"As far as I know, even Guardians are allowed to enter a portal in emergencies."
At Soohyeok's words, Kim Yumin frowned.
"Yes, in emergencies, that's true."
"Isn't this an emergency?"
"I don't think it's worth risking an Awakener's life over."
Soohyeok paused, confusion flashing through his mind.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. Just because a few civilians got caught in it doesn't mean Awakeners need to risk their lives. We're the chosen ones, aren't we? If they die, that's just their fate."
It wasn't self-love—it was outright elitism.
Soohyeok's head spun at the words.
His eyes seemed to spark with rage.
"Did you seriously just say that?"
"'Just say that'?"
Now Kim Yumin looked angry too.
"Isn't it obvious? We're Awakeners. It's unreasonable to act like we're the same as the average nobodies you see on the street. If you're acting out of some cheap sense of justice, then that's laughable too. Don't you value your own life—"
BOOM!
Soohyeok's fist struck the air, sending out a sonic boom.
Using the martial art technique Piercing Darkness with a Single Thought, he unleashed the advanced move Iron-Breaking Fist-Palm, his eyes now bloodshot.
Only then did Kim Yumin notice the silver bracelet on Soohyeok's left wrist.
'Rank 6 or higher…'
Kim Yumin swallowed hard, his eyes shaking.
"This isn't about justice. If you're so scared, hiding your neck like a damn turtle, then why even carry the title of Awakener?"
"What? Turtle?"
Kim Yumin's chest swelled with rage.
A Rank 6 Awakener.
Of course it was intimidating.
And honestly, he knew he couldn't win in a fight.
But he was a member of the Association.
That meant he had backing.
Most importantly, attacking another Awakener was a crime.
That gave him the confidence to lash back.
"You think a high rank makes you something? I've never even heard of you, asshole."
"The way this turtle barks is pathetic."
Soohyeok smirked coldly and walked past Kim Yumin.
"You should be ashamed. The government doesn't pay you millions in salary so you can act like this."
As Soohyeok tried to walk by, Kim Yumin, still fuming, jumped in front of him with his arms spread wide.
"You know it's illegal to enter a portal alone, right?"
Despite the shouting, Soohyeok didn't flinch as he stepped past him.
What shocked Kim Yumin was that Soohyeok passed right through him—like a ghost.
"What the hell kind of ability is that?"
Kim Yumin cursed and turned quickly to yell at Soohyeok.
"Stop! If you don't stop right now, I'll report you to the Association!"
Soohyeok didn't respond.
But his mind was already made up.
So what if they penalize me? I'll take it.
He'd already snapped.
He wasn't some righteous hero overflowing with justice, but he sure as hell wasn't the kind of trash who would let innocent people die when he had the power to help.
Standing before the softly glowing green portal—
"You'll regret this! I swear you will!"
Soohyeok paused and turned to look back.
'Come to think of it, I've been pretty tame since coming back to Earth.'
Back in the Hwan Continent, Soohyeok was far from nice.
Especially toward arrogant "strong types" who thought they were special.
He hated those who bowed to power and bullied the weak.
Kim Yumin was exactly that type.
He only acted tough because he had something backing him up.
But Soohyeok could already see how he'd fall apart once he was the one being threatened.
"Instead of screaming like that, why don't you call your mom?"
Soohyeok raised his thumb and pinky to his ear like a phone and shouted mockingly:
"Mom! A monster came out of my dream, and I'm really scared! Wahhh, wahhh!"
"You pathetic little shit."
And with that, Soohyeok disappeared into the portal.
Kim Yumin stood frozen in disbelief—then his face flushed red and he exploded in fury.
"Goddamn bastard! Fine, go ahead and become monster chow!"
But what happened next was unexpected.
One of the Association employees, a big man who had been hesitating silently, scratched the back of his head and started moving toward the portal.
"Han Taemin, you're not serious…"
Kim Yumin called out in shock.
He hadn't imagined that Han Taemin, his fellow Rank 3 Guardian and colleague, would actually step up.
But Han Taemin didn't even look back.
"If you go in, you'll die! You're gonna die, you idiot!"
Kim Yumin's screams were basically a curse.
But Han Taemin just smirked over his shoulder.
"So what? I stopped suckling milk a long time ago. I'm not about to sit here getting insulted by that guy and do nothing."
And with that, Han Taemin also disappeared into the portal.
A moment later, two Rank 2 Awakeners, who had been silently gauging the situation, ran in as well.
Their faces were tense and conflicted—
But none of them turned back.
"You crazy bastards! Always gotta be the heroes, huh? Shitheads!"
CRACK!
In a fit of rage, Kim Yumin kicked the asphalt so hard he left a crater.
* * *
Suddenly, the world around him changed completely.
From standing at a city bus stop surrounded by smog-choked cars—
To being dropped smack in the middle of a dense tropical rainforest where the trees were so tall you couldn't even see the sky.
Park Taejun, 47 years old, a department manager at one of Seoul's countless small companies, couldn't immediately grasp what had happened.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—it only took him about a minute to understand the situation.
"Kyaaaah—!"
A woman's scream rang out not far away.
