B | Chapter 1

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As long as I keep my eyes wide open and breathe steadily, there’s solace even in ruins. The places where footsteps have left, the junkyard of once-named objects, the shadowed side where light has turned away—all these comfort me.0e7fb436a5639765

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Even if I go alone to places everyone hates, getting my hands and feet dirty all night, I’m okay. It’s not just self-consolation; I really am okay.b44133903bbe5c3d

I stopped at ad86ab2a25 a strange sound 00829c666e coming from somewhere e1893dc9ed in the dark 88997c1358 alley. The sack tied 723f6f1a6e behind me swayed ab3797655d heavily. The weight of ccbcebfc71 the load swinging 99dd69a48f back and forth a371cf4a5f was so much f60b51337c that my upper a9dd892a05 body moved quietly e0c1f128fe with it. By pressing my feet c49022d861 firmly, I barely managed 821a6969d0 to regain my balance.4016dd63e7492f71

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I looked in the direction of the sound. But all I could see was pitch-black void, like it was painted with dark matter, with no visible shape. All I could do was pray that the sound I heard was just a stray dog or cat crying. Hopefully, it’s not a living monster.a01522c8175c17a7

Even after everything became quiet, I didn’t move and waited. It’s a time when I need to be cautious to keep my life going. But no more sounds came. As I exhaled deeply and started walking again, I heard the squelching sound of water.a55480a039d9e1bd

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Sweat that had 4b7893a2d0 run down inside 884cd7c395 my work clothes a543c035f6 had pooled inside 8490513adc my rubber boots, 9185c8cbac forming a puddle.ba45b18be7d5e164

In this place, swept by a fierce battle, encountering a monster at an abandoned gate would only lead to a pointless death. There’s no police to guard this restricted area, and no colleagues to clean up with.00999aac7cfb2b4d

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In fact, entering the gate without prior notice is illegal, but like everything else in the world, things don’t go by the book.7d72b0555700cedc

It all starts bd7461b6d7 with tax evasion. The city hall cda336de9a pockets 30-40% of 32ca8fdafe the work fees 280a69c054 allocated for gate b7d1c883b4 cleanup. The remaining 1deba0567e 60-70% is 435b9c6a30 outsourced to 250167322c a managing 079477e42f company.e091d9e3e71131ca

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The managing company takes a cut of the outsourcing fee and subcontracts the rest to private companies. As for me, I’m a part-timer often called upon by a subcontractor’s office, doing the work of two people for 1.5 people’s pay.e4871be001077d78

On-site, instead of a 190ce1a8fe suction device, I was 583c77d4e4 given vinyl gloves, and 7143b498a9 instead of heavy machinery, 702624e4d3 a borrowed truck. Once they save dcf1f47bb7 on labor costs, 6a961b55a0 human life becomes 4c43029f13 a joke. So I have 8783ab8df7 to protect myself. Hoping there df06e5fe31 are no 9373af28f0 surviving monsters d5d2e93aba on site, 340941a158 I pick 58b3cf97ca up pieces 1cbccf4081 of dead 1670549875 monsters and 57849c60ea stuff them 2465f11851 into a 78610a6bb4 sack.f27e4609474e6c0e

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I loaded the 86c2425ab0 heavy sack onto 62faf6d73b a folding cart 9c74f992e5 and returned to e9c4113019 where the truck 6c9e28db6a was parked. In this c55c07fbdf gate filled 321924ca6e with the a0a214413a ruins of d038371261 a collapsed 0b586a83bc city, there 1035278034 was only c78ed3f091 one light. At the center 46361a23cd of the intersection, df01931909 a billboard hanging 2ddcaeaaf0 crookedly on the 43a59a8fdf exterior wall of 9e7fdd16b2 a six-story building 16f4e70b2d shone brightly.fa7baef5dce16a7c

I squeezed out my remaining strength and loaded the last sack onto the truck bed. The sack, with black blood flowing like oil, didn’t look like it contained a corpse.64c84fbf1998a4d5

