Free Web NovelEveryone has their own thoughts.
“Why did I come here?”
Emgu was no different.
“Pretending to be a journalist was just an excuse. I came to figure out how to survive.”
It became clear when seen up close.
He’d aged.
Different from when we first met. Different again from when I last saw him in his cramped bunker.
Behind his comical vibe, each of Emgu’s days must have been a continuous stream of crises and hardships that most people wouldn’t even face once in their lives.
“...Even if it’s not Shangri-La, they say there are people who’ve survived long-term. Like the tunnel cities. So I came to check for myself.”
Light conversation—but what lies beneath is a grim outlook.
Even someone as optimistic as Emgu sees a bleak future for New Seoul.
Emgu looked over at me.
“What about you? Why did you get on board?”
A light question.
The kind anyone could ask.
But sometimes, those seemingly casual questions stab deep into your consciousness with an unexpectedly sharp edge.
The purpose is clear.
To fulfill Kang Han-min’s request.
I need to secure the Princess.
It’s a difficult task, but one anyone could understand.
The justification is sound.
It’s to protect the people I hold dear—Woo Min-hee, IAmJesus, Na Hye-in—from Kang Han-min’s schemes. freewebnσvel.cѳm
The rationale is flawless, the logic sound.
But doubt creeps in.
Is this really the right thing?
Let’s say I do secure the Princess.
What will Kang Han-min do next?
Will he be satisfied and move forward with his “plan”?
Or will he demand another offering?
“...”
The latter can’t be ruled out.
No—judging by Kang Han-min’s behavior so far, the latter is the obvious outcome.
“Good morning, Senior.”
I know why Woo Min-hee got on the train too.
She’s starting to rely on me.
This isn’t just a senior-junior relationship.
She’s hoping for something more.
I’m not so dense I can’t see that.
But it’s not love. She’s looking to me as a place to escape.
I’m not immune to the ache of being wanted by a woman—but I don’t want to be someone’s refuge.
So we’ll remain parallel lines.
That emotional standstill might be why Emgu’s simple question hit like a seizure.
Everyone feels anxiety.
Some say that to feel anxiety is to be alive, but I don’t know.
There were times when life was simply enjoyable—so much so that I can’t take that sentiment at face value.
The message from that friend came on a lazy afternoon, right when the stalled journey was starting to feel tainted with dread.
*
No matter how anxious life is, you still have to get things done.
“...”
tap tap tap
Emgu: I know someone who saw Skelton in real life, and they said he's a total alpha male ㄷㄷ;;
And that task was—of course—the internet.
The train was equipped with a wireless relay for cellphones, but posting on the forums through a phone? That’s what casuals do.
As a purebred Oldbie, I naturally connect to the internet through my Obelisk.
I search the forums whenever I can.
Not just to pass the time—forums are crucial for gathering live intel.
The account I use is “Emgu,” but I also have access set up for the legendary “SKELTON” handle.
“...”
tap tap tap
Emgu: Someone who saw Skelton at a bathhouse said his junk is the size of a forearm ㅎㄷㄷ;
Just as I was enjoying a wholesome internet session, a nuisance appeared.
It was Cheon Young-jae.
“Senior! Did you see?! The friend I told you about yesterday!”
“...Oh. Yeah.”
Whenever a meta-creator appears ahead of their time, copycats always follow.
I made a legend with TwelveSquare, and a myth as Skelton—so of course I’d end up the target of impersonators. But is mimicking me really that easy?
Even Emgu tried posting about mutation hunts in my style and got roasted so hard he took the post down himself.
After that, Emgu started digging into “Skelton’s Past” content—something I never talked about because, frankly, it wasn’t a pleasant truth.
But now, a formidable rookie has emerged.
That’s right.
The same friend Cheon Young-jae begged me to check out—spitting all over himself in the process.
PROPHET: Hunting #8
If we trace Prophet’s stylistic lineage, the origin point is the now-departed Dongtanmom.
First-person body cam. No dialogue. Pure action. Rapid perspective shifts, raw presence.
All direct influences from Dongtanmom.
But unlike Dongtanmom, who obsessed over stunts and crane shots, Prophet was also clearly influenced by Skelton.
His targets? Monsters.
