Dr. Jin's location is in Gyeonggi Province...
On a mountainside of Cheonggye Mountain.
According to the device's information, Dr. Jin was there.
Roughly 20 kilometers away from here.
Didn't expect him to live somewhere with this much foot traffic.
No—is it even possible to live there in the first place?
I opened a map app to check the route to the location.
For now, it looked like I'd have to take public transportation to get close, then follow GPS on foot.
"..."
I stared silently at the money in my hand before shoving it into my pocket.
Kiril had given it to me.
She said it was "voluntarily offered by the people whose lives I saved."
But judging by the amused smile on her face, I couldn't believe that for a second.
Had she maybe swiped it from the wallets of the dead?
That thought crossed my mind briefly, but I quickly pushed it away.
Even if she had, there was no giving it back to the deceased.
After a quick test of the Black Aether, I headed toward the subway.
About ten minutes into the walk—
I stumbled on a surprising scene.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Hey! I said you can't pass without a transit permit!"
Ahead of me, a man and a woman were bickering.
What's going on?
From the walkie-talkie on his belt and his outfit, the man seemed to be a private security contractor.
Behind him, a red tape barrier stretched out. A young woman in a two-piece suit was trying to cross it, but he blocked her path immediately.
"I'm late! I don't have time for this!"
"Look, miss. No permit, no passage. Want to get arrested for obstructing a public official?"
"You're not even a government employee! Want me to call the police on you?"
"We're just doing our job at the request of the Glory Guild. If you've got a problem, take it up with them."
Glory Guild.
The moment I heard that name, my eyes widened.
Sure enough, the man's uniform had the radial emblem of the Glory Guild.
I stepped up next to the agitated woman and asked the man,
"Is this area under restricted access?"
The security worker turned toward me with a bored look—
Only to flinch once he saw my face.
A familiar reaction.
It was the same look everyone made when they saw me up close—because of the large birthmark covering half my face.
"Hmph. Yeah. Until the health check for residents of Gaebang-dong is completed, there's no entering or leaving."
He puffed himself up, speaking smugly.
His big nose practically pointed skyward.
It was a ridiculous sight.
He wasn't a Glory Guild member. He wasn't even a Hunter.
But the act of controlling people clearly gave him a thrill.
The type who turns into a tyrant the moment he puts on an armband.
That's what he looked like.
"When is the health inspection scheduled to end?"
"Supposedly... it'll take about two weeks."
At that, the woman next to me exploded in frustration.
"Two weeks?! You're saying we can't leave the neighborhood for two weeks?!"
"Damn it, I told you. Go to a health center or hospital and get a certificate proving you're clean. Keep whining and I'll really lose it!"
His tone turned aggressive, patience wearing thin.
The woman backed off, intimidated. I asked again,
"Why wasn't this announced in advance? There were no articles last night or early this morning."
"You brat, think I know? I just do what I'm told."
Not that he didn't know—he just didn't want people to know.
If word got out that they were now locking down a neighborhood they had ignored while people were dying in the streets—it wouldn't look good.
And for the Glory Guild, which valued "honor" above all else, it was something they especially wanted to hide.
"Alright, enough questions. Get lost. I'm not chatting with potential contagions who haven't even been tested."
Clearly, I wasn't going to get anywhere with this guy.
Gaebang-dong was a small neighborhood, but managing a whole district was still no easy task.
In fact, besides this one security guy, I didn't see anyone else.
They must've divided the area and stationed people at intervals.
In short, if I got past this guy, there'd be no other obstacles.
"You said your company's associated with the Glory Guild, right?"
"Yeah. So what? Got a problem?"
Time for a little provocation.
I decided to just say what was on my mind.
"Yeah, I got a problem. You guys are seriously disgusting."
"…What?"
His eyes went wide.
Didn't expect to hear that from some kid who looked over ten years younger than him, I bet.
"Am I wrong? Back when people were dying in the streets, you guys were nowhere to be seen. And now you show up just to seal the place off? Pathetic."
"You little punk... You wanna die?"
The contractor stormed toward me, eyes blazing.
He was a whole head taller than me, and easily weighed over 100kg.
Back in the day, I probably would've been scared out of my mind.
Even now... yeah, I was a little scared.
I still hadn't fully accepted that I was stronger now.
Grab.
He seized me by the collar.
Being skinny as I was, my body was pulled forward easily.
"Say it again. What the hell did you just say?"
I expected it to be hard to breathe—but it was only a little uncomfortable. Not painful.
Even without the Black Aether, this was nothing compared to the fevers I used to endure.
Since he'd already grabbed my collar, no point in being polite.
"Let go."
I grabbed his arm with one hand—and squeezed.
Crunch.
"Ggh...!?"
Was it the unexpected grip strength?
The security contractor's face twisted in shock.
He must've thought it was absurd.
Who would've expected some scrawny kid who looked 50kg lighter than him to overpower him by force?
If it weren't for the curious eyes of the woman standing nearby, he probably would've let go of my collar already.
But his hand, still clutching my shirt, had long since lost its strength.
I pushed the man's arm back.
He stumbled a couple of steps.
"Y-You...!!"
When people experience something unbelievable, their reactions usually go one of two ways:
They either accept reality—or they deny it.
This guy seemed to choose the latter.
"Guess those beggars from Gaebang-dong aren't as weak as they say...!!"
The contractor pulled a baton from his belt.
Even before I could react, the woman next to me scowled in disbelief.
"You're seriously pulling a weapon on a student? Are you insane?"
"Shut the hell up and get lost unless you wanna end up in a pile too."
