332 – HGL 332

332

Countdown

The Doomsday, focused on its target, did not move immediately. Apparently, destroying an entire world required preparation time.

Moreover, ‘it’ occasionally blinked. When it closed its eyes, turning into a Black Hole, the Whitening process stopped, and no Mutation occurred. The exhausted Hunters took this opportunity to rest and plan for the next Whitehole….

In front of the Wave Guild.

“Line up properly, please~”

“Everyone will get in, so don’t cut in line! We won’t accept anyone who cuts in line! We’re watching!”

Hunters shouted through cupped hands. Eui-jae, wearing a baseball cap and pulling up his black mask, glanced sideways. Ha-eun was holding Eui-jae’s hand, swinging their arms back and forth. She seemed bored. Busy voices came from the in-ear device.

―…We need to complete the evacuation of residents before it turns into a Whitehole.

―Estimated Black Hole duration: 53 minutes remaining.

―Evacuation of residents near the Guro-dong underground Dungeon complete….

After the Whitehole fully opened its eyes, schools near the Invasion Dungeon were closed. Notices informing people of evacuation shelter locations were placed in mailboxes. Fortunately, Ha-eun and Grandmother were assigned to the Wave Guild shelter, and a strange man wearing sunglasses had taken Grandmother, who had difficulty moving, there first. Min-gi Seo must have arranged it.

‘I should thank him when I see him.’

Eui-jae glanced at the sky. The vortex in the sky was still black. Then, Ha-eun tugged at his hand.

“Uncle.”

“Yeah.”

“My legs hurt.”

Ha-eun patted her legs. She had been standing for over 30 minutes, so it was understandable. Eui-jae turned his back to Ha-eun and squatted down. Ha-eun quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and climbed on his back. Her playful laughter rang in his ears.

“Hehe. Uncle is the best.”

“Not faking it?”

“No! It really hurt!”

“Okay, okay.”

“Uncle, I’m bored. When are we going in?”

“I don’t know….”

Eui-jae craned his neck to look ahead in the line. They seemed to be checking official documents and IDs one by one. No wonder it was taking so long. Eui-jae shrugged.

“We’ll have to wait a little longer.”

“Ew.”

“Don’t make weird noises, just take a nap while you’re on my back.”

“It’s too noisy to sleep….”

Ha-eun started dangling her legs as if kicking. Eui-jae stood sideways to avoid hitting the people in front and behind him.

“Park Ha-eun, don’t kick. You might hit someone else. Is that what your instructor taught you?”

“Nooo….”

Ha-eun pouted and buried her face in his shoulder. Eui-jae sighed softly. Ha-eun wasn’t the only child whining. Parents were soothing their children everywhere. When one child cried, another would start to sob and then burst into tears. The children’s cries dredged up buried memories.

Parents.

Memories of his parents remained like fragments.

‘Run away!’

A hand pushing his back.

‘Eui-jae, run!’

A scream-like voice.

‘Go quickly! Quickly!’

Urging that whipped his legs.

“…Quickly, Uncle!”

“Huh, uh?”

A weak force tugged at his hair. Eui-jae snapped back to reality. Ha-eun, who had pulled his hair, pointed ahead.

“There’s space in front!”

“Ah, yeah. Okay.”

Eui-jae bowed to the person behind him and stepped forward to fill the empty space. Ha-eun, who had been playing with the hair under his hat, pressed her cheek against his ear and whispered.

“Uncle.”

“Yeah.”

“Your hair is really white.”

“…….”

“You need to dye it again. Right.”

“…I guess so.”

“I’m the one who told you?”

“Yeah, Ha-eun is the best.”

Seemingly pleased by the word ‘best,’ Ha-eun soon started humming nursery rhymes and wiggling her butt. Eui-jae prayed that Ha-eun wouldn’t notice his cold sweat.

Cha Eui-jae stood in front of a mirror once a day. He checked the color of his hair, examined himself from head to toe, and then opened his mouth to see if any part of the inside was turning white.

What happens if I Mutate?

Will I turn into the Monsters I’ve been killing?

The end of the unanswered question always ended with one question.

If I become a Monster, can someone kill me?

‘If no one can kill me….’

At that moment, a chilling sensation pressed down on his head. While everyone else was focused on the ground or their phones, Eui-jae was the only one who looked up.

The Black Hole above was gradually brightening. The darkness receded, and a pure white light began to pour out. Eui-jae put Ha-eun down, whom he had been carrying, and then picked her up again. Ha-eun blinked.

“Uncle?”

Noise mixed in the in-ear device.

―Emergency situation! Emergency situation! The Whitehole is opening faster than expected!

―Hunters engaged in evacuation efforts, deal with the Monsters….

―Civilian safety is the top priority!

