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[Guide Boy (2)]
“If you eat, your body will “It will get warm.”
Joo Sang-wook handed warm soup to the boy who was looking at him with wariness.
“…Thank you.”
The boy Kurodama bowed his head. At the same time, its eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.
‘They’re not Japanese.’
There were three people who appeared before God.
A man in a Hawaiian shirt who blew away a monster toad with one blow and a man in a suit who just handed him some warm soup.
And a red-haired girl sitting on the other side of the bonfire and looking at herself with curiosity.
‘Why did you save me?’
God did not believe in good intentions without reason.
People only help others when they want something. The world the boy lived in was always like that.
Therefore, if someone talks to you with a smile, you should first check whether they are hiding a knife behind their back.
‘The most dangerous of the three is… that man.’
Shin glanced at the man in the Hawaiian shirt. The man broke two thick tree branches from the forest, stuck them into the ground, and lay down with a hammock hanging between them.
He looks so carefree for being in the middle of a forest where you never know when beasts or monsters might come out.
But God could understand the man’s composure.
‘Safe. He is also a really strong warrior.’
He was a god who lived a slave-like life in Tribe for over a year. While I was running after the warriors, I often saw them fighting monsters.
Among the warriors that God had seen, there were only a few warriors who could kill that monster toad in one go.
‘Why did such a strong warrior save me?’
God wanted to live. So I desperately tried to figure out the other person’s intentions.
If that warrior had his way, torturing himself or breaking his neck would be nothing.
‘Don’t be fooled by that carefree appearance. The dirtier a warrior is, the more likely he appears to be a good person on the outside.’
Shin repeatedly promised himself that he should be most wary of men wearing Hawaiian shirts.
“Kid. what is your name?”
Shin trembled at the question from Daein, who just happened to arrive. Shin answered, pulling the blanket over his shoulders closer.
“I am Kurodama God.”
“…Kurodama Shin?”
The great man tilted his head as he repeated the name.
Where do you think I heard this before? But I didn’t remember it right away.
The great man lying on the hammock turned towards God. The hammock swayed from side to side with his movements.
“Why were you being chased by a monster?”
“…I went out to get food and was chased away.”
God lied.
I couldn’t tell someone I’d never met that I ran away from the Tribe.
Because that’s like revealing one’s own weakness.
The great man raised his eyebrows slightly and said.
“No matter how hungry you are. Do you come all the way to this forest to find food? “What about your parents?”
“I am an orphan. I always went out alone to get food. Musa. “I was really grateful that you saved me earlier.”
God bowed his head politely and deeply to the point of appearing servile.
The great man stared at the boy who did not match his age and then muttered softly.
“I don’t think I’m a kid who listens well.”
God didn’t hear those words, but Joo Sang-wook did.
“Vice President. “Can I talk to this child?”
When Joo Sang-wook asked for Daein’s understanding, Daein nodded and told him to do so.
“Please.”
The great man turned around as if he was annoyed. He lay down on the hammock with his arm pillows and looked at the sky.
The night sky was full of stars.
The air, which had not been plagued by exhaust fumes for several years, was clean, and the sounds of birds and animals could be heard in the land that had turned into a primeval forest.
‘He’s a warrior… I think it’s worse than I expected.’
The great man did not miss the countless bruises and wounds on the boy’s body.
‘Traces of being beaten all over the body. Appears to be overly afraid of superhumans. Moreover, seeing that he ran away risking his life…’
The great man muttered to himself as he looked at the countless stars in the sky.
“…It’s still the Warring States Period.”
After First Gate, not all countries maintained a democratic system like Korea.
There were many more countries where military dictatorships were established, and there were also countries that were destroyed because they could not stop the First Gate.
The case of Japan was a little unusual.
Japan’s disaster manuals were more developed than any other country in the world, but the Japanese government’s response to First Gate was complete incompetence.
The police and Self-Defense Forces failed to do their jobs, and countless people died.
What replaced them were superhumans with enlightened characteristics.
Superhumans with awakened abilities from each region came together and began to rally citizens to fight monsters.
The groups created in this way were called tribes.
In Korea, it is like a guild, but Tribe had a stronger concept of community.
The Tribe controlled everything from small villages to large cities. All the citizens living there were protected by the Tribe.
Protection gradually degenerated into domination.
‘The leaders of the tribes that grew in power ruled like kings in their own areas. Just like the daimyos (lords) of the old Warring States Period.’
Of course, this situation did not last forever.
As time passed, the Japanese government also regained its power and entered into agreements with several large tribes, gradually restoring its former state form.
‘But that was a few years later.’
There was no time to wait until then.
At most, there are only two years left until the Hell Gate opens and the Demon Lords invade.