That alone puts him in the “wannabe Skelton” category, but this guy has a trait no other contender has.
Thud!
He creates shockwaves.
Tatatatatang!
Exactly.
Neutralizing the distortion field and mowing down monsters with standard rifles—this guy is an Awakened.
A highly capable one.
Mobility, marksmanship, positioning, knowledge, experience.
Not someone who’s just fought a few monsters.
A ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) full-on combat pro.
“He’s insane.”
Even when we showed the footage to Moon Yang-gyeong’s crew, they were visibly impressed.
Though their reactions focused on different aspects than ours—while we were blown away by Prophet’s Awakened powers, the Jeju Awakened were floored by his physicality.
“Neutralizing the field and opening fire instantly? That’s not supposed to be possible. You know why? The shockwave feeds back into the user too. Your vision blurs, your head rings. That’s how it works. Anyone who’s taken a psychic response test would get it. But he—he’s unaffected. Not even a wobble.”
He may not feel human, but in that moment, spitting out his explanation, he sure sounded human.
Anyway, Prophet is hot right now.
Judging by his post numbers, he’s been active for a while—but only recently blew up.
I watched some of his early vids. No wonder he stayed buried.
Terrible camera setup. Every time he fired a pulse, the footage would black out.
But his polished videos now? Even to Skelton’s eyes—they’re impressive.
A rookie comet to succeed the line of Dongtanmom and Skelton. Even I had no objections.
People started calling him “The Silent Awakened” in awe.
And when stuff like this happens, certain people always appear.
NiceGuy: Who’s better—Skelton or Prophet?
EmotionalTrashCan: Skelton’s got better raw stats. His enemies were way tougher, too.
EnergyDrinkAddict: I think Skelton wins. There’s drama in his fights. And hey, he’s a regular human like us.
TonicWater: Skelton = No-Awaken, Prophet = Awaken. Game over?
anon2313: I root for Skelton, but honestly, he’s probably a tier below. Prophet’s Awakened.
...
...
The classic “VS Match.”
Weird to be one of the names in the ring, but I don’t mind.
Being in the debate means I’ve been recognized. A top-tier slot.
Still, reading those posts stirred something inside me.
“...”
tap tap tap
Emgu: Honestly, how does some no-name like Prophet even dare compare to Skelton? Shouldn’t you at least take down a large-class monster first before even trying?
I couldn’t hold back and ended up posting.
Not the most mature move—but it felt damn satisfying.
Of course, a post like that doesn’t end a debate.
In fact, that same day, Prophet dropped another video.
PROPHET: Hunting #11
Big number jump—clear sign.
He’s got a stockpile of videos and is editing and uploading in chunks.
Anyway, I watched it. Feeling a little conflicted.
“...”
I acknowledged it from the start, but now I can’t even deny it.
Prophet is the real deal.
A living example of what happens when a full-fledged Awakened hits hunter-tier combat.
Hell, he even started showing flair—as if to match the hype.
In the video, as a Crown-type monster swung its sluggish forelimb, Prophet slipped into a sliding dodge, unloading a semi-auto shotgun like it was an assault rifle—shredding the monster’s lower abdomen.
The response was nuclear.
Gangrel21: Holy shit! This might even top Dongtanmom’s prime!
DeadMan4211: Dude’s farming monsters like it’s breakfast. Are Awakened always this crazy?
anon424: Yeah... that’s some solid fighting...
mmmmmmmmmm: WOW!
Cain_Bros: Beautiful!
ChocoMuffin: Seriously though, Prophet might have higher combat power than Skelton at this point?
Emgu: Hmm... is it really that good?
...
...
Less than 10 minutes in, 15 comments. Including mine. Insane traction.
Bound to hit the trending page. Might even escalate the whole Skelton vs. Prophet debate.
But just when things were heating up—Pyo Won-sang summoned me.
Apparently, our expedition leader had just scored big.
I’d been wondering why we took such a weird detour on the rails—but turns out it was all part of the plan.
Pyo’s team just discovered and rescued a group of researchers hiding in a secret government bunker.
“Thank you so much. We’d nearly given up hope.”
“Those with malnutrition—please evacuate them first. I’m fine.”
“I haven’t taken a shit in over two months. Why? Try eating nothing but brick-hard nutrient blocks for six months. See if anything comes out.”
