Although Yu-geon hadn’t been with the Alpha team for long, he had noticed the difference. Sa-weol treated Han-gyeol differently from other team members. To them, she always wore a cold, unyielding expression, but in front of Han-gyeol, she would occasionally smile.
She would casually brush his hair back or place a hand on his shoulder. At first, it had truly surprised Yu-geon.
As Yu-geon waited for a response, Han-gyeol remained silent.
“What’s this? A secret? Are you two already paired, and I’m the only one who doesn’t know?”
Yu-geon probed again. Han-gyeol finally gave a faint smile and spoke.
“Sa-weol doesn’t pair with anyone.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know either.”
Han-gyeol responded lightly.
‘Is he really unaware, or does he just not want to tell me?’
Even though Han-gyeol was his brother, Yu-geon found it difficult to read him.
“Tell me more about Gu Sa-weol.”
“What about?”
“You’re close with Gu Sa-weol, aren’t you?”
“Not really.”
Han-gyeol pulled Yu-geon up by the arm, handing him a pole, signaling that if he came to the training center, he should train instead of loitering.
“Why are you dodging the question, Hyung? I asked if you wanted to pair with Gu Sa-weol, and you say she doesn’t pair with anyone. Did she reject you too?”
“Who knows.”
“Ah, come on!”
Yu-geon lunged at Han-gyeol. Han-gyeol dodged effortlessly, smiling teasingly.
“We used to be close, but nowadays, I’m not so sure. Sa-weol changed after the accident.”
“Accident?”
“The B-region discharge gate. Sa-weol was on site.”
The discharge gate was a type of gate that first appeared in B-region five years ago. Unlike normal gates that vanish if the boss creature is killed within a certain time, discharge gates immediately generate a creature wave upon appearing.
A creature wave means creatures pouring out of the gate. If a guide, whose combat abilities are akin to a regular person, was on site, the outcome was predictable.
“How did she survive?”
That discharge gate incident resulted in numerous casualties. People bitten by creatures were poisoned, gradually losing their human form as the creature transformation progressed.
Once fully transformed, they lost their rationality and attacked people. Espers had no choice but to kill them, despite their former humanity.
If they didn’t, the creatures would reproduce, using their formidable vitality and sharp teeth.
“The building collapsed, trapping her underground. It seems she wasn’t attacked by the creatures because of that.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“Yes, it is. This information isn’t publicly known, so keep it to yourself.”
“Okay…”
However, not everyone bitten by creatures turned into one.
Most people couldn’t withstand the poison and underwent creature transformation, but some survived and resisted the poison.
These half-creature, half-human beings, who retained their rationality, were called ‘cremons.’
The B-region discharge gate incident was notable for creating many cremons. Cremons typically looked like normal humans but had to periodically consume the blood of living beings, the primary diet of creatures, to prevent reverting back into creatures.
Because of this, the center classified cremons as dangerous creatures and permitted all citizens to carry firearms. They also issued a shoot-on-sight order for any cremons found.
Thus, they lived hidden away, avoiding the eyes of the people.
“It seems she developed a trauma from that incident. She was in the same space as corpses for a long time. Because of that shock, she might be distancing herself from people.”
Yu-geon fell silent for a moment. If that was the case, then maybe the reason she avoided guiding with him and rejected pairing wasn’t that she disliked him, but because it was simply uncomfortable for her.
But…
[“You smell.”]
Did she mean he smelled like a rotting corpse?
Yu-geon sniffed himself. He couldn’t agree with her statement, and his mind became even more confused.
What on earth is she thinking….
“Sigh… I don’t know. Should I just wait until I go berserk? Maybe then she’ll agree to guide me.”
“She might just let you die.”
“Probably? …I think so too.”
Though he replied playfully, Yu-geon didn’t feel like Han-gyeol’s words were a joke.
* * *
Yu-geon decided to apologize to Sa-weol. Hearing about the accident made him realize she had her own reasons, and as Han-gyeol said, Yu-geon’s insistence on pairing might have made her uncomfortable.
So, he planned to slowly build a good rapport. First, he asked Han-gyeol what Sa-weol’s favorite food was.
“I’ve seen her a few times carrying packages from the handmade chocolate shop across the center.”
Yu-geon dashed to the shop Han-gyeol mentioned and bought three sets of chocolates. He stood in front of the main building, timing his arrival with Sa-weol’s usual quitting time.
He intended to apologize for making her uncomfortable and hand her the chocolates, then leave coolly on his motorcycle.
“I’ve really gone far. I’ve never bought gifts like this for anyone.”
As he waited for Sa-weol, a sense of self-awareness hit him, but he quickly brushed it off. What’s the big deal about this? He’d do anything to win over the queen of A-branch.
“But why isn’t she coming out?”
At that moment, it wasn’t Sa-weol but Ji-soo, an A-class guide from the Alpha team, who came out. He waved and approached Yu-geon.
“What are you doing here, not heading home?”
“Why are you the only one coming out? Where’s Gu Sa-weol?”
