Chapter 34
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 034
Chapter Title: Korean Awakener Alliance Kim Geuk - [1]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
「Breaking news: With Behemoth's projected path heading toward Seoul...」
Even now, whenever I saw news like this, it still didn't feel real. The word 'Behemoth' on the news? Originally just a monster from the Bible or whatever, something that only showed up in RPGs back in the 21st century. Hearing such a fantastical term mentioned in a serious tone by a sharply dressed suit-wearing anchor gave me this weird sense of dislocation, like I'd been sucked into a game world.
「...Around 4 p.m., Hunter Kang Jun-chi arrived in Seoul. It's known that monsters inside gates detect the presence of awakeners outside and alter their course accordingly. Remarkably, news has just come in that the moment Hunter Kang Jun-chi reached Seoul, the movement of Behemoth inside the gate and the horde of monsters trailing it came to a complete halt. The military has stated they will continue to seize every opportunity to enter the gate and keep a close watch on Behemoth's path...」
I'd just been idly watching the news from the car without much thought.
Baek Dam-bi, sitting in the seat next to me, spoke up.
"Thank you."
I turned to look at Baek Dam-bi. My round girl was looking back at me.
"Thank me for what?"
"For letting me report that Behemoth was heading toward Seoul. My name even made it onto the list of top contributors..."
That day when the two of us entered the gate, Baek Dam-bi had spotted the massive monster Behemoth moving in one direction and reported it through the association.
At the time, I'd just backed her up by confirming everything she said was true, leaving the detailed report and testimony entirely to her.
So this time around, she was the one drawing everyone's attention—and for someone who'd been desperate for a chance to rack up achievements as an awakener hunter, this must have felt incredibly validating.
In truth, I couldn't have taken the lead on the testimony even if I'd wanted to.
"I was lost in thought back then and didn't properly see Behemoth or anything."
Baek Dam-bi gave an awkward laugh at my words.
"Come on, you have to say something believable. How could you miss something that huge moving around?"
Baek Dam-bi believed I'd intentionally yielded the chance to testify about that massive monster to her.
Well, no helping it. I couldn't exactly tell her that I'd been seeing hallucinations, seething with rage, and didn't have the mental bandwidth to notice whether Behemoth or a golden hamster was moving.
"I'm serious, thank you."
With that, Baek Dam-bi fell silent, and quiet settled over the car.
It felt awkward. Feeling this obligation like I had to say something, I finally opened my mouth after a bit.
"Random question, but do you know about HuntWeb?"
Baek Dam-bi looked at me again.
"Hunting Web?"
"No, HuntWeb."
"What's that? First time hearing it. A dating site?"
At Baek Dam-bi's nonchalant reply, I thought to myself that her brazenness really lived up to the 'Ice Princess' nickname.
"It's a site where hunters gather to chat or post info. Lots of active hunters among the users, so it's got useful information. But you might want to steer clear. The users there are just awful."
"Eh, the internet's all like that."
"True, but HuntWeb is especially bad. I got mad plenty of times while active there. There's this user called Cyber Magneto, seems like an X-Men superfan nutjob? The first post I ever saw there was that lunatic claiming all non-awakeners should be gassed."
"What a clown..."
I couldn't get a good read on Baek Dam-bi's detailed expression because of those sunglasses.
Suppressing the urge to confiscate the damn things, I continued.
"Beyond clownish—total scumbag! One time I complained that it was unfair awakeners could break site rules without getting banned, and that psycho Cyber Magneto got offended and told me to go hang myself with my mom. I was so hurt tears welled up."
"Hmm, getting flamed online... doesn't seem like something that would faze you, Kim Geuk."
"No, see, my mom really did die. I'm no filial son, but getting pad-lipped about the deceased made my hands and feet shake."
I earnestly warned her multiple times not to even glance at that trash site where a deranged user like that operated for years without a ban, and our Cyber Magneto just replied with a reluctant "Yes..."
Only after a long pause did she add something.
"It's in the past, so consoling you now feels weird... but don't take it too much to heart. Hang in there."
"Huh, how'd you know it's old news? Did I mention it?"
"You talked about it so casually..."
The car came to a stop. As I got out, Naido hyung—who'd arrived first on his bike—grinned and said,
"Good hunting today too. Incheon forever!"
I barely held back a frown and nodded expressionlessly.
"Incheon forever."
That day's hunt stretched longer than usual until 5:48 p.m., allowing us to completely wipe out the monsters lurking on Manwol Mountain.
This meant our operational area was shifting elsewhere—specifically, it was time to hunt around the Incheon Awakener Accommodation Facility.
And that also meant the eyes of the nearby residents would soon focus on me and that facility.
After finishing the hunt, I worked out as usual that day too, repeated training with Seong Mun-yeong on reacting to bullets, and even then didn't head home.
Before parting, Seong Mun-yeong asked,
"Heading there again today? To mess with the protesters?"
"Yeah."
"This guy's moving all day and doesn't even get tired..."
"Tired or not, things need doing."
As Seong Mun-yeong gave a thumbs-up saying I was impressive, I repeated spatial jumps. With my teleportation range much improved from before, teleporting instead of walking was becoming pretty feasible.
