Under Creature Chapter 7.1

“Yes. We’ll be back.”

“We’ll be back!”

Yigeom watched the students excitedly head out with Dohyun’s wallet, then called out to him.

“You didn’t even ask me to go with you. Aren’t you upset?”

“Not really.”

Even if Jewoo didn’t know, Doa… She invited me but not her own brother. Is this what they call typical siblings? As long as their brother provides the money, that’s all that matters? Isn’t that a bit much?

Seo Dohyun himself didn’t seem to mind, but for some reason, Yigeom felt strangely bothered and kept twirling the pen in his hand.

Then Seo Dohyun spoke.

“Even the kids know.”

“……?”

“There’s no way I’d go if you weren’t going.”

Bae Sangwoo closed the trunk and dusted off his hands.

“That’s all the luggage, right?”

“Yes.”

Doa, her face full of excitement, replied and got into the car.

The day of their departure to “Ireon,” the weapons manufacturing company in Busan, had arrived. Since they were traveling in Bae Sangwoo’s van, there was plenty of space for both passengers and luggage.

Bae Sangwoo was driving, Seo Dohyun was in the passenger seat, and Yigeom got into the back seat with a troubled expression.

“Hyung, is something wrong?”

“Nothing.”

After the sudden news about Jewoo at school that day, which led to a hasty parting with Kang Taeha, he hadn’t heard from him.

He even went to Taeha’s apartment, but there was no trace of him.

He must have left unexpectedly, as he had done before. The timing was awkward because they had parted ways after Yigeom rejected Kang Taeha’s invitation. He knew Taeha would probably appear out of the blue again, but he still felt uneasy.

He put his phone away, telling himself not to worry about it. Kang Taeha would probably be home by the time he returned from Busan in a week.

“Everyone got their seatbelts on? Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Jewoo used to be wary of Bae Sangwoo, but now he seemed to have developed immunity, or perhaps he had given up since it was obvious they would see each other often during the trip to Busan. He seemed more relaxed than before.

Although he still chose the furthest back seat, away from Bae Sangwoo.

Since the students were going to Busan with them, Yigeom didn’t mention Bae Sangwoo’s attack. He simply explained that he was going to Busan with Bae Sangwoo to meet Kim Yiseong of Yeho for some business.

“Mister. Throw this water away. Or drink it all now.”

“No way. I need to drink that when I get tired.”

Seo Dohyun took the bottled water placed on the driver’s seat holder and drank it all himself.

“Hey, why are you drinking that?”

“Yoon Yigeom gets carsick.”

“Huh? What does that have to do with this?”

Lately, his ability had become so readily available that his vision would get distorted even without him consciously using it. He had to make a conscious effort to suppress his ability. While it was good to be able to use it at any time, it was inconvenient when driving, as Seo Dohyun had pointed out.

It was a real pain when he was about to drift off to sleep and his vision suddenly switched to that of sloshing water. His gaze would waver, and he would feel like his inner ear was spinning.

“Sorry. It’s related to my ability. I’ll buy you a coffee instead.”

“Ah! I can’t argue with that. Let’s buy some drinks on the way.”

“Thank you.”

Yigeom bowed his head towards Bae Sangwoo, who had readily given in, through the rearview mirror. Then his eyes met Seo Dohyun’s.

“What, why? Look ahead.”

“Don’t you have anything to say?”

“…No?”

What, was he expecting a thank you? Just as Yigeom was wondering, Dohyun, hearing his indifferent reply, rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window.

Yoon Yigeom is a reasonable person. He tries to be reasonable. It was the same during the association attack and the Jooseungtae incident. He was flustered at first, but through repetition, he found reason and dealt with the situations wisely.

However, recently, it was clear that he was struggling. While he sometimes tries harder than anyone to be reasonable, lately he has been shrinking back, afraid of that boundary, and often making foolish choices. It was amusing, pathetic, and very occasionally cute to see him feeling proud of himself afterward.

Going to Busan with Bae Sangwoo and volunteering to be Jewoo’s guardian at school were examples of that. He put himself in potential danger and, despite his dedication to his studies, he willingly missed classes.

