Under Creature Chapter 1.3

“What? You’re just going to ignore me now that I’ve been rejected?”

Fortunately, it seemed that wasn’t the case, as Kwon Sanghyuk made a suggestion to Yigeom.

“You must have been diligently researching on your own for the past few days, but it’s always better to have someone explain things. Come on, let’s get up!”

“…Yes?”

“Let’s go see it together!”

“See what?”

“The changed world.”

🦅࿐

“Some of the higher-ranked guilds have their own designated management zones. If a creature appears in their zone, hunters from other guilds are not allowed to hunt it. And the place we’re going now is an Association-owned zone.”

“Zone?”

“Yes. It’s called a CA (Creature Appearance) area, where creatures are predicted to appear in the future. There are separate management facilities that detect CAs.”

“…….”

Yigeom understood the reason why ordinary hunters had to hunt creatures. It was because they threatened their lives, and it would be even more troublesome if Blood Hunters and creatures sided with each other.

But who would risk their lives to hunt creatures? Even meticulously dividing areas into yours and mine.

“If there are many management zones, the chances of encountering a creature will be higher, so why? Wouldn’t it be better to avoid danger?”

“Most teams hunt creatures safely in groups, and the byproducts obtained from defeating creatures are highly valuable. That’s why everyone tries to take on large zones. If not, they also prefer areas where creatures frequently appear. Ah, we’ve arrived!”

The place they arrived at, following Kwon Sanghyuk, was a secluded forest. There were a few people there.

“Hello!”

“Hello. I’d like to give this person a tour. This is Yoon Yigeom.”

“Of course! Nice to meet you, Mr. Yigeom! I’m Kim Minjun from the Association!”

“…Yes, hello.”

Yigeom felt strange about Kwon Sanghyuk dragging him here and introducing him to people.

“Um… a tour? Are these people… hunting creatures right now?”

“Yes. Didn’t you know? I’ve been talking about CA areas the whole way here. Ah! Of course, I won’t let you get hurt, Mr. Yigeom. It should be appearing soon.”

No…. You didn’t explain it properly, man. While Yigeom was looking at Kwon Sanghyuk with a blank expression, he checked the time and hurriedly left.

“Then enjoy your tour! I’ll wait down below!”

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“I…I’m afraid of creature hunting, so I’m going to wait below. No need for a tour. Haha.”

Is this some kind of joke?

“Do you think I’m not scared? If you brought me here, you should at least stay by my side.”

Yigeom desperately grabbed Kwon Sanghyuk, who was trying to run away as if throwing him into a pit of hellfire.

“Uwaaagh! No! It’s cruel, disgusting, and scary! The reason I took this measly new management position at the Association was because of this! No, no. I’m a coward, so I’ll wait down below!!”

…What is he trying to do?

Yigeom was so dumbfounded by his childish whining that his grip loosened. As soon as he let go of Sanghyuk’s clothes, Sanghyuk tumbled down.

“Uwaaagh! If you suddenly let go…! Hiiik!”

He seemed startled by something behind Yigeom and backed away, hands on the ground.

“…….”

When Yigeom turned around, a giant creature was staring at him intently.

“It’s here.”

With the words of the weapon-wielding hunter, Yigeom felt a sudden, chilling sensation that made his limbs tremble.

The creature had the head of a crocodile and the body of a four-legged horse. When it opened its mouth, eight tentacles, like those of an octopus, stretched out.

Yigeom hurriedly backed away, but there was someone who retreated even faster.

“Uwaaaang! I, I can’t watch. I can’t watch! I’ll go down first!”

“No, but…!”

Yigeom looked at Kwon Sanghyuk, who was running away, with a bewildered gaze. It was absurd. The one who should be comforting him, unfamiliar with such a situation, was instead running away like a raging bull.

“It’s okay, Mr. Yigeom! Just stay behind us.”

Kwon Sanghyuk, who had dragged him here, guided him, and even confidently promised to explain things, was already gone, and the truly reliable ones were the hunters who belonged to the Association.

