Park Seungmin: “Since childhood, my family situation was never good. I was always on bad terms with my parents, and I never once attended a cram school.”
It was an interview mixed with truth and lies. His family situation was not particularly good, but neither was it destitute. His relationship with his parents was poor, but he was never neglected or abused. He had indeed never gone to cram school, but that was only because he did not want to. Still, what problem was there in exaggerating a little for the interview?
Park Seungmin: “Back in high school, I had a friend whose parents were pharmaceutical company presidents. His home life was so rich, I was always envious. No matter how hard I tried, I was always stuck in the same place like a hamster wheel, while that friend had such good luck—everything he did went well, and if he ever slipped up, his parents took care of everything. Watching him live comfortably, gaining things without effort, made me think the world was unfair. So I’m truly glad now to be rewarded for the hard years I went through.”
It was an interview filled with his personal resentment toward Yang Yohan. Ever since he had been completely ignored by Taeyang Guild, rage had burned inside him. If it had not been for Yohan’s meddling, he too could have gotten close with Taeyang Guild. Every time he thought about how his place had been taken, it infuriated him even more.
After checking that the interview content came out decently, Park Seungmin went to the comments. Lately his hobby was to savor the internet’s reaction to him. The expectations, responses, and cheers directed toward him, the world’s only purifier, never got old no matter how many times he read them. But as he scrolled happily through the interview reactions, his face suddenly twisted. Mixed in were comments like these:
-hahahahahahaha legendary salty rant
-This is definitely Big Sheep Guild setting him up lol, he’s just petty to the core
-Isn’t he the one who gained everything without effort? He just got lucky to become a high-tier Awakener
-Yeah, doesn’t he have any school violence scandals or past incidents?
└ So far only classmates are shielding him but...
└ Did Semyung Pharmaceuticals hire paid shills or what lol
I got it without effort? I almost got eaten alive by monsters, and that does not count as effort? Boiling with anger, Park Seungmin collected the comments that offended him and saved them on a USB stick. Then, irritated, he pressed the nearby bell. Soon there came a hurried knock at the door.
“Yes, Mr. Park Seungmin. What is it?”
The one who came running at once was the personal secretary assigned to him by the guild. His face showed fatigue, and the moment he saw Park Seungmin, nervousness was written all over him. Seungmin, who was younger than the man, called him without hesitation, “Hey.”
“Go to the café and bring me a caramel macchiato. One espresso shot, three pumps of syrup but not too sweet, and ice just enough to make it cool. Also, send all of this to the guild lawyer and tell him to sue them all. And wash the car too.”
The secretary ran off to buy the caramel macchiato. When he brought it back, Seungmin threw a fit that it was too sweet, so he went again. The next time Seungmin snapped that there was too much ice, so he went once more. Secretary was just a name—in reality he was little more than a servant. Since Park Seungmin was now the most powerful of the powerful in Korea, the man cursed him viciously in his heart while politely accepting the printed list of “malicious comments.”
‘Most of these comments cannot even be sued.’
But since he was ordered to press the lawsuits anyway, he had to try. Just imagining being crushed between lawyer and Seungmin made his stomach ache. Since taking on the job as Seungmin’s secretary, he had been visiting the hospital for stress-induced gastritis. Even though he was a low-tier Awakener—hardier and faster to heal than ordinary civilians—he still developed gastritis. That said everything.
After harassing his secretary, Park Seungmin lounged about drinking his coffee. Famous figures from the political and business world were sending requests to meet him over “mild contamination.” His bank account grew fatter by the day, and a wide smile spread across his face. He checked his messages and replied to those who offered the highest fees. Just then, the secretary returned.
“What? You finished washing the car already?”
With soap bubbles still on his sleeve, the secretary bowed.
“I’ll finish washing the car shortly. Just now, the Rift Management Agency sent a request for your visit. It’s about Jung Siyoung’s contamination purification. They want you there by three o’clock...”
“What the hell, are you kidding me? Three o’clock? You should have said that earlier. What’s the point telling me now?”
The secretary, shin throbbing from Seungmin’s kick, groaned and begged forgiveness repeatedly. After establishing his authority with some scolding, Seungmin hurried to change into the outfit that suited him best. He tidied his hair neatly, then set out with his limping secretary and escorts.
“Hello, Awakener Park Seungmin.”
