Chapter 33: Chasing Shadows: Secrets in the Alley

 – A Good Person

Sudden popularity can bring more discomfort than joy. No matter where he went, crowds swarmed him, and people said things he didn’t want to hear.

“Wow! It’s the real-life human-faced spider!”

“Look, the male version of it!”

“Spider-Man, do you also like the human-faced spider?”

His codename was Spider-Man. Overseas, he was hailed as the real-life version of the comic book hero.

He was ranked as the second most powerful awakened being on a famous foreign TV show, with people saying just his name sounded intimidating.

But in South Korea, he was known merely as the “male human-faced spider.”

“Ugh, I want to quit the vigilante squad.”

“Come on, they all love you, don’t they?”

“I thought so too, until I looked up what the human-faced spider was.”

“Is it really that ugly?”

“It’s incredibly ugly. It feels like I’m cursed.”

“Still, I’m a bit envious. You’ve hit the jackpot in terms of recognition, right?”

Awakeners from the Association didn’t belong to guilds.

Instead, they were freelancers who didn’t have administrative staff to handle contribution issues for them.

They worked in small groups, performing vigilante activities to earn contribution points for the Association.

This was known as the Vigilante Squad.

“If you land a commercial gig, you get tons of points for social contributions. And with your fame, a CF isn’t far off.”

“Sure, that sounds nice, but being compared to the human-faced spider? Absolutely not.”

“What does it even look like?”

Curious, one of Woo Jiwoo’s fellow awakeners searched for it on his screen phone.

“Isn’t it wrinkled and hideous?”

“You idiot.”

“What?”

“Are you some kind of pervert? Where do you see wrinkles here?”

“No way… they beautified it.”

The human-faced spider, which originally looked disgusting enough to remind him of grotesque internet memes involving elderly naked women,

had now morphed into an innocent, charming anime girl.

The truth can be so easily distorted when the internet and collective imagination come together.

“Disgusting pedophile.”

“No, it’s a misunderstanding! The original is different!”

Woo Jiwoo finally managed to clear up the confusion by searching for the original hideous image and shoving it in his colleague’s face.

“Ah, we got a call. Something’s up near the park.”

“You go ahead. I’ve already clocked out.”

“Heartless bastard.”

His colleague headed to a public restroom, preparing to shed his badge, change into civilian clothes,

and avoid being detained by civilians looking to engage him in overtime work.

This was a small way in which the vigilantes managed to maintain some balance in their lives.

“Oh, is that a celebrity?”

Two people stood on a park bench, surrounded by a crowd of hundreds.

The swarm of people rushing to get closer posed a significant danger,

as anyone caught in the crowd could easily be trampled in the chaos,

regardless of whether the mob’s intentions were harmless fan adoration or not.

“Awakened Association, responding to a report.

If the crowd does not move at least 5 meters away from the bench immediately, you will be fined up to 3 million won.”

“Damn it, this is so annoying.”

“The woman in the orange shirt with wavy hair who just swore—you’ve been identified. Miss Yeo Seung-ah?

You’ve been issued a citation, please check it on your screen phone.”

“W-What? Wait, you can’t just do that! People make mistakes when they’re frustrated!”

“If you curse out loud, fines can come out of nowhere too.

What’s the big deal? Want a citation for public insult or obstruction of duty? Keep it up.”

By selecting one person to make an example of and issuing the fine in real-time, the once lawless crowd suddenly regained their manners.

Even with disgruntled faces, no one wanted to get fined, so they began to back off.

With the situation calming down, Woo Jiwoo approached the two stunningly beautiful women who had sought refuge on the bench.

“I’m from the Awakened Association. You must have been startled, but I’ll help you move to a safer place. Please follow me.”

In a world where police authority had weakened, it wasn’t common, but not unheard of, for Awakeners to handle public safety issues like this.

Woo Jiwoo considered himself lucky.

‘Wow, they’re really beautiful.’

Now he understood why the crowd had gathered.

Even without makeup, the women’s natural beauty rivaled that of Ukrainian models.

