With a thoughtful expression, Jeong-woo mulled over his response.

It had only been 15 minutes since he killed seven people in Jungang-dong.

Approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes had passed since the “incident” occurred.

As Jeong-woo saw it, the prologue to a true lawless era had begun.

How many lunatics were roaming around his neighborhood?

However, when he finally arrived at Haengun-dong, the atmosphere was quite different from Jungang-dong.

First of all, there were ordinary pedestrians.

‘What in the world happened?’

Jeong-woo’s gaze met a man walking towards him from the opposite side.

The man was constantly checking his phone while briskly making his way.

He wore a light blue shirt and dress pants, with sweat trickling down his back. A leather backpack hung from one shoulder.

He looked like an ordinary office worker.

He possessed two regular essences.

If there was a food chain among humans, he would undoubtedly be the one devoured.

Yet, without any sense of caution, he approached Jeong-woo’s direction.

“……?”

Even Sun-woong, who had always been nonchalant, looked puzzled.

Eventually, when the man’s eyes met theirs, he hesitated and scanned them up and down.

Then, belatedly, he showed signs of unease.

He had noticed the blood-stained wrench in Sun-woong’s hand.

In other words, he had seen “the Message.”

The man’s shoes scratched against the asphalt as he took a step back.

“Oh, no.”

Jeong-woo quickly spoke before the man completely lost his senses.

“Please don’t misunderstand! This is animal blood. The situation is a bit complicated, but… Did you see the ‘Message’ this morning? We were wondering if only we saw it.”

Could it be that the murderer’s aura was evident even on their faces, like those guys earlier?

Jeong-woo tried his best to put on a righteous expression.

“Ah, yes… I did see it too…”

The man still appeared frightened.

Nevertheless, he answered the question about the “Message.”

‘Thank goodness. There’s still room for conversation before he loses it.’

Jeong-woo felt relieved.

Everyone had experienced the supernatural phenomenon this morning. By bringing it up deliberately, he wanted to establish a common ground, a sense of similarity.

Having something in common, even the feeling of homogeneity, could help solve many unexpected issues.

Of course, to make the man forget the wrench with blood stains, they needed more than that.

“I’m Park Jeong-woo, living in Howon Villa behind us. I was passing through Jungang-dong just now, and there were animals attacking people there. So, I was wondering if you knew what was going on.”

“Animals attacking people…?”

The man’s expression remained dubious as he glanced in the direction of Jungang-dong beyond the two of them.

Considering the message from Earth, any story seemed plausible.

“Where are you coming from? Is Haengun-dong safe? Is there anything to be cautious about…?”

As Jeong-woo cast a slightly anxious glance behind the man, he shrugged his shoulders.

“My workplace is nearby… It seems okay for now. Honestly, I’m not sure. Anyway, nothing happened while I was coming.”

An uninformative answer.

The man truly seemed to know nothing.

If anything, the only thing he had discovered was that the situation in Haengun-dong was slightly better than in Jungang-dong.

Jeong-woo felt both envious and pity for the man’s innocent expression.

If he hadn’t used up any of his essences until now, he would soon be killed.

So, to be honest, killing this man and taking his essence, just like those guys before, was the right thing to do.

After all, someone would eventually rob him of his essence.

But…

“Yes, thank you. You seem to be in a hurry. Sorry for taking your time.”

Jeong-woo decided to let the man go.

His essences were not active in front of this man.

In other words, Jeong-woo’s “sincerity” was also on the side that wanted to save him.

As Jeong-woo slightly lowered his waist to make way, Sun-woong gave him a sidelong glance.

As if surprised that he’s not being killed.

“Th-thank you…”

The man’s gaze still lingered on Sun-woong’s wrench.

Even after the two of them stepped aside, he started climbing a different alley on the left side.

“……”

Jeong-woo firmly gazed at the man’s stiff steps, which grew farther away.

He finally seemed to sense that something abnormal was happening.

Yeah, with only two essences, he would be in deep trouble.

In that case, if he had any surviving family members, he would like to express his condolences in advance.

“Coming this far without any incidents… It’s hard to understand. It’s right next to Jungang-dong; how can it be so different?”

As Jeong-woo mumbled to himself, Sun-woong spoke with a dark expression.

“That person was probably just lucky.”

However, it didn’t take long for Sun-woong’s speculation to prove wrong.

As the two of them continued deeper into Haengun-dong, they encountered scenes beyond their expectations.

Quite a loud commotion.

Residents had gathered at the entrances of each villa.

Their gazes were all fixed on the road, seemingly waiting for families to come to work.

When they felt Jeong-woo and Sun-woong’s presence, they all turned their heads simultaneously.

Perhaps checking if they knew anyone.

Dozens of eager gazes could be felt.

Jeong-woo felt ashamed of his instinct to check people’s essence.

“It’s bustling here.”

Though Sun-woong’s voice lacked strength, he had a faint smile on his face.

Together, they entered the crowd.

Then, strong men suddenly rushed toward them from the front.

Each of them held what seemed to be a weapon, a stick, or a pipe.

“What’s going on?”

Startled, Jeong-woo tightened his grip on the pen and looked around.

The area was too crowded; if he used essence here, it would lead to a mass slaughter.

Fortunately, the other side had already taken preventive measures.

“Sir! No, No! We’re the Haengun-dong Neighborhood Watch!”

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