Nevertheless, Yigeom couldn’t shake off the underlying fear.

They can catch it… right? They can catch it.

He had occasionally seen hunters catching creatures. Although he pretended not to see, they seemed to be doing a good job without fail. It would be the same this time.

Keeping his weight shifted back so he could run away at any moment, Yigeom watched the standoff between the creature and the hunters.

Soon the battle began, and the three-person team steadily overpowered the creature.

As if they had planned a strategy in that short time, one person would grab a tentacle with all their might, another would cut it with a sword, and from behind, another would shoot fire towards the creature’s eyes, disrupting its vision and preventing it from focusing on the two in close combat.

After cutting off all eight tentacles, what they had to watch out for were the crocodile-like strong jaws and the horse hooves that could cause death with a single kick.

However, that wasn’t a problem either.

The crocodile-like face was already heavily burned and suppressed, unable to exert its full strength, and the close-range team dodged the hooves, severing the tendons and bringing the creature down.

After that, it was extremely easy to finish off the powerless creature.

As soon as Yigeom saw the dying monster, he recalled the fish-shaped creature he had killed for the first time.

The one he had killed with all his might, struggling alone, was now dying so easily, powerless against these Second Awakened individuals. That fact was painfully bitter, yet it also instilled hope that he too could do this if he learned how.

One of the hunters wiped his sweat and asked Yigeom,

“Phew, it’s over! How was it? Was the tour helpful?”

To which Yigeom replied coldly,

“…First, take me to Mr. Kwon Sanghyuk.”

He needed to hold him accountable.

🦅࿐

“Mr. Kwon Sanghyuk.”

“Ah… uh…, is it over? Shall we leave now?”

Kwon Sanghyuk scratched his shaggy hair with the back of his pen and answered awkwardly.

“Are you kidding me? You threw me into a life-or-death situation without any explanation, and now you’re going to run off?”

“That… that’s not what happened! I can’t watch creature hunting scenes, they’re too gruesome. You know, that… blood? Blood phobia? Something like that. And it’s not dangerous. Look! They finished the hunt safely and returned!”

Closing his eyes tightly and shouting, Kwon Sanghyuk pointed to the hunters standing behind Yigeom as proof.

“Oh, so I don’t need to explain because it’s safe? Because there’s no threat to life? Excuse me, Mr. Kwon Sanghyuk. Would it be okay if I hit you? I’ll be careful not to threaten your life, I’ll hit you safely. Okay? I even gave you an explanation, by the way.”

How kind of me, right? As Yigeom approached with clenched fists, Kwon Sanghyuk kept backing away.

“F-first! First, let’s go back to the Association. We can explain it back there… haha. Should we talk it out? With words! With a conversation!”

This guy! Veins bulged on Yigeom’s forehead.

“We just met today! Right? Right? Manners! Let’s have some manners!”

“You were the one who was rude first.”

“Ahem! Ahem, ahem. Next time, I’ll definitely explain things beforehand.”

“Yes, please do.”

I can’t really punch him. Yigeom unclenched his fists and let out a shallow sigh.

The hunters who had hunted the creature moved to a different vehicle they had come in, and Yigeom and Sanghyuk returned to the Association.

Sanghyuk, who was driving, handed Yigeom a booklet.

“It’s a creature encyclopedia. It’ll be helpful for you to read it.”

“An encyclopedia?”

“Yes. It’s like a guidebook, so I’ll give it to you, Mr. Yigeom. Take it home and read it carefully.”

“…Thank you.”

Yigeom, sitting in the passenger seat, was about to read the booklet since he had nothing else to do before arriving at the Association, but Sanghyuk opened his mouth.

“The team you just saw is a newly formed team. They’re rising stars due to their speed in defeating creatures and a good balance of attack and defense, resulting in fewer injuries. You’ll be assigned to that team when you join the Association, Mr. Yigeom.”

“…….”

He hadn’t even said he was joining, yet Sanghyuk was already counting his chickens before they hatched.

“I haven’t even decided to join…”

“It’s like a dream, right?”