Every Sunrise Guild member he met greeted him politely. That was thanks to Seungmin having repeatedly scolded the PR team to make sure everyone greeted him properly. He smirked as he accepted their greetings. He knew full well the guild members did not actually like him. But watching them swallow their pride and fawn on him despite their dislike never failed to amuse him.
‘And what will they do if they dislike me? Unlike Go Jaewon, I’m irreplaceable.’
With no other purifiers yet appearing among mid or lower-tier Awakeners, Seungmin enjoyed his rights as the sole purifier to the fullest. Whatever he asked for, people rushed forward to fulfill. It was like living in heaven. He intended to stay in this heaven forever.
Especially important was the matter of Jung Siyoung’s contamination. She had returned from the first cleanup operation in Busan two days earlier but had not been purified right away. Her contamination had left her mind in extreme instability. Since she could have harmed the precious purifier, she had been confined to a quarantine chamber for stabilization.
‘...How severe is her contamination?’
Riding in the official vehicle provided by the Rift Management Agency, Seungmin frowned with unease. Until now, those he had purified had contamination of only the lightest sort. Mostly powerful figures who, despite barely being contaminated in safe zones, had panicked and rushed to him for treatment.
‘The Rift Management Agency will protect me properly.’
After all, this was none other than Jung Siyoung. A high-tier Awakener was the most valuable connection one could have in these times, so she was worth the risk. In the car, Seungmin checked his reflection again.
‘If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll even get a high-tier Awakener girlfriend out of this.’
Though Lee Hyunmook had not gotten close to him because of Yohan’s meddling, Jung Siyoung was different. And since her contamination was reportedly severe, it would be even easier to win her favor... With such inflated expectations, the moment he °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° encountered Jung Siyoung, Seungmin gagged.
‘Ugh, the smell!’
The stench hit him the instant he opened the quarantine room door. Her left arm, tightly wrapped in black latex, bulged grotesquely. Even her lower face was covered by a mask. The sight was more revolting than he imagined; he almost vomited, but forced a smile.
“Haha, ah, hello! Awakener Jung Siyoung? I’m, huff, Park Seungmin...!”
“I know. You are the so-called high-tier purifier, aren’t you.”
Her expressionless face answered in oddly indistinct syllables. Her chillingly emotionless gaze swept him up and down. Seungmin glanced nervously at the Special Division members behind him. If she attacked, they would protect him, right?
“You must be suffering greatly! I will heal you right away.”
Holding back nausea, he put on his friendliest tone, but Jung Siyoung gave no reply. She only stared expressionlessly. Hesitant to come too close, Seungmin half-heartedly approached and released his light. Radiant brilliance poured toward her, making the Special Division guard behind them flinch.
Confident at first, Seungmin’s expression stiffened as his purification took effect. Jung Siyoung’s contamination was unlike any he had ever faced. Normally, a bit of depression, anxiety, or skin blotches would vanish after some exposure to the light. But her arm showed no sign of healing—only its grotesque movements slightly subdued.
“Haah... haah...”
Drained from pouring out all his strength, Seungmin staggered. Even after squeezing out every last drop of purification power, her arm looked only a little calmer. Revived faintly, Jung Siyoung gazed at him as if to ask, This is really what you call a high-tier Awakener? His face flushed red.
“Well... thank you, Awakener Park Seungmin.”
As he panted, Jung Siyoung sighed and rose from her seat. The sigh carried clear disappointment.
She already possessed the Eternal Stone, granted by the government, to treat contamination. But constant exposure while hunting monsters meant she never truly recovered. And during this Busan suppression, she had especially overexerted herself, worsening the contamination. So she had hoped for a high-tier purifier’s aid—only to find it barely better than the Eternal Stone.
When she stood, the overwhelming presence of a high-tier Awakener pressed Seungmin back in instinctive retreat. She glimpsed his frightened face, then walked straight out of the room. To the Special Division guard, she gestured.
“To Busan. Right away. The subjugation isn’t finished.”
“But Captain...! Your condition is far too poor...”
“My condition is fine. I just received purification.”
“No...! How can you call that fine! Captain, Captain! Wait!”
Their argument trailed off into the distance. Park Seungmin was left behind in the foul-smelling room, completely ignored. The Special Division guard led him out with a blank face, but even in his eyes, disappointment was obvious.
