it looked like slick was pooling naturally where there was no way to get wet on its own.

In the meantime, Taein's tongue was digging through the inside of the roof of his mouth as if trying to block his airways. Yugeon was already in a daze from lack of oxygen when Taein licked his lips and lightly shoved him back.

"Gasp! Heueug, heug. haa......."

Yugeon's chest shook up and down urgently trying to breathe in the lost breath. He seemed not to have noticed that Taein had leaned back his neck and briefly buried his face in his nape.

"Yugeon hyung is really naughty. I want to do it, too."

Heesu grabbed his cock, stroking it with one hand, and reached out his other hand to join Chan's fingers. The fingers of two people of different thickness and lengths were working him open. The cramped inner walls were pounded in irregular beats. Yugeon didn't know whose pace to match, so he just clumsily clamped down tightly with every thrusts. How many of them came in? Two? Three? No, Four?

"Ah, no. Aheueg, ah, ah! Not, there......."

Thud! Unbearable, Yugeon stomped his foot on the mattress. Skeleton stood out on the back of his foot, and toes stretching out and curling with every rough movement.

"Yugeon hyung. See this? These are all from your dick. You don't look like it, but you are so sensitive. Are you going to come?"

Heesu opened his hand that was fondling Yugeon's length. A transparent line ran from his wet fingers to the tip.

"It's like you want me to suck you. Are you doing this on purpose? Wa, look at the tip twitching. So lewd...... I wanna suck it. Hyung, I can suck it, right? Let me."

Without waiting for an answer, Heesu quickly lowered his head and swallowed Yugeon's length in one mouthful. A noise similar to a dying young beast leaked out of Yugeon's throat.

"Which part are you going to use?"

Shinje, who was sitting with his back against the headboard, suddenly asked out loud. His gaze was still fixed on Yugeon. So Taein didn't immediately notice that it was a question directed at him.

"Yes?"

"Which part are you going to use, Taein-ssi? Mouth? Hole? Hand? I don't want to fight over the guide's body parts in a ugly way, so let's discuss it in advance."

Fight ugly? It was too late for him. Breaking his self-restraint and pouncing on Yugeon was already a disgrace.

Shinje was deliberately choosing the topics that Taein would be offended by and speaking in the most vulgar ways. What was wrong with him? If he lost his temper at those remarks, he would only end up playing on his palm. Taein clenched his fists and firmly closed his mouth.

"Do as you please."

"Are you not going to do it anymore?"

"I don't want to roll around in that wet, dirty sheet."

"The three of them would be sad if they heard you. Chan-ie already lives like a dirty mop, so I don't know about him... but Heesu is pretty neat."

"....."

"Ah, Yugeon-ie, of course, is cute, dirty or not."

Chan, who was ramming his fingers inside Yugeon as if about to squeeze his whole wrist in, finally pulled out his fingers. His index and middle fingers were wet all over. He patted Yugeon on his hips.

"Spread your legs."

"Ah...... heu, kkog....... heueug!"

There was no way that Yugeon, who was being manhandled by Heesu, could hear him. Chan clicked his tongue, grabbed Yugeon's leg and hung it on his shoulder. The hole was quickly exposed. After long minutes of rubbing and fingering, Yugeon's perineum was stained red with friction. Chan took out his cock and grabbed it from the bottom. The dark red dick protruded upwards, and the veins sprouting from it twitched once.

"Huu......."

He exhaled a long breath. Sweat dripped down his wet bangs. He hitched up Yugeon's calf tightly on his shoulder, and pressed his cock into the wet hole. The rounded tip covered with precum was slowly pushed in.

"Ha eug!"

Yugeon shuddered at the sensation of being spread open. His bandaged heel smacked Chan on the back. Chan patted Yugeon's legs dryly, as if to comfort him. It wasn't like this small, weak guy fumbling around would hurt him. It was just that he thought it would be annoying if he broke his ankle doing so. He hadn't been able to enjoy him to the fullest after all.

Below, Heesu was eagerly sucking Yugeon's cock. The sensation of his erection licked and sucked by the damp and soft tongue was overly stimulating. Yugeon tossed and turned around with a flushed face.

"Ah, ah, ah!"

Whenever that happened, the inner walls, which were already so cramped that it was quite difficult to even press his fingers in, became narrower and narrower. The hole contracted and finally pushed the glans out.

"Kwon Heesu, stop, stop."

"Ummm."

Heesu murmured back with his mouth full. It didn't look like he heard Chan's words even with the back of his ears.

"Because of you, fuck, I can't squeeze it in."

Only then did Heesu take Yugeon's cock out of his mouth. The wet, pale red length glistened in an obscene manner. He frowned and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

"Ah, come on. It's fucking annoying. Why don't you cut down on your dick size?"

"Back off. Do it as much as you want when it's your turn."

"Just a little bit more and he would be cumming."

Heesu grumbled and backed away. Finally, the obstructor disappeared. Yugeon's form who was sprawling on the bed and gasping helplessly came into his view before he could think of resuming his actions. It was irritating. Chan leaned his upper body towards him, and placed Yugeon's leg on his shoulder.

"Aeug!"

The muscular body came pressing him down from above. The large dick slowly thrusted in with weight. The tightly closed inner walls were stretched open with difficulty. His pelvis stung, and his breaths came out in short gasps.

"Hey, guide."

Chan tapped Yugeon on the cheek with the tip of his nose. Yugeon swallowed a moan and turned his head away from him.

"Baek Yugeon."

A chillingly low voice called the name. Yugeon took a short deep breath. His eyelids trembled once, and black eyes were revealed.

"Why don't you cooperate? Just listen to me well, hm? Hyung'll make you feel really good."

Chan didn't like Yugeon. But it didn't mean he hate having sex with him. The two were completely separate. Even if they didn't get along on a normal day, he wanted Yugeon to scream from pleasure. Since they were doing it, wouldn't it be nice if both of them enjoy it together?

"Relax."

He left a threat on Yugeon's ear and pressed in again. As soon as the thickest part of the bulging tip went in, the insides, which he thought had softened a bit, tightened again.

"Argh!"

It seemed like it wasn't going well because he was lying on back. Chan swept away his sweat-drenched hair and straightened his back. He then lifted Yugeon with one arm, turned him over, and tried to work him open again. He pushed in a bit and then backed out. Yugeon lifted his hips and tried to block further insertion, but to no avail. Nausea rose with every breath he took, lying down on his stomach.

Chan placed his arms on both sides of Yugeon and worked his hips. Whenever he got stuck on the way, he stopped his movements and caressed Yugeon's trembling waist gently. Considering his usual personality, it was amazing patience. When he deemed it was fine to push in deeper, he tried to pull it out again. However, his cock was clamped down tightly and didn't budge. Yugeon burst into a moan that sounded like a weeping cry as if all his guts were being scooped out.

"Aeug! Heu, eugh!"

"I really had to coax a single finger in before....... but can't let it go now?"

Chan chuckled. His yellow eyes were clouded with lust and impatience. He felt a little troubled because he usually enjoyed sex where both sides rushed at each other and rolled around enthusiastically, but the current situation was where he had to work hard trying to appease the unwilling partner.

"Just relax. I have to take it out and fuck you properly, this won't make you feel good."

"Isn't it just because you're bad at sex?"

Shinje raised his upper body, reached out and patted Yugeon's messy hair gently.

"Fuck, why don't you shut up?.... Eug, hey. I told you to loosen up."

He grabbed one of Yugeon's buttocks and spread it open. He could see the hole that was forcibly opened and clamping down on his dick. In that state, he bucked his hips and fucked in. This time again, the inner walls clenched him tightly and did not let go. Chan gritted his teeth.

Shinje, who had come near the two of them all of a sudden, knelt by the bedside. Then he lifted Yugeon's head and placed him on his thigh. When the fabric of the suit pants touched his cheek instead of the blanket, Yugeon looked up at Shinje with difficulty. Tears were welling up in his red eyes. Shinje wiped away the tears with his thumb as he admired the scene with ecstasy.

"Say it now. You need me, you want only me..... You just need to say one thing."

"I, heueug!"

Chan suddenly fucked in deep as if reminding him to focus on him only. His words broke off in the middle. Yugeon held back his moans with difficulty and retorted.

"I don't want to."

The hand that was caressing the corner of his eyes suddenly stopped. He forced his trembling lips into a smile.

"Fuck off."

"......."

Yugeon thought the man would immediately fly into a rage, but unexpectedly, Shinje lowered his eyes and gave him a bitter smile. He had never seen such a look on the man's face like this before.

"I guess you can still hold on. Saying all these cute things with surprisingly full energy."

The next moment, his long fingers gripped the back of his hair.

"If your mouth is really this bored, do you want to suck on this?"

The bulging tip, with only a thin fabric between them, touched his lips. Shinje swept away Yugeon's bangs with one hand, and kindly unzipped the zipper and lowered his underwear. A light colored, heavy dick pressed the corners of his mouth as if it would dig right up his throat immediately. Yugeon's lips were already bleeding from the corners after Taein's rough kiss. The blood was thinly smeared on the glans.

"Gasp......"

Yugeon gasped out a sharp breath. Taking this chance, Shinje quickly pushed his cock between the slight gap. A slippery, heavy chunk of flesh came in, scratching the roof of his mouth along the way. Tears welled up again around the eyes that Shinje just wiped. Chan pulled out a little, then thrusted back in again. Yugeon felt as if his whole guts were pushed up to his throat. It was too much pressure. The spot where the glans was pressing down made him cry out.

"This is the spot? Just below your belly button?"

Chan lowered his head and whispered in his ear. Obscene noises rang out every time he pounded inside.

"Kkog, heueug!"

Yugeon let out a heavy gasp and moaned. Even that was not easy because of Shinje's dick was shoved in his mouth. Chan's eyes gleamed dangerously and scanned Yugeon's body under him. It was a person he didn't like much, but he looked quite cute now when he was gasping and panting under him.

"I know, haa. I said I'd make you feel good."

"Heueug...... eub! Eueub!"

Yugeon couldn't retort back like he used to, kept busy with the dick in his mouth. Fresh saliva dripped from his poorly gaped lips. Even in the midst of the confusion, his hole was squeezing his dick tightly.

The guy got a nasty temper and had no drop of cuteness in him, so he thought he would just be squealing like a wooden doll when having sex. But it was unexpectedly good when he stripped him bare and fucked him. No, it wasn't just good, it felt awesome. Yugeon's ass was soft and firm, so it felt good when he pounded fast, and his hole far exceeded his expectations. At first, it was so narrow that it was annoying, but after getting used to it, he came to like it. When he pressed in, the narrow walls clamped down tightly, and when he tried to take it out, the sensation of forcibly stretching it open was trilling.

"Ah, fuck....."

Guiding flowed in, uncontrolled. His skin itched like the time when he suddenly put his hands in hot water. The bandages wrapped around his body felt terribly stuffy. Chan supported his weight with one arm and ripped the bandages off with his other hand.

"Hey, if it hurts, tell me, hm?"

That was what he said, but looking at his out of focus eyes, it didn't look like he would listen to Yugeon even if he complained of pain. The movements became more intense. Chan's back muscles twitched with every thrust, tendons too stood on his strong forearms. Yugeon was rammed back and forth. His jaw felt like it was going to fall out with the cock shoved in his mouth. Then, in the end, the bulging tip was stabbing Yugeon's throat mercilessly.

"Cough!"

Nausea rose sharply and for a moment his vision went black. Shinje pulled his dick out of Yugeon's mouth. The erection was soaking wet and shiny. Shinje glared at Chan while wiping off the saliva running down Yugeon's mouth.

"Let's be gentle. He's going to faint again."

"Is it my fault or your fault shoving a dick in his mouth while I'm fucking him?"

With Yugeon between them, the two men's glares collided in the air.

They first met at the age of seventeen, and at the age of eighteen, they left the center together and formed Erewhon. More than ten years had passed since then. Even though they had known each other for so long, Chan and Shinje were the opposites in every way. While Chan was easy to anger, Shinje never revealed his true feelings to anyone. While Shinje was living off drugs, Chan had the guides coming and going although keeping none of them. Unlike Shinje, who had firmly established himself as the head of Erewhon, Chan had kicked out even the position of Deputy Chief because it was burdensome.

Because their tastes and interests were remarkably different, they never had a need to quarrel over the same thing. He thought it was lucky. The moment their goals overlapped, Shinje would immediately abandon his relaxed attitude and reveal his hideous true colors.

"That's why I didn't want to share a guide with this bastard."

Chan lamented. Shinje carefully supported Yugeon's head. He caressed the corners of his red eyes and kissed the tear marks on his cheek.

"You are crying. Did it hurt?"

"Why. Why the hell, why..."

Yugeon murmured in a hoarse voice. His throat was stinging every time he tried to utter a word. Many of the questions were left unasked. Why are you being so cruel? Why do you even bother sweetly asking for his well being?

If he wanted to abuse Yugeon, he could just straight up beat him up and rape him. Or tie him down out in the hallway and give a shout. But why was he whispering sweet words that never came from his heart?

"It's because I like you so much. I love Guide Baek Yugeon so much...... that's why."

"......."

Yugeon's face contorted. Did he think he'd believe that crap? It sounded too vulgar to even be a joke. Even if it was true, nothing would change. Shinje's favoritism could equate to aristocrats choosing slaves. Nothing more, nothing less.

Everything went wrong from the beginning. He shouldn't have come in here. He shouldn't have run into that man in the ruined industrial complex. Even if there was a risk of giving up his life, he had to protect his brother by himself.

Whether that statement was true or false, one thing was clear. He despaired at the thought of having to be the recipient of Shinje's affections. The man grinned at him as though he could read his thoughts.

"I know you wouldn't believe me. ......Open your mouth. Finish it."

It resumed. Yugeon's cheek, who had his head stuck to Shinje's groin, swelled. He grabbed the round back of his head and moved it back to forth, fucking his mouth. Two different dicks, one above and one below, fucking him at the same time. It was as if they were trying to break him in now so that they could make him come just by sticking a cock in his throat later.

Chan pressed his chest close to Yugeon's back, wrapped one arm around his waist and hoisted him up slightly. With the other hand, he felt around his stomach and then grabbed Yugeon's cock which was dripping precum. He then pounded into the hole erratically like a mating dog in rut.

"You're doing just fine. What's all that fuss earlier? You look like you can come just from your back?"

"Heug, eu, heu, eung."

Chan straightened his back, and fucked in deep and reckless until his pelvis was striking Yugeon's ass. The glans inflated, precum dripping, and grinded hard on the very spot Yugeon reacted the most.

"Ugh!"

Yugeon's body shook violently. His cock held in Chan's large hand fluttered once, and the inner walls, too, tightened to the fullest and convulsed at the same time. Chan raised a corner of his lips, losing his composure.

"Want to come? Yeah, this bastard is a guy too, after all, this is......."

