Free Web NovelThere’s one thing that must be made absolutely clear: Kang Han-min is a veteran of the Chinese frontlines.
He’s killed a lot of people.
Most of them were hostile to us, but quite a few were killed purely for “prevention.”
Above all, Kang Han-min has a history of using locals like playing cards—playing them and tossing them away.
When he drove children to their deaths, there wasn’t a shred of hesitation or guilt in his expression.
Outwardly, he appears to be an ordinary person. But when it comes to achieving his goals, he’s more than capable of cruelty.
So what the hell is someone like Kang Han-min trying to do here?
“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”
A man capable of crushing someone like a rat under his boot now playing the part of a naive young man—why?
“You little shit. You think sorry cuts it? You screw with another man’s wife and say sorry and that’s it? Huh?!”
“Fuck talking, let’s just beat him down first. Bash him to a pulp and then we’ll talk.”
“Grab him! Get that bastard!”
Still, what is Kang Han-min after?
Is he planning to let himself get caught by these bottom-feeding thugs just to wipe them out with overwhelming power afterward?
Is he trying to re-enact one of those “games” from a novel he used to enjoy?
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don’t hit me! Please!”
“Shut the fuck up, you bastard!”
“Aaaagh!”
The blunt thud of blows echoed.
The gangsters were beating Kang Han-min.
Cheon Young-jae glanced at me.
I nodded.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It was over in an instant.
As the men dropped, taking their last gasps, I looked at Kang Han-min’s face, tied up and beaten.
His face was swollen, mottled with bruises and blood—but one thing stood out.
He was smiling.
There was no fear in his eyes. No terror.
What he had instead was something far more chilling than mere calm.
*
“Thank you so much, Hunter Park Gyu.”
Yoo Seong-ju was the leader of the group devoted to Kang Han-min.
If Kang Han-min were a god, then Yoo Seong-ju was the high priest of that fanatical cult.
She always struck me as someone who paid a lot of attention to her appearance.
Naturally beautiful, sure, but ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ she always dressed with an air of elegance, and she wore a different perfume every time we met.
“Thanks to you, we were able to save Kang Han-min the Redeemer from danger.”
The car carrying Kang Han-min drove off.
The vehicle Yoo Seong-ju had arrived in was still parked, and Awakened with faint radiance in their eyes waited patiently, watching for her return.
“If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re not exactly overflowing with resources either, but since we owe you, we’ll get you anything you ask for. And if we can, we’ll support you as well.”
I’d suspected for a while that Kang Han-min’s faction wasn’t unified.
Sure, they all fell under the category of “Jeju Elites,” but even within that, there were divisions—some fanatically worshipping Kang Han-min like a holy figure, and others, like Jeon Si-hoon, who respected him but followed their own elite path.
Fragmented.
That was probably the best way to describe the state of New Seoul.
I asked Yoo Seong-ju, just before she left.
“I don’t need anything, but... could we talk for a bit?”
There was a flicker of something in Yoo Seong-ju’s gaze.
“With me?”
“Yes.”
She turned toward me.
Interest sparkled openly in her eyes now.
“I thought you didn’t like me very much.”
Seems she had some insight. That explained the cult leader role.
“Let’s move. Somewhere more private.”
I asked Cheon Young-jae for a moment, then stepped into the ruins with her.
There were no chairs or tables, but a few scattered pieces of debris made for decent seats.
I claimed a spot first, then gestured toward a slightly better one for her.
Yoo Seong-ju, smiling faintly, didn’t sit.
Maybe she didn’t want to dirty her expensive clothes on rubble.
Fine by me.
There was a question gnawing at me ever since Kang Han-min’s rescue.
“...Do you do this kind of thing often?”
No basis, no evidence, no data behind the question.
It was 100% intuition.
If there was any rationale, it would be the time we spent together in school.
Kang Han-min is a man intimately familiar with eccentric behavior.
Whether that stems from his personality or some kind of unmanageable stress, I couldn’t say. But all the Kang Han-min I’d ever known acted strangely, always.
Even after becoming the so-called Redeemer, he disappeared behind layers of secrecy.
But the sliver of his true self that showed through today—it still looked like the same Kang Han-min I remembered.
So maybe today’s incident was just another continuation of that past.
That thought—it was impulsive, and it led to me blurting out the question.
Yoo Seong-ju, usually a master of the poker face, flinched this time.
