RG 115

Everything came to a halt. Originally, I was supposed to head to the Yesung Guild building, so I needed to pack, contact Hyeon Dowun, and check on the general atmosphere of the district.

‘But now…’

I couldn’t do anything. My mind wouldn’t work properly—my thoughts kept cutting off halfway. When I finally snapped back to myself, I was just sitting beside the bed, staring blankly at the unconscious Cha Sahyeon.

I rubbed my sore eyes and let out a deep sigh.

Cha Sahyeon was still suffering from a high fever. I’d gone to the pharmacy and forced some fever medicine into his mouth while he was asleep, but it hadn’t helped at all. I wiped his body with a towel soaked in cold water and placed it on his forehead, but the effect only lasted a moment. The heat radiating from him was so intense that the towel’s coolness faded almost instantly.

I’d never taken care of a sick person before, so I had no idea what else to do. No, more importantly—why was he even suffering from a fever like this in the first place? He’s an Awakened. There’s no way he should catch something like a cold.

‘Do I… need to take him to a hospital?’

Cha Sahyeon would need to be taken to a hospital that specializes in Awakened individuals. But what if something strange was found during the examination? What if he got tracked down by those bastards at the research lab? There were too many variables. I couldn’t just take him there carelessly. But still, I couldn’t just leave a kid in this state, unconscious from a high fever, and do nothing.

‘What do I do?’

I bit down hard on my lip, racking my brain for any good solution.

I couldn’t trust hospitals. No matter how professional they were, they were still strangers. And if they found something unusual in Cha Sahyeon, there was no guarantee they’d keep it hidden. Besides, the research lab that once imprisoned Cha Sahyeon and I had conducted live experiments. There was a very real chance it had ties to Awakened-specific hospitals.

In the end, it all came down to trust. Then…

‘What if there’s a doctor I can trust?’

Someone who, even if they found something strange with Cha Sahyeon, would keep it hidden. A specialist for Awakened individuals, with no connection to the research facility.

Of course, I didn’t have those kinds of connections. I’d have to be introduced to one by someone who did.

Realistically, the only person who fit that bill was Kwon Taehyeok.

As the head of a major guild, Kwon Taehyeok was bound to be connected with doctors who specialize in Awakened individuals. Surely, he could introduce me to at least one trustworthy physician.

And while it wouldn’t be the same as a university hospital, I’d heard the Yesung Guild had its own private medical facilities. If I could get Cha Sahyeon treated there and make sure his condition didn’t leak outside…

‘…But how can I trust Kwon Taehyeok?’

Because he’s not the type to blab about other people’s business? Because, before my regression, he was one of the last people to stand against the Great Calamity? Because the system labeled him a “main character”? What do any of those reasons even mean? Just because the system picked someone as a protagonist, does that really make them trustworthy? He might still carelessly let something slip about a kid he barely knows.

And seriously, what even is this “system”? Saying we can trust someone just because the system labeled them a “main character”—how does that make any damn sense?

“Ah, fuck.” I couldn’t hold back the curse.

Fine. I’ll admit it. There’s no perfect solution in this situation.

Whether I trust Kwon Taehyeok, or take Cha Sahyeon to an Awakened hospital, I’ll have to choose something. I need to act, knowing full well that it could lead to the worst-case scenario.

I placed my hand on Cha Sahyeon’s forehead. A wave of intense heat immediately met my palm.

It had been four hours since I woke up and found Cha Sahyeon in this state. Nothing had changed. It was time to make a decision.

‘Let’s contact Kwon Taehyeok.’

It was the safest option I had. If it was Kwon Taehyeok, he could introduce us to a place where the child could get immediate medical care. Even if something went wrong afterward, I’d deal with it then.

First, I had to save the kid. He was suffering so much.

I regretted not reaching out earlier. If it was going to come to this, I should’ve just contacted him right away. All that pointless hesitation had only left Cha Sahyeon in pain. I cursed under my breath again and reached for my phone—just then.

“Ugh…”

With a groan, Cha Sahyeon opened his eyes for the first time. I quickly lowered the phone and gently stroked his cheek, looking into his dazed green eyes under long lashes.

“Hey, kid. Are you okay? Can you hear me?”

Cha Sahyeon gasped for air, his face flushed red as he slowly rolled his eyes to look up at me.

Was he too thirsty to speak? I was about to get up to bring him some lukewarm water when—

“Guh…!”

