HVG Ch 18

Episode 18

Well, if it could be solved, then so be it. Haewon picked up the dropped rifle and bag, then stood up and quickly turned his back before anyone could grab hold of him. His body was so heated it felt like he had a fever, and he wished Beom Ryeohan wouldn’t notice.

“Sunbae, there’s an injured person below. His name is Chae Woongbin.”

He deliberately let the words slip as he lifted the brim of his cap and glanced at Beom Ryeohan.

“He has no one left. His younger brother died.”  

“Want me to rescue him? That’s easy. But if I give something, I ought to get something in return, right?”

Beom Ryeohan tilted his head as he spoke. Haewon rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. ‘Something in return.’ After mulling over the words, Haewon proposed a moderate solution.

“Let’s just have a meal together. At your guild, Sunbae.”

“Better not break that promise. You know what happens if you do.”

‘You will get scolded by me.’ Yet contrary to his words, the sight of Beom Ryeohan smiling pleasantly filled Haewon’s vision.

“I’ll get going.”

Pulling up his mask, Haewon no longer had the strength to endure, so he moved his feet quickly to get out of there. The bag slung across his back was smaller than usual, yet his body was already drenched in sweat, and chills ran through him like someone hit by the wind in the dead of winter. Why… It felt as if all his energy had been sucked out.

He walked nearly three kilometers alone at a fast pace, and on the way, unable to resist, he swallowed several pills.

By the time he reached the guild fortress, which had seemed so far away, Haewon finally felt a sense of relief and released his tense muscles. He handed over the supplies to those who welcomed the bag more than himself, then staggered off in search of his quarters.

 Ah… I’m already at my limit. His vision was rapidly dimming.

“What the hell… It’s so light today. Seo Haewon, are you sure you brought everything properly?”

“Looks like it’s not even enough for fifty people. Where’s Kim Il-hong? Wasn’t that bastard supposed to go get food with you?”

“With this much… we won’t last even three days. Damn it. Who the fuck are we supposed to feed with this measly shit…”

Those rummaging through the bag muttered in disbelief, then gradually turned their gaze toward Seo Haewon. Their eyes were raw, unfiltered.

No guild on Seonak Island could provide meals for an entire week straight. At most, they scraped by until the next food supply arrived, sometimes going a day without eating.

Other Awakened in worse situations were starved for days and eventually died, disappearing like discarded waste.

So, this just meant one more day of going hungry in the week. Yet those holed up inside the guild fortress neither knew nor cared about what was happening outside.

Haewon had no intention of persuading people who believed only what they could see. Nor did he have the capacity or strength to do so right now.

He just wanted to rest. All he wanted was to go into his room, hug Chorang, and catch his breath.

But that was only Seo Haewon’s circumstance; it was not the case for the guild members who grew anxious as they watched the food supplies shrink.

“Seo Haewon, what the hell is this? You only managed to get this much today? It’s way less than other days. How are we supposed to survive like this?”

“The rest, you figure it out yourselves. I’m done. Cough, cough… I’m going in. When Hyung gets back, tell him then.”

He pushed the reaching hand away with a stern expression, and the others flinched back while scanning him up and down.

What, he is acting all proud just because he brought back some food. He looks sick again, doesn’t he? Why is he always freaking out for no reason….

“Hey, doesn’t it look like he has something in his pocket?”

Suddenly, someone pointed at the bulge in Seo Haewon’s coat pocket. Woo Jinhwan, the quartermaster^[1] who was pulling food from the bag, lifted his head irritably at the comment. 

“That bastard again… Hey, didn’t I tell you last time? If someone speaks, the least you can do is pretend to listen. We’re already pissed off because supplies are scarce.”

“This… Ha. It’s not food. You said last time… that non-food items could be kept as personal belongings.”

“How am I supposed to know if it is food or not. Get it checked here before you go.”

‘Get it checked.’ What was in the pocket was a sedative. No one had known so far except his brother and Beom Ryeohan.

A tightly bound emotion inside him welled up. It was the anger he had been suppressing.

“Why… do I have to get permission?” he said.

“That bastard, seriously.”

A hand reached out and grabbed Haewon’s lapel. Haewon caught the wrist and twisted the hand off, but his heel caught the edge of a stair, and he staggered. His vision flipped for a moment and then returned.

—I… I want to go out… I want to… kill…

—Our master… humiliated. Get rid of them…?

—Kill… Kill!

The inside of his wrist burned as if it had been scorched. The spirits were thrashing to break free. The system’s warning echoed in his mind, making his insides twist. His thirst worsened. 

No. Don’t come out… Stay still, stay still.

“Let go, before I blow your head off.”

