The Omegas who had been cast out due to the District 1 leader’s disdain gathered at the outskirts of the district. However, in a lawless zone where public order was nonexistent, it was almost inevitable that Omegas would become prime targets for human trafficking rings.
Unlike ordinary people, Omegas experienced heat cycles, making them highly desirable for certain purposes. Because of that, the “market” favored Omegas, and traffickers captured them whenever they could.
The biggest issue, however, was that their numbers were lower than one might expect. Male Omegas, in particular, were exceedingly rare.
Unlike female Omegas, male Omegas were far less likely to conceive, yet they still experienced heat, making them extremely difficult to come by.
Whenever a male Omega appeared on the black market, the asking price soared beyond imagination. There was even a saying: “If you want to strike it rich, capture an Omega—especially a male one.”
Because of this, Allen and his subordinates scoured the border villages with relentless determination. But even when they did manage to find a male Omega, most of them were of no significant value as merchandise.
Of course, there was always some demand for them, but none of the ones they found were valuable enough to meet their expectations.
Then, they heard a rumor.
—”They say he’s from District 5.”
—”One of them is small and panting with fever… Could be an Omega.”
—”No way. Don’t forget, the District leader keeps all the Omegas in one place.”
—”Some manage to escape every now and then.”
The village in question was one of the most closed-off settlements along the border, particularly hostile toward outsiders. Two men from District 5 had appeared there one day, and one of them was suspected to be an Omega.
It was just a rumor, but Allen decided to take it seriously. Even if it turned out to be false, selling off someone from District 5 on the market would still bring in a decent profit—it was worth the effort.
For a week, Allen’s men kept watch on the abandoned house where the two men had settled. Then, one of his subordinates rushed to him, breathless, delivering unbelievable news.
—”He’s an Omega. I’m certain of it.”
One of Allen’s men had the ability to detect Omegas, and after days of observation, he confirmed that the smaller man gave off a peculiar scent.
They immediately set a trap to capture him.
But unfortunately, by the time they moved in, the two had already left.
Staring at the now-empty house, Allen was consumed by despair.
A month passed in frustration, each night restless with regret. Then, at last, his men returned from the village, dragging someone with them.
It was the man from District 5—the one who had been with the missing Omega.
“What’s with your face?”
The man’s face was covered in blotchy bruises. One of the subordinates hesitated before mumbling an excuse, saying he had resisted too much, so they had no choice.
Allen nudged the man’s face side to side with the tip of his shoe, then let out a deep sigh. Fortunately, the injuries were only superficial bruises—nothing that would lower his value as merchandise.
“What about the other one?”
“We didn’t see him.”
It had already been a month since they had left the abandoned house. That was more than enough time to cross the border into another district, yet this man was still here.
That meant there was a good chance the Omega was still nearby as well.
Coming to a decision, Allen gave the man sprawled on the ground another nudge.
“Bring some water.”
One of his men brought over a bucket filled to the brim with ice-cold water. At Allen’s signal, the subordinate dumped the entire contents over the man without hesitation.
“Guh—!”
Soaked in freezing water, the man gasped as he regained consciousness. His bound limbs wriggled feebly like a trapped insect before his bleary eyes finally registered Allen standing before him.
Allen crouched down to meet his gaze at eye level. He gave the man a casual wave, watching as those pitch-black eyes darted around wildly, still clouded with confusion.
“Come on, wake up.”
A few light slaps to the face brought focus back to the man’s unfocused gaze. Now they could have a proper conversation. Or so Allen thought—until the man immediately began thrashing in an attempt to free himself.
Allen let out a deep sigh before straightening to his full height. Dusting off his wrinkled clothes, he pressed his boot down hard on the struggling man’s shoulder.
“Argh!”
The man’s pained scream echoed through the enclosed space, sharp enough to make Allen’s ears ring. Annoyed, he pressed down harder, grinding his heel into the man’s shoulder.
“I’m about to ask you a few questions. Answer properly, and I won’t hit you. If not, you’ll just keep getting beaten.”
“Hngh—”
“Sounds simple, doesn’t it?”
Allen lifted his foot, but the moment the pressure disappeared, the man immediately resumed his struggle.
“Hold him down.”
