RG 8

New territories emerged after the Apocalypse, from the cracks in the sky to dungeons breaking open beneath our feet. Lands that Hunters couldn’t salvage became homes to surviving monsters. Yet, even in such places, humans didn’t cease to exist. Those who chose to live in these perilous lands, where death was always looming, sometimes killed monsters and at other times turned on their own kind.

This was where I was born and raised. It used to be called Dobong Province before the Apocalypse, but now it was the lawless expanse known as C-281 where my home stood.

‘I used to think I’d leave here before getting kidnapped by the lab, not that it matters anymore.’

Neon signs flashed erratically along the damp, dark, narrow streets. I navigated through alleyways resembling ant tunnels, stepping on puddles, while laughter and raucous cigarette smoke wafted in from somewhere.

Taking it all in, I glanced down. The ‘antagonist’ I safely brought out of the lab quietly followed me, holding my hand. I’d lived here for over a decade, so it felt familiar to me, but it must have been anything but for a child. Yet, his face remained as expressionless as a doll’s.

Quite fearless, surprisingly. Wonder what he went through in that lab.

‘…Well, what does it matter now?’

I swiftly pushed aside the curiosity that almost got the better of me. I’d decided not to care about whatever the kid had been through, yet I almost let myself waver.

Ah, seriously, I’m too kind for my own good. Even though this kid might seem harmless now, a little slip-up and he could turn into the ‘Calamity,’ splitting the world in half. What happened to him before doesn’t matter that much. Stop being stupid and focus on what needs to be done. 

Since we’d just arrived at our destination, I thought it best to warn the kid while I was at it, “Kid, never wander off without my permission, and don’t talk to anyone else. Got it?”

The child, with emotionless eyes, nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgment.

Well, at least he gave me that much of a response. This was some progress because he used to ignore everything when we first met.

I sighed inwardly and gave a solid knock on the massive iron door before me.

The building at the end of the maze-like alleyway loomed tall and colossal, seemingly reaching for the sky. This was a gathering spot in C-281, where skilled criminals congregated, but it didn’t boast any specific name. The owner despised unnecessary labels.

‘Won’t it be funny to give a fancy name to a place where criminals gather?’

After knocking, I waited for a moment, and with a creak, the iron door slowly opened, along with the sound of unlocking.

“Why did you take so long to open this?”

Grumbling as I entered, the gatekeeper who opened the door looked dumbfounded.

“You show up in the dead of night and complain? Who’s this kid?”

“You knew we were coming through the surveillance cameras, yet you opened late. Ignore the kid.” Hiding the child behind me, I retorted rudely, and the gatekeeper clicked their tongue, unimpressed.

“You disappear for months and come back with a kid. Isn’t it obvious I’d be surprised? So what’s the deal?”

“It’s my long-lost brother from way back when.”

“Nonsense. Again.”

“Well then, can I go in?”

“Hey, you, disrespectful brat, that’s…”

Passing by the curious gatekeeper, I walked into the central hall of the building. Inside the vast space, there was almost everything one could imagine. It was commercial and residential spaces combined, with elevators scattered around and a complex monorail connecting the buildings. The flickering neon signs and blaring advertisements on the outer walls were dizzying.

Anyone coming here for the first time would have trouble adjusting to the cybernetic environment. Get lost in it, and you either lose your mind or the money in your pockets.

I tightly held the child’s hand and headed for the elevator. We needed to go to the 10th basement floor.

Rattle. Whoong.

The old elevator groaned and moved slowly, making noise as it descended.

While waiting to reach the underground, I recalled my conversation with the gatekeeper earlier.

‘Just roughly handling it might not work in the long run…’

I need to take responsibility to keep living with the kid to prevent him from awakening as the Calamity. It might be safer to come up with a plan. Since he’s got black hair like me, being siblings seems like the simplest cover. The problem is I don’t know his name. I haven’t asked, but how can someone who just nods answer me?

‘Nothing’s easy.’

The more I thought about it, the more I sighed. Ding! The elevator reached the 10th basement floor, and the doors opened.

Outside the elevator, a street lined with shops displaying various items unfolded. The entire underground was filled with a black market, the perfect place to sell items that were likely being diligently tracked by the authorities.

I made my way to a worn-out small room tucked away in a corner.

Entering the dark room, cluttered with miscellaneous items, I moved inside, and before long, I saw a figure sitting in front of a monitor emitting a faint blue light.