The researchers were skeletal. Gaunt like prisoners from Nazi camps.
Turns out they’d survived over two years in there.
They had a plan—stockpiled food, even started their own garden and rabbit coop near the bunker.
But the farm never got used.
“Mutation. There’s a mutation nearby! It got Chief Kim and Chief Choi.”
They said a mutation—believed to be a cat or maybe a wildcat—was prowling the area.
That cunning beast never entered the bunker. It stayed outside, ambushing anyone who stepped out.
It would perch motionless above the entrance, in the blind spot, all night—then snatch humans the moment they exited.
Leaving severed heads in plain view—proof of its malevolent intelligence.
The researchers were burning with vengeance.
Despite being physically wrecked and mentally dulled, they swore they wouldn’t leave until they killed that monster.
Revenge.
The same primal force that helped humanity overcome nature at the dawn of time—now flaring again in its twilight.
A mutation-hunting team was formed on the spot.
Led by Ha Tae-hoon.
It wasn’t my problem, so I just headed back to the train.
Too much on my mind.
Especially that Skelton vs. Prophet thing.
That’s when someone who knew me well—and whom I knew just as well—approached.
“Hey. Skelton.” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
It was Emgu.
“You ever feel like you’re going obsolete lately?”
“Not at all.”
“You know what makes someone a has-been? It’s not complicated. No matter how great you used to be, people live in the now. They look at what’s new. That’s why Prophet’s rising and you’re in some dumb soup battle.”
“Soup battle?”
“Skelton-Prophet. S.P.—Soup.”
“...”
“Ever think about making content? Doesn’t have to be Prophet. You’ve got alt accounts, right? Like Dr. Emiris. Or Dr. Emiris...”
He clearly doesn’t know.
Still, his idea was kinda tempting.
He’s no top-tier name, but he’s an Oldbie and knows video editing.
Didn’t he train directly under Baek Seung-hyun?
And damn, he can talk.
“Let’s make a video with your alt. Do a collab with me, Captain M9. We’ll show everyone that Prophet’s below your side account. Then, we both respect Skelton. Wrap up the Soup Battle in style.”
“...”
“So what do you say, Skelton? Bored just sitting on the train all day? Don’t you feel antsy?”
“Hmph.”
I don’t usually court danger—but I do believe a hunter needs to keep his instincts sharp.
“Alright. Let’s shoot a quick one.”
Sadly, we didn’t get any good footage.
Ha Tae-hoon’s team killed the mutation too fast.
As I stared blankly at the oversized, blood-drenched cat corpse with a .50 caliber round in its skull, Emgu muttered beside me.
“...Let’s just say we killed it.”
“What?”
“No need to even say that. Just post the pic. Then leave a comment as Skelton. Nothing obvious. Just enough respect. I’ll viral it.”
“That’s a scam.”
“Eh. What matters is framing a rival to Prophet. Seizing the narrative.”
I wasn’t sure what his endgame was—but it wasn’t like we were stealing someone’s actual credit. Just promoting a new name: “Emgu.”
And first, you have to be known.
Even if you’re taking a dump, people clap when you’re famous.
“...”
tap tap tap
Emgu: Untitled 23
I upload a single photo of the mutation’s corpse.
“...”
tap tap tap
SKELTON: Hm? What is this...?!
I add a bit of respectable hype from the legendary Skelton account.
Moments later—
mmmmmmmmmm: (BREAKING) Did Skelton just resurface?!
Emgu launches the viral wave.
Comments pour in.
DeadMan21332: ? What’s the implication here?
ZebraTrace: That’s a mutation.
TonicMaster: Emgu hunted a mutation and Skelton recognized it?
mmmmmmmmmm: Is this what they call a view only peak-masters can perceive?!
SkeltonWarSlave: Peak?! Skelton peak? OHHHHHH
anon424: So Skelton’s still active on that account.
gijayangban: ?
...
...
“...”
It was a bit shabby—but at least the name “Emgu” might stick with the global userbase.
As Prophet’s rival rising star.
Back then, I had no idea.
Message from PROPHET: Hey. Emgu.
Message from PROPHET: You’re Skelton, right? lol
That the “Silent Awakened” Prophet... was such a loose cannon.