At Allen’s command, his men lunged forward. It turned out he really had put up a fight before—three of them had to pile on just to restrain him.
“Untie me, you son of a bit—mmph!”
One of the subordinates clamped a hand over his mouth before they secured him against a pillar with even tighter restraints. But even as they worked, the man flailed wildly, thrashing like a fish out of water. A few well-placed kicks to his side finally quieted him down.
“Hey, that’s enough. Don’t leave any marks.”
After stopping his men, Allen stepped closer. The man, now panting heavily, lifted his even-more-bruised face and glared up at him.
“If you just answer the questions properly, you won’t get hit. Why do you insist on making things harder for yourself?”
The heavy chains binding the man rattled violently. Of course, it was impossible, but for a moment, Allen absurdly wondered if the man might actually rip the pillar from the ground. Amused by the thought, he let out a small chuckle before asking,
“The guy you were with—he’s still in this village, isn’t he?”
The struggling man froze. It lasted only for a fraction of a second, but Allen caught the subtle shift in his expression, and his smile widened.
Just as he expected—the Omega was still in the village.
After that, he tried coaxing the man, then resorted to threats, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t get a straight answer.
“Stop.”
At Allen’s command, his subordinates halted their assault. The man hung limp, seemingly unconscious from the relentless beating. Allen considered dousing him with water again, but even if he woke up, it wasn’t likely he’d start talking.
At least now they knew the Omega was in the village. Their only option was to start searching house by house.
Just as Allen was lost in thought, a subordinate arrived late, bringing good news.
“Someone saw this bastard leaving Helen’s estate.”
Allen’s previously grim expression brightened.
***
“Wake up.”
Smack!
The sharp slap echoed through the dimly lit space. The body that had been hanging limply jerked slightly, followed by a slow return to consciousness.
Barely managing to open his swollen eyes, Yeo-min saw the man standing before him. The man, noticing the faint stirrings of awareness, pressed two fingers under Yeo-min’s nose to check his breathing.
“He’s awake.”
“I told you not to go overboard with the beating.”
Laughter erupted from the men around him, their voices bouncing off the windowless walls, making the cramped space feel even more suffocating.
How long had he been here? He had blacked out multiple times, so it was hard to tell, but one thing was certain—since the moment he had regained consciousness, he hadn’t been given a single moment of respite.
His body was battered beyond recognition. Several bones were definitely broken, and his swollen eyes barely allowed him to see.
I need to move…
The only thing these men wanted from Yeo-min was one thing—the whereabouts of the Omega he had been with.
They were exactly what the rumors had described: a human trafficking ring.
How they had figured out Seo-yul was an Omega was unclear, but now that his identity had been exposed, they needed to escape the village as soon as possible.
But given Seo-yul’s current condition, running was impossible. He wouldn’t even be able to take a casual walk, let alone flee.
If he had known things would escalate this badly, they should have left District 1 from the very beginning. It was too late for regrets now.
If only I could get these off…
The men were sitting farther away, distracted by their meal. Yeo-min cautiously flexed his bound hands, feeling for any slack. Slowly, bit by bit, the ropes loosened.
Carefully, inch by inch, he worked on freeing his wrists without drawing attention.
Now all that remained were his feet. But undoing those would be far more noticeable—he had to wait for the right moment.
Lowering his head as if he had passed out again, he waited for their guard to drop.
One of the men finished eating and stepped out of the room. That left two of them.
“When’s he getting here?”
“Should be any minute now.”
“Why the hell is it taking so long to bring in one Omega?”
Yeo-min’s eyes widened.
Despite the brutal torture, he had stubbornly refused to talk. So how had they found out where Seo-yul was?
There’s no time to hesitate.
He couldn’t afford to sit still any longer.
The moment the men turned their attention elsewhere, he swiftly undid the rope binding his ankles and shot to his feet.
“Ugh—!”
He hadn’t realized it while lying down, but his injuries were far worse than he thought. His body wobbled dangerously, but he forced himself to stay upright, setting his sights on the half-open door.
Then he ran.
“Hey! Get that bastard!”
The men had been caught off guard, reacting a beat too late.
Their careless watch had worked in Yeo-min’s favor. Bursting through the door, he bolted into the dark forest without looking back.
