Guest Ch 0

Prologue

As always, it was a night when the moon was hidden by clouds.

Thud.

The moment the building’s rooftop door opened, a man with a tired expression entered.

He was dressed in black pants and a long dark blue coat that extended down to his calves. His footwear resembled sturdy military boots, and every step he took produced a dull dragging sound from the thick soles.

The white shirt visible inside his coat was drenched in sweat, clinging to his skin and revealing his muscles beneath. A gun holster and a knife belt crossed his chest, and each time his coat fluttered, the items stored in the belt would flash pale and disappear in the light.

Crackle.

A crackling sound came from the radio attached to his belt.

<Wild dogs and wolves have been spotted near Gangbyeonbukro^[1]. Looks like the beasts were unleashed in Yongsan.>

The man didn’t react to the transmission. Even though he didn’t reply, voices from other locations continued to respond.

<Black Foot, pursuing.>

<Need backup?>

<No need.>

Ignoring the radio chatter, the man headed towards the rooftop’s mechanical room. Inside were measuring devices that could precisely track the tilt of the building, an auxiliary power generator capable of running the entire building for over 12 hours when the main power was out, wind vanes, and seismometers.

Now, it was nothing but a heap of scrap metal. Neglected and covered in layers of dust, the man walked through the forgotten space as if he were familiar with it. His gloved hand gripped the doorknob of the mechanical room.

Creak.

The sound of rusty hinges echoed, tearing through the silence. The dark space inside the door was void of light, but the man proceeded without hesitation.

Passing through the heaps of dark gray scrap metal that filled the entrance, he revealed a rather spacious interior.

<Black Foot, tracks found. Spotted a pack of trained wild dogs.>

The man continued to ignore the urgent transmissions.

<Preparing for support.>

<Don’t come. Too many traps.>

<How do you plan to handle it alone?>

<I’ll assess the situation and return. I won’t act recklessly.>

A faint light crept in from outside the spinning ventilation fan. It was just enough to outline the silhouettes of a bed, table, sofa, and refrigerator. Still, the man moved with certainty, as if he was used to the darkness. Without turning on the lights, he opened the refrigerator.

Click.

Yellow light burst from the refrigerator. Inside were rows of bottled water, all past their expiration date. The man grabbed one, twisted off the cap, and took a sip. He placed his coat atop a small refrigerator and removed the belts crossing his chest and waist, laying them on the coat, then peeled off his sweat-soaked shirt and tossed it aside.

Gulp, gulp.

The water disappeared in just two gulps. He crumpled the empty plastic bottle in his hand and finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Ha…”

He took off his coat and put it on top of the refrigerator, which was smaller than him. He unbuckled the belts that crossed his chest and waist and piled them on top of his coat. He also took off his sweat-soaked shirt and threw it anywhere.

The light from the refrigerator traced over the man’s lean, muscular body. It cast shadows on his solid upper body and revealed the deep, hollow scars that marred his skin.

A deep scar running down his neck continued past his chest to his abs. There was also a wound on his abs that looked like it had been stabbed or pierced by something. There were also bruises, swollen areas, and relatively recent wounds where blood was clotting.

The man paid no attention to his battered body. Instead, he picked up the radio he had been ignoring.

“Blue Hawk, standing by. Contact me if needed.”

Responses quickly followed one after another.

<Confirmed.>

<Okay.>

<Rest for now.>

The man took out a medical kit from the shelf. He applied a simple dressing to the wound. Even so, it was just disinfecting the torn flesh, covering it with gauze, and wrapping it with an adhesive bandage, but he seemed quite familiar with it, as if he had done it once or twice before.

After finishing the basic treatment, he sat down on the sofa. Letting his body sink into the worn-out cushions, he stared blankly at the ceiling.

His black eyes, visible through his sweat-soaked bangs, were the only place where warmth flickered in his cold demeanor. As he stared at the dust-covered ceiling, his eyes slowly drifted toward the table. A notebook lay there. He reached out and flipped it open.

Rustle.

The yellow light from the open refrigerator illuminated the first page of the notebook.

[Prophet 1.

Korean male in his early 20s.

Precognitive ability is limited to a single prediction.]

It was a record with faded ink. The discolored sentences also faintly contained the words spoken by ‘Prophet 1’.

