The 12-M43 channel was the one that had spewed out the most monsters during the early days of the Cataclysm.

As a result, this area suffered the greatest damage even within District 12.

According to government estimates, 8,000 people either died or went missing in this area, and even during the later reclamation operations, hundreds of Awakened were either killed or went missing.

'I never thought I'd come back here... Damn it.'

At the sealed entrance of the 12-M43 channel.

Choi Sungkyun grumbled as he got out of the SUV.

He had also participated in the Itaewon Reclamation Operation during the early Cataclysm.

So, more than anyone, he knew the horrors that had unfolded here.

Even those team members who hadn’t taken part in the operation had heard about the carnage countless times, and at this moment, they remained silent.

“Check your equipment.”

At those words, the team members quietly began inspecting their gear.

Just then.

In the distance, a few more Humvees and SUVs arrived.

Normally, when ether is detected at a channel or gate, teams operate individually.

But the 12-M43 channel was different.

At least five teams were contacted and gathered at the site for situations like this.

And that wasn’t all.

If the seal were to break, the Bureau had already sent official notices to the guilds to ensure an immediate response.

The other teams disembarked from the Humvees and SUVs, and as if planned, the team leaders gathered in the center.

“Which team will handle reconnaissance?”

A team leader, who appeared to be the oldest, asked. Of course, it was more of a formality.

There was no official manual, but usually, the team in charge of the area conducted the reconnaissance.

And in District 12, that responsibility fell to…

“This is our jurisdiction, so our Team 18 will handle it.”

“Will you be alright? We can decide another way.”

“Yes, we’ll be fine.”

“Understood. Don’t forget to turn on your body cams.”

Choi Sungkyun nodded and activated his body cam. Then, along with his team, he entered the channel.

Everyone remained silent.

How long had they been walking?

“I think it’s over there.”

A team member holding a detector pointed at a massive cavern.

Choi Sungkyun illuminated the cavern with his light and stepped inside.

The deeper they went, the stronger the stench became.

He turned back and spoke.

“Jinseok, cast detoxification and movement buffs.”

“Understood.”

Just as the support-specialized team member was about to cast the buffs—

In the distance, red eyes gleamed.

At the same time, a chilling presence spread through the cavern.

A foul, ominous energy…

The moment he sensed it, Choi Sungkyun shouted.

“Light!”

Jinseok immediately cast a light spell.

The entire cavern lit up, revealing the owner of the red eyes beyond.

Despair leaked from someone's lips.

“V-Vivre…”

A monster with the body of a massive snake and the wings of a bat—Vivre.

Choi Sungkyun carefully spoke into his radio.

“Recon team, Vivre sighted. I repeat, Vivre sighted. Request immediate support.”

- Are you certain it’s a Vivre?

“Certain.”

There was a brief silence over the radio before a heavy voice responded.

- Support units will take 20 minutes to arrive. Until then...

The transmission cut off.

Choi Sungkyun understood why.

'They had nothing else to say...'

While its exact rank varied, Vivre was generally considered an AA-class threat.

And they had just encountered one.

Until the support units arrived…

What could be said after that?

Hold your position?

Hide?

Retreat?

None of those were possible.

Ta-ta-ta-tak—!

Kieeek! Kieeek!

Something near Vivre let out bizarre screeches and charged.

Unlike other monsters, these creatures hadn’t even been officially named. They had the appearance of dodos but were the size of turkeys.

Only one thing was known about them.

“Kuaaagh!”

A scream came from the right.

One of the team members clutched his face in agony.

These creatures fed on human eyes. With their long, sharp beaks—easily over 40 cm—they pecked out eyeballs.

Individually, they wouldn’t be difficult to deal with, but the problem was that hundreds of them attacked at once.

Grinding his teeth, Choi Sungkyun drew his sword and activated a skill.

It was his signature move—Explosive Slash—a technique that combined a slashing motion with explosive force.

Bang!

Pupupung!

His skill gave his team members a brief respite, but now, all attention was on him.

The dodo-like monsters all lunged toward Choi Sungkyun. He continuously unleashed Explosive Slash while glancing back.

“Take Minho and get out of here!”

“T-Team leader!”

“Before Vivre starts moving, hurry!”

For some reason, Vivre remained still.

Perhaps it was asleep, or maybe it was full. But if it moved, they would all be wiped out.

As his teammates hesitated, Sungkyun barked.

“That’s an order! Get out, you bastards!”

With clenched jaws and bitter expressions, his team members retreated. Seeing them escape safely, Sungkyun sighed in relief.

Awakened could become heroes or villains.

But whether hero or villain, they all lived with death looming over them.

Sungkyun always prepared himself for death. Before every mission, he even prayed to a god he didn’t believe in.

If I am to die, let me at least save one comrade before I go.

And today, it seemed that prayer had been answered.

His ether was drained.

The grip on his sword was loosening, and his eyelids felt heavy.

Sungkyun sensed his death approaching and closed his eyes.

'I guess I'll get to see Mom again.'

- Why are you crying? Are you mad because Mom was late?

- I'm sorry... Mom, I'm sorry for everything I said back then. I didn't mean any of it. I, I...

- I know. I know everything.

At least he had apologized in his dreams. That was good enough…

Just as he lost consciousness and collapsed.

“Huh? It’s Vivre and Dekantos.”

Step, step—

Light footsteps.

Two people walked into the cavern with those light steps.

And in that instant, the atmosphere of the entire cavern shifted.

Even the sleeping Vivre flinched awake at the presence, and the Dekantos recoiled.

They realized it instinctively, with animal-like intuition. That these were not people to be trifled with.

