20a. SENSE BBROCE Lu) S Thread a 7 F ga est* & * HOBIUARY Ch4pter 15: Now, WhO is th3 BeAst? Scanned with CamScannerZeha and the others were at a loss for words. The vendor made it as though he was being generous when he was blatantly demanding 1.5 billion won for the spear. Do-geon scowled. | | "Seriously, 1.5 billion won? You've got to be kidding me. This isn't even a gun...” "Exactly. That's why it's such a rarity. Where else do you think you can find this beauty? I dare you to search the whole market. Even if you do find one, you won't be able to buy it at this price." "Of course not. That's because no one's going to ask that much for it." a Before Zeha could respond to anything, someone from behind interrupted and scoffed at the vendor. @ "But you won't even find it in the first place. I mean, who would even sell a weapon like that one?" & Scanned with CamScannerIt was a young man whom Zeha did not recognize. He suddenly interrupted as he stood beside Zeha. The latter did not know why, but for some reason, he felt as though he had known him for a long time. He had dark green hair which complemented his brown eyes well. His studded jacket was absolutely on point. @ “Who do you think you are? It's none of your business. Go away," the vendor gritted. @ Instead, the young man smirked. @® "I saw you a while ago, mister. You were so desperate to sell it off to people passing by. Before these gentlemen showed up, you even suggested throwing it in for free with a gun. I saw you do that." "W, When did I...?!" @ The vendor's face immediately turned red as he shouted in denial. Do-geon furrowed his brows. ® “Are you kidding me right now?? It was free, yet you were trying to sell it for 1.5 billion won? Hey. Yeah, I get that the world is crumbling into pieces. But don't you think that you should still have some morality? You know that we're Scanned with CamScannerbuying this to catch the beom..." "Yeah! Wait a second. We can't just stay here. We've got to tell the other hunters that this shop tried to rip us off." Zeha agreed with Do-geon. People were starting to gather and chatter among themselves. Seeing this, the vendor had no choice but to change his tactic. And so, he smiled sheepishly at them. "Oh, my friend, there's no need to do that. Who's ripping who off? You're really working hard to catch the beom for us, I get that. Of course I do. It was a joke. Take it as an old man's silly joke... all right?" @ Zeha and the rest glared at him coldly. @ "Okay, now, now, calm down. All right, how about this? This.” @ He picked a gun up from the display. @ "Take this gun and the spear for 1.5 billion. Nothing more, nothing less. It's a steal. I'm sure that you're all well aware of how expensive guns are these days, right?” ® They did. Every gun that they found in the a a Scanned with CamScannermarket was sold at a price of more than 1 billion won. But, despite the sweet deal, there was still a problem. They only had 1.2 billion won. Zeha glanced at Do-geon as a way to ask him what they should do when the guy with green hair pointed at the vendor. "Hey, you've got to make it up to them for trying to rip them off. Cut the price. 1 billion. Nothing more, nothing less.” "Hey, what are you saying...?! That's just wrong! You might as well just steal it from me!” "Stealing...? I'm sorry, but who was the one who'd tried to rip us off first?" ® The vendor quickly glanced around to see if there was anyone who would help him. There was not a single soul. Everyone immediately averted their eyes when he looked at them for help. Their feigned ignorance was justified. After all, there was no incentive for them to help anymore because no one cared whether you died or got hurt in the process. Times have changed. Since he was dealing with beom hunters, the vendor knew that he should know better than to start a fight with them. After all, he knew that he did not stand a chance against beom hunters like them. @ Scanned with camSeannerAnd so, after carefully weighing the pros and cons in his head, the vendor finally spat on the ground. "I knew it! I knew that something like this would happen. Just take it and go, you bunch of thieves!" ® Zeha and the others did not say anything until they were out of the shop and out of the market. Zeha sucked in a deep breath now that they were out. @ "Whew! Can you believe it? We just bought two weapons for 1 billion won." "I know, right? Hey, thanks for helping us.” @® Do-geon turned and said to the guy with green hair. He flinched when Do-geon called his name. Just then, he looked up and scoffed. @ ) "No, it was nothing. Don't mention it. Goodbye." @ The man with the green hair was about to leave when Zeha grabbed him by the wrist. @ "Hey." “Huh?" a Scanned with CamScanner"I'm Zeha... What's your name?" "Ah, my name's Cein.” Ashort silence followed after that awkward introduction. Zeha and Cein just stood there, staring at each other without saying anything. Do-geon could not help but burst out laughing as he patted their backs. @ "What are you two doing? Cat got your tongues?” @ Zeha was jostled out of his thoughts and immediately let Cein's wrist go. @ "Oh, sorry." "No, what I did back there was nothing. Don't mention it. Anyway, I'm going to leave now." "Hold on. Are you a hunter as well?" @ Cein's eyes shook. After a second, he nodded. (+) "Yeah. Why?” "Well, if you're not part of any team, do you want to join us?” @ Cein's eyes shook again. @® "We're about to start a big fight soon.” @ &) Scanned with CamScannerCein froze as soon as Zeha finished his sentence. His eyes welled up with fear as his lips quivered. Cein then looked away. "No, I don't want to fight the beom." Did I just tell him that I'm a hunter, and that I don't want to fight? Zeha was momentarily stunned by Cein's blabbering. By the time he snapped out of his brief trance, Cein was gone. Bulti scrunched up his nose as he looked at his arm. The wound, which he had gotten from Narae just a few days ago, was healing only right now. While