A growl mixed in at the end of the sentence. He turned his head and bit the exposed nape. His fangs were itching to death, but Yugeon's mouth was occupied by another person, so he couldn't kiss him, so he instead settled on the slender neck. Since a while ago, this nape of his had been swaying in front of his eyes, drawing attention. The truth was, it wasn't just now. It had been like this since he happened to witness Yugeon taking off his sportswear and going into the shower. Maybe it was even before that.

"Euheug......."

Fangs lodged in his tender skin. Yugeon felt like he was being eaten by animals. His arteries might be bitten off, and with that he might really die with the blood bubbling out of it. Feeling threatened, his whole body stiffened, and the inner walls contracted and clamped down the dick inside. The cock pressed down exactly hard on his prostate. A sensation similar to the need to pee hit his lower abdomen. It was the moment the pleasure that had risen to the brink of the limit overflowed.

Shockwaves gripped his body, and there was a ringing sound in his ear. Ah, no, no, stop....... Illegible words came out of his mouth, his eyes became distant. His toes crumpling the sheets and pushing them here and there suddenly stopped.

"Ah..."

Yugeon curled up. The slender nape with bright red teeth marks stood out. His crouched shoulders and back trembling pitifully.

"Ah, ah... ah!"

He instinctively pushed his pelvis back and forth fucking himself on Chan's cock, unconsciously wanting the thick girth to scratch the inside of his fluttering inner walls. Warm liquid squirted several times on Chan's palm, which was dotted with calluses. Yugeon's neck was straining, choking out sobs from the climax. The same was true of his hole. Shinje frowned, and Chan gritted his teeth.

They too came not long after that. Chan took a deep breath through his teeth and slammed his dick in and out at a brutal pace, squeezing Yugeon's waist as he embraced him tightly. The sound of flesh smacking was deafening. With only the bulging tip left inside, he frantically thrusted in and out of Yugeon's wet heat, chasing his climax.

"Whew..."

He poured everything that had accumulated in the scrotum against the thick inner walls. Yugeon's buttocks and thighs twitched with each squirt of semen until his stomach felt bloated. Soon after, Shinje too peaked, finishing up while hitting the back of his throat, scraping the roof and rutting into the soft sides of his mouth, and then slowly retreated until only the tip was left on his lips. A long line of white liquid was drawn on his tongue. As the amount was quite large, it pooled under the tongue and dripped down to the chin.

"Heueug, keog....... Cough!"

The cock that was fucking his mouth until he felt like he jaw might fell off finally came out. When Shinje's thighs that were supporting him disappeared, Yugeon's head dropped onto the futon. A white hand reaching out from above lifted his chin. He no longer had the energy to resist. Shinje gazed down at Yugeon's face, which had been messed up with semen, saliva and tears.

He didn't even fuck him in his back and instead only made him suck his dick, but most of his injuries were completely healed. His reason, which was creaking like a machine that had not been lubricated, returned, and the mangled organs and tattered nerves found their place.

What would it have been like if he and Yugeon didn't run into each other in the ruined industrial complex. If neither Yugeon nor his brother got hurt, or if Almuten never found him, he would have lived a peaceful and ordinary life without having to accept Shinje's proposal. No, he would have found Yugeon anyway, one way or another. He would still have grabbed Yugeon's hand and dragged him into this hell.

Yugeon was his guide. Shinje couldn't afford to take a step forward in this darkness without him. Like a sunflower that couldn't live without the sun. But..... did sunflowers really love the sun? No, they must have hated it to death.

It was hard to define his feelings for Yugeon. But this one thing was clear. He loved Yugeon's despair.

"......."

A smile spread across his expressionless face. He then gently let go of the hand holding Yugeon's chin.

"You did a great job."

He sounded like a boss praising his subordinates. He got up from the bed with a calm face, as if he had never participated in the vulgar act.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To wash up."

"......."

Chan was left speechless. It was truly abominable to see him tossing the guide away right after leaving him drenched in semen up and down. Chan ruffled his hair, irritated.

"That bastard. Really. I guess I'm the only one who's the bad guy."

"You're a bad guy, aren't you?"

Heesu, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and watching the explicit scene in detail from the beginning to the end, responded.

"We did it together, but didn't you see him bouncing out alone? Help me clean up the guide, or call someone to wash him up."

"Why?"

Heesu glanced sideways at Yugeon lying weakly on the bed, and tilted his head innocently.

"Why bother washing up? It's my turn."

Yugeon returned to his senses at the prickling sensation on his sore skin. The first thing he saw as soon as he opened his eyes was Heesu—

"Did you sleep well, hyung? Can I get you some water?"

—sitting between his legs. As soon as their eyes met, Heesu gave him a broad smile revealing the dimples on his cheeks.

He felt a slender straight middle finger brushed against his opening. Yugeon let out a shaky breath and tried to shrink away his legs. However, Heesu forcibly put his waist between his thighs, immobilizing his movements.

"You woke up sooner than I thought. It was only 10? 20 minutes? I was worried hyung wouldn't wake up again and might actually fall asleep like this. It's finally my turn now."

Heesu thrusted his middle finger into the tightly closed hole and then gently took it out. The red and swollen flesh came out slightly.

"Ha, don't....."

Yogoeun stiffened with his mouth open, at the feeling of slippery liquid leaking from his entrance. The climax before left his insides throbbing strangely. It was an indescribable feeling. Yugeon gasped and breathed in, tightening his stomach. He hated the unfamiliar sensations, and ended up bucking his back and hip unconsciously. It was, however, not possible to stop the semen leaking down. A stream of white liquid flowed from the small, puckering hole and ran down his buttocks, wetting the blanket.

"Ah. It's slowly coming out."

"This, heuk, what. Heueuk!"

"Please endure it just for a second. But I have to clean the traces of the last person."

Heesu gently pressed Yugeon's lower abdomen with his palm as if to subdue him.

"Chan hyung was like, ‘why should I be the only one to clean up the mess when Woo Shinje doesn't even give a fuck about it. That rude bastard.’ and left. But Leader wasn't the one who came inside."

He scooped the hole a few more times and pulled out everything that was left inside. All this while, his gaze was persistently stuck on the red rim where semen was dripping out.

"Ah yeah. Taein hyung, you don't know what ‘creampie’ is, right?"

He looked back at Taein as if he just remembered he was still in the room. Taein, who was standing at the bedside and checking his watch, glanced at their side. Taein then immediately ignored him as if he was not worth dealing with.

"Yugeon hyung, look. Chan hyung and Leader probably don't know either. With the hyungs, really, because there is a generation gap, we can't really communicate. What do you think? Don't you have one more reason to choose me?"

"....."

"They say you'll get good energy if you fuck with young guys. Hyung is still young, so you don't need to be rejuvenated, but still. What do you say?"

".....please just fuck off."

"Let him go. Try not to overwork the guide's body. Do it in moderation. Let's get out after cleaning him up."

Taein, no longer feeling the need to listen more of it, sighed. Why on earth do you think I'm still here after all this time? He felt pathetic.

"Are you not going to do it?"

Taein just stood there and rolled his eyes. This guy..... just right after Chan came inside. Do you want me to touch that body without properly cleaning it up? Just imagining it was disgusting.

Yugeon felt the man's dry gaze sweeping his body, his face colored with contempt. He tried to turn around, trying to cover up the disgrace somehow. But Heesu blocked his movement again. Realistically, it would be useless to cover up all his thighs and buttocks, all covered with red marks and semen.

"Don't be like that. Let's do it together. Hyung got a lot of injuries, too."

"I don't need it."

"It would be more fun if we did it together."

"I said I don't need it."

He suddenly had a headache at the bright face that looked like he wouldn't be persuaded. Taein pressed down on his temple. Entering this room and watching the explicit scene was not in his plans. He originally came to find Shinje, who had disappeared after the press conference, nothing more. He wasn't interested at all in how the guide was shared among the others. Even though there were plenty of opportunities to go out in the middle, he was annoyed at himself that he ended up staying until the end, as a voyeur to the most intimate and vulgar side of the others.

"Then how about this?"

Heesu called out Yugeon's name with a smile full of anticipation.

"Yugeon hyung."

It was an eerily sweet tone. He had never heard a voice like that before...... No, he had definitely heard of it.

He had an ominous feeling. Yugeon tried to get up in a hurry, holding onto the bed with his hands that still didn't have enough strength.

"Don't do it."

"To Taein hyung."

"Fuck, Kwon Heesu, stop it!"

Yugeon cried out loud, frowning as hard as he could. His complexion was pale, only his eyes and lips were dyed red. He looked strangely decadent rather than ferocious. Heesu didn't even pretend to listen to him. He stared at Yugeon with an unpleasantly bright smile and winked to the side.

"Kiss him. Right now."

"Ugh...!"

As soon as he heard the order, Yugeon's arms suddenly came loose. He collapsed helplessly back on the bed. His sweat drenched black hair ruffled and covered his eyes.

"..."

He clenched his teeth. His jaw and neck trembling heavily. He went motionless for a few seconds, then moved. He barely managed to raise his upper body. His legs couldn't even move and just sitting up felt like his pelvis was about to explode. But his body broke the limitations and moved as it pleased. The remaining semen dripped down Yugeon's thighs.

He stumbled across the bed on his knees without a single thread on him. He reached the edge of the mattress and stretched out his hands towards Taein's face with difficulty, who was far above him. The hands fumbling around and finally wrapping around his cheeks were trembling so much, nearly obscuring his sight. Bloodshot eyes and wide-open pupils were also grimly distorted. Rather, if Taein had pressed him down and forcibly kissed him, he would not have felt this dirty.

"Kwon Heesu."

Taein sternly called out Heesu, but not sparing a glance at him. He just looked down at Yugeon who was trembling pitifully as he hung on him with dazed eyes.

"It's climbing up."

Heesu responded with his chin placed on his knee as if he was bored, also without looking back at Taein.

"I'm not doing anything to you hyung. Yugeon hyung is."

Yugeon's fingertips brushed Taein's chin and neck and kept slipping down. With how he kept collapsing back on the bed with his wobbling legs, he wouldn't be able to reach his lips just sitting on the bed. Taein could read the strong repulsion in Yugeon's dark eyes. Unpleasant emotions rose up again. Yugeon wouldn't understand that it was the same for him.

"Do I look scary?"

"Heug..... Eug, ah, huh."

"Or disgusting?"

Instead of words, only muffled groans sparsely came back. It was wrong of him to expect fluent speech from someone who was being manipulated by a person with mental abilities.

The fingertips that were fumbling around in the air barely rested on his shoulders. Taein ignored it and raised his hand. He took off his leather glove and dropped it on the floor. Bandages were wrapped around his now exposed hand without any gaps to be seen. Taein then untied the bandages without hesitation.

His bare hand was revealed. It looked more terrible now than the bloody appearance back when he was freshly injured. Because all the blood and dirt were all wiped away and the wounds sterilized, the melted flesh was now clearly seen. The hand looked like a piece of meat dipped in hydrochloric acid for a few seconds and then pulled out. Anyone with a weak stomach would have gagged and shuddered at the sight of it.

"If you were told to lick this, not kiss me, would you have done it?"

Yugeon looked up at Taein blankly. Again, no answer. Taein scoffed. He then pushed Yugeon roughly with one arm and threw him back on the bed. The mattress that received Yugeon's weight vibrated with a dull noise. He got on top of it and put his hands next to Yugeon's head. No matter how much he disinfected, the poison that permeated the skin might burn the guide. He only leaned down his upper body and bit Yugeon's lips without touching any of his other body parts.

"Haag! Heub....."

Yugeon gasped heavily and opened his mouth. A thick tongue dug in and stirred inside as if waiting for it. He wanted to push the hard chest that was pressing him right away, but his body reacted in the exact opposite. He turned his head slightly to make it easier for the kiss and wrapped his arms around Taein's neck.

"You said you wouldn't do it."

"......."

"You should've done this earlier. Didn't you also pretend not to hear me when I asked if you wanna share the previous guides with me before? There were some good people in the past. Of course, not better than Yugeon hyung."

Yugeon's face and chest were covered by Taein's back and exposed from the bottom of his belly. Heesu hummed and moved to his seat. While he was caught up in the heated kiss, not with his own will, his legs were spread open by someone's touch. A hot erection brushed against his hole and then pressed in. Yugeon's eyes widened.

"Eub!"

The cock spread him open unannounced. The hole was slippery and wet, so the insertion was much easier than before.

"Heu, ah, ahah, ah!"

The rim stretched without a wrinkle barely clamped down on Heesu's dick. The semen left inside pooled along the diameter of his length. After a moment of appreciation, Heesu straightened his back and pulled out. His dick was smeared with plenty of white liquid.

This was Heesu's preference. He preferred bedding a worn-out person to an inexperienced one. In particular, it was perfect for him if the person was already roughened up by many and their body in tatters. The more competitors, the better, and the more people participated in sex, the better. It was more fun to fuck someone else's guide than a guide that no one had ever touched.

Come to think of it, wasn't there a time when Chan clicked his tongue and said that if he hadn't become a Awakened, he would have picked up only married men and married women to eat up. ‘The crazy one’. He had heard the same thing many times, but it didn't matter. No one taught him what normal was like in the first place.

"Ah... too lewd. I'm really turned on right now. Yugeon hyung got fucked by many people, now his hole is all filled up, can't fight back and just crying cutely, really....."

He murmured as if possessed. Holding Yugeon's pelvis tight, he began to gently move his waist back and forth. According to the beat, Yugeon's shaft, which had not yet fully recovered after the climax earlier, fluctuated. It gradually reddened down the whole length.

"There are still some leftovers from Chan hyung inside. I'm also going to come inside you hyung. Everything is going to be mixed up in your belly, in the end will you be able to tell whose it is?"

Every time he felt the hard thrusts from below, Yugeon moaned and clutched Taein's shirt collar. Taein swallowed all of his moans through their interlocked lips.

At some point, Heesu's mind control effect was lifted. Taein continued to hold him tight, however, and did not let him move away. Yugeon's eyes gradually became distant, already running out of breath. Yugeon's body, soaked in sweat and numerous bodily fluids, squirmed in Taein's arms. He should change his clothes, no, he had to throw it all away...... as soon as he got out of this room. Futile thoughts flashed across his mind and disappeared without a hitch.

"Taein hyung, please get out of the way..... I want to rub my dick on his nipples. Haa..... come on."

Heesu took out his dick out of the wet heat, and stroked himself while waiting for Taein to finish up. His eyes reddened from excitement and ecstasy, and his focus blurred. um, eung, cough. The entangled lips finally fell apart with a stark noise. Yugeon painfully took a wet breath. The now empty hole was left pitifully pouting. All that left inside was leaking out again.

The position was then changed according to Heesu's whim. Now Heesu went up and Taein went down.

"Guide Baek Yugeon."

