Under Creature Chapter 1.2

“What should we do? Should we follow him?”

Cha Jaewoo asked Dohyun. He thought for a moment before opening his lips.

“Let’s follow him.”

“That’ll be 1,500 won.”

“Here you go.”

Yigeom, having bought his ramen, peeled open the packaging in a corner of the convenience store and poured hot water into the container.

‘Ah… I’m sleepy.’

The sleep he had forgotten came back to him, but he forced himself to stay awake and sit down, scared of being alone at home. At least the ramen would wake him up a bit.

While waiting for the 3 minutes, Yigeom contacted his friends who lived nearby. It was late at night, but they were all night owls anyway.

“Sigh…”

If this were all a dream, he’d be stretching out and sleeping in his warm blanket right now.

After sending messages here and there, he tore open the wooden chopsticks and stirred the well-cooked noodles.

‘I should get some coffee after this.’

Just as he was blowing on the noodles and bringing them to his mouth, a man sat down in front of him.

“Hello.”

Startled by the sudden greeting, Yigeom looked up at the man.

Disheveled black hair, an awkward smile plastered on his face, and clumsily worn glasses.

Yigeom looked around. It was late at night, and besides himself, there were no other customers, so there were plenty of other seats available.

He had to sit in front of me?

“…….”

“Ahem!”

As if embarrassed, the man cleared his throat and rummaged through a large bag, big enough to cover his upper body, seemingly searching for something.

“First of all, I’m…. Whoa!”

If he had something to say, he should at least look at the person’s face. As he buried his face in his bag, the items inside tumbled out through the opening.

A notebook, writing utensils, and other miscellaneous items.

“J-Just a moment.”

Yigeom stared blankly as the man picked up the items that had fallen on the floor, then quietly picked up his cup ramen and moved to a different table.

He made it a rule not to associate with crazy people.

“Ah, found it! I’m this kind of person…! Huh?”

By the time the man found a crumpled business card and tried to give it to Yigeom, he was already gone.

Yigeom diligently slurped his ramen, trying his best not to look at the man.

‘Let’s eat this quickly and go.’

Of all times to run into a crazy person, it had to be in the middle of the night.

He didn’t smell of alcohol though.

He wasn’t avoiding him because he was scared, but because he was annoying. He didn’t want to get involved in some pointless argument in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the man persistently followed Yigeom and sat down in front of him again.

What the hell. At this point, Yigeom couldn’t just ignore him.

This time, he looked directly at the man.

“Who are you? Do I know you?”

“Ah! I’m this kind of person.”

Yigeom stared intently at the business card the man offered.

The name, Kwon Sanghyuk. Phone number, 010-XXXX-XXXX. That was all. It was barely a business card, more like a scrap of paper.

“The nature of my work is rather confidential, so I can’t easily reveal my occupation. Please understand.”

“…….”

Kwon Sanghyuk scratched his head, then suddenly his eyes became serious.

“Have you, by any chance, seen anything strange or experienced any untoward incidents recently?”

Yigeom’s expression hardened slightly.

Do cult members have business cards these days?

🦅࿐

Seo Dohyun, positioned a little distance from the convenience store, watched Kwon Sanghyuk talking to Yigeom and tilted his head in disbelief.

“What’s he doing?”

“Who knows, poaching talent?”

Despite Jaewoo’s lighthearted remark, Dohyun’s frown remained. He observed the two inside the convenience store for a long time before calling out to Jaewoo.

“Talent? Is he a Hunter too?”

Dohyun frowned. Jaewoo carefully observed Kwon Sanghyuk and then nodded.

“I’ve seen him before. I think he’s affiliated with the Association?”

“The Association?”

“Yes. We’ve run into each other often at the Association. Don’t you remember?”

“Do I really need to remember?”

Just as Jaewoo was pulling a long face, saying that if he remembered then what did that make him, Yigeom and Sanghyuk stood up, their conversation seemingly over.

“Uh, Hyung! Looks like they’re done talking. Should we start the simul again?”

Dohyun, who had been silent at the mention of the Association, started moving, following Yigeom.

“You wait here.”