beom heal easily, they do not when they are attacked by the other beom. Those wounds take time to heal. Grrrrr. He growled deeply as he recalled their fight the other day. "Idiot..." Scanned with CamScannerBulti liked Narae. He was always nice to her ever since she was young. It has been 10 years already since that day, when she had returned from the human world on January 16, completely flushed. @ "T met a cute boy, Bulti." @ As Narae excitedly shared what happened to Bulti, he warned her. @ "Don't even think about hanging out with humans, Narae. You know what they did to us!" ® But she turned a deaf ear to him. Once a year, when she was free to roam the human world, she would meet up with this "cute boy" that she kept gushing over. Bulti did not try to stop her anymore. It was only a matter of time before the boy would die of old age since beom and humans aged at different rates. And so, Bulti let Narae be. He had no idea then that the gate would eventually open up for them to stay in the human world. The gate then opened. Narae immediately ran out to meet this boy. And she died protecting him. She hurt Bulti just before she drew her last Scanned with CamScannerbreath and sacrificed herself for the boy. “How could she be so idiotic!" @ Bulti's sudden scream made a few prisoners shriek in fear. He glared at the people locked up behind bars with fierce eyes. Humans are the worst. And so are the beom who like them. Since Bulti had already planned to wipe out humans, as well as the beom who liked them, there was nothing wrong with Narae getting killed. And so, he killed her. But, still, he could not get rid of this uncomfortable feeling that was lodged in his heart. € \ "Bulti, please..." Y mD He wondered why he still could not forget the teary eyes of that girl who senselessly died for a worthless human. © "Please... sa...save me. I beg you...” "IL, I'ma governor. I work for the city. If you let me live, I can give you a really nice house. Please, spare me...” "Just the kid. Yes? I beg you, you can let me die. Scanned with omhere, but let my child go...” People who had not given up on their hope started to plead for mercy as Bulti walked past the cells. They sounded like dogs barking in his ears. Bulti got so annoyed that he slammed his fist against the cells. @ Boom! @ Everyone shuddered in terror and immediately looked down. @ "Stop mewling, you parasites.” @ Bulti despised humans. Time did not exist in the world that he had been shut inside of. The monotony and bleakness of that place was rampant. It was a barren land without any plants and trees. Despite the absence of time, their bodily senses remained intact, even as the dreadful hunger plunged them into eternal pain. But death was never there to take them away. And so, Bulti lived for a long, long time in the land that even death had abandoned. Why? It was all because of those humans. While beom were shackled and tormented in sam @ Scanned with CamScanneranother world, the humans were enjoying their lives. But look at them now. With all of their powers stripped away, they were now begging for their lives. Bulti couldn't help but burst out laughing at the plight of these weaklings who had subjected them to thousands of years of suffering. Bulti stopped at the furthest prison cell from the door and peered inside. A beom with gray fur sat there with his chest puffing out. "Zahu." @® The beom opened his eyes at the call of his name. His brown eyes were getting hazy. Bulti knew that Zahu was on the verge of death. (+) "Bulti...” @ Zahu struggled as he rose up and staggered over to the beom who had called him. Bulti and Zahu used to be good friends. Now, however, the sight of his old friend dying barely shook Bulti. @& "What are you doing...? Does Hupo know what you're up to now?” > © Scanned with CamScanner“Who cares?” "Bulti!" "So, how's blending in with humans and dying at their hands? Huh? Are you satisfied? Don't you want to eat those humans now, eh?" There were several humans in his cage. But Zahu refused to kill any of them, even as he was getting closer and closer to death every minute. This human world was not the wretched place that had been behind the Beom Rock of Inwang, Mountain. Death was gradually creeping up on him. ® "Bulti, we don't need humans to live anymore. Is this really necessary?" "We need humans to regain our strength and take this world back." "Take it back? Why? Don't you think that we can co-exist with them?" "Co-exist? They betrayed us! Have you already forgotten about all those terrible years?” "It's all in the past, Bulti. It's all in the past." "To me, that past is still the present!" @ Bulti screamed defiantly. He yelled so loudly that it shook the walls of the building. Horrified people clasped their hands over their ears. @® Scanned with CamScanner"Hupo wouldn't want to see you doing this.” "No, he'll realize it soon enough. He'll realize how cunning and baseless these humans are." G) Bulti smacked the prison cell with a loud bang. () "Eat a human, Zahu. Just eat one, and I'll set you free." "I don't eat humans, Bulti.” "Is that so? I guess you'll perish here then." ® Hosu slowly turned his gaze. Zahu appeared to be getting more and more out of breath as he spoke to Bulti. ® Will he eat us? Or die? @ Hosu thought that Zahu would choose the former. Many days have passed since he'd been kidnapped and taken here. Yes, the torture tore him to pieces, but it was still bearable. The hunger was not. If he could, Hosu would rip that beom into pieces and make a meal out of him. © I'm starving. I don't want to die. I'm starving. I don't want to die. @ Hosu could not understand why he was clinging Scanned with CamScanneron for dear life so much. Death was a sure way to end both the torture and hunger. Just then, a question crossed his mind. Who was the bigger monster? The dying beom who refuses to eat humans, or himself, who was planning on eating the beom the moment he dies? The question did not need an answer. Scanned with CamScanner