‘Let’s please live like human beings.’

Was it because of that?

While he couldn’t clearly define what it meant to be human, in Seo Dohyun’s eyes, Yoon Yigeom was already close enough, without even trying.

The proof was in how he would sometimes hiss or glare at him despite having apologized and trying to get along. Acting according to one’s thoughts is never easy.

Even that showed that Yoon Yigeom wasn’t an emotionless robot, acting solely on input.

He probably made the decision to reconcile, thinking it would be better than constantly clashing, especially since they would continue to interact in the future, and it would be tiring for both of them and those around them. While he had accepted the apology with a cool head, it seemed he still instinctively felt aversion.

Yoon Yigeom seemed to think he had changed and wished he wouldn’t act that way, but to Seo Dohyun, he hadn’t changed one bit since their first encounter.

He was just like his past self, pathetically so, questioning his usual behavior while pondering about being human, and then forgetting about it altogether.

There comes a time when even everyday actions, once performed without thought, become questionable and awkward: how to breathe, where to place the tongue, how things were originally done. He meticulously considers the right way to act, the right way to behave, until he starts acting based on efficiency.

Yoon Yigeom was currently standing at that crossroads.

Seo Dohyun had conflicting feelings: he wanted Yoon Yigeom to truly forgive him, and at the same time, he didn’t.

He knew that Yigeom had accepted his apology and was trying to get along.

But how can a person forgive someone who killed them five times? But if he truly forgave him, if forgiveness were possible, then….

Of course, he himself would choose revenge over forgiveness, but if Yigeom truly forgave him, he would become a person of immense generosity.

Or he might become something that has lost its humanity, discarding all suppressed emotions that could harm their future relationship. In that case, truly…

‘He really would become like me.’

Bae Sangwoo’s van stopped briefly at a rest area.

Doa and Jewoo rushed out to buy snacks, while Bae Sangwoo got out to stretch after the long drive and then got back in. He then asked Yigeom in the back seat,

“By the way, what’s your ability?”

“…Excuse me?”

“What kind of ability prevents you from even drinking water in a car?”

Can I tell him? Yigeom habitually looked at Seo Dohyun. It was like a natural instinct, developed from Dohyun magically resolving every situation that arose.

“Even as a Master, there’s no rule against revealing your subordinate’s abilities, so don’t worry too much. Well, if you don’t want to say, I won’t ask.”

“No, it’s not that….”

Only then did Yigeom realize he had looked at Seo Dohyun and averted his gaze, prompted by Bae Sangwoo’s words.

“We’re going to Busan together, and although it’s unlikely, if something happens there, it’s better for us to know each other’s abilities, right?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you.”

Yigeom revealed his ability without reservation.

“Oh, that’s not a common ability. You need to train hard.”

He couldn’t ask anyone for advice about his ability and had to develop it on his own. Yigeom knew this, so he agreed with Bae Sangwoo’s words.

“Yes. Then, what’s your ability…?”

“Ah! But don’t rely too much on what you see, okay? There are people in this world with even stranger abilities.”

“Yes, I will.”

Yigeom glanced at Seo Dohyun in the passenger seat. A strange ability…. He immediately thought of him. He hadn’t experienced many abilities, but he could guarantee one thing: it would be hard to find an ability rarer than Seo Dohyun’s.

As he was lost in thought, the car door opened, and Doa and Jewoo appeared with both hands full of snacks.

“What are all those snacks…?”

Yigeom reproached the students as they climbed in with a weary look.

“I don’t know. Cha Jewoo kept buying them, saying he could eat them all.”

“I can eat them all! We still have several hours to go.”

“You brat! I hate crumbs in my car!”

At Bae Sangwoo’s roar, Cha Jewoo flinched and replied.

“I… I’ll eat them with a bag underneath. I even brought an extra trash bag.”

“Really? Then eat. Give me one too.”

As if he hadn’t just raised his voice, Bae Sangwoo reached out and rummaged through the bag. He grabbed a random snack, ruffled Jewoo’s hair, adjusted his posture, and started the car.