Taein murmured the name quietly, looking down at Yugeon. There was a hint of blush on his icy cheeks. He thought that everything Shinje, Chan, Heesu, and Taein did to him seemed to be killing Yugeon little by little with every moment they were with him. Maybe it was true, and on the other hand, the opposite might also be true.

His hand on the bed trembled faintly. He didn't want to find out the truth even to his death.

"Spread your legs."

What had been taunt under his well-ironed suit pants rutted onto Yugeon's crotch. Yugeon's overly sensitive nerves were swept away just from the rough texture. Yugeon bit his lip and raised his arm to cover his face. Taein grabbed his arm, and tried to pull down the wrist. Yugeon held on stubbornly. He must be on the verge of exhaustion, but it was still strong.

"You don't even want to see me anymore?"

"......."

"Guide Baek Yugeon."

"Who would want to touch you?"

Taein looked away from Yugeon and glanced at his bare hand on the bed. The sheets under his palms were stained with blood. Not touching Yugeon with this hand was the last consideration. Does Yugeon realize what it meant for him?

"What are you waiting for? Doing nothing."

"......Ha."

"Fuck me and get out of here."

He recognized it from the time when he spat out ‘fuck off’ to Shinje. That the guide was still clinging onto his useless pride when he had nothing but his body. Animosity swept up from the pit of his stomach. He changed his mind and did not bother trying to reach out to his face.

"Then cooperate properly."

The hand that had not taken off the glove grabbed his waist. Yugeon was then lifted up in an instant and sat on Taein's thighs. He wrapped his legs around his waist, facing each other.

"You want to finish this quickly? Don't think it's not the same for me."

Taein supported Yugeon's waist with one hand and untied his belt. Something with a girth like a hot, bulky water bottle bounced out and hit his wet thighs.

"Wait!"

Before he could finish speaking, a large hand gripped his pelvis. He pressed him down straight away without mercy. The round, hard tip pressed against the hole. Yugeon grabbed Taein's arm on reflex. An attempt to put on even a little less weight on him. Taein frowned.

"It's useless."

The grip on his waist grew even stronger. The cock gradually disappeared into his body, uncaring of the resistance.

"Heu eung......."

It stretched him open, vertically, and slowly. Shame coursed through his body knowing that the other party was dressed perfectly with only the front loosened while he was the only one struggling naked on top of him.

Taein observed all of Yugeon's reactions to the littlest movements. Only his eyes were clear while his whole body was driven by murky desire.

At first, Yugeon was busy trying to get himself up. Then, as soon as the glans went in, his eyes widened and lips opened up unkempt in shock. His dark eyelashes trembled. The cock persistently working open its way through the narrow and sticky inner wall gradually filled with weight. The deeper the insertion, the more Yugeon expressions changed. The pale skin under his eyes flinching, while his eyes wandered around in confusion. He bit his lips tightly and shook his head. He seemed to be holding back something.

Taein's mind heated up. The insidious impulses oppressed with powerful drugs from day to day finally came to a boil.

Tendons stood out on the back of his hand. Taein grabbed Yugeon's buttocks and squeezed with all his might, and shoved him down on his dick.

"Argh!"

Taein's thighs touched his hips. A stiff sensation reached up to his navel. He felt like his guts would explode if he moved even a little wrong. Yugeon couldn't even think of closing his open mouth. His thighs, hips and barely standing waist trembled.

"Heug, heueug....... heuk."

Yugeon whimpered and carefully moved his trembling arms to embrace his lower abdomen. The outline of the cock shoved inside of his body seemed to bulge over his stomach. Heesu approached and grabbed his arms back with one hand and lifted them up. His chest was left exposed. He then rutted his cock against Yugeon's nipples wet with bodily fluid he didn't even know whose.

"I should've fed hyung better and made you gain some weight. Then I could have fuck your chest."

The tip was aligned with the stiff nipples and pressed firmly. A tingling sensation spread from his chest.

"Ah heug."

"Hyung. Did you feel it with your nipples?"

The walls convulsively clamped down on Taein's dick. The sudden narrowing of the inner walls sucked his dick in further clenching the glans tight. Yugeon did not even know how to pick out whose pulse he was feeling in his lower abdomen.

"I heard hyung didn't have much experience before you came to us. But I think you are liking it too much. So cute. Hyung. Can you take one more? Will mine go in too?"

Heesu's fingers felt down Yugeon's lower abdomen, and lightly touched the taut perineum. There was not even an inch to spare. At this rate, they might see blood right away even if only a finger was pressed in. Actually Heesu was fine with blood. Even if the hole was torn apart, all they had to do was call in a person who had the ability to heal and put him back together. But Taein frowned and glared at him like someone who heard the most disgusting sound in the world.

"I guess not?"

Heesu reluctantly retreated, smacking his lips. Taein bucked his hips up and pressed Yugeon down further. It was a crude move without technique or consideration. Some place in his guts was pounded finely.

"Ah...... aheug, ah, ah!"

Yugeon's body shook violently. His cock swayed with rough movements, gradually hardening. Transparent liquid dripped from the semi-erect dick and wet Taein's pants. But it felt a little different from before. He didn't know if it was because he was being stimulated again even though it hadn't been long since he had a climax, or if the cock fucking him had changed. Every time he was pressed down on the cock hard, the insides of his thighs stung and his lower abdomen felt cold.

Yugeon had never felt anything like this before. Something was strange. Even in the midst of confusion, he thought this was not a good thing. Was his body finally ruined after it had been violated far too much? If they continued this, it might really be irreversible. Genuine fear overwhelmed his body. Heesu was gripping his wrist and jerking off using him while Taein was fucking up from below. Yugeon shook his head desperately.

"De, puty, chief....... stop, eug, no more, no....... ah!"

"Didn't you tell me to wrap it up quickly and get out of here."

"Ah, no, not, heueug, it feels weird......."

In lieu of replying, Taein grabbed Yugeon's waist tightly and pressed him down with all his strength, and snapped his hips up at the same time. Slam! The sound of smacking flesh resounded. Yugeon's body was pushed up slightly.

"Heueb...!"

Yugeon stiffened. Not completely down, not completely up, but in a vague position as he knelt, his back curling, his insides clamping desperately down on Taein's cock.

"......."

Yugeon's eyes widened with pain and misery. Tears welled up. The thigh muscles were tense as they tried to support his weight in an uncomfortable position and the bandaged ankle was left trembling. Heesu, who was watching him, stretched out and tapped Yugeon's heel. It was a playful move, but the aftermath was huge.

He suddenly lost the strength in his legs. Yugeon, who lost the support, sank down like a fall. It felt like the cock inside hit the pit of his stomach together with his ribs. Nausea rose up to his throat.

"Ha...... Euheug........"

His unfocused gaze wandered through the air. Tears that had been brimming for long ran down from the corners of his eyes. A clear liquid gushed from his erection. It was transparent and not viscous to look like semen. The texture was close to plain water. The liquid splashed all the way to his neck and face even after wetting Taein's chest and stomach.

"Ah, ahahah, a!"

The liquid shot in rapid succession as if a water gun trigger was pressed. Each time, Yugeon trembled as his walls spasmed and contracted around the dick plunged inside him to the roots. His head tilted up in the air. Naturally, Heesu supported him. He gripped his dick and pumped it, rutting his tip against Yugeon's chest.

Mesmerized by the provocative and shocking sight, Taein looked down at himself. The spotless shirt was now soaked wet, revealing the contours of his pectoral muscles. Even the color of his skin could be guessed at a glance.

"Heug... haa."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Even then, it felt like Yugeon's image was burned to the back of his eyes. Sweat dripped down his chin. Burning hot narrow walls had been fluttering around his cock since a while ago. Yugeon's body was twitching along with his gasps. It became unbearable.

Tension snapped and he was then pushed over the edge thrusting deep in as far as he could fit in. He didn't dare open his eyes throughout the whole climax. Self-hatred, sadism, and desire to possess intertwined like a lump of dust behind his eyelids.

As his arousal was fading, Taein belatedly realized that he had been holding Yugeon with both hands at some point and pressing him down to his thighs. He had forgotten not to touch him with his injured hand, and the moment he comprehended the situation, disgust rose from inside. Directed at whom? Himself? Yugeon? Or something else?

He finally opened his eyes. He could see his hand smoothened out and without a single scratch on his skin. Feeling a little dizzy, he pulled out his flagging dick. Every time the thick girth scratched the inner wall, Yugeon flinched pitifully. Taein's eyes involuntarily turned between Yugeon's legs. It would come out soon. Evidence of his own filth.

But before he could witness that, Heesu stepped in. He flipped Yugeon over, pressed him down, and whispered in his ear.

"I'm not done yet"

Yugeon couldn't even open his eyes properly and muttered.

"Please stop......"

"What's so hard about it? Hyung just needs to lie still, I'll do everything for you."

"......."

"Tsk."

Heesu pouted his lips. But didn't stop what he intended to do. He tucked his cock between Yugeon's wet thighs and thrusted in between. The sound of smacking flesh began to fill the room again.

Taein lowered his head and rubbed his face dry. His whole body was a mess stained with Yugeon's cum. He wanted to wash up right away. When he finally raised his head he saw Shinje walking out of the bathroom attached to Yugeon's room. The man took out a bathrobe from the closet next to the bathroom and put it on. The bathrobe looked new, as if the owner of the room had never bothered to use it before.

Clearly, their eyes met, but Shinje didn't maintain eye contact for no longer than a second. The inorganic eyes moved gently under his dripping wet gray hair. Taein shared the sentiments. He jumped up to his feet and left the room, passing Shinje.

Shinje slouched across the spacious room in slippers. Droplets of water fell from his hair one by one and pooled on the floor. He sat on the edge of the bed, and picked up a water bottle and a glass from the side table.

"Still doing it? I guess you're holding up better than I expected."

Yugeon, who was pressed under Heesu, turned his head blankly. It looked like he just moved reflexively as soon as he heard his voice. Yugeon's prone figure was extremely suggestive. A naked pliant body soaked in sweat laid on a wrinkled sheet. Blush on the tip of his nose, his soft earlobes and the corner of his eyes. The same went for his fingertips, toes, knees and elbows. His nape and clavicle had no place to kiss anew, his hips swollen red from friction. There were teeth marks on the back of his neck, sides, arms and even on his groin.

"......."

Instead of pouring water into the cup and bringing it to his lips, Shinje glanced at him. He couldn't help it. He smiled softly as if he had something to say, then grabbed Yugeon's chin, bowed his head, and kissed him lightly.

"Heueug. Heu, ah, ah, leader......."

As soon as his lips fell off, Yugeon whimpered, calling him desperately. Heesu, who was attached to his back, was still fucking his thighs. Shinje gently brushed Yugeon's hair and replied obediently.

"Yes?"

"The stamps...... I, got, them all."

"Hm. So you gathered them all?"

Shinje tilted his head as if to continue his words. However, more words did not immediately follow. Heesu's cock rubbed on the tender flesh on the inside of his thighs, and a moan came out instead.

"Why did you stop talking?"

Shinje gave him a whisper of a smile and placed his chin next to him.

"Can’t talk anymore? When I first met you, I thought you had a fish bone stuck in your throat. Talking back to everything and all, even after I pinned you down." [1]

The hand brushing away his messed up hair slowed down a little.

"You were so cute back then, but I think you are a lot cuter now. To the point where I'm willing to give you both my neck and heart even if you want to kill me."

"Hyung......"

Finally, Yugeon managed to open his mouth. It was a wet voice barely squeezed out from between his wheezing breaths.

"I, hyung, the hospital......"

Shinje opened his mouth to answer. Coincidentally, at the same time, Heesu buried his head in Yugeon's nape and hugged him tightly. Semen was sprayed between the clumsily shrunken thighs. That was all Yugeon remembered.

How long had it been? He could feel someone moving away beyond his fuzzy consciousness. The door opened and closed, and soon the room became quiet. Yugeon tried to pull himself up. His vision was blotchy, as if he had anemia. He collapsed back on the bed before he could even raise his upper body, however, with little to no strength in his arms.

"......."

With his head buried in the blanket, Yugeon stayed still for a long time. He felt like he had become a disposable product that was discarded after draining all his usefulness.

"Yugeon-ah."

Yugeon visibly flinched at the sudden voice that came from above his head. He thought everyone had left.

He suddenly remembered what Shinje had said before this whole thing began. It's time for us to make a bet. If Yugeon could no longer stand it and begged for him to guide Shinje only, then he would lose the bet.

"......."

No response came from Yugeon. He still had his head buried in the blanket. Before long his back and shoulders began to move slightly. The tremors grew more noticeable little by little. A sound then leaked out from under the thick blanket.

Shinje tilted his head, confused. Did he burst into tears because he couldn't overcome pain? No. Yugeon wasn't crying. Rather the opposite......

"Ha, haha, cough...... haha......"

He was smiling. It was not that he had given up on everything or lost his mind, or rather, he looked like he was possessed by a wicked creature. His bloodshot eyes could be seen glaring at Shinje through his disheveled bangs. That hateful stare alone sent chills down his spine. Yugeon declared in a cracked voice.

"I won."

.......ah.

Shinje stiffened with his lips slightly open. Time stopped for an instant. Except for Yugeon in front of him, the background, all the meaningless and trivial things faded to white like a background landscape in an old black and white photograph.

He knew. Yugeon would destroy him one day. He would make him want to die, and at the same time would prevent him from dying. He would compel him to commit all of mankind's named sins. Shinje would have to repay him ten times the karma he had committed. He could never go back to what it was like before until he realized the very fact right now and right here.

Every cataclysm entails an omen. Just as lightning came before the thunder, and waves before the tsunami, this realization was Shinje's omen.

"Yes...... I lost. Guide Baek Yugeon won."

Shinje gave him a whisper of an answer. The time that stopped began to flow again. With a different color than before.

"Congratulations on collecting all the stamps. I'll let you go see your brother as I promised."

Yugeon slept like a dead man without a single dream. Like trying to forget the reality, he slept for hours and hours.

Yugeon's room was in the same order like the very first time he arrived here. The blankets soaked with bodily fluids were changed, and all his clothes that were taken off were also removed. Even the flowers in the vase were fresh and new. It seemed that the staff had cleaned up while he was asleep. It was obvious who ordered it.

New clothes were found neatly folded on the side table. A new uniform consisting of a black dress shirt, gray pants, and new daily wear. They smelled like luxurious fabric softener. Without much thought, Yugeon reached out for his clothes. Immediately, terrible muscle pain flared up from all over his body. His pelvis stung like it was dislocated, and his insides burned.

He barely swallowed a moan and picked up his clothes. Putting the gear and two metal badges aside, he lifted up the shirt that had been neatly ironed without a single wrinkle. Something dropped from between the crisp folds.

"......."

It was a yellow paper that did not belong with Erewhon's achromatic colors. A rectangular shape the size of a palm. The corners had turned brown and wrinkled with blood, but there was no problem recognizing the letters on it.

