LOUIE'S POV:
I was trapped in the most surreal and humiliating moment of my life. Being carried bridal style by Kang Min-jae was a unique form of torture, and the hospital hallway had become my personal stage. A hot flush of shame crawled up my neck, burning the tips of my ears. My tattered hospital gown offered all the modesty of a single leaf, and my heightened senses were a curse, turning every awestruck whisper into a direct, mortifying assault.
"Is that his lover? He's so small."
"I never thought the Alpha Ascendant was gay… but wow, good for him."
"That must be why he rushed to Suwon right after his dungeon clear. How romantic!"
The indignity was a physical weight, crushing the air from my lungs. Their words twisted his heroism into a cheap romance novel plot. They saw a knight saving his damsel; I knew the truth. This was a predator claiming his prize. I was not his lover; I was his property.
Through it all, Kang Min-jae moved like a force of nature, his expression an impenetrable wall of indifference. The sea of whispers parted before him, his chilling aura a silent command to step aside. He didn't seem to hear them, or if he did, he simply didn't care.
The oppressive weight of a hundred gazes finally lifted when we reached the sterile quiet of the hospital parking lot. "You can put me down now," I managed, my voice a strained whisper.
I braced myself to be set down. Instead, his arms loosened without warning. My body dropped like a sack of rocks. My new reflexes fired just enough to keep me from face-planting, but my tailbone met the hard asphalt with a jarring, painful thud. The slow-burning humiliation of the last five minutes instantly ignited into pure, sputtering outrage. This man wasn't a hero; he was a cold, ruthless bastard.
"How long are you going to sit there?" he asked, his voice sharp enough to cut glass. He didn't even look back. "Get in the car."
I scrambled to my feet, glaring daggers at his impassive back as I followed him to a sleek black vehicle that looked more like a military-grade transport than a car. The drive was suffocating, wrapped in a silence so thick and tense I felt like I was choking on it. His home wasn't a house; it was a fortress. A cold, brutalist structure of concrete and reinforced steel rose against the skyline, surrounded by a dozen Ascendants whose auras crackled in the air like static electricity. This wasn't a home; it was a bunker.
"This is a sanctuary," he stated, his voice pulling me from my daze as he led me inside. The interior was just as stark—long, sterile hallways and numerous identical doors. It felt like a top-secret research facility. "I built this place to keep them safe."
"Keep who safe?" I asked.
"Other shamans," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "The true protectors."
As if on cue, a pair of small children—a boy and a girl no older than seven and five—came tearing down the hallway, their faces alight with pure joy. "Brother Min-jae!"
He turned, and the impenetrable mask he wore didn't just crack; it dissolved. He knelt, scooping both of them into a hug. For a fleeting second, a flicker of genuine warmth, of profound gentleness, softened the hard lines of his face. It was gone as quickly as it came. He returned to his usual stoicism as he set them down, promising to play later. The brief glimpse of the man behind the monster only made him more confusing, more dangerous.
He led me into a sparse, functional office and closed the door. The tension snapped back into the room, coiling in my stomach. I couldn't hold it in any longer.
"I won't give you my power," I burst out, the words a desperate declaration of the only thing I had left.
He looked at me, and then he did something I never expected. He laughed. It wasn't a smirk or a chuckle, but a low, genuine rumble that seemed to vibrate through the floor. "I'm not asking for your power," he said, the warmth vanishing as his cold demeanor returned. "It seems you already know some of the details, which makes this easier."
Relief washed over me, immediately replaced by confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I don't want to steal your system," he explained, his gaze sharp and analytical. "I want you to become stronger. Fast. You heard that woman. The dungeons are evolving. Soon, not even I will be able to stop them alone. I need another shaman fighting at my side."
I finally understood. His goal wasn't subjugation; it was reinforcement. We wanted the same thing—to protect the world—but I could already sense the chasm between our methods.
"We share a goal," I said, meeting his eyes, my voice hardening. "But we are not the same. You pity humans. You still believe they're all worth saving. Your mercy is a liability."
A flicker of confusion crossed his features. "What are you talking about?"