“What the hell? A Vivre and Dekantos?”

A voice filled with disappointment.

It was Park Yeon’s.

“Huh? Team Leader Choi is here too?”

Seo-jun approached the fallen team leader.

He was gripping his sword tightly.

Fortunately, he wasn’t dead. He had simply passed out from exhaustion.

“Team Leader Choi sure is lucky.”

“I suppose it just wasn’t his time yet.”

“Does a Demon King believe in fate?”

“No. It’s just a manner of speaking.”

At that moment—

Kaahhh—!

The Vivre raised its massive body.

A form like a boa constrictor, with bat-like membranes. A length that easily exceeded dozens of meters.

It had an overwhelming presence, as if it stood above all other living creatures.

Seeing this, Park Yeon dug his ear with a finger and muttered.

“It sure is big. No wonder they call it a fallen dragon.”

The common folk of the continent called the Vivre a fallen dragon.

A dragon that had incurred the wrath of the gods and was cast down from the heavens.

Kaahhh!

The Vivre roared, as if asking what nonsense he was spouting.

Seo-jun was about to step forward when—

“Whoa, whoa. Hold up.”

“What is it?”

“Surely you don’t intend to step in?”

“Is there a problem?”

At his question, Park Yeon replied in a solemn tone.

“The Vivre is a beast of evil that has taken countless lives and uses the life force of others as its own. As a hero, it is only natural that I be the one to take it down.”

Seo-jun shrugged and stepped back.

It wasn’t an unreasonable statement.

Besides, they had come here to gather three hundred million.

That money was, of course, meant for making Park Yeon’s identification.

“Guess I should stretch a bit.”

Crack.

Crack, crack!

Park Yeon loosened up and approached the Vivre.

The Vivre looked down at him with an expression of ridicule before opening its mouth and spewing something out.

Kwoooosh!

It resembled a dragon’s breath, but it wasn’t.

It was the mucus secreted from the tip of the Vivre’s tongue, an acid far more corrosive than hydrochloric acid.

A few drops splattered onto some Dekantos, melting them into puddles.

The acid blob struck Park Yeon.

The Vivre thought he would have melted away, leaving no recognizable form.

…But it was mistaken.

“……!”

The Vivre flinched.

He was unharmed.

A mere human, standing there as if nothing had happened despite being hit by its acid.

It was thanks to the shield surrounding Park Yeon.

Park Yeon had made a name for himself as a hero because, unlike other heroes who could only use swords or magic, he could wield both freely.

It was said that the peak of human ability was the rank of Grand Master.

And those who surpassed Grand Masters were called Veltebray.

The human body could form up to eight magical circles.

Those who achieved all eight were called Grand Mages.

And those who surpassed even Grand Mages were called Veltebray.

Though overshadowed by Seo-jun, Park Yeon was a once-in-a-millennium powerhouse on the continent.

Kaahhh!

The Vivre spewed acid once more and even shed its needle-like spines from its wings.

Shhhhk!

Of course, none of the attacks had any effect.

Standing unscathed after the barrage, Park Yeon gathered his energy.

The energy took form. A sword.

“Vivre, once chosen by the gods, now cast into evil—I, Park Yeon, wielding the power of the gods, shall grant you salvation.”

Kaahhh!

Swish!

One strike.

With a single blow, the Vivre’s body was split in two.

Thud!

The massive corpse collapsed with a heavy sound.

Park Yeon walked up to the fallen beast.

“May you find salvation.”

Seo-jun silently watched.

Park Yeon did not know the truth of the gods. Even if he were told, he would not accept it.

That made his faith all the more tragic.

Good and evil coexisted within this cavern, divided by an unseen force.

“……”

“……”

After a brief, awkward silence, Park Yeon turned around and spoke.

“Demon King, stay outside if you don’t want to die.”

Hwang Tae-su was certain.

These people weren’t human.

‘Are they yokai? Or monsters wearing human skin? Yeah, that makes more sense. The U.S. even had doppelgängers appear…’

Though only one case had ever been reported, who knew?

Perhaps these two were also humanoid monsters, just like doppelgängers.

If not—

‘Where the hell do you find a Vivre’s wing membrane in just an hour?!’

That’s right.

Seo-jun and Park Yeon had left to gather the three hundred million needed for an ID.

And they returned in just an hour.

With a Vivre’s wing membrane and a large magic stone.

“Is something wrong? Is this useless?”

“No, it’s just that… the Vivre’s wing membrane isn’t something I can handle on my own…”

“What is it used for?”

“It’s primarily used for making shields. Shields made from Vivre membrane fetch quite a high price.”

“This thing is used for shields? Even a Dekanto would laugh at that.”

It wasn’t Seo-jun who spoke. It was Park Yeon.

‘He’s definitely not just a regular shop clerk.’

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be treating a Vivre’s wing membrane as ‘this thing.’

“I-I can connect you with someone who can process it if you’d like.”

“What do you think?”

Seo-jun asked Park Yeon.

Technically, Park Yeon had raided the Vivre.

The membrane and magic stone were rightfully his.

Park Yeon once again put on a solemn expression.

“Escaping the shackles of material wealth is a virtue of a hero and a fundamental quality of one who serves the gods. Hwang Tae-su, was it?”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Use this for the Demon King’s scholarship fund or whatever it is. Take ten percent for yourself. I only need my identification.”

“A-Are you serious?”

“I don’t take back my words.”

“U-Understood. Then I will make sure the wing membrane is put to good use.”

“See that you do.”

Having finished their business, Seo-jun and Park Yeon left Hwang Tae-su’s office without hesitation.