Someone yanked my arm with force.

I lost my balance and stumbled, slamming my shoulder into the wall. Wincing from the sharp pain, I looked up—and saw Cha Sahyeon rushing out of the bedroom.

“Cha Sahyeon?”

Startled by his sudden movement, I ran after him—only to have my vision swallowed up by a cascade of black shadows. It was Cha Sahyeon’s skill.

Thud!

At the same time, the front door shook violently.

Boom!

As if someone was trying to break it down, the door rattled again and again. My blood ran cold as a dreadful premonition surged through me. That’s when I finally understood why Cha Sahyeon had acted like that. He’d sensed the presence of someone arriving here before me—and immediately went on high alert.

“Wait, kid!”

Cha Sahyeon was too sick to even stand properly. I shouldn’t be letting him fight—we had to escape this place together, right now. But the moment I took a step forward, a harsh voice came crashing down like thunder.

“Don’t come!”

Startled, I froze on the spot without thinking.

Crash! Rumble! The front door, bent like paper, was ripped clean off its hinges.

And then—a chilling energy swept in.

“Brother.”

“…!”

I gasped and stumbled back. A pitch-black shadow had slithered up right in front of me like a tangled snake.

One shadow shot out, sharp and aiming for me—and another blocked it. Cha Sahyeon’s shadow.

If Cha Sahyeon hadn’t been there, I would’ve been killed before I even realized I was under attack. My head would’ve been pierced clean through. Instinctual terror gripped my whole body as cold sweat ran down my cheek. A trembling hand reached out—and touched warmth.

“Brother, run. You have to run.”

Run? What about you? You want me to run away alone?

‘Why? Why should I?’

None of this made any sense. Why was Cha Sahyeon sick? Who the hell was attacking the office? Why was Cha Sahyeon telling me to run?

Crackle—from beyond the writhing shadows aiming to kill me, someone finally appeared.

A man stepped over the torn-off front door and walked inside. He looked like a high schooler, dressed neatly and wearing sneakers. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked straight at us. Beneath his light tawny hair were murky green eyes.

The stranger’s green eyes met mine. And the moment they did, a new shadow shot out from behind the man.

“Brother!” Cha Sahyeon’s shout rang past my ear.

He pushed me back and stepped forward, intercepting the incoming shadow with his skill.

Their shadows clashed and swelled, struggling against each other, the sheer force of it creating deafening booms that echoed throughout the room.

The floor cracked open. Furniture flew in every direction. Shadows rampaged like wild beasts, and the violent wind made it almost impossible to keep my eyes open.

“Cha Sahyeon!”

Before I knew it, Cha Sahyeon, who had been right beside me, was gone. I called out his name while scanning the chaos, but all I could see was the massive, swelling shadow.

Boom! Thud! Crack!

From within that enormous shadow, the sounds of collisions and things splitting apart continued nonstop.

“Ugh…!”

“Sahyeon!”

I could hear small groans in between the thunderous noises—definitely Cha Sahyeon’s. My blood ran dry. Biting down on my lip, I silently activated my hidden skill.

Ding!

《Hidden skill cannot be activated.》

Ding!

《Hidden skill cannot be activated.》

Ding!

《Hidden skill cannot be activated.》

Come on—work!

Ding!

《Hidden skill cannot be activated.》

Damn it!

It was midday, far too bright around me. Gritting my teeth, I bolted toward the shadow ahead. I had to get inside, shift into an S-class quickly.

But before I could even reach it, something black and fast came flying from the side—not the front.

“…!”

Brother, no… I faintly heard Cha Sahyeon’s voice from somewhere.

A searing pain exploded across my head.

Thud!

It felt like a water balloon bursting. Wetness streamed down from my forehead, blurring my vision in a rush of darkness, then haze. When I blinked, the tangled shadows looked distant—though they had felt so close just moments ago.

A hard, cold sensation crawled up from my shoulder.

‘What… why am I lying down? Where’s Cha Sahyeon…?’

No matter how much I blinked, my vision only grew dimmer. My body had no strength—I couldn’t even twitch a fingertip. A crushing drowsiness overtook me. My heavy eyelids wouldn’t stay open.

Just before I lost consciousness, the writhing black shadow shrank away, revealing Cha Sahyeon, collapsed on the floor.

The man who attacked us… stood there, completely unharmed.

“Sahyeon…” I whispered his name like a groan—and with that, everything went black.