‘We need to end the Warring States Period quickly.’
There were a few ways I thought about it before I came. But it was not something I could handle alone.
If you push for it with force, there will be a lot of backlash later.
‘That’s why I brought him here.’
Daein turned his head and looked at Joo Sang-wook, who was talking to the boy.
Joo Sang-wook, leader of the Superhuman Cooperation Team.
In the past, he was a person who was a nightmare to superhumans, but now he was a friend that you didn’t have to worry about too much.
‘I’m good at one thing.’
He was the perfect person to handle various cumbersome negotiations with the Japanese side.
The great man looked up at the night sky again and muttered.
“Oh, I want to finish everything quickly and play.”
***
While Daein was thinking of various ways to have fun quickly, Joo Sang-wook was trying to talk to God.
He treated the boy with as gentle an expression and gesture as possible.
“Can I call you God from now on?”
“yes. “Call it whatever you like.”
“okay. god. We are from Korea. “This is all three of us’ first time in Japan.”
After the First Gate, only a very small number of people were able to cross the ocean and travel abroad. It was because of the marine monsters that live in the sea.
Because of this, Korea and Japan had little knowledge of each other’s circumstances until now.
Of course, except for the great man lying in the hammock and muttering to himself.
Joo Sang-wook continued.
“So this is a situation where local help is greatly needed.”
“I wonder if a lowly bastard like me will be of help…”
Shin answered with a cautious expression.
All strangers, whether Korean or Japanese, were objects of caution to the boy.
Joo Sang-wook smiled awkwardly, feeling that the other person was on high alert.
“Of course it’s a big help. “First of all, we don’t even know where this place is.”
There was a slight error in the arrival point of the gate.
Because of this, the group ended up in an unknown forest instead of their destination, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.
“This is the outskirts of Tokyo…”
At that moment, Joo Sang-wook’s expression brightened.
“Luckily I didn’t stray too far.”
‘No way…’
Shin looked anxious as he anticipated what would come next.
just as expected.
Joo Sang-wook made the worst suggestion the boy could think of.
“Then can you guide us to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building? Should you go back to the city too? We’ll protect you. Of course, there are enough examples.”
“……”
At that moment, God’s expression hardened without realizing it.
Tokyo.
A city that desperately fled to avoid the Tribe’s pursuit.
Even at this very moment, pursuers may be following you.
‘It’s not the time to be like this…’
Joo Sang-wook was telling them to guide them there.
Of course, the answer was fixed.
“…yes. thank you.”
I couldn’t refuse. He said he had already gone out of the city to get food.
If you say you won’t go back to the city, you will be found out that you lied.
Besides,
‘I don’t know how the interest rates will change if I say I won’t provide guidance.’
God did not trust the kindness of strangers.
In the end, they are kind to themselves because they have a purpose, and if they fail to achieve that purpose, there will be no reason to be kind.
‘For now, let’s pretend to listen obediently.’
God bowed his head.
“thank you. “You saved me when I almost died and gave me food to eat… I will definitely repay your favor.”
“What is grace?”
Joo Sang-wook had a restless expression. He took out his spare sleeping bag and gave it to Shin.
“Then, since it’s late today, let’s sleep here and leave early tomorrow morning. Is that okay?”
“yes. thank you.”
“Then I’ll take a look around and come back. Vice President! “I’m going to take care of some business for a moment.”
“yes. Bye.”
As soon as Joo Sang-wook left the room for a moment, he said,
“Hello?”
Lily, who had been wanting to talk to the boy for a while, approached and spoke to him.
“I’m Lily. And this one is soft.”
Kyaaa!
Shin’s body froze when he saw the red-haired girl looking at him with bright eyes and the snake wrapped around her neck.
“It is called Kurodama God.”
“wow! Does your name have five letters? “One of my friends also has five letters.”
“…….”
“Hey, what’s the best in Tokyo?”
While listening to the girl’s chatter, Shin made a plan.
‘Let’s take the opportunity and run away.’
It was then. The great man who was lying in the hammock suddenly raised his upper body.
“…I remembered! Kurodama God!”
And isn’t he turning his head to look at himself?
“What what…”
The boy accepted that gaze, breaking into a cold sweat. The great man chuckled at the sight.
“boy. “I see.”
After making such a meaningful expression, the great man lay down in the hammock again.
‘…I need to run away as fast as possible.’
gulp. Shin swallowed dry saliva and made a promise.
***
God could not sleep even a wink until dawn.
“Cool…”
“Drur…”
Originally, I had no intention of sleeping, but the sound of Daein and Lily snoring loudly made me lose sleep.
