Savior
Sihyeok was dragged along by Chaeyi's hand as they wandered aimlessly through the sprawling pavilions of Job Kingdom. While it was certainly a relief that her mood had brightened after their reconciliation, her newfound clinginess was bordering on overwhelming. Still, outside of that minor grievance, he had little reason to complain. Before arriving, the mere thought of spending an entire day catering to a child's whims had given him a headache; by comparison, buying peace with a brief moment of embarrassing humiliation had proven to be quite a bargain.
Having just finished an exhausting stint delivering mail on miniature bicycles, the pair promptly relocated to the firefighter simulation zone.
"Fire! There's a fire!"
"You know it's fake, right?"
Chaeyi paid him no mind. Thrilled, she grabbed a hose styled like a water gun and gleefully blasted streams of water at the holographic flames. Sihyeok, on the other hand, sprayed water at completely empty walls until a flustered staff member intervened.
"If I do this, we get to stay here longer," he replied flatly, taking his sweet time.
To be honest, it wasn't that the firefighting activity was particularly entertaining—it was just the least physically taxing option available. The previous stations had been pure extortion. First, they had forced him to pedal all over the place delivering envelopes, and right after that was the construction site, where they were tasked with hauling torso-sized plastic blocks. The blocks were surprisingly heavy, demanding both of them to heave and strain just to budge a single piece.
Is this really an educational career experience? It's downright brutal.
The other children viewed it as play and barely registered the fatigue, but Sihyeok felt as though he had signed up for uncompensated manual labor.
If I keep letting her drag me around like this, my stamina will be completely wiped out.
Determined to save his aching joints, Sihyeok scanned the area, spotted an attraction that appeared to require minimal physical effort, and pointed a finger. "Hey. Let's go do that one."
"I told you to call me Noona!"
"..."
Sihyeok clamped down on his surging blood pressure, but he couldn't stop his expression from turning stony. Noticing his rigid face, Chaeyi hesitated for a brief moment before poking his cheek with the tip of her finger.
"...Fine! You don't have to call me Noona. But don't call me 'hey' either. Call me by my name, okay?" Seeing his mood sour every time she insisted on being called 'Noona', Chaeyi decided to drop the tease. "So, what's that over there?"
"Whew... fine."
It was a mock courtroom set. If they went inside, they would likely engage in a pretend trial where all he had to do was sit comfortably in a chair and read scripted lines. He had picked it strictly for its sheer convenience, but Chaeyi looked profoundly underwhelmed.
"Looks boring. Let's do something else."
An energetic girl who thrived on running around, she clearly wanted something hands-on. Realizing there was no swaying her, Sihyeok chose surrender.
"Sure... just do whatever you want."
Chaeyi looked around the theme park, her eyes darting from pavilion to pavilion until they suddenly widened with excitement. "That one looks like so much fun! Hurry, let's go!"
The moment the words left her mouth, she sprinted off without a second's pause. Swallowing a weary sigh, Sihyeok trailed slowly behind her.
The pavilion they arrived at was by far the grandest and most striking facility in all of Job Kingdom. Above its lavishly decorated entrance hung a massive, luminous sign bearing a single word.
SAVIOR
At the sight of that word, Sihyeok's feet froze.
It was merely a title, yet something flared up from the deepest recesses of his chest, searing and raw. Before his regression, he had poured everything he possessed into that single name. His body, his youth, his very soul—right up to the final breath where he was consumed by flame, the entirety of Cha Sihyeok's life had been bound beneath the mantle of a Savior.
Forcing down the tempest of memories threatening to unseat his composure, he drew a measured breath and smoothed his expression into an indifferent mask before stepping toward the threshold.
...That's right. It's all in the past now.
Carving that truth into his mind, he forced his leaden legs forward into the exhibit.
Long ago, when the invasion beyond the dimensional rifts first erupted, the world stood teetering on the brink of annihilation. Amidst the ceaseless tide of Dimension Erosion, the Lord God bestowed divine grace upon mankind, giving birth to the New Humanity to grant humanity salvation. Yet, possessing supernatural mana circuits did not inherently forge a savior. Despite being granted power that far eclipsed that of Old Humanity, the overwhelming majority succumbed to terror, hoarding their strength solely for personal preservation and selfish greed.
Even so, a rare few chose a different path.
Watching the world crumble into smoldering ash, they took up arms of their own free will. Not at the behest of any authority, nor to satisfy anyone's expectations, but solely out of an unyielding resolve to spare this world from further torment. Through desperate, bloody warfare against the apocalyptic onslaught, that tiny vanguard of New Humanity held the line and delivered mankind from the abyss.
People came to call them by a sacred title: Savior.
They were the redeemers who willingly walked into hell. Because they served as a lone beacon of light in mankind's darkest hour, Saviors became objects of universal reverence and idolization. And yet, very few actively sought to join their ranks. Ordinary citizens simply could not withstand the terrifying bloodlust of extra-dimensional Monsters, and the vocation boasted the single highest casualty and mortality rate in the world. Families and mentors almost universally dissuaded youths from pursuing the path.
In response, municipal governments across the globe argued that all New Humanity should be forcibly conscripted as Saviors. However, the first generation of Saviors summarily struck down the motion.
The heroes who saved humanity declared: A Savior is not made by decree, nor is the mantle earned through noble bloodlines or extraordinary talent. It belongs solely to those who, from the instant they choose that path, are prepared to shoulder total accountability and embrace the imminent reality of death.
