Tall buildings rising high, beautifully paved roads, and various types of vehicles including cars—this land must have once been brimming with the achievements of humanity. That is, until the monsters appeared and it all crumbled in an instant.
Now, I stood amidst the remnants of that civilization.
Collapsed buildings overtaken by weeds and vines, cars crushed or mangled as if stepped on by a monster, rusted bicycles fallen over with wheels missing, and a bed of flowers blooming through cracks in the concrete roads.
‘There are so many places here that are too beautiful to describe with words.’
Sun Woosung’s words flashed through my mind.
…It was a truth I had no choice but to accept.
The scenery—where everything that once symbolized humanity’s prosperity had become part of nature—was so breathtakingly beautiful that it made my mind go blank.
It felt strange to be struck with awe in the middle of a ruined city. But contrary to my expectations of a destructive and eerie wasteland, the world above ground carried a peaceful, mysterious atmosphere. The sight overwhelmed me so thoroughly that my thoughts came to a halt.
“Suho.”
If Lee Shin, who had stepped away briefly and returned, hadn’t gently grasped my arm, I might have continued to stand there in a daze. The warmth of his touch jolted my senses awake, which had been drifting like in a dream.
When I turned to look at Lee Shin, he lifted the corners of his lips in a broad grin.
“Pretty flower!”
As if to say didn’t I promise I’d bring more, he proudly held out a new wildflower, different from before. This time, it was a delicate shade of radiant violet. It was much smaller than the previous one—so fragile that even a faint breath might blow it away. I silently gazed at the flower resting in his large palm.
Despite being no bigger than a fingernail, it had six or seven delicate petals, which I found astonishing. The fact that something so frail had managed to survive in this desolate world filled me with awe, and I carefully picked it up with even more reverence.
“Yeah… it’s beautiful.”
I murmured softly and slipped the flower into my jacket pocket. Watching me, Lee Shin gently tugged at the arm he had been holding.
“We have to go. Lee Shin, to where friend separated.”
“……”
Was he talking about the friend he’d mentioned on the ship?
I started to wonder if perhaps Lee Shin called things like plants or rocks his “friends.” If he’d felt lonely living alone, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“Waiting there.”
There it was again. That same line. He seemed to have a strong attachment to this so-called friend.
I nodded silently, and Lee Shin extended his hand. When I took it, he interlaced our fingers. The way his long, thick fingers fit snugly between mine didn’t feel unfamiliar.
Min Yugeon had always liked holding hands. Whether during casual chatter, intimate moments, or while offering comfort, he would grasp my hand tightly, as if he would never let go. Whenever his ten fingers entwined with mine, it gave me an odd sense of reassurance.
Especially after wearing me out completely, he’d lie beside me and stare at my face to the point of discomfort, resting his head on one hand while playfully lifting our interlocked hands into the air and gently swinging them back and forth.
The memory of his smiling face, meeting my eyes as he laughed, stirred something deep in my chest.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I opened them again and began walking, following Lee Shin.
“Suho.”
Lee Shin slung an arm over my shoulder. Blinking, I turned to look at him. He was glancing warily in one direction. When I followed his gaze, I spotted a black figure in the distance.
It was still small due to the distance, but it was rapidly drawing closer like a bullet. There could be no mistaking it—it was a monster.
A new monster had appeared.
—KRRRRRRK.
Perhaps because it was hungry, the monster that had been tailing us was still drooling as it stared at Lee Shin. It turned its head toward the new arrival but quickly looked back at us. Maybe because it was of the same kind, it didn’t show any hostility.
Before Lee Shin could scoop me up and start running again, I spoke.
“Let’s try it like last time.”
“…Like last time?”
As he echoed my words, I nodded toward the monster we first encountered. It twitched its round nose as our eyes met.
We weren’t close yet—not like with Cat—so there was no guarantee it would help me if I were in danger. But since we had established some level of connection, I figured there was at least a chance it might come to my aid if my life were truly at risk.
Which meant that even if we failed to connect with the newly arrived monster and ended up being attacked, there was at least some small hope to rely on.
“But Suho…”
Lee Shin furrowed his brows and pulled me closer with force.
“There’s not just one.”
“…!”
