Reverse Scale
"Baeksa Guild..." Yuseorin took a sip of her coffee. Choi Cheolseung, sitting across from her, nodded.
"Yeah. They've had a notorious reputation in the underworld for ages. We've finally got a lead on their tail."
Baeksa Guild. This massive organization, deeply rooted in the underworld, was infamous for one reason alone: human hunting. They killed people to harvest organs or kidnapped promising Awakeners to sell as slaves—pure scum. It wasn't just a Korean problem, either. Similar disappearances were happening nonstop around the world.
Were they using them for live experiments? Or acting like some insane cult? Their true motives were shrouded in mystery. But one thing was certain: they were a cancerous tumor that society had to cut out.
"Seorin, I'd like you to take this case."
"Me?"
"Yes. We can't let it slide anymore." Choi Cheolseung let out a sigh. "The last sighting was in Incheon."
Incheon. The moment she heard the name, Yuseorin's eyes flickered faintly. It was a place she'd always meant to check out someday. She'd kept putting it off due to her packed schedule, but now there was no reason to wait. All the trails led back to Incheon.
After a brief silence, Yuseorin took a sip of her now-cold coffee and spoke. "Understood. I'll go."
"Good. I'll assign some inspectors to—"
"No. I'll go alone."
Yuseorin cut him off sharply. "It's easier that way. No one grabbing at my ankles."
Choi Cheolseung stared at her for a moment before giving a wry smile. "...Figured you'd say that."
Instead of replying, Yuseorin drained the rest of her cold coffee in one go and stood up.
A distant memory flashed through her mind. A rusty swing in an old playground. Narrow, shabby alleyways. And the faint image of a boy who always stepped forward first, gladly offering his hand.
Incheon's nightscape blurred past the window. Red and blue lights stretched long across the glass. Yuseorin crossed her arms, quietly gazing outside. It had been so long it should feel unfamiliar, but Incheon's air was strangely familiar.
Not just the feeling of returning home, though. Her gaze lingered on her reflection in the window. Expressionless face. Eyes that hid emotions well. The world called her World Rank 1, humanity's strongest. But right now, her mind wasn't filled with grand duty.
Yuseorin slowly closed her eyes. 'Is that guy... still here?'
She didn't know why. Nostalgia for her hometown? Old memories? She just wanted to check once. See if he was alive. They hadn't crossed paths since she left for overseas.
Yuseorin opened her eyes. "I'll get off here."
"Pardon?"
"I'll walk."
The startled attendant glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "But we're still a ways from your destination."
"It's fine."
The car pulled over to the roadside. Stepping out, Yuseorin slowly turned to look down the night street. A cold wind brushed her cheek the moment she exited.
Choi Siljang silently scanned the data on his monitor.
Unaffiliated, E-rank, and a fringe class like Summoner. On the surface, it was a pathetic profile, a dime a dozen on the streets. But the timing of Kim Seokdu's entire party vanishing lined up too perfectly with this guy's movements.
"Anything else?"
At Choi Siljang's question, his subordinate quickly flipped through the screens. "We pulled every record around his Association registration. Residence is in Incheon, Juwan district. Family: just one younger sister."
"Parents?"
"Dead for years."
Choi Siljang's eyes narrowed like a snake's. "The sister an Awakener too?"
"No... She's hospitalized. Long-term coma."
Tap, tap, tap. His fingers drummed the desk rhythmically, like a snake eyeing prey.
"Sir. What should we do?"
Choi Siljang didn't answer, just stared at the photo on the monitor. The young man's face was utterly ordinary. No trace of venom or killing intent—just a common mug you'd see anywhere. The kind that'd crumble silently if you stepped on it.
After a long gaze, Choi Siljang twisted his lips into a sinister grin. "Sister's laid up in a hospital, huh."
That single line made his subordinate's expression subtly harden. Lighting a cigarette, Choi Siljang murmured low. "No better leash than that."
"You don't mean... start with the hospital?"
"Depends."
Short and indifferent. He exhaled a long plume of smoke, pointing at the monitor with a finger. "Send the guys out first. Watch his house, the hospital, every gate he hits. The moment he slips alone, rip him apart."
"Got it. But sir..."
The subordinate bowed his head, face darkening as he hesitated. "The tribute deadline's midnight in two days."
Choi Siljang's gesture froze. The subordinate swallowed dryly and continued. "They ordered seven this batch from upstairs, but we've only got four secured. Kim Seokdu's party vanishing punched a hole in the quota."
The room's air chilled instantly. Choi Siljang tapped ash into the tray and slowly looked up. "That's why we need this bastard. If he took down that idiot Kim Seokdu, he's no mere E-rank. Prime merchandise."
"So, use him for the tribute...?"
Choi Siljang chuckled. "Decide after we see him squirm. Drag him alive, and if he plays nice, sell him high. If he keeps barking, toss him in this batch. Win-win either way."
Cold sweat trickled down the subordinate's back. The calm voice treating humans like meat chunks was all the more horrifying.
"Wrap it by midnight two days from now. Grab that fucker no matter what."
"Understood!"
The subordinate bolted out, leaving heavy silence. Alone, Choi Siljang eyed Eugene's photo again. He viciously ground out his cigarette stub, licking his lips with serpentine greed.
"The best merchandise... was hiding right here."