‘…Huh? What did he just….’

‘I… I don’t believe you.’

‘Ah, there seems to be a misunderstanding in my words. But I’m not that kind of person…’

‘Everyone says that.’

On his way home, Yigeom clicked his tongue, recalling the earlier situation.

When the man suddenly approached him and asked strange questions, there was actually something that came to mind first.

The fish monster he had just fought.

Seeing the man approach him right after, he felt like it was somehow related… But it felt like he’d be revealing too much personal information by asking directly, and what if he said something and got dragged off to some strange organization? What if they experimented on him? Strange thoughts popped up one after another.

Some might consider it overthinking, but Yigeom was always cautious. He always acted carefully, keeping all possibilities in mind.

He disliked rash actions and hated giving out unnecessary information to just anyone. He always sought efficiency within the bounds of common sense.

He was a college student and needed to focus on his studies, so he didn’t even bother with dating, which everyone else seemed to do. Of course, he had received a few confessions, but he rejected them all outright. He was more thrilled by a text from a senior offering test crib sheets than a confession.

That’s how unwavering he was in what he believed to be right.

And in his current situation, where he didn’t even know who this person was, he firmly concluded that there was nothing to gain by getting involved and left.

The man had said something else after that.

‘Hmm… Still pre-awakening, I see.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Ah…, it’s nothing. And here, my business card. Please contact me anytime.’

‘…Should’ve kept the business card.’

Yigeom regretted crumpling up the business card, given by the man who introduced himself as Kwon Sanghyuk, and throwing it in the trash right in front of him.

But it didn’t matter since he had memorized the name and phone number written on the card. He had only seen it for a brief moment, but since he was young, he boasted a memory superior to anyone else, so he was certain.

Yigeom looked up at his house, which he had finally reached.

He had planned to spend the night at the convenience store, but because of that strange guy, he had fled and felt awkward about going back in.

Humans are adaptable creatures. Funny enough, the trembling and fear he had felt earlier had long subsided.

‘Right… Instead of stubbornly trying to stay up all night outside, let’s just go home quietly.’

After making up his mind, he climbed the stairs.

Despite his resolve…

He flinched! He looked back. The unlit emergency staircase was pitch black.

“Whew.”

Despite it being winter, cold sweat trickled down his back. Even though there was nothing there, he found himself overreacting.

He started walking again, and the motion-sensor lights turned on as he reached the 3rd floor.

He quickly darted his eyes around, as if checking for something.

Yigeom’s strange behavior continued.

Suddenly, he ran down the 3rd-floor hallway like a madman, then slid forward as if he were slipping. What was he doing? It was an instinctive action, so he couldn’t even understand his own sudden behavior.

He brushed off the dust on his clothes and stood up straight. He saw the sign for apartment 304.

He didn’t know why, but a feeling of joy, as if he had finally arrived, overwhelmed him.

“How did you avoid it?”

As he was about to open the door and go inside, a chilling voice came from behind him. Goosebumps erupted all over his body.

“Ugh, nothing’s going my way today.”

He let out a sigh mixed with annoyance and anger.

He didn’t know who this person was, but the single word “creepy” relentlessly enveloped him.

Dangerous. It felt like every cell in his body was screaming. This man was dangerous. He felt as if the man would stab him to death at any moment. …Stab? With what? He couldn’t see a knife, not even a pocket where he could be hiding a small blade.

“Who… are you? You don’t seem to live here. I’m going to call the police.”

Yigeom backed away, but Dohyun stepped closer, matching the distance Yigeom retreated.

“I thought so earlier, you have really good instincts. You’re still dreaming, but with that level of intuition, you’d become quite a valuable asset.”

Dohyun checked his watch and smiled chillingly.

“Well, whatever. You’ll wake up completely after dying a few more times.”

“…Die? Me?”

“Yeah, you must be frustrated living in a dream you don’t even know when you’ll wake up from, right? Don’t worry. I’ll wake you up soon. It’s past 5 minutes. Let’s begin.”

“What nonsen….”

Red blood stained the floor.