Jewoo, who had been tense, sat in the back seat, puzzled by the head pat.

“Alright—Let’s go again.”

🦅࿐

Yigeom snacked on the treats Jewoo bought, listened to the playlist Doa played through the car’s Bluetooth, and occasionally dozed off. After a long drive, they finally arrived in Busan.

Doa got out of the car and stretched her stiff body.

“Ugh, listen to my bones cracking. Oppa, aren’t you stiff?”

“No.”

Yigeom was used to staying in one place for long periods and generally disliked physical activity, so he was unaffected by the long journey.

“It’s because you’re a cat. Your bones are flexible.”

Seo Dohyun slung an arm around his shoulder and muttered playfully.

“What cat?”

Yigeom grumbled but didn’t push his arm away and followed Bae Sangwoo into the building.

So this is the weapons manufacturing company. Even from the outside, it looked like a factory. Then Seo Dohyun asked from beside him,

“Gyeom-ah, you said you wanted to buy clothes last time, right?”

“Clothes? What clothes?”

“Clothes that don’t wear out, even when they wear out.”

“Ah, those?”

Seo Dohyun had definitely said he would buy them for him and that they should go together next time.

“Are you going to buy them for me?”

“I said I would, so I have to. Should we get a suit?”

“Comfortable clothes are best for fighting. What’s with the suit?”

When Yigeom retorted, Dohyun chuckled.

“Everything made here is comfortable.”

“If you say so.”

Yigeom didn’t argue with the person offering to buy them for him. Or rather, he was so fascinated by the fact that such clothes, whether suits or otherwise, were made here, that he was too busy looking around to find fault with his words.

“Uh… uh? Mr. Yigeom! Mr. Yoon Yigeom!”

Yigeom frowned at the voice calling out to him. He had definitely heard that voice somewhere before. Among those who called him Mr. Yigeom was Noh Jeonggyu, but this wasn’t his voice. Then that means….

He turned around to find a most unwelcome face wearing a welcoming expression.

“It’s me. Me! Kwon Sanghyuk. Have you been well?”

“Ah….”

Yigeom deliberately rolled his eyes and avoided eye contact. They weren’t close, so he couldn’t understand why he was acting so friendly.

“Do you not remember me? I’m Kwon Sanghyuk from the association!”

Kwon Sanghyuk took out a business card from his wallet and offered it. Just like before, it was a piece of paper with only his name and phone number. Yigeom refused it and replied, filled with awkwardness,

“Yes, I remember. But what brings you here…?”

“Oh, I’m on vacation, so I thought I’d stop by and get myself some self-defense items.”

Someone who’s afraid of even creatures is talking about self-defense items? Kwon Sanghyuk blithely rambled on about his situation, oblivious.

“I heard they have new firearms. I came to see those.”

“A gun, specifically?”

Wouldn’t a knife be better than a gun, even so? When Yigeom expressed his doubt, Kwon Sanghyuk said confidently,

“A gun is a better weapon with my ability.”

“Ah, if you say so.”

Whatever his ability was, it wasn’t Yigeom’s concern. Feeling like he’d rather not see him again after this brief reunion, he gestured to Seo Dohyun beside him.

He was annoyed that Seo Dohyun was quietly listening to the conversation, despite usually being so good at chasing away people like Kwon Sanghyuk and Noh Jeonggyu. He would stubbornly do what he was told not to and wouldn’t do what he was asked to. He was so clueless.

Unaware of Yigeom’s inner criticism, Seo Dohyun simply curled his lips into a smile.

“Hey! What are you doing, not following?”

Bae Sangwoo, who was walking ahead, shouted. Yigeom took the opportunity to offer a quick goodbye and hurried after him.

They were on the first floor of the two-story building, where various weapons were being sold.

Just like clothes had preferred brands, so did hunter weapons. Their main advertising slogan was, “Our brand sells weapons crafted by so-and-so.”

It was no different from a regular department store, except the items being sold were a bit more violent. Hunters called this place “Ireon” or simply “the department store.”

“Hyung, that person is from the association, right?”

Jewoo, who was following behind, asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you close with him?”