The one wearing a juklip (a traditional Korean hat) was especially intriguing, as even with just the lower part of her face visible, her extraordinary beauty was evident.

“Thanks, mister. I didn’t expect so many people to crowd around my sister when she suddenly got popular.”

“I’m not a mister! I’m only 25, in my prime…”

Just as Woo Jiwoo was about to defend his youth, he heard voices from the crowd.

“It’s Spider-Man!”

“The real-life male human-faced spider?”

“Oh, it’s really him.”

“Was it him causing trouble?”

“Tch.”

“A C-rank showing off?”

“Ugh, so embarrassing.”

“Why doesn’t he stay at the gate and leave us alone?”

“Whether it’s a male or female human-faced spider, they’re both disgusting.”

“Look at him kicking us out just to enjoy himself. So gross.”

“Disgusting. I’m reporting him to the Association.”

What the hell?

A few people who had been forced to disperse were now following at a distance, loudly bad-mouthing him within earshot.

In today’s world, where the majority of people struggled with debt and poverty, many harbored jealousy and resentment toward successful Awakeners.

This wasn’t the first time Woo Jiwoo had faced such insults.

[Face scan complete]
[Identity analysis complete]
[The above 11 individuals have been reported for defamation.]
[Audio recordings captured during duty have been submitted as evidence.]
[Illegality confirmed.]
[Fine notices have been sent.]

Woo Jiwoo shot the crowd a sharp glare.

‘They had the nerve to pick a fight with an Awakener.’

Modern society persisted because Awakeners protected humanity from the monsters of the gates.

Naturally, the treatment of Awakeners by governments around the world was far better than that of ordinary citizens.

Numerous institutional measures existed to protect them, including immediate identity verification and fine issuance.

‘If I don’t score points with these two because of you all today, I swear I’ll slap you with public disturbance fines on your way home too.’

Of course, there might be some personal feelings behind issuing the fines, but the law usually sided with Awakeners.

As long as he didn’t falsely accuse completely innocent people, the legal system was flexible enough to bend a little in their favor.

[Human-faced spider? Spider-Man?]

The woman wearing the juklip suddenly showed interest.

“My sister is curious why you’re called Spider-Man, mister.”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. I just awakened with a unique class. I can shoot webs and climb walls like a spider, so they started calling me Spider-Man.”

“Wow. Isn’t animal-type awakening really rare? I heard the chances are less than 10%. You’re lucky.”

“Haha, you know a lot!”

“I’m an Awakener-in-training myself.”

“Want an autograph?”

“Really?”

With a bright smile, the woman handed over a small notebook for him to sign. Her name was Joo Ahyoung.

Looking at the worn pages of her autograph book, Woo Jiwoo was impressed.

It was clear from how tattered the pages were that she had been carrying it around for a long time, showing her deep passion for Awakeners.

“Would your sister like an autograph too?”

“Oh, no. My sister…”

It was only then that Woo Jiwoo seriously took note of the sister’s attire. What caught his attention wasn’t the unique, historical drama-like outfit, but the sword at her waist and her steady, confident walk.

“Are you an Awakener too?”

Joo Ahyoung froze, unsure how to respond.

Standing in front of a man who had just issued fines by the book, revealing that her sister was an unregistered Awakener without a license could only lead to trouble.

But lying could make things worse.

[Restriction: No Lying] [You cannot lie. Whether by speech, writing, or sign language, you must not tell falsehoods.]

For Hae Eung Eung, lying was not an option.

In this delicate situation, it wasn’t Joo Ahyoung who responded but her sister, Hae Eung Eung.

[I’m somewhat skilled with a sword.]

“Oh, I see. I’ve been an animal-type Awakener for three years now. My codename in the Association is Spider-Man.”

[I’ve been handling the sword for 20 years. My name is Hae Eung Eung.]

Although she spoke only the truth, Hae Eung Eung skillfully avoided revealing anything incriminating.

Her calm, straightforward statement caught Joo Ahyoung off guard, but Hae Eung Eung kept a serene expression, expertly maintaining control of the conversation.

