“What did I do?”“Why are you teaching Nine weird things?”“Hey, what are you talking about? He flipped me off first!”“He’s just a kid, come on… You’re lying just to win against this tiny thing…”“Hey! Wow. I swear it’s true!”Mok Geonho protested, sounding genuinely wronged, but Sawon didn’t believe him. Nine burrowed into Sawon’s arms, whining softly.“He understands people just fine. So don’t scold him too much.”Saying that, Sawon grabbed a handful of snacks and held them out to Nine.“Eat too much and you’ll get a stomachache.”Nine hurriedly took the snacks from Sawon’s hand with both of his small hands and started eating. One by one, his little fingers carried the snacks into his mouth. As Nine’s cheeks puffed up, Sawon rose from his seat.“I’m tired. I’m heading out first.”“Already leaving?”The rookie looked up at Sawon with teary, shining eyes. Feeling awkward, Sawon quickly turned his gaze away.“Yeah. I’m leaving. Have fun, you guys.”Nine clung to Sawon’s arm like a koala, munching noisily. His black eyes fixed on Mok Geonho as he slowly raised one arm.“Nine.”But at Sawon’s low call, Nine immediately lowered his arm again.***Most of the living quarters were two-person rooms. Sawon’s dorm was no exception. But it had been nearly a month since he’d used the room alone.Sawon flopped down on the bed with a dull thud. As he rested his head on one arm, his eyes drifted toward the empty bed beside him. His roommate had died during a deployment a month ago.His still-damp hair wet the pillow beneath him. Sawon exhaled deeply. Only the sound of his own breathing filled the room.“Damn, it’s quiet.”Sawon’s roommates were always the talkative kind. That made the silence after their absence all the more jarring.Creak.Nine sat down beside the pillow, feet together.“Nine. Isn’t it strange? None of my roommates ever last more than a year.”“Kkyu.”That was just the life of a hunter. The comrade beside you today could vanish tomorrow, and the empty spot would be filled by another. Still, Sawon’s roommates tended to change more often than most—usually because they were dead or too injured to return to duty.Maybe that’s fate, too.‘Thanks to the great Scrapper, at least the rescue team didn’t get wiped out.’‘Yeah, sure, but couldn’t they have deployed you a little sooner?’‘Save me, Scrapper…’Sawon lowered his arm over his eyes, shutting out his vision.“Why am I the only one who can use Deaters?”“Kkyuuu.”Among all hunters, Sawon alone could use Deaters as familiars.Why me, of all people? Why did it have to be me?Being the only one meant carrying a heavier weight than anyone else. As Sawon exhaled again, Nine wriggled into his side, pressing close, rubbing his cheek against Sawon’s chest like he was hugging him.If I keep doing what only I can do… maybe I’ll get closer to the truth. The reason Gu Sawon became the one who could command Deaters.Sawon lowered his arm and held Nine tight. He patted his small back like soothing a child, and the brutal memories of the day began to fade.‘Senior… just before I got eaten… kuh—’‘Thank you so much…’But this time, the face of the sniffling rookie from the lounge broke through that fading calm.“Ha. Why do I keep thinking about stuff like this.”Sawon hugged Nine tighter. Nine blinked his black eyes, then began patting Sawon’s chest softly in imitation.***The rhythm of those small hands lulled him to sleep before he knew it. When Sawon opened his eyes again, the lights in the room were off—either he or Nine had turned them off. That made the wailing siren sound even louder.Wiiiiiing!Sawon stared at the black ceiling for a second, then suddenly sat up. Nine, still in his arms, scrambled out and quickly turned on the lights, as if used to this.A red light lit up on the monitor by the door, like a traffic signal. Bold letters appeared above it.A moment later, an announcement came through, mixed with mechanical tones.[Operation S1. Operation S1.]Operation S1 — the code for a full emergency requiring every hunter in the building, from Rank 1 to Rank 5, to deploy. It also meant that Gu Sawon, the one called “Scrapper,” had to move as well.Sawon’s expression hardened as he put on his combat gear. Because of his destructive power, he was usually kept on standby during most response operations. For him to be sent out immediately meant the situation was dire. Either the Deater’s grade was extremely high, or else—“Where the hell did it show up that they need me?”—or the location was extremely important.Sawon inserted his in-ear communicator and stepped out of the room. In the hallway, half-awake hunters were shuffling toward the elevators. Some looked tense; others, like Sawon, expressionless. What mattered was that there were far too few of them for an S1 alert.As he entered the elevator, Sawon began counting quietly.“One, two, three…”When he passed ten, a holographic message appeared in his view.Other hunters were also putting on their in-ear comms.Sawon pressed the button on his loosely worn earpiece. A video popped up before his eyes — Director Kwon Myeong stood on a platform. His voice echoed through the channel.