Chapter 17: The Light on the Peak

From a dark corner behind the desk, a bronzed face slowly emerged.

The man, gripping a rifle, stood up cautiously.

He looked stunned that the visitors to the shelter were not monsters—

And even more stunned that one of them was his wife.

“Aigoo, Soyoung’s dad!!”

The woman dropped the rifle she had been holding and rushed into the room.

The joy of reunion lasted only a moment.

As she reached him, she nearly collapsed, clutching him tightly.

“What on earth happened?!”

Up close, his left leg was swollen terribly, as if it had been broken.

This shelter had also suffered a monster attack.

“Oh, come on now. Stop crying. You three, come inside quickly.”

He comforted his wife and gestured for us to shut the door.

We sat in the cramped office and listened as he lowered his voice to tell the story.

“I really thought the world was ending.”

Autumn, when the leaves turn red and the sky grows high and clear, is the busiest season for hikers.

Since this shelter is the closest to Cheonwangbong, even more climbers gather here.

These days, reservations were always full, and those without bookings pitched tents in the yard.

Late at night, around midnight, thunder rang out three times in a row from a clear sky.

There was no rain, yet thunder boomed.

Not long after, the ground began to shake violently.

Even Jirisan could not escape the earthquake.

Most hikers staying at Jangteomok set out for the summit before dawn, so everyone had gone to bed early.

When the quake struck, chaos erupted.

Objects toppled.

People staggered.

They rushed outside, shouting, asking what was happening.

The confusion only grew.

He had turned on the loudspeaker, announcing that it seemed to be an earthquake and urging everyone to follow safety instructions.

As he recounted the moment, his body suddenly trembled.

He stared toward Cheonwangbong.

“That wasn’t the end. From over there.”

About an hour after the quake, people gradually calmed down.

They checked for injuries and tidied up scattered belongings.

Most decided to cancel their plans and descend at first light.

Boom—

Then a tremendous crash echoed from the direction of Cheonwangbong.

People tensed, thinking it was another quake.

But when the ground did not shake again, they relaxed and continued packing.

That was when someone murmured, “What is that?”

He looked toward the summit.

It was an extremely dark night.

Only starlight and moonlight filled the sky.

Yet at the very top of the high peak, a faint light flickered.

Like a stranded hiker flashing a signal.

But it was far too bright to be human-made.

If you stared directly at it, your eyes would sting, and your forehead would throb sharply.

“It was the strangest light. Faint, yet unbearably bright. Just looking at it felt like needles stabbing my eyes and brain. The first person who saw it started bleeding from the nose and collapsed. That’s when hell broke loose.”

He pressed his fingers to his temples, as if the pain still lingered.

“People who saw the light began dropping one by one. Some convulsed like they were having seizures. At dawn, everyone carried the sick down the mountain. The shelter emptied overnight. I was about to head down myself after cleaning up. That’s when a monster I’d never seen before appeared.”

The monster that attacked him had fled quickly when he fought back.

With his injured leg, he couldn’t descend and had hidden, fearing it would return.

As I listened, a passage from the book resurfaced in my mind.

The new energy—Respia.

People didn’t know what the blue-white light was.

But as superpowered individuals began to appear, they realized that some of those exposed to that energy gained abilities.

After that, people crazily sought out Respia, hoping to be exposed.

Yet only a chosen few evolved.

Ordinary people exposed to it suffered side effects instead.

Respia was like biological disruption energy hundreds of times stronger than radiation.

Exposure could cause mental breakdowns, muscle rigidity, abnormal cancer growth—leukemia and other severe diseases.

Would you become one of the chosen, evolved humans?

Or one of the discarded?

At that crossroads, humanity had to choose.

I turned to look at Hanjun beside me.

Even his profile was strikingly neat.

He would be chosen.

If exposed, he would gain powers.

Suddenly, I felt we had to take him to the summit.

“Is that light still there?” I asked.

“It seems to flash every midnight. I saw it again last night. I think it’s some kind of creature like the one I encountered. Otherwise, why would people drop after staring at it?”

Supported by his wife, the man stood up slowly.

I grabbed Hanjun’s arm and pulled him outside.

“Jun, come here.”

I stood in front of him, hesitating.

Fear crept in.

If exposure gave him powers, fine.

But what if not?

What if I was not chosen?

If that energy consumed my body—cancer, madness…

“Why? Are you okay, hyung?”

Yet I felt a heavy duty pressing on my shoulders.

Of all people, I had found that book.

Perhaps that was my role.

If he was the savior, then I was the guide.

“Jun, let’s go all the way to Cheonwangbong.”

“Why?”

“I think something important is there. We have to go.”

“What’s important?”

His eyes narrowed as he studied my trembling face.

He’d heard the story too.

He wouldn’t want to climb further.

But he had followed me without complaint so far.

“Please. Just this once more, trust me. There’s definitely something up there.”

“What will you give me if I go?”

“…What?”

Not what’s there—

But what will you give me?

“I said, if I go with you, what will you give me?”

“That’s petty. You helped her without asking for anything.”

“She’s an adult. And I couldn’t let her go alone.”

“I’m an adult too. You’re letting me go alone?”

“So there’s nothing?”

I was doing this for him, not for myself.

Yet he looked down at me lazily.

I bit back my frustration.

“You petty jerk… What could I possibly give you in this situation?! If you need this body, I’ll give it to you! I’ll give you everything!”

I couldn’t even stay angry properly in front of him.

Instead, I sulked, turning my head aside.

“Hm. Well, if hyung insists that much.”

He smirked, satisfied.

I was clearly furious, and he was smiling?

People of the world, behold your so-called savior’s personality.

After a short rest, we prepared to leave.

From Jangteomok Shelter to Cheonwangbong was 2.7 kilometers.

About an hour and a half.

But it would be best to arrive before sunset.

We couldn’t linger.

“Leaving already?”

“Yes. We can’t stay. Couldn’t you remain here a few days?”

The couple looked at us anxiously.

With his leg swollen badly, the man would need at least a month or two to recover.

Thankfully, the shop had enough supplies for them to last.

As long as no monsters appeared.

They were worried about being left alone.

I was about to explain, but Hanjun stepped forward.

“I’m sorry. We’ll be heading back from here.”

I’d worried he might waver.

Instead, he drew the line firmly.

“But still…”

“They’ve already done enough. Let them go.”

The man stopped his wife.

She began stuffing food from the shop into our backpacks.

“Eat well on your way down. If a monster appears, throw the bag. Maybe it won’t chase you if there’s food.”

Despite trying to stop us earlier, she now packed provisions.

“Thank you, young men. Truly. Without you, I’d be dead. Please, contact us someday.”

“Please stay safe. Come down carefully.”

We bid farewell and set off toward Cheonwangbong.

After we’d gone some distance, her voice echoed behind us.

“Young men!! That’s not the way!! That path leads to the summit!! Oh dear!! Jun!! Dohun!!”