Kwon Sanghyuk suddenly interrupted.

“Yes?”

“Isn’t it amazing? You’ve lived your whole life in reality, but behind the scenes, these magical things are happening.”

“Well… I guess so.”

“Reality and unreality. Especially before the First Awakening, or in the early stages after, the gap is even wider. That’s why people who can see creatures but haven’t undergone the First Awakening are also said to be ‘dreaming.’ Another way to put it is that they’re intoxicated. Like they’re on hallucinogens.”

A hazy state where you can’t tell dream from reality. That’s exactly it.

Living in a dream you don’t know when you’ll wake up from is frustrating, isn’t it? Don’t worry. I’ll wake you up soon.

Those were Seo Dohyun’s words to him during the fifth loop. Did that mean he’d help him with his First Awakening?

“You’re unlucky, Mr. Yigeom. You were discovered in Latter’s zone, of all places.”

“Latter… you mean Seo Dohyun’s guild?”

Yigeom asked, based on the name written on the business card Seo Dohyun had given him.

“Yes. It’s a new guild formed a few years ago, but it’s growing rapidly. However, it’s mostly infamous… Anyway, my advice is to avoid Latter as much as possible.”

…I’m already deeply involved. And I’ve died by his hand several times. Yigeom wondered if there could be a worse nightmare.

“Other guilds complain frequently, so the Association often patrols Latter’s zone, but it’s getting too much… I’m getting tired. So tired!”

Yigeom didn’t understand why he was venting his work frustrations to him.

“Ah! But it’s a good thing that you were found that day, Mr. Yigeom. I knew right away, bam! That you were an Awakened.”

“You knew?”

“Yes. I was monitoring Latter, and they were chasing you, Mr. Yigeom. I had a strong feeling about it. Haha! Did they invite you to join, by any chance?”

Sanghyuk asked playfully.

“They did, but…”

Screeech- The brakes slammed on at the same time as Yigeom’s answer. Startled, Yigeom was about to say something, but the words caught in his throat at the sight of Sanghyuk’s wide, bulging eyes.

“They did? No! Absolutely not! Latter is absolutely out of the question!”

“…Why?”

He had no intention of joining a group of murderers anyway, but since Sanghyuk was reacting like this, he was curious about the reason.

“Uh… um.”

Sanghyuk stammered.

“Why?”

“Mmm, their guild combat power is high-ranking, so there’s a lot of work to do, but since they lack people, you’ll probably have to take on a lot of responsibilities? You’ll probably be overworked. And the guild master there, Seo Dohyun, is disliked by many… You won’t have a good time if you join.”

“…For example?”

“Getting into fights with other guilds, or picking fights, or picking fights?”

Yigeom nodded. He understood roughly. It meant that Seo Dohyun had a bad temper and was always picking fights with other guilds.

Well, he had provoked him, or rather done something worse, when they first met, causing disgust, so it was obvious.

“I see.”

Yigeom pondered, touching the creature encyclopedia he held in his hand.

“By any chance…when we first met, wasn’t there another person? Someone who was taken by a creature and then found unconscious, who doesn’t seem to remember anything?”

Sanghyuk had told him that people who haven’t Awakened aren’t affected by creatures. Then what about that person? Yigeom tilted his head.

“Yes? Was there something like that?”

Kwon Sanghyuk asked with wide eyes.

“Yes. I wonder what happened to that person…”

“Hmm, if Latter reported their personal information, they’re probably classified as a potential Awakened by the higher-ups.”

“A potential Awakened?”

The type who is affected before their eyes open to seeing creatures. Definitely a potential Awakened. Once their identity is confirmed, the Association would monitor them, and when they gain the ability to see creatures, someone from the Association, like Kwon Sanghyuk in his new management role, would seek them out.

“Ah, I see.”

Yigeom nodded as he listened to Kwon Sanghyuk’s explanation.

“But what are we doing going to the Association now? I’m a bit tired today. If you’re okay with it, I can come back tomorrow…”

“Oh, we’re just going for a simple test, so it’ll only take a moment!”

