Part 1 Chapter 2 (4)

April 4, 2020, 6:00 PM, OO Building Underground Parking Lot.

After Seoul fell, there was only one way to get to Seoul: on foot.

Vehicles, subways, airplanes-all those means of transportation carried the risk of being attacked by monsters if they operated regularly, so it was a natural outcome that Seoul’s transportation facilities ceased operation.

That’s why hunters heading out to hunt in Seoul either simply walked or favored trucks that could travel on relatively intact roads. This was so that if they were attacked on the road, the ability users riding in the back could respond at any time.

“Still, this is a bit much.”

Deokbae turned his eyes away from the deuce and a half in front of him, an uncomfortable look on his face. Phoenix, seemingly excited, was negotiating a deal with the broker.

“Excuse me, this was military-issue, right? Hehe.”

It was thickly painted in dark green, but through the peeling paint, the original white markings peeked through. The broker, wearing sunglasses, waved his hand dismissively and laughed.

“Oh dear, how could that be?! A citizen of the Republic of Korea wouldn’t steal and sell military supplies, would they?”

The broker put a hand to his lips and whispered.

“This was abandoned on the roadside. It became an ownerless item.”

“So you’re selling a lost item for 5,000? What’s the state of your conscience?”

“Haha! If I had a conscience, I couldn’t do this business! And wasn’t it you, sir, who said you’d buy it for 5,000? It might make you feel a bit dirty, but its performance is good. Look here.”

The broker tapped the top of the headlight. The loosely attached headlight glass plopped to the floor.

“……Shall I give you a discount?”

“It’s fine. It’s just temporary anyway.”

Phoenix tapped the Black Market screen and transferred the promised amount. The broker’s smartwatch immediately chimed, signaling the deposit.

“Wow, sir! Your alias is cool, and your dealings are cool too!”

“Right? But….”

Phoenix tapped the broker’s shoulder and chuckled.

“What’s our deal?”

“Oh? A deal, you say? Was there such a thing?”

At the broker’s sly grin, Phoenix also nodded and lowered his hand.

With that, the two passed by each other as if they were complete strangers.

“Are you just going to let him go like that?”

Deokbae pointed at the rapidly disappearing broker. Phoenix climbed onto the deuce and a half, a military medium-sized truck, and inspected it all over.

“No problem. If he scammed us, I can just track him down by his Black Market nickname and beat him up. *Sniff sniff*. Anyway, he should’ve at least wiped off the bloodstains before selling it.”

Phoenix frowned at the hardened stains beneath the seat and snapped his fingers. A small blue flame flared up, enveloping the entire deuce and a half and burning away the foreign substances.

“Looks like he picked it up after it was attacked by a monster.”

“You shouldn’t drive around in an accident vehicle.”

“It’s fine. Looking at the remaining bloodstains, the person who was driving it didn’t even die. Come on, get in.”

Phoenix slipped into the driver’s seat and tapped the seat next to him. Deokbae awkwardly scratched the back of his neck before sitting in the passenger seat.

“Do you have a license?”

“Of course I have the skill. How many trucks do you think I’ve driven?”

Phoenix easily started the engine and fastened the seatbelt.

“Are you like, a high school girl who’s completed military service?”

“?? No. Not really.”

Phoenix turned on the navigation app on her smartphone.

“I just happened to have a chance to drive one, a long time ago. I even worked as a delivery driver with this. I must have delivered hundreds of parcels from England to Germany, you know?”

“…With a deuce and a half?”

Phoenix opened her mouth to explain something, then chuckled and mumbled evasively.

“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it, so let’s just go. Oh, right.”

Mana moved from her two hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. The paint covering the vehicle body burned away, and teal flame patterns were etched onto it.

“Even if a monster attacks the truck midway, it’ll be fine. So you can relax until we get to Gwangmyeong City.”

“…? You said Yeouido. Then why can’t we just go straight to Yeouido?”

Phoenix fiddled with the gear stick and frowned.

“There’s no need to go far around, but if we go through Guro, troublesome things happen. At this time…”

Deokbae couldn’t ignore Phoenix’s muttering.

“It’s time for the Beacon to appear in Guro.”

Outside the underground parking lot, the sun was setting.

* * *

April 4, 6:20 PM, Top Floor of a Certain Building in Guro.

The man woke from his sleep and first looked for water.

“Ugh….”

His whole body felt heavy with a hangover. Beyond the window, visible through the worn-out blinds, deep darkness had already begun to settle.

“Ugh.”

The man covered his eyes with his palms. His vision naturally turned black. In that dark world, a new image appeared according to the man’s mana reaction.

“Ahem. Oh, I see.”

A bird’s-eye view, as if a bird was looking down from high in the sky. The vision, as if from aerial photography, illuminated the entire Guro area where the man was, at a glance.

“No monsters.”

The clearer his vision became without sunlight, the more it didn’t miss even a single ant walking through Guro’s alleys.

“Hehe, heh.”

With this ability, the man became the leader of the vagrants remaining in Guro.

