This world isn't much different from mine; it's still Earth.
Only a few things set this world apart from my world: advancing technology, humans with supernatural powers, and weird portal gates with monsters crawling out of them. If you look past all those things, then this world is ordinary to the naked eye.
"I don't think I can get used to this," I muttered, looking up at the big hologram screen in the sky.
It showed a battle between a handsome blond man and weird plant monsters. They didn't look like they were on Earth from the flying islands in the background and the many monsters running around.
The battle looks fierce. The way the handsome man swung his giant hammer towards the flower monster and the weird, thick vines popping out of the ground to attack the man looked too fast and tense. The man and the flower monster face each other, determined to kill each other.
But the man seems much stronger. He cut down all the flower monsters with one hammer swing and cracked the ground. All the monsters are thrown into the sky, and then about three people appear and slash down all the remaining monsters.
Only one monster left, and I think it's the boss monster. The handsome man once again is the one to face it. He swung his hammer around and threw it towards the Boss monster, the hammer heading straight to the head, and smashed it. Next, the man flew in the air and struck the boss monster down with lightning.
"Wow… so cool," I whispered in awe at the battle.
The screen then changed and showed a different handsome man this time. They had long, tied-up white hair, purple eyes, and a sweet smile on his face. He's dressed up like a doctor with a needle and talking to the kid on the bed. It felt a little menacing with the needle in this hand while smiling like an angel.
Suddenly my stomach started to growl as if to tell me to stop gazing at the handsome men and give it some food.
"Ugh, I hope there will be some good food at the nearby store." I groaned in pain, clutching my stomach, and made my way to the store.
[Do you want to know who those men are?]
"Ah, if it helps me a little in the long run." I absently responded, uninterested in the topic because of my hunger.
[The first man is S-Class Hunter Moon Gunwoo, the 3rd-ranked hunter in Korea. The second man is S-Class Hunter Kim Minjun, the 5th-ranked hunter in Korea. They're both very popular figures in the hunter world.]
I chuckled a little. "Well, I hope they're popular considering they're ranked 3rd and 5th. They must be very strong hunters."
[Moon Gunwoo is Moon Myung's older brother, while Kim Minjun is the main villain's older brother.]
"Oh, the story had a villain?" I'm a little surprised but also not surprised as well because I never read far enough to know everything. "Well, what's a story without a villain? So who's the main villain?"
[Kim Hyunjin. He will be born in a year, so you do not have to worry about him right now. Just focus on finding Moon Myung's soul and your side tasks.]
"Alright."
However, I am a little interested because they are somewhat important characters within the story.
But I also don't want to get involved too deeply with the people of this world. Sometimes being too involved can lead to unnecessary things in life.
Soon I found a nearby convenience store and bought five packaged foods since I didn't know how much money Song Hajoon had saved. Considering that he doesn't have any food at home, I don't want to use someone else's money.
I paid for the food and heated a hotdog in the microwave before leaving the store. As I stepped outside of the store, a flash of people ran past me to the right, which caused me to almost drop my hotdog, which luckily I didn't drop. I looked at their directions, and they were scattered around, frantically searching the area.
I saw a symbol on the back of someone's hoodie, a shield in the shape of a heart, and two swords crossing it. Usually, guild members wear their guild symbol either on their clothing or have it tattooed somewhere on their body for their devotion to the guild.
I know the symbol and who those people are because I saw it earlier on Song Hajoon's Hunter license. Iron Heart guild.
"Hm, what are they doing here?" I wondered and took a bite of the hotdog, turning the opposite way from the guildmates.
Right now, I don't know how Song Hajoon acted with his guildmates, so I don't want to act on my own. Once I regain his memories, I will try to interact with them, but for now, let's leave it be.
"I hope they're not looking for me, right, #444?" I asked the system in case this is something important.
[The case with them selling Song Hajoon to the Red Cult involves the Cult Leader finding interest in Song Hajoon's beauty. The event of Song Hajoon and the Cult Leader meeting did not happen, so you do not need to worry.]
"Okay, that's good to hear." I nodded my head but then paused and looked at my appearance, or rather, Song Hajoon's current appearance.
'There's no way that the Cult Leader likes this zombie appearance, right?'
I decided that I didn't want to understand the interest of weird people like the Cult Leader.
