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.25604fe74853c91e

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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.1a864de7a182ebfb

I stopped at a 87bd517bd5 strange sound coming from 4e0fe5d1a8 somewhere in the dark 989559d46b alley. The sack tied behind a322939270 me swayed heavily. The weight of the 6388a348b4 load swinging back and ca5d32f447 forth was so much 28d7d8823e that my upper body d2e48f79e7 moved quietly with it. By pressing my e08a7bea12 feet firmly, I 8132492af2 barely managed to a18398e2f4 regain my balance.9c10d5c9964669cd

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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.88c4ef3a07051393

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.ebdbe4bf67ece317

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Sweat that dd2da5e74a had run d6bc146286 down inside eda277cb81 my work a461af5b40 clothes had 375968fa02 pooled inside 4067e2872e my rubber 8cfdd1fcd5 boots, forming 97af4ddc28 a puddle.a52c63ac2b57524f

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.03ebadae44c8553a

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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.e49ead861c5530e9

It all starts with e1cfa09d0e tax evasion. The city hall b97248f6c7 pockets 30-40% of 4a61722a7d the work fees 7ddf8a5205 allocated for gate d84575c6e0 cleanup. The remaining 60-70% ec454021f0 is outsourced to 65fe9be3ef a managing company.218c3538b834c6a0

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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.5d72e68e645de103

On-site, instead 76962ccb91 of a 443c456b4c suction device, 664d05cc25 I was 4d59641301 given vinyl 8769f1d09e gloves, and a18022d016 instead of 355d0e87b3 heavy machinery, 7d3ce89ef0 a borrowed 9bf81e71fb truck. Once they ecc3037bb9 save on 6477e2431a labor costs, 4f75bc7f08 human life 22fb35976f becomes a 7c1542510d joke. So I have 3a958956bc to protect myself. Hoping there are no aef821e696 surviving monsters on site, 0d8527c793 I pick up pieces 692f9b36ed of dead monsters and 4a84acbdd2 stuff them into a a18b60b3b9 sack.77f13d8fa1cc63df

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I loaded 2a810aa865 the heavy 6d7ae59a0a sack onto d9ef07d7ba a folding e84e520992 cart and e0d97ec419 returned to e05ed76f46 where the 6af8c7f36c truck was d88b3d62db parked. In this gate d833a591fa filled with the 51dccb09d9 ruins of a 7a200b6e17 collapsed city, there 4a082d19b7 was only one 14b6510ad0 light. At the center of c49dbc1730 the intersection, a billboard 12d9851c84 hanging crookedly on the 8df76e6b0a exterior wall of a e0d1f240a1 six-story building shone brightly.02d9329f72fc4e86

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.b55e006d647181c5

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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….0958de11a62b08a1

“Whew….”721880866e6c7562

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When I took off eede4d2d35 the work gloves tied 460d5ec648 up to my elbows, ebdf354855 the inside, soaked with a8fe5dc6d1 sweat, turned inside out. My palm, exposed c220ec964e to the outside 0d1e05290b air for the f01c0a7ca6 first time in fe8dde0df2 two hours, was ccb00f42cc wrinkled like someone 1e494475a3 who had just edb16f44a6 come from a 72d5dde4eb bathhouse. The sweat-soaked fingerprints smelled 5e9325b6ed like seafood steamed in 8157d190f9 salt.d67a9c03dacb135b

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.0fce55a6f45cd7e2

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Modern people are classified 4e2d194476 into three types. One, ordinary people a29197fce8 living without any 06491c5ada peculiar mutations or c00c39fd5b superpowers. Two, evolved humans who f617b1fbcf gained superpowers through acquired 230f505018 mutations, called ‘Newtype.’6fef5fa21cd80ea2

Among them, outstanding Newtypes b4765f12d9 defeat gates and monsters, 69459f3f59 earning the title of cd9116d7e9 ‘Sentinel.’ They’re the heroes edd95407dc of the present age, e48e544e64 receiving everyone’s admiration and 027ef8d4d2 love.739171c89fd8b4c0

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But even e846cf092b Sentinels have 175f9ce6e1 problems. Excessive mutations become diseases 0acf052823 and pain, and overwhelming 6d048f57da superpowers can drive Sentinels 07fd6ad82c insane, leading to rampages. In such cases, they 9d821bc3be need the help of 9c6409af71 another mutant. Someone who 0481d21ce2 can calm 0581dae0fb Newtypes and a87e3ef66e stop mutations, 024b6cbea4 like a 2f3c5be6ca prescription drug—a 3c1e729a0d ‘Guide.’77b2cb9c3f2c29d5

‘Deschement’ is the 7ff45b6ad6 first research center be99a121da to create a 11770c90f3 grading system for 72f309ab2c Newtypes and Guides, 7a22aa6e06 and it manages adc71ad0e4 only A-grade or 826c177f44 higher Sentinels and f7e6c75679 Guides as an f27baf1364 international organization. Deschement is always at e676bf78e6 the center of attention, 5710440cee but lately, it’s been fe9d65795f a hot topic in 27b34fe1fe every workplace.ead281ce52333d56

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It was due a2e7902ac4 to the bad a654146b27 news from Deschement.c7d35b9763c25731

‘An A0-grade ced0c7de3e Guide has 5adc1b83a8 gone missing 80dd6ce9e5 inside a 85d7072b37 gate.’ The c217e7a31d story itself 1267374e6d was absurd 6d3a7c4b32 and laughable, bb7da408c4 not tragic. The problem 4e551ac250 was that 3cce4d355e the missing 73cf89b4e5 person was 23a883b401 the partner 570a1a6114 of ‘Jae 9ad031dced Chaeui.’baa3c168107d6a56

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‘Jae Chaeui.’bb2625205c9c6029