Haewon shoved the hand away that had grabbed his clothes. The atmosphere sank sharply, and the guild members stepped back, each eyeing the others. Woo Jinhwan, pushed back and landing on his butt, had his brow knotted with anger.

“You really… have a talent for pissing people off.”

His eyes gleaming viciously, Woo Jinhwan sprang back up, spat on the ground, and rolled up his sleeves. But someone quickly stepped in front of him to block him. It was Lee Hwayeon, who had previously vented her frustration about being driven to anger during the wave.  

“Hey, everyone… I usually stay out of things, but this isn’t right. Have you all sold your consciences? Seo Haewon came back today as the guild’s representative to fetch food. What are you doing to someone who risked their life?”

“The guild rule is to distribute food fairly, that’s why. If you don’t know, just stay quiet. You haven’t been here long, so what the hell do you think you know, you damn newbie?”

“You were coaxing people to join before, and now that they’re in, you treat them like slaves. Seriously? Fine then. Since I’m such an ‘amazing newbie,’ let me be blunt. Even newcomers like us can see what’s going on, but you stagnant veterans^[2] over there can’t read the situation? Seo Haewon hasn’t looked well since this morning, but he still went to get food. Shouldn’t the first thing you say be ‘thank you for the hard work’? What exactly were you all doing while he was out getting supplies?”

“So what, then? That’s Seo Haewon’s job!”

“Hey newbie, why don’t you sit this one out?”

“Wow, real nice way of talking^[3]. A real boomer has shown up, huh?”

“Seriously, why are you yelling out of nowhere? What amazing things do you Hyungs think you’re doing? You told us to go dig through the junkyard to find something, but what about you? You don’t do a damn thing, do you?”

The quarrel quickly flared into a full-blown conflict between the newcomers and the veteran guild members. From the guild gate in the distance, Eom Hyungwoo entered, dragging a bag, then broke into a run when he saw objects flying and the scene turning violent.

“Wh-what’s going on here…? W-wait! Whoa, whoa, why are you fighting! Hey, Hyung-nim! Let’s talk it out!”

“Hey, hey!” Eom Hyungwoo grabbed someone throwing punches and yanked him away. Then, spotting Haewon and Woo Jinhwan in the middle of a scuffle, he quickly rushed toward them.

“Jinhwan Hyung-nim! Why are you going at Haewon Hyung, when he’s got nowhere to even hit back? Use words, words! Ahhh! Stop! Time-out!”

“Move, you fucker!”

Just as Eom Hyungwoo pried Woo Jinhwan’s hand off Haewon’s collar, someone came out with a powder gun and fired it into the air. Only then did the fight begin to quiet down.

Startled, Woo Jinhwan stumbled backward, flailing in the air, and in the process happened to grab at Haewon’s clothes. Unfortunately, the place he latched onto was the pocket holding the pill bottle. With a tearing sound, the fabric ripped open, and the pocket gaped wide. Its contents spilled out in an instant.

Haewon reached out to grab them, but he was already too late.

Thud—tap!

“What the fuck! How is this not food…”

A white pill bottle slammed to the ground and rolled across the dirt floor. The pills inside its round plastic shell tumbled around before coming to a stop. And when it stopped, it was as if the whole world had come to a halt.

The air fell silent, the sound of the wind cutting through. A faint tremor rumbled beneath the ground. On the surface of the bottle, clear letters lined up neatly in bold.

「 Psychotropic Tranquilizer 」

People glanced back and forth between the pill bottle and Seo Haewon with bewildered faces, unable to find words. Eom Hyungwoo and Lee Hwayeon froze at the sight of it. Even Woo Jinhwan, who had torn the pocket open, looked equally rattled, his eyes darting restlessly.

“…Hey, you…”

“I told you.”

Haewon’s lips parted in a low voice, his gaze nailed to the pill bottle. The murderous aura that pierced through his skin made Woo Jinhwan shut his mouth for the first time and instinctively retreat. His body pulled back on its own, overwhelmed by the threat.

A hollow laugh escaped Haewon. Just knowing he had a mental illness had flipped their attitudes in an instant. As if Haewon was about to harm them. As if he might snap and start rampaging at any second.  

“I told you… It wasn’t food.”

Step—

Seo Haewon strode forward, cutting through the tense silence. His body swayed more than usual as he bent to pick up the pill bottle. With the brim of his cap shading his face, no one could see his expression.

“I’ll let it slide this time… but if it keeps happening like this.”

His hand clutched the white pill bottle, dirt still clinging to it. Haewon said nothing further and headed toward his quarters. No one tried to stop him.

“…I won’t stay here anymore. Just remember that.”  

On the way to his room, Haewon stumbled before climbing the stairs, his shoulder slamming into the wall. Gripping the railing, his wrist twisted painfully. No one saw it, but it hurt enough to bring tears to his eyes.