“No. We’re not close.”

Close with Kwon Sanghyuk? He could answer no a hundred times if asked. When Yigeom answered firmly, Jewoo simply accepted it.

When they went up to the second floor, various clothes were displayed instead of weapons. So the first floor was for weapons, and the second floor was for clothes. Come to think of it, on their way here, Bae Sangwoo had pointed to a factory while driving and explained that it was Ireon’s manufacturing plant. It seemed that everything here was produced at that factory.

Following Bae Sangwoo further into a more secluded area, they arrived at a place that looked like an office. He flung the door open without knocking.

Startled by the sudden entrance, a man inside spilled his coffee on the table.

“Ah…. Hot, hot, hot…! Oh, no. What brings you here, sir?”

“What brings me here? Do I need a reason? I came for a little outing to get our kids some weapons.”

Bae Sangwoo rebuked him and leaned back on the sofa casually, answering calmly without revealing his intentions.

The man, who appeared to be the manager, quickly wiped up the spilled coffee and surreptitiously observed the visitors. Unlike the vigilantes, who always wore suits, they were dressed in various styles.

“You’re not vigilantes….”

“Yeah. They’re just kids I know. Any good weapons these days?”

“There are plenty of good weapons. What kind are you looking for?”

“You guys go out and pick one each.”

When Bae Sangwoo told them to go out and look around while he talked to the manager, Yigeom expressed his difficulty. He didn’t particularly want any weapons. And he wasn’t sure if the offer to buy them weapons was genuine or just a way to dismiss them.

Besides, weren’t they here to see Kim Yiseong, not the manager? Why were they…?

Then Seo Dohyun, looking around the changed manager’s office, muttered,

“I’ve never seen you before. What about the previous manager?”

This was his first time at Ireon since he was a minor, frequently visiting Busan with Bae Sangwoo. When he became an adult and founded Latter, he mainly used the weapons he had used in the vigilantes, and later, he exclusively used weapons made by Namgoong Sanha, who had trained here. It was understandable that he wouldn’t know about the change in managers.

“Oh, the previous manager retired years ago.”

The current manager, glancing at Seo Dohyun who was nodding in agreement with Bae Sangwoo’s explanation, cautiously asked,

“Excuse me… sir, who is this?”

“Ah, you don’t need to remember this guy’s name or anything. He won’t be coming often. Same goes for the others. Didn’t I tell you guys to go out and look around?”

At Bae Sangwoo’s insistence, they had no choice but to leave.

Yigeom gave a puzzled look at Dohyun, who readily complied, and then glanced at the 2nd-floor evacuation map next to the office door as he passed by.

“You said we were here to meet the Yeho Master, so why are you meeting the manager? What are we supposed to do now? Look around on the first floor?”

“He must have something to discuss along the way. As for us….”

Yigeom, who was answering Doa’s grumbling, paused. Right. What are we supposed to do? Just as he was thinking about actually looking around, he glanced at Seo Dohyun. He was smiling.

“What else? We’re buying clothes, remember?”

Ah, he had a different reason for leaving the office, other than following Bae Sangwoo’s words.

“Clothes? What clothes? I went on a huge shopping spree with Doa last week.”

“Not those.”

As Jewoo tilted his head and asked, Seo Dohyun strode towards their destination. They had no choice but to follow him into a suit store.

“Welcome. How can I help you?”

Since the vigilantes’ suits were handled here, from sales to repairs and cleaning, this was a familiar store to Seo Dohyun.

“Gyeom-ah.”

Dohyun pushed Yigeom forward. Hesitating at the seemingly expensive appearance, Yigeom finally spoke to the employee,

“Ah, yes. We’re here to… get a suit.”

It wasn’t his money, and Seo Dohyun was buying it for him, so there was nothing to be shy about, but this was his first time in a place like this, so it felt incredibly awkward.

When the employee asked if it was just for one person, he looked at Dohyun as if seeking an answer.

“One person. I don’t need one.”

“What!? What about us!”

The two pairs of eyes behind Dohyun were full of desire.

“Your uniform is a suit.”

