Traffic Jams and V-Zone Devils
The blacked-out SSS-rank supporter's regression, Episode 11. Riding Du-hyun's motorcycle toward the Defense Strategy Department, the road conditions were completely gridlocked, as if suffering from arteriosclerosis. Ever since the monsters invaded humanity, Seoul's traffic had never been good. Subways were destroyed, tracks severed, and elevated roads collapsed at regular intervals, so constant accidents and incidents only worsened the congestion. It was inevitable.
Beep! Beep-beep-beep!
"Hey, you son of a bitch! Drive straight! If I'm late, are you gonna take responsibility?"
"You fucking bastard! What did you just say?"
With traffic this bad, drivers were already picking fights. Fine, everyone was fired up this morning. I weaved through the gaps and escaped the hellish road. Yeah, yeah, good luck with that. I'm heading out first. Borrowing Du-hyun's motorcycle hadn't been a bad idea after all.
Paradoxically, this brutal rush hour proved Korea was still holding on. Jammed roads. An abnormal number of buses and motorcycles. People still commuting or heading to school in the early morning. It meant the economy and society were still functioning. We're in a war for humanity's survival, so why the hell is everyone going to work? So what? Monster invasions are one thing; making a living is another. Total war mobilization is something only idiots spout. Even while fierce battles rage at the front, the rear should maintain normal daily life. That's how the economy keeps turning and weapons get produced, isn't it? War itself is just another way to survive.
Finally, some open road.
Once past the bottleneck, a wide-open stretch welcomed me. Vroooom! I twisted the throttle and picked up speed. But reckless speeding was out of the question. Cracked asphalt and potholes lurked like traps; one wrong move and it was straight to the afterlife. The black box footage would probably end up on some YouTube channel like Hwang Moon-cheol TV as a textbook example of motorcycle accidents.
As I sped down the open road, the surrounding scenery came into view. Ruins. Ten years ago, this massive apartment complex had been treated like Gangnam, with sky-high property values. Now it stood abandoned, a grotesque eyesore. I recalled it was from a gate incident in the early days when there were few hunters. The casualties had been catastrophic—95% of the residents dead, or so I'd heard. These days, with hunter numbers and military response times improved, 95% fatalities were rare. In a few more years, even surviving that rate would be considered lucky.
Almost there.
In the distance, a low but enormously wide square building came into view. Thud-thud-thud-thud! Black Hawks and Little Bird helicopters flew overhead. Closer still, tanks and armored vehicles were deployed. Military tactical vehicles passed by, and occasionally, imported luxury cars worth hundreds of millions cruised through—most likely hunters or high-ranking Defense Strategy Department officials. Who would want to drive in this mess? I especially couldn't understand people like Choi Yoo-ra riding around in Lamborghinis or other supercars.
"Halt. Halt."
At the sentry's command, I stopped the motorcycle in front of the guard post.
"Sir, delivery food isn't allowed inside. First time here?"
"……"
He'd mistaken me for a delivery rider.
"I'm here to register as an Awakened."
"Excuse me?"
The sentry stared at me suspiciously, as if wondering what kind of person showed up like this. What? Does it matter what I ride as long as I get here to register?
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
"Sure. Thanks for your hard work."
After checking my personal details, patting me down, and even inspecting the delivery box, the sentries finally let me through. They must've thought I was hiding a homemade bomb in there.
* * *
The moment I parked the motorcycle in the lot, an officer in dress uniform came out to greet me.
"Are you Cha Eun-seong?"
"Yes, that's me."
His gaze swept over the delivery motorcycle.
"What? Can't I ride a delivery bike?"
"No, no. Haha."
The officer smiled good-naturedly and waved his hands.
"It just looked unusual, that's all. Most people come by taxi, bus, or their own car."
"Ah, right."
"Let's go. I'll guide you."
Following the officer, I headed toward the Awakened registration department.
"I'm Captain Im Mu-seong, assigned to the Defense Strategy Department."
"Cha Eun-seong."
"I'll take good care of you, so no need to be nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
"Oh, good. Haha."
Dealing with prospective hunters must've honed his people skills—Captain Im was quite affable.
"This way."
After passing multiple layers of security, we arrived at the so-called V-Zone. Nothing special. It was where Awakened individuals registered and underwent various tests—the equivalent of a recruitment center for hunters.
"Please wait here."
"Ah, sure."
"By the way, why didn't you bring a lawyer?"
