Chapter 44
When Yu Sol looked for Seo Won, Haru stepped aside and said,
“Behind you.”
“What, why are you there? I couldn’t see you.”
Yu Sol, who had spotted Yoon Seo Won, quickly gestured for him to come over. Only then did Seo Won slowly approach.
Yu Sol up close was full of vitality, unlike when she was sleeping. She had always been quick-witted and more dynamic than others, but perhaps because he had seen her injured and unable to wake up, she seemed particularly so.
“When did you wake up?”
“Not long ago. About 10 minutes? By the way, did you worry about me a lot? How much? Your work must have been completely unfocused, right?”
Seeing Yu Sol chattering away, seemingly so excited about something, Seo Won smiled.
“Yeah, work wasn’t getting done.”
“How funny. Hey, Yu Sol. This guy worked like crazy from yesterday until today. He probably didn’t think about you at all.”
Haru, who was beside them, threw shade, but Yu Sol pretended not to hear and ignored him. No, she secretly cursed him inwardly, saying he’d live as a bachelor for life.
But the expression of Yoon Seo Won, whom she had wanted to see first upon opening her eyes, didn’t look good. Unlike before, his mood seemed to have sunk.
Yu Sol, who had been examining Seo Won from various angles, tilted her head.
“What’s wrong, is it because you couldn’t sleep? Your complexion looks really bad.”
“Really?”
“What kind of work does a civilian do all night long? You’ll collapse at this rate.”
At her pure worry without any calculation, Seo Won smiled gently.
“Still, I’m probably healthier than you.”
“Mm, no. Don’t underestimate a hunter’s self-healing ability. No matter how injured I was, I’m still tougher than a civilian.”
“What are you talking about? You couldn’t wake up for two days.”
When Seo Won didn’t believe her, Yu Sol carefully sat up. Then she slightly lifted her clothes around her injured waist area.
Seo Won, who had been anxiously watching the injured kid move too much, widened his eyes the moment he saw Yu Sol’s exposed waist. The waist that had been gouged so deeply that flesh had fallen off now had skin half-grown back.
“I couldn’t wake up because my body was concentrating on regenerating cells. I woke up relatively quickly because the captain gave me emergency treatment.”
“…That’s amazing.”
“Right? So don’t worry about others and take care of your own body. You haven’t forgotten what you promised me, have you?”
Though he wondered if working all night was reckless, Seo Won nodded, saying he understood.
“But how long will it take to fully heal?”
“About… 2 weeks? If I just control my sleep well, there shouldn’t be much difference in recovering both my body and energy.”
Energy charged when awake, and the body recovered when asleep, so as Yu Sol said, proper control was important.
Seo Won nodded and gently patted Yu Sol’s head. He felt sorry for secretly using the sleeping Yu Sol like a bamboo grove. He shouldn’t have done that – it was too rude. On top of that, he had even pestered a sick kid to wake up quickly.
‘I’ll definitely repay this debt someday.’
Still, he was so grateful that she had woken up and they could have a conversation like this.
Unaware of Seo Won’s feelings, Yu Sol was quite displeased with being treated like a child and grabbed the hand stroking her head, grumbling.
“I’m not a kid, you know?”
“I know. I’m patting you because you’re cool.”
“…What are you saying.”
It was annoying that he was blatantly lying, but the word “cool” was… kind of nice. Yu Sol cleared her throat while trying to control the corners of her mouth that wanted to rise on their own.
“Ahem, hmm. Anyway… now that I’ve seen Yoon Seo Won too, that’s enough. Everyone go take care of your business now. You’ll be busy if you want to restore the shelter.”
Yu Sol waved her hands at the gathered people, telling them to go. If they had run over while working, the people they were working with would obviously be stopped too. When managers disappeared all at once, the schedule would inevitably be delayed. She didn’t want to burden the shelter people like that.
Then Nora sighed and said,
“Don’t worry about such things and just rest well.”
“Of course. I’m not getting up until I’m completely healed.”
When Yu Sol said this while lying back down on the bed, Han Seong Hyeon smiled slightly.
“Yeah, rest comfortably until you’re fully healed. You guys don’t worry too much about Sol either – I’ll take good care of her. Just drop by once in a while when you’re resting.”
Haru and Nora nodded, saying they understood. Seo Won was also reluctantly about to nod when Han Seong Hyeon spoke.
“Well then, everyone go out, and Baek Rak and Yoon Seo Won, come see me for a moment.”
At the sudden summons, Seo Won looked at Baek Rak, whom he had been ignoring until now. As if he had expected this, Baek Rak casually straightened his body that had been leaning against the wall.