One does not become a Savior to be celebrated as a hero. They crave neither fame nor glory. It is a solemn covenant to stand on the front lines fully prepared to perish at any moment—a sacred vow to burn oneself away so others might live in the light.
Self-sacrifice. That alone was the sole qualification required to be a Savior.
The Savior vocational arena was structured around three-person teams traversing a miniature cityscape to hunt down mascot-costumed monsters played by part-time staff. Nine children, split evenly into three teams, were participating in this round. The objective was dead simple: whichever team subdued the highest tally of monsters would claim victory.
To register a takedown, the children had to vigorously wail on the inflatable mascot monsters using foam-padded weapons until the air escaped the costumes, after which they could harvest a small glass marble representing a Magic Stone. In essence, it was a glorified game of tag. The costumed staff weren't allowed to strike back; their only role was to run away.
Furthermore, the squad that collected the most marbles would be awarded a limited-edition character plushie modeled after a celebrated Savior: Han Seorin.
A top-echelon Savior in her early twenties, she was renowned for combining breathtaking beauty with genius-tier martial talent. Only by possessing youth, striking looks, and overwhelming combat prowess could one ascend to such astronomical public stardom. Sihyeok recalled her distinctive fighting style: she used telekinesis to manipulate an array of floating daggers in battle, executing an ethereal display of flying swords. Such a flashy, poetic methodology had undoubtedly played a massive role in her explosive popularity.
Meanwhile, Chaeyi's eyes were practically dinner plates the moment she saw the prize. An iron determination settled over her features. I am definitely taking first place!
Seeing her practically vibrating with competitive fervor, Sihyeok asked, "You really want that thing?"
"Of course! It's mine! Nobody else is getting it!"
Her intensity sailed past mere enthusiasm and landed straight into sheer bloodlust. Scratching the back of his neck, Sihyeok remarked casually, "I could win it for you, you know."
"Huh? How?"
"I have my ways."
Chaeyi squinted at him, radiating pure skepticism. "Pfft... boys are all the same." Crossing her arms, she looked down at him with an amused smirk and patted his head patronizingly. "Sihyeok, you're weaker than me. And look over there—there are older elementary school kids on the other teams! How could you beat them? Just stay behind Noona and let me protect you, okay?"
She clearly assumed he was spouting the usual empty bravado common among kindergarten boys. Naturally, Sihyeok had intended nothing of the sort.
Sigh... I can't exactly beat up an actual child, can I?
After being coddled and treated like a helpless toddler all day, Sihyeok's patience was wearing razor-thin. Deciding to use this opportunity to liberate himself, he brushed her hand away and laid out a deal.
"I don't need your protection. How about this: if I take first place and hand you that doll, you promise to never lay a finger on me again."
"No way! What are you planning to do?! You're gonna get hurt!" Chaeyi shrieked.
"How am I going to get hurt? It's just a game."
After a round of stubborn bickering, Chaeyi finally caved to his terms. "Fine. But the second it looks dangerous, you stop! Promise!"
They hooked their pinkies and pressed their thumbs together to seal the pact. In truth, Chaeyi had zero intention of honoring it. Whether Sihyeok secured first place or walked away empty-handed was irrelevant to her; she was simply eager to see what ridiculous stunt he was going to pull. However, her expectations were immediately shattered by what Sihyeok asked the pavilion attendant next.
"Excuse me, am I allowed to roam around and hunt on my own?"
The staff member let out a tired sigh, looking distinctly annoyed. "I mean... there's no rule against it, but..."
Every now and then, there were bratty kids desperate to show off who went rogue. Watching the pair, the attendant concluded that an internal team squabble was imminent. The inflatable suits barely deflated even when three kids pummeled them together; if their team fractured, finishing in dead last was an absolute certainty.
Before long, the countdown dwindled to zero. The children filed into their assigned starting gates, with Sihyeok lightly swinging his foam sword to loosen up his shoulders. Chaeyi whined beside him, begging to tag along, but pouted grumpily when he shot her down without hesitation.
WHEEEEEE—!
A piercing siren heralded the start of the simulation. Simultaneously, manufactured screams and recorded explosion effects boomed through the speakers, filling the miniature arena with artificial chaos. The volume was far louder than anticipated; several of the younger toddlers burst into tears on the spot, and even the older elementary schoolers froze in place, momentarily rattled by the sudden commotion.
Sihyeok, however, bolted into the set without missing a single beat.
As he sprinted, he glanced over his shoulder to check on Chaeyi. She was clamping her hands over her ears to block out the noise, but showed no signs of genuine fear. Relieved, he turned back and shifted into a full sprint.
Having observed the prior group's run with analytical precision, he coolly assembled the operational parameters in his head.
Six mascot targets. A time limit of roughly ten minutes. The operational area is about half the size of a school sports field.
He laid out the variables like chess pieces, calculating the optimal route.
Inside those mascot suits are adult part-time workers. Even if the inflatable padding hampers their mobility, children cannot outrun fully grown adults in a straight chase. Therefore, closing the distance via line of sight is inefficient—stealth ambushes must be the default doctrine.
Having finalized his plan, Sihyeok vaulted effortlessly onto the roof of the tallest miniature building on the lot, scouting the terrain to pin down the mascots' positions. Catching his breath, he leveled his foam blade toward the nearest target.
All preparations were complete.
Now, it was time to hunt.