As I made my way back to the apartment, I felt like someone kept tailing me, but whenever I looked back, they weren't there. Maybe I'm a little paranoid because I'm in a new world, but I don't think that is the case here. I actively feel someone being behind me, yet they aren't there at all.
Although the system told me not to worry about anything regarding Song Hajoon and the Evil Red Cult, I keep feeling paranoid. Also, Song Hajoon's apartment isn't in the best area and is empty right now since it's rather late in the day, so it's very easy to get kidnapped.
"I seriously don't want to be kidnapped or sold off to a weird old man." I cried to myself in a whisper.
[I can't tell who they are, but they aren't far from here. They have been tailing you a while now.]
"Where?" I looked at the area behind me, searching to see if I could spot them, but I couldn't find them.
[In the alleyway. If you go down a few steps from here, it should be to your left.]
I nodded my head and followed the system's instruction, going down the sidewalk to the alleyway. The alleyway was dirty, filled with trash all over the ground, a dumpster, and a few boxes stacked on top of each other farther down. The alleyway was a little dark due to the sun going down soon, and I didn't want to go inside to check who they were, but I was scared of them following me home as well.
So I walked into the alleyway. I walked past the trash and to the dumpster. It's big enough for a person to hide behind it, but there was no one there, so the person must be over at the stacked boxes.
"You really can't tell me who it is?" I whispered to #444 as my eyes kept darting back and forward from the alley exit and the boxes.
[Unfortunately, I am limited in what I do with my power.]
"What do you mean by that?!" I asked with an anxious voice.
[I am not a high-level system, but rather a beginning system.]
"Why didn't you tell me that sooner?!" I exclaimed.
[Oh, I'm sorry. I must have forgotten.]
I frowned and looked over at the boxes. Although there was a lot of fear inside my heart, I took small steps towards the boxes, and as I got closer to the boxes, my heart beat quickly.
I peeked over the boxes, and blond hair appeared in my vision.
A kid, who looked like they were only about three years old, with slightly tan skin, dirty blond hair, and bright green eyes, stared up at me innocently. He looked a little rough with his dirty clothing, messy hair, cheekbone sticking out like he had been starving, and a bruised left knee.
His eyes didn't have a single light in them, very dull and so lost. I felt rather uncomfortable staring at them for so long.
"Is… he's the one that's been following me?" I asked the system, scanning the kid from head down to toe to see if he was affiliated with any guild. Luckily, I couldn't find any guild symbol on him.
[He's Moon Myung, the empty doll shell.]
"What!" I exclaimed a bit loudly out due to the surprise.
I looked at the boy, Moon Myung, and walked in front of the boy, kneeling on the ground. I checked his overall appearance, and it did match the description of Moon Myung in the novel.
"Why is he here then?" I asked.
[Moon Myung is an illegitimate child born from his mother's affair. Right now, Moon Gunwoo does not know of his existence until two years from now.]
"Oh… then should I bring him back to his mother?"
[I suggest that you do not. She would simply send him back to his captors.]
"Okay, I don't understand. Tell me a little bit of Moon Myung's backstory so I know what to work with." I sigh.
Maybe I should have kept reading the story even though I was bored of it. I'm my own enemy right now.
[As you know, Moon Myung is an illegitimate child born from an affair. His mother and father have divorced, so Moon Gunwoo is unaware that he even has a little brother until Moon Myung turns five years old. During that time, his mother sold him off, for her gambling addiction, to the Iron Heart Guild. Moon Myung spent one year in the Iron Heart Guild until he manifested early and escaped. Which leads to where we are now.]
I frown and begin to feel a massive headache coming my way.
"I have to find this boy's soul, find a way out of the Iron Heart Guild, and save the world." I don't know why I agree in the first place. I put myself in a position that can get me killed.
[For now, there is no need to worry about saving the world. The world does not end just yet.]
I nodded my head. "Okay, I guess for now, I'll take him with me. I can't leave him out on his own."
Right now, Moon Myung truly is a living doll because there's no way a kid would follow a stranger and not be scared if the stranger comforts them. Moon Myung had been staring up at me with his lightless eyes.
I feel very uncomfortable, but I put that aside.