“We’re graduating soon!”

“You still have more than a year left.”

Yigeom tried to dissuade them in Dohyun’s stead, but Doa and Jewoo complained, saying they might need them someday. In the end, Dohyun, who was a pushover for his people, smiled faintly and gave in.

“You guys pick some too.”

“Wow! Awesome!”

The students grinned and started looking around, discussing what would look good on them. Yigeom frowned and asked bluntly,

“Are you rich?”

It wasn’t his money, so it shouldn’t matter, and he himself was picking out a suit because Seo Dohyun was buying it for him, but he was still concerned about buying three expensive-looking suits at once. Wondering if it would be burdensome, even for him, he made a small concession.

“You don’t have to buy mine if you’re buying for them.”

I can just save up and buy it myself later. At Yigeom’s muttering, Dohyun said firmly,

“This is what I saved up for. Now go and pick one. And let’s go look at weapons too.”

“…….”

Yigeom sighed. There was nothing he could do if he insisted on buying them. Since he was on the receiving end, he decided to accept it and looked around.

He briefly wondered if there were any knitwear. He considered buying a nice one as a gift for Kang Taeha, but since he wasn’t a hunter, these creature-material clothes wouldn’t be suitable, right?

While pondering these things and looking at the displayed clothes, the employee, after confirming Jewoo and Doa’s measurements, approached Yigeom and took his measurements.

Judging by the various questions about preferred colors, fabrics, ties, and so on, it seemed like they were making custom-made suits rather than selling ready-made ones. He worried that it would be even more expensive, then quickly dismissed the thought, reminding himself that it was Seo Dohyun’s money.

“I thought you were on the first floor, but you’re shopping here?”

Bae Sangwoo, hunched over, walked over with his hands casually tucked into his pockets.

Yigeom, standing in front of the employee with his arms outstretched like a drying rack to have his measurements taken, asked,

“Are you done talking to the manager?”

“Yeah. I asked, but Yiseong isn’t here right now.”

“Is that what you were asking? But if he’s not here, then we….”

“If I keep pestering him with texts asking where he is, Yiseong will get suspicious.”

Even if they hadn’t definitively identified him as the attacker, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.

“He said he had some business and went somewhere with his new recruit to request a weapon. He said he’ll probably be back in four days to pick it up.”

The new recruit must be Noh Jeonggyu. After pondering for a moment, Yigeom nodded. Then they had no choice but to stay around here until they returned.

“Then we’ll have to stay in Busan for four days.”

Good thing I planned for extra days. Praising his past self, he calculated where they should stay during that time.

Bae Sangwoo habitually reached for a cigarette but, realizing he was indoors, put it back in the pack and muttered,

“There’s a dormitory nearby. We can ask for a vacant room there.”

It was a dormitory used by hunters in the technical field who came to Ireon for training. Of course, they had to pay for accommodation, but it was a popular place for hunters to stay when visiting. It wasn’t a bad place, decorated like a hotel.

The employee put away the measuring tape and informed them that their suits would be ready within three days. Yigeom was genuinely surprised that it would only take three days for three custom-made suits.

“They make everything quickly here. As long as they have the materials, they can make anything.”

The two students exclaimed with sparkling eyes,

“Then let’s go have fun!”

“Where are the good restaurants around here? Doa, did you find any places?”

As they were gradually making plans for the next three days…

“…Ah.”

Yigeom suddenly let out a short gasp and covered his eyes.

A slight, a very slight vertical slit of light entered.

Perhaps because of the distance, the image wasn’t clear, as if the signal was weak. Within that small slit of light, he saw various grotesque shapes. Creatures. Not singular, but plural. Creatures. There seemed to be about fifteen of them. And among them, a person. A tearful person. Crying out something. Probably….

“Help me.”

Yigeom unconsciously mouthed the person’s words.

A burning sensation, like a burn, surged through him, and his vision flickered.

“Are you hurt?”

Hearing his murmur, Seo Dohyun rushed over. Yigeom removed his hands from his eyes and looked at him. What was that? His vision was blurrier than usual, and the face in front of him looked hazy.

