Hunter, Thank You For Your Blood - Vol. 1 Chapter 1.6 - The Monster Born From Capitalism (6)

The flow of questions continued for quite a while after the initial question flow during the broadcast. After experiencing several instances of the man not answering any questions no matter how much he was asked, the viewers finally turned their attention to Si-wol as their question target. Thanks to that, Si-wol, with an exhausted expression, reluctantly responded to the next question, baring even the color of the underwear he was wearing today to the viewers.

“What? How did I become a vampire? Haa. I can’t even count how many times I’ve mentioned this anymore.”

Si-wol lowered his head as if indicating that he would interrupt the question-and-answer flow around this point. Then, he raised both hands and started counting his fingers one by one.

‘Hmm… How many times have I mentioned the secret of my birth?’

The first time was when the broadcast started, then another time when the viewer count reached 10, And every time I had a drinking session on the weekends, I would talk about it. Oh, after that, there was a plateau in the viewer count, and there were no questions for a while, so I talked about it… After reaching 100 viewers, I mentioned it again, and later on, the viewers themselves brought it up… Oh, I must have mentioned it at least ten more times.

“Yeah, I must have mentioned it more than ten times. Now my mouth hurts, and I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Si-wol mumbled and grumbled while squirming around. The newly arrived viewers sighed with disappointment at the sight.

≫ Please tell me~~~~ I’m curious~~~~

≫ What’s the deal with the vampire concept and not explaining why you became a vampire? What kind of tease is that?

≫ Yeah, if that’s the case, why did you dress like that?

They even criticized the fully raised collar of the cloak that Si-wol wore, trying to embody a concept.

≫ Geez, you talk a lot; if Vampi-nim doesn’t want to talk about it, then he doesn’t want to.

≫ They say there’s a heartbreaking story that you can’t listen to without tears.

≫ It’s really annoying to even have to explain it all the time to people who are so rude like that.

“Uh? You shouldn’t fight.”

Si-wol keenly sensed the brewing intensity in the chat window. Worried that another fight would break out like a wildfire, he hastily raised his hand in front of the camera to intervene.

And then it happened.

“Heeok!”

Si-wol gasped and trembled as if having a seizure. His eyes widened with a startled expression, almost bulging out. He came close to falling off his chair. That’s how shocked he was. And understandably so…

“H-Hunter-nim? Why are you suddenly holding my wrist…”

The man who had been quietly sitting next to him suddenly grabbed Si-wol’s wrist with a strong grip. Si-wol’s skinny, almost fragile wrist was firmly held in the powerful and hot hand. The grip was so intense that for a moment, Si-wol thought his wrist might actually break.

‘W-What is this? Why is his grip so strong? How can a human have this kind of strength…’

Even though Si-wol was a half-blooded vampire, he was an extraordinary being compared to humans. His physical abilities were on a different level. Despite appearing fragile, in reality, when confronted with a human, Si-wol could easily overpower them and subdue them.

However, it felt daunting to figure out how to escape from the grip of this man. The difference in strength was palpable. Si-wol felt incredibly bewildered and momentarily powerless, which only made him even more shocked.

‘It’s too hot.’

Si-wol frowned and looked down at the wrist held tightly in the man’s grasp. Despite being a vampire who could be considered lifeless, a scorching fire seemed to settle upon his chilling body temperature. Even though it was just his wrist being held, he felt as if his entire body was engulfed in flames, as if he had been burned.

“I-It’s hot… Please let go.”

In a state of extreme confusion, Si-wol unintentionally pleaded, his voice choked with emotion. His fragile nature made sudden situations like this overwhelming, causing his heart to beat violently in his chest. Even now, his previously slow and feeble heartbeat raced like it had just completed a 100-meter sprint. The pounding was so intense that it reverberated in his ears, overwhelming him.

However, despite Si-wol’s plea that bordered on begging, the man did not release his wrist. Instead, he opened his heavy mouth and began to speak.

“Tell me.”

“Y-Yes? W-What do you want