🦅࿐

Upon reaching the 3rd floor, Yoon Yigeom suddenly touched his chest, which felt perfectly normal.

“Ugh!”

A sudden, splitting headache struck him. It felt as if someone was repeatedly hitting him with a blunt weapon. A loud ringing filled his ears. His breath caught in his throat.

He couldn’t move a single finger, as if his entire body was gripped by muscle pain. Excruciating pain followed, as if every single cell in his body was burning and being crushed.

“Hey.”

Frozen in place, Yigeom collapsed, unable to even take a step. He managed to raise his head with difficulty at the unfamiliar touch tapping his shoulder.

It was a man with sharp, intimidating eyes, his black hair visible above a mask.

“…Amb… Ambulance… please, call… one…”

“One moment you’re saying you’ll call the police, the next you want an ambulance. Which one should I do?”

Yigeom, with a desperate look, grabbed the seemingly perplexed man. He didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger.

“Ei… Either… Either one…”

The man raised a hand, his eyes softening in what looked like concern.

“You’re not sick.”

“What nonsen…”

I feel like I’m dying. Is that what you say to someone who’s collapsed?

He dripped with cold sweat, feeling as if the bones and organs that made up his body were being disassembled and rearranged one by one. Every time he inhaled and exhaled, a cough erupted as if his lungs were filled with water. Every cough sent jolts of pain through his joints.

Ah, is this poison…? Was that fish actually venomous, and did I get poisoned when I killed it? Or did that Kwon Sanghyuk guy poison me, or maybe…

Then, the pain gradually began to fade.

‘…What?’

He was bewildered by the gradual calming of his body, but the splitting headache persisted.

Having barely regained his senses, Yigeom glared at the man in front of him, who was staring intently at his wristwatch instead of calling an ambulance as requested.

Anyone could see he was suspicious. Someone had collapsed, and he was calmly and leisurely checking the time.

‘As if he’s counting down to my death.’

Yigeom moved his lips soundlessly.

“…You.”

Are you the reason I feel like I’m dying right now? He wanted to say those words, but phlegm rattled in his throat and the inside of his mouth tasted metallic, as if filled with blood, making it difficult to speak.

“Huh? What did you say?”

The man, who had been constantly checking his wristwatch, looked at Yigeom.

Yigeom coughed, cough, and red blood splattered out. …What is this? Suddenly, tears welled up in his eyes.

‘Am I really dying?’

I haven’t accomplished anything yet…, I’m still so young… I shouldn’t have jumped in to save that man from the monster. No, I shouldn’t have encountered the monster in the first place.

They say that if you do something you don’t normally do, you’re close to death. Aside from the joy of saving the man from the monster, questions, resentment, and anger erupted all at once – why did I have to die?

“I asked what you said?”

Yigeom parted his heavy lips to speak to the man who was tapping his cheek with a long finger.

“Did… you kill me?”

The man’s movements stopped abruptly.

As soon as he voiced his thoughts, something in his head seemed to clear up. The dizziness that had plagued him subsided, and his gaze slowly drifted to the man’s hand. It felt as if the tangled threads of the day had finally come undone.

Bony back of the hand and long, slender fingers.

I’ve seen those hands before.

Around his chest, where he felt pain for no apparent reason, the man’s hands, if he looked down, were always in that position.

Yes. Always.

The ear piercings, the descending moonlight, the spreading blood, closing eyes, the repeating dilemma, the entangled fragments of memory.

“You son of a bitch…”

He staggered to his feet, using the wall for support.

Counting this time, it was the seventh time, after five, then six. In this long, drawn-out period. There were two culprits.

Yigeom, having realized everything, smiled grimly.

“Where’d you leave the other one?”

A flicker of surprise crossed Seo Dohyun’s dark, empty eyes.

‘Did he wake up?’

Even if he did, he shouldn’t be able to remember what happened while the ability was active. Dohyun blinked, caught off guard by this unexpected variable.

Beep beep beep— Beep beep beep—.

The alarm on Dohyun’s wristwatch went off while he hesitated.

“Does that… go off after 5 minutes? Is that 5 minutes you set the time you’re in control?”