[Do you like human-faced spiders?]

An unexpected, seemingly random question.

Woo Jiwoo, who despised human-faced spiders more than anything, responded with a smile.

“I love them.”

Men can claim to like anything in front of a beautiful woman, even if it’s something they absolutely hate.

Woo Jiwoo waved as the two women headed toward the station. As he watched them go, Joo Ahyoung stifled a giggle at his retreating figure.

“Wasn’t he an interesting person?”

[He’s a good person,] Hae Eung Eung responded.

“Because he likes human-faced spiders?”

Hae Eung Eung nodded.

“You like that kind of thing, huh, Unni? Should I get you a stuffed one next time?”

[There’s no need for that.]

When Hae Eung Eung had finished her game earlier, she had been as gloomy as if the whole world had fallen apart.

But lately, spending time with Joo Ahyoung had brought a sense of peace to her heart.

Not every bond is everything. While the ties she had let go were sad, there were others just as precious still with her.

‘After all, I wasn’t the only one who liked the human-faced spider.’

Woo Jiwoo, the Spider-Man. He had been so excited, explaining all the reasons why he liked the human-faced spider.

His enthusiasm had been a little baffling to her, but maybe somewhere in another player’s game world, the human-faced spider could have a happier future.

‘Maybe she’ll even get married someday?’

Even with her grotesque appearance, if there were someone like Woo Jiwoo,

with the same spider abilities, who genuinely loved the human-faced spider, perhaps she could experience the joy of being loved as a woman.

“I’m heading out now. Take care, Unni.”

[Don’t worry. Get home safe.]

Only after watching Joo Ahyoung board her train did Hae Eung Eung turn to leave.

Once she was alone, that cold, sticky emotion that often crept up on her began to stir.

But tonight, the deep darkness and loneliness couldn’t swallow her whole.

Part of it was her encounter with Woo Jiwoo, and the thought that somewhere, the human-faced spider might find happiness.

But the real reason was the group of men up ahead, radiating a blatant killing intent in her direction.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Hae Eung Eung,” said Steven, pretending their meeting was a coincidence.

Steven, an instructor at the Awakener academy.

Though Hae Eung Eung had only attended the academy once, she knew from Joo Ahyoung that Steven’s position had become precarious.

“It must be fate that we meet like this. Why don’t we have a little chat?”

He led her toward a dark alleyway, away from the main road.

The alley was filled with young fools who didn’t even know how to properly conceal their bloodlust.

It was almost laughable, but Hae Eung Eung quietly followed him.

‘People like this are like mosquitoes—you have to crush them yourself, or they’ll just keep buzzing around.’

It was just another day, as ordinary as the many she had spent in the martial world.

The only difference was that tonight, the scent of blood would be a little stronger.

Though his shift had long since ended, Woo Jiwoo had been so absorbed in spending time with the beautiful women that he didn’t notice how late it had become.

Now, as the sun set and the streetlights remained unlit, the early evening was as dark as the middle of the night.

Suddenly, Woo Jiwoo remembered something.

[“Lately, things have been feeling chaotic around the city. Every time, I make sure to walk Ah-young to the station.”]

A kind, responsible older sister who looked after her precious younger sibling.

That meant this was the path leading to Joo Ahyoung’s house—not Hae Eung Eung’s.

No matter how strong someone is, walking home alone feels very different from having someone there to protect them. It wasn’t hard to imagine that.

‘She might not appreciate me being too forward. She doesn’t seem like the type who’s all that friendly… But with someone that unpredictable, you never really know, right?’

He decided to take a chance.

Feeling excited at the thought of offering to escort her, Woo Jiwoo began to follow Hae Eung Eung.

His heart raced as he spotted her walking behind a tall, broad-shouldered Western man with blonde hair and blue eyes.

At that moment, only two thoughts filled Woo Jiwoo’s mind.

National treasure leakage.

Cultural heritage invasion.

‘No way, you bastard! I liked her first!’

With that, Woo Jiwoo hurried into the alleyway, following closely behind the pair.