Startled, I whipped my head around. What had once been a single figure split into two… then three… and kept multiplying. KUGUGUGU… The ground began to tremble ominously beneath our feet, and the air filled with savage roars.
—Awooooooo!
—Kyaooo!
The swarm of monsters drawing near became clearer by the second. Eyes narrowed, I kept them locked in my line of sight.
They were a rare species known for moving in packs with others of their kind. Dangerous as individuals, but exponentially worse when grouped—these monsters had a notorious reputation. I hadn’t expected to run into them, not so damned unluckily like this.
Even though I’d mentally prepared myself with the general knowledge that the surface swarmed with monsters, things had been quieter than expected until now. This sudden encounter felt like a sharp slap to the back of the head.
—Kyaoooooo!
Still, if I could neutralize the leader at the front of the group, the rest might be easier to reach through empathy. Wolf-type monsters were known to fall into chaos when they lost their alpha—that was one of their key traits.
Dark fur streaked with gray, sharply pointed triangular ears perked up to catch even the faintest sounds, and long, powerful legs clearly evolved for high-speed leaps and lunges—every feature screamed apex predator.
The glint in its eyes as it sped toward us conveyed unmistakable intent: it had found prey after a long time and wasn’t about to let it get away.
“……”
I forced my tense body to stay upright and stepped in front of Lee Shin, pressing in close to him but slightly ahead. I needed their attention on me alone, shielding him from view.
Then, I locked eyes with the alpha at the front.
—Grrr…!
As we made eye contact, the monster’s bloodshot eyes flared wide at the sight of prey so close. It had been charging full-speed with its sharp teeth bared, ready to tear through my flesh—but suddenly, as if someone had yanked it back, it came to a skidding halt with a heavy thud. Its legs braced hard to absorb the force of its own momentum.
Naturally, the other monsters followed suit. They never questioned their leader’s behavior, and thus, just like the alpha, they stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at me.
Thanks to that, I was able to meet the gaze of each one with relative ease.
—…!
—Kyaooo….
As if on cue, the monsters crouched low, planting all four limbs on the ground in a submissive stance. Lee Shin turned his glittering eyes on me again, marveling at the phenomenon even though he’d already seen it once before.
“Suho, Suho!”
He excitedly shook my arm, calling my name with a bright voice. The monsters twitched their ears at the sound. Now focused on Lee Shin, they began curling their lips and subtly scratched at the ground with their claws.
It looked like they were struggling to hold themselves back—desperate to pounce on him, but suppressing the instinct because of my presence. That inner conflict seemed to be fraying their nerves.
“No need to run! If Suho makes eye contact, everyone becomes friends!”
Maybe it was excitement, or pure elation, but Lee Shin’s flushed face came in so close that we were nearly cheek to cheek as he gripped my shoulders.
“Right?”
“……”
I couldn’t promise that I could control every monster we’d meet from now on. There was no clear answer I could give. Instead, I reached up and calmly patted his head, a silent plea for him to stay grounded.
“Still, don’t leave my side. The monsters will target you, Lee Shin.”
“Okay!”
He answered brightly, like it didn’t matter at all if he were attacked. Just knowing that I’d be safe was enough to make him happy—his innocence was so pure it left me momentarily speechless.
As we started walking again, I glanced around. Though they kept their distance, the monsters trailed us in a wide arc, effectively encircling us. Some licked their lips while looking at Lee Shin. Others tilted their heads with wide eyes focused on me. But not a single one showed the slightest sign of turning elsewhere.
The fact that I had managed to tie down multiple monsters at once with a single opportunity—it was a stroke of luck. I couldn’t afford to relax, but… for just a second, a thought floated through my head: Maybe this is how I can tame them all. One by one.
Back at the lab, I had tried empathizing with Cat, of course, and with the occasional transported monster, even a few of the ones already in captivity. But I had never once used my ability consecutively on so many at once like I just had.
Today—right here on the surface—I had finally utilized my power to its full extent.
Lowering my gaze, I flexed my hand, clenching and releasing my fist. There was no sign of fatigue, no issues with my vision.
No matter how many monsters I tried to connect with, my body showed no side effects whatsoever.
I was perfectly fine.