A strange light flickered in Yigeom’s unfocused eyes.

“Does it feel good killing someone who can’t even remember?”

Son of a bitch, fucking bastard. No amount of cursing would be enough for this guy. A crazy, perverted, psycho killer who repeatedly killed innocent people in a time they couldn’t even remember.

“I…”

“Shut up.”

One thing was clear: bizarre, fantastical things were happening to him. And that guy was a crazy lunatic using a strange ability to kill him. Was it some kind of memory manipulation?

‘Sigh… That’s cheating.’

After dying five times, the anger towards the man now outweighed the fear of death. Yigeom clenched his fists, exhaling raggedly.

“If 5 minutes are up, your time’s over, too, isn’t it?”

“…….”

“Clench your teeth.”

Wham.

Ptoo. Seo Dohyun spat out blood-tinged saliva. He wiped his split cheek with his sleeve and assessed the damage. With that kind of force, it was definitely going to bruise, maybe even break. He spoke with a faint smile on his face.

“So, you really want to come to Letter?”

Yigeom’s expression turned cold. His eyes were emotionless, as if looking at an object, not a person.

“Would you go if you were me?”

Murderer bastard. He didn’t know what “Letter” was, but since he said “come,” it probably meant he was part of it. The thought of being in the same place as a murderer sent shivers down his spine.

Exactly five times, no, six times by mistake. He didn’t know, maybe more.

He would kill him. He would kill him until he was dead, to repay him.

People said revenge only begets more revenge, but… who cared?

Currently, only one thought occupied his mind.

He would kill that murderous bastard.

Yigeom’s fist cut through the air, aimed at the man’s face.

Thud. But right in front of Seo Dohyun’s face, his fist was caught with ease.

“I won’t fall for that twice.”

Unfortunately, an insurmountable wall of power existed between him and Yigeom.

Dohyun slowly straightened up. He had initially taken the hit because he was curious about Yigeom’s strength, and now he had his answer. He rubbed his injured cheek with the back of his hand.

“That did hurt.”

Hmm, should he consider it payment for killing him five times? No, he thought he wouldn’t mind taking a few more hits as an apology. More importantly…

“This is really fascinating. How do you remember?”

Yigeom took a step back, a smirk playing on his lips.

“I have a pretty good memory.”

“Yeah, you should definitely come to Letter.”

Dohyun took out his business card, just like Kwon Sanghyuk had, and offered it to Yigeom. It was a simple act of extending his arm, but Yigeom quickly pressed himself against the wall, putting distance between himself and Dohyun, his nerves on edge.

Seeing that, the man let out a deflated chuckle.

One moment he was fearlessly charging forward, the next he was bristling like a scared wildcat.

“Haha. I won’t kill you anymore. If you’re really scared, I’ll leave this here, so contact me later. Anytime is fine.”

The man carefully placed the business card on the floor.

I’ll tell you why these strange things are happening to you.

With those words, he turned and disappeared.

Yigeom couldn’t yell or attack the man’s retreating figure. That was the difference in their power.

Only after he had caught his breath did he check the business card on the floor.

Seo Dohyun

010-××××-××××

Like Kwon Sanghyuk’s, it was a nondescript business card without a profession listed.

As Yigeom stood up after picking up the card, he suddenly felt something foreign in his pants pocket.

“…….”

Kwon Sanghyuk’s business card, which he was sure he had thrown away, was in his pocket.

Yigeom held two business cards in his hand. Two numbers connected to this strange event, numbers that could potentially hold the solution, or perhaps his demise.

🦅࿐

Cha Jaewoo, who had been waiting for him in the distance, asked Seo Dohyun, “Hyung, how did it go? Did it get resolved? How was he? Was he strong?”

He bombarded him with a flurry of curious questions.

“I made a mistake.”

“Huh?”

Jaewoo blinked at Dohyun’s reply.

Seo Dohyun pulled his mask up to cover his swollen cheek, where Yigeom had punched him. It was a wound that would heal in a day, but the rough fabric of the mask against his skin was irritating.

“I can’t believe he remembered.”

Jaewoo’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? Remember?”