“No, it’s not that, but just now….”

Suddenly, Dohyun’s large hand completely blocked his view. He murmured in a low voice,

“Close your eyes.”

“…….”

“Your eyes are red.”

“…A mirror.”

A side effect of using his ability? His eyes had become hot a few times after the association attack due to his lack of control, but this rarely happened after he got used to controlling his ability.

He could comfortably see up to about 50 meters. He was quite satisfied with that range, but it seemed he had unconsciously tried to see further than that. And within that….

“Hyung, here’s a mirror. Are you okay?”

Unable to see, he fumbled and received the mirror from Jewoo and, removing the hand covering his eyes, checked his condition. The whites of his eyes were red, causing stinging and dryness every time he blinked. Confirming his condition, Yigeom immediately closed his eyes.

Doa, sensing Yigeom’s condition, placed eye drops in his hand.

“Oppa, put these in for now.”

“Wait a minute.”

Feeling the foreign sensation of the disposable eye drops, Yigeom focused again. He heard Bae Sangwoo asking what was wrong, but he silently surrendered to the sensation from before.

He didn’t know the distance, but judging by the state of his eyes, it was more than 50 meters away, a place where light entered vertically, a dark place where light only seeped in when the door opened, a place with creatures, a person… a person. I need to save them….

“Ah, where is it…?”

Biting his lip, he tried shifting scenes to find a place with water. At the same time, he wondered what good it would do even if he found it. He couldn’t accurately measure the distance, and all he could do was ‘see’. He couldn’t pinpoint the location and go there directly; he could only ‘see’.

Nevertheless, he concentrated, honing his senses, trying to find even the slightest clue.

Unrelated scenes flashed by. Not this, not that…. As he tried to find the person from before, the pain in his eyes intensified. Just as the burning sensation became unbearable,

“Stop it.”

Seo Dohyun pulled Yigeom closer, his hand still covering his eyes. Only after burying his face in Dohyun’s shoulder did Yigeom stop using his ability.

Leaning against him, he blinked and exhaled slowly, and a hot liquid ran down his face. It seemed like he had reflexively shed tears due to the dryness.

The hand covering his face trembled for a moment, then pressed down firmly, preventing him from opening his eyes.

“Keep them closed.”

Then, seeing the blood trickling down Dohyun’s hand, Doa rushed over in surprise.

“Oppa! Blood….”

“…Blood?”

Bleeding? It was the first time this had happened, and Yigeom’s face turned pale. Regret flooded him, thinking he had overused his ability, but at the same time, he worried about what had happened to the person from before. He had seen many creatures, so perhaps they had already…. Only cruel endings came to mind, and he couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.

“Hyu…, Hyung. Tissue, where are the tissues?”

Jewoo hurriedly got some tissues from the staff and dabbed at Yigeom’s eyes.

“What’s wrong, Yoon Yigeom? Are you hurt?”

At Bae Sangwoo’s worried question, Seo Dohyun supported Yigeom and frowned.

“Yoon Yigeom needs to rest. Let’s go to our rooms now.”

Arriving at the dormitory, they each received a single room thanks to the many vacancies, but Seo Dohyun went straight to Yoon Yigeom’s room without stopping by his own. Doa and Jewoo also wanted to follow out of concern, but Bae Sangwoo persuaded them to go to their own rooms, saying the patient needed to rest.

Seo Dohyun immediately went into the bathroom and placed a towel around Yigeom’s neck like a bib. Unable to see with his eyes closed, Yigeom fumbled around.

It seemed like they were in the dormitory… He was currently sitting on the toilet, and the fabric around his neck felt like a towel.

‘The bathroom?’

“What are you doing?”

When Yigeom asked, Dohyun looked down at him. There were traces of blood on his face.

“I’m going to wash your face.”

“…Me? Or you?”

“You.”

Then he heard the sound of running water, and Dohyun warned,

“Don’t open your eyes or use your ability.”

“Wait a second…! Ugh!”

Water splashed onto his face before he could protest. Seriously, couldn’t he at least wait until he finished talking? Splashing water while he was speaking?