Soon enough, I reached my destination.
Shaking off the dizziness, I surveyed the awakener accommodation facility and its surroundings. The sight made me furrow my brow.
Today too, Park Mi-hyeong and the nearby residents were facing off.
I started toward the residents but paused when I noticed the signs they held.
Reading the words on them, I blinked.
'Oppose the facility that tramples awakener human rights!'
'Awakeners want to live freely!'
What the hell? Why the sudden human rights talk?
Just to check, I looked at the protesters holding the signs—they were definitely the locals I remembered, the ones who'd wanted the 'freezer' moved elsewhere. But why this?
"Did those people change strategies?"
When I approached and asked, Park Mi-hyeong widened her eyes before sighing.
"This guy really keeps coming even after I told you not to... Yeah, looks like they switched tactics."
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious you're protecting the ice awakeners? They're pretending to care about them to push for removing the facility."
I looked again at the signs claiming awakener human rights violations.
"But aren't those claims right in themselves?"
"What?"
"That the facility violates human rights. I worked with the Korean Awakener Alliance, so I know—the ice awakeners all hate living there."
Managed by the military, the facility had that typical stifling military vibe.
Residents couldn't freely enter or leave; they were forced to log destinations and expected return times on a status board for every outing.
There was even a curfew—gates slammed shut at 9 p.m., blocking access. It wasn't for nothing that people rejected staying inside despite free lodging.
Hell, that HuntWeb scumbag who'd pad-lipped me had hated it so much he straight-up left for another world.
After those hallucinations, my own view of the facility had changed too. It suddenly felt uncomfortable just looking at it.
Meanwhile, Park Mi-hyeong spoke up with a complicated expression.
"True, but we still need facilities like that. It's a necessary evil, this accommodation center."
"The freezer?"
"Yeah. Locking people up like that and restricting their freedom is obviously wrong... but if we get rid of it, where do those residents go?"
Park Mi-hyeong gestured to herself and continued.
"Look at me. Got money and some social status, but can't even buy an apartment—living in the villa I was gonna rent out. Regular folks have it worse. Can't afford apartments, let alone crumbling multi-households."
"The country wants all ice awakeners crammed into places like that. Easier to manage."
"Exactly. So even if a landlord innocently tries renting to an ice awakener, the government won't let it slide. They harass the owner into submission. Constant reports on neighborhood conditions, or sending officials to nag about no emergency elevators or evacuation supplies since monster risks are high with an ice awakener around—making it so annoying they chase them out."
Not exactly new info, but it grated hearing it. Was this the hallucination's aftereffect too?
Park Mi-hyeong raised her voice, clearly frustrated.
"I get dispersing ice awakeners everywhere is risky, sure—but if you're forcing them into one spot half against their will, at least make the damn facilities decent! Look at Incheon's—it's like they dug up apartments from the high king era or something and slapped 'new nest' signs on them. A joke?"
"You're a councilor now—can't you improve things?"
Park Mi-hyeong shook her head at my question.
"Being a councilor changes nothing. No way. Even if I were Incheon mayor, I couldn't push budgets for hated facility upgrades—residents would riot first. Some even say be grateful we're not killing ice awakeners like in India..."
Even back when I was with the Korean Awakener Alliance, I'd never accomplished anything for them. During protests for persecuted awakeners, passersby never cheered us on.
Like those zombie rights activists in zombie flicks who get portrayed not as deep thinkers, but idiots manufacturing crises.
That's exactly how people looked at us back then—the frowning faces, the looks of contempt. I still remember. My self-esteem steadily eroded during those days.
Well, not surprising on reflection. Awakeners are about 1 in 2,000 people—far rarer than the 5% disabled population.
If facilities for the disabled aren't even improving, why would anyone care about even fewer awakeners?
With awakeners such a tiny minority, protests or votes hold no real political sway.
Mention awakener rights, and you'd just get scolded: why pamper the ones raking in billions already?
In this democracy, there's no way to change it.
In this ugly system where the worthless majority hogs all rights by sheer numbers, awakeners like me can't budge anything.
How to break this nightmare?
Scrap democracy for something far older and righter: monarchy.
Maybe even a refined feudal system.
Awakeners like me taking titles like earl or duke, looking after frail non-awakener peasants.
I even know who to crown king. Kang...
Anyway, stress always spawns weird fantasies. Damn it.
I shook off the strange thoughts creeping into my head and approached the protesters.
They couldn't withstand my silent pressure, gave up, and left—finally restoring peace to the awakener accommodation facility.
Park Mi-hyeong nagged at me.
"You worked too hard today—really don't come tomorrow, okay? I know how much you grind every day; it's burdensome why do this..."
With that, my day finally ended. Teleporting home again, the dizziness hit so hard I could barely endure it.
I'd just collapsed to wash up and sleep when my phone rang.
The caller ID was familiar: the Incheon city hall official who'd handled me before. What at this late hour?
Tired, but I picked up.
"What's up this late?"
「Sorry for the hour, but can you come now? It's urgent!」
I had no idea what it was, but if the official was calling, better go.
I bolted up, sleep forgotten.