“A test?”

“Yes, you’ll see when we get there.”

Yigeom’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

He was worried about what kind of scheme Sanghyuk was concocting. How could he make someone so distrustful in less than a day? It was a talent if anything.

Is it okay to be this untrustworthy while holding a new management position?

He was clumsy, scatterbrained, unreliable, and seemed to give detailed explanations while omitting the actually important ones.

Noticing the distrust filling Yigeom’s face, Sanghyuk broke out in a cold sweat.

“It really is a simple test. It might even be over in less than a minute.”

“What kind of test ends in less than a minute? Is that even a test?”

Sanghyuk gave an ambiguous smile and replied,

“It all depends on you, Mr. Yigeom. Ah! Do you have a passport photo? It’s okay if you don’t. You can take one there.”

The people waiting for the test, and those who had already taken it, were all like Yigeom, having just completed their First Awakening.

“Uh… Uwaaagh!”

A person burst out of the testing room, their face pale. Seeing this through the glass window, Yigeom finally let out a harsh word.

“…Is this crazy?”

Of course, it was directed at Kwon Sanghyuk.

There was a reason why Sanghyuk had hurriedly left after briefly registering Yigeom’s personal information and guiding him to the waiting room.

Right, it would be over in less than a minute.

Since it all depended on one’s mindset, the test could take a minute, ten minutes, or even an hour.

“I, I can’t do it! I can’t do it!”

The next person who went in burst out of the door just like the previous one. A staff member called out to him.

“Next, applicant Yoon Yigeom, please come in.”

“…….”

“Applicant Yoon Yigeom?”

After watching a creature hunt and coming to the Association, now they wanted him to hunt creatures? Just for a skill test?

And all of this had happened in just a few hours.

Yigeom was still a fledgling, unable to digest the world of creatures.

He couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.

Isn’t this going too fast?

“Applicant Yoon Yigeom? Is applicant Yoon Yigeom not here?”

“…….”

Yigeom stubbornly refused to answer.

Finally, the staff member, losing patience, checked Yigeom’s face against the application form.

“Here you are. Please come in quickly.”

“I’m not going.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I’m not going.”

Yigeom said firmly. If the pace was too fast, he simply wouldn’t proceed.

He wasn’t someone with such weak convictions that he would be swept up in the atmosphere of everyone else going in and be forced to enter.

“You don’t have to be so scared. The creature’s rank is ‘Low,’ and there’s no risk to your life. Furthermore, the test is conducted safely under the protection of professional hunters. It’s just a brief skill test.”

Despite the staff member’s reassurances, Yigeom stood up abruptly. The person next to him, anticipating their turn, trembled with fear and looked up at him.

Ignoring their gaze, Yigeom firmly stated once again,

“I will not take the test.”

“What? Wait…! Mr. Yoon Yigeom? Mr. Yoon Yigeom? Where are you going?”

“…….”

Ignoring the staff member trying to stop him, Yigeom walked away.

Opening the door of the waiting room, he saw Kwon Sanghyuk waiting for the test to finish. He asked with a bright smile,

“Did it go well? Were you very nervous? You must have been tense. Here, have some warm coffee.”

“Excuse me. Are you crazy?”

“…Yes?”

At Sanghyuk’s dumbfounded expression, oblivious to what he had done wrong, Yigeom rubbed his face to control his anger.

“Sigh, is it so hard to give a proper explanation? Is it difficult?”

Kwon Sanghyuk creaked like a machine, breaking out in a cold sweat.

“No, Mr. Yigeom… It’s not like that, I…”

“What, you didn’t explain it properly? You’ll get demoted for that.”

A nearby Association staff member, overhearing their conversation, scolded Sanghyuk.

“Mr. Yigeom, I also have circumstances…”

“Circumstances? What circumstances? Do you think I’m a pushover? Why should I listen to your circumstances? I have nothing but bad memories of you screwing me over.”

“Ahem, Mr. Yigeom? I’m Park Wootae, in charge of new management. If you’re not satisfied with Kwon Sanghyuk, please contact me at this number. I’ll take charge of you, Mr. Yigeom.”

