The Pitiful Life of a Betrayer
Kim Jun-su was living a wretched life.
Even though he worked as a hunter—one of the highest-paying professions out there—his quality of life was abysmal. He was scraping by, barely making enough to eat day by day, the epitome of a bottom-feeder.
And even that meager existence was precarious because of his shitty behavior. He couldn't even join a proper raid team.
The few teams he did manage to join always kicked him out soon enough, thanks to that foul personality of his.
If only his rank had been higher, he might've scraped together some stable income. But Kim Jun-su's rank was a measly E.
No progress at all since that day three years ago.
Yes, it was all because of that day three years ago that Kim Jun-su had ended up like this.
In a dingy alley off the bustling streets in front of the Seoul Great Labyrinth.
Today, as always, Kim Jun-su staggered along, drunk out of his mind.
Unable to join any decent raid teams, he stuck to the Upper Zone. Still, befitting a hunter in one of the top-earning jobs, he pocketed at least a million won every day.
The problem was blowing it all every single day.
"Ugh... fuck... life's just fucking peachy, huh? Peachy... What's everyone so goddamn happy about? Pisses me off..."
Kim Jun-su grimaced at the raucous laughter spilling out from every bar.
The main street wasn't far distance-wise, but it felt impossibly distant to him.
Like he was the only one cut off from it all.
"Fuck... this world's a real bitch... That retard raid leader prick... Got no skills himself but dares to fire me?"
Hic—
Hiccuping, Kim Jun-su spat out more curses.
Passersby who glanced at him quietly hurried away.
And seeing that only made Kim Jun-su curse even more.
A surge of pointless inferiority complex welled up inside him.
"Goddamn world...! You'll all regret this someday. Once I make it big... Yeah, once I'm a top hunter, I'll make you all grovel at my feet. Starting with that raid leader who fired me... Hic—."
Kim Jun-su muttered to himself, grinning like a maniac.
Anyone could see he looked unhinged.
He paid no mind to the pedestrians slinking away from him.
Then someone quietly stepped in front of him.
Thud—
Unable to dodge in time, Kim Jun-su stumbled and fell flat on his ass.
Considering a hunter's reflexes, he should've at least stayed on his feet, but Kim Jun-su was exceptionally wasted—even for a hunter—so he couldn't control his body properly.
"Huh? Fuck... what the hell? Who the fuck are you?"
Sprawled on the ground, Kim Jun-su scowled up at the man blocking his path.
It was a burly guy.
The dim streetlights obscured his face, but Kim Jun-su could tell he had a sharp, intimidating look.
He was about to unleash a barrage of curses but clamped his mouth shut.
This guy didn't look like an easy mark.
"Fuck..."
Whispering under his breath, Kim Jun-su staggered to his feet.
No matter how rock-bottom his life was, he knew better than to pick a fight with a thug like this.
Hunter or not, he was just an E-rank nobody.
He could at least tell when to push his luck and when to back off.
Kim Jun-su stood up, head bowed low.
Though unlikely, it felt like all the passersby were mocking him.
An unbearable humiliation surged through him.
Fuck... fuck... so fucking embarrassing...
Kim Jun-su tried to bolt from the scene.
If only the man hadn't grabbed him.
Grab—
A heavy hand clamped down on Kim Jun-su's shoulder.
He panicked for a split second, then rage boiled over.
All the shame and humiliation he'd been bottling up exploded at once.
Scary or not, he couldn't take it anymore.
Fuck... you think I'm easy pickings? Fine, let's end this...!
Just as Kim Jun-su shook off the hand and lunged at the man—
Squeeze— The grip on his shoulder tightened.
"Gah...!"
A scream burst out.
Even for a hunter like Kim Jun-su, accustomed to pain from the labyrinth, this was unbearable.
It hurt worse than any monster attack around here.
His shoulder felt like it was burning away.
"Aaaah...! It hurts! It fucking hurts...!"
Instantly, eyes turned toward Kim Jun-su's screams.
Some passersby whipped out their phones, looking ready to call the cops.
Ignoring them all, the man leaned in and whispered into Kim Jun-su's ear.
"Kim Jun-su."
"...! You bastard! You know who I am, huh?! Knew it from the start?! Fuck...! Who sent you? Who put you up to this?"