Although his range was limited to Guro and he could only properly use his ability at night, the fact that they could be safe even at night from potential monster attacks was a great blessing and peace for the vagrants.

Beacon Keeper.

The mere 200 remaining vagrants in the Guro area revered the man as their savior and were thankful to be alive.

‘Those bastards who tried to use me all died.’

Of course, there were also those who tried to use the man’s ability. But the man cunningly used his power to make them monster fodder, and this small Guro became a world solely for him.

“Huh?”

The man tilted his head at the bustling movement he felt throughout the Guro area.

The vagrants who had not yet submitted to him were all packing their belongings and beginning to flee to the west.

Bang bang bang!

An urgent knocking sound came from beyond the door. The man lowered his hand, deactivated his ability, and snapped irritably.

“What is it?!”

“Chairman-nim!!”

The young man, who called the man Chairman, gasped for breath and continued speaking.

“At Gwanak Mountain! Something big happened?!”

* * *

10 minutes ago, S University near Gwanak Mountain.

“No matter how I think about it, this isn’t right.”

Cheon Gaeul, who had just drunk coffee from her tumbler, put the tumbler down with a thud and acted irritably. The annoyance she’d been feeling since the moment they left New Seoul hadn’t stopped, even now with filming right around the corner.

“Gaeul-ah, what’s wrong again?”

Her manager smiled, his lips trembling, even as he looked troubled. No matter how good-natured a person is, it’s natural to get angry when you’re next to someone who’s been irritable for half a day.

In that sense, Cheon Gaeul’s manager was practically a living Buddha. He had come to the filming location alone, without a stylist or assistant manager, and had to endure Cheon Gaeul’s hysteria by himself.

“Oppa. Do you think this is normal right now?”

However, Cheon Gaeul also had many excuses. No matter how much a director prioritized reality above all else, logically, they couldn’t film by risking human lives, could they?

“The first date scene is at S University? Fine. Two people meeting on the campus of Korea’s top prestigious university. And their first kiss under the school gate? Picturesque. Indeed.”

Cheon Gaeul gripped the script tightly and twisted it like wringing a rag. The script, marked with ballpoint pen lines on every single dialogue, had countless question marks drawn around the section that read ‘Location: S University’.

“But that doesn’t mean we actually come to Seoul. This isn’t a place where people live anymore. It’s a place where monsters might pop out at any moment. It’s a death trap. It’s just a kiss scene. We could’ve just gone down to Busan and done it.”

Frankly speaking, a monster might burst through the asphalt from underground at any moment. It was no different from filming a movie in the middle of a war, while claiming to be filming a war movie.

“What’s the point if the viewership ratings hit #1? Reality? If someone gets attacked and dies by a monster, are you going to make that look good and broadcast it too? Actress Cheon Gaeul! 28 years old! Died after being attacked by a monster while filming in Seoul!!”

“That’s why Seung-hyung-ssi came fully prepared. Relax.”

“That’s what I dislike even more!!”

Cheon Gaeul hit the seat repeatedly and shouted.

“If he’s an A-rank hero, he should act like a hero, so why is he doing this, even acting? Huh? Oppa, frankly speaking, imagine if Shin Gyeong-jun-ssi had gotten the role according to the original audition. If an announcement had been made that Shin Gyeong-jun-ssi was being brought to Seoul, the director would have disappeared from the face of the earth by now. Don’t you know that even a world-class hero from Japan certified that he’s a fan of Shin Gyeong-jun-ssi? Isn’t it that the association reversed their decision not to go because Lee Seung-hyung said it was okay! If he’s a hero, he should act like a hero and consider the feelings of ordinary citizens!”

“What can we do? The Hero Association is the first priority for sponsorship. Lee Seung-hyung-ssi’s visuals are better than Shin Gyeong-jun’s. He acts much better too. Moreover….”

The manager swallowed and chose his words.

“Lee Seung-hyung-ssi seems interested in you.”

“Don’t spout bullshit, Oppa.”

Cheon Gaeul harshly criticized her manager and took out a chocolate from her pouch.

“Heroes are more successful than celebrities. Why would someone who earns a building for each B-rank monster they catch like someone like me? Oppa, you’ve watched too many Cinderella stories.”

“What’s wrong with you that you’re saying that? Cheon Gaeul, the Nation’s Unrequited Love!”

“What are you talking about at twenty-eight? It’s fine. One must know their place to make a living for a long time anywhere. An ordinary citizen like me, without any abilities, just lives as an actor, as I always have. Understand?”

Cheon Gaeul sighed deeply and took out a hand mirror. She quickly checked her very haggard face for any smudged makeup, then turned on her smartphone and greeted it with a bright smile.

“Hello, everyone on Ara Live. You all know where I am right now, don’t you?”

Chats scrolled up quickly at the bottom of the live chat screen showing her face.

“That’s right. It’s Seoul. And specifically, I’m at S University! The best university in our country! Oh, does this mean I’m comparing it to New Seoul University? I’m sorry, New Seoul officials! Please don’t hate me~~.”