It was something that would disappear with time, something only he would remember. That was how that world worked.

However…

Dohyun recalled the man whose hair stood on end with rage and fear, yet still managed to spit out everything he wanted to say.

Come to think of it, I didn’t ask for his name.

The curtain fell on Yigeom and Dohyun’s unusually long night.

🦅࿐

One clear afternoon, Yigeom stopped walking. He stared intently at a particular spot.

“Why?”

Kang Taeha, Yigeom’s childhood friend, who was walking next to him, asked.

“Nothing.”

Yigeom shook his head and started walking again. Kang Taeha glanced at him, then at the spot where Yigeom had been staring, before resuming his pace.

‘These people are just doing this anywhere…!’

Several days had passed since that night.

Yigeom was living a normal, uneventful life. Well, except for the things he saw.

Today, as always, he spotted a monster and those who hunted it.

The first time he encountered them again, he was startled. He thought they were the same people who had killed him that night, identical to the man.

However…

‘Huh? This person seems to see us? Which guild are you from? This is our territory.’

‘Ah, I… I’m not with a guild…’

‘Tsk tsk, you’re clearly a newbie who’s just opened his eyes. Must be pretty shocked, huh? Just wait a moment.’

Then the man pulled out a piece of paper and roughly drew a map for Yigeom.

‘Seeing strange monsters lately and feeling confused, right? Don’t worry. Go here and they’ll explain everything.’

After looking at the map, Yigeom ran away without taking it.

What is this?

He felt suffocated. Inexplicable things were happening around him.

He had gleaned some information from his recent encounters.

First, there were monsters that were invisible to most people.

Second, there were people who hunted these monsters.

Third, these hunters, like the monsters, became invisible to most people while hunting.

The proof was that Kang Taeha, who had just been walking with him, hadn’t seen them.

Yigeom still couldn’t tell if these events were a dream or reality. But one thing was for sure:

If he encountered a monster, all he had to do was run away.

Because there were others who would take care of it.

It was like the relationship between ghosts and shamans.

And Yigeom had no intention of getting involved. Except for that one time, the monsters had never harmed him, and he now knew there were people who hunted them.

All Yigeom had to do was pretend he didn’t see them, even if he did. That’s how he would live his life.

That way, his peaceful daily life wouldn’t be disrupted.

Less than a day after making that resolution, Yigeom was forced to reconsider.

A convex mirror placed between a forked road to prevent accidents,

A group reflected in that mirror.

Yigeom froze, gulping.

Several people were lying on the ground bleeding, and people in robes were kneeling before a monster.

It was a small monster, hardly intimidating in size.

They murmured, their heads bowed before the monster as if in reverence.

“We are honored to serve you.”

Yigeom couldn’t help but watch, as if mesmerized. If he moved now, he felt like he’d be confirming that he could see them.

In contrast to the robed figures bowing their heads like fanatics, the monster seemed oblivious. It didn’t attack them. The fights he’d glimpsed between monsters and other people were incredibly fierce, making it hard to understand what was happening now.

Were the monsters actually harmless?

The fish monster Yigeom had encountered on the first day was extremely violent. So what was going on in this situation?

After a long while,

A truck approached and stopped in front of them.

After some murmuring, the monster followed the robed figures onto the truck.

They then carefully picked up the people lying on the ground and presented them respectfully before the monster.

As if offering a sacrifice before a prayer.

Yigeom, who had been watching helplessly without a chance to hide, suddenly made eye contact with one of them through the mirror.

Frozen in fear, he couldn’t move a muscle.

His mind screamed at him to get out of there now. Warning lights flashed in his head, but his body was paralyzed, like a mouse caught in a snake’s coils, facing imminent death.

“What are you doing? … needs to rest.”

“Wait.”

The one who had made eye contact with Yigeom took a step, then another.

Yigeom just watched with trembling eyes. He had to run away now. But he couldn’t.

The figure was reflected in the convex mirror. One more step forward, and he would face him around the corner.

…What to do?

What should he do?

Chills ran down his spine.

“Whoa!”

Suddenly, someone put their hands on Yigeom’s shoulders from behind, startling him.

