Chapter -1

X-CITY The heart of newcomers who dreamt of achieving something big in their puny-lonesome life, the X-CITY was a hub of flowing money. If someone caught a big one they could immediately upgrade their social status to the upper level.

But the reality was always distinct from passing myths.

"Park Kang-Yoon, if I knew that you were a dirt poor beggar I wouldn't have signed that housing contract with you." A Fat woman in his late thirties yelled while slapping a stack of notes on a young man's forehead.

"Haha, I'll pay on time in the future, Noona." Kang-Yoon said while holding his urge to puke, that bitch's mouth was so smelly that even a thousand dollars worth of mouthwash wouldn't dare to approach her smelly personality.

"Piss off now or are you seeing any flowers on my face?" She grunted and began to count the notes.

"Alright then, have a good day Noona." He said and walked out of the room hurriedly.

Suddenly he recalled that he was in the middle of something when that potato called him. He breathed in cold air and ran toward his room.

"Aigoo, look what that chunk of fat did." Kang-Yoon muttered worriedly as he opened the lid, a heavenly aroma gushed out of the pot making him drool like a puppy.

Kang-Yoon who was an orphan lived in the back of the city orphanage and after his coming of age, he decided to live on his own which was the best decision according to him as the orphanage began to face some difficulties in accommodation and gathering resources.

It has been for years since he left the orphanage to become an artist as he had a great affinity toward drawings and stuff.

Kang-Yoon who was dropped as misc at the orphanage had one thing dear to him which was a strange painting of the back of dark mountain which happened to be dropped with him as his blanket for cold.

"I can give you only three dollars for this crap." The pawn shop owner said when Kang-Yoon tried to earn a lot in one go.

He had a feeling that this painting might turn out to be something ancient or treasure but was wrong as that bully shop owner threw him out of the shop when he tried to bargain.

And after all those weird scenes the painting was hanging on the wall of a shabby room.

'Let me get a bottle of soju.' Kang-Yoon thought and stepped toward the small fridge, took out a bottle, and sat down near the pot of ramyeon.

"Where did it go wrong?" He thought while trying to open the cap of the bottle with chopsticks.

Ouch…

He cried out as he got cut in his middle finger.

"Fuck this life." Cursed Kang-Yoon while waving his hand heavily the droplets of blood began to fly like mosquitoes in the room.

After calming himself down from sudden anger he began eating the ramen while scrolling down in the forum of new ArtVilla.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The 3rd drawing uploaded by kang-yoon accumulated thousands of likes in just a week but still, there were few people where he needed the most.

"What am I lacking?" The question seems to be surging in his mind once again, he had tried to make manhwas and the art was top notch but still, the engagement was too low.

@AsuraMilk: As a fellow artist this surely sucks as you've to draw a crappy story.

@milkswipe: I would suggest the Author to take a dip in the Yima river.

The comments were getting worse with the passing chapters but still, he continued as some fans were lingering around the site.

'Should I just quit and join a studio?' He thought as he had received a few offers from studios but as he heard their starting package he got a little greedy thinking, 'If they are willing to pay this much for my skill why don't I just do it on my own?'

"Ahh, this life sure sucks." Once again he cursed out while gulping down a big amount of soju .

Cough. Cough.

The spiciness assaulted his throat and he began to cough.

"Let's sleep and I'll go Job hunting from tomorrow." Kang-Yoon muttered as he stood up and started walking toward his bed.

Kang-yoon who was lost on his own didn't realise that the blood droplets which he sprayed over the painting had completely vanished like they'd gotten absorbed inside it.

After throwing himself on the bed he closed his eyes and started snoring before he even knew it.

Chirp.. chirp…

Only the sounds of bird's chirping could be heard in the room while Kang-Yoon slept like a log.

.

.

.

*Yawn*

Kang-Yoon rolled over to the other side of the bed while yawning, his black eyes opened slightly and he saw a little bit of foggy shadow looming over his head.

'What time is it?' he thought, ignoring the shadow like he ignores the vegetables.

Yawning once again he opened his eyes fully like when you see a lemon bending over your bed, ehem.

[5:40 PM]

After checking the time from the bedside clock he turned around now his entire body facing the ceiling but something was wrong with his eyes.

His eyes were wide open like he had seen some crazy ghost shit, the foggy shadow that he had seen a moment ago was still looming over his head but there was a slight difference which was the so-called foggy shadow was none other than that strange-arse painting.

"Fucking shit, you scared me out there for a second." Kang-Yoon yelled as he tried to catch the painting, forgetting the question of how it was hovering in the air.

The moment his hand was about to touch it the painting slightly vibrated and the hand directly passed through it.

"What the fuck." The strange paranormal activity scared the fuck out of him.

He hurriedly got up while his hand was still stuck in the painting, adjusting his posture he tried his hardest to pull his hand out but the more he tried the more it got pulled in.

"What do I do?"

"What do I do?" The panic attack was about to hit him any moment now as his mind was getting tangled in the madness.

"Right that small knife." Kang-Yoon suddenly remembered that he kept a small knife by his side which he got as a souvenir from a hooligan Hyung.

"Come on."

"Come on." Kang-Yoon muttered as his heartbeat got faster, he tried to reach the corner of the table where the knife was laying like a king.

"Help me." Kang-Yoon muttered as a drop of tear rolled out of his eyes and as it touched the ground at the same time his hand also reached the knife.

But before he could try to grab it the painting began vibrating more violently.

"Don't tell me." As an artist, Kang-Yoon was aware if his imagination was correct he knew where this thing would end.

"That's Not fairrrrrr…….."He tried to yell out of his lungs but before the voice could even escape from his mouth his figure got completely swallowed by the painting.