Eui-jae craned his neck to look ahead in the line. There was still a long way to go before entering the shelter. The Hunters helping with the entrance also seemed to have noticed something and were talking with serious expressions.

“What’s wrong, Uncle?”

“Just a moment, Ha-eun.”

The presence of Monsters began to be felt in places where the pure white light shone. Eui-jae hugged Ha-eun’s head and scanned the surroundings. Moving rashly would turn this place into chaos.

‘Fighting while carrying her is too dangerous.’

But he couldn’t leave Ha-eun alone either. The Monsters were starting to move little by little. They instinctively headed towards places with a lot of life.

Right here.

Eui-jae jumped out of the line and started running. He scanned the faces of the people in line. To see if there was anyone he knew. Anyone he could entrust her to.

And, Eui-jae’s old sneakers stopped in front of a large man.

“Master!”

A man who looked surprisingly like Bae Won-woo, Ha-eun’s Taekwondo master. The master, who had been looking at his phone, widened his eyes.

“Ha-eun? And….”

“I’m Ha-eun’s uncle! You’re going into the Wave Guild shelter, right?”

“Yes? Yes, I am, but….”

“I’m really sorry, but could you take Ha-eun inside with you?”

“Me? You’re not going in, Uncle…?”

“Uncle!”

“I’m….”

There was no time. Eui-jae patted Ha-eun’s back and soothed her.

“I have something urgent to do. Ha-eun, Grandmother will be inside too. Stay with the master. Okay?”

“No! I want to go with Uncle!”

“I’m sorry, Ha-eun. Uncle has to go.”

“I don’t want to! Uncle always does that! He always leaves me and Grandmother behind!”

Ha-eun struggled. Eui-jae carefully pried Ha-eun off, worried that her small fists might break. Then, a large hand suddenly reached out and took Ha-eun.

“You must really have to go.”

Eyes that looked surprisingly similar to Bae Won-woo were looking at him. Eui-jae nodded with a stiff face. The master nodded.

“Go. I’ll calm Ha-eun down.”

“No! No! Don’t go!”

“I’m sorry, Ha-eun!”

Eui-jae turned his back and started running. Her small hand failed to grab his sleeve and drifted away. The master patted the back of the crying child and muttered.

“Making the same expression as that damn guy….”

Thump, thump, thump, Bae Won-woo went down the stairs two or three steps at a time and asked.

“Aren’t they all in the shelter yet?”

“Don’t even mention it, Guild Leader! It’s slow because people are crowding in! There are people forging official documents, and they’re filtering out people who believe in the Prometheus cult, so it’s taking a lot of time.”

“And the Black Hole time is over in the meantime?”

“That’s why we’re running down like this!”

“Aigoo, this is driving me crazy! I’m so busy!”

Bae Won-woo and Kang Ji-soo burst out of the Guild’s glass doors. A long line stretched far ahead of the shelter entrance. Bae Won-woo roughly scratched his head and gestured to Kang Ji-soo.

“Tell the people guiding the evacuation to do it as quickly as possible! And deal with the Monsters as soon as they come. Got it?”

“Got it!”

“Aigoo, Sa-young…. When are you coming….”

Bae Won-woo cracked his stiff neck. Doing paperwork, the things the Guild Leader had to do, and all sorts of things alone was putting a strain on Bae Won-woo’s body, no matter how strong he was. But now was not the time to make excuses. He had to buy time until all the civilians were safely inside the shelter.

“Can’t someone from the sky help me….”

The Whitehole shone. White ash began to scatter. The screams of Monsters were heard everywhere. People began to stir. Bae Won-woo took out a huge shield.

Can I protect all these people?

His Adam’s apple moved. Bae Won-woo swallowed hard.

Even if I can’t, I have to.

Because that’s a Hunter’s duty.

It was then.

“Kyaaaa!”

A scream erupted from the middle of the line. Bae Won-woo ran towards the place where the scream had come from. A man’s limbs were twisting strangely. Mutation symptoms. Without hesitation, Bae Won-woo pressed the man down with his shield.

Thud.

Whitish blood spurted out. Before he could ask the people who had screamed if they were okay, screams erupted from elsewhere.

‘Damn it!’

Just as Bae Won-woo was about to turn his head,

A black shadow appeared on the huge shield.

“I’ll go.”

A distorted voice.

It’s J!

Old sneakers used the shield as a stepping stone and jumped up. Bae Won-woo chased after the flying shadow. A huge spear in his hand, a gray hoodie and jeans, old sneakers.

Isn’t that the Hanover Soup Restaurant part-timer’s outfit?

But wasn’t that J’s voice?

“…Huh?”

The mismatched combination tangled in his head. Bae Won-woo made a stupid noise once again.

“…Huhuhuh?”