"Ah..."

Yugeon sighed when he realized what the paper was. It was Seulbi's business card. He happened to accept it and tucked it in his pants pocket. Who found the card and put it on the table in his room? It would be a relief if it was the laundry staff that found it. But what if it's not? He was afraid those people would be angry with Seulbi, not just him.

The business card could have dropped when he was being carried away by Taein. Or when he went into the gate in Heesu's arms. Or when Shinje picked up Yugeon in the crumbling cave and threw themselves out of the gate. He remembered how Chan even sarcastically asked him, ‘do you know who brought you here?’

There was no way to be sure about anyone. But there was also a good chance that one of them picked it up. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't get an answer. Yugeon sighed as he ruffled his hair. Only the person concerned would know the truth. There was no use in him racking his brain in the corner of the room alone.

Ji-iing... A vibration went off. The cleaning staff must have picked up his cell phone that had been left unattended and connected it to the charger. The black liquid crystal displayed a charging indicator. The battery gauge was full. There was nothing to do other than answering the incoming calls or checking the notices, and since he didn't know how to use it, he left it alone and forgot about it. The battery must have died. He turned on the screen. There was one unread message notification. It looked like it had just arrived.

[I'll pick you up in two hours. I'm getting ready. Think about what you want as a gift for your visit to the hospital.]

It was an unsaved number, but he thought he knew who it was. Yugeon hovered his finger on the button to add the number to the contacts and then put it down again. He didn't know what to name him. Just the three letters of his name? By position? Or by another name?

When he opened the drawer under the desk, he found some stationery, including memo papers and a pen. He tucked the business card deep between the sticky notes. The cleaning stuff wouldn't go through every single detail.

He ignored the throbbing pain in his back and stood up. He decided to take a shower first. He couldn't go see his brother with a dirty body. As always, it took less than 10 minutes for Yugeon to wash up and come out. After drying his hair roughly and putting on whatever clothes he could get his hands on, there was nothing more to do. But he didn't want to lie down in bed again.

Sitting at the bedside, he looked at the message again. The words ‘visit to the hospital’ caught his eyes. So it was not a dream when Shinje said he would keep his promise. He felt restless. Eventually he left the room. He decided to kill time in the lobby until the promised time. He couldn't get out of this building by himself, so that was the maximum amount of freedom he was allowed.

There were many people in the lobby of the Erewhon Headquarters today. A few pairs of eyes sneaked glances at Yugeon and then dispersed. Someone must have recognized Yugeon's face. With their eyes inconspicuously fixed on Yugeon, they turned their heads slightly and whispered to the party. But that was all. Without a uniform or a guide badge, it was quite difficult to distinguish Yugeon from other Hunters. Compared to the amount of gazes he received whenever he was with Team 1, especially if he was with Shinje, it was tame.

The lobby was crowded with Hunters waiting for assigned missions, and Hunters who had just returned from raids. At this rate, he might have to wait for Shinje in the midst of strangers for two hours. Yugeon stood idly in place staring at the constant stream of people coming and going for a few minutes, and turned away. A hallway continued from the corner of the lobby. Across it was a spacious cafeteria.

The high-end restaurant upstairs was a place where it was difficult for ordinary members to step foot in. It was only used by highest ranking members to enjoy a dinner together, or when other high-ranking guests came from outside. This place, however, was open to all Erewhon members, and served as a canteen or a cafeteria. They could go when they needed to eat a meal alone, or if they wanted to sit down with a friend and chat, or when they were hungry but felt a bit burdened to eat something big.

But even that was unfamiliar to Yugeon. Pasta beautifully served on a plate, sandwiches filled with stuffing, and drinks topped with whipped cream. It was like a completely different world from how he used to live. To those people, how pitiful and ridiculous the low ranking Hunters might look rolling around in the back alleys covered with trash and filth. They might have looked like bugs or animals.

With his hands tucked in his hoodie's zip-up pockets, Yugeon stared at the cafeteria through the windows. Dozens of tables were placed in a spacious space. It was half full and half empty. Some people had ordered food and drinks to eat, while others were seated either looking at their cell phones without ordering anything or chatting with their acquaintances. It looked like no one would care if Yugeon went in and sat at one of those tables. He hesitated a little, then stepped forward.

Among the strangers passing by, he unexpectedly found a familiar face. That person also seemed to have recognized him. Yugeon pulled his hand out of his pockets and bowed his head.

"Nuna, good afternoon."

"Ah..."

It was Kang Hyeonji. The Hunter who brought him the terminal. She looked quite perplexed, she didn't expect Yugeon would suddenly greet her.

Yugeon's gaze was too straight on her. She tried to pass it off as a misunderstanding, but she couldn't. Her teammates were already looking at her suspiciously. They also seemed to have recognized Yugeon immediately. Of course, they would. Up until now, wherever there was a chance, Yugeon was still the subject of slander.

Hey, what is this? Why is he good afternoon-ing to you? A number of silent questions flew in from all sides. Cold sweat ran down her spine. Her face gradually turned red.

"......."

Hyeonji bit her lips and avoided his eyes. The greeting was not returned. No matter how dull Yugeon was, he noticed the other person was uncomfortable with him. He lowered his eyes. He still had a calm expressionless face on him, but his eyes noticeably dimmed. Hyeonji clenched her fists. Rather than the gazes of her colleagues stabbing her backs and shoulders, something more painful was pricking her heart.

"......ex"

She plucked up her courage and opened her mouth.

"Excuse me!"

Yugeon, who was just about to turn around, stopped. Hyeonji smiled awkwardly and bowed her head. Ignoring the sting on the back of her head and back.

"Ah, hello, Baek Yugeon Guide-nim."

Hyeonji accompanied Yugeon and took a seat at a table inside. There was no one by her side. The team members looked at her and Yugeon alternately with the eyes saying they had so much to ask, and then left. She thought she would have to take a long time to explain when she went back later, but she decided not to think about it now.

"......."

She brought him here because she was concerned about the attention of the people around them, but even in a deserted place, Yugeon had not said a word. He just looked down at the table with a face that was quite difficult to guess what he was thinking.

"I hope everything's fine?"

In the end, she decided to speak up first. Yugeon nodded meekly like a well-trained large dog.

"Yes."

"Is there anything uncomfortable?"

"No."

The conversation was cut off again. How did the Leader bring out such colorful expressions from such a person? She became somehow curious about the contents of Shinje and Yugeon's call.

"Would you like a drink? Let's go order. It's my treat."

Unable to endure the silence, Hyeonji stood up. She thought it would be better to have something to drink in between.

"I'm fine."

"Don't worry. I got an incentive. The gate we went to this time was rated higher than we expected. It was Type 2, but the boss was a combination of short-range and long-range type, so we had a bit of trouble. Originally, we were supposed to play rock-paper-scissors with the team members and the loser would buy it for all of us."

"......."

She deliberately chatted cheerfully to ease the awkwardness, but Hyeonji shut up on the way. She said something useless again. The guide wouldn't know much about the gates anyway.

Hyeonji and Yugeon stood in front of the cafe counter. A large menu hung above it.

"Tell me what you like. Everything sold in this cafe is nice. I've been a regular here since I was a rookie, so I've tried almost everything. The espresso menu is especially delicious. The owner uses really good coffee beans. I'm sure the Leader also drink with these coffee beans."

Yugeon stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at the menu. Dozens of unfamiliar words were listed. All of them were foreign words, and he couldn't even guess which language they were written in.

"Guide-nim?"

Hyeonji turned to look at him properly. Yugeon was frowning at the menu with a cold expressionless face. It was easy to misunderstand that he was angry at someone for those who didn't know, but there was a hint of embarrassment mixed in. It looked like something was going through his mind. Didn't they say Yugeon used to live with F-class Hunters in a slum until he entered Erewhon?

After the Outbreak, the gap between the rich and the poor had widened far too much to an unprecedented amount. Even the basic welfare that was granted to all citizens had disappeared. Daily life that was taken for granted before the appearance of the mutants had now become a story that could not even be dreamed of. She hadn't even considered the fact that the cafeteria, which she went in and out day by day, might be a place Yugeon had never been to before.

"Ah, that....... guide-nim. Do you like coffee?"

"Yes."

The carefully asked question was answered immediately. Hyeonji breathed a sigh of relief inside. It certainly felt like she just crossed a big mountain.

"Do you like it bitter? Or sweet?"

"Sweet. That very black and bitter....... and taste like rot, not that one."

At Yugeon's clumsy explanation, Hyeonji ended up giggling without realizing it.

"Then which one do you prefer, cold or hot?"

"Anything is fine."

Hyeonji nodded. Then she went up to the counter and ordered a cold brew for herself, and an iced vanilla latte for Yugeon. It was still smooth up to there. A problem then came after that. The old owner, who had been wrestling with something behind the counter for a long time, turned around with a perplexed look.

"What do I do? I think the machine is broken. I've been trying to fix it since morning, but it's not working."

"Noo. It can't be fixed?"

"I don't know when it'll be fixed. I'll cancel all the payments for now."

"Ah..."

Those who were waiting for coffee sighed. The front of the cafe counter, which was crowded with people, became quiet in an instant.

"Darn. What do I do with this?"

Hyeonji leaned over the counter and asked.

"Boss. Did the coffee machine break?"

"I've been using this since we opened up the shop, but it's really expensive so I've never had any trouble so far. I guess it's finally time for it. I don't even know where it's broken."

Erewhon was founded 13 years ago. If he had been using it since then, even the best espresso machine would break down.

"Hyeonji-ssi, I'm sorry. I was going to make you a nice cup of coffee for our top regular."

"Don't worry. It's not the boss's fault. I'll be back for a drink another time."

Hyeonji smiled awkwardly and looked back at Yugeon.

"Guide-nim, sorry. The machine really has to break down today, of all days."

"......that."

But Yugeon wasn't looking at her. His gaze was fixed on the espresso machine over the counter.

"If you don't mind, may I take a look?"

The boss' eyes widened at the unexpected request. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened.

The three of them gathered behind the counter. Yugeon rolled up his sleeves to his forearms, looking around the espresso machine.

"Guide-nim. Have you ever fixed an espresso machine?"

"It's not like that...... but the machines are all similar anyway."

Yugeon was good at repairing machines. It was because he lived in an environment where he couldn't afford to buy a new one quickly just because it broke down.

When the old equipment was worn out, only certain parts were replaced and continued to be used. Spare parts were obtained from second-hand trades or sometimes received for free from generous people, and the belongings of the Hunters who perished during missions were also shared among them. Assembling and disassembling a gun was the basics of the basics, so he could do it with his eyes closed. That was not all. Industrial presses, drills, and grinders were used for remodeling equipment, and automobiles were disassembled and reassembled, leaving only axles and engines.

He was much more accustomed to working with tools while covered in dirt and grease than chatting over expensive drinks at cafes. While surrounded by unfamiliar space, he was happy to see a field that he knew well.

"Do you have a driver?"

"Huh, uh. Yes. Here."

The boss gave the driver away as if possessed. Yugeon took it, adeptly fixed it and ripped open the case on the back of the machine. He took out some of the parts inside, checked the wiring condition, and removed foreign substances. He then reconnected the power outlet again and turned it on. Soon enough, the screen lit up together with the sound of the motor running.

The two people watching it had bewildered expressions. Was it this easy to fix?

"There was nothing wrong with it. Here, there's just some foreign matter stuck in the solenoid valve."

While Yugeon was explaining, pointing to the machine, he felt strange. He turned and looked back at the others. The boss and Hyeonji were looking at him with curious eyes.

"......."

Did he hurt the boss' feelings when he touched the machine unasked? It could be. Unlike him, people here were big spenders and had expensive tastes, so wouldn't they prefer to buy new things rather than reuse old ones?

"I'm sor......."

"Wow, Guide-nim! What the hell did you do? You're amazing!"

Yugeon only blinked his eyes. He thought they would reprimand him for doing something he wasn't asked to do, but it was unexpected.

"Goodness, how come a small kid like you be so good with his hands?"

The tiny boss, who was about a head shorter than Yugeon, called him a small kid so naturally. In fact, considering his age, it was not that far-fetched to say that Yugeon could be his son, no, he could be his grandchild.

"Your parents must be happy to have a smart son like you. Huh? They should be proud, they raised their kid really well."

The old man's wrinkled hand patted Yugeon on the back. At those words, Yugeon froze in his place as if broken down.

"......."

Yugeon didn't respond for a while. He closed his mouth with a calm face and didn't even look at the boss. It was a perfect reaction to be misunderstood as rudely ignoring what an adult was saying. Then he pulled back his hood and looked down stiffly. He was still expressionless, but his earlobes, that could still be seen under the hood, were burning red.

Yugeon was sitting back at the table. He was alone just like the first time. But the difference was that there was a glass full of vanilla latte in front of him.

Hyeonji had to go back earlier. Just soon after the coffee she ordered came out, she received an emergency call related to the mission. She took a look at Yugeon's cell phone and was astonished at the state of the device that still looked just like the first time she delivered it. She left only after telling him about some features, including how to surf the web and take photos.

Yugeon bit the straw fiddling with the glass that was covered in water droplets. The cold coffee went down his throat.

"....."

As soon as he took a sip, his eyes widened a little. It had a fragrant sweetness that was incomparable to the cheap sugar taste of mixed instant coffee that he always drank. For a moment, Yugeon relaxed at the taste of the delicious coffee, and then looked down at his cell phone placed on the table.

He decided to buy a new cell phone for his brother after he had recovered to some extent. Then, even if they were apart, they would always be able to keep in touch. He didn't know exactly how much a cell phone costs, but wouldn't it be possible to buy one with the guide's salary? Heeseong also never had a cell phone after the accident, so he wouldn't know how to use the latest models. He should learn how to use it in advance. Yugeon turned on the phone screen and launched the portal app, as Hyeonji had shown him earlier.

"You can type in whatever you're curious about here. There are also places called communities, where people with similar interests gather and talk. I'll tell you about that next time."

"Whatever I'm curious about......."

Yugeon carefully moved his thumbs and started typing letters. Tug, tug, tug....... It was a little slow as he wasn't used to it yet.

[A cat I don't know keeps coming to my room.]

When he pressed the search button, articles and photos related to cats appeared. However, there was no content that exactly matched what Yugeon was looking for.

[A cat I don't know keeps walking around.]

[Can cats eat soup?]

After searching this and that, he found it to be quite entertaining. The worn-out laptop he used in the past stuttered a lot just by accessing the job searching site for Hunters, so he didn't even think about trying other functions.

[How to make a vanilla latte.]

[Mworae Cookie] [뭐래 쿠키]

[Mworaeng Cookie] [뭐랭 쿠키]

He was pretty sure it was this name... No? After frowning and thinking seriously, he changed the search term a little.