Kim Jun-su's mind raced furiously.
Who would send a high-rank-looking hunter to rough him up?
Fuck... who? Who's got it out for me? Park Sang-hyuk? Lee Jun-gu? Yoon Myung-chan?! No... those trash wouldn't... Then maybe...!
A name flashed into his head, and Kim Jun-su yelled.
"You bastard! Shin Jae-jun sent you? Finally decided to take out Kim Jun-su, huh? That fucker...! That piece of shit who deserves to be fried alive! Should've reported him ages ago!"
Having puzzled it out on his own, Kim Jun-su thrashed wildly, convinced.
"You think I'll go down easy? You picked the wrong guy! Think I wander around drunk like a lunatic for nothing? I prepared for this exact shit! You really think you can take me here, with all these people around?!"
Screaming that, Kim Jun-su turned to the passersby and shouted for help.
Or tried to.
If he hadn't locked eyes with the man staring impassively at him.
...Fuck? What kind of eyes are those...?
Are they even human?
For a moment, the man's eyes seemed to flash red. Then Kim Jun-su blacked out.
By the time police and association hunters arrived after reports from bystanders, both the man and Kim Jun-su were long gone.
"Ugh... ughhh."
Kim Jun-su's consciousness slowly returned.
Wincing at the slight headache, he suddenly snapped his eyes open.
His last memory had resurfaced.
And he realized he was alone.
A pitch-black space all around. A sliver of outside light filtered through a small window on one side.
"...A factory? Fuck... where the hell am I?"
Did that bastard bring me here? Kim Jun-su's face twisted in rage.
At least his body wasn't bound.
"Fuck, you think I'll go down like this? I'll survive no matter what... And Shin Jae-jun... that dogshit bastard... This time I'll report him for real... Won't listen no matter how much he begs..."
Staggering to his feet, Kim Jun-su fumbled in his pocket.
The darkness made it hard to see, so he wanted his phone's light at least.
"Didn't even take my phone... Ha, Shin Jae-jun, you fuck... What kind of half-assed thug did you hire? Can't even do the job right! Well, works in my favor..."
Feeling a bit calmer, Kim Jun-su picked up his phone.
Should he call the cops first?
He didn't know where he was, but to escape safely, alerting the association or police was best.
Just as he was about to hit call, a quiet voice echoed.
"Kim Jun-su."
"...Gah! Fuck!"
Crash-tumble-thud—
Startled by the low voice, Kim Jun-su rolled across the floor.
He must've hit something; his body ached all over.
His phone skittered away too.
"You bastard!"
Step-step—
Ignoring Kim Jun-su's yells, a figure emerged from the darkness and picked up the fallen phone.
The phone's glow briefly illuminated the man's face.
It looked vaguely familiar to Kim Jun-su.
"You...! Your face rings a bell...! One of Shin Jae-jun's goons?! What'd he tell you to do? What does he want from me?!"
"Hm... Still in touch with Shin Jae-jun?"
"Wh-what the fuck...?"
Reflexively retorting, Kim Jun-su scowled.
"You... you're not with Shin Jae-jun?"
"I asked first. Are you still in contact with Shin Jae-jun?"
The calm voice reverberated through the abandoned factory.
About to snap back, Kim Jun-su felt a chill and shut his mouth.
He was just an E-rank hunter hack, but years in the game had given him some street smarts.
You don't fuck with the guy in front of him.
Do that, and you're dead.
It was the terror and despair of facing a high-rank monster up close.
Kim Jun-su trembled violently.
The man's voice whispered in his ear again.
"That's three times now. Are you still in contact with Shin Jae-jun?"
"N-no! No! I got nothing to do with that trash anymore!"
"Then what was that earlier? Why do you think Shin Jae-jun's after you?"
"N-no contact, but he sent a goon recently! Told me to watch myself! So I figured you were one of his...!"
"Enough. No need for more explanation."
Kim Jun-su clamped his mouth at the steady voice.
Fuck... what? What's this guy's deal? Why's he asking about Shin Jae-jun? And why'd he kidnap me in the first place?
Dozens of questions swirled in his head in seconds.
He was too confused to sort them out, but one thing was crystal clear.
I want to live.
Kim Jun-su had been through all sorts of shit, but his desire to live burned fiercer than ever.