Glancing at Kwon Sanghyuk with a snake-like glare, Park Wootae handed Yigeom his business card.

Ignoring Kwon Sanghyuk, who was stammering and fumbling for words, Yigeom took Park Wootae’s business card. His gaze, however, remained fixed on Sanghyuk.

“I hope we never meet again.”

“…….”

And with that, he calmly left the Association.

After Yigeom left, Park Wootae rebuked Sanghyuk.

“You’re really going to get demoted like that.”

Due to the scarcity of Awakened individuals, the only test held once a month was today.

As a new management employee, if Kwon Sanghyuk missed Yigeom’s test timing today, it would practically mean he had no achievements for the month. Moreover, he hadn’t been accumulating achievements recently, so he must have been quite desperate.

However, he shouldn’t have done that. Unlike Yigeom, at least the other new recruits had received a general explanation from their assigned staff before taking the test.

Even disregarding that, Kwon Sanghyuk was always poor at handling his work. Complaints from the new recruits he was in charge of were frequent.

Yigeom was unlucky to have Kwon Sanghyuk as his assigned staff.

Kwon Sanghyuk’s abilities were excellent. He possessed the advantageous ability of “Hallucination,” yet he held a low-paying position simply because he found creature hunting cruel. But even so, this position wasn’t suited for him.

“Sigh, I explained things diligently. Why doesn’t anyone understand my heart?”

“Tsk, that’s what they call incompetence.”

Park Wootae clicked his tongue in response. Did he really not know what he did wrong? Well, it didn’t matter. Thanks to Kwon Sanghyuk’s incompetence, he had gained another achievement.

🦅࿐

“Who’s the next applicant?”

“Who knows? Maybe they wet themselves out of fear?”

“No way.”

The room where the Guild Masters gathered.

Observing the applicants through a one-way mirror, they chuckled and laughed, making lowbrow jokes. Meanwhile, Latter’s Guild Master, Seo Dohyun, silently reviewed the application documents.

The next applicant.

Yoon Yigeom.

A familiar face.

That person from that day. The one who saw through his ability.

It was the first time that had ever happened, and he had even considered bringing him into his guild and nurturing him through an elite course. That’s why he had given him his business card.

‘Did he contact the Association?‘

Well, there’s no idiot who’d contact someone who killed them.

Closing the application document with a disinterested hand, Dohyun waited for Yigeom to appear in the testing room. While the other Guild Masters were snickering at the applicants who burst out of the testing room in terror, a flicker of interest appeared in Dohyun’s otherwise bored eyes.

He touched the cheek that had been slapped that day.

‘I wonder how he’ll react.’

The creature’s rank was ‘Low.’ If Yigeom kept his wits about him, defeating it wouldn’t be difficult.

“Applicant Yoon Yigeom is absent due to circumstances. We’ll bring in the next applicant right away.”

The staff member calling out the applicants turned on the microphone switch connected to the testing room and the Guild Masters’ room and spoke. In response, Kim Iseong, the Guild Master of Yeho, picked up the microphone.

“Why? Did they wet their pants?”

The room filled once again with snickers and laughter.

“…We’ll bring in the next applicant.”

The Hunter test, conducted exclusively by the Association, was originally intended to assess applicants’ skills and assign ranks. As a privilege for high-ranking guilds, this separate room was provided to give them the opportunity to scout promising applicants. The so-called VIP room.

However, its purpose had become distorted recently.

While a few applicants remained calm and dealt with the creatures without panicking, the vast majority trembled with fear. This room had become a sort of spectacle, a place for the Guild Masters to mock those consumed by fear.

Because they were treated preferentially as high-ranking guilds, they all acted high and mighty, as if it were their right.

“Haha! I wonder what kind of comedy the next applicant will show us.”

“Excuse me.”

Dohyun called out to Kim Iseong, the Guild Master of Yeho.

“Hmm?”

For the first time since entering the room, he opened his lips. Then, he smiled brightly.