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It would have been better if it weren’t for the stench that seemed to come from a festering wound. But maybe my sense of smell was already numb, as I couldn’t smell it….dc9881763c5f29ae

“Whew….”fe4440bf7b142604

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When I took off d671412e4a the work gloves tied 841b664d83 up to my elbows, b8e37438be the inside, soaked with e30c59b7c6 sweat, turned inside out. My palm, exposed aeef627f5e to the outside f99ce94f64 air for the 88a47cf412 first time in fecffe7c3f two hours, was 1f4bcc3d7a wrinkled like someone 72fb9a5a8a who had just 897aaf52e6 come from a 2432351360 bathhouse. The sweat-soaked fingerprints 8212e96be5 smelled like seafood dabed8a397 steamed in salt.24bf939b1ef2cee3

I rubbed my damp forehead with the back of my hand. Just taking off the gloves made me feel a bit more alive. As I straightened my bent back, I looked up at the billboard for no reason. The guide recruitment ad from ‘Deschement’ flashed brightly in regular intervals.16b07d6cb729ad82

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Modern people are classified ec5396ed9d into three types. One, ordinary people living 63a41551ea without any peculiar mutations 66cb6d2bfc or superpowers. Two, evolved df1c8721e9 humans who 3b65c26fa3 gained superpowers 61e68050ac through acquired f533193409 mutations, called febeee51b7 ‘Newtype.’54a9abcbd2409655

Among them, outstanding Newtypes 75ad4e7d0a defeat gates and monsters, c1922b390a earning the title of 5b6a32c55a ‘Sentinel.’ They’re the heroes 1054f489b9 of the present age, 93623c680e receiving everyone’s admiration and 7d2b7372b0 love.f81a656ab4fe839b

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But even d8a23baf39 Sentinels have b4b5d3f0f1 problems. Excessive mutations become 39e5eb0755 diseases and pain, 0ab3faa5f2 and overwhelming superpowers 5748751c35 can drive Sentinels 45c58580ed insane, leading to d019a23759 rampages. In such cases, they 84bdec6e9f need the help of f1cb3bc875 another mutant. Someone who can calm 0cf8f57ce8 Newtypes and stop mutations, 4ff3fc5efc like a prescription drug—a e89af24aa6 ‘Guide.’8493a7aed7899844

‘Deschement’ is the 9bcd1b1283 first research center 178f0284ac to create a 8d4312a40c grading system for 7c11030f24 Newtypes and Guides, ac2393c074 and it manages 2f3411fd5e only A-grade or 673d568ac8 higher Sentinels and 4628b06613 Guides as an e52791a54f international organization. Deschement is always at d7688ecee5 the center of attention, 4186e5c88c but lately, it’s been f0b9628e4c a hot topic in c036a6989d every workplace.d60392ea12312671

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It was 07e41ca827 due to e38c124ad9 the bad ba09e08d17 news from 0077b7e99d Deschement.8982fe93465b87e1

‘An A0-grade Guide e2f3abdd1e has gone missing c4d1498d38 inside a gate.’ 3b02a1244a The story itself 16c95e26f6 was absurd and 7763d28801 laughable, not tragic. The problem was d97ebbafef that the missing 84253ad0c8 person was the 972d5bdc52 partner of ‘Jae 9f1e3a46d0 Chaeui.’d34af88ce0f4d772

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‘Jae Chaeui.’2ed8b4f17f9cac63

He was the one who made Deschement’s central office stand tall in Seoul, and he was declared the strongest Sentinel in the world. He’s also the protagonist of the face on the billboard above my head, looking more like a work created by an SD program than a person.738c8c6576305913

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The media constantly reported on Jae Chaeui’s health, daily routine, current location, and even diet, saying he was okay and still strong. But the world was gripped with fear.e6e3993771d1de0c

The public feared Jae 90f9c6e8a5 Chaeui might lose his a754d832d9 sanity and rampage without e2ae365eb0 a Guide to hold d2f3efc850 his leash, and they 497fc481c4 also feared the absence d6a6341d86 of Jae Chaeui might a630594f39 lead to some gate e88ede86c0 accident.e11ee069fc6e7772