[Meoraeng (Meringue) Cookie] [머랭 쿠키]

Finally found what he was looking for. Yugeon swiped down the screen with his thumb, looking at the photos of beautiful meringue cookies. Then, something suddenly came to mind. To tell the truth, it was something he had been curious about for a while, more than cats or sweet treats. Yugeon opened up the search bar again. This time, he hesitated for a long time, and after contemplating whether to look for it or not, he typed three letters with difficulty.

[Woo-Shin-je]

News articles, videos, and SNS posts mentioning him popped up. Compared to before, there were many search results. They said that S-class Hunters were mostly treated like celebrities. It wasn't wrong. Shinje during a press conference, Shinje in response to an interview, the front view of Erewhon Headquarters building, and even a photo of Shinje getting out of his car. His photos appeared constantly on the screen the size of his palm. It felt strange to see a person who he was talking to face to face through a screen.

It was not that he was curious about Shinje in a positive sense. Rather, it was the opposite. Shinje knew all the minor information, starting with Yugeon's personal details. Family relationships, past experiences, social security information, blood type and body size. He even did a background check. Shinje did not purposely hide his background but Yugeon knew nothing about him. All he knew was his job and his name. He felt dirty, as if he was just playing on the other person's palm without knowing anything about him.

Among the numerous photographs, one caught his eye. Unlike the other photos, the image quality was significantly poor. It was like someone took a photo of what was printed out and posted it on the Internet.

People in dark red uniforms stood in an orderly fashion. The Espers of the Awakening Management Headquarters. It appeared to be a photograph taken at a private event such as a commission ceremony or a medal ceremony. He quickly found Shinje among the Espers who were all in rigid posture. The image quality was poor, and the clothes and facial expressions were very different from now, but it was more difficult not to recognize that gorgeous appearance.

He looked much younger than he was now. He looked over fifteen and under twenty. Even then, he was tall, his head rose higher than the others. A teenage boy dressed in an officer's uniform, it should look awkward and ridiculous. But Shinje looked very well suited. The pale face looking straight ahead without any expression was unfamiliar.

Shinje was obviously alive and well, and just a few hours ago, he was lying in his arms, kissing and doing a lot more things....... but oddly, he didn't look like a living human being in the photo.

Just as he was about to zoom in and look closely at it, someone lightly tapped his shoulder. There was no one here who would speak to him except Hyeonji. Did she come back after finishing her work?

"Nuna?"

Yugeon turned his head without much thought.

"Am I making progress all of a sudden?"

Gray eyes were looking down at him. Before he knew it, his surroundings had become quiet as if cold water had been poured on them. Shinje smiled shyly and lowered his gaze.

"If you want, you can call me hyung. Even better if you call me honey or baby."

In fact, it had been a while since Shinje found him. In case Yugeon noticed his presence immediately by the loud greetings, he smiled playfully to the surroundings and put his index finger to his lips. There were many people in Erewhon who would gladly obey the Leader's orders even if they had to cut their own vocal cords. At that small gesture, everyone shut their mouths in unison. It killed even the slightest noises of rattling chairs or coffee cups clinking and clattering. Thanks to this, he was able to approach Yugeon, who was absorbed in playing with his cell phone, without alarming him.

"Ah....... Leader."

Yugeon hurriedly turned off his cell phone, which still had Shinje's photos on the screen, and shoved it into his pocket. He knew it was like advertising himself that he was doing something stupid, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Did you wait for a long time? I thought you'd be waiting for me, so I came down as soon as possible. Shall we go out now?"

Shinje bent down to meet Yugeon's eye level and reached out his hand. Instead of taking his hand, Yugeon just looked up at him. A look of embarrassment was evident in his eyes. Shinje couldn't stand it and ended up smiling a little. It was also hard work to pretend to be oblivious. His guide really needs to be cute in moderation.

"Hurry up. If you want to go see your brother."

Yugeon followed Shinje and got into the car parked in front of the main gate. It looked like he was planning to drive himself and take Yugeon to the hospital personally.

Shinje started the engine. Yugeon stared at his side profile. He kept thinking of what happened earlier. He was the kind of person who would confess directly about things he was worried about rather than keeping them in his mind. No matter how uncomfortable he was with Shinje, it was, however, one thing to go through his past on the Internet behind his back. Eventually, Yugeon made up his mind and opened his mouth.

"Leader."

"Yes."

Shinje responded dryly and manipulated the car audio to play classical music. When the other person came out with such a calm attitude, it became even more difficult to confess.

"Earlier, I......."

"Earlier?"

"I think you already noticed, but when I was playing with the phone earlier, I happened to search your name on the Internet...... and it was when I saw the picture."

"Ah, that."

Shinje added even before he could say that he would apologize if he was offended.

"Why didn't you ask me yourself? Then I would have answered anything. What was my guide so curious about?"

"......."

"If you sell my backstory to the press, it'll make some money. Feel free to sell. What should I tell you first?"

It was a strange answer. He couldn't tell if he meant it or if he was being sarcastic at Yugeon's reckless digging of the past.

"I don't need it."

"Why? Guide Baek Yugeon, don't you need a lot of money? Don't you have to take care of your precious brother?"

This remark was also vague whether it was a mockery or not. Shinje was always like that. He would trample on a person's spirit whispering sugary love poems, and then shred his sincerity lightly like a bad joke.

"No matter how desperate I am, I would rather sell myself than sell anyone else."

The habitual smile on the corner of Shinje's lips disappeared. He turned his head and leaned towards Yugeon. Yugeon reflexively flinched. The gap between them gradually narrowed. A shadow fell over Yugeon. They could feel each other's breaths. When he thought the tip of their noses and lips were about to touch, Shinje moved away. He stretched out his arm and fastened the seat belt for the passenger seat. The belt pressed against his heart.

"......is that so?"

He left behind a whisper and turned away. Before long the car began to move slowly. Shinje was looking straight ahead again with a nonchalant face.

It took less than an hour by car to get to the hospital where Heeseong was hospitalized. A few blocks away from the hospital, he saw the towering Awakening Management Headquarters building. Shinje parked his car in the VIP parking lot. And before Yugeon could untie his seat belt and get off, he opened the passenger door with a smooth motion. Yugeon was still sitting in the passenger seat with a huge bouquet of flowers in his arms. It was a gift of his choice for the hospital visit.

It was quite unexpected for Shinje. Knowing that his guide was far from sentimental or romantic, he thought that he would rather ask for cash, as he didn't need anything practical like food or daily necessities, not a gift like this.

"Take my hand and get down. Give me the flowers."

Shinje held out his hand towards him. Yugeon's expression hardened. It was his first time to receive this kind of treatment. There was a time when he even got kicked in his back to get off quickly, and that was when he was about to jump off from a jeep.

"I'm all right."

"You hurt your ankle. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable?"

"How much does a flower bouquet weigh? I can walk just fine. I'm not that weak."

If you were going to keep these manners, do it only to cultured ladies and gentlemen. Yugeon gently putting his hand on Shinje's and daintily getting out of the car, anyone would think it was a ridiculous sight to behold. Yugeon turned away from Shinje with a frown and got off on his own.

As soon as they got in the elevator, Shinje pressed a floor button. Yugeon stared blankly at the LCD as the numbers slowly went up. He felt strange. He was so worried about his brother and yet he didn't even know which floor he was on. Doesn't it seem like his concerns for his brother were a sham?

"Why did you choose a flower bouquet?"

Shinje suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Last time I bought it as a gift for the visit, you looked at it like some colorful trash. It hurt quite a bit. I thought I looked a little less pretty the first time we met, so I bought flowers and dressed up to look good."

"......."

Yugeon was amazed at the way his eyes drooped as he pretended to be sad. Who would have liked it if some madman entered the hospital room without permission and in the middle of the night, sat down, and stared at him?

"Never..."

"...."

"Never have I bought anything like this since my brother and I started living together."

After a moment's hesitation, Yugeon carefully chose the next words. He could feel Shinje's gaze stuck on his side profile.

"I'm not interested in flowers. To be honest, I don't understand why people buy things like this with high prices. If you need plants, you can get them from the mountains behind you. That doesn't mean that flowers have any medicinal properties or functions, and they do not help in battle."

It was a bold remark, and all the more so because he was extremely serious.

"But hyung is different from me, and he liked everything neat and pretty. He might have wanted flowers at least once."

Heeseong was like that even in the distant past, which, for Yugeon, was now hard to remember. While other boys his age were flocking around, playing loudly, he was stuck in his room alone, listening to music or fiddling with his cell phone. The parents clicked their tongues at the sight of Heeseong's locked door. And on the other hand, there was Yugeon, who would come back without a single cry even if his elbows and knees were covered in blood after falling pretty hard playing in the playground. The parents would click their tongues again. Contrary to the first, the second was too blunt that it was worrying.

Speaking as it came to mind, Yugeon came to his senses only a bit later. What was the point of saying something like this to this man? It would be a good thing if he didn't mock him for his weaknesses.

"I just...... this is just what I thought. That's all."

After ending it awkwardly, he closed his mouth. At the same time, the elevator door opened. The wide hallway on the VIP floor opened up. It was different from the place Yugeon and Heeseong were first hospitalized. Perhaps to protect the privacy of the patients, there were no name tags attached to the doors of the hospital rooms. He had no choice but to follow Shinje blindly again.

As they turned a corner, they ran into people coming from the opposite side. Dark red uniforms, white shirts, ties, and badges of a different design from that of Erewhon. It was the same outfit as seen in Shinje's past photos. An old man with short gray hair stopped a few meters ahead. As a man who had lived as a soldier for many years, he had no unnecessary posture and had a hard expression on his face. The aides who followed him also stopped in unison.

"......."

Yugeon's fingertips quickly cooled down. There was no way that Espers would leave a good impression on him. These are the people who wanted to frame Heeseong as a criminal and him as an accomplice. Shinje took a step forward, naturally sending Yugeon behind his back.

"Leader Woo Shinje."

"To see you here in a place like this. Lieutenant General Bae, how do you do?"

"Our Leader Woo seems to be very busy these days. If I don't contact you first, you won't even give me a call to say hello."

"How can I take away your precious time when I know Lieutenant General is always busy."

"I'm still someone who is fed by the country, it's really sad that it seems like I'm only complaining every time we meet. Is it possible for Leader Woo to make a seat for me on your side? As I get older, I can no longer do anything against the wind anymore." [2]

At first glance, it sounded like ordinary business people exchanging pleasantries. But the reality was very different. The atmosphere in the hallway was as sharp as a blade that might cut his skin. Shinje was speaking softly, but he showed no respect to the other person at all. So was the Lieutenant General. He had his face brutally hardened and was on guard against Shinje all this while.

The Lieutenant General cast his gaze over Shinje's shoulder. The tiger-like eyes of the man, who still reigned as the head of the organization even after his prime, turned to Yugeon.

"My memory is not what it used to be, but I remember all the names and faces from Erewhon Team 1 to Team 5. But... I think that's the first time I've seen this young man. Are you new?"

Heeseong's rampage incident would have been immediately reported to the top seats of the Awakening Management Headquarters. Shinje even held a press conference and made a big splash, so there was no way he wouldn't recognize him. He would also know that Heeseong's younger brother, the guide, was now in Erewhon. It was very cunning to ask even though he knew everything.

"This is my guide."

"Guide? What nonsense. I've never seen my Leader Woo keeping a guide in my whole life."

The Lieutenant General's eyes narrowed with interest. It was the eyes of a person who was experienced at pushing and pulling his opponent to his rhythm. Yugeon silently met his gaze. He didn't want to be pushed back.

"You didn't like to be guided even when you were on our side. Because of that, my people had to suffer a lot."

"......."

Staring at the opponent without moving, Shinje then lowered his eyes and smiled quietly.

"Let's see. What was Leader Woo's fit rate? I could recall every personal details of the members of SALIGIA, but as time goes by..."

"Guide Baek Yugeon?"

Shinje turned his head slightly and called Yugeon. The voice was as low as a whisper, and so soft that not everyone here immediately recognized that Shinje had interrupted the Lieutenant General.

"It's the room in front of you. Go in. With the way things are going, I think it's going to take a little longer."

"Then how about the Leader......."

"Do I even have to join you brothers' emotional reunion? Wait here nicely and play with your brother. I'm going to have a chat with him."

"Who is that?"

"My late father's co-worker?"

Shinje shrugged his shoulders like he too was flabbergasted.

"Guide Baek Yugeon doesn't have to worry about anything. Um... Just think of him as a scary uncle. Don't follow him even if he tells you he will buy you candy."

"......."

"......."

At that moment, not only the Lieutenant General but also the aides behind him had strange expressions on their faces.

The garden attached to the VIP floor was quiet without human traces. They could see the view of the city at a glance over the railing. Crowded spaces with airtight concrete buildings, winding roads, and barbed wire over high fences. Everything was rusting from the inside out. It was like the skeleton of a huge creature that had long since died and all the flesh had rotted away.

Shinje and Lieutenant General stood with an ashtray between them. The aides were ordered to go down first and wait in the car. The Lieutenant General pulled out a cigarette and asked.

"Have a light?"

Shinje took out his lighter. This guy was good at lighting the fire, covering it with one hand to keep the flame from shaking in the wind. He took a deep breath of cigarette smoke and glanced at him. For the Lieutenant General, he was still more familiar with Woo Shinje of the past, that is, when he was at the Awakening Management Headquarters, rather than Woo Shinje of the present. The disparity between the two was once again terrifying.

"You have to think about your health and slowly quit smoking."

"As long as you become an Awakened, you will never be able to stop it for the rest of your life. I just had my 60th birthday, I've lived a long time for an Awakened person. What's the point of living longer? I'm just gonna smoke my fill and die."

"You're still hale and hearty, why are you saying that?"

With just the two of them left, the tone of the conversation became noticeably lighter. It was never that they were friendly or on good terms. The years of nurturing the old grudges and hatred had been so long that they no longer felt the need to nitpick one by one with trivial formalities.

"And so."

Shinje leaned on the railing and looked back. Unlike the Lieutenant General, he did not smoke. Since Yugeon hated cigarettes, he planned to refrain from smoking when it was just the two of them, even if he couldn't completely quit it. He hadn't been able to break it as much as he wanted yet, but wouldn't it be a waste if Yugeon got seriously sick squealing in the strong smoke? He has to feed him well, take good care of him, and keep him alive for as long as possible.

"What's the matter?"

"Hmm?"

"If it is a hospital affiliated with the Awakening Management Headquarters, is it not in the palm of Lieutenant General Bae's hand? I'm sure you already knew that we were coming today."

"As expected of young people, too clever for your own good. No, is it because he's Brigadier General Woo's son?"

"Lieutenant General."

Shinje smiled softly and tilted his head.

"I don't like lengthy introductions. Isn't that true for all those who have served in the military for a long time?"

The Lieutenant General coughed a little and lowered his voice.

"Can't you reconsider what I suggested back then?"