“Your yapping is making my ears hurt. So could you please shut up?”

“……”

As Kim Iseong’s mouth opened and closed, unable to speak after the sudden attack, Seo Dohyun rubbed his ears as if refreshed.

“Ah, I can finally breathe.”

“…Hey, isn’t that a bit harsh? I understand you’re annoyed that we were teasing the applicants, but…”

“Applicants?”

“Yeah. We might have gone a bit too far, but still, calling someone a dog and telling them to shut up right in front of them…”

Dohyun tilted his head innocently, as if genuinely puzzled.

“I just told the barking dog to shut up. What’s wrong with that?”

Seo Kyuwon, Master of Chunghae, stood up.

“You’re crossing the line. We’re your seniors in this industry…”

“Seniors? Ah, I can treat you like seniors in the afterlife. Want to go first? Or I can send you there. As a dutiful junior.”

Cutting him off, Dohyun’s eyes curved into a smile.

Their attention was no longer on the applicants. The spectacle had instantly turned into a battleground due to Seo Dohyun’s provocation. Kim Iseong rolled up his shirt sleeves, his toned, veiny forearms on full display.

“Finished with your last words?”

“Last words? I wonder if you have the skills to kill me.”

As Dohyun shrugged and spoke, Kim Iseong charged at him without hesitation.

Bang!

With a loud crash, a fist landed right next to Seo Dohyun’s face. Dust and brick fragments rained down from the wall.

Without flinching, Dohyun lightly pushed the fist away with his index finger. Then, he spoke provocatively,

“See? You can’t kill me.”

“…You’re not even worth a single punch. I’m not unable to kill you, I’m choosing to keep you alive. Be grateful.”

“Oh really…”

Just then, drops of blood began to fall at Kim Iseong’s feet. Drip, drip.

“How very humbling.”

A small dagger was embedded in his thigh.

‘…When?‘

As if retrieving what belonged to him, Dohyun pulled out the embedded dagger and roughly wiped the blood on Kim Iseong’s shirt. He treated Kim Iseong, standing before him, like nothing more than a rag to clean his blade. He didn’t care in the slightest that Kim Iseong was looking down at him with intimidating eyes.

The corners of Kim Iseong’s lips curled up slightly.

“You fool. Have you already forgotten my ability?”

Reflection.

Returning the received attack as is.

Moreover, Kim Iseong was a dual-ability user with Reflection and Recovery. Those abilities had made him the Guild Master of ‘Yeho.’

The wound on Kim Iseong’s thigh began to heal, and blood slowly welled up on Dohyun’s thigh.

Staring at it, Dohyun scratched his temple with the hilt of his sword.

“Ah, I forgot. That’s your ability, isn’t it?”

“If you know, then behave…”

“I’m sorry. It’s such a trivial ability that there was no need to remember it.”

Dohyun’s sword swung again with fierce speed.

Stabbing Kim Iseong, stabbing him again after he healed, being reflected, reflected again until his body was drenched in blood. He continued until Kim Iseong was exhausted and could no longer use his recovery ability.

“Ugh.”

Until Kim Iseong groaned in pain.

The other Guild Masters watched the scene with bated breath.

‘What is this…’

They saw a kind of madness in him. A carefree, almost irresponsible mindset that it didn’t matter if he was injured, as long as he could injure the other person. And, in contrast, the tough mental strength to endure the agonizing pain.

He didn’t hesitate to injure himself to injure others. Because of Kim Iseong’s ability, Seo Dohyun received more injuries. Even so, he didn’t stop wielding his sword.

Kim Iseong let out a low groan, but Dohyun appeared indifferent, as if he felt no pain.

Unable to watch any longer, someone else intervened.

“Stop… Stop it. First, b-both of you should receive treatment from a healer…”

Dohyun’s movements ceased. His entire body was drenched in blood. Even so, he stood straight without a single stagger.

Kim Iseong, his heavy body swaying, collapsed into a chair. Huff, huff. He breathed raggedly in pain.

Clang. The sound of a blade dropping.

