Chapter 5 - Chapter 5

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 5

Chapter Title: Cataclysm (5)

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A small bead and a gem rested inside the Giant Hound's mouth.

Kang Sa-hu looked down at the bead and gem in bewilderment.

The bead was a small marble, the size of one used in a game of marbles.

The gem was even smaller, to the point where he worried he might lose it on the floor if he dropped it while picking it up.

Kang Sa-hu carefully extracted the bead and gem from its mouth.

As if it had fulfilled its role, the Giant Hound—revived as a zombie—crumbled into dust.

"Gasp?!"

"What was that? Did you see that?"

The soldiers standing behind him and the people who had been stealing glances at Kang Sa-hu, pretending not to while relieved by his rescue, were startled.

Kang Sa-hu was just as shocked, but right after, the next Giant Hound in line opened its mouth similarly, offering up a bead and gem as tribute.

"...Hold on a second."

Seeing the endless line of Giant Hounds behind it, he pulled a handkerchief from his left chest pocket.

He deftly folded and manipulated it into a small pouch, then placed the first bead and gem inside.

"This way, I won't lose them."

Clack.

Clack-clack.

Clack-clack-clack-clack.

The Giant Hounds in line clacked their jawbones in what seemed like感動, as if moved by his cautious handling of the handkerchief to avoid losing the beads and gems.

"Cut it out. You're being loud."

As a Necromancer, he could sense it was pure joy on their part.

But the sight of the monsters that had been attacking them moments ago, now revived and collectively rattling their jaws, was perfect for instilling terror in people.

Understanding Kang Sa-hu's intent, the Giant Hounds stopped clacking their jaws.

They looked a bit dejected somewhere, and he could feel their connected spirits wilt, but he had no intention of letting them start up again.

Once Kang Sa-hu was fully prepared, the line shrank rapidly.

Along with it, the zombified Giant Hounds handed over their precious beads and gems before crumbling to dust, and in no time, dozens of them had vanished completely.

Only after all the Giant Hounds were gone could Kang Sa-hu closely examine the beads and gems they had left behind.

Instinct drew him first to the gem, and a hologram appeared above it, startling him.

"This is...?"

Kang Sa-hu nodded as he carefully read through the detailed description.

"Mana is definitely akin to qi. But I hadn't confirmed yet if it matched perfectly or if there were subtle differences."

To get a clearer sense, he gripped one of the gems to feel the mana.

His sensitive senses swept over the mana again, detecting only a peculiar qi.

Confirming it wasn't an entirely different energy from mana, he nodded.

Not everything was fully understood, but having verified that mana was remarkably similar to the qi used by Necromancers, he turned his attention to the bead next.

Examining the bead closely, where hazy smoke swirled inside, he sensed the souls of the vanished Giant Hounds within.

At the same time, he felt the huddled zombie corpses inside the bead, and a hologram window popped up before his eyes.

Curious about this item related to souls and the Necromancer's domain, he read the hologram expectantly, hoping for detailed info like before.

"What the...?"

He'd anticipated a thorough explanation, but for some reason, the text on the hologram was all garbled.

Like opening an old file corrupted with special characters, making it utterly unreadable—something was written there, but incomprehensible.

"A bug?"

Kang Sa-hu, who had been brimming with excitement over an item in his field of expertise, deflated with disappointment.

Still, since his Giant Hounds had left it behind even as they vanished, he carefully wrapped the bead and Mana Stone in the handkerchief and pocketed it.

"Sorry for the long wait."

As he slipped the handkerchief into his pocket, the platoon leader returned after receiving a radio update.

"May I have your name, sir?"

"Kang Sa-hu."

"Yes, Mr. Kang Sa-hu. Please enter your resident registration number and address here."

"Personal information?"

Kang Sa-hu asked, puzzled, and the platoon leader nodded.

"Yes, sir. You're an Awakener, correct? The government has declared an emergency, and we're surveying all Awakeners nationwide. Your cooperation, please."

His eyes darkened at the words.

The response was suspiciously swift.

The soldiers' movements, as if anticipating monsters bursting from the hallway.

Even in this chaotic mess, their insistence on perfectly verifying Awakeners' identities.

'The government foresaw this crisis to some extent.'

When he stared silently without explaining, the platoon leader's tone hardened slightly.

"As I said, this is an emergency severe enough to declare a state of emergency. An Awakener's power is dangerous to ordinary people yet absolutely necessary. Even if you don't write it down now, we'll find you through other means."

As he spoke, the platoon leader glanced at the hospital name on Kang Sa-hu's clothes.

To get hired, he'd naturally signed an employment contract with his personal details.

Reading the intent, Kang Sa-hu shrugged.