"I can see souls," I explained, the words feeling strange and heavy on my tongue. "Even before this. Most humans glow white or gray. Monsters are a uniform, blood-red inferno. But some humans… their souls are as black and dense as tar." I leaned forward, my voice dropping. "That woman you fought? Her soul was red. She was a monster wearing a human face. And you let her live. What do you think a powerless human with the soul of a monster will do to regain her strength?"
His cold facade finally fractured, his eyes widening in genuine shock.
"She'll kill," I stated plainly. "She'll be driven by an instinct she no longer controls. I don't know why her soul changed, but she wasn't the first I've seen. So, yes, I will get stronger. But I will not spare those who have abandoned their humanity. Salvation is for those who deserve it, not for everyone."
He stared at me for a long moment, truly seeing me for the first time. "You can do as you please," he said finally, his voice tight. "But you will stay here until the government issue is resolved." It was a command. I simply nodded. For now, it was my only choice.
Later, a young woman with a kind smile guided me to a room. "Here you are, Mr. Louie," she said, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "It's right next to Mr. Kang's."
My stomach plummeted. "No, you're misunderstanding. We don't have that kind of relationship."
Her giggle was light and airy. "No need to be shy! Mr. Kang has never let anyone stay in the four rooms closest to his. You're the first." She gave me a final, devastating wink. "Press the button by your bed if you need anything!"
That bastard. He was marking his territory.
I pushed open the door and stepped inside. On the bed was a neatly folded set of clothes: simple black slacks and a white shirt. Finally. I tore off the tattered gown, feeling a moment of profound relief. I was pulling on the pants when the door was thrown open without ceremony.
Standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the hall light, was Kang Min-jae.
My heart leaped into my throat and I let out a high, undignified shriek.
"Could you put your pants on before you scream?" he said, his voice utterly deadpan.
Mortified, I scrambled to finish, my hands shaking. "You can't just barge in!" I stuttered, wanting the floor to swallow me whole.
"Your system," he stated, ignoring my outburst. "I can't feel its presence. I wanted to confirm it was still functioning."
"It shuts down when you're near so your Alpha System doesn't devour it," I explained, the clinical topic a strange relief from the humiliation.
"I have no intention of devouring it," he stated flatly. "It should be active by now, shouldn't it?"
As if summoned, a voice echoed in my mind.
[NOTICE: Omega System is now active.]
"It's active now," I mumbled.
[WARNING: Omega Pheromone will now be released as an Alpha is nearby. Prepare for biological response.]
My eyes went wide. Pheromone? Oh no. No, no, no. An intoxicating wave of scent flooded the room—wild honeysuckle, night-blooming jasmine, and something deeper, warmer, and dangerously inviting.
Kang Min-jae's cold demeanor shattered. His nostrils flared. His eyes, for the first time, were wide with utter shock, his perfect composure broken. "W-what is that sweet smell?" he stuttered, taking an involuntary step forward.
"GET OUT!" I screamed, raw panic overriding everything. I lunged, shoving him out of the doorway and slamming the heavy door shut with all my might. I fumbled with the lock, my heart hammering against my ribs.
[WARNING: The pheromone will remain active as long as the Alpha is within a 30-meter radius.]
"Shit!" I yelled, banging a fist against the door. This system was going to get me killed—or worse.
[NOTICE: This is a pre-programmed function added by the three great fox spirits to ensure procreation.]
Procreation?!
[WARNING: Pheromones of an Alpha are now being released. If the user wishes to remain safe, maintain a distance outside the 30-meter radius.]
A strange, insistent heat began to course through my veins, an unfamiliar and desperate urge coiling in my gut. Oh, hell no. I had to get away from him before I did something I'd regret for the rest of my very short life.
"Partial Beastsonification!"
My legs transformed, instantly covered in a fine layer of white fur. I scrambled to the window, threw it open, and leaped into the cold night air without a second thought. I was on the fourth floor. I hit the ground in a crouch, my enhanced legs absorbing the impact with a jolt.
A new, cold thought cut through the pheromone-induced haze. If I could handle a fall like that, I could definitely jump higher. I had to get off this property.
I had to escape that bastard. Now.