Blood wolf. A low-tier beast in the dungeon. But wolves prefixed with "blood" carried an otherworldly power for a reason.
1st floor guardian. Crimson, the blood beast tamer. The "blood" descriptor meant they were all special monsters forged by her hand.
Like a secondary refinement. Modified variants of existing beasts, twisted into something far more vicious. Naturally several times stronger than normal.
You could tell just from the aura radiating off this blood wolf.
Eugene stared at the summoned blood wolf in the clearing. With his current mana, he could maintain it for...
'About five minutes.'
Short, but no regrets. A solid, powerful card in his deck now. Time would extend as he grew stronger anyway.
Eugene waved his hand lightly, dismissing the summon. A mere thought was enough. The massive body dissolved into mist, sinking into the shadows.
Intense hunger hit him simultaneously. Pushing mana to the limit, huh. 'Gotta eat something.'
He'd once skimped to eat instant ramen daily. But no more poverty. His account had nine figures, and steady mana stone sales kept cash flowing. Yesterday, he even added two eggs to his ramen.
Eugene turned without lingering. Testing summons at dawn meant no one around.
'Somewhere to eat...'
At this hour, only 24-hour spots like gukbap joints or cheap diners. Grab a bite and head home.
Bundling his coat collar against the chill, Eugene rounded a corner hunting for food. That's when...
Someone emerging from the opposite shadows brushed shoulders with him.
"......"
Eugene walked on without suspicion. Even in a deserted dawn alley, bumping into one passerby wasn't odd. His mind was full of menu options anyway.
But two steps later.
No warning.
Pffft! A sharp ripping sound exploded behind him.
"What...?"
His shadow surged first. Instinctive defense. Black hands erupted from the darkness, snatching three razor-sharp ice shards mid-flight in a blink.
Crushed by shadow, fragments scattered across the ground. Eugene's eyes widened. His brain hadn't caught up.
Shrrk! This time, from the adjacent alley's gloom, mana-infused steel-wire ropes lashed like vipers at his ankle.
Crunch! But shadows blocked it. A black hand yanked the wire mid-air, snapping it with brute force.
Undeterred, a dark figure dropped silently from the wall above.
Fwosh! Hitting the ground, the man crouched beast-like. His dagger thrust mercilessly at Eugene's nape.
"Die...!"
Before the word fully escaped—
Thwack! A massive black fist burst from the shadow, smashing the man's jaw head-on.
"Guhk!"
The man's body spun half a turn in mid-air before slamming into the pavement. Only then did Eugene reflexively back away, assessing.
Ambush. At least three hostiles.
Shhhrk. The thick darkness at his feet writhed like a living beast, coiling protectively. Black ripples claimed meters of ground in seconds. The narrow alley's air grew frigid.
Eugene's gaze hardened. It locked on the man who'd brushed past moments ago. He'd stopped, staring straight back.
"Damn... E-rank Awakener, my ass? This ain't what we heard!"
The apparent leader glanced at his groaning comrade on the ground, grinding his teeth. Clear intel failure. Target was a mere Summoner, E-rank. So what was that shadow blocking attacks solo?
"Don't panic! He's alone. Rush him all at once!"
With the leader's urgent shout, the rest burst from hiding. Mana-charged weapons closed in from all sides.
But Eugene didn't dodge or retreat. He just clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Of all times, on my way to eat."
Even dogs don't mess with a meal. As Eugene extended his hand, a horrific pressure—like the alley itself collapsing—smashed down.
"Grahhh!"
"Kuhk...!"
The airborne assailants crashed like iron weights. Asphalt spiderwebbed, debris flying. Overwhelming gravity pinned them immobile.
The leader, vomiting blood, barely lifted his head. "Guh...! You, you bastard. Think you can touch Baeksa Guild and walk? Your sister—that bitch— we'll grab her right now and tear her to—"
Snap.
The thread of reason broke. No hallucination.
The crushing air froze grotesquely colder. Annoyance vanished from Eugene's eyes, replaced by pitch-black killing intent.
"What did you just... say?"
"Ha, haha! Yeah! Your sister's in the hospital, right? Touch us, and that bitch is—!"
Eugene's voice was chillingly calm. "Is that so...?"
With that short reply, the gravity exploded abnormally. Too late to rein in his rage.
Crush!
"G-gaaaaahhh!"
The three besides the leader burst like under a massive press. Bones shattered, guts ruptured—the wet sounds brief. Blood and mangled flesh soaked the ground, filling the alley with revolting stench.
The leader blanched at his comrades' instant meat piles. Threats turned to terror.
"H-heek...! Sp-spare...!"
Eugene approached slowly. "No need to ask and tire my mouth."
His eyes bloodshot, gleaming murderously. Thick crimson mist rose from rippling shadows.
Not the blood wolf this time. Among Crimson's countless blood creations, one born solely for intel and torture: the Blood Brain Parasite.
Fist-sized, writhing with dozens of red legs—a grotesque bug. Answering its master's call, it tore through space, emerging at Eugene's feet with a sickening squelch.
"I'll just rummage through your head myself."
"A-aaagh! No! Stay back! I'll tell you everyth—guuuk!"
One gesture from Eugene, and the parasite leaped at the man's face. The red worm burrowed mercilessly into his ear.
The man's eyes rolled white, foam-mixed screams erupting. His body convulsed like a live wire.