"Sure, I was going to anyway. I haven't done anything wrong."

The platoon leader's guarded expression softened into apology.

"Of course. It's just for identifying Awakeners and preventing issues. No offense intended."

"Got it. That aside... your response has been remarkably quick. Almost like you foresaw this."

"...Pardon? Pardon?"

The platoon leader stiffened at his words.

Kang Sa-hu noted the shift from shock to fluster, then rising hostility in his eyes, before speaking.

"Just kidding. No way that's true."

"...Huh?"

As the platoon leader floundered at the sudden brush-off, Kang Sa-hu entered his details on the proffered tablet and handed it back.

"You were checking the situation via radio earlier. Any word on Hwanung High School?"

"Oh? Uh, yes. One moment."

Sensing something off but caught by the abrupt question, the platoon leader checked his tablet.

"Hwanung High School... Yes, the incident in that area has been contained. Why do you ask?"

"Someone I know goes there. Thanks."

He'd already heard from his parents they were safe, but cross-verifying eased his mind.

Still, worrying his sibling might be traumatized, he wanted to hurry home.

"Then I'll be off. Can't keep working in this mess."

From the funeral home to the hospital, soldiers had taped off areas, herding people together.

No matter his pride in his work, with the military deployed, he wasn't so out of touch as to insist on continuing.

"Leaving already? Heading home, right?"

"Yes, going home."

As Kang Sa-hu replied casually, one man from the crowd being guided by soldiers suddenly lunged toward him.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"Let go! Fuck, let me go! Hey, you monster bastard! This is all your doing, isn't it?! Right?!"

Despite being restrained by soldiers, the man cursed Kang Sa-hu, calling him a monster.

Choi Kyung-do thrashed like a madman, spewing abuse even as three soldiers held him fast.

"You filthy Corpse Cleaner! Minimum wage reject! You caused this chaos with those creepy monsters, didn't you?! Used them all up, so you put them away!"

Kang Sa-hu stared blankly at the baseless ravings.

Enraged further, Choi Kyung-do struggled wildly.

"Let me go! I swear this guy's behind it all! That's why he summoned and dismissed the monsters!"

"Look, there's no evidence or credibility to what you're saying."

"No evidence? Why not?! The monsters all vanished! He called them and put them back!"

As soldiers eyed him like a lunatic and he geared up to rant again, a passing student muttered.

"Fucking idiot. Talking monster bullshit. The guy who pissed his pants and ran."

"W-what?!"

Choi Kyung-do whipped his head around at the clear, humiliating words.

There stood the high schooler who had tripped while fleeing and begged him for help, now looking at him with pity.

"You little shit! What did you just say?!"

"Knock it off. You're embarrassing yourself. Spouting nonsense and throwing a fit. And you're the adult here."

"You little fucker!"

As Choi Kyung-do turned to lunge at him instead, the burly student smirked.

"What? Wanna go? Bring it. I was scared of the monsters, not some coward like you."

The athletic, sturdy student stared him down, making Choi Kyung-do hesitate.

Then, a woman watching stepped forward.

"Those monsters came from the apartment side. What logic says this man released them?"

"Wh-what...! The monsters came this way! And I heard him talking to them!"

"Would someone like that run around fighting monsters and saving people? And the soldiers said he's an Awakener."

She pointed at the platoon leader, shutting Choi Kyung-do up.

As he trembled in silence, another man chimed in.

"I saw it too. On NewTube, they said Awakeners get superhuman powers. That's probably it. I get you're embarrassed, sir, but let's move on. No more commotion."

"Yeah, cut it out."

"We're stuck here because of you."

"Saved a drowning guy and he tries to slap you—reeks of bad character."

"Isn't that piss? He actually shit himself."

"Oh my god."

One by one, people glared daggers and commented, flushing Choi Kyung-do's face beet red.

He turned away, shooting a murderous glare at the impassive Kang Sa-hu watching the scene, then broke from the line and stalked off elsewhere.

"H-hey? Sir! This way! Sir!"

The guiding soldiers panicked, but the platoon leader raised a hand.

"Let him go. We've confirmed no monsters left nearby."

"Y-yes, sir."

They'd only followed orders dutifully; having seen his antics, the soldiers had no desire to bother, complying without protest.

The crowd resumed moving under guidance.

But it was different now.

"Thank you, young man."

"Truly grateful."

"We survived thanks to you."

People passing Kang Sa-hu offered thanks one by one.

Unaccustomed to such gratitude, he failed to mask his surprise, bowing awkwardly in return.

"...This is new."

For Kang Sa-hu, who had hidden his Necromancer identity his whole life, it was a strikingly fresh—and pleasant—experience.

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