“……!”

Yigeom, his body stiff, turned around without even screaming.

It was Kang Taeha, his childhood friend.

“Surprised?”

“…….”

When Yigeom remained silent, Kang Taeha’s gaze shifted to the mirror. Then, as if his excitement had fizzled out, he said, “Ah, you were watching me come.”

“…Yeah. That’s right.”

Trying to calm his trembling voice, Yigeom checked the convex mirror again. The figure tilted his head, then got into the truck and left.

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

“Something wrong?”

“No… Nothing.”

Did… people die? The monster? The people in robes?

What was going on?

The world spun around him.

🦅࿐

Yigeom canceled his plans with Kang Taeha and returned home. He immediately called someone. It was none other than Kwon Sanghyuk, whom he had met at the convenience store a few days ago.

Yigeom’s pretense of not seeing anything was only possible as long as he wasn’t in danger. Remembering that chilling gaze sent shivers down his spine.

If the robed figures had killed those people lying on the ground, Yigeom would have been helpless too.

He was lucky. Kang Taeha had appeared at just the right moment and saved him.

If it weren’t for him, he would probably be… He didn’t even want to imagine it.

He had thought that as long as he avoided the monsters, he’d be fine. It was scary, but he thought it wouldn’t concern him.

But it was different if there were people killing others.

Realizing his life was in danger, Yigeom could no longer afford to remain a bystander. He needed to find out about these strange occurrences, one way or another.

He had two options, represented by the two business cards he possessed: Kwon Sanghyuk, whom he met at the convenience store, and Seo Dohyun, who killed him repeatedly at his front door.

He decided to completely dismiss the possibility that Kwon Sanghyuk had nothing to do with these events and was just some random proselytizer.

Unless he was a professional pickpocket, there’s no way he could’ve slipped a business card into his pants pocket without a trace. And the fact that Kwon Sanghyuk appeared right after he killed the fish monster also bothered him.

Should he call Seo Dohyun or Kwon Sanghyuk?

The answer was obvious, wasn’t it?

Fortunately, the phone rang only a few times before a dazed voice answered.

• Hello~ Kwon Sanghyuk speaking!

“Hello. I’m the person you met at the convenience store the other day…”

• Ah yes! I remember!

Yigeom cleared his throat and spoke seriously, “Actually, I wanted to hear more about what happened that day.”

🦅࿐

“Welcome! As you can see on my business card, I am Kwon Sanghyuk.”

“Ah… yes.”

Yigeom nodded and looked around the office as Kwon Sanghyuk led him inside. If his memory served him correctly, this was the same place indicated on the map someone had drawn for him earlier.

What kind of place was this?

From the outside, the building looked old and shabby, but the interior was completely different. The decor was luxurious. It was on par with a large corporation.

“Well, this might be an obvious question, but what made you contact me? The monsters?”

Kwon Sanghyuk’s eyes gleamed behind his glasses.

‘I guess I came to the right place.’

Yigeom nodded. “Everything. Everything that’s been happening to me.”

“Alright. It seems like we’ll have a long talk.”

It was unclear when, where, or why they appeared. The cause was unknown, and there were no records. They had infiltrated society stealthily and silently.

Strange beings, monsters, creatures. In modern times, they were called “Creatures.”

A small number of people developed special abilities. As if designed to hunt and kill Creatures.

These people were called “Hunters.”

They were often categorized as 1st Awakening and 2nd Awakening, but before that, their “eyes opened,” similar to a spiritual awakening. They naturally gained the ability to see Creatures and were affected by them, whether they liked it or not.

Then came the 1st Awakening. The 1st Awakening involved the opening of the eyes to see Creatures and a dramatic enhancement of physical abilities. The 2nd Awakening was the blossoming of abilities, granting supernatural powers.

Technically speaking, Yigeom had completed his 1st Awakening on the night he met Seo Dohyun. The painful sensation of his body being reorganized, every cell reassembled, his whole being burning and searing. And the subsequent dramatic improvement in physical abilities. That was the 1st Awakening.