“…”
“…”
Their eyes met, but he indifferently turned his head away. It was because his feelings were still unsettled to face that guy. He knew well that he couldn’t stay in this state forever. But he didn’t want to make the first effort.
Seo Won felt a burning sensation on the back of his head as he followed Han Seong Hyeon, who was heading outside, taking the first step.
Baek Rak quietly followed behind.
The three people who entered the small storage room next to the office maintained silence for a moment until Haru and Nora’s presence disappeared. Han Seong Hyeon only opened his mouth to look at Seo Won after confirming that they had disappeared to the lower floor.
“Now that Yu Sol has woken up, let’s prepare for the second awakening.”
“…Second awakening?”
Seo Won was startled by the sudden talk of awakening.
Then he remembered receiving energy from Baek Rak not long ago and the pain that had rushed in. For a moment, it felt like all his blood was draining out.
The pain that came from the process of his body changing was not something he could easily endure. How much must it have hurt for him to think it would be better to die? To think he had to feel that pain again – the pain as if his entire body was being decomposed and every single cell was being burned by fire.
The fact that several more awakenings remained became frighteningly real only now.
“Don’t tell me Baek Rak didn’t mention it?”
“…”
Of course he wouldn’t have heard. He had been avoiding Baek Rak. But even if he had been told in advance, his reaction wouldn’t have been much different from now. He would have been disturbed anyway. His toes felt numb and he wanted to sit down right away.
“Sorry, it must have been quite sudden…”
He could feel Han Seong Hyeon’s pitying gaze, but he didn’t have the composure to respond. He just moistened his parched mouth and dry-washed his face.
Seo Won gasped for a while before raising his head. As his mind began to work again, he realized that pain wasn’t the only problem.
He didn’t understand why Yu Sol was connected to his awakening, and the fact that he had to intertwine bodies with Baek Rak, whom he still didn’t want to deal with, felt burdensome.
“…But what does awakening have to do with Sol waking up?”
When Seo Won asked, choosing his words carefully, Han Seong Hyeon glanced at Baek Rak and let out a long sigh.
“You know you have four awakenings left, right? But each time, you have to receive different abilities in order.”
“…What does that mean?”
“So, um. Since you first received Baek Rak’s ability, this time you have to receive Sol’s healing ability.”
Only then did Seo Won look back at Baek Rak. He was looking at him with that same unreadable gaze as always.
“After healing comes elemental fire, then water, and finally telekinesis. You have to receive the abilities in order.”
At Han Seong Hyeon’s continued explanation, Seo Won turned his head again. Having to receive different abilities in order – this was the first time he was hearing this. He had thought he would continue receiving Baek Rak’s ability, but it seemed a more complex process was needed.
To only tell him such important information now. It was absurd, but looking at the situation, it didn’t seem like they had intentionally tried to hide it. After all, it wouldn’t have been a situation where they could talk.
But if he received all those various abilities, what kind of hunter would he become? He should ask about this opportunity.
“Then what kind of hunter will I become? Physical enhancement type? Healing type? Elemental type? Or the telekinesis I receive last?”
“That’s…”
Han Seong Hyeon, who had been explaining well until now, hesitated for the first time. He looked at Baek Rak as if troubled. Then, as if feeling it was unavoidable, he carefully opened his mouth.
“Yoon Seo Won, you… will become the only hunter who can create safe zones, a Guardian.”
“…Guardian?”
Han Seong Hyeon nodded.
“The protective aura that prevents creatures from entering can only be deployed by a Guardian. You will ultimately awaken as that Guardian.”
“Wait, wait a minute. Guardian? That means, surely…”
“It means you’re the only savior of our Yeongdeungpo Station shelter.”
“…”
“It’s such an important matter that the existence of Guardians is kept secret. It’s the same for other shelters too. If we don’t hide it, it could be stolen. But if we hide it too much, it raises suspicion, so we make them act like civilians. Having you do shelter work, having you procure water – it was all for that reason. No one would think we’d send a Guardian outside. Of course, it was only possible because Baek Rak was by your side. Thanks to that, spies from other shelters have probably excluded you to some extent since yesterday.”
“…Am I really a Guardian?”
“To accurately introduce Baek Rak’s special ability, it’s to ‘find’ the person who will become a Guardian and awaken them. The fact that you received Baek Rak’s power and had your first awakening is proof of that. Yoon Seo Won, you are indeed a Guardian.”
Seo Won was speechless at the unexpected scale. Not just an ordinary hunter, but a hunter who held people’s lifelines.
Even after receiving confirmation from Han Seong Hyeon several times, he still couldn’t believe it.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
