Boy Monster Chapter 1

After the moonlight fades, in the faint eastern sky / 玉宇迢迢落月東

The vast blue waves suddenly flash bright red / 蒼波萬頃忽翻紅

All manner of creatures writhing, holding fire in their mouths / 蜿蜿百怪皆銜火

Pushing the golden wheel into the ecliptic / 送出金輪黃道中

— Choi Rip (崔岦), Gani House (簡易集) Volume 3, Book 8, “Donggunrok (東郡錄)”

— National Intelligence Service New Recruit Training Materials, Chapter 8, National Secret Special Task Force ① ‘S.E.T.U’

From the Glossary –

S.E.T.U

(Spiritual Empowered Tactical Unit – Supernatural Special Task Force):

The successor to the ancient and storied Sashimcheon (Four Hearts Heaven) family, which has been managing the nation’s superpowered individuals since around the 8th century.

After the death of the Sashimcheon family head, it was placed under the joint jurisdiction of the National Intelligence Service and the Defense Intelligence Command.

A unit of divine guardians that, in times of national crisis, has protected the country and its people with primordial powers bestowed upon them.

Those endowed with divine powers are called ‘Hwelju,’ and those who control the Hwelju’s powers to prevent rampages are called ‘Yeonri.’

Hwelju and Yeonri must regularly engage in intimate relations to increase their mutual resonance gauge.

It is generally known that a resonance gauge of 85% or higher is required for smooth mission performance.

Currently, there are 37 registered Hwelju and 38 Yeonri in South Korea’s S.E.T.U.

Four Great Elements (四大因緣):

In Buddhism, the fundamental elements constituting matter are classified into four: earth (地), water (水), fire (火), and wind (風). All things in the universe are formed by the combination of these four great elements through causal connections.

Accordingly, the supernatural abilities of Hwelju are divided into four categories.

Exception: Death Hwelju (死훨주)

Above the four categories of Hwelju, there exists a singular ultimate power in South Korea.

The Hwelju above all Hwelju, the only power capable of taking and giving life, known as the ‘Death Hwelju.’

The Death Hwelju is a power traditionally held by the king and signifies dominion over all Hwelju, thus it is excluded from general Hwelju classifications and mentions.

Four Heavenly Kings (사천지왕):

A symbolic representation of the Sashimcheon family and the Hwelju.

To keep the existence of Hwelju hidden from the public, King Munmu, after the unification of the Three Kingdoms in 679, established Sacheonwangsa Temple in present-day Gyeongju and began venerating them in the form of the Four Heavenly Kings. They are national guardian deities with immense power, protecting the four directions of the universe and safeguarding the Buddhist Pure Land. Their presence can be seen in wooden statues, clay figures, scroll paintings, and murals in national guardian temples across the country.

Six Paths of Reincarnation (육도윤회, 六途輪廻):

The endless cycle of death and rebirth, experiencing the joys and sorrows of the six realms (hell, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, humans, and heavens) as a consequence of good and evil deeds.

1. Immeasurable Eons (무량겁)1)

Jae Eunho stood before a glass case. His pale face reflected in the glass, glowing even brighter. Enveloped by the museum’s lighting, his face appeared faint, only half-visible. Due to the narrow beam of the ceiling lights, only the left side of his face was reflected in the display case glass. He tilted his head at various angles. His glasses glinted a couple of times, but the result was the same. No matter what, it was a half face.

To capture the display case well, he had no choice but to sacrifice the right side of his face. Jae Eunho reluctantly pressed the camera button on his phone. The moment the shutter clicked, he let out a fake cough and closed the camera app. A warning sign was prominently posted below the artifact.

– No Photography Allowed –

Glancing sideways, he saw a museum staff member staring at him. But since they didn’t intervene, it seemed they’d let it slide. Jae Eunho discreetly reopened the camera app to check the photo he’d just taken.

The photo perfectly captured the tile artifacts, the display case, and the reflection of a man in a suit. Satisfied, Jae Eunho uploaded the photo to the feed of a chatting app.

Jae Eunho’s phone was loaded with several SNS and chatting apps. They were his only source of amusement these days. In past reincarnations, pen pals, radio show submissions, and slow computer chats were the extent of entertainment, but in the 2020s, instant gratification was abundant. The chatting app he’d installed a few days ago was particularly good for idle banter. Even if no one saw them, he’d uploaded a few photos. Perhaps because he hadn’t shown his face clearly, there were no responses yet.

Several tiles depicting the Four Heavenly Kings’ monsters and green-glazed deity statues from Sacheonwangsa, excavated in Gyeongju, were on special exhibit until the end of the month. Jae Eunho’s attention hadn’t been on the historical artifacts in the glass case for a while. Though he wore earphones, he’d long since muted the docent audio.

These artifacts were ones he’d seen hundreds of times, even before the Japanese Government-General began excavating Sacheonwangsa on Nangsan. Besides, these were merely for public display. The true artifacts, passed down from the dawn of time, were securely stored in the National Intelligence Service’s underground vault.

“Move if you’re done looking.”

A voice from behind his shoulder prompted Jae Eunho to turn around. Two boys and a woman who appeared to be their mother were waiting their turn. Eunho politely stepped aside.

“What’s with him? That guy wasn’t even listening to the docent.”

Kids these days are sharp, perhaps more perceptive than those of any era. But they’re not yet old enough to understand that, when alone in a crowd, silent earphones are as comforting a shield as any.

Jae Eunho bowed slightly and walked to the next display case. The boys’ mother flushed red and said, “Oh, it’s because of your leg… I’m sorry.”