"Hey, you're Moon Myung, right? Why am I asking? You don't seem like you can speak to me right now, but anyway, I'm Song Hajoon, and I'm not a bad guy like those who had you locked up. I can protect you for the time being."
Moon Myung remained silent, and we had a two-three-minute stare constant before he reached his hand out and poked at my bag of food.
"Oh, here you go, kiddo." I grabbed a hotdog from the bag and opened it up for him.
Moon Myung grabbed the hotdog, and within a minute or two, it disappeared. He then again pointed towards the bag and stared up at me innocently, like he didn't devour a hotdog within a minute. Putting my shock aside, I gave him another hotdog, and he devoured all that as well, pointing at the bag again for more.
I gave him another package of food, and one by one, my whole bag of food disappeared, and all was left but the leftover trash. I stared down at the bag, and Moon Myung couldn't help but think this kid was some kind of food monster.
"Although you do look like you've been starved." I sighed, reaching over to his head and patting it smoothly.
Moon Myung looked at my hand, and his eyes moved to my face, tilting his head more towards my hand. Despite the empty look in his eyes, Moon Myung is a rather adorable kid.
I look up to the sky as it turns an orange color, signaling that it's late. I turned back to Moon Myung, who stared at me curiously and played with my hand in his own.
He seems to like me enough, seeing as he's playing with my hand.
"Moon Myung, let's go to my apartment. It's getting late, hm?" I smiled at him.
Moon Myung tilted his head to the side as if he didn't understand me and continued to play with my fingers.
I sighed, looking at the alley exit and then back at Moon Myung.
"Let's go; I forgot you can speak with me yet."
I picked up Moon Myung without much trouble. He remained silent and kept his weird stare on me before wrapping his arms around my neck and laying his head on my shoulder. Honestly, if this were a horror movie, some would think that Moon Myung is a child possessed by a ghost.
Although it's a little uncomfortable because of his empty, dull eyes, I don't mind him at all since I can look past that and he's a cute kid.
With Moon Myung in my arms, I left the alley and made my way back to the apartment building.
It didn't take long to get back to the apartment, and Moon Myung seemed to have fallen asleep on the way there. When I reached the apartment and opened the door, I realized that it was unlocked, which is weird because I locked the apartment before leaving. I grabbed the handle with much caution and slowly opened the door.
When I had fully opened the door, a man was sitting on the couch with their arms crossed.
I stood by the doorway, a little afraid, and they looked shocked to see me as well. I didn't enter the wrong apartment, did I?
I glanced at the number by room, and it was the right number since this morning when I left to go find food. So either this man broke into the apartment or they're Song Hajoon's roommate, but I don't think so since there's only one bedroom.
"Who?" I whispered to #444.
[They're Song Byunghoon, a childhood friend of Song Hajoon, someone who is considered like a little brother and in the same guild. If you're not much of a talker, you'll be fine interacting with Song Byunghoon.]
'I think… I can do that.'
"Hajoon Hyung, who's that kid?" The guy, Song Byunghoon, asked and pointed at Moon Myung in my arm with narrow eyes.
"Ah?" I made a stupid sound and looked down at Moon Myung in my arm, then back at Song Byunghoon.
"You didn't kidnap a kid, right?" He questioned with one brow raised.
"No!" I shook my head.
"Then who's that kid? I don't think he could be yours, either."
"He was following me."
"And you just took him with you?"
Song Byunghoon looked at me like I was crazy. Indeed, it sounds crazy if you hear it like that, but I'm not a weird person, I promise.
"Well, he was hungry, so I gave him my food, and he couldn't talk, so I thought I should bring him with me instead of leaving him alone on the street."
"Are you going to take him to the police in the morning?"
"Ah, no." I looked away from Song Byunghoon.
"Why not? Is that kid, someone special? Is that why you can't do it?"
"Yes… it's a very long and complicated story."
Song Byunghoon let out one more sigh and nodded his head. "Just hurry up and put him to bed and come eat. I know you haven't eaten anything today."
I quickly nodded my head and headed to the bedroom. I locked the door behind me so that Song Byunghoon wouldn't be able to brag inside, and I put Moon Myung on the bed. I covered him with the blanket and realized that he's a little dirty, but I didn't want to wake him up.
"I'll go buy something for him tomorrow." I whispered.