The threat in his voice made the woman pale.
It was ridiculous.
Sure, the world revolved around Hunters now, but—
To think he'd actually try to beat down a civilian with a weapon, so brazenly.
Seeing how casually he acted, he clearly thought he could get away with it.
I asked the contractor, voice steady:
"Is it legal for private security to assault civilians?"
He must've thought I was scared.
He bared his teeth in a mocking grin.
"Ha! Guess you thought the cops would protect you. Hope you learn a lesson today—the Glory is above the law."
Just as I thought.
When you know one, you know them all—the Glory Guild really did see itself as untouchable.
Otherwise, what private security goon would ever dare to assault a random civilian?
I silently summoned the Black Aether inside me and focused on him.
He raised his baton high, eyes wide with rage.
Despite the massive difference in size, he swung at me with everything he had.
Whoosh.
But the baton never hit me.
It didn't even graze me.
"…??"
In fact, I was so tense that I ended up dodging a whole five meters back.
I only meant to step aside a little.
Kind of a goofy look, really.
But hey—it was my first real fight. Call it growing pains.
"You little punk…!!"
Still, I'd gained two things.
First, I could see the guy's movements clearly.
Yesterday, I had absorbed the core of a giant toad with the Black Aether and spread it throughout my body.
It must have boosted all sorts of senses—including vision.
With this much clarity, I could probably dodge most attacks as long as the opponent wasn't a Hunter.
On the flip side—
What if I went all in and countered?
Thwack!
After dodging another furious swing, I struck him with a knifehand to the thigh.
Why the thigh?
Because it had the most padding. I didn't want to accidentally cripple the bastard.
"AAAGGHHHH!!!!!"
He let out a
hideous scream and collapsed to the ground.
Well, I guess that was my first accidental human trial.
Kiril might be full of bluster, but one thing's for sure—the giant toad core was legit.
Even after just one absorption, I could handle a guy way bigger than me like he was a rag doll.
"I'LL KILL YOU...!!"
Shock, rage, pain—
And an overwhelming wave of humiliation.
All tangled up in one, the man reached for something else from his waistband.
When I saw what it was, I couldn't help but sigh.
"You're seriously going to use a taser on a minor?"
"F*** off, you little shit!!"
Even limping, he came charging at me. I casually stepped to the side and gave his other thigh a light kick.
Thwack!!
"GAAAHHH!!"
This time, he didn't just stumble—he went rolling on the ground.
While he foamed at the mouth, I glanced at the buildings past the red line.
There weren't many CCTVs around here, and that included the surrounding area too.
The gate had only recently gone off, so it made sense things hadn't been repaired yet.
The woman who had been arguing with the guy earlier had completely vanished—probably freaked out.
Now that I had a rough idea of the situation, I slowly walked toward the man.
"You… you bastard!!"
He sat there in fear, scrambling backward, but still didn't shut up.
"So beggars from Gaebang-dong are weak, huh?"
"...!!"
"I'll let you off this once. But be careful next time. People with nothing to lose don't know the meaning of 'going easy.'"
His face flushed a deep, ugly red.
Getting humiliated by someone younger and scrawnier than him—even with a taser on hand? That had to sting.
Which meant, more than anything, this wasn't something he'd be eager to talk about with anyone.
Too embarrassing.
If I crossed that red line, he'd have to report it. But if I disappeared now, no one would even know I was here.
I stepped in front of him and clenched my fist.
Instantly, the guy shouted, looking betrayed:
"Wait, you said you'd let me go!!"
"Clench your teeth."
As I twitched my shoulder, the guy flinched and shielded his face with both arms.
Perfect.
Now's the time.
I focused all my strength into my legs and activated Silent Step.
Fwoosh!
Target: the rooftop of the nearest building beyond the red line.
Thanks to the Black Aether rooted throughout my body, balancing mid-leap was much easier now.
Looks like I won't be face-planting on landings anymore.
"???????"
The guy, who expected another beating, slowly lowered his arms.
Then looked around in disbelief.
The person who was just right in front of him—gone without a trace.
He frantically glanced behind him, as if I'd teleported.
But there was no way he'd find me.
No normal person would assume I jumped to a rooftop in the blink of an eye.
"Let's see…"
Beyond the building, I could see busy streets full of cars and people.
The scene was a total contrast to the ruined Gaebang-dong.
Honestly, I wanted to keep jumping from rooftop to rooftop—but I couldn't risk being seen.
So I climbed down the stairs and boarded the subway to Cheonggyesan.
"This really the place?"
The GPS confirmed this was the right direction.
Still, I had to double-check the device.
It pointed me to something that was once everywhere, practically tripping people—but now? Rare as hell.
A phone booth stood right in front of me.
"What the hell… Is this a bug?"
Hmm.
Gotta watch what I say.
I hesitated for a moment in front of the square booth, painted sky blue.
"So this is… 'home,' huh."
Hard to believe I actually found it.
The spot was far from any hiking trail, way off the beaten path.
Everyone I passed tried to stop me, saying no one went that way.
And now that I'm here… it turns out my 'home' is a phone booth?
"Well… whatever. Let's see what happens."
I stepped inside and looked over the machine.
I'd only seen them in pictures as a kid—never in real life.
The red button was for emergencies, that I knew. The black button, though…?
Wait a sec.
I don't remember there being a black button.
Almost drawn to it, I pressed the black button without thinking.
Clunk.
"W-WOAH!!!"
I let out something close to a scream.
The moment I pressed it, the floor inside the booth opened up.
And just like that, my whole body was sucked into a pitch-black tunnel.