<The Prophets will appear. At first, you will find it hard to believe and think it’s nonsense, but you must not reject them. You need to be safe. Do you understand? Promise me. Trust and follow them, even for my sake.>

The man read the few lines over and over again. His calm gaze passed over the lines that had many fingerprints on them several times. His gaze was a mixture of despair and hope. It was a strange gaze that seemed to want to give up everything in exhaustion, but was grateful for this record that allowed him to hold on.

The man, who didn’t care about the bandage that was seeping blood, closed the first page of the notebook as he continued to read it. After staring into the darkness for a while, he got up from his seat.

He left the mechanical room and looked down at the night view of downtown Seoul.

“Captain.”

A girl stepped onto the rooftop stairs and popped her head out. She was a girl with short hair that swayed from her chin to her head, wearing purple track pants that looked like a school uniform. The girl, who looked like a middle school student, had long eyes without double eyelids. When she found the man, she opened the rooftop door while carrying a large bow as tall as her on her back.

“I heard the radio. I thought I’d wait here.”

The girl, who was only as tall as the man’s waist, had a peculiar way of speaking. She used a strong regional dialect. Moreover, her vocal range was quite low, and her voice was husky as if her vocal cords were scratched. Most people would be surprised and widen their eyes at such a girl, but the man was different. His already cold expression deepened into a scowl.

“Why did you come all the way here?”

Though most would be hurt by the man’s cold reaction, the girl remained completely unfazed.

“The Doctor found the next Prophet’s location. He said to come. Hurry up!”

The man’s furrowed brow deepened even further. He wanted to argue with her nagging, but instead, he swallowed his sigh.

“They don’t even let people who’ve been worked all day take a break.”

Despite his cold tone, the girl showed no fear. Even though most would recoil from his towering height, imposing physique, and icy demeanor, she instead teased him playfully.

“You’re going to go anyway, so stop pretending.”

“Learn how to handle things without me.”

“I tried, but it’s no use. It’s hard without the Captain’s sharp insight. You don’t just get that kind of instinct from training, you know.”

“Are you aware that you’re using that as an excuse to work me to death?”

“Is the captain the only one who’s busy? We’re busy too.”

“And here you are, playing weak again.”

“I’m not pretending to be weak. You’re just pushing me too hard. I’m working this hard to please you. It’s all for the Captain’s sake.”

“Here you go again, using me as an excuse.”

“Get dressed and come on out. They said they’re cutting the power at the crossing later. We have to leave before it gets dark.”

The man glanced at his blood-soaked bandage one more time before turning further into the engine room.

“If it’s that urgent, go ahead without me.”

“Why are you pushing me away after I came all this way to help?”

“Go.”

“Come on, let’s go together.”

“Go first.”

In response, the girl pouted and grumbled.

“You’re always so rude, captain.”

With that, she swiftly skipped down the stairs beyond the rooftop door. The man clicked his tongue as he watched her disappear like a squirrel, her footsteps echoing. He could feel his nerves becoming sharp and sensitive, even to the point of losing his temper with a child.

Today, he was unusually anxious. He had never been so fixated on anything before. Why was he getting so impatient when he wasn’t getting a reply? He tried to calm himself down, knowing that he might ruin things if he acted rashly.

It wasn’t easy. This time, his impatience had reached its peak. He couldn’t hold it in any longer.

He turned his gaze to the 63 Building. The menacing building loomed beneath a thick layer of clouds that obscured the moonlight. A red light flickered on top of the dimly lit building, revealing its steel structure. In sync with the red light, the sound of sirens blared.

Weeeooo!

A girl below screamed at the piercing, aggressive noise.

“Hurry up! I told you it was urgent!”

The roads bustled in response to the sirens. Tanks and armored vehicles were on the move, and the sight made the man tense up as well. I felt the tension tighten every fiber of my muscles as I put on my shirt and coat.

He was a man famous for his bloodstained dark blue coat, known as the Master of West Fort. Another name for him was ‘Captain,’ but his most renowned title was different. He had earned a nickname because of his resemblance to a bird of prey that swooped from above, snatching its prey with sharp claws.

One of the few beings in this world who possesses a Prophet, ‘Blue Hawk’.

“This time, I’ll stop at nothing.”

His sharp black eyes glinted from beneath his tousled bangs. He pressed his palm firmly over the blood-soaked bandage and spoke.

“No one will take you from me. I’ll be the first to find you, ‘Prophet’.”