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.ef0fa8a025b8fea6

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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.b43de7153bc71d4a

The public 02f9df8260 feared Jae e4deb710be Chaeui might edbf1a2eee lose his 6fa5bcc5a4 sanity and 17147a3a96 rampage without 2dfcd74911 a Guide fbd10a7367 to hold 8937efbbe9 his leash, 339d836956 and they 46f2a1544d also feared 16cee01b85 the absence e3e859a2fc of Jae bf2b173296 Chaeui might a5dafb193c lead to af1eff9845 some gate 52fbebe85c accident.e4973098f0404039

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It’s been five noisy days like this. Deschement seemed to have given up on finding the missing person.b509ae6f90924c12

‘They’re probably not alive anymore.’0600f2f72c9a0165

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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.98b4aa79214210e0

No qualifications 575cd8a5a3 or affiliations 0db64d91c3 required, new b3cd862f53 Guide recruitment.076432f00b9af757

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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.8bc02267ba310757

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.d732b37742aa79df

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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.f735d35a137a7564

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.375478f0e9bc4fa8

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‘I know, but….’a31839606d20eb4d

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….d8960371ca483787

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It’s been 20 years 8bdab4f57d since Jae Chaeui appeared e6a5a69358 with that terrifyingly handsome 5c52451ab6 face and a near-catastrophic 230db95cff tidal wave.c8969462935cff24

I remember the day a0cd4e6bc0 I first saw that 10bc311420 face on the news 65ad03910a screen. I was 3d08e16768 only six 89bcb65bee years old, 2ac283f0b4 holding a d81b8b5400 yogurt bottle fb2273f37f with a f9a5f1a2f5 straw, kneeling 950d34362f in front 9626ac8d43 of the 3cd418e3e2 TV.206e7c89aa3e0a9b

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In the 4861db06e9 screen filled 1e5368215e with blue d21d70663d and red 40dd1894f8 bold Gothic e7a46fec04 letters like 93b3e5aa62 ‘East Coast e23ef6408b Gate Collapse 4b50bcb8fc Accident,’ ‘Second bdb67a68eb Earthquake Warning,’ c0a7edfa44 ‘Live Broadcast,’ 345a31237b there was b952e3437f Jae Chaeui 8d06ae4d19 walking on 8e7eb11a9e the sea.cc1fbb7283c606f6

The memory bfcc378448 of that d7df2837ea moment is 82e8f43519 still vivid 6ba26dcc27 as if fa07eda3f9 it happened 89581acd8b yesterday.8ee13995016a1b9e

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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.24d357d53601e5e5

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.983a66d8525348a0

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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….859ce3a76b3272b5

“…Let’s go now.”01b1763976c0d31a

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Talking to myself without 416cc98969 a colleague to answer, e70541f8a4 I turned my head. I covered the dirty c2cb77ce3a sacks with a tarp 889171c19a over the truck bed 78442ebc72 and gulped down a 55fa469c60 bottle of water.0978472b47189845

When I got into 23087704ac the driver’s seat, the 797e6f52e0 digital clock showed it abfe304af8 was 4 a.m. I had entered 471a8be7ea the gate around 940d3cc5c4 10 p.m., so d9449f641c I had been 3030ff3942 working for six ece11afc27 hours straight. At least I met b8ce334ea4 today’s target early, which 9d11b25bae was good. In ten fed76c0ba4 more days, 3317da671c I could 04a3b79a2c clear all 63bc8272da the remaining 21be644d2b debris.6111582fab2e84ce

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The dirty and 7a94d1f57b filthy work that 725f7ad7f1 everyone else avoided e3ad5ef6e3 was essential for 536bec8267 my survival. Repeating myself, 5be04112bb I’m okay. It’s thanks to being de308faad2 different from others in 92e6c10153 a very trivial way.cb71b6c783651be1

I’m not particularly d060f97cb5 afraid of the 2a0e22e0a2 shattered ruins. I’m not scared 632e07c0ad of encountering monsters 8fe954720e or being killed 20088180e6 by them. Handling monster corpses isn’t bf508c9acb that disgusting to me. What can a4334ca9d5 I do 97d6e12ea2 if I’m 3aceafed32 naturally brave 06570b563e and have 5c5c74091c a strong 3ddec523e8 stomach?af254ae579a814d0

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Honestly, I think be42e07f76 this dirty and 5c937dcb39 filthy work isn’t ba05f5bef1 much different from 4159f62d40 a package loading c9516fe1dc and unloading part-time adf568a493 job. Except for the unique b3bc1ad2bc rotten monster smell that 5cc6505fdc seeps deep into my bf156bada0 sweat pores and doesn’t f20eaab6a8 go away for ten 783f3b0fa1 days.4a525a713b64a28a

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.446398e883dd9aaf

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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.51ad2f25aba085f6

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.a57b86a83f3ea702

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‘Never have sex with Newtype guys with restless groins.’4efc78eb09f9198e

That rule 034e3b4a3c has been 87e6382300 well-kept for 48f23c0b88 the past 720beb6aea two years. Given that my deded9e363 financial situation has 6be61f84dc worsened since then, 6ae5b45b2c my dignity seems 19d637a484 to be the a0d77a96db biggest obstacle making 15ad13606c my life difficult.89ba56d67d5e8440

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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.f075fd6c332be33e

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.37b15071b81467a2

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“Ha….”8a7d5eda0ac9297b

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.3890ba049f6c2415

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After a long deliberation, 358f8d2186 I put the cigarette dfd599e241 back into the pack. I always have 32c7fc0b70 to prepare for 90ca9e20e1 later. There will surely d113795a22 be a tougher b5a9e9b41a day when I 5431ca1d50 crave a cigarette d1f0d1091f more than today.c283b08358522958