“No, I was standing in one spot too long. My apologies.”

“Keep looking, it’s fine.”

“No, I’ve seen enough.”

Jae Eunho’s stride was confident, unhindered by his limping gait. The boys’ gazes shifted from the Four Heavenly Kings’ monster tiles to Jae Eunho’s left leg. Their mother slapped their shoulders to redirect their attention.

The family’s bickering quieted briefly. The mother pulled out her phone and, in a suddenly loud tone, shouted, “Yes, sir!” before leaving the exhibit hall. In her absence, the brothers began giggling openly.

“The monster looks uglier than a Pokémon? Total fail.”

“Forget fail, it’s got no charisma.”

They were talking about the monster tiles in the display case. Whether a beast, dragon, haetae, Jade Emperor, or human, the indistinct symbols seemed quaint compared to monsters in modern movies or games. The marks of time etched on the tile surfaces were invisible to the boys’ eyes.

Jae Eunho quickly limped over to stand beside the boys.

“You wouldn’t say that if you’d seen it in person.”

“…”

“That monster is closer to a colossal entity than a mere beast. Beautiful, fiery, terrifying… You can’t look into its blood-soaked, icy eyes. Just approaching it engulfs you in a scorching heat that feels like your body is burning. It has the eyes of a tiger, the mane of a heavenly horse, wings like a thunderstorm, horns forged in lava, the body of a giant demonic predator, and a cursed dragon’s tail. Its breath is a flame of death that obliterates everything in its path without a trace. Its hands are an altar to the underworld, stealing the breath of all they touch, leaving only husks. Its roar is like the thunder that parted the heavens in primordial chaos, forcing all creatures to bow and kneel. Its flesh is an agent of destruction, consuming time and life… drawing everything in. You can never resist that grotesque, sacred, horrifying creation.”

By the time Eunho finished, the boys looked like they’d bitten into something foul. They probably thought he was as mad as a subway preacher.

“Ha! So where’s that monster now?”

“…”

I killed it.

If he said that, the boys might report him to the police as a lunatic. When Jae Eunho didn’t respond, one boy coolly remarked, “Fantasy novelist.”

“Wrong.”

Deciding to indulge the brothers who’d listened quietly, Jae Eunho added briefly, “Hint: A living witness to modern history.”

“Yu Hong-joon.2)”

“Wrong.”

“Second-best Korean history lecturer at Megastudy. Not the top one. If he was, I’d know.”

“Better than those guys.”

I’ve lived over a century as the nation’s slave operative. Jae Eunho muttered inaudibly and left.

The brothers, watching him exit the exhibit hall, frowned deeply. The young man in a sharp suit had a phone case with a traditional insect painting, like something from a folk museum gift shop. His keyring was a miniature traditional lantern, likely bought in Insadong or Hwanghak-dong’s antique shops.

The brothers learned today that the world holds all kinds of eccentrics. Their final verdict came.

“Wow, he seems normal, but that makes it scarier. If he wasn’t slightly unhinged, he’d be in a drama.”

“His good looks make it creepier.”

Jae Eunho, thoroughly pleased with their assessment, climbed the stairs. Alerts and dings sounded around him. Disaster texts were arriving. Looking down, he saw the brothers checking their phones too.

A call rang from the National Intelligence Service’s dedicated phone in Jae Eunho’s suit pocket. He lightly ignored the vibration. Glancing around, he noticed people gathering, whispering while looking at their phones.

“Coex?”

“My brother works at a café there.”

Emergency Disaster Alert

Public Safety Warning

[Gangnam District Office] 07.02

Fire broke out during electrical maintenance at Coex Mall underground.

Urban railway operations suspended, emergency evacuation of citizens in stations underway.

Fire suppression in progress; Samseong Station and Bongeunsa Station temporarily closed.

Nearby citizens, please avoid the area and evacuate safely.

14:27

Jae Eunho climbed the stairs slowly, counting down. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…

Gasps erupted around him. Shock was evident on the faces of the gathered crowd.

“Look at that smoke. What’s going on?”

“People are pouring out. Must be a big fire.”

“…Wait. Look at this!”

Multiple screams echoed through the museum. The terrified visitors seemed oblivious to the judgmental stares. They must have seen real-time photos of Samseong Station on SNS.

“What… what is this? It’s not a fire, it’s a bloodbath! Aaaah! Is that a human body?”

“It’s gotta be a movie set…!”

“No, they’re saying it’s happening right now! Police are everywhere.”

“Is the disaster text fake? A stabbing spree but they lied about a construction fire? Then what’s the smoke? It’s coming from inside Coex.”

“Did the criminal set the fire?”

A massacre seemed to have unfolded in the underground passage from Coex Mall to Samseong Station. An operation to apprehend a mid-level manager of a Philippine drug cartel staying at a nearby hotel had gone awry, with the suspects boldly fleeing to Coex Mall’s underground. The police, who had boasted that S.E.T.U wasn’t needed, had just urgently summoned a Wind Hwelju, Earth Hwelju, and Fire Hwelju after a disguised officer was brutally killed and the suspects pulled out guns.

The commotion in the museum grew louder. Jae Eunho’s suit pocket kept vibrating. Ignoring the calls, he opened the disaster text.

He pressed and held one side of the text window. Recognizing Jae Eunho’s fingerprint, the phone displayed another disaster message.

[Urgent]

Fire Hwelju Second Rank Out of Control

S.E.T.U Leader Jae Eunho Summoned Immediately

A smile crept onto Jae Eunho’s composed face.

1. An immeasurable span of time
2. Author of [My Cultural Heritage Exploration]