Especially now, with death breathing down his neck.
His eyes, starting to adjust to the dark, pierced toward the man at the center.
A familiar face from somewhere.
Remembering it might be his only way out.
Kim Jun-su racked his sluggish brain furiously.
"Kim Jun-su."
The indifferent voice echoed quietly.
Kim Jun-su flinched, shuddering.
The voice felt as chilling as the Grim Reaper's.
"Y-yes?!"
"You've done a lot of thinking, huh. If you'd been living well, that would've pissed me off in its own way, but this... this is just too pathetic."
Kim Jun-su couldn't comprehend a word.
The voice wasn't registering at all.
He was just trembling from the creeping chill.
"Not that I'd have let you off easy. I was just pondering what to do to a guy already wallowing in misery for the best revenge."
"R-re-re-revenge?"
"Yeah. Revenge."
The man nodded slowly.
Kim Jun-su's face drained of color at the deliberate motion.
"R-revenge?! Wait...! S-sir! What did I ever do to you...?!"
The man tilted his head at the frantic yell, murmuring "Hm?"
Then nodded again with an "Aah."
"Right. It must feel sudden to you. You'd have forgotten and gone on living normally... Good to note. I'll warn the other two beforehand."
With that, the man stepped forward.
As he approached, Kim Jun-su instinctively backed away.
His body shook uncontrollably.
"Kim Jun-su."
"P-please spare me...! S-sorry! I don't know what I did, but I'll reflect! I'll atone...! So please... please...!"
Ignoring the quavering pleas, the man advanced steadily.
Kim Jun-su hit the wall, nowhere left to retreat. The man stopped right in front of him and met his eyes.
"Look at me."
In the darkness, crimson eyes gleamed.
An unnatural, blood-red no human should have.
Kim Jun-su's body shook violently.
"Sp-spare..."
"Does anyone come to mind? Still don't get it? Nothing at all?"
The calm yet slightly agitated voice pierced his brain.
Kim Jun-su stared blankly at the man's face.
Still familiar, like he'd seen it somewhere.
Where? Where have I seen him...? Fuck! Think! Figure it out, Kim Jun-su!
His frantic thoughts hit a spark. He shuddered.
A bit sharper now, but definitely familiar.
One of the two faces haunting his nightmares relentlessly for three years.
Staring entranced, Kim Jun-su bellowed.
"Yu... Yu Jun-young...!"
The man smiled faintly.
"Finally remembered."
"H-how...?! You're supposed to be...!"
"The how doesn't matter, Kim Jun-su. What matters is I'm here now."
"...Fuck...! Damn it...! Goddamn it!"
Thud— Kim Jun-su shoved the man with all his might.
It was a desperate push, but it had zero effect, of course.
The man silently took it and continued evenly.
"Kim Jun-su, I told you. You've done a lot of thinking."
"Fuck... fuck...! Fucking hell...!"
"What to do to a guy like you, already at rock bottom in the sewer. What would make you truly despair."
"I-it was unavoidable! What would you have done?! If you were in our shoes...!"
"Then I realized. For trash like you, nothing's more precious than that worthless life."
The man slowly extended his hand.
Kim Jun-su twisted desperately to dodge the creeping fingers, but somehow couldn't.
Even though they moved slow as molasses.
"J-Jun-young! Yu Jun-young! W-we weren't so bad, right? F-forgive me! I'll atone forever! Please!"
"Killing you quick would be boring. I'll kill you slow. Don't worry, I learned healing magic too—no risk of dying too soon."
"F-fuck! Hey! It wasn't just me! What about Shin Jae-jun and Lee Ha-na?! Those dogshit bastards...?!"
"No need to worry about them. They'll join you soon enough. Go on ahead and wait."
"Fuck... fuck...! Jun-young! Yu Jun-young! Spare me! It was all my fault back then!"
The man chuckled softly at Kim Jun-su's frantic survival screams.
"We'll start simple with some mild poison. Don't worry, it's not lethal."
"Ah... aaah...!"
Grab—
The man's hand finally touched Kim Jun-su's neck.
"Dawn's still far off. Let's enjoy it slowly till then."
With those matter-of-fact words, a man's agonized howls began echoing through the abandoned factory.
Until the morning sun rose.