Sa-weol was also on the Alpha team, so she should have finished guiding and come out by now. Other Alpha team guides followed Ji-soo out, but Sa-weol was nowhere to be seen.
“Are you waiting for Gu Sa-weol?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s gone.”
“What?”
That couldn’t be. Yu-geon had been watching the main entrance for an hour. Seeing Yu-geon’s confusion, Ji-soo continued.
“She left early today, said she had something to do.”
“When?”
“About an hour and a half ago?”
“Damn it. Ugh….”
Of all days, Sa-weol had left early today. Yu-geon clutched his head and let out a frustrated sigh.
“What’s this? Hey, aren’t these the chocolates from that shop nearby? I like these.”
“Don’t touch them.”
“Just give me one. You’ve got plenty.”
“They’re for someone.”
“Is it for Sa-weol? I told you she’s already gone.”
Ignoring Ji-soo’s words, Yu-geon manipulated his center-issued smart watch. When he activated the tracking function, a holographic map appeared.
[Please state the ID to track.]
“AGS Gu Sa-weol.”
“You’re crazy.”
Ji-soo, watching from beside him, looked exasperated. Unfazed, Yu-geon secured the chocolates behind his seat and started his motorcycle, striving to maintain his composure as he waited.
Soon, a red dot appeared on the holographic map, indicating Gu Sa-weol’s location.
‘Okay, just give her the chocolates and leave coolly.’
Yu-geon repeated this to himself like a mantra. However, his body, betraying his rationality, set off towards Sa-weol’s location with an adrenaline-fueled urgency.
* * *
The map led him to a jazz bar in Sector A17, far from the center. Upon arriving, Yu-geon found himself unable to go inside and instead nervously paced in front of the entrance.
‘She said she had business. Maybe she’s meeting someone she knows? She’ll probably be annoyed if I burst in suddenly.’
Despite his impulsive decision to come, practical concerns began to hold him back as rationality returned. If Sa-weol knew he tracked her location with his work watch, she would surely be upset.
In the end, Yu-geon decided to wait outside, hoping to run into her casually. Then he could hand her the chocolates, pretending he had just bought too many and offering one.
So, the waiting began again. As Yu-geon squatted by the entrance, the streetlamp above flickered.
Soon, with a sizzle, the bulb went out completely.
The street was already dim due to the sparse placement of the streetlights, but now it was even darker. It looked like rain might be coming, as fog began to roll in.
‘This place is pretty deserted and creepy.’
The sound of the occasional passing car’s tires seemed unusually loud. The foggy atmosphere gave the feeling that a ghost might suddenly appear.
Though Yu-geon could handle gruesome creatures, he was uneasy about supernatural phenomena, and goosebumps prickled his arms. Just as he was on high alert, something jumped out from the bushes.
“Meow!”
“Ah! You scared me!”
It was a kitten. The kitten startled Yu-geon and then dashed across the street.
“That little thing….”
Yu-geon calmed his racing heart, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. As time passed, the fog thickened even more.
Still, there was no sign of Sa-weol. The bar, with its jazz sign, didn’t even emit any music. Perhaps he had come to the wrong place. Out of curiosity, he peeked down the entrance. The door led deep underground.
“Maybe I should just come back tomorrow….”
Bang!
As Yu-geon mumbled to himself, a loud crash suddenly echoed. Startled, he quickly scanned the surroundings.
Thud, rumble.
“Ahhh!”
Following the crash, there were sounds of something breaking and a piercing scream. The noise came from close by.
Yu-geon turned his head towards the sound. A person came running out from the alley next to him.
“Help! Somebody help!”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s… it’s…!”
Yu-geon grabbed the woman running towards him and asked. She was so terrified she could barely speak.
Realizing it would be better to check for himself, Yu-geon turned to move. But the woman clung to his arm, struggling to speak each word.
“Th-there’s… a creature…!”
“What? A creature?”
“Yes, yes!”
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Yu-geon immediately ran towards the alley.
‘Why is there a creature here? There hasn’t been any gate alert!’
As he sent a request for help to the Alpha team through his smart watch, he entered the alley the woman had come from. Inside, the walls had collapsed, and the air was thick with dust. Visibility was poor.
“Cough, cough.”
Using telekinesis, Yu-geon cleared the dust and saw a person lying on the ground. Part of their body had been torn off, with their innards spilling out.
The gruesome sight made him frown. Beside the body was a large hole. The creature was smashing through walls, trying to escape.
Thud, thud, crash! Thud, thud!
Yu-geon chased after the creature, running at full speed through the dense fog and dust. Suddenly, a strange sense of unease gripped him.
‘This direction….’
The creature was heading towards the jazz bar where Yu-geon had been waiting for Sa-weol.
“Damn it!”
“The building collapsed, trapping her underground. That’s why she wasn’t attacked by the creature.”
Yu-geon recalled his conversation with Han-gyeol from earlier. He urgently checked Sa-weol’s location on his smart watch. She was still at the jazz bar, the dot blinking steadily.