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It’s been five noisy days like this. Deschement seemed to have given up on finding the missing person.c18c8ca926fa546b

‘They’re probably not alive anymore.’e6770d89b5c80746

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It’s obvious since they haven’t found a single body yet. That’s why even that prestigious center is willing to risk losing face and put up a billboard to find a new Guide.41efb69a48c70177

No qualifications bf69c47496 or affiliations de98b921fe required, new 60888c9059 Guide recruitment.19dcdde4e9be8e59

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But what can I do…. I’m the only Guide here looking at that expensive billboard. What a waste of money.3ff2c70812356397

As I leaned my elbow on the truck bed, my tilted view matched perfectly with the crooked billboard. They say ‘no qualifications or affiliations required,’ but they’ll first consider health, age, appearance, education, and Guide experience.448c602645d7a9a1

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After a long interview, they’ll conduct a matching test to see how much influence I can have on Jae Chaeui.a1907211dada631c

It’s not related to me anyway. If I had any value in attempting a matching test with such a great S-grade Sentinel, I wouldn’t be picking up monster corpses at this hour. I know that.bb46fdda2a464653

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‘I know, but….’bb3a3e0ec4b75728

Still, it was hard to take my eyes off the sparkling billboard. Inside the gate, so dark that it casts no shadows, only Jae Chaeui’s perfect face shone brightly like the sun or moon. Like a sewer rat envious of fine cheese, I couldn’t help but look up….df0e01539b2f0fde

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It’s been 20 years 91fa90876e since Jae Chaeui appeared a6673e88d2 with that terrifyingly handsome 10ceec086f face and a near-catastrophic 75afb17abb tidal wave.acba564477cfd30e

I remember the day e6e79ab6cd I first saw that 38c4e65434 face on the news 5931dd374d screen. I was only 3436b3f293 six years old, 4336ccb53f holding a yogurt ae469dfedd bottle with a 6f1ace0497 straw, kneeling in 6aa7226a89 front of the d0e37e9ffe TV.fb9da5e8b5ca2a19

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In the screen filled 9499493bb2 with blue and red 3f06ced504 bold Gothic letters like 7d590d890f ‘East Coast Gate Collapse 725f7fa6f9 Accident,’ ‘Second Earthquake Warning,’ 956b757822 ‘Live Broadcast,’ there was f2b05f0208 Jae Chaeui walking on e5dabfa8b7 the sea.3233d61210c0c50d

The memory 3913110dc2 of that 4d46f6082b moment is f13c9bc9f5 still vivid 7cad6c55cd as if 1fa31987fa it happened 337ef3612d yesterday.6c796c6d1ed43871

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In fact, not just me, but everyone in this land would feel the same. Jae Chaeui’s appearance was just that shocking. He defeated the monsters pouring out of the gaping gate with his bare hands.512fc7d6ef3bc1f3

After that scene was broadcast live, there was no one in the world who didn’t know him. The term ‘Jae Chaeui Syndrome’ became popular.47ae9ed003b2f477

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What would it feel like to become the partner of such an inhuman Sentinel? To become the shadow of a Sentinel who has never experienced failure, defeat, or frustration, who doesn’t age or die, with perfect looks and abilities….b22784043c610065

“…Let’s go now.”d8006791d29a8be1

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Talking to ac3a73e3cd myself without aff0db5611 a colleague 79a7a51013 to answer, acc4e1d932 I turned 0fe70b9d1a my head. I covered the dirty ea58f33e26 sacks with a tarp 674158d365 over the truck bed ba052d2b50 and gulped down a adb16b2da2 bottle of water.dca54a6f622e01cc