Cheon Gaeul, having casually delivered her prepared lines, opened the van door and stepped outside.

The car parked in the parking lot filled the screen with the sight of S University.

“It’s desolate, isn’t it? I also walked here as an undergraduate student 8 years ago…. Yes, it’s a boast. I’ve never gotten below a B, you know? And I was never absent once. What? Anything below A+ is trash…? You’re too much, really.”

Amidst the wave of laughter flooding the chat window, a chat that made her frown flashed by.

– Are you dating Lee Seung-hyung? Honey practically dripped from his eyes when he looked at you.

A provocation she would normally laugh off particularly irritated her now. It wasn’t just Cheon Gaeul who was irritated; all the chat participants criticized the person who wrote the chat, and Cheon Gaeul somehow maintained her smile and waved her hand dismissively.

“Lee Seung-hyung-ssi? Oh my. It might be better than I thought-just kidding. We’re not dating. So please don’t tease me. I’m still-“

“Gaeul-ssi!”

From afar, the man in question came running, waving his hand. Cheon Gaeul cursed internally and showed her smartphone towards the approaching man.

“You’ve arrived just in time. Seung-hyung-ssi, would you like to say a word to your fans?”

A hint of disappointment flashed across the eyes of Lee Seung-hyung, who had just brought coffee. Disappointment? While Cheon Gaeul blinked in confusion, Lee Seung-hyung smiled brightly and greeted the smartphone.

“Hello, everyone waiting for The Last Love! I’m actor Lee Seung-hyung, playing ‘Jungmin’!”

Lee Seung-hyung then handed the coffee he had brought to Cheon Gaeul.

“Yes. You’re asking if Seoul isn’t dangerous? It is dangerous. But it’s okay! We’ll just shoot one scene and then head straight back to New Seoul. So we can’t have NGs, right, Gaeul-ssi?”

“Yes, yes.”

NGs were out of the question for her too. Whether he knew her true intention to complete the kiss scene in one take like a professional or not, Gaeul put her lips to the straw, watching Lee Seung-hyung, who was as excited as if it were his own live stream.

Slurp.

“……?”

Caramel Macchiato. There was no way there was a cafe nearby, so he must have prepared it beforehand. Not just Americano, but of all things, her favorite drink? When Cheon Gaeul looked at him with suspicious eyes, Lee Seung-hyung, feeling her gaze, grinned slyly.

“Ah. Everyone, what should I do? Cheon Gaeul-ssi doesn’t seem to trust me. Gaeul-ah, don’t you trust your Oppa?! …Oh, that was a statement that couldn’t be trusted, wasn’t it? In that case, please trust A-rank hero Grizzly Bear! Heroes are doing their best today for the safety of all citizens!”

Lee Seung-hyung, who had been acting comically, winked at Cheon Gaeul out of the camera’s view. Cheon Gaeul snorted and snatched the smartphone.

“Yes, yes. Thank you for your efforts for world peace, Grizzly Bear-nim.”

“Gaeul-ssi.”

Lee Seung-hyung grabbed Cheon Gaeul’s wrist and spoke with a serious expression. The camera captured his face perfectly.

“No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

At his faint smile as he finished speaking, the chat window froze. Cheon Gaeul couldn’t even think of what to say, feeling the heat running down the back of her neck, and stammered.

Chuckle.

Lee Seung-hyung raised his hand and laughed playfully.

“Ugh! It’s so cringey! My hands and feet! But don’t you think I’d be good at this kind of role too? A man who protects his woman! When I go back to New Seoul, I should ask them to get me a role like that.”

“…Ahem.”

Cheon Gaeul tried to hide her flushed face and pointed the live chat screen at Lee Seung-hyung. If her face was broadcast live right now, it might remain as an embarrassing past meme forever. Under a name like ‘common_girl_getting_confessed_to.avi’.

“W-well then, Lee Seung-hyung-ssi. Thank you for your special appearance. The director is starting to give us the eye. They must think we’re already practicing the scene because of Lee Seung-hyung-ssi. Hehe. Then, to end Ara Live-“

Eeeeeeeeng——–

The siren sound hit their eardrums. Instantly, the filming location turned into chaos. The director, who had just picked up the megaphone, shouted into it.

“Calm down! They say it’s normal in Seoul! Check the alarm location!”

As the alarm continued to blare, fear settled over the entire filming location. The director of photography, who was the first to check the alarm notification, turned pale and shouted.

“‘Dimensional Gate’ alarm?!”

Silence instantly fell over the filming location. It wasn’t just a couple of D- to C-rank monsters appearing, but an omen of disaster where monsters, including B-rank or higher, appeared in droves. With the appearance of a Dimensional Gate creating a rift in the air and spewing out monsters, the filming location fell into complete panic.

“Where’s the location?!”

When Lee Seung-hyung shouted with a voice imbued with mana, the chaos subsided a bit.

But that calm was shattered by the director of photography’s next words.

“…Gwanak Mountain!”

On the mountain, a giant Dimensional Gate opened.