Chapter 21

In the spring of the year Seo-un turned 21, after the emergence of the mutants, the national agency 'Mutant Disaster Control Center' was established.

In the same summer, when Seo-un awakened as a top-tier manseong, Cha Byung-cheon promptly applied to transfer to the Mutant Disaster Control Center.

Upon a successful transfer, Cha Byung-cheon would often dispatch Seo-un, who was now under the state's jurisdiction, to necessary locations.

Not only mutants but also problematic manseongs were stopped using his son, and within just half a year, he secured the position of director.

The reason Seo-un couldn't join any guild after his awakening was entirely due to Cha Byung-cheon. Seo-un was a powerful weapon to protect Cha Byung-cheon's power.

If not for being the son of the guild leader, Seo-un would still be under Cha Byung-cheon's shadow.

Seo-un often thought,

Perhaps his uncle giving him the deputy guild leader position wasn't out of sympathy.

Those who knew about his situation of being used as a human weapon all knew. His nickname was once 'Toilet Exclusive.' Given the word, it was inevitable that he faced sexual harassment. After all, he was the exclusive manseong of the Mutant Disaster Control Center.

"Did you block it?"

Staring blankly at the grill, Cha Haya asked.

"Huh? Block what?"

It was probably a question about whether he had blocked his father's number. Pretending not to know, Cha Haya poured soju into a glass.

When his father used the control center's line, he never mentioned personal matters. He was that strict about separating public and private matters. Instead, he would call immediately after hanging up using his personal number, but this time, the phone remained silent. Cha Haya seemed to have easily inferred this.

"By the way, Seo-un, do you and your father talk so formally at home too?"

"No."

Seo-un poured the soju into his empty stomach.

"Turns out, at home, you call him 'Dad,' right? So cute, huh!"

Han Don-hee used the tongs to pinch Gang-san's lips.

"Cut it with something else."

Cha Haya tapped the tongs.

"I was going to do that anyway. And Gang-san, it's not right to meddle in other people's family affairs."

"It's okay, we hardly talk at home."

"......Oh."

Gang-san, who exuded the aura of being well-loved, couldn't hide his surprise at how someone could not talk to their parents. Han Don-hee mixed pork belly and samgyeopsal.

"Tell us what happened."

Han Don-hee's tongs pointed at Cha Haya.

"It's just as I said earlier."

"Whose fault is it that my stomach is torn?"

"I said it was mine."

"Wow, really? You tore me up? Dirty mutant brat."

"Seo-un, Han Don-hee is wishing for my long life by cursing me."

"May you have a long life."

Han Don-hee raised his middle finger, and Cha Haya drank the soju, using it as a snack. Cha Haya poured more soju into his and Seo-un's glasses.

"Because of the hallucination, so drink and get it all out here."

Fortunately, no one argued with Seo-un's words.

"But Han Don-hee, what hallucination did you see?"

Seo-un asked Han Don-hee, who squinted his eyes from the smoke.

"Um... you?"

It was clear he was trying to change the subject. Seo-un mentioned his hallucination resistance as he had told Cha Haya, but he didn't mention anything about fear.

"Weren't you in the Cretaceous period?"

Gang-san's lips glistened with meat grease.

"Why do you all think that? As soon as I entered, a dinosaur suddenly appeared and attacked me. You know, a T-Rex? Ten T-Rexes combined to attack me, and I almost wet my pants."

"You did wet them."

"Damn! Brother! Didn't we agree to keep it a secret?!"

"Oh, that was a secret?"

Cha Haya closed his eyes playfully.

"What will I become if you tell?"

"You'll be a bed-wetter."

"Brother Seo-un, that's too much!"

"It's a joke, don't be mad."

Seo-un placed meat on Gang-san's plate to cheer him up. It was Han Don-hee's turn, but he remained silent, his lips sealed. He dipped the meat in the sauce, but it didn't go into his closed mouth.

"But you weren't really in the Cretaceous period, right?"

"I was the 35th mutant."

After Han Don-hee spoke, a brief silence fell over the table.

The 35th mutant was a millipede that appeared in the Han River.

The millipede, which extended a web-like mouth from its head, had the habit of dissolving prey with digestive fluid or wrapping and consuming them. Although it was usually only about a foot long and not threatening to humans, the mutant was 8 meters long.

