Doesn't Even Blink (1)
"Then I'll be off."
"Sure. Feel free to drop by anytime you're bored."
"Whoa."
The girl tilted her head back to gaze up at Chae Yu-ra's house one last time. She clutched the envelope of cash tight against her chest, then nodded blankly.
"Yeeeah..."
Soon, the luxury sedan carrying the girl glided smoothly away. Watching its taillights fade into the distance, Chae Yu-ra let out a soft sigh.
"Hoo."
A man in a black suit approached her side. Chae Yu-ra's dedicated secretary and chief bodyguard, Kang Tae-woo. He was an awakener and former hunter himself.
"Miss, the night breeze is getting chilly. Shall we head inside?"
Kang Tae-woo suggested in a polite tone. But Chae Yu-ra shook her head.
"I want to stay out a bit longer."
Too much had happened today. She'd run into an orc lurking in the park path. The beast's hunger-twisted face as it charged at her was still vivid in her mind.
I really almost died.
She'd played it cool in front of everyone else, not wanting to worry them. But her heart was still pounding.
She sank into the chair beside her.
"Something bad happened today. A bit of fresh night air might help settle my nerves. Won't be going for walks anytime soon, though."
At her words, Kang Tae-woo's expression darkened. He bowed deeply to her.
"I'm truly sorry. This is entirely my fault."
A heavy apology laced with genuine remorse. He'd nearly let his young mistress become an orc's midnight snack. As chief bodyguard, facing reprimand first was only natural. If she'd actually died, the fallout would've been unimaginable.
But more than any punishment, what gnawed at him was his failure to do his job properly.
"It's fine. Please, lift your head."
Chae Yu-ra brushed it off like no big deal.
"Just bad luck, that's all. If anything, it's mostly my fault."
She'd stubbornly insisted on going for a solo walk to clear her head. The odds of crossing paths with a gate-escaped orc right then, right there? No one could've predicted it. You couldn't pin a lightning strike on the bodyguard.
"See? I'm back safe and sound."
Chae Yu-ra glanced toward the mansion gate, where the mysterious little girl had just departed.
"By the way."
She spoke up.
"What is that kid's deal?"
Kang Tae-woo, who'd raised his head, stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"An awakener... but definitely not your average one."
He replied with firm conviction. This wasn't just him agreeing because his miss seemed fond of the girl. It was the gut judgment of a seasoned pro, etched into his bones from hard experience.
What he'd seen when he finally arrived on scene: the orc's corpse, smashed to oblivion. Guts and dark blood splattered everywhere. The stench of slaughter thick in the air. And amid that hellish carnage, the black-haired, red-eyed little girl standing calmly beside Chae Yu-ra.
She looked shockingly young. Sure, she'd taken down the orc, so awakener status checked out. But even awakeners had ordinary minds. Kids that age usually collapsed at the sight of monster guts, legs giving out.
Not her. No flinch, no grimace, no nausea, no fear. Like it was just another Tuesday.
Only one conclusion.
"A veteran. Someone who's waded through countless battlefields."
Kang Tae-woo had sensed the easy confidence of a battle-hardened hunter in that girl.
"Even if she looks like a kid..."
Kang Tae-woo. His nickname in the biz was Sergeant Kang. Ex-special forces awakener. Not that he'd enlisted out of patriotism—he'd awakened mid-service and mustered out right after.
But the tactics, training, and instincts stuck. He'd seen it all as a soldier and a hunter. No exaggeration.
But.
"Maybe I'm the amateur here."
He admitted bitterly. Elementary school upper grades, at best. Tiny, fragile frame. How many brushes with death had that little body survived to stare down gore so calmly?
No matter how tough his own life, at her age, Kang Tae-woo had been kicking soccer balls and scarfing ice cream.
"Hmm."
Chae Yu-ra tilted her head.
"Doesn't quite add up. She was jumping out of her skin every five seconds back at the house."
She recalled the mansion scene. Every time Kang Tae-woo popped up:
'Eek!' 'Gah!'