"Huh…"
Park Taejun, startled, collapsed on the spot, gasping without meaning to.
"Please help me, help—Aaaagh—!"
The scream turned into a cry, the cry back into a scream, stabbing into his ears.
And then, silence fell over the forest.
There was no need to see it to know what had happened.
"Shit… Did I… Did I just get sucked into a portal?"
A curse escaped his lips—something he hadn't said since his daughter was born over 15 years ago.
"What… what do I do?"
His mind went blank.
The government's emergency manual told civilians that, in situations like this, they should remain calm, observe their surroundings, and find a safe place to hide. Then, an Awakener would come and rescue them.
In theory.
But this—
A world suddenly flipped upside down, full of who-knows-what kinds of monsters—
Stay calm?
Find shelter?
It might as well have been a death sentence.
Telling someone to survive on their own in a place so terrifying that they couldn't even take a single step.
"Haha…"
A hollow laugh slipped from his lips.
'Miyeon…'
And then, one face came to mind—
His only daughter.
Still sitting on the ground, Park Taejun stared at the round plastic tube he'd been holding tightly in both arms.
A tube containing a giant idol poster he had blushed as he accepted, after awkwardly buying a lotion at a cosmetics store in an effort to connect with his daughter—who had just started middle school and was entering puberty.
He had planned to surprise her with it, saying he just went for a walk to Sinchon. But now, it looked like he'd never get to give it to her.
'How much was my life insurance again…?'
Then his wife's face came to mind.
He often got irritated, saying all she did was nag—but she was the one who quietly held the family together.
He wasn't sure he could've endured life's hardships without her.
His nose stung, and his eyes burned.
"God, it's hot…"
Just like the tropical rainforest it appeared to be, the air was humid and thick.
Even his T-shirt felt heavy with sweat, and a sharp, unfamiliar scent hit his nose—making his face go stiff.
Rustle…
He thought he heard something slithering across the ground.
Crackle…
Was that the sound of underbrush being disturbed?
It was no illusion.
This was a portal world.
Anything could happen here.
'I can't die. If I die… my family, my daughter…'
With trembling legs, Park Taejun forced himself to his feet.
His reddened eyes quickly scanned the area.
Something was approaching.
Whether it was paranoia or intuition, he couldn't tell—but it was overwhelming.
'Where do I go? Where can I hide?'
His thoughts ran wild, but surrounded by towering trees, there was no real place to take cover.
'Up the tree?'
He looked up at the massive trees that blocked even the sky.
He used to be good at climbing trees as a kid, but nothing like those, with no footholds and dizzying heights.
As he hesitated, the sharp scent intensified.
Ssslrrrk—
Then he heard something slithering up from below.
Eyes wide, he looked down—
FWIP!
A thick black vine coiled around his ankle and yanked him violently into the air.
"AAAAAAHHH—!"
As he screamed, he saw it—a hideous flower-like creature with long black tendrils writhing like whips.
Its petals glowed purple, and where the stamen should be, there were razor-sharp teeth like a carnivore's.
Underneath the violet leaves, a red, blood-like fluid was dripping.
This creature was the apex predator of this rainforest.
The moment he saw it, Taejun knew—and nearly burst into tears.
But he didn't cry.
Instead, he began furiously struggling to free the vine coiled around his ankle.
"I… I can't die…"
Still clutching the poster tube meant for his daughter, Park Taejun twisted his body with all his might, as if reciting a mantra.
His blood rushed to his head from being upside-down, but the pain didn't matter.
He thrashed, kicked the vine, twisted—but the flower creature didn't seem fazed at all.
In fact, it almost seemed to enjoy his panic, slowly pulling him toward its gaping mouth.
"Please… please… I have to live…"
Time was dragging him into despair.
The sour, rotting smell grew stronger.
The scent of death.
Of a beast's hunger.
Of decay.
Then, by sheer chance, he saw someone rushing toward him.
A human.
No… an Awakener.
He could tell by the inhuman speed.
"P-please! Help me! Please, save me!!"
Taejun screamed.
The flower monster seemed to notice too, and launched one of its remaining tendrils at the newcomer.
It moved so fast even Taejun couldn't track it.
But the man easily dodged it.
Angered, the flower monster reeled in its failed strike and let out a terrifying howl with its jaws wide open.
GRRRRRRRR—!
The guttural screech sent chills down Taejun's spine.
Then—
It flung Taejun high into the air, realizing it couldn't handle him with just one arm.
"Save meee—!"
From this height, falling would definitely break something.
Tears streaming, Taejun cried out.
At that moment, he saw the man leaping into the air.
But the flower's two remaining tendrils shot after him.
Fast.
Faster than the man.
One vine reached the man's foot and curled—just like it had with Taejun.
But then—
An incredible sight unfolded.
The man stepped on the vine like it was solid ground and kicked off, soaring even higher.
And then, as Taejun plummeted—
The man caught him midair and landed gracefully on the ground.
"Rank 6 Hunter, Yang Soohyeok. You're safe now."
"Ahh…!"
At the sound of his voice, strong and steady, Park Taejun let out a cry of relief.