Uninvited Guests
“We’ve arrived.”
With that short announcement from the driver, the truck came to a stop. Stepping out, they were greeted by a serene rural landscape.
“Where is this place?”
“Eyes sharp. Activate stealth.”
“Got it!”
Following Lee Sang-hoon’s orders, the team members grabbed their weapons and hopped out of the truck. Pressing a small button on their shoulders turned their bodies hazy. Up close, with sharp eyes, you could make them out—but from a distance, they looked like empty space.
The driver sent by Oh Jae-hyeon was dressed similarly, gathering up miscellaneous gear. Sang-hoon was a team leader himself, but he didn’t know exactly what this guy did. Except that it was shady as hell.
That was one of the terrifying things about Cheonma Group. Unless it was your direct business, they kept operations so airtight you had no clue what anyone else was handling.
“Just keep watch around the perimeter until we’re done. Come running if the alarm goes off.”
“Understood.”
“Alright then.”
The man gave a brief nod and headed off. His destination was a two-story house painted stark white.
“Whoa. I’d love to live in a place like this.”
“Heh. You wanna get eaten in your sleep? Places like this are for folks who don’t care if they drop dead tomorrow.”
“Is that right?”
The team members chattered idly as they scanned the surroundings. Sang-hoon activated his radar just to be safe—thankfully, the house was empty.
They were quietly keeping watch when, out of nowhere, someone appeared far off, strolling along the rice paddy path.
“...Quiet.”
“Gulp.”
A flash of blonde hair peeked out from under a deeply pulled-down beanie. The long hair and slender build suggested a woman. One hand held a shopping basket; the other gripped an ice cream cone, which she slurped at vigorously.
“More residents?”
“No. Just the woman and her brother live here. They’re both at the center right now.”
“......”
Sang-hoon hoped she wouldn’t, but the woman was heading straight for the house they were guarding.
“Slurp slurp.”
She was close enough now that they could hear the ice cream smacking sounds. No choice—subdual was inevitable.
“Anesthetic round loaded.”
“...Fire authorized.”
Thwip!
At Sang-hoon’s go-ahead, one team member fired an anesthetic dart. Shooting at a civilian didn’t sit right, but Sang-hoon prayed it would hit. A miss would mean she wasn’t a civilian.
“...Argh!”
The target spotted the suddenly appearing projectile and twisted away with startling speed.
“...Target missed.”
“...Fuck. Switch to Plan B.”
“Yes sir!”
She’d dodged an anesthetic dart at this range? That put her at least B-rank, maybe A. No holding back.
Sang-hoon swiftly drew a long whip from his belt.
His whip lashed first at her legs.
“!@#$”
She spat some unintelligible foreign curse. A foreigner in this backwater? An awakener, no less? A bad feeling filled his head—they were getting tangled in something serious.
‘Gotta shut down her nerves.’
The whip clamped hard around her leg. At the same instant, the team’s skills unleashed.
Lightning Shock
Water Bomb
Two skills poured down on her bound leg. Lightning struck the drenched target.
No one beats a surprise attack—she screamed and collapsed.
“Kyaa!”
Sang-hoon leaped on her back, pinning her down.
“A-rank anesthetic ready!”
“Here!”
A team member tossed him a pistol loaded with A-rank anesthetic—diluted basilisk venom that could kill non-awakeners.
“!@#$!”
“Just take a nap.”
Sang-hoon aimed at her back and fired.
Thwip!
“Guh...”
She thrashed as the dart hit, but her struggles slowed. Still too early to relax—if she endured this, subdual was impossible.
‘Then... I’d have to kill her.’
Lost in grim thought, a burning pain stabbed his thigh.
Squelch!
“Ugh!”
Her ice cream stick was embedded in his thigh. No way a wooden splinter pierced an A-rank hunter’s skin like that. But it wasn’t just piercing—it was slicing straight through his leg.
“Sword aura...?”
Stay put, and his leg was gone. No choice—Sang-hoon released the pin.
She sprang up, grabbing her basket. In one hand, the stick glowed with blue sword aura.
“Grr...!”
“T-Team leader!”
“Focus! It ain’t over!”
“!@#!”
She kept cursing in foreign tongue, blood trickling from her mouth—probably bitten her lip to stay awake.
‘No ordinary foe.’
Good thing the dart had hit. Stall, and...
“...Huh?”
Her beanie had fallen off in the struggle, revealing her face. Something clicked in Sang-hoon’s memory—a face he’d glimpsed in old Cheonma records when he first joined.
He’d definitely seen her there.
‘Nah. Just a foreigner—probably misremembering...’
But the pieces fit too perfectly, down to the creepy vibes. Sending a guard team to this podunk for shady work, and an awakener of her caliber here?