But unlike his initial impression, the seemingly rough Dohyun rinsed his face meticulously. Come to think of it, the initial water temperature wasn’t that cold either.

He usually washed his face with his eyes closed, and he could use his hands, so he could do this much himself, but Dohyun even carefully wiped his face after he was done, removing the towel from his neck. He felt like a newborn baby.

Yigeom was flustered by the unexpectedly gentle touch, and another worry arose.

If his eyes were bleeding that much, could it be…?

“Hey, I’m not going blind, am I?”

Dohyun’s hand holding the towel paused, then resumed wiping.

“That won’t happen.”

Hearing the assurance that it would heal in a day, especially for a hunter, Yigeom patted his chest in relief.

“That’s a relief. But have you experienced this before? You seem to know quite a bit about it.”

He was puzzled by how Dohyun knew the exact healing time and spoke as if he had experienced it himself. He was used to Seo Dohyun acting as if he was impervious to all pain. But bleeding from the eyes was a bit of a special case, wasn’t it? It wasn’t as if he had the same ability.

“It’s happened a few times.”

“A few times?”

“Yes.”

“Did it hurt?”

When Yigeom asked, Dohyun fell silent.

“I asked if it hurt.”

“…….”

“Seo Dohyun, aren’t you going to answer?”

Just as he was about to open his eyes and glare at him, thinking he was being ignored because he couldn’t see, Dohyun replied as if he had been waiting.

“It… kind of hurt back then.”

“…Is that so?”

Hearing his answer, Yigeom quickly covered his stinging eyes. Even Seo Dohyun had been in pain, so of course it should hurt.

“It somehow hurts more after hearing you say that.”

“Then why did you do something that would hurt? Especially when you hate being in pain.”

“That’s….”

Yigeom hesitated, then replied,

“I saw something strange.”

“Something strange?”

Yigeom then described the chilling scene he had witnessed: the dark place with no light, the creatures, and the person begging for help.

“Are you sure? You didn’t see wrong?”

At the questioning tone, Yigeom furrowed his brow and said,

“I’m sure.”

Seo Dohyun pulled Yigeom’s arm and helped him up. Guided to a chair in the room, Yigeom sat down, and Dohyun, settling across from him, began,

“Yoon Yigeom.”

“Yes.”

“Mutant creatures. Do you know about them?”

Unable to bear the frustration, he cautiously opened his eyes, only to be immediately reprimanded.

“Your eyes.”

“It’s more bearable than before.”

So this is what the room looks like. He had just confirmed it since his eyes had been closed. Yigeom rolled his dry eyes, observing his surroundings, then replied,

“Mutants? You mean the creatures that attacked the association?”

Offspring born from the crossbreeding of different creature species.

“Yes.”

As Yigeom nodded, Dohyun continued his explanation. Blood Hunters worship various kinds of creatures. Some organizations worship all creatures, while others worship only one specific type. A prime example of the latter was Adam, a large organization. They only worshiped a creature called “Ser,” which had the form of a white snake.

They only craved the blood of “Ser” and disregarded other creatures. They treated anything other than Ser as insignificant beings, using them solely as weapons. Such individuals were often used in experiments to create mutant creatures.

And if Yoon Yigeom’s account was accurate, the place he saw was probably a mutant creature cultivation facility.

In other words, a creature breeding ground.

There was a guidebook for common creatures with established strategies, but mutant creatures were different. They were unprecedented species born from the combination of different species, and as mutants, they had extremely short lifespans compared to ordinary creatures, yet were incredibly powerful with almost no weaknesses. This made it difficult to develop proper strategies due to lack of time, and dealing with them was extremely challenging.

Rubbing his aching eyes, Yigeom tried to process Dohyun’s explanation.

“So… you’re saying what I saw was that? Why? This is Ireon.”

“They must have set up a hideout nearby.”

“But why?”

Other hunters would frequently come and go to have weapons made, and even the vigilantes visited often, so why would they create such a breeding ground nearby? The Blood Hunters’ thinking was beyond comprehension.

“It might be a wise choice.”

“…What?”

