“Neighborhood Watch? Already?”

Jeong-woo finally noticed the headband wrapped around the man’s head, who had just arrived at the forefront.

The headband had the words “I’ll protect you” written in messy handwriting.

“I apologize if I startled you. I am Neighborhood Watch 2nd Team Leader, Yang Junho. But, sir… you know how to use essence?”

Yang Junho spoke softly with a mixture of friendliness and caution, sending a probing glance at Jeong-woo.

Jeong-woo sensed that they were being welcomed as “awakened beings” when he saw them preparing for a combat that would be needed in the original location.

“Well, a little…”

Jeong-woo nodded while slightly stepping back, and Sun-woong looked at Jeong-woo and Junho alternately, wearing a peculiar expression.

“Are you from this neighborhood? Excuse me, may I request your identification card?”

“Pardon?”

What kind of police play were they doing?

Jeong-woo noticed that three more men stood behind Junho.

Although he didn’t feel like it, he didn’t want to have any friction with them either.

They seemed like diligent fellows, even if they appeared somewhat unskilled, trying to protect their neighborhood in their own way.

Besides, this was Jeong-woo’s neighborhood.

“……”

Jeong-woo searched his wallet for the identification card, gauging the level of these “Neighborhood Watch” members.

2nd Team Leader Yang Junho had 19 essence.

The rest of them had an average of 11.

He should be able to handle at least one “Cleaner”.

Shh.

As Jeong-woo and Sun-woong handed over their identification cards, Junho checked their addresses and raised an eyebrow.

“One person lives in Hapjeong-dong… and both of you finished work… Can I ask where you’re coming from and how you got here? The situation is critical, so we need as much information as possible.”

Junho made an apologetic expression, gesturing towards the residents of the villa complex.

From Jeong-woo’s perspective, there was no need to hide anything.

He wanted to answer quickly and leave this place.

“We came from the direction of Gasan Digital Complex. We drove, but the road was completely blocked from SNU Entrance Station, so we walked through Jungang-dong.”

“You walked through Jungang-dong?”

A husky voice from behind Junho belonged to another member of Neighborhood Watch standing there.

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

While answering like this, Jeong-woo subtly realized how things were unfolding.

The hunters of Jungang-dong.

They also knew about these guys.

There must be a connection between them and the background of setting up Neighborhood Watch.

“No, nothing. I’m glad nothing happened to you.”

After giving his team members a subtle signal, Junho returned the identification cards to Jeong-woo and Sun-woong.

Then he got to the point.

“To be honest, the situation is not good. The people who went to work this morning haven’t returned. The main roads are completely blocked.”

“I see.”

Jeong-woo received the other’s words with a troubled expression.

He had already had a confrontation with monsters from the company’s parking lot.

They also killed seven people in Jungang-dong.

He knew better than anyone that the current situation was bad and would only get worse.

“Yes, so… we need a lot of people. Especially those who know how to use essence.”

He thought they would say that.

Jeong-woo looked at Junho with burning determination in his eyes.

It was impressive that they managed to set up Neighborhood Watch in just a few hours, but that was about it.

‘They can’t protect the neighborhood with this level of strength. It seems challenging enough for them to protect themselves.’

He must not forget that he had 128 essences on him.

That meant there was a good chance that there were other individuals with similar levels of power.

Whether it was another “savior” or whatever.

In that case, should he advise them to fight each other so that a few of them might survive?

Jeong-woo mentally calculated the essence of all the people within his sight.

It exceeded a hundred.

If an ‘enemy’ carrying hundreds of essences invades, not only this clumsy Neighborhood Watch but also the residents waiting to leave will be annihilated.

The situation was truly dire.

Moreover, the answer had already been determined from the beginning.

‘It’s the right thing to gather these essences.’

Currently, Jeong-woo’s rank as a savior was ‘3’.

Killing all these people might raise him to rank ‘2’, and even if not, his current position would be more secure.

But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

How could he slaughter the people from his own neighborhood? People who weren’t betraying their humanity.

Even though he had just killed seven humans not long ago, his essence didn’t even twitch this time.

“Are you… okay?”

Suddenly, someone lightly touched his shoulder, and Jeong-woo jumped, opening his eyes wide.

He realized that he had been standing absentmindedly for a moment.

“Ah… I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well. We should talk later.”

Jeong-woo rubbed his forehead, furrowing his brows, and Junho nodded as if understanding that there was nothing he could do.

“I understand. You must be tired coming all the way here. I was too hasty. Can I visit you again tomorrow around lunchtime?”

“Ah, yes… that would be fine.”

“Then, could you please give me your phone number?”

“……”

This man really didn’t seem to be willing to let Jeong-woo go.

After exchanging contact information between the two and Neighborhood Watch 2nd Team, they finally parted ways.

“What do you think we should do from now on?”

At the end of the uphill road leading to their home, Sun-woong cautiously asked while they were ascending.

Jeong-woo turned around.

However, his gaze was fixed not on his partner behind him but on the view below the path of Haengun-dong he had climbed so far.

The population of Hapjeong-dong was 29,881.

Even if most of the commuters had their feet tied outside, there would still be around 10,000 people staying here right now.

In other words, there were at least 10,000 essences spread out before him.

The source of tremendous power was within reach, as long as he reached out his hand.

No one had gathered this power yet.

No, it was probably impossible to gather it.

Because they were all “people.”

The fact that he still held the third place among saviors with 128 essences was evidence of that.

Jeong-woo moved his dry lips and uttered bitter syllables.

“We have to survive. Somehow.”

“…”

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