“Sigh, seriously. Why pick a fight?”

He ran his blood-soaked hand through his hair, staining it crimson. The sight was indescribably chilling.

While everyone hesitated to speak, Kim Iseong gritted his teeth. He had been too cocky, relying on his ability. He had thought he could easily subdue Seo Dohyun with just Reflection and Recovery.

If there was a reason for the failure of his plan, it was that he had forgotten Seo Dohyun was a mad dog.

He had heard the rumors, the whispers of “mad dog,” but who would have known?

That he was someone who would burn himself to inflict burns on others.

Would the outcome have been different if he had engaged in simple hand-to-hand combat instead of relying on his ability? Kim Iseong couldn’t easily predict the result of that either. It was a well-known fact that Seo Dohyun was an expert in close combat.

With a refreshed expression, he rolled his shoulders as if stretching. Then, wringing his blood-soaked shirttail like a wet rag, he said,

“Since you threw the first punch, I can call this self-defense, right?”

“…….”

“Besides, I got hurt more anyway.”

In terms of injuries, Seo Dohyun had far more. Well, Kim Iseong had a recovery ability. However, the victory in the fight belonged to Seo Dohyun.

Everyone present couldn’t take their eyes off his savagery and were speechless at his terrifying madness. The silent room was filled with the killing intent emanating from him.

Then, covered in killing intent, he looked at his bleeding body and said calmly,

“Doa’s going to nag me again.”

He walked towards Kim Iseong. Kim Iseong looked at him with fear in his eyes.

A serene, incredibly calm face that didn’t seem to feel any pain. The corners of his lips were upturned as always. And his sharp eyes, inappropriately, crinkled prettily.

“Let’s not spread rumors about this.”

“Ugh, uwaaagh!”

Fingers dug and scraped inside Kim Iseong’s slashed, red skin. It was as if insects were gnawing at the wound.

“You wouldn’t want rumors spreading that you lost to me, would you?”

After looking at Kim Iseong’s trembling eyes, Dohyun stood up and left the room. His white shirt was stained crimson, the original color no longer discernible.

One step, another step, and yet another.

Every step he took captured everyone’s attention.

He was undeniably a handsome man with sharp features. A face that looked as if a god had painstakingly drawn it with a 0.1mm thin pen.

Horizontally long eyes with a hint of coldness beneath lightly creased eyelids, a high nose bridge and sharp nose, lips habitually curved into a smile.

A tall stature and model-like proportions.

He had a presence that naturally drew attention.

But the reason everyone was staring at Seo Dohyun now wasn’t because of his handsome face.

‘That crazy bastard, what did he do this time?‘

‘It was noisy in the VIP room. Was it him?‘

‘Don’t make eye contact. Don’t make eye contact. You’ll get bitten if you do.‘

‘Please, can’t you give us a warning before you cause trouble? People with weak hearts might faint.‘

‘Who’s going to clean up that mess?‘

On a clear day with no rain, he was leaving a trail of bloody footprints on the Association floor. It was all his own blood.

But no one in the Association thought that Seo Dohyun had been on the receiving end of an attack. His occasional humming and the smile on his lips, while ignoring his bleeding body, were proof enough.

“A-are you okay? Should I call a healer?”

Then, a clueless newcomer approached Seo Dohyun and asked after his well-being. He stared at the person blocking his path and opened his red lips.

“Do you know me?”

“Yes? No, I mean… If you’re hurt, a healer…”

“Hurt? Ah, this?”

Dohyun dismissed his injuries casually.

Suddenly, he frowned. It wasn’t the pain that annoyed him, but the attention it drew. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry was staring.

“Yes. I have a healer friend, I can call them right now…”

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Would you get lost?”

“…Yes?”

Stunned by the harsh reply to his good intentions, the newcomer asked back dumbly. Dohyun clicked his tongue briefly. Tsk, his good mood was ruined.

Useless goodwill, kindness.

Those were the things Dohyun hated the most.

He put his hands in his pockets and continued on his way. He felt a crumpled piece of paper in his pocket.