It attacked people with its massive web-like mouth. Many long-range attackers were deployed, but the millipede escaped into the Han River several times, acting like an intelligent creature.

Eventually, the Tacheon guild, which had several close-range attackers, was deployed and successfully stopped the millipede's escape. In the process, three guild members were melted alive.

Han Don-hee was the only survivor of the Tacheon guild that was dispatched at the time.

The 35th mutant caused about 300 casualties. It was only at the 35th mutant that the Mutant Disaster Control Center discovered the commonality among mutants: they retained their original characteristics even after becoming monsters.

After that, scholars with deep knowledge of each species helped the manseongs. Ornithologists tackled new mutants, and entomologists studied ant-ghost mutants to reveal their characteristics.

"What was the most terrifying mutant for you?"

Han Don-hee, known as an alcoholic, turned red from a glass of soju.

They were from the same school and in the same guild, but days like today, when they gathered to drink, were few and far between. After turning 20, they scattered to different regions, and their lives took different paths.

Moreover, Cha Haya and Han Don-hee were not close friends even in high school. They only gathered around Seo-un, who was the center of their group. However, Seo-un, who became the deputy guild leader, could no longer be their center.

Han Don-hee fully understood why this was the case.

As a deputy guild leader, Seo-un had to lead the guild and manage the upper-tier manseongs. With about 50 guild members at one point, he probably didn't have the time to look after the top-tier manseongs.

Although it was a hellish place, it might have brought them closer together. Han Don-hee felt a nostalgic sentiment from Seo-un, who looked at him with concern.

"Why don't you start, in order?"

When no one spoke, Han Don-hee pointed at Gang-san.

"Huh? Me first? I think all mutants are terrifying. Before I became a manseong, I was just a big, weak body. Even in school, I was bullied by the delinquents."

"Seo-un, what about you?"

Han Don-hee cut off Gang-san's past without mercy.

"I've never thought about it, so I don't know..."

Seo-un answered honestly. He had never felt fear while fighting mutants. He had felt the threat to his life countless times in the hellish place.

"What about you?"

This time, it was Cha Haya's turn. Normally, he might have provoked Han Don-hee for asking a pointless question, but this time he spoke seriously.

"I haven't had one yet."

The other three's expressions darkened at Cha Haya's "yet." Mutants would continue to appear, and one day, species with power over level 6 might emerge. They could die on that day.

The higher the manseong, the wealthier they were, but not everyone risked their lives for wealth. Among the highly capable manseongs, there were those who had never hunted mutants. Especially in the combat category, their abilities manifested with black eyes, making it easier to hide their identity compared to other categories.

When the hellish place appeared, there were about 10,000 missing people.

With about 5,000 registered manseongs, the remaining 5,000 were unregistered. While most criticized their cowardice, Seo-un did not. Seo-un regretted not being able to hide his awakening while working under his father.

"Drink a little less, Han Don-hee."

After two glasses of soju, Han Don-hee lost the strength in his pupils. He only fiddled with the meat on the grill, resting his chin.

"Why do you risk your lives hunting mutants? Let's say it's because of the uranium now, but what about before, in the past?"

Han Don-hee pointed at the three with the tongs.

"Ah, except for Cha Haya and Seo-un. You two have never risked your lives. Ah, no, now Seo-un has to, so let's exclude only Cha Haya."

Han Don-hee poked Cha Haya, but he drank silently.

"Why do you risk your life, Gang-san?"

"We're like soldiers who go to war when it breaks out."

"There's no compulsion, though."

"Um, well... I have a belief."

Gang-san showed his white teeth.

"Who will protect my family if not me? I might as well use the ability I've gained to wipe out the mutants."

"What if your family is killed by mutants while you're away? Would you still risk your life like a soldier?"

Seo-un took the tongs from Han Don-hee's hand.

"It's okay, brother."

Gang-san, unlike when he was angry about being called a bed-wetter, didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, you guys know, right? Seong-hee said it was embarrassing to say she was killed by a bug, so she told us not to say it. But it was broadcast widely. Seong-hee of the Tacheon guild, killed by a millipede. Haha."

Seo-un felt a sense of frustration at Han Don-hee's ambiguous laughter.