I heard a few noises outside and the sound of a microwave being turned on. Song Byunghoon must be reheating the food he mentioned earlier for me.
"Are you able to tell me something about Song Hajoon's past?"
[Why? Don't you have his memories?]
"No." I shook my head and crossed my arms. "It's like his memories are being covered in a very thick fog."
[That must be a mistake. You should have had his memories. Are you sure you can't see his memories?]
"Yeah, nothing comes up no matter how much I try to look into it."
[Thats… I'm sorry; there must have been a mistake. I'll go and try to find what's wrong, so until I come back, do your best.]
"Wait, can't you tell me his past before you leave?"
[Unfortunately, I am not able to do so because I am a beginner system, which means I do not have the authorities to know everything. There are only a few things that I can help with, such as a few current relations connected to the host, the world of the novel, and giving shop items as rewards.]
"Really? You guys run like that?"
[Our God made it this way in order for balance in the world.]
"I can't help but feel like that's very ridiculous."
[Beginner systems are supposed to prove themselves to be upgraded.]
"Again, it's ridiculous."
[I'm sorry. I'll go and try to figure out what's going on with the memories and come back soon.]
"Alright, alright." I sigh and wave my hand.
Knock, Knock.
"Hajoon hyung, the foods are done being reheated. Come out and eat." Song Byunghoon's voice came from outside the door.
I walked over, unlocking the door, and opened it. Song Byunghoon's eyes looked behind me, probably looking at Moon Myung, then back at me.
"Let's go." He smiled and walked away.
I took a glance back at Moon Myung before closing the door and following Song Byunghoon to the kitchen.
"Isn't… this too much?" I asked when I entered the kitchen.
The table was filled with many Korean dishes and also foreign dishes as well. I don't eat a lot, but does Song Hajoon eat this much?
"You never complained before, Hajoon Hyung." Song Byunghoon says taking a seat and setting up our plates. "Aren't you hungry after not eating for three days? You usually eat all my food, so what's wrong today?"
I bite my lips when I realize that I might have made a mistake, but it's not really like I know how Song Hajoon acted with this person.
"I'm just a little tired from everything today." I tried to make an excuse, hoping that he would buy it and not talk about my differences.
He looked at me for a few seconds before nodding his head and starting to eat. I also did the same, and the both of us kept silent without a single word, as I was a little scared to be found out, and plus, you should be mindful of your mouth when eating.
After maybe an hour, we finished eating, and Song Byunghoon sent me to the living room while he washed the dishes. He couldn't even let me near the sink even though I suggested, once, that I would do the dishes. He rolled his eyes at me, telling me that I hate doing the dishes so I should just go to the living room.
I decided that I didn't want to argue about some dishes, and now I'm in the living room, watching the news. The news didn't have anything much to it other than reporting about whatever is going on in the world.
The news went on normally, but then someone came up on the stage and whispered something into the ear of the man, then left.
"Ahem, we just got news that the Jade Guild and Sun Guild have returned from their two-week dungeon raid. Once again, both guilds had completed another raid with a 100% success rate with no deaths. Thanks to our top-ranked Hunters, Cheong Chanyeol, Moon Gunwoo, and Lim Minsoo."
"They have always done a wonderful job in protecting their guild members, and they're always strong against the monster of the dungeon."
There's nothing more to report other than the two guilds coming back and praise coming from the reporters. It would be a lot nicer if they had talked more about the hunters and maybe about Moon Gunwoo since he's Moon Myung's older brother, but nothing.
"You're watching the news?" Song Byunghoon had finished cleaning the dishes and came to sit next to me.
"Just to pass time."
"Hmm… I heard that the Jade Guild was looking for someone, or more specifically Hunter Moon Gunwoo."
I turned to Song Byunghoon and saw him already looking at me, which gave me the creeps a little, but I ignored it.
"Who is he looking for?"
"That's unknown right now, but Hajoon Hyung, I suggest not being too curious about it. It will not do you any good." He replied, narrowing his eyes, which gave off a scary vibe, turning back to the TV and leaving me confused.
I frowned and turned back to the TV. Although I want to ask more, I don't want Song Byunghoon to be suspicious of me, and the look he gave me, I don't like it.
'I hate this…'