Suddenly, chills crawled up his spine.
They’d taken a job they absolutely shouldn’t have.
Not because of the foreigner before him.
Because of the man who’d appeared right beside him, bearing a shadow vast enough to engulf them all.
“What the hell are you punks?”
* * *
The gifts from Cheonma Bio Farm were all neatly packed in large boxes. Better safe than sorry—no bursting shopping packs mid-run.
He’d stuffed them into oversized blue plastic bins like the ones from a moving center, hoisted them on his back, and sprinted home.
Took about ten minutes. The excitement of the gifts made his steps extra light.
‘Heh heh! Gotta fire this thing up quick!’
A life-sized robot toy? From a mega-corp, so packed with features for sure.
He’d planned to smack Yelena around a bit and play with it.
“Hm?”
But arriving home revealed a bizarre scene.
Yelena, trembling and bleeding from the mouth like she was in pain. Soaked like a drowned rat.
And four men standing before her.
No young guys like that around here, as far as he knew. Especially not with semi-transparent bodies.
“What the hell are you punks?”
“Gasp!”
The man gulped at the sight of him.
“No answer?”
Not enough hands to smack one while holding the gifts. He carefully set down the Cheonma boxes first.
“Attack!”
Crackle!
The man’s shout rang out, and his back sparked. Dodge? But that might damage the robot.
While hesitating, a water blast and lightning bolt poured down from behind.
‘Water?’
“Argh!”
Water’s bad. Robots hate water!
He tried blocking with his body, but couldn’t stop it all. Water flooded the blue plastic bin.
Then lightning zapped the soaked mess. His body stiffened.
Drenched plus electrocution? He might break. Or maybe he already had, crossing the point of no return.
Bang!
The man before him whipped out. He hated whips. Unpredictable and they hurt like hell.
Annoying bastards from one to ten.
He hadn’t planned to go hard, but as the whip cracked toward his chest...
He snatched it mid-air with his hand.
“Gasp...!”
“You fucking punk.”
“Wh-what...?”
“If this breaks, you’re paying, right?”
“What the—?!”
“You paying or not?!”
He yanked the whip hard. The guy on the other end flew toward him.
And...
Bam!
A full-power straight punch slammed his chest.
“Guh... hack...!”
Chest caved in, the guy flew back far.
Not killing yet. Gotta pay for damages.
“Gasp...!”
“T-Team leader!”
“Team leader?”
“Hup.”
Team leader, huh. Suspicious bunch.
Decided to interrogate instead of kill.
“Pl-Plan C...!”
“What plan.”
Before they could switch, he solar-plexus-punched each one.
“Gack!”
“Argh!”
The other three were nobodies—out cold from light taps.
“Grr...!”
“Oh.”
The first guy he’d wrecked was recovering. Crawling back to consciousness after flying that far? Must be the boss.
“Y-you bastard, you hurt my men...!”
“Hm?”
“I won’t forgive you!”
“...Hey. That makes me sound like the bad guy.”
The guy staggered up, drawing a long sword from his coat. Sword and whip—not a great combo.
“Sword your main weapon?”
“Hmph!”
Ignoring him, the punk pressed his shoulder. His transparency deepened.
Neat toy. Probably one of Sujin’s artifacts.
Bang!
Invisible, he dashed with a whoosh like pounding the ground. Fierce wind whipped around.
“Oh.”
“...Die!”
Admiring the show, an attack came from behind.
“...Idiot?”
Invisibility’s great in combat. But stirring gale-force winds? Tracking the attack was easier than cold rice.
He casually twisted his hand toward it.
Clang!
“Gasp!”
The sword shattered, invisibility breaking. Just punish the owner now.
Straight punch to the floating, gasping fool.
“Kuhuk!”
Slammed into the ground, blood spurting from his mouth.
“Hey. Don’t die yet.”
“Guh... h-heuk...!”
Lucky—not dead. Gasping raggedly, he passed out.
“Tch.”
Not that strong. Boss’s sword was just plain iron. Yelena might’ve won one-on-one.
“Fucking punks. Damage my robot, and I’ll grind you to dust.”
“Kek...”
Gathering the fallen idiots one by one.
“Oh.”
Forgot about Yelena. Turning, she was still collapsed there, shivering.
He rushed over, slapping her cheeks.
Smack.
Smack.
“Ugh...”
“Hey. Don’t die. Sujin’d be pissed.”
“Kek.”
“Aigoo.”
Did she croak? Shame—she helped a ton with the farm.
Sniff.
Sniff.
Faint breathing from her nose. Anesthetic, probably. Blood from biting to wake up.
“Phew.”
She’d live.
“Alright then...”
Just catch the last rat hiding in the house.