Banpo, Seoul.

“This is the last place on the list,” Eun-Young muttered with the electronics shop before her.

People walked in and out the front door at their own pace. Although not as much as before, the streets had more life than two weeks ago. However, all this didn’t have anything to do with her. Entering the store, she found one of the free employees on the first floor.

“Can you tell me who I should talk to regarding the job application?” Her question shook the man out of his daydream, but he soon regained his cool when he registered her words.

“You are applying for which one?” Their store had listed on websites and a small banner outside to attract anyone interested. Most of their employees had left and showed no signs of returning. So, they have many posts open as of right now.

‘A little taller than most but she is good-looking. We can put her in as a sales worker or she can be at the cash register too.’ The guy could see potential even if Eun-young’s expression was dryer than a desert.

“Sales worker, cleaner, Delivery, I’ll take any position you have.” She said in a tone that matched her expression.

“Is that so? Then I’ll take you to Mrs Oh.” This turned out to be good news, although he wasn’t sure about her working with delivery since they sent out whole refrigerators and air conditioners for installation. Even if she looked stronger than the average woman, he didnt see it working out.

But the good thing was that Eun-Young didn’t appear picky and came straight to the point. After meeting Miss Oh she handed her resume without any additional questions, aside from the salary. After the basic interview was out of the way, Mrs Oh said that she’d contact her regarding the Job placement. The entire talk didn’t even take 5 minutes. As Eun-Young left the man turned to Mrs Oh.

“Mrs Oh, why didn’t you hire her? We still lack people.” This situation baffled him. He thought she’d immediately hired, but things didn’t appear that simple.

“Your memory problems are acting up again, did you not recognize her face Kyung-Ho?” Mrs Oh’s eyebrows twitched when he shook his head.

“Wait a second…” But instead of lashing out, she pulled her phone out and went through her gallery to find the material. Soon she found the screenshot of a news article and showed to it Kyung-Ho.

“W-Wait, is this real?” His eyes widened upon reading the headline of the article.

The wonder kid of the Judo World faces Murder Charges? Police are still investigating as one death and five injuries in this incident have come to light.

“Yes, she beat someone to death four years ago. It blew up because her face was well known at the time, she was a prodigy that swept through tournaments at 14. And when she was released from the correctional facility, it became even worse because the attention came to it again.” Mrs Oh showed him a few more articles that popped up recently, they targeted Eun-Young with malicious words, and even new pictures with her full name became public.

And no business wanted to deal with a murderer, especially when the employee’s face became well known.

“With the way she talked and her manners, I would’ve never thought she did something like that.” Kyung-Ho's confusion grew even more. He wasn’t interested in the news, so he had no idea about this. But still, if some customers recognized her, it would become a big problem that is not worth having for one employee.

“Kyung-ho you should know better than to judge people on how they behave in public,” She stared at him with much seriousness, but noticing his expression she changed the subject, “Return to your position and do not daydream this time.”

“I wasn’t daydreaming at all you know.” He laughed a little and slipped away.

Mrs Oh sighed and threw the resume in the garbage bin. It didn't matter if she had turned over a new leaf, it wasn't her problem.

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“That ended up as a failure too,” Eun-young muttered on her way to the subway. She faced such situations enough times to know how it would end.

The sun was setting in the distance as she trudged down the sidewalk. Job hunting didn’t get her anything in the end. She knew the reason this happened, and she could understand it too. The articles about her spread faster than she expected. It had affected her situation a bit too much as her face surfaced with the articles, the recent ones made people dig up the older ones and the cycle continued.

‘It can’t be helped.’ Even knowing that she tried to find a job, she searched on the Job websites once again to scan through the available listings and looked around the shops for signs too.

Eun-Young already knew she would get rejected repeatedly, but she couldn’t give up even if it seemed futile. Because the chance to get a job was still there. If the store she worked for hadn’t laid off the workers because of the destruction, she wouldn’t have to go through all this again.

Do you need money? Then by all means become an awakened.

Turning to her left she saw the source of the deep voice. The TVs inside the store all showed the same person and the volume was unexpectedly high, people were gathering around to see the face on those big screens.

Eun-Young had seen that face pop up on the news and internet articles in the last two weeks. The Guild Master of General Guild, Cho Young-Jae.

Since the Government released its grips on Gate management, normal Awakened who stayed clear of the offers started to band together officially with this opportunity.

With the new set of rules, they could enter the Gates and gather the materials to then exchange them for money with the new Government department made to handle these transactions, Awakened Association.

Cho Young-Jae became the face of the unaffiliated Awakened across the Nation and made the first guild to be officially recognized by the Association. Today he appeared in the interview of the leading news channel in South Korea once again.

Standing there in a military vest that had blue blood splattered all over it, the middle-aged man showed his toothy grin as the gate in the background floated silently. It was a post-raid interview.

Are you saying that becoming an Awakened is a profitable job now? The reporter’s question made him laugh.

That depends from person to person, for me this pays more than what I did before. There is also the risk of entering Gates I won’t deny that. But, risk is in everything you do. And here too, if you have the resolve to take the risk you will get rewarded. His orange eyes looked straight into the camera the next instant, If any of you watching are interested in joining me, you can arrive at the Gate in Gyeong-dong Market tomorrow morning at 7. The experts in my Guild will help you to best they can with the information we have acquired till now.