Her radiant eyes grew pensive... then softened into a deliberately crafted smile.
“As expected of a former companion of Kang Han-min the Redeemer.”
In that moment, I thought I understood why she’d admitted it so easily.
Because a compliment was coming next.
I didn’t know what it would be, but seeing those dimples twitch told me I’d hear it soon enough.
“Kang Han-min the Redeemer is, surprisingly, a very gentle soul.”
I pictured Kang Han-min’s face as he endured the brutal hazing of Jang Ki-young, never backing down.
“He’s so pure. So innocent. Completely untouched.”
I’d never been to his place in China.
But I did know it was right in the heart of a red-light district.
“He’s also overflowing with compassion. Every time someone unrelated to him dies, it’s like his heart is being ripped apart.”
I recalled the Chinese boys he discarded like garbage.
Despite the contradictions, I kept my face neutral. That emotionless expression—something I’d cultivated since school, as Professor.
I waited for her next line.
“It’s to sever his attachments.”
Yoo Seong-ju continued.
“To reduce the burden of empathy for ordinary people, Kang Han-min the Redeemer throws himself into the filthiest, vilest dens of humanity and lets their filth defile his pure body.”
“...”
I need to revise what I said earlier about them being like a cult.
It’s not like a cult.
“Is that why he went to meet FittingModelHeeya?”
“Yes. Exactly. That’s how it happened.”
It is a cult.
“First, I want you to know—we didn’t mean to mock or undermine your act of kindness. Even if you hadn’t helped, Kang Han-min the Redeemer would’ve walked out of there on his own.”
No objections there.
“He’s done it before, in places far more horrifying than that one.”
“What kind of places?”
“There was an organ-harvesting clinic... a sex slave den... an arena for forced death matches. But the one I remember most was a place where they tied up innocent people, beat them in turns, and bet on whose turn would kill the victim.”
She spoke of horrors I hadn’t even seen on the boards. But in her clouded eyes, there was only Kang Han-min.
“All these vile experiences carve scars into his body—scars he uses to fight the cracks.”
I wanted to ask what he gained from this.
But I didn’t.
There’s no point talking to a fanatic.
It’s a long-standing principle of mine.
That kind of dialogue only ever runs in parallel lines—forever.
“By the way, Hunter Park Gyu... you don’t have any children, do you?”
I didn’t answer her final question.
*
Anyone who’s ever felt their faith twist into doubt, then anxiety, and finally despair—knows what I’m talking about.
“...”
My belief in Kang Han-min was never absolute.
I’m Jang Ki-young’s protégé.
As an Awakened, I see Kang Han-min differently—but as a person, I find him incomprehensible. And I don’t want to understand him.
Even in that short reunion, he let his madness show more than once.
“Aniki!”
In some sense, he was my faith.
But not like Yoo Seong-ju’s. Hers is unwavering devotion.
Mine is the faith of someone who doubts and questions.
We met again in a strange room modeled after the world beyond the Crack.
“Welcome.”
His face was still swollen, but he looked more composed—perhaps thanks to proper treatment.
Or maybe the heavy cream on his skin and the bizarre lighting of this gray-white room were hiding his complexion.
What was certain was that he was smiling—genuinely.
“Never thought you’d help me out back there, Aniki! I’m seriously touched. How’d you even know to come? I know you’re an internet rat, but you’ve been so quiet lately I thought you’d gone off the grid!”
I didn’t mention my alt account.
It wasn’t important. There were bigger things to talk about.
For example—
“I want you to leave Woo Min-hee alone.”
A matter concerning my junior.
“She’s reached her limit. She’s holding on, but I think it’s time she stepped away. She’s got her flaws, sure, but she’s also done a lot. If there’s a gap, I’ll fill it.”
Kang Han-min said nothing, just nodded slowly, deep in thought.
But the real question started now.
I locked eyes with him and asked—
“What do you plan to do now?”
A short, abstract question—but one that held everything.
This was the crucial part.
It’s been three months since the Nemesis battle.
I stayed in this decaying city to find out what comes next.
I didn’t expect a rosy future, but I hoped for something.
But the more time passes, the more that hope fades.
The more things change—and the more they change away from what I want—the more tempted I am to leave.
“...Not sure.”
Kang Han-min finally sighed and spoke.
His radiant eyes were, as always, unreadable.
“I’m still thinking. But it won’t be easy.”
“If there’s anything I can help with, I will.”