– As you all know, this is an emergency. I’ll keep it short, so listen carefully. The black sphere appeared ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) at the National Hunter Research Institute.“A black sphere opened in the Research Institute?”“Shit, a double disaster. Of all times…”The hunters began to murmur. The Institute contained all kinds of materials and facilities for enhancing hunter abilities. It also housed equipment for Deater experiments. Combat, life and death, augmentations, and otherworldization — all concentrated in one place. It was like setting a spark in a room full of explosives.– CODE 10s will handle the lower levels. CODE 100s, the middle floors. CODE 1000s and up, the upper floors. The readings indicate the strongest alarm came from the lower levels. Some security hunters are already on site, but they’re badly outnumbered. Seal it before the black sphere stabilizes into a Gate. And CODE 16—Everyone’s eyes turned to Sawon.– As you know, this is Operation S1. You’re in as well. Move however you see fit. Just… leave him out of it.Director Kwon pointed toward Sawon’s wrist, as if he were actually in front of him. Sawon clicked his tongue and gave a lazy mock salute.– Team assignments will be sent automatically. That’s all.The director’s image flickered, pixels breaking apart before disappearing. The elevator doors opened to the underground floor.“Why the hell does it have to be the Institute.”Hunters cursed as they rushed ahead. Sawon mounted one of the motorcycles parked in the underground garage. The black machine bristled with weapons — swords, guns, and modular parts. After a brief moment of thought, Sawon fastened a long sword at his waist.“Nine. You heard that?”“Kkii…”“This time, you stay put unless I say otherwise.”His motorcycle roared out of the garage at full speed.***There was only one reason Sawon had to deploy: the Institute was too important. And there was also one reason he couldn’t use Nine: because the Institute was too important.The Research Institute was fifteen minutes away from Jungheon-guk by bike. The convoy reached it in five.“Hundreds, this way!”Hunters followed their assigned routes. Sawon stood in the first-floor lobby, scanning his surroundings.“So a black sphere opened inside here…”Rupture points that evolved into black spheres — where Deaters emerged — were usually outdoors, in broad daylight. Deaters craved light. Sometimes they appeared indoors at night, but for it to happen inside a critical facility like this was almost unheard of.Definitely one hell of an unlucky day.“The director said not to use you, not not to talk to you. Right, Nine?”The gauntlet on his right hand trembled in response.“Where do you think the damn thing opened?”Sawon looked up at the ceiling as he asked. Part of the gauntlet twisted, turning organic — a small monkey hand popped out.“Kkii.”Nine pointed upward toward one spot — the far right, where the elevator to the upper floors stood. Then he jabbed repeatedly at the ceiling, insisting the black sphere was up there.‘The current Gate reading is assumed to be in the lower levels. The strongest alarm came from below.’That’s not what the director said.“So you’re saying it’s upstairs?”“Kkii!”“…Weird. Let’s check it out.”When it came to sensing otherworldly energy, Sawon trusted Nine far more than Director Kwon. He immediately started walking toward the right. The access gate, which wouldn’t open without a keycard, didn’t even budge. Sawon didn’t care — he vaulted over it easily, one-handed.“Let’s see. The elevator acceleration mode… you press and hold the button, right? Five seconds?”Just as he was about to press it, blue light began leaking out from the elevator ahead of him.Sawon’s eyebrows twitched. That blue glow — it was Metena, the energy hunters used. The numbers on the floor display, wrapped in Metena light, were dropping rapidly. Sawon reached out toward the elevator; the energy wavered like a shield — a Level-1 Metena barrier.The upper floors were assigned to the CODE 1000 hunters — relatively new recruits. None of them should’ve been capable of producing Level-1 Metena.But before he could think further, the elevator arrived.[Doors opening.]Crash!The doors slid open and four people tumbled out. Sawon quickly stepped aside as they collapsed in a heap. All four were drenched in dark red blood. If not for the remnants of white coats at their hems, he might not have realized they were researchers. One of them grabbed his arm, pulling himself up.“You’re a hunter, right? From Jungheon-guk?!”At that, another one stumbled to his feet, stamping frantically.“Please help us! The black sphere opened upstairs, and there’s still someone— the Chief’s still up there… Please, hurry… please!”Sawon glanced over the four of them, then looked into the elevator beyond. It was splattered with blood, as if a bomb had gone off inside. The closing doors caught one researcher’s leg and opened again. Sawon pried the man’s hand off his sleeve, stepped over him, and entered the elevator. He gestured toward the control panel.“What floor?”

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