Are you really willing to share insider information with people who may not even join your guild, Sir Cho? Another reporter asked. A case of such occurring has increased in South Korea as of late.

The only reason I am doing this is to gather like-minded people with me, the people I can trust. For that, I do not mind giving out valuable information. And to be honest, I do not like the idea of gatekeeping something that can possibly save lives and help others. If I get betrayed a few times then it is a small price to pay. His answer received cheers from the people who gathered to watch.

Cho Young-Jae’s words resonated with a lot of normal people who lived under the fear of Gates, and with the increasing intrigue in the Awakened, it didn’t take long for him to become the third most famous Awakened in the country.

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He made all information his guild found public on their Guild’s official website. So, with his recent accomplishments, popularity, and personality. Cho Young-Jae became especially famous within the Awakened community.

Sir Cho, what do you think is the current situation of the Awakened in the country? And what is your goal? The last question of the interview arrived.

I think this is true no matter where you go in the world right now. The current Awakened humans are split into three groups, the first group actively raids the gates and keeps the civilians safe whether by a sense of duty for more monetary gain; the second group are people who use the Abilities for crimes without any fear; and the lastly the third group which I think is in majority, these people are unsure of how to move forward with the changes. And in my opinion, the scales will tilt in the direction the third group leans towards. So if I can change one more mind into using these powers for the betterment of humans, then I would be one step closer to my goal.

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“Welcome back Big Sis!” The jolly voice of her younger sister came when Eun-Young entered her home. It took her a while longer to reach home on foot as more cars started to appear on the streets.

“Yes, I am home Eun-Sook.” Closing the Gate behind her, Eun-Young saw her sister in the kitchen from the entrance of their flat. Though, it could hardly be called a flat as it ended as soon as it began.

“Did you have dinner outside today too? I made my special stew.” Eun-Sook turned and her face shined with brilliance even in that dull room. She always had that sort of energy around her, the complete opposite of her.

“I had something so I am not that hungry. But I’ll have some.” Eun-Young washed her face in the sink near her sister. By the time she wiped her face, her sister placed the plates on the newspaper spread over the floor.

Sitting down Eun-Young noticed how little food her sister took. Eun-Sook noticed her gaze and smiled, she already knew what her elder sister would ask.

“Min-Ji treated me to some food today, so I am full. The beef was so good that I couldn’t stop eating. hehe.”

“She’s been treating you to food a lot lately,”

“It is because you saved her Big Sis during the Break Incident. She always comes by to meet you, but you always come back late.” Eun-Sook sighed, but soon her eyes lit up at an idea.

“How about you come back a little early tomorrow and talk with her once?” Looking at her sister’s excitement Eun-Young still shook her head.

“I have to look for jobs again, so I don’t think I’ll be able to come by any sooner. Also, tell that girl to focus on her studies the exams are near. Even if the school is closed you shouldn’t slack off like this.” Her words made Eun-Sook pout.

They weren’t slacking off in the slightest, in a way they had to work harder because they were missing study time. But she didn’t say anything as the mention of school brought another news to her mind.

“I heard Awakened Cho Young-Jae will clear the Gate at my school tomorrow, so the school should start the next day.”

“How do you know that?” Eun-Young asked.

“Min-Ji’s older brother is working in the Awakened Association. He told her and she told me about it.” Eun-Sook laughed. Min-Ji’s brother did it to tease his younger sister who was enjoying the unexpected vacation, but this turned out for the better.

“Also Big Sis can you finish this? I feel like my stomach is about to burst.” Before Eun-Young could say anything her plate had more food as her sister ran for the door at breakneck speed, “I am gonna take a walk so call me when you finish eating so I can take care of the dishes.”

Watching her exit Eun-Young heaved a sigh. It wasn’t long before she too had enough, Eun-Sook came back a few minutes later and cleaned the plates before laying down the matters to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Eun-Young sat up. She hadn’t been able to shut her eyes till now much less sleep. Walking towards the small fridge in the corner of the area they called the kitchen she went through their food situation and it didn’t look good. They barely had anything left, the rice might last them three days at best but nothing else remained. Being unemployed for three weeks dried up the small savings she gathered in the past year.

And in the dead silent room, she could hear the occasional growls from her little sister’s stomach. Eun-young took out the dishes from dinner, she hid them before. After placing everything in the fridge she sat down next to her sister. Even in the room shrouded in darkness her eyes noticed the slight discomfort on Eun-Sook’s face.

Unlike her, Eun-Sook was much more delicate and ladylike. She inherited their mother’s features, a beautiful face, soft blue eyes, silky black hair, a high nose, and the pleasant smile that lit up the darkest of days, but a blemish stained her face. Eun-Young stared at the nasty scar on her little sister’s right eye. Normally she had it covered with an eye patch as the eye no longer worked. But at home, Eun-Sook didn’t bother with it cause it was just the two of them.

She lightly stroked Eun-Sook’s head to ease her discomfort, even though she knew it wouldn’t do much. But, that was all she could do right now.