Where would you find cages strong enough to hold creatures? The only place that could produce such strong steel was “Ireon.” He didn’t know how they were obtaining the steel from Ireon, but it was true that the darkest place is under the candlestick. Who would have thought a hideout would be so close?

Yigeom questioned Dohyun’s words.

“Don’t Blood Hunters have Technicians?”

“They do, but they wouldn’t have the right environment.”

Their facilities wouldn’t be as good as Ireon, which received full support and supplies from the association, so they would probably only be able to make crude weapons.

“…So is what you’re saying that this is Adam’s doing? Setting up a breeding ground so openly near here.”

Adam…. It was a possibility. But they couldn’t rule out other possibilities.

They had simply come to investigate Kim Yiseong, but perhaps something bigger, something more sinister, had firmly taken root here.

“Well, we’ll find something if we investigate.”

What started as a lighthearted visit seemed to be turning into a dangerous journey.

Thanking Jewoo, who had somehow procured an ice pack, Yigeom placed it over his eyes and muttered,

“If this was going to happen, we should have gotten a double room. Why are we crammed in here?”

Perhaps due to the overuse of his ability and the resulting vision impairment, everything looked blurry.

Because of the side effects, Seo Dohyun had insisted on taking care of him, claiming he couldn’t be left alone, so Yigeom ended up sharing a room with him. A single room would have been enough for him alone, but with Dohyun, Doa, Jewoo, and even Bae Sangwoo crammed in, the room felt extremely cramped.

‘And why in my room?’

He was grateful that Seo Dohyun, who had asked everyone to gather in his room for a discussion, had considered his difficulty with moving and come to his room instead…

“So you’re saying there’s a breeding ground nearby?”

Doa, who had heard the explanation, asked casually while opening a snack bag. When Yigeom replied with a probable “yes,” Bae Sangwoo frowned suspiciously.

“You didn’t see wrong?”

“I’ve never seen wrong.”

He had never doubted his memory. Not before, and not now.

Yigeom’s expression was slightly tense. Creature breeding, crossbreeding; this was definitely the work of Blood Hunters, and it seemed like it would be quite dangerous. He didn’t want to get involved in something like this.

He briefly hoped that after reporting it to Bae Sangwoo, the vigilantes would take care of the rest.

“I can’t act on something this uncertain.”

“…Excuse me?”

Yigeom stared blankly at Bae Sangwoo. He continued, casually picking at a hangnail,

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, but a creature breeding ground is a huge deal. If you’re going to report it to the vigilantes, you need more concrete evidence. Otherwise, they won’t move.”

“But, you…”

“I’m in a high position. But have I ever recklessly summoned the vigilantes?”

“…….”

What was he talking about? Did that mean they would only act after an incident occurred? Closing the barn door after the horse has bolted? And there was a person among the creatures! They might already be dead!

Just as he was about to retort to the incomprehensible words, Bae Sangwoo spoke first.

“The vigilantes are people too. They’re fighting somewhere right now, and we’re not free enough to act on just your word that you ‘saw’ something. And something this big requires multiple people, making it even more complicated. That’s our guideline, our way.”

“…….”

Then what about that person? Were they saying that the vigilantes wouldn’t lift a finger without concrete evidence, so they should handle it themselves? They believed him, but they couldn’t act without evidence? That’s their guideline? What kind of nonsense…?

As Yigeom’s expression hardened, Bae Sangwoo casually said,

“So, for now, you’ll have to settle for me.”

“…Excuse me?”

He lifted his head abruptly at the unexpected words. Bae Sangwoo scratched his head, looking troubled.

“I can’t summon the vigilantes without concrete evidence, so we need to find evidence now.”

“…….”

Yigeom was speechless, his face dumbfounded.

“What, why? You don’t want to find evidence? You were looking all gloomy before, saying the report wouldn’t be accepted.”

“…You believe me.”

“I told you I believe you!”

“Ouch!”

Bae Sangwoo flicked him on the forehead, and it hurt enough to bring tears to his eyes. He dusted off his hands as if relieved.

“So, Yoon Yigeom. Where is this place you saw?”

“I don’t know.”