"Suggested by Lieutenant General Bae. What was it? Starting with having a meal, there were so many things......."

"I meant, taking back your remarks about gate anomalies and stuff."

"What difference would it make to take back only now? It has already surpassed the level of just trying to shut my mouth."

Fear had already spread uncontrollably throughout society. Unlike in the past, reports about how the difficulty of the gates had risen too much, or how unknown mutant species that no one had ever seen had appeared in the gates kept coming up in the news unsuppressed. At this rate, the information that only high ranking officials and key researchers of the Awakening Management Headquarters knew was spreading to the public in real time.

"If you can't take back the remarks, I'll have to request Leader Woo to lend some strength to us."

The Lieutenant General rubbed out half the remaining cigarette on the ashtray and turned around. His eyes gleamed with strange enthusiasm.

"It's about re-challenging the Mazzaroth Raid. This time with the right people. There's no one more qualified than Leader Woo."

Shinje did not speak for a long time. Light-colored eyes under the slightly ruffled hair disturbed by the breeze meaninglessly captured the city landscape. Just when the Lieutenant General's patience was about to reach its limit in the silence that continued without promise, Shinje murmured to himself.

"You mean you're going to rebuild it again...... the Almuten Special Forces, SALIGIA?"

"I'm not saying you should come back to this side. There are many ways in which the Center and Erewhon can work together in a joint operation."

"I can no longer control it, so I let it go, and now I feel like it's a pity, so I'm going to bring it back in....... Even a man who keeps hounding his ex won't be this pathetic."

A vein stood on the Lieutenant General's forehead. He tried to hold back his anger.

"Why do you think I'm putting down all my pride and asking for you?"

"Did the Lieutenant General think I'll accept that offer?"

"The destruction of mankind is at stake! Even if you don't want to, you have to accept......."

"The destruction of mankind?"

His eyes widened as if surprised, and then Shinje suddenly burst into laughter. He rolled his eyes, smiled and laughed, until his white cheeks were blushing. He sensed an indescribable madness mixed in with it.

"Ah... I'm sorry."

After laughing for a while, Shinje rubbed his fingers around his eyes and handed out an apology that didn't feel like one. The Lieutenant General's expression turned harsh as if he wanted to chew him off.

"......."

"Destruction. Destruction is good."

It was such a light tone that he could not feel a bit of fear. The Lieutenant General finally realized. From the beginning, Shinje had no intention of accepting any of his offers. They had raised a tiger cub, no, a monster cub. Had he known that this would be the case, he would not have allowed Shinje to be discharged. At that time, he had wondered what a biological experiment that knew nothing but battles could even do if it went out into human society.

"Don't we both have the same desire to get rid of Almuten?"

"I'll be the one who kills him. I don't need your help. Well, I don't think you even have the ability to do that."

"You've grown up a lot. From a guy who couldn't do anything but follow orders. Are you going to rebel against the government now? Even so, the label of SALIGIA on you will never go away."

"I was born and raised as a non-human, shouldn't I at least die as one?"

Leaving those words behind, Shinje turned around without any regrets. The Lieutenant General then suddenly threw out a few more words to his back who was moving away in steady steps.

"You know, that Guide Baek Yugeon."

Shinje stopped walking.

"If he's the one kept by Leader Woo, I think he'd be a pretty competent guide. Don't you think so?"

"So what?"

"He looks stiff, and not at all cute, but kids like him are surprisingly good in bed."

"Are you going to seduce the kid with candy?"

"There's nothing I can't do."

"Goodness."

Shinje looked back at him over his shoulder. He frowned at him with a pitying look.

"Then a pretty picture with you in handcuffs might come out. Really, no conscience against a kid who still has fluff on his head. It might not be enough even if you are pretty like me."

"......."

"You have started to do things you have never done before ever since you got older Lieutenant General, and it's pretty ugly."

The Lieutenant General barely managed to suppress his anger with a reddened face. It was because he knew that if he got angry here, he would only end up being caught up in Shinje's flow. He didn't know how the guy who could only say yes or no got such a vicious tongue.

"I fully understand what you mean. My guide really has to be moderately cute. But please don't put that greed into action. If you do that......"

Shinje turned his head back again and looked straight ahead.

"You'll find out why Erewhon is called a den of insanity with no eyes."

He finally left the garden, leaving behind only his heavy footsteps. The Lieutenant General raised his voice and called for him, but he never looked back this time.

"Who do you think you are!"

He glared at the direction where Shinje had disappeared with his bloodshot eyes. He even swallowed his pride as a high ranking general and bowed his head, and yet his outstretched hand was mercilessly rejected. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of his anger.

"Arrogant bastard. You'll regret it."

He muttered and spit, heading for the opposite exit. Everyone left, and only the embers that had not yet been extinguished from the cigarette butts abandoned in the ashtray blinked red alone.

Almuten appeared in the history of mankind earlier than expected. It might have appeared at the same time as the Outbreak. Most of the eyewitnesses died, and the very few who survived remained unknown because they kept their mouths shut for various reasons.

The efforts of each Awakening Management Headquarters to target Almuten and the gate it lurked in, Mazzaroth, also dated back several decades. Shortly after, it was discovered that Almuten had the ability to influence the Awakened to rampage at will.

If it were physical attacks, it could be dealt with by mobilizing combat-specialized Awakened, and if it were mental attacks that caused hypnosis or hallucinations, it could also be easily dealt with by those with mental abilities. However, when faced with Almuten's unique ability to induce rampage in Awakened, all attempts were helpless.

Unlike common side effects that could be suppressed with drugs to some extent, once a rampage occurred, it was difficult to calm down without a guide. However, it was impossible to take the guides to Mazzaroth. Where in the world was there a guide who would willingly want to step into the gate where all the flying fish have died, and even if they were forcibly taken, how could guides who were completely incompetent in the field of battles survive there?

Researchers at the Awakening Management Headquarters came to a conclusion after putting their heads together. If the ability to induce rampage at will was a problem, they could ‘create’ an Awakened that would not rampage. Awakened ran wild when the side effects exceeded their limit due to excessive use of abilities or not having received guiding for a long time. Then all they had to do was build someone with a big and strong plate. Then, there would be no fear of exhaustion no matter how much they use it, and it wouldn't break even without a guide.

At first, it started with a longing to defeat the powerful enemy and protect mankind. However, that longing gradually degenerated under the mask of desperation. Enough to touch the forbidden realm beyond the line of ethics.

It was the beginning of the top-secret project ‘SALIGIA’.

The sperm and eggs of the highest ranking Awakened were collected and hybridized. In the process, embryos that were found to be defective were mercilessly discarded. After meticulous selection down to the cell level, the remaining highest quality samples were cultured in artificial uteri. Not all children born that way saw the light of the world. Except for those who awakened at the same time as its birth, the rest were removed without a trace.

The Awakening Management Headquarters did not have enough room to invest time and funds recklessly in things that they were not sure about whether or not it would awakened, or when, and at what rank. An incompetent test subject was nothing more than a defective product and waste. The brutal process of filtering after filtering, creating and then killing was repeated countless times mechanically. They had produced phenomenal results that even they themselves couldn't believe.

Rank tests after rank tests were conducted at the same time as the fully grown fetuses were taken out of the incubator, and finally an S-class appeared. Of the tens and hundreds of thousands of samples, they only managed to get a few A-classes and B-classes, but it was the first and only S-class.

‘It’ was the most brilliant achievement of the Awakening Management Headquarters and the spark of a counterattack. They decided to name it, and so it was given the surname of Colonel Woo Sungyeon, who was the chief researcher of the project.

Kwaang! The walls, which were soundproofed and dustproofed with hundreds of layers that were built by generally using by-products of the mutant species, vibrated loudly. Even the floor, which boasted a level of strength that would remain intact even when an anti-tank gun was fired and a tank passed by, cracked.

- Captain Woo Shinje. Can we continue the training?

A mechanical voice free of intonation came from the speakers installed in the corner of the ceiling.

"No, I can't."

A horribly cracked voice was barely squeezed out. It was hard to hear, obscured by the sound of the harsh breathing that was wheezing like a wounded animal, but it was clearly a denial.

- Biological response detection. Meet the conditions to continue training. Proceed to the next step.

The lights flickered rapidly at the end of the sentence. The white room that was impossible to distinguish the walls, floor, corners and ceiling whitened and then darkened in turns. At the same time, a terrible noise that would have immediately burst the eardrums and damaged the auditory nerves if the ordinary people had heard it filled the room. That was not the end of it. Hundreds of times more gravity was applied to the entire space.

"Cough!"

The whole body was already in tatters after several hours of ‘training’. Shinje bowed his head down, unable to withstand the gravity. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth and wet the white floor.

- Captain Woo Shinje. Can we continue the training?

"No... I can't."

- Biological response detection. Meet the conditions to continue training. Proceed to the next step.

The noise grew louder and the air became heavier. Shinje's knees bent down. The intensity of the experiment had already exceeded human limits. Blood flowing from the eyes, nose and mouth, intense pain coursing through the whole body, damage to the nervous system and cognitive decline, they were typical symptoms when the Awakened were close to rampage. From the outside, it looked like a pure white secret room, but the entire room was a laboratory and a training ground. Precisely designed to create a condition most similar to a rampage.

- Captain Woo Shinje. Can we continue the training?

"No..."

In the middle of his response, Shinje crouched down. He then vomited out the warm blood that had sprang up from under the pit of his stomach. Shredded pieces of intestines came out mixed with blood. A red puddle pooled around him. The dark red uniform was soaked wet. A miniature camera mounted on the ceiling silently captured the gruesome scene.

The entire space shook, unable to withstand the enormous force. The surface of the walls began to powder away. Ppa-gak, ppak, ppagak! The sound of bones breaking in succession was heard. If the hardest bones in the body could be like this, not to mention the internal organs and muscles. Even the wrist and knee joints that were barely touching the floor were broken. Shinje eventually collapsed in place.

- Captain Woo Shinje. Can we continue the training?

"......."

- Captain Woo Shinje, please respond.

"......."

- Scanning...... below the biological response threshold. Stopping training. Updating database......

At the end of those words, all the speakers and cameras were smashed into smithereens. Gravity returned to its original state, and the noise filling the air slowly ceased. However, Shinje, who had collapsed in the middle of the devastated laboratory, did not budge a bit.

A door opened in the middle of a white wall. Researchers in protective clothing covering their entire bodies came rushing in. While one person retrieved the broken camera and recorded various figures in the lab log, the others surrounded Shinje. They approached him carefully and cautiously, not taking their eyes off him for a second. No matter how incapacitated he might be, since he was an S-class, they did not dare to let down their guards around him.

"Grab it."

"Yes."

Someone wrapped an arm around Shinje's neck and lifted him up. The person next to him quickly poked a thick needle into the nape of his white neck exposed under his gray hair. A large syringe filled with high-purity stabilizer was pushed in.

Thick metal rings were attached to his hands, feet and neck. It was a restraint that could limit the abilities of the Awakened, also made from by-products of high ranking mutants. The researchers tilted his head, covered his bloodied face with a large muzzle, and then dropped him back down and left. It was all done with great speed, lest they set fire to themselves.

How long had it been? The closed laboratory door opened again. In between came a man in a dark red uniform. Two badges on his chest stood out. It was a guide belonging to Awakening Management Headquarters.

"Ugh…"

The guide shuddered at the sight of Shinje, collapsed on the floor with blood all over his body. It looked frightening and disgusting at the same time. The thing in front of him was an S-class Esper. An S-class Esper that was artificially created in a laboratory and raised as a weapon. It's appearance was just like a human being, but it was not one. How could such an abomination be a human being?

"......."

He trembled and squatted down in front of Shinje, placing the tip of his fingers on his forehead. The reluctance of not wanting to touch the other person was obvious. It was still a relief, however. Since only minimal contact was required for this one.

The instructions from higher up were to guide him just enough not to die. To get used to the extreme conditions so that he could withstand Almuten's attack. It was a relief that this much was enough, but if he had to kiss or have sex with this thing, he would have already quit the center early on.

This thing was just an Awakened. Someone that would suffer from pain and eventually go crazy or die if they couldn't receive guiding. Weren't there a lot of Espers here holding onto his pants just to try and hold his hands? As a precious guide, he himself was guiding him despite such inconveniences. The more he thought about it, the less scared he became. He calmed down a little. At the same time, a subtle sense of superiority rose up from his heart.

When the guide touched the bloodstained white forehead, some of them got on his fingers. His face contorted. It must be around seventeen or eighteen. Although it had a manly frame, his young opponent, who was still too young to be called a young man, was unrealistically beautiful. That's why it was even more terrifying. He felt goosebumps because it didn't look like a human being no matter how he looked at it.

The guide decided to close his eyes since it started to feel like he would be completely bewitched if he continued to look at Shinje any longer. He only opened his eyes again the moment he decided the guiding should be done. It was then he met with the gleaming gray eyes. All the blood vessels in the whites of his eyes were ruptured, looking otherworldly red, and the eyes looking up at him were harsh.

"......."

He was so startled that he couldn't think of even escaping and froze in the squatting position. Shinje opened his mouth and gestured as if he was about to bite off the guide's ankle. However, the attempt went in vain with the metal muzzle that covered half of his face.

"Ha...... heek, eugh, euaak!"

The guide jumped up to his feet as if he had been burned. He ran away screaming, immediately leaving not only the laboratory, but the entire hallway. Shinje stood up stumbling without even a glance at the direction where the guide had disappeared. Blood dripping down from his wet uniform.

"Ha......."

People passing by the hallway right in front of the door were looking at the new person in the room in amazement. Looking at the armband on his forearm, he was a new recruit. This was a restricted area, so only senior Espers should be able to enter. Were they bringing in the new S-class to give him a tour?

A foreign presence was mixed among the officers in the same uniform. It was a boy with black hair and tanned skin. He was only wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants. It was a casual attire that could never be found in such a space where tension and solemnity were always present. There was even a sports bag slung on his shoulder. While he still had a young look on his face, his body was noticeably strong, his head rising above the other older Espers.

He opened his mouth wide and looked at Shinje, and murmured with an annoyed look on his face. He was obviously talking to himself, but Shinje heard it all too clearly.

"Wow...... shit, crazy. It's really crazy here."

It was the first meeting of the two S-classes, the earliest members of Erewhon.

The bridge that used to cross the wide river was in ruins. Broken concrete, glass and vehicle debris, blood dripping onto the road, and corpses scattered haphazardly. All that was left was the remnants of the disaster. Shinje slowly walked through the wreckage where carnage just took place. The side profile of his pale face staring expressionless at the terrible scenery was like a stuffed angel.

The steady steps, as if measured with a ruler, stopped abruptly. A huge steel bar was blocking his way. After thinking for a while, he kicked the rebar with his shoe. Kwadeudeuk. The steel bars were crushed very easily like millet crackers. As he was about to go through the jungle made of broken steel frames intertwined, he heard a faint breath that sounded like it would stop at any moment.