“You mentioned Woo Min-hee earlier, didn’t you?”
He looked at me.
I nodded.
“She’s necessary. So is Na Hye-in. I’d like Jeon Si-hoon too, and if we can get IAmJesus, that’d be good.”
Nonsense.
Which meant it was important.
He went on.
“You’ve seen it too—the Cracks are massive, powerful. We’re just parasites living off Earth. The idea that humanity can fight back against the Crack? It’s nonsense.”
He sighed again and sat down on the floor.
“Let’s be real. Even as an Awakened, the Crack’s beyond us. Maybe we can delay it. Maybe we can create a temporary stalemate like the committee wants. Maybe we can hold out for a generation. But then what?”
“...”
“You know this: Awakened appear in proportion to total population. And people like me—alpha-level Awakened—are even rarer. Do the math. Multiply eight billion by 0.000000003—you get 24. Now multiply three hundred million by the same. What do you get?”
He was talking about alpha-level Awakened. Those over level 10.
We no longer have the global population to produce them at the same rate.
“You also know that Awakened are more likely to hear the Crack’s call. I’m no exception.”
“You’re saying we need more people like you.”
He nodded grimly.
“Yeah. A lot more.”
“Why?”
“Remember when I mentioned Adam and Eve?”
“Yeah.”
“Think of it like that. We’re spreading something.”
“And only over-level-10 Awakened can do that?”
My voice was cold.
So was his nod.
“Yeah.” freeweɓnøvel.com
His tone was certain.
“I’m sorry, but this is something only we can do. Not because we’re special—but because we’re more like the Crack. It’s hard to explain, but... we’re tilling the fields beyond it. Planting seeds.”
“...”
So this is Kang Han-min’s plan.
It resembles something.
The alien knowledge force-fed into my brain after defeating the Nemesis-type... the blurry ideas from that.
But not exactly the same.
I don’t know why, but there’s a difference.
We’re not the same.
As the storm churned inside my head, Kang Han-min went on.
“We’re the only ones who can do this. Regular Awakened couldn’t handle the Crack. It devoured them. That’s why I can’t give up Woo Min-hee. She’s essential to humanity’s long-term survival.”
“...”
I thought for a moment.
What answer could I give?
Kang Han-min had just revealed, however vaguely, his grand plan.
That was the most important thing between us.
I owed him a response.
But... his request?
I don’t know.
In this situation, maybe it’s better to be Skelton, not Professor.
The answer would differ.
Professor would’ve said yes.
But I’m more Skelton now.
“...Sorry. I can’t do that.”
Strictly speaking, I’m more Um Chang-yi these days.
I looked into Kang Han-min’s cold gaze and added—
“I don’t want to sacrifice my junior.”
“Then can you get someone else?”
He asked immediately.
His face showed no disappointment. He already anticipated my answer.
I replied.
“IAmJesus and Na Hye-in—both are a no-go.”
At Na Hye-in’s name, a slight twitch appeared in his eyes.
And I wondered...
Does he still have regrets about her?
Regardless, Kang Han-min is already a complete Redeemer.
“...A new alpha-level Awakened was found in Gyeongnam.”
He has a plan he must fulfill.
I won’t follow him fully, but I’ll help him from my side. I want to see it through.
As someone who carries the same inner hatred.
“You’d never listen to me. But maybe... maybe you’d listen to the legendary Skelton.”
“You want me to bring that guy in?”
“Yeah. If you do, I’ll even try to get Woo Min-hee’s clone for you. She won’t live long, but if she wants it, I’ll make it happen.”
I nodded.
Then Kang Han-min asked, eyeing my expression—
“Hey, Park Gyu. One thing I’ve been wondering.”
“Go ahead.”
“Why is it that someone you know can’t be used... but someone you don’t know can?”
Trying to call me out for being two-faced?
I nodded.
“Yeah.”
If it means protecting what’s precious to me, I’ll be a hypocrite all day long.
At my firm answer, Kang Han-min let out a whistle.
Just before I left that gray-white room, a question popped into my head.
Nothing critical. Just something personal, since he’d asked me one too.
“Why do you do all this crazy shit?”
So I asked bluntly.
And with a smile so bright it felt impossible that it belonged to the same man from moments ago, Kang Han-min answered—
“Because if everyone dies, I won’t get to see any of it.”
I said nothing and quietly stepped out of the Crack-like room.
“...” ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
There’s still something he hasn’t told me.