‘Waiting to get a normal job isn’t going to help.’

The next morning came painfully late. Eun-Young reheated the leftover food from last night. Placing them on the kitchen counter with a note, she left the house without a sound and waited near the door. Soon someone opened the terrace door, a girl around Eun-Sook’s age walked in and glanced at her a few times.

“G-Good Morning Big Sis,” Min-Ji rushed over when she received the message from Eun-Sook’s phone. But the one who called for her was Eun-Young.

“Hmm, Morning. Please watch over Eun-Sook till she wakes up for me, I have to leave early today.” There was no other way, if she stayed her sister wouldn’t let her go on an empty stomach.

“No problem, I had nothing to do anyway… Ah, No wait…” Min-Ji laughed but soon started to sweat. Didn’t she just confess to having nothing worthwhile going on? Didn’t that make her look like a loser?

“Don’t worry, also I owe you one for this,” Eun-Young patted Min-Ji’s head with a small smile and continued, “Thank you for being friends with Eun-Sook.”

Min-Ji watched Eun-Young leave in a daze. It took her a lot of effort to fix her hair, if her family did this she’d flip out. But not right now.

“She’s so damn cool! But the smiling Big Sis is also the best!” Min-Ji stomped the floor below. This was the first time in her life that she thought waking up early was rewarding.

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‘Hmm, did it get colder today?’ Eun-Young felt chills all over her body.

She has had them since leaving her house, normally she wouldn’t notice them but now she couldn’t ignore them. Her red eyes scanned the surroundings like a hawk. She examined each person standing around her as much as she could. But, aside from seemingly nervous people who stood in proper lines, there was nothing else around her.

For the three hundred people that gathered here since 7 A.M., they had not made any fuss. However, some problems did arise. Eun-Young eyed the Green Gate beyond the barricades and military personnel to the left. Several people gathered around there and a small commotion broke out that sparked curiosity.

“What happened over there?”

“Is there something wrong with the Gate?”

“It can’t be right? That Gate opened only 2 days ago.”

People in the line behind her started to whisper, arriving after her they too had no idea what happened there either. And digging around a little they received their answer.

“Someone entered before the team from General Guild could?”

“I thought the Association takes the security of the Gates seriously?”

“Yeah, this is way too sloppy.”

“But who would do such a thing?”

“Must be those from Dokkaebi Guild. I read all about the ruckus they caused at the Association.”

“Yeah, about those troublemakers…”

As people around her started to speculate and complain about the ongoing events, Eun-Young quietly moved forward without paying heed to the chatter. She wasn’t interested in anything else aside from talking with the recruiter. Half an hour later, her turn came.

The person before her came out full of smiles from the tent, this gave her a bit of hope as she entered the tent. Inside the tent, two wooden chairs were placed on either side of a small table. The man seated in one of them immediately spoke up seeing her.

“What was your natural eye color before Miss?”

“Red.” Eun-young’s answer made the apathetic look return to the man’s face.

He motioned for her to sit down and slid a small booklet her way. Picking it up Eun-Young began to read. It contained information about how General Guild recruitment worked. But, the frown on her forehead deepened the more pages she turned.

‘I’ll need to learn all of the available information about the Gates and Raid terminology for a week. Then work as a porter for 2 weeks to build experience without pay… after that I would be able to participate in the raids if I wish with a 7% cut of the total raid revenue from the raids that will be paid at the end of the month…’ Eun-Young flipped the page to see the amount of money a Gate generates and calculate the amount she’d make from one Gate.

Swiftly closing the booklet she placed it on the table and stood up. The man indeed didn’t expect that, but he didn’t try to stop her from leaving. It turned out good that he didn’t have to speak at all.

‘I do not have that amount of time to work without pay,’ Eun-Young exited the tent and walked past the ever-increasing line.

If she had a little more leeway she wouldn’t have minded working as a porter even if the pay was worse. But, she didn’t have that. Her funds were running low enough for her younger sister to lie and sleep on an empty stomach. The rent for the month was a month late too, and it was a miracle her landlady hadn’t kicked them out yet.

Eun-young had to find a way to deal with this today.

She could try for normal jobs again. But, she knew that her chances of winning the lottery were higher. She couldn’t get a job even when the shortage of workers increased.

‘Those articles circulated a bit too much.’ With how free people were after the Break incident, it became worse even if she had served her sentence. But the record remained.

‘I’ll need to search for other guilds, and if nothing that doesn’t work… I’ll have to use this power in the end.’ Deep in her thoughts, she clenched her hands. But, she wasn’t aware of the man approaching her in that small gap.

“Eun-Young-Ah!” Hearing the voice she turned around in vigilance when Do-Yun approached her with a smile.

If one looked at his confidence, one would think that the two had known each other for a long time. But, they have only met once and she didn’t have a good impression of him.

“Unless you can help me get a job, don’t bother me,” Eun-Young said that to cut this short. Nothing good would come out of speaking with him. However, before she could turn to leave Do-Yun gave her a firm nod.

“Sure, I got a job for you.” Watching the surprise color her face, he stepped closer and spoke.

“So, you up for it?”