Chapter 36: When the Monster Arrives

Drip, drip, drip.

A cold liquid fell onto my face and pulled me back to consciousness.

It slid down my cheek and reached my lips, and I instinctively licked it.

Only then did I realize it was water—
and that my mouth was painfully dry.

Splash.

What had been dripping one drop at a time suddenly poured over my face.

Without even opening my eyes, I parted my lips and drank it as best as I could.

As the cold water slid down my throat, my mind snapped back into place.

“Are you awake now?”

With that single voice, I understood everything.

I had gone to the meetup for the secondhand TV.
I walked right into the Six-Pointed-Star’s trap.
I lost consciousness.

Now my arms and legs were tied to a chair, unable to move an inch.

I had no idea how much time had passed.
No idea where I was.

Judging by the surroundings, a rundown storage warehouse…
and the gang members I saw at the park were all gathered here.

“We even gave you water.
That’s some hospitality, no?”

“Of course.
We can’t have you dying now, not when you’re about to become the Six-Pointed-Star’s shared Guide.”

The deep voice belonged to their so-called leader.

A brute of a man, body-enhancement esper, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look up at him.

His grip was so strong it felt like my jaw might shatter if he squeezed harder.

“Get your filthy hand off me.
It’s disgusting.”

It wasn’t bravado.

His touch genuinely felt revolting—
like something slimy crawled across my skin.

“Seo Gyeong-ho.
That’s my name.
You should at least know the name of your owner.”

Owner?

This psycho really had the nerve.

But tied up like this, anything I said now held no threat.

I needed to act the part.

I forced my expression to look drained, defeated, and spoke weakly.

“…Fine.
Okay, I lose.
I’ll join you guys.
Just… untie me first…”

A lie, of course.

The moment my hands were free, I’d either run—
or rip Seo Gyeong-ho’s throat out with my bare hands…

Then take on the rest.

I probably wouldn’t win.

But killing their boss would shock them long enough for me to escape.

“Hah!
Look at him acting cute now that he’s desperate.
What do you think, Younghoon?
Sound sincere to you?”

At the name “Younghoon,” an all-too-familiar face stepped forward.

Tak Younghoon.

He looked down at me with a conqueror’s smirk, basking in his self-importance.

…Plan canceled.

I’m killing him first.

I have no idea how past-me tolerated this bastard.

“Of course it’s—”

He leaned in, bringing his disgusting face right up to mine.

Grinning even wider.

“A lie.
He’s definitely planning to— AUGH!”

Yeah.

Congrats, genius.

I slammed my forehead into his face.

A loud thud followed by him falling backward clutching his nose.

Good.
That one landed cleanly.

“Yeah, you know me well.
Why the hell would I join scum like you?”

I just said what I felt.

Surprisingly, laughter filled the warehouse.

Seo Gyeong-ho laughed like he’d heard the world’s best joke.

“Laugh?!
My nose—dammit!
You’re dead!”

Tak Younghoon stumbled back toward me, nose bleeding, eyes crazed.

Good.

If he punched me a few times, the bindings might loosen.

He rushed at me like an enraged bull, fist raised—

“Stop.
If you damage shared property without permission, even you won’t be forgiven, Younghoon.”

Just moments ago he was laughing lightly,
but now Seo Gyeong-ho’s voice was cold and commanding.

Even among B-rank espers, the difference was obvious.

He was stronger.

Much stronger.

Stronger in a way Younghoon could never reach.

Why do they keep calling me “property”…?

Shared property?

What the hell are they planning…?

“Representative!
But my nose—!”

“I won’t repeat myself.”

“…Fine…
Then let me do that job later.
That’ll make me feel better.”

“Hmm…
Alright.”

…That job?

What job?

My chest tightened with dread.

Seo Gyeong-ho looked at me and smiled like he could read my thoughts.

“You didn’t seriously think I was still trying to recruit you, did you?
That time has passed.”

“I take whatever I want.
Always.”

“Think about what I told you earlier at the park.”

“Start it, Younghoon.”

Younghoon left briefly.

When he returned, he was carrying something huge.

A machine.

And then—

WUUUUUNG—

The mechanical whirring hit my ears.

And suddenly I remembered those words:

“When you wake up, you’ll be the Six-Pointed-Star’s exclusive guiding machine.”

I didn’t think deeply about it then.

Now I understood.

“Looks like you figured it out.
Good.”

“We don’t need your arms or legs to guide.”

“As long as you’re breathing, you can guide for us forever.”

“With just your torso, it’ll be easier to carry you around inside gates.”

I had never imagined something this monstrous.

They kidnapped a living guide.

Cut off his limbs.

Turned him into a portable guiding device.

These aren’t humans.

They’re something lower.

Something rotten.

“You should’ve just joined us earlier.
Now suffer, you bastard.
We’ll keep you alive even if you beg to die.”

This wasn’t madness.

This was collective insanity.

Younghoon revved the chainsaw.

And the others?

Laughing.

Cheering.

Placing bets on whether to cut my arms first or my legs.

WUUUNG—! WUUUUNG—!

The sound made my heart throb painfully.

“There’s no need to be scared.
Right after he cuts, this guy will cauterize the wounds with fire.”

“That way you won’t bleed out.”

“Can’t let you die, after all.”

“We need your talent.”

At least my past life helped me stay calm.

I had crossed death countless times back then.

It was strange—
the closer I came to dying, the clearer my mind became.

Compared to ‘X’, these guys were nothing.

I had fought ‘X’ again and again with my life on the line.

A chainsaw was nothing.

…Okay, that was a lie.

My palms were sweating.

My throat tightened.

Cutting off my limbs—
that was something I did NOT want.

If I had to die, I’d rather die fast.

My thoughts drifted.

To him.

Jaeyul.

Seon Jaeyul.

I promised to protect him.
To raise him properly.

To stay by his side until he blossomed.

To see the kind of strength he’d gain…
and what kind of life he’d build.

If only I had stayed with him longer.

If only I had taken more time off.

If only—

“Alright.
I’ll start with those precious hands!”

Hearing Jaeyul’s name in my mind—

something snapped.

I refused to die like this.

Not yet.

Not before I kept my promise.

As Younghoon lifted the chainsaw with a manic grin,
I swung both bound legs and kicked his thigh as hard as I could.

He stumbled, and my entire chair toppled over.

“Damn bastard—!
You almost made me cut my own leg!”

The gang burst into laughter.

They thought this was entertainment.

Only I took the situation seriously.

I twisted my wrists, but the ropes didn’t loosen.

Even with the fall, nothing budged.

“Fine.
I was gonna cut it in one go.
But now?
I’ll enjoy this slowly.”

He placed his foot on my chest.

Cold fear crept up my spine.

Even if I’d died once already,
I wasn’t immune to terror.

I clenched my teeth, staring him down—

BOOOOM!!
KWAAAAANG!!

The entire warehouse shook.

A deafening explosion tore through the air.

Everyone turned toward the source.

Dust filled the air.

Something—someone—stood in the center of that broken wall.

A dark silhouette.

And then, through the clearing dust—

A face I had been thinking of nonstop finally appeared.

“…Jaeyul…”

Strange.

The moment I saw him,
my eyes stung.

Something inside me loosened.

Something warm spread through my chest.

He had come.

He really came.