IBPC | Chapter 1.1

What is history?

That was the topic of the very first lecture he attended in university.

History—The process of transformation, rise, and fall of human society, or its records.

Some dismissed it as dull and meaningless, but Seoyul found the long-standing records of humanity incredibly fascinating. Among them, the ones about Alphas, now nonexistent, intrigued him the most.

Alphas.

They were said to have existed sporadically until about 200 years ago.

There were even reports from foreign countries that Alphas had occasionally manifested as recently as a generation ago. But at this point, it was more accurate to say they were on the verge of extinction. Every now and then, people would make a fuss about someone supposedly being born as an Alpha, but those were mostly baseless hopes or the delusions of fraudsters.

The exact reason why the Alpha population gradually declined remained unknown. Whatever the case, the modern human society was left with only two genetic traits—Betas and Omegas.

Over generations, Omegas had evolved to the point where they could endure their heat cycles with just suppressants, or even sustain relationships with Betas without issue. In a world without Alphas, Omegas could live just like Betas as long as they took their medication.

Min Seoyul, H University Department of History.

He was a recessive Omega. Like every other Omega today, he had never met an Alpha, let alone experienced one firsthand. He had never undergone an intense heat cycle where his pheromones were strongly triggered. As long as he took his suppressants properly, life went on without a hitch.

Still, there had to be something in an Omega’s nature that instinctively gravitated toward Alphas. Ever since he was a child, Seoyul had found records about Alphas fascinating.

What were Alphas really like? That curiosity led him to read and reread historical accounts of figures who had been recorded as Alphas. Most of the great figures who shaped history had been Alphas, their lives filled with grand legends and myths.

That was why he had chosen his term paper topic to be “Alphas Recorded in the Jinha Kingdom’s Historical Records from Around the 6th Century.”

Coincidentally, this semester’s field study happened to be held in what used to be the capital of Jinha Kingdom, so he had tagged along. The university-affiliated museum was conducting excavations in the old city, and they had opened up a less significant pond site for undergraduate students to use for their survey.

“Min Seoyul!”

Seoyul, who had been taking pictures of the excavation site, turned his head at the sound of his name. He spotted Chanseok, his classmate and the student representative, approaching with an arm casually slung over his shoulder.

“If you’re done taking photos, let’s go. Things are getting crazy over there.”

Chanseok grinned and gestured toward the commotion in the distance. Seoyul glanced at him briefly before shifting his gaze toward the direction Chanseok had pointed.

“What is?”

Feigning nonchalance, he asked. Chanseok let out a hum and tilted his head.

“Looks like they found an earring over there. Even the professors came over. Wanna check it out?”

Now that he mentioned it, the noise coming from that side was quite noticeable. But Seoyul wasn’t particularly interested.

“An earring?”

He responded absentmindedly while vaguely aware of Chanseok’s hand still resting on his shoulder. Soon, Chanseok patted his shoulder lightly before letting go.

“Yeah, they say it has a royal seal on it. You should come take pictures before they move it. Once the higher-ups step in, we won’t even get a glimpse.”

Chanseok gestured for him to follow before heading off first.

Seoyul, his face subtly flushing, lowered his head slightly—just in case someone noticed.

Ah… is it today?

Feeling the heat rise to his face, Seoyul mentally calculated the date. He had been feeling unusually warm all day, and now, after just a short exchange with Chanseok, his body temperature spiked. No doubt about it—his heat cycle was starting.

Fortunately, as a recessive Omega, his pheromones were barely detectable, and his heat cycle was short and mild. He usually didn’t even need heat suppressants, but since they were on a field trip, he figured he should take some once they returned to the lodging.

Light brown hair.

Seoyul’s hair was such a bright shade of brown that people sometimes asked if he dyed it. He wasn’t particularly tall or short, and he wasn’t strikingly handsome, nor was he unattractive.

Just… ordinary.

That’s how Seoyul looked—utterly unremarkable.

A recessive Omega so indistinguishable from a Beta that no one would realize he was an Omega unless he explicitly said so—that was Seoyul.

If there was anything remotely Omega-like about him, it would probably be his soft, pale skin. But even that was something you wouldn’t notice unless you touched him. In short, there was absolutely nothing about Seoyul that would naturally draw attention to him.

That was why, despite Chanseok being warm and friendly to him since the entrance ceremony, Seoyul had never once expressed his true feelings. He was just a plain, unremarkable recessive Omega, while Chanseok was an exceptionally outstanding Beta—far beyond what someone like Seoyul could ever hope to reach.

Maybe if Alphas still existed, wouldn’t they have been like Chanseok?

Seoyul sometimes entertained such meaningless thoughts.

Feeling another pointless wave of emotion rise inside him, Seoyul shook his head and quickly grabbed his camera. Then, as he reached for the bag he had placed on the uneven dirt ground, he turned his body.

An earring with a royal seal, huh?

Historical records stated that about 30% of the Jinha Kingdom’s royal family had been Alphas. So, was the owner of that earring an Alpha as well? The possibility was high.

Chanseok was right—he should hurry over and take pictures before they moved it.

Just as Seoyul took his first step—

“……?!”

He felt something catch his foot. Or at least, that’s what it seemed like for a split second—until, suddenly, his whole body was yanked forward.

No… this wasn’t just tripping over something. It felt like—

“Ugh…!”

