Jin strolled leisurely toward an open area beside the building—a modest field blanketed in grass, though curiously devoid of any plants. It seemed like a space initially intended for future construction, but the officials had found casual utility in it; it had become something of an informal gathering spot.
When Jin arrived, he found Luke and Jay already standing there, along with the young lady who had greeted them earlier. Several unfamiliar faces had joined them, and directly opposite stood a formidable man with a long, jagged scar slashing across his cheek.
It was the same man Jay had accidentally collided with at the entrance.
As Jin approached, the man fixed his dark, impassive gaze on him for a moment, then gave a short nod. "Join the line."
Without a word, Jin stepped into position. The newly gathered apprentices now stood in a straight horizontal row—six in total.
The woman, the sub-inspector from earlier, stood beside the intimidating man. She held a stack of documents in her hand, her tone crisp and official as she began calling names from the right.
"Applicant number 654—Jay. Awakened two years ago. Currently Level 1. Has prior experience in a functioning hunter group."
"Umm… y-yes. Nice to meet you all," Jay replied nervously, his voice stumbling over itself.
"Next," the inspector barked, his voice like gravel against metal.
"Next is… Luke. Application number 653. Awakened ten years ago. Current level—uh… it says Level 8."
"What?" the inspector exclaimed, raising a brow in visible disbelief.
In the realm of Harmony cultivation, ascending even a single level was no small feat. For a genius, the average progression time was estimated at three years per level—six for two. And even those born into high-ranking clans rarely broke past Level 5 before adulthood.
Luke was only eighteen.
Even the inspector himself—a seasoned officer—had only reached Level 6 after years of grueling effort. A Level 8 at Luke's age? That was nearly unheard of.
After a brief cough to mask his surprise, the inspector simply grunted, "Next."
Rosela—her name finally confirmed—continued reading the rest of the profiles. There was a short boy with moss-green hair. Another had a long black ponytail. Then came a girl with soft pink hair and an unmistakable silence about her.
Jin's gaze landed on her for just a second—recognition flaring. She was the girl who had bumped into him back at the Global Market.
As if feeling his eyes, she looked up—and smiled. Her lips, though quiet, formed a gentle curve. Then she nodded, blinking once in acknowledgment.
Jin looked away immediately, his expression unreadable, as Rosela called out his name.
"And finally, applicant number 656—Jin. Currently in Deep Sleep State. Awakened ten days ago."
She flipped the last page shut. "So, we have two in Deep Sleep, two Level 1s, one Level 2, and… one Level 8. Promising batch."
The inspector gave them all a final glance, his gaze lingering on no one in particular.
"I am Nana," he declared in a flat voice. "Commoner by birth. Police rank: Inspector. Level 6. Six-star Bronze Rank. That's the only introduction you'll need. She is Rosela."
Rosela opened her mouth to add something more—but Nana was already turning away. Donning his top hat and swinging his coat dramatically behind him, he stepped into his carriage without further words.
Jin, Luke, and Jay were seated in the second carriage, along with Rosela. The remaining three, however, had to suffer the grim company of Inspector Nana.
***
The carriage bearing Inspector Nana rumbled ahead, its wheels grinding along the cobbled path with a dull rhythm. A moment later, the second carriage followed—where Jin, Luke, Jay, and Rosela were seated.
"And where exactly are we headed?" Luke asked with composed courtesy, leaning slightly toward her.
Rosela exhaled, pressing her fingers against her temples as if trying to massage away some long-familiar burden.
"Ha… he always does that," she muttered, clearly referring to Nana. Then, shifting her gaze to the apprentices, she added with a softer tone, "But still... he carries a good heart beneath that iron shell."
"…"
Luke offered no reply. He wasn't sure what to say, and perhaps—there was nothing to say.
"And what exactly is our role in all of this?" he asked after a pause, trying to focus.
"Oh, right. Let me explain," Rosela said, straightening her back. "You're likely aware that we're part of the Military Police—or as most call us, the Awakened Police. Our duty is to protect the city from supernatural threats."
Indeed, that was the textbook definition. A clean, official line.
But reality rarely follows scripts.
Because truthfully, there were no monsters roaming within the city walls—or at least, there weren't before the Barrier shattered. Since then, the lines between man and monster had begun to blur.
And so the question remained—
"What exactly are you fighting?" Jay asked at last, his voice quiet but deliberate.
Luke turned toward him, slightly taken aback by the timing—but Jin simply stared ahead, thoughtful, unmoving. He, too, had been wondering the same.
Rosela looked at Jay and smiled faintly. "Oh, so you do speak. And it's a good question."
But her voice dropped, shifting from warmth to something far colder.
"We fight humans, of course."
"Humans?!" Luke echoed, stunned.
Jay's eyes narrowed. The answer didn't surprise him, not entirely—but he had hoped it wouldn't be the truth.
"From those shadowy organizations operating in the dark?" he asked.
"They're part of it, yes," Rosela replied. "But our true task is broader. We're charged with monitoring every Awakened within the city. And when one falls into Corruption… we hunt them."
"Corruption…?" Luke repeated, uncertain.
Rosela hesitated. "It's hard to explain. Think of it like filth in drinking water—subtle, poisonous, inevitable. But you'll understand in time. You have to."
Then she sighed, this time deeper, heavier—like someone carrying too many names etched in memory.
"Anyway, for now, we have been dealing with hidden monsters. Ten days of overtime."
She suddenly changed tone, grinning playfully, "But don't worry. You're not expected to fight just yet. Feel free to be scared."
Then she leaned back, her expression sobering again.
"Let me ask you something. Why did you come here? If it's for glory… or some abstract notion of saving humanity, then turn around. Go back."
There was silence in the carriage for a moment.
"To prove something," Luke said finally, his voice calm but quietly burning.
"To prove something? And you're willing to die for it?"
"If death were the answer, I would've found it long ago," Luke replied.
"Life is not fair like you think."
"Yes, life isn't fair—and I'm grateful for that. If life were fair, we'd all be dead already."
Rosela laughed suddenly, a bitter sound that echoed off the wooden walls of the carriage.
"People like you die first."
But then she composed herself, her voice now razor-sharp.
"You're a noble, aren't you? Do you think this is some game? That our comrades' corpses are just stepping stones for your coming-of-age fantasy?"
Luke was quiet. Then, slowly, he spoke.
"I know. This whole world is drenched in decay. Corpses, corruption—everywhere I look. Darkness has spread like rot. And light... light has become a beautiful lie."
His eyes flickered with a rare intensity.
"But even so… I'll keep walking forward. My heart will burn with purpose, with righteousness—whether or not the world believes in it. And I will prove it. I will prove to the world that I, too… am human."
Rosela's lips curled—not into a smile, but into a scowl of disappointment.
"Hmph. Noble brat. You'll never understand."
Her words turned venomous now, cold and cruel, but not unjustified.
"Those raised on golden spoons filled with love… can't imagine the taste of blood on a blade. You've only known comfort. You've never had to lick life off a knife's edge."
At that moment, the carriage came to a sudden halt.
Without a word, Rosela pushed open the door and leapt out, her coat billowing behind her like a departing stormcloud.