He found two boys. One looked his age and one was much younger than him. They seemed to have fallen unconscious near the edge of the wrecked bridge. If the damage on the bridge was only a bit wider, they would have already fallen into the river.

Ever since Shinje was born, he had only lived in a containment area in the heart of the Awakening Management Headquarters. The only gates he was put into were only those that had long been closed to civilians within a radius of several tens of kilometers. The Awakening Management Headquarters minimized Shinje's media exposure as much as they could, except in cases where it was absolutely necessary, to prevent the detection of unethical biological experiments. He did not even know how to speak properly ‘like a normal person’, so he was not even allowed in interviews despite being a rare S-class.

The dispatch of him to Hwangan Bridge this time was a big exception. The reason was because it was a situation that was desperately urgent– Almuten had appeared without any notice, on the landmark bridge, in the middle of the city. Moreover, the number of civilian casualties were increasing by the minute. Any further delay would be leading straight to the exposure of Alumten's identity.

Most other Espers were not strong enough to deal with Almuten. Even if there were strong people, it would take time to stop the missions in progress and report it to the top to get permission to dispatch. So there was only one suitable person left for them to choose. A secret special force created to thoroughly deal with Almuten, and the strongest of them all.

"......."

Shinje tilted his head slowly. The inorganic eyes stared at them without even blinking. Like a scientist observing a newly discovered creature.

The children were covered with blood, dust and wounds. He crouched down between the wreckage of the car debris and the steel structures, so that his face could not be seen. The children were wearing clothes that were quite different from the uniform he was wearing. The younger one's shirt was particularly fascinating. There was a colorful and round picture on the belly of the little kid. It was torn in half, possibly by a sharp object, but there was no problem recognizing the original shape.

What is that? What does it mean? He suddenly wondered. He frowned slightly and racked his head. But he couldn't find the answer. None of the military codes and symbols he had ever learned had such a picture. Shinje raised his head again with a blank face.

A sharp wind blew over the bridge that had been cut off in the middle. There was a faint smell of water and blood mixed in the air. His disheveled hair fluttered in the wind like burning ash. He could feel the slight trembles under his feet. The ground on which the children were lying was about to collapse.

At this rate, these boys would also disappear under the deep, cold water. Just like the psychic body of Almuten, which had broken his legs just less than an hour ago, and vanished without a trace into the gaping gate, making him return empty-handed.

Large cracks spread under the unconscious boys. Shinje quietly stepped back and raised his hand. Kkigigik! A loud noise rang out. The block of concrete that was about to fall into the river came to a halt, then with the boys on board, it dropped back onto the still intact road.

It was an embarrassment to even say that he saved them, and it was in a very insincere measure. If the ground shook again like before, that's when they would fall into the river. It was none of his business, however. He turned around without hesitation. He had to report the results to ‘father’.

When he returned to the center, he immediately reported the results of the mission to Colonel Woo Sungyeon, no, Brigadier General Woo Sungyeon, who was promoted for his contribution in the creation of Woo Shinje. He was released only after a full ten hours of ‘training’ as a punishment for failing to strike fatal damage to Almuten.

As soon as Shinje entered the bathroom, he took off his blood-stained uniform top and dropped it carelessly on the floor. Cheolsseog. It sounded like throwing dead fish onto a wet, heavy cloth. He went into the bathtub still wearing his shirt and pants. As soon as he dipped his blood-stained feet in the water, the red spread like ink dropped in water.

The bathtub was plain white, had a crude and basic design, and was a bit small for him, who was over 180 centimeters tall. As was usually the case with military residences. It was still much better than the bathrooms used by the common soldiers as it was an officer's dormitory.

He leaned back on his back and slowly glided down the wall. Blood slowly spread from where he sat. It didn't take long for the water in the bathtub to turn red. It looked like a scene of a nightmare, but he was not bothered. He just touched the surface of the water thoughtlessly with his fingertips. The metal ring on his wrist shook with the movement, causing a ripple.

His life had always been like this. For him, this was his everyday.

Those who belonged to SALIGIA were castrated from all their desires. As each and every one of them were powerful Awakened, it was clear that the damage would be uncontrollable if they were determined to resist. So they had to cut off all desires from the sprouts. They were taught spoken and written language, but were forbidden to read anything except pre-censored official documents and field manuals. All to avoid rebelling against orders by needlessly learning about human rights and emotions.

Unless it was time for experiments, training or missions, their abilities were always limited by the restraints on their wrists, feet and necks at all times. If they showed any sign of resistance, they were thrown into the ‘training room’ and inflicted pain until they were near-death. Any powerful Awakened would lose their egos if they were born and raised in such an environment. A weapon that speaks and moves, nothing more, nothing less.

He traced a picture on the bathroom wall with his fingertips with blood dripping from the still not yet healed wounds. It was a picture of a round puppy. The design, which would have originally been cute, looked quite bizarre because it was drawn with blood. Looking at the picture reminded him of the conversation he had with Chan earlier.

It was not enough to say that Shinje and Chan were acquaintances, but it was also ambiguous to say that they did not know each other. The very first time Chan started a conversation with Shinje, a fight instantly broke out and it destroyed hundreds of meters nearby, and there was no significant contact after that.

SALIGIA, to which Shinje belonged, was a special unit that was treated as confidential even within the Awakening Management Headquarters. Lower-level Espers didn't even know such a project existed. Chan, on the other hand, was assigned to the general unit.

Chan had some difficulties adjusting to life at the center after enlisting and was assigned to his own squad. Until a few days ago, a 17-year-old boy who ate lunch at a normal school, listened to classes, and played soccer with his friends, had to enter the military in one morning just because he awakened his abilities.

There was only one person in the center who was the same S-class and the same age as him and it was Shinje. Naturally, he became curious about him. Although the units to which they belonged were different, he hoped that they could become friends if they clicked well. It would be good for him if he had a friend of the same age that he could talk to and be honest with.

One day, Chan found Shinje passing through the hallway, receiving saluts of his subordinates. What he did back then was put his arm around Shinje's shoulder and brightly greeted ‘Hey, dude. Nice to meet you. I heard you're the same age as me.’ Shinje, in return, blankly stared at Chan's arm that was draped over his shoulder, and without any hesitation, he used his ability to slam Chan into the wall on the other side.

Chan, who flew through the air and was hung upside down on the wall, was startled with a puzzled look on his face, wondering what the hell it was, but soon immediately became aggressive. The S-class shape shifting ability of feline beast type was second to none. He immediately turned into a black tiger and pounced at Shinje with a roar. After the incident, one building in the Awakening Management Headquarters was left in unsalvageable state while the other two were partially destroyed.

They stopped fighting only after the hastily dispatched Espers forcibly suppressed them. In the process, Chan received a great shock. It was because while he only received a reduction in salary and probation along with the admonition that he should not fight inside the center and damage property, the measures they took on suppressing Shinje were extremely harsh.

Dozens of fully armed Espers lined up and aimed their guns at Shinje. There were even anti-tank guns among them. The merciless shooting stopped only after Shinje completely collapsed bleeding all over his body.

Chan saw that it was a situation where the majority were unilaterally cornering one person, but it was the Espers who were trembling with genuine fear. Only after they confirmed that Shinje had lost consciousness, they breathed out collective sigh of relief and swept their hearts.

After that, Chan no longer pretended to know Shinje. It was because he understood that Shinje and his situation were too different, and that unless the situation changed, they would never be friends. However, whenever he heard Shinje's name in conversations, he would grind his teeth, and say, ‘He is a psycho who will never have a good relationship with anyone.’ That was already a few months ago.

And a little while ago, Shinje willingly spoke to Chan for the first time on the way back to his dormitory after training. It was because he thought Chan would know about the picture on the child's shirt because he had heard he used to live among civilians for the longest time.

Chan made a face as if he had seen all kinds of crazy people. The reaction was quite understandable when a person, who was covered in blood all over his body, came up to him casually and started talking to him. When he saw the picture Shinje had drawn with blood on his palm, he frowned.

"What? That's a dog. A puppy."

"......."

"Don't tell me you don't even know what a dog is."

Shinje, who got the answer, turned around without saying a word of thanks. ‘No, wait, that again... Hey, you punk. At least say goodbye and go. Did no one teach you manners?’ He heard an angry cry from Chan behind his back, but he didn't look back.

".......ah."

Shinje let out a short sigh. The drawing of the puppy was trickling down the wall. He thoughtlessly touched the dripping blood. The shape became even more unrecognizable.

He wondered why he was doing such a useless thing. He got up from the bathtub. The semi-transparent red water dripped down from his wet shirt and pants that were clinging to his body.

An emergency dispatch order was issued to Shinje early that day. It was an order to enter Mazaaroth and dispose of Almuten.

The attack on Mazzaroth was a disastrous failure. After dealing with Almuten's physic body outside of the gate several times, the Awakening Management Headquarters thought they were fully prepared to be able to defeat the main body. Most of the expedition, made up of all members of SALIGIA and elite Espers, died in the Pit. The few who survived miraculously were also critically and fatally wounded.

The Espers rushed towards the exit in a hurry. Behind them was a great darkness. At first glance, it looked like a dark void with nothing, but it was narrowing the distance between them little by little. The Old Calamity.

At the end of the group was Shinje. He faced Almuten until the very end, and pulled himself out later than anyone else. He had no choice but to fall behind. Someone glanced back. It was the foolish fate of those who were being pursued, even though they knew in their head that they must never look back and that they should only look ahead and run, to turn around and look back.

"Eurgh!"

He could no longer speak properly and pointed a finger in the air.

"There, behind, behind us."

Before they knew it, a gigantic figure was right behind them. The entire darkness that filled the space was his gaze and breath. Just looking at it was enough to drive one crazy.

"Already caught up?"

"It's all over now......."

It was then Shinje came into their view. They quickly exchanged glances. An unspoken agreement was reached in an instant. The ground under Shinje shook and then caved in. It was the work of the Esper with the ability to create earthquakes. Kwang! A roaring sound resounded and Shinje fell. A foreboding crack came from his ankle, as if the bone was twisted wrong.

The darkness which was gradually expanding into the whole space suddenly stopped. The gaze of the dark and gigantic star beyond it turned to Shinje, who had inflicted the most blows on its main body. Fortunately, the hastily squeezed out strategy worked.

"Now! Hurry and run!"

Shinje only raised his head and stared blankly ahead. Espers who bought time using him as bait were fleeing frantically. Among them was Brigadier General Woo Sungyeon.

"Ah."

Shinje reached out his hand with difficulty. But it looked like it was difficult to get up right away. There was a clear relief on Brigadier General's face.

Shinje was the masterpiece of his life. No achievement in his lifetime was as great as Shinje. It was powerful, useful and even beautiful. Therefore, he gave the test subject his surname and allowed it to call him ‘father’. But that was it. After all, wasn't it just a weapon to deal with the mutants? The only difference it had from the normal weapons made of metal and plastics was that it was instead made of blood and flesh.

If one of them had to be sacrificed, it had to be that. Wasn't it the reason why they created it? Although it took a huge budget to make it, it was useful for the betterment of mankind until the end, all in all, it was worth it.

"Father."

Shinje murmured. The Brigadier General turned away, the quiet murmur falling on deaf ears. Shinje's lips, which had opened weakly, closed. That was their last conversation.

Shinje also fully understood their choice. The party was on the verge of annihilation, so it wasn't wrong to sacrifice one person and allow the majority to survive...... Very efficient, reasonable, and simply military-like thinking. So he didn't feel shocked or betrayed. Nevertheless. His chest felt cramped as if he was pressed down by a heavy boulder. Impulses that couldn't be explained by reason and logic blocked his heart.

I want to kill you. For the very first time in his life, such thoughts came to mind. I want to kill you all in the most horrible ways. Almuten lurking behind him, the Espers fleeing before his eyes, all the mutants, the Awakened, and the guides, and finally even himself.

"......."

He raised his bloodied hands. There were large boulders near the ominous tall gate. Looking at them, he slowly clenched his trembling fists, thin bones standing out. Warm blood spurted from his guts wet the ground.

He didn't take his eyes off the front for a moment. He squeezed all his remaining energy and crushed the boulders. Rocks the size of a house fell one after another from a height of tens of meters. Kung. Ku Kung! A deafening roar rang out. A cloud of dust obscured his vision. The fleeing Espers stopped their tracks one by one.

When the dust subsided, what they saw...... were rocks blocking the gate layer after layer. The eyes of the Espers were dyed with despair.

Most of them here were those with elemental abilities such as fire, earthquake, and ice. All picked with a strategy in mind to deal with Almuten, who was also strong in physical attacks. There was nothing they couldn't break, but even if they wanted to break all those layers of rocks, it would take a long time. There was no guarantee that they would survive until then. The most efficient way was to use telekinesis to move the whole thing, but the problem was that the only person with telekinesis was the one who caused this situation.

"Ha......."

A wheeze-like chuckle came from Shinje, who was still lying down on the ground. He slowly stumbled up on his feet. The broken ankle trembled uncontrollably, but it was ignored.

"Ah, hahaha, haha."

He bowed his head and laughed. Noone would believe that it was a person who did not know how to make expressions other than a blank face since he was born. The pupils in the middle of his gray eyes were blown wide, and the corners of his mouth stained with scars curved up.

Trapped Espers in front, and Almuten lurking behind. Standing between them, Shinje had a thought. This place, no, this whole world... it was in the middle of a deep, deep abyss that they could never escape.

Only one Captain Woo Shinje survived the gate. Even he was on the verge of dying. The rest of the bodies were never found. And the first action the Esper took on dying Shinje was interrogation, rather than treatment or protection.

"Captain Woo Shinje. Are you sure that Brigadier General Woo Sungyeon was killed inside the gate?"

Shinje looked up at the person who had asked him a question. He was barely able to get out of bed, barely holding on to his consciousness. A faint breath leaked from between his discolored lips.

They were suspicious. They wondered if General Woo Sungyeon was really killed by Almuten. They wondered if Shinje killed him, committing mutiny. It was a reasonable question. The Brigadier General loved his own life terribly. In the event of a crisis, he was a person who would survive alone using Shinje as a shield. They didn't understand how it was Shinje who walked out of the gate alive instead of the Brigadier General, and not the other way around.

"Answer only yes or no. Your statement will determine whether or not you will be punished."

Shinje rolled his eyes and laughed after a brief silence. The Esper shuddered when he saw his smile. Was this the face of the corrupted angel betrayed by God, fallen and thrown to the bottom of Hell?

"Almuten took away my chance."

It was a very hoarse voice. However, there was no problem in understanding the contents.

"Answer only yes or no."

"I wanted to kill him, but I almost did... but unfortunately."

"Captain Woo Shinje!"