“Hmm, hmm, hmm~”

Watching the person humming and enthusiastically typing on the keyboard, I noticed a headset on his ears. I kicked the back of the chair hard with my foot.

Dong, thud!

“Argh, damn! What the hell?”

The person, along with the chair, toppled forward in surprise. He quickly removed the headset and turned around. Then, he squinted in bewilderment. “Whoa, you… Ch-Cha Seohu?”

“Long time no see.”

When I smiled and greeted the person pointing at me, he stood and started yelling, “What’s this ‘long time no see’ after disappearing for months? You think it’s been a long time? Damn, I thought you’d kicked the bucket somewhere!”

“Were you worried about me?”

“Look at this bastard’s shameless face! Argh, it pisses me off!”

Ah, he’s too noisy.

Snap! As if to prove my point, I covered my ears with my hands, and the person, visibly agitated, angrily threw the headset he was holding onto the ground.

“Damn it!”

This enraged individual who’s venting at me is Hyeon Dowun. Known for his programming skills and as an ace hacker, he operates under the alias ‘K.’ Like me, he managed to survive in this place since childhood and happens to be one of the few acquaintances I’ve made here.

“Yeah, yeah. I disappeared without contacting you for a long time, right? But hey, I had reasons too, you know?”

Briefly releasing the child’s hand, I casually walked towards Hyeon Dowun and placed my arm on his shoulder. I had come here mainly for him, so I didn’t want to provoke him too much. After all, I needed his help urgently.

But Hyeon Dowun seemed to be thoroughly annoyed and shot me a glare with his eyes squinting upward. “Not letting go, huh?” 

What’s he going to do by glaring at me? I knew that despite his initial reactions, he’d eventually listen to my request, so I ignored his glare and continued, “Ah, seriously sorry. I didn’t intentionally avoid contacting you; I had my reasons too.”

“Stop bullshitting and let go.”

“I’m serious. I got kidnapped by those crazy researchers…”

Thud!

Before I could finish my explanation, the door burst open with a loud bang.

“Cha Seohu!”

“Seohuseohu, you’re here!”

“Oh, uh…”

Familiar women flooded in through the open door. Seeing the commotion, I sighed, still with my arm around Hyeon Dowun’s shoulder.

‘I tried to leave as quickly as possible knowing this would happen!’

Spotting my perplexed expression, the women recognized me and growled with narrowed eyes.

“Cha Seohu, you left home without a word or any contact!”

“After we raised and fed you, you’re cutting ties because you’re grown? Is that it?”

“You disrespectful brat! You little…”

“No, it’s not like that. Please calm down, ladies.” I hastily smiled and tried to placate them. Unlike the easygoing Hyeon Dowun, these women were managers of the black market and bosses in this building. Not only were they tough enough to kill someone like me, an F-class, with one hand, their temperament wasn’t easy to handle, making it difficult to deal with them.

If they’ve gathered like this, the news of my return must have spread widely. If I had been alone, I would’ve come and gone discreetly through some hole in the wall. This chaos erupted because I entered through the main gate with the kid.

“Huh? Who’s this little one?”

“Aww, how cute!”

The women, who had been confronting me fiercely, suddenly spotted the child standing there and were surprised. Despite the commotion around, the child kept gazing at me.

“Oh my, is this the child Seohu brought?”

“He looks just like you did back in the day.”

“Where did you pick him up from?”

“You’re all acting like I picked him up like some animal… I took responsibility for the child due to certain circumstances.”

“What nonsense. I also picked you up, remember?”

…Well, that’s true.

I fell silent, and the women, now excited, reached out to the child.

“Hey there, little one, what’s your name?”

“So adorable!”

“Oh dear.”

Despite everything, knowing the child’s true identity made it too risky to let these women touch him. I quickly moved in, pulling the child into my arms before he could be touched.

“Please don’t just touch him as you please.”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you think we’ll do? We just wanted to pinch his cheeks and give him some candy.”

“I’ve been on the receiving end of such treatment from you ladies for years. I won’t just stand by.”

Seeing the genuine disappointment in the women after just meeting the child, I couldn’t help but let out a loud laugh.

As I offered some explanation, I patted the child’s back in my arms, and he hugged my neck tightly. I tried to turn away slightly from his unexpectedly firm grip, and I noticed his ears turning red at the tip as he buried his face in my neck.

“…”