The duo’s duet was so great that Joo Sang-wook even fell asleep wearing earplugs.
‘Is this how Koreans are supposed to be…’
Shin was dumbfounded at the sight of the three people sleeping peacefully.
‘How can you sleep in the middle of the forest without turning off the alarm?’
God didn’t know.
The fact is that Daein has installed a convenient safety device called Jinbeop around him.
In any case, it was the perfect opportunity to sneak away.
Slurp.
Shin carefully got out of the sleeping bag. I tried to keep my presence as low as possible and put my shoes in my bag without even wearing them.
Then, I searched through the group’s luggage and grabbed some edible food.
It was then that I heard a sleepy voice from behind me.
“Ugh…”
Shin hurriedly put down his food and looked back.
Lily was sticking her face out of her sleeping bag, looking at herself with sleepy eyes.
“What are you doing…?”
“I’m going to go to the bathroom.”
“It’s dangerous if you go too far…”
Lily wiggled around like a caterpillar in her sleeping bag, and after a while, she crawled out as if shedding her skin.
The girl said, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Hmm. “I’ll go with you.”
“…are you okay. “You can go alone.”
Lily shook her head. It was safe here, but it was dangerous to go outside the camp the man had made.
“It’s not okay. “Let’s go together!”
“Shhh!”
It was reckless. Shin had no choice but to nod because he felt like even the adults would wake up if he started a fight.
“okay. Come with me.”
The boy and the girl walked together. Lily kept nodding her head as if she was sleepy.
After a while, God stopped and spoke.
“wait here. “I’m going to do some business over there.”
“Is it big?”
“…huh.”
“Okay… don’t go too far.”
God entered the lush bush. He glanced back.
“Hmm~.”
Lily was squatting on the floor, yawning and shaking her head.
‘Aren’t you stupid? What if a monster appears like that?’
If you go away, that child will be left alone, and if a monster appears, he will be eaten right away.
‘That kind of kid. What do I know?’
Shin tried to run away, leaving Lily alone.
If only the faces of my friends who had been captured and killed by the Tribe’s warriors didn’t come to mind at that moment.
“…shit.”
In the end, Shin returned to where Lily was. The boy said, holding the girl’s hand.
“Let’s go back.”
“Ugh… I’m sleepy…”
‘Let’s go back and put him to sleep and then run away again.’
There were still many opportunities to escape. God thought so.
That is, until a bright blue ghost appears in the darkness.
[You damn bastard. It was here.]
The ghost had the form of a human male. But it was bluish and transparent.
“!!”
God knew the identity of that ghost.
Among the warriors of the tribe he escaped from, it was the ability of a guy named Tamashi.
[The cub ran away. Because of you, I couldn’t sleep until dawn. What kind of trouble is this?]
The ghost flew away, irritated.
Immediately, Shin blocked Lily’s path and shouted.
“Run! Go and get the adults. hurry!”
“yes? why?”
[Who is the kid in the back? I don’t remember a kid who looked like that…]
The ghost’s gaze swept over Lily’s red hair and delicate features as if admiring them.
[It’s completely my taste?]
The ghost licked its lips with its tongue. Lily looked at that with a frown.
“Ugh… that’s gross.”
[Hehe. Baby. You come with me.]
The ghost quickly flew towards the two people.
Looking at that scene, Shin shouted urgently.
“you idiot! “I told you to run away!”
“Why are you running away?”
Lily stepped forward before God. Then he stretched out his palm and pointed it at the ghost.
“Isn’t it scary even if a thousand of these things come?”
Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!
The flames emitted from the girl’s hand set the ghost on fire.
[Kaaaaaa!!]
The ghost let out a terrible scream. Although his body was somewhere else, some of his senses were connected to the ghost. Because of this, the pain burning my body was felt.
Rumbling….
After a while, there was nothing left where the flame died down.
“Whoa~.”
Lily extinguished the remaining flames in her palm by blowing on them with her mouth.
dump.
Shin, who was sitting on the floor, looked at Lily and said.
“You…were you a magician…?”
A moment later, Lily returned to camp with a blank-faced Shin.
Daein, who woke up to a scream heard from afar, looked at the two and yawned.
“Hmm. kid. “What happened outside?”
Lily shook her head and said it was no big deal.
“Something strange came after me and I scolded it.”
Lily briefly explained to Daein about the ghost she saw outside.
After hearing the whole story, Daein nodded.
Then he glanced at the trembling Shin and said.
“It’s no big deal. I have to wake up early in the morning, so go to bed quickly.”
“huh.”
Then, Shin just stared blankly at the two people who calmly lay down again and snored for the first time in five minutes.
[Guide Boy (2)] End
ⓒ Ganjjajang