In front of the Espers, whose faces had turned blue, Shinje laughed for a long time, his blood-stained body shaking.

Shinje did not open his mouth again after those words. It was the same even after torturing the wrecked body, administering confession drugs, and even calling in an Awakened with mental abilities to hypnotize. What the expedition members saw in Mazzaroth, what they went through, and what Almuten's body was like was buried in the dark with his silence.

A court-martial was held over his disposition. There was a lot of debate. All were futile and wasteful business. They came to a conclusion. The expedition members under Brigadier General Woo Sungyeon shall be treated as dead on duty for their honor, but Woo Shinje shall be punished by applying the crime of contempt of superiors and disobedience of orders.

From that day on, Shinje was ruined. They could only describe him as broken. He laid still in one place, like a doll waiting to be thrown away after having served its purpose. The general fit rate was terribly low, so it was of no use forcing him to be guided. Since it was an S-class, even if food and drinks were completely cut off, the life still would be saved, but at this rate, even that life looked like it was about to end sooner or later. The weapon could not used if there was no reaction even after it was tortured until near-death, be it was a precious test subject. His position as an officer had long been dissolved, and there were even talks about his disposal.

Then one night, Shinje, who was in a deep sleep, woke up. His gray eyes glistened in the darkness. He laid like a stuffed butterfly and looked up at the empty ceiling for a long time. Throughout the long and cold night, until dawn.

The next day, the Awakening Management Headquarters was overturned. It was because of Shinje's sudden request for discharge. Of course, the majority objected, saying it was nonsense. On the other hand, there were also some who agreed.

"Just let him go. There's nothing we can do about him."

"Major General!"

Shouts of dismay came from all sides.

"It's too dangerous. If we let him go out, he might leak all the confidential information out of spite!"

Major General Bae Cheolseong shook his head slowly.

"I know this guy well. He's not interested in anything other than his goals. All he has learned since he was born was to be a hunting dog, and he'll die pursuing that goal all his life. He has no such thing as a grudge or animosity."

"Still, there's no reason to just risk it. I think it would be better to get rid of it all together."

"What do you think his goal is?"

"That's......."

"Almuten, and Brigadier General Woo. Brigadier General Woo is dead, so there's only one left for him to take revenge. He doesn't care about us. Have you ever seen a lion hunting a mosquito just because it sucked some of its blood?

"......."

"I mean, if we let him go, he would do nothing but struggle all his life to kill Almuten by himself. We can't help it if he dies, but if he succeeds in attacking, we can easily blow our noses without touching it with our hand." [3]

He was oversuppressed all his life, his whole body pickled in all kinds of experiments and drugs, and eventually tortured. Throughout the process, Shinje had never shown any hostility. If he wanted to kill those who had abused him, he would have killed them sooner than expected. Shinje's goal seemed to be far-off and more fundamental. The Major General determined that it was Almuten.

"It was designed to automatically charge at the enemy just by placing it on a chessboard. To hold such a convenient thing in your hand and make it useless out of fear that it might malfunction. It's just stupidity."

He was confident. This decision should do good and no harm. How could a test subject that didn't even have the common sense of a child defeat him, who had been rolling in politics for a long time?

"Let's face it, this project has failed. All we can do now is to make use of its remains cleverly."

The Major General was the final decision maker of the SALIGIA project. He was also a strong candidate for the next head of the Awakening Management Headquarters. If he decided so, his subordinates had to obey. But he didn't expect it. Not long after Shinje's ‘discharge’, another S-class, Chan, would also announce that he would be leaving the center. He was someone who came from the general public, whose family and relatives were still alive, so he couldn't be hastily tortured or threatened. The last thing Chan said before returning his uniform and badge was like this.

"I now know how shit this place is. I hope people find out what kind of bastards gather here...... Well, anyway. It was really crappy. Let's never see each other again?"

There was one more variable that the Major General did not anticipate. The two boys, who were known to have had little contact except for one big fight, met outside the Awakening Management Headquarters and decided to create a Hunting Order.

‘Erewhon (에레혼)’. Nowhere. Or somewhere that shouldn't be anywhere. A hateful dystopia that must be eradicated some day. It was the name of the Order.

The door closed behind his back. Yugeon looked around the scene unfolding in front of him. A clean white hospital room. It was a scene similar to the illusion forced upon him by the Illusionist. In reality, however, his brother was in a VIP ward, which was well decorated as any other model houses, whereas the illusion showed a plain general hospital room based on Yugeon's poor imagination.

He approached the bed with a bouquet of flowers in his arms. Heeseong, dressed in hospital clothes, was lying still under the blanket. Thanks to the generous pouring of Erewhon's funds for the highest-quality treatment, Heeseong was in no longer need of the respirator. The number of medical equipment wires connected to the body had also decreased. But he was still unconscious.

It hadn't been a long time since he last saw his brother, considering the date. But it felt like decades away. Heeseong lying on the bed was strangely unfamiliar. Before he knew it, he had become more accustomed to Shinje and other team members. Yugeon hid his bitterness, dragged a chair and sat down by the bed.

"Hyung."

After calling his brother once, he hesitated for a moment. He was never a smooth talker. He had no idea what to say to an unconscious patient.

"I'm here."

Yugeon lowered his gaze. The luxurious ribbon decoration tied to the bouquet rustled in his arms.

"I won't ask you if you are okay. I know you are not. And I'm......."

He tried to say he was fine. Even when it wasn't true, he had to say that in front of his brother. But no sound came out. His airway was tight as if someone was strangling him. He closed his eyes tightly, unable to raise his head. The corners of his eyes were hot, but tears didn't flow. His feelings all over the place.

Whenever Yugeon got angry or lost his spirit, Heeseong would also become depressed twice as much. So no matter what happened, he kept his calm attitude. Even when they were dragged into a back alley and beaten to death, and robbed of all the wages they had risked their lives for.

"......."

Yugeon pulled himself together. He shouldn't waste this time. It was a hard-won opportunity, so he had to spend time with his brother as much as he could.

"This flower bouquet is a gift. We've never bought anything like this before. I thought hyung might like it, that's, what...... I......."

The end of the sentence wavered and then slowly faded away. He dropped the bouquet he was holding onto his lap. All that strength in his hands went away, regardless of his will.

Heeseong was looking at him with his eyes wide open. His eyes were strangely clear, not like a patient who had just woken up from a long coma. Rather, it was too lively....... even shining.

"Hyung?"

Heeseong's eyes looking up at Yugeon grew wider and wider. At the same time, his pale chapped mouth, which had been closed, ripped apart. Into a bizarre shape.

"...hyung."

All the blood in his body froze cold. His field of vision narrowed and the inside of his ears deafened, all he could hear was the sound of his own harsh breathing, as if hyperventilating. Yugeon forced his stiff legs to stand up. He didn't even notice that the flower bouquet on his lap had fallen to the floor.

Black tentacles were pushed out of Heeseong's wide open mouth. There were so many things inside that thin body that he wondered if it was all tentacles. His chest and stomach, covered by the blanket, wriggled wildly as the tentacles moved. The mucus from the tentacles were smeared on his crumbly face, making it seem shiny under the light. Black veins too spread from the inside of the whites of Heeseong's eyes, completely dying his eyes black.

"Keog..... jeug, kkig, kig!"

Heeseong, no, it was smiling. It was definitely a laugh, although somewhat distorted by the tentacles filling its throat and mouth. It was so loud that it couldn't even control its own body shaking.

Like a habit, Yugeon quickly reached out his hand halfway between his waist and thigh. There was nothing where a holster was supposed to be. It was natural that no one would be armed while visiting the hospital. However, the sense of battle that he had accumulated through countless experiences warned him. If you didn't have a gun, you had to fight with another weapon, and if you didn't have another weapon, you had to fight with your hands. Otherwise, you would be the one to die.

He stretched out his hands. It was purely an act of survival instinct without reason involved. All he could think was to put an end to that hateful monster right now. He grabbed the dry throat. The moment he was about to apply force on it, he heard the door opening from behind him. The sound quickly brought him to his senses.

Yugeon turned his head around. Shinje was standing in the doorway. Staring at this side with an unreadable expression on his face. He looked back on the bed again. Heeseong had his eyes quietly closed as if he had never opened his eyes even once. The tentacles that had been writhing through his mouth had disappeared without a trace. And, below that. He could see his hands pressing hard on his brother's neck. The neck of his one and only family lying defenseless and unconscious.

He had been strangling Heeseong's throat when he couldn't fight back or even scream for help. Heeseong's complexion was gradually becoming pale and bluish. He finally realized what he had been trying to do.

"Ah, ah..."

Yugeon let go of Heeseong's neck right away and recoiled. The blooms from the bouquet were trampled on and he stumbled. His body tilted. Thud! Yugeon fell to the floor. With a bunch of badly trampled flowers surrounding him. There was no time to grasp the pain spreading throughout his body. Yugeon felt the floor with his fingertips, and tried to raise his trembling body up. But he found he had no strength to do so.

It was then someone else's arm wrapped around him. It had a warm and nice scent, and the touch was quite firm. Yugeon's upper body, sprawled out on the cold floor, was dragged up helplessly.

"Good boy....... Don't worry. It's all right."

Shinje knelt down in front of Yugeon and hugged him. He grabbed his limp arms and hugged his waist. Yugeon didn't even have the strength to keep his head up, so his forehead was rested on Shinje's shoulder.

"Guide Baek Yugeon?"

Yugeon barely raised his head and made eye contact. His face had turned white and he was trembling pitifully. The eyes staring blankly at him had no focus.

"......."

Yugeon pursed his lips hard. Shinje covered his cheek with one hand and tapped his lips with his thumb.

"......."

"Yugeon-ah. You need to breathe."

He gently patted his back and waist, and kissed his forehead soaked in cold sweat, comforting him. The suffocating breath finally burst out.

"Heog! Heog, heueug, heu, ha........"

His hands and feet, which had shrunk due to lack of oxygen, became hot with blood rushing back through them. He breathed heavily and pushed Shinje away. Shinje leaned back obediently.

"Leader."

"Yes."

"I, I....... hyung, I, I saw."

After rambling whatever came to his mind, he wondered. If the sight he saw earlier was real. Did he try to hurt Heeseong while he was out of his mind and drunk in hallucinations? He had lived this far without trusting anyone but himself. But what if he couldn't even believe in himself?

"Did you see it?"

Shinje tilted his head as if to ask what he meant.

"What do you mean? Ah... that Guide Baek Yugeon was strangling his brother?"

"......."

"I was wondering if you finally wanted to be independent from your older brother, who is just burning away the hospital bills. I remember you saying it wasn't worth it when were having sex, but now you are here, choking another person. It's a bit upsetting."

It was a cruel joke. But Yugeon couldn't afford to react. It was a long way off. He felt as if the floor he was on had suddenly collapsed and swallowed him whole.

"That mutant, Almuten, it was here."

He didn't have the courage to raise his head and look at Heeseong. Yugeon only looked down at the floor and muttered.

"I didn't mean to hurt hyung on purpose. That mutant is playing tricks on my brother....... I know it sounds like bullshit, just now, I'm sure....... I really saw it with my own eyes!"

"I know."

That guy must have sneakily backed out, so he didn't see what happened to Baek Heeseong in person, but Yugeon's reaction alone was enough to guess. He just pretended to be oblivious for a while because Yugeon, who was panicking and talking gibberish, was cute.

"You don't have to say more, I know. I was just kidding. There's no way I don't know."

He was created to kill Almuten and was still alive to kill him. Who would know his tricks better than him?

"Why are you shaking so much... Hm? Was it really that scary? You know it's fine now."

He hugged Yugeon's pitifully trembling body again. Yugeon bit his lower lip. However, he did not reject Shinje's touch.

He felt like he was steadily breaking down every second he spent in the cage created by Shinje. The person who had pointed a gun at Shinje on the first meeting, was no longer resisting even when he was hugging and whispering sweet nothings into his ears right in front of his brother's hospital bed.

He made a bet with Shinje to get permission to visit his brother. However, from a certain point on, he had become more immersed in the bet itself, rather than the visit to the hospital. Even when he arrived at the hospital he wanted to go so badly, he didn't even know the room number of his brother's hospital room and had to rely on Shinje instead. It was not that Yugeon didn't have affection or was indifferent to his brother. If he was, he wouldn't even bother his life to save his brother in the first place.

If he broke him down little by little like this, one day, the very existence of his older brother might fade away. Even if Yugeon didn't want to, no, he was sure he didn't want to, but...... Shinje would make it happen. Before he was even aware of it.

Yugeon rubbed his face dry. The monster was disgusting. At the same time, he felt pathetic. How could he collapse easily like this? What right did he have to even say he wanted to kill Almuten?

"Damn it..."

He muttered with his teeth. Shinje patted Yugeon's back, whose trembling still hadn't subsided, and glanced at the hospital bed behind him.

The first thing Shinje did, after breaking away from the Awakening Management Headquarters, where he had spent his whole life, was reading books. Not only books, but any medium from which knowledge could be obtained. Philosophy, history, religion, literature....... It was common knowledge for anyone, and he had devoured everything he managed to put his hands on.

It was then, he finally knew the name of the cramp he had felt all this time. Why did the researchers from the center prevent him from reading any text other than the official documents and reports, why did they lock him up and severely punish him whenever he talked to someone who was not involved in the project? And in the end, he even found out the meaning of SALIGIA.

Pride ‘Superbia’, greed ‘Luxuria’, lust ‘Luxuria’, anger ‘Ira’, gluttony ‘Gula’, envy ‘Invidia’, and sloth ‘Acedia’. SALIGIA. The seven deadly sins, the root of all sins. They branded Shinje as sinful. He was born a byproduct of sin. He was born a sinner, never given the opportunity to choose.

"The label of SALIGIA on you will never go away."

The Lieutenant General had said. That was true. No matter how much culture and knowledge were accumulated, no matter how much he pretended to be socialized, the past could never be changed. If so, what would be the best atonement and revenge he could have? All he could do was to throw all those who had brought him into this world and all the things that made up this world into the abyss.

He had been waiting this whole time for Yugeon. He had been anxiously waiting for a guide who would take his hand and lead him in the abyss. He never realized it back then, that all the days he had lived so far were to meet with him someday.

"I just need a little more time. Just a little more....... because it is no longer far away."

Shinje muttered suddenly. His gaze remained on Heeseong's face, no, to be precise, the place where Almuten came and left.

[1] ‘fishbone stuck in your throat’ – i believe he’s saying yugeon is foul-mouthed

[2] ‘someone fed by the country’ – a civil servant

[3] ‘blow our noses without touching it with our hand’ – getting rid of something with zero effort

translator note: really sorry about the unexpected delay. the tl-er was stranded in a flooded area for like a week and a half. (announcement on tumblr) it really sucked. أ‿أ plus i feel like i may be coming down with a cold, hopefully not covid, so the next chapter will be on 30 Sept. many apologies.