Captain Im tilted his head, puzzled. For any Awakened aiming to become a hunter, a lawyer was practically indispensable. Absolutely.
"Ah, I was in a hurry."
"Should I call one for you?"
"No need."
"Having legal representation would be advantageous for you."
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
"Understood. If you need one, just say the word."
"Okay."
The reason legal representation mattered was negotiation. Awakened weren't state property. The relationship between Awakened and the state was closer to a business contract. Why? Because controlling and managing them through state authority alone was impossible. The state provided various benefits, and in return, the Awakened became hunters and offered their combat power. From registration to contract, both sides had to treat it as a pure business transaction.
Captain Im led me to a waiting room styled like a luxury lounge. Been a while since I'd been here.
"Please wait. Someone will call your name shortly."
"Got it."
"If you need coffee, tea, or anything else, just let me know."
"Coffee, then."
"Sergeant Park, one coffee, please."
At Captain Im's request, a young, handsome non-commissioned officer brewed a cup from a high-end espresso machine and brought it over.
"Quite a few Awakened came to register today. That's good news. So many prospective hunters willing to serve the nation."
"Huh?"
At his words, I glanced around the waiting room. I hadn't paid much attention before, but now I saw five or six other Awakened. As the saying goes, ten people, ten colors—everyone here was different.
"You have to do well, got it?"
"Don't worry, Mom."
"Lawyer, please take good care of my son."
"I'll do my best. Haha."
A greenhorn accompanied by his parents and a lawyer. Already puffed up with arrogance in his eyes and shoulders—his future looked rotten before it even started.
"Are you a hunter too, ma'am?"
"I'm a soldier. Haha."
"Oh, I see. Makes sense. An Awakened wouldn't bother with something as weak as being a soldier."
A uniformed schoolgirl was there too.
"……"
Good grief, that one had dead eyes. Common enough. Hunters were like flowers blooming on the battlefield. Sudden awakenings were rare. You didn't just awaken while sipping coffee at a café. Most awakenings happened in life-or-death moments like gate incidents, so many lost parents, siblings, or friends in the process. Those brats earlier had probably gone through their own dangers. Being mentally immature, they were probably more dazzled by the fame and money that came with becoming a hunter.
No familiar faces. Most of them are probably dead men walking.
If they weren't standouts like Choi Yoo-ra, there was no way I'd recognize them. But then—
"Ra Si-hyun."
Ra what? I whipped my head around. A high school girl with long black hair, tall stature, and a slender build. I studied her face carefully. Slightly raised chin, sharp nose, eyes filled with strange ambition, and the corners of her mouth curved in a faint sneer.
It's her.
That high school girl was the Ra Si-hyun I knew. After becoming a hunter, she'd always kept her hair bleached blonde, so the black-haired version looked unfamiliar and I hadn't recognized her immediately. A strange feeling washed over me. To think I'd see the high school days of someone I'd killed with my own hands just two weeks ago.
* * *
It wasn't surprising. Having returned to the past, it was inevitable I'd meet the people I'd killed again. I just hadn't expected to encounter Ra Si-hyun as a high school student. As far as I knew, we'd become hunters around the same time. In my case, my father's death had delayed my registration by about two months while I dealt with the grief. But now I'd come to register only three days after awakening, so running into Ra Si-hyun was perfectly plausible.
Is it just my imagination, or does she already look rotten to the core?
Maybe because of our past enmity, Ra Si-hyun didn't seem particularly likable. And Ra Si-hyun was someone close to pure evil. That filthy personality, and remembering the atrocities she'd commit later…
Hoo. Better not think about it.
"Cha Eun-seong-nim."
"Ah, yes."
"Please come this way."
Following the guide, I entered what looked like a conference room—and there she was. A familiar face greeted me.
"Nice to meet you, prospective hunter Cha Eun-seong. I'm Major Oh Yoo-hwa from the Defense Strategy Department."
"Yes, hello."
"You didn't bring a legal representative?"
"No."
"Are you sure you're all right? You'll need help……"
"If I need one, I'll call then."
"Very well. Do as you like. Hohoho."
Oh Yoo-hwa smiled brightly.
Why is she so happy? Did she think she'd found an easy mark? She was probably already in a good mood at the thought of fleecing me. This wasn't an exaggeration. This woman was terrifying. Oh Yoo-hwa. Army Major and hunter, callsign Shylock. Hunters called her the Devil of the V-Zone, the Pimp, the Pawn Broker, the Slave Trader, and every other derogatory name under the sun.