Cheolsan-dong, Gwangmyeong City
A man wakes up from his bed, still wearing his pajamas. A voice called out to him from the distance; it was his mother.
"Wake up already!" The voice of his mother clearly echoed from downstairs into his room.
He rose from the bed before washing his face, looking into the mirror while slightly brushing off the sleep from his eyelids before grabbing the toothbrush neatly placed on the top of the sink. Light shone from the tiny window in the bathroom. It slightly made his eye twitch from the intense light.
He was Nam Hee-Min. He lived with his parents, currently in a condition he called "demotivated to work, aka unemployed." Usually, waking this early is not his nature, but today was a different case.
He quickly wore his white T-shirt and track pants, walking down the stairs toward the living room.
"There you are!" his mother said, sitting at the sofa in front of the TV.
"Where's the old man?" he asked.
"To work. Aren't you tired of doing nothing? Go get some job," his mother answered, slightly angry but calm enough.
"I said it already—none of it suits me!" he answered, pouting a bit.
In front of them, news played on. "Yesterday, another RMS-II Sundered Scar was detected near Gwanhwamung street. Luckily, an RCI-2 Codebreaker was quickly dispatched near the Scar; no casualties were reported."
"Ah, the same thing every morning," he thought. In today's world, a Scar opening is so common that it's always on the news. Some scientists said it was due to global warming and all, but no one had a clue.
Around the world, Sundered Scars appeared on their own. They were gateways to some place beyond the Earth. They appeared without warning now and then, but that was not the problem. The problem was what came out of them. People call them Anomalies, simply because they are creatures that come from the Scars when they break. As usual, there were special few who combat these Anomalies, too.
"Another, huh?" he sighed, holding the handle of the mug and drinking the coffee inside it.
"These days, those things pop up really often," his mother answered while knitting beside him.
This is what's normal. It's been going on for a long time ago—perhaps even before the world wars—but it still causes a nuisance each time. People like them just had to deal with it.
"That said... aren't you supposed to have your test today?" his mother asked.
"Yes... still, I'm partly reluctant, though," he answered.
"It's just one thing, and it's safe, too. It's not that we don't see it often," his mother answered.
Right, the test. It had been mandatory for individuals aged above 22 for over three decades to determine if they possessed a 'gift.' They would send them to the lowest-grade dungeon to search for some sort of reaction. If the person was gifted, they might receive a gift within it.
"Right. If you and Dad return safely, even a turtle without a leg can do it! Hahahaha!"
"Kicked out really quickly there," sighed Nam Hee-Min.
He walked through the street. Today, it seemed that many people were around, as were the police cars. He didn't know what the police could do, but seeing them did make his heart feel a little less worried.
"Meow!" Well, look at that… he thought as a black cat crossed in front of him. In Asia, there is a belief that a black cat crossing your path signifies something bad might happen, but he isn't the kind to believe in superstitions. He used to believe in them, but during university, he became fascinated with history lessons. Afterward, he had already read most of the history books and concluded that superstitions are merely the consequences of human history.
"Oi! Nam Hee!" a voice called out, startling him. It was Choi Su-Yang, his university friend.
"Su-Yang!" he exclaimed, rushing toward her. "Are you going to the test?"
"Of course I am! It's mandatory, remember?" she replied, glancing around from left to right. "Where is Tae Soon?"
"He said he's on the way," he answered, checking Tae Soon's message on his phone.
"Aren't you nervous?" he asked, walking beside her.
"Of course not! I have these with me," she said, pulling out a bracelet from her bag. "My grandma gave me these. She said they ward off bad luck."
"Hmm, let me look at those," he said, taking it from her hand.
"Hey! You guys!" a voice called out from behind. It was none other than Tae Soon. Nam Hee quickly tucked the bracelet into his pocket and turned to face Tae Soon. He had planned to return it to Su Yang later.
Nam Hee-Min couldn't help but grumble internally about these guys who always seemed to be late.
"Late again? Huh, it must have been league again," Nam Hee said, glancing over at his friend who had just arrived.
"You bet it is! Tomorrow I get until tomorrow when my short leave from work ends. I'm busy after all," Tae Soon answered.
"Yes, yes, no need to shoot at me. I know I am unemployed," Nam Hee-Min replied, taking in what Tae Soon had been giving him.
" You guys ! Let's get going. We're gonna be late." Su Yang urged.
"Oh right!" both Tae Soon and Nam Hee shouted in unison. They almost had forgotten that the test is about 30 minutes to begin .
Guro-gu Containment and Assessment Center (GCAC)
A man suited in black and white, with a tie neatly worn around his neck, walked toward the testing ground. A pin was neatly placed on his chest.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Agent Profile
Name: Ma Dong-Sik
Title: Containment City Agent
Type: Codebreaker
Classification: Runic Complexity Index IIi (RCI-3)
Gender: Male
________________________________________________________________________________________
He adjusted his tie before walking toward the testing ground, with several officers under his command. He glanced at the 70 people before him, each an examinee for this year's test, all under his protection.
Today they would enter the Gate behind him for the test. He had done and administered multiple tests before, but it never allowed him or any other officer to relax, not even a tiny bit.
These phenomena—Sundered Scars—were as unpredictable as nature itself. Even so, the only method of testing remained the same; only the name changed.
He said loudly, "Attention! Today's examinees, you are entering a Gate! You must stay vigilant." He paused before adding, "In a moment, you will enter Gate I. I know these Gates are low-level, but take care of yourselves in case of any emergency. Following officers are instructed to protect you. Do not panic." He announced before tensing his face a bit; as an administrator, he would not be entering the Gate.
Nam Hee-Min looked at the gate behind the administrator. It was swirling with a blue glow. He had looked in books before; Sundered Scars could be distinguished by classification, but also by color. A blue gate meant what was inside was a low-grade threat that could be dealt with normal guns or weapons; it posed a normal risk to humans.
"Hrnn, the gate seems alright," Nam Hee-Min thought, when suddenly Su-Yang spoke to him.
"You will help me, right, if I face problems in there?" She clutched his hand. Choi Su-Yang was always the cowardly one among them; even back in high school, she was the kind to be afraid.
"Yes," he replied. It wasn't much of a commitment, since the gate itself was safe. If it made Su-Yang calmer, then he would promise it.
Not long after, it was finally time for them to enter the gate. Nam Hee-Min stood in front of the gate; he was the last to enter yet. He felt as if he was hesitant about walking inside the portal , and yet he couldn't just stand there for long too. So , in complete hesitation, he moved his leg into the portal.
He intended to go inside slowly, but for some reason, his whole body just kind of sucked into the portal forcibly , which was much to his own shock.
Thus, he opened his eyes. Before him was an…
abomination.
To be continued.