“Some Hunters used their extraordinary abilities to hunt Creatures and protect civilians, while others abused their power. That’s why ‘Guilds’ were created. To manage and protect Hunters. Our Association manages those Guilds and searches for awakened individuals.”

After hearing Kwon Sanghyuk’s explanation, Yigeom clutched his aching head.

What was all this? It was clearly Korean, but he couldn’t understand it. After a moment of thought, Yigeom pointedly asked his most pressing question.

“So… those who abuse their power… do they kill people?”

A strange light flickered in Kwon Sanghyuk’s eyes. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up. “Did you meet one!?”

“No, I’m not sure. I think I might have…”

At Yigeom’s hesitant reply, Kwon Sanghyuk exclaimed that this was a serious matter and brought a map over, asking him to pinpoint where he had encountered them.

“Here.”

Yigeom pointed to a location on the map.

“Hmm, three Hunters recently went missing near this area. This is serious! We have a witness, I need to contact my superiors immediately…!”

Yigeom frowned at Kwon Sanghyuk, who kept adjusting his glasses instead of providing the explanation he had asked for.

“So, what are those people?”

“Ah! I’m sorry. I’ll explain now.”

Blood Hunters. While ordinary Hunters hunted and killed Creatures that harmed humans, Blood Hunters did the opposite; they worshipped Creatures.

In short, they were a cult.

When someone awakened, they could see Creatures and were attacked by them. Creatures were inherently violent, impossible to reason with, and always targeted Hunters’ lives. To survive, Hunters had to kill them. From the moment they encountered each other, it was a fight to the death.

The only way to escape this cycle was to consume the blood of a Creature and become one of them.

This allowed them to transform parts of their bodies to resemble a Creature, and in exchange for drinking the blood, they were treated as kin by the Creatures and were rarely attacked unless they initiated the aggression.

The criteria were vague, but it meant they didn’t have to worry about being killed by Creatures in most situations.

Was it a good thing? Yes, if there were no side effects.

Those who hadn’t awakened weren’t affected by Creatures. They weren’t harmed by Creature attacks, and drinking Creature blood had no effect. They couldn’t influence each other.

However, the more Creature blood an awakened Hunter drank, the more addicted they became. They also began to worship and revere Creatures. It was as if the Creatures were brainwashing the Hunters in exchange for their blood and the powerful abilities it granted.

Worship me.

Naturally, from the Blood Hunters’ perspective, ordinary Hunters who killed their gods were harmful enemies. They could never coexist. They were humans killing each other. Blood Hunters saw other Hunters only as sacrifices to offer to the Creatures.

Because of this, the Association prohibited Blood Hunters, but since they operated in secrecy, it was difficult to control them.

In other words, Blood Hunters worshipped Creatures as gods and captured humans to offer as sacrifices.

Yigeom gulped. It seemed he had encountered something truly terrifying.

“…Do Hunters often clash with them?”

Kwon Sanghyuk shook his head, assuring him not to worry. “Not really! There are Hunters who specialize in hunting Blood Hunters, and ordinary Hunters just focus on hunting Creatures! The probability of an ordinary Hunter encountering a Blood Hunter is… well, almost zero! Like winning the lottery? You’re really lucky, Mr. Yigeom!”

Was this guy serious? He’d encountered a murderous cult with the minuscule probability of winning the lottery, and he called him lucky? This was incredibly unlucky. If Kang Taeha hadn’t shown up, he would’ve been a corpse. Didn’t he understand the situation?

As Yigeom glared at Kwon Sanghyuk, he innocently presented a prepared contract.

“You’re welcome to look at other Guilds. But if you don’t have anywhere else to go, being an Association Hunter isn’t bad. The pay is decent. Just sign here…”

Yigeom’s suspicion grew as he watched Kwon Sanghyuk rub his hands together, telling him to trust and follow him, like a con man.

“…I’ll think about it.”

“Ah, being cautious is good! Very good! You’re welcome.”

He quickly replied and stood up. Yigeom’s gaze followed him.

‘What? Does he think we’re done now that I’ve refused?’

Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case, as Kwon Sanghyuk made Yigeom an offer.