Shadow in the Dust
Yeon Cheong leaned against the wall, waiting for the Red Guardians to appear. To reach Chunja Halmae’s house, he had to pass through this alley, and even with his Yeongdeung he could sense they were heading this way.
After some time, noisy voices echoed through the alley.
“Fuck off! What are you staring at?”
A group approached, spitting curses and phlegm as they strutted like they owned the world. They wore red uniforms, trying to look neat and proper.
‘They’re here.’
Yeon Cheong muttered while watching from a distance. Seeing them again after so long stirred strange feelings. Spotting red uniforms on the 1st floor had always meant bad luck. They would pick fights over nothing and refuse to back down until they had taken every scrap of food and water. Countless people had been beaten half to death in the process.
“Get lost. I’ve got no business with you today.”
They openly scowled and spat like desert hydras. Yeon Cheong slowly tailed them, listening in.
“Boss, does it make sense to bring everyone just to catch one kid?”
One member spoke to the man in the lead. The rough-looking man twisted his already unpleasant face further.
“Fuck, didn’t I tell you not to call me boss outside?”
“Sorry…”
Before the words finished, the leader’s fist smashed into the member’s cheek. Teeth flew into the air with a sharp crack.
“Sorry, Captain Go Jun-tae.”
The struck member picked up his teeth with a miserable expression and begged forgiveness through slurred speech. Nearby members laughed at the sight.
‘No wonder they fell apart so fast. No loyalty at all.’
Yeon Cheong thought as he followed. The Red Guardians had countless reasons for collapsing, but internal division was the biggest. Without respect or trust, they were fragile. Formed through raw violence, they scattered the moment their leader died. After Go Jun-tae’s death in some incident, they destroyed themselves through power struggles. Judge Gu Jeong-gi had tried to sever ties with the 1st floor over it, but his crimes caught up to him and he was eventually killed by the Janitor Yeon Cheong.
‘That’s just happening a little earlier.’
The time when Yeon Cheong received the Janitor offer was roughly ten years from now—a period when he had grown numb to killing. With the martial art Yeongdeung gained from multiple outings as a Veteran Deliveryman, his work as a Janitor had gone smoothly.
‘Observe the target. Gather information.’
Yeon Cheong carefully studied Go Jun-tae, using the same routine he had learned during his Janitor days. Once a target was marked, he objectively assessed how best to eliminate them.
‘With this body, even an ambush is questionable.’
No matter how great his senses and Yeongdeung advantage, his current body was only that of a child—fourteen or fifteen at most. Adults could actually kill him if they tried. Go Jun-tae was no ordinary man either.
‘Former Deliveryman, if I remember right.’
In the Tower, Deliverymen were treated as combat assets—people experienced fighting both monsters and humans. Literal weapons. Go Jun-tae had probably gone on few outings. Those who survived one or two trips and retired with their limbs intact were usually the ones who got scared and quit early. The truly skilled either received Janitor offers or had already moved upstairs. Go Jun-tae was the former type. He endured the hellish training, went on outings, then decided it wasn’t worth risking his life. He retired and built the ridiculous Red Guardians instead. The fame of a former Deliveryman plus overwhelming skill compared to ordinary people had been enough to grow the group.
While Yeon Cheong organized his thoughts, he spotted a very familiar figure in the alley.
‘Uncle Ben?’
He almost jumped out but barely held himself back and watched. From the front of the alley, Uncle Ben was slowly walking while supporting an elderly man.
“Hey, isn’t that Ben? Captain?”
A Red Guardian pointed at him. Yeon Cheong held his breath and observed.
“You guys…”
Ben looked flustered and stared at Go Jun-tae. Uncle Ben had also been a former Deliveryman, so they might have known each other. He had never once mentioned Go Jun-tae before. He only avoided the Red Guardians whenever they appeared. Back then Yeon Cheong thought it was just because they were filthy and despicable, but the fear on Ben’s face now was unmistakable.
“Ben, you still living like an idiot?”