‘Yoon Yigeom.’

It was his application document.

Kim Iseong, the Guild Master of Yeho, had Reflection and Recovery; others had Healing, Telekinesis. There were various abilities, and they were like fingerprints to their users.

Abilities equated to combat power, and the more they were hidden, the more advantageous it was in battle. However, after a long time as a Hunter, it was inevitable to learn each other’s abilities. Among them, Seo Dohyun’s ability was a mysterious power that was almost impossible to detect. Only a handful of people knew about it.

Simulation. That was Seo Dohyun’s ability. Simulation could be activated for a maximum of five minutes and, due to physical limitations, could only be used ten times a day. In a way, for those fifty minutes, Dohyun lived in a world that only he remembered.

The activation method was to set the present moment as a save point. After setting it, he could freely return to the save point within the five-minute limit.

However, he couldn’t go back further than that. If three minutes passed after setting the save point, he couldn’t go back to five minutes prior. He could only return to the exact moment of the save point. After five minutes passed from the save point, the ability could be activated again.

Yoon Yigeom had interfered in that special world.

The one and only person who had figured out his ability without him revealing it himself. It naturally piqued his interest, whether in a good or bad way.

He hadn’t used Simulation once since encountering Yoon Yigeom recently. It bothered him, made him uneasy.

Could he use his ability even if he was far away from him? If so, there would be two people who remembered the forgotten 50 minutes.

He didn’t like that.

‘It’s my world.’

A foreign substance had appeared in a world that only he should remember.

But it was also difficult to live without using his ability.

What should he do?

Dohyun unfolded Yigeom’s application with his bloodstained hands and checked his personal information. His phone number was also there. He had told him to come to his guild, Latter, and even given him his business card. Judging by the lack of contact, it seemed unlikely he would come, so should he make the first move?

He then tore the paper and threw it in the trash.

If he wouldn’t come on his own, he would make him come.

He could also conduct an experiment at the same time. A brilliant idea suddenly came to mind.

🦅࿐

After yesterday’s incident, Yigeom was living a life no different from an ordinary person. He couldn’t help but occasionally clench his fists at the thought of Kwon Sanghyuk, though.

What was he going to do from now on? What about creatures? Hunters? The test? If anyone asked, he would readily answer, “I’ve decided to ignore it all.”

He had heard that a Hunter was a profession that involved catching creatures and earning money. Money could be earned in countless ways, through part-time jobs or other employment. And since Hunters were always on standby to hunt the creatures he occasionally encountered, there was no need for him to worry.

Then why did he have to catch that fish creature by himself? Weren’t there any Hunters waiting in the CA area? Kwon Sanghyuk had also provided a clear answer to that question. Well… was it really clear?

‘That? Hmm, maybe it was because it was Latter’s zone?‘

‘Latter?‘

‘I wouldn’t be surprised by anything they do. I bet their Guild Master is about to stab someone with a knife any day now. Who knows, he might have already killed a few people behind the scenes.‘

He didn’t know about stabbing, but it was certainly true that he had already killed a few people. And he was among them.

He was still uneasy about the answer, but he decided to let it go since he would never encounter that murderous bastard again.

The biggest problem was the Blood Hunters. But Yigeom didn’t really consider this a problem either. Kwon Sanghyuk had said it, hadn’t he? Blood Hunters operated so secretly and covertly that encountering one was as likely as winning the lottery.

Since he had met one before, he wouldn’t encounter another.

Think about it. Who wins the lottery twice in their life?

It was highly suspicious and unreliable that all these answers came from Kwon Sanghyuk, but with a carefree attitude, Yigeom resolved to ignore the creatures he could see and live his life.

“Something’s up with you lately?”

“Nope, nothing at all.”

That’s why he could answer his friend Kang Taeha’s probing question so refreshingly, even while neglecting his university assignments.

However, it seemed Kang Taeha didn’t buy it.

“You’re acting strange these days.”

“Was I? Well… I had some worries, but they’re resolved. It won’t happen again.”