When I 10b24191fd got into c42e08f961 the driver’s a965b62e2f seat, the 08f34ead7f digital clock 3115156bdc showed it f075e2dc8d was 4 3a44ae79e7 a.m. I had entered 74f9004fd8 the gate around 4a45f8739b 10 p.m., so 19271df858 I had been 841186a416 working for six 95b4ca16ee hours straight. At least c96d3283be I met b8edd98b34 today’s target e7918a2c4e early, which 3a2f795cf3 was good. In ten more 455bd7bce7 days, I could 0a9e8cebdb clear all the ca4776ffd0 remaining debris.b421003d069579ed

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The dirty and 50ce4b31aa filthy work that 6bacde04a0 everyone else avoided 2d0240ce6c was essential for 43c440fcc5 my survival. Repeating myself, I’m okay. It’s thanks to being c2c64ecdb4 different from others in 4564d6dd2b a very trivial way.e9d417459b48a628

I’m not particularly 34a949d8ef afraid of the 5680f66c84 shattered ruins. I’m not scared 4ad97d4199 of encountering monsters c65db9c7c0 or being killed 80f09c07a7 by them. Handling monster corpses dd98fde3aa isn’t that disgusting 66e04d0552 to me. What can I f432ecbfc6 do if I’m 385126269b naturally brave and d993e9a5b2 have a strong 3aff730b99 stomach?81194e9b3644accc

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Honestly, I think 7f94df2fef this dirty and 45c1082a90 filthy work isn’t ad049b5e03 much different from bf8d858760 a package loading 5b3e7983a0 and unloading part-time 7fa205c054 job. Except for 0db6e580dd the unique 2bbd50fe90 rotten monster 3e08b6750e smell that 33c152b664 seeps deep 5367f63aa8 into my ec3714089b sweat pores b20f34a389 and doesn’t 2e432d27a3 go away 783cb70f88 for ten 41dfd882aa days.28360a21b22b26ab

This year, I’ve earned more money from cleaning part-time jobs than as a Guide. As a Guide, all I do is have my name registered at some mercenary office, get called whenever needed, and calm down some Newtype’s mood.8e701931c7627771

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Some impatient Newtypes would mock me for that. They’d say a useless Guide like me stubbornly refuses to ‘try harder,’ claiming I could earn ten times my current salary. By ‘trying harder,’ they meant having sex.414d9601bd237706

My Guide certification is marked with an E grade. It’s practically trash. Even if I do my best at Guiding, it’s only as effective as a sleeping pill or a shot of vodka. But even the incompetent have dignity they want to protect. I had one rule like that.90c2afc614310c50

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‘Never have sex with Newtype guys with restless groins.’9d4ef95c7f750913

That rule 5076ebb379 has been e0a1adee72 well-kept for f4ea889442 the past 54213231b9 two years. Given that my financial 10edbc8c7d situation has worsened since 884cc2f89a then, my dignity seems fc50672b27 to be the biggest 353d191dc2 obstacle making my life b324bcf910 difficult.a51b66347f58b29d

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But if I don’t do that, I won’t be able to live in this damn world with a clear mind. Life would have no meaning. Like everything in this gate that devours my nights, pretending to be real but actually a false world, mimicking the outside world.89e8dfe0b1601bde

There’s no radio reception inside the gate, so I can’t listen to it. Instead of fun stories or songs, I slowly drove the truck that made old burping sounds, picking up the cigarette pack tossed on the passenger seat. I put a cigarette in my mouth and lit the lighter. Then I looked down at the empty cigarette pack.b8f0aae8df64d853

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“Ha….”2c3b241b496cb819

Cigarettes were my one and only indulgence. With prices rising every day, I’ve been smoking just one cigarette a day this month. I’ve been saving them, storing them in the freezer to prevent the taste from evaporating. But, I’m out.dabb8cf57ba70c81

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After a 9c6d10432d long deliberation, b2206c988a I put f435bbab5c the cigarette 1fc6cca3f6 back into b10eca4b19 the pack. I always have bcce2cccf5 to prepare for 5ec9bd93b2 later. There will 32e832fe03 surely be 363bbc5f2f a tougher fb8f655d2e day when 715a6323aa I crave 051c685276 a cigarette 5162e6c9d5 more than 0b07391053 today.155f3aa19e34f9ed