When Go Jun-tae sneered, his men burst into laughter.
“If you were a former Deliveryman, you should live like me—pretending to be kind to the weak. Heard you became a ration officer this time?”
Go Jun-tae mocked as if his actions were something to brag about. Considering the suffering the Red Guardians had caused, his sneer was grotesque.
“That’s a mission from above. I’m living quite satisfied.”
Uncle Ben answered in a small voice. To think someone so reliable could be reduced to this. Yeon Cheong clenched the sand in his hand. Uncle Ben was his greatest benefactor. When Yeon Cheong had nowhere to go, Ben had taken him in and even secured him a house in the 1st floor residential zone.
“Yeah, I’m sure you are.”
Go Jun-tae sighed and walked forward. His real business wasn’t with Ben anyway.
“Come to think of it, you.”
A sudden thought seemed to cross his mind. He glared at Ben.
“Where’s that woman from back then? Did she die?”
Ben fell silent. The gang laughed loudly and tore into him.
“Well, living like that, that bitch probably ran off too.”
Go Jun-tae continued with a triumphant grin.
“Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to say. I’ve seen you with a little kid. Are you acquainted with that brat?”
“…Why do you ask?”
Go Jun-tae’s hand shot out and grabbed Ben by the collar. The watching members grinned, enjoying the show.
“I wanted to check if it’s the same kid I need to beat half to death.”
“Fuck! Are there only one or two kids on the 1st floor? There’s no way Yeon Cheong did anything wrong!”
“Yeon Cheong? Is that the kid’s name?”
At Ben’s shout, Go Jun-tae raised his fist, aiming straight for his face.
“Then call that kid over. I just need to see his face once.”
“Why should I?”
Ben spoke calmly.
“What?”
“Why should I call Yeon Cheong? What good would meeting a bastard like you do?”
“You wanna die? Acting all weak and leeching off others.”
“If what you’re looking for is Yeon Cheong…”
Ben continued despite the threats. Yeon Cheong pulled out the knife he had taken from Gu Min-chan.
“You think I’d just watch while you beat my kid half to death?”
“You filthy retarded bastard!”
Just as the fist flew, a dust storm rushed into the Tower again. Visibility vanished in an instant. Go Jun-tae spat and released the collar. Ben collapsed, covering his mouth and eyes. The Red Guardians coughed and shielded their faces.
“Wait! Something…”
A silhouette flashed past. Before anyone could react, one member’s eyes went blank and he collapsed. Go Jun-tae tried to peer through the dust. The wind was weakening, but only a small wavering shape could be seen through the thick fog.
“Aaaah!”
“Guh!”
Screams rang out. The sandy ground turned red with blood. Go Jun-tae shouted in rage.
“Fuck! Who the hell are you! Come out right now!”
Despite his curses, the sounds of his men dying echoed through the alley. Time passed. When the dust finally thinned, only Go Jun-tae remained. All his nearby subordinates lay dead, throats slit. The tall ones had their legs attacked first—knees and calves slashed, blood soaking the alley.
“Ben?”
Go Jun-tae turned around in fear, but Ben was already gone. The dust storm had given him the perfect chance to escape, and he had taken it.
“Fuck! Who is it!”
His screams grew more desperate, but there was no answer. Overcome by fear, Go Jun-tae started running. At that moment, a shadow soared through the fog. Go Jun-tae spun around, eyes wide.
“You bas—”
Before he could finish, Yeon Cheong, knife dripping blood, leaped from a rooftop. With his current weak body, a direct strike wouldn’t be enough. So he had climbed up and dropped from above, using weight and gravity. The blade drove straight into Go Jun-tae’s carotid artery and crushed his neck bone.
Thud!
Blood gushed out and splattered across Yeon Cheong’s face. He quickly stepped off the corpse and caught his breath.
“Ptui.”
Spitting out the blood in his mouth, Yeon Cheong stood up, hands trembling.
“Don’t touch my uncle.”