The girl had yelped in these weird squeaks, shoulders shooting up to her ears. Pure scared-kid vibes.
Yeah, the girl was no ordinary kid. But a monster who'd danced through death's door? Something felt off.
Kang Tae-woo's reaction was different, though. His face grew even more serious.
"That's what proves she's the real deal."
"Huh?"
"People who've lived peaceful lives don't jump like that. They're used to safety. Even if something startling pops up, they think, I'm fine."
He continued.
"But those who've fought real life-or-death battles? They're hypersensitive to surprises. One slip in combat, and you're dead."
Gates had turned the world upside down. Kang Tae-woo's unit got thrown into the fray constantly. Casualties were routine. And the ones who lasted longest? Not the fearless types. The hyper-reactive ones, flinching at every little noise like that girl. The chill, slow ones ended up as corpses.
"Her muttering to herself? Could be PTSD, her way of coping. Imagine the hell she's endured at that age..."
Chae Yu-ra stared blankly at him.
...She just looked like a kid who got spooked, though.
She bit her lip. But with Kang Tae-woo's steely, convinced gaze, she couldn't bring herself to argue.
...Well, if a special forces awakener says so.
What did she know about combat?
Chae Yu-ra nodded faintly and changed the subject.
"Prepare some coffee, please."
"Isn't it bedtime?"
"Still got work to do..."
Death-cheating high schooler or not, she was a model student at heart. Homework undone meant no peace.
"Espresso?"
"No idea how anyone drinks that bitter stuff. Load it with milk."
"Best for staying awake."
Kang Tae-woo downed straight espresso, no sugar. Bitter kick plus caffeine nuked sleepiness. Started as torture, but now? Addictive.
Bet that girl's the same.
A kid with a bitter life would get it.
"Urgh, so bitter..."
I scrunched my face. The taste exploded across my tongue.
"Red ginseng?"
"Yeah. It was on sale, so I grabbed a box."
Wallet feeling fat for once, I splurged. Reminded me of those wuxia novels—martial artists chowing down on eternal snow ginseng or azure spirit oil for power-ups. Figured I'd experiment with store-bought red ginseng.
"Any effect?"
Heukryeon asked, intrigued.
"Eh. Kinda feels like I got a tiny energy boost?"
I smacked my lips. Honestly, hard to tell. Probably just the bitterness jolting me awake.
"Hey, Heukryeon."
"Yes?"
I licked my lips and spoke up.
"When I took down that orc."
"A splendid strike."
"Nah, I mean... seeing it all mangled like that? Didn't faze me at all."
Something from Hunter Gallery popped into my head. Newbie hunters often couldn't eat for days after their first kill. Monster guts wrecked their stomachs.
Gallery gossip, sure, but turns out it was common. Hunter woes. Makes sense—watching innards explode ain't easy. Some quit from the trauma. Most needed ages to adjust.
Me? Zero issues. Rocket-punched that orc head clean off.
No way I'm some emotionless psycho.
I mean, I jump at grandmas on the street. No way gore doesn't bug me.
So why was I chill? Ate fine, slept great.
Heukryeon answered calmly.
"Because you've cultivated the Cheonma Shingong."
"Huh? Martial arts and that?"
"The Cheonma Shingong is a demonic cult art. Optimized for the brutal dance of life and death, slaughter and strife."
She met my eyes evenly.
"The Nongcheonma Shingong reshaped your body with its energy. In that process, any instinctive revulsion to killing vanished."
The unflinching vessel of the Heavenly Demon, numb to life and death.
"Ooh..."
I murmured, impressed. Never crossed my mind.
"So now I can handle gore pics no problem?"
Gallery trolls spamming nasty images. Guess I was immune now. Eyes don't even blink.
"...Uh. Yes."
Heukryeon eyed me coolly.
"It's a big deal for me, okay...?"
I cleared my throat awkwardly and chucked the sucked-dry ginseng stick into the trash bag.