His balance completely collapsed, and he tumbled hard onto the dirt ground. His vision shook violently as a sharp dizziness flashed through him.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Someone grabbed him before he hit the ground completely.

Chanseok had rushed over, his face filled with alarm.

“……”

Seoyul lay there, stunned, staring blankly up at Chanseok’s face. Then, as his mind finally caught up to the situation, he hurriedly turned to look behind him—toward his foot.

What was that just now?

Something… something had grabbed me…

It hadn’t been just a simple trip—It felt like a hand had gripped his ankle and yanked him back.

Realizing this a second too late, Seoyul’s eyes wavered in shock. But that didn’t make any sense. There was no one around him just now.

“You hurt? Can’t get up?”

Chanseok, noticing how Seoyul was frozen in place and just staring at the ground, quickly helped him to his feet.

Seoyul clung to Chanseok’s arm as he stood, then instinctively shook his foot a couple of times.

Was it… just his imagination?

“Ah… no, I just tripped on something. I’m fine.”

“Be careful. The ground here is already uneven, and they didn’t properly clear out the loose soil either. If you’re not careful, this whole area might collapse.”

Chanseok gestured toward the flimsy plastic-covered dirt wall, a makeshift barrier that barely held the soil in place. Then, noticing the dirt on Seoyul’s clothes, he casually brushed it off for him.

Still feeling unsettled, Seoyul took another cautious look at the ground. But when he met Chanseok’s concerned gaze, he finally sighed and gave his friend’s back a light push.

“Yeah… Let’s just go.”

⊹₊⟡⋆

“This pond site, where today’s field study was conducted, was once part of the residence of Tae Heegon, the Third Prince of King Eulsa of the Jinha Kingdom. According to historical records, King Eulsa was classified as an Alpha, or a Yangin, and about three of his sons are presumed to have been the same. Among them, the Third Prince was highly skilled in both civil and military affairs and was considered the strongest candidate for Crown Prince. However, due to wars and fires, very few records of him remain.”

Late at night, the professor was addressing the gathered undergraduates, summarizing the day’s excavation findings.

Seoyul listened while scrolling through the photos he had taken earlier.

The Jinha Kingdom had been the most powerful nation of its time, even to the extent of declaring itself an empire. King Eulsa was regarded as the monarch who ushered in a golden age, and he was one of the most historically celebrated and highly capable Alphas.

Seoyul deeply admired him—King Eulsa was one of his favorite historical figures.

And to think that today’s excavation site had once been the residence of his son…

Feeling a rush of excitement, Seoyul zoomed in on the earring he had photographed earlier.

A single, elongated gold earring—ornate yet not overly extravagant. The delicate craftsmanship was evident despite its understated design.

“The Third Prince passed away at a young age before he could be formally crowned as the Crown Prince. As a result, his younger brother, the Fifth Prince Tae Kangmu, ascended the throne instead. He later became the renowned King Samun, and…”

As the professor continued, Seoyul absentmindedly reached into his pocket, only for his fingers to freeze mid-search.

Something was missing.

He immediately placed the camera on his lap and dug through his pockets again—more thoroughly this time. But still, it wasn’t there. A hint of panic flashed across his face as he pulled his bag from beneath his chair and rummaged through it.

“What’s wrong? Did you lose something?”

Chanseok, sitting beside him, lowered his voice, noticing Seoyul’s distress.

Without lifting his head, Seoyul mumbled quietly, “Yeah… My memory card is gone. I swapped it earlier and put it in my pocket, but…”

He continued searching, checking every compartment of his bag. But by the time he had gone through all of them, a realization hit him.

Could it have fallen… when I tripped earlier?

Seoyul’s lips parted slightly in an ah… expression of regret. He hesitated briefly, contemplating, before hurriedly shoving his camera back into his bag.

“What’s up?”

Chanseok reached out, stopping him as Seoyul shouldered his bag and got up. Seoyul glanced at the professor, still speaking at the front of the room, then leaned in and whispered.

“I need to go back to the site for a bit. I think I dropped my memory card there.”

“What? Now? You want me to come with you?”

Chanseok’s eyes widened in surprise.

Seoyul swallowed dryly.

In all the chaos, he had completely forgotten to take his heat cycle suppressants. He doubted anything serious would happen—but still, an Omega’s heat cycle was unpredictable. He let out a small, self-deprecating smile and gently pried Chanseok’s hand off.

“No, I think I know exactly where it is. If the seminar wraps up soon and you guys head out for dinner, just call me, okay? I’ll go straight to the restaurant.”

“…Are you sure? You remember which restaurant we reserved, right?”

“Yeah, I know. Just text me if plans change.”

With that, Seoyul slipped out of the seminar room, moving carefully to avoid making noise. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, the crisp night air greeted him.

His body felt even warmer now.

Before adjusting his bag properly, he reached into the front pocket and pulled out a small pill.

It had been a while since he last took one—a heat cycle suppressant.

Seoyul popped the pill into his mouth and bit down with a soft crunch, swallowing it dry. Then, securing his bag, he quickened his pace, heading back toward the excavation site.

⊹₊⟡⋆

“Is it not here either?”

On a dark night lit only by a crescent moon. At least the distant lights provided just enough illumination to make out his surroundings.

Shining his phone’s flashlight over the dirt, Seoyul rummaged around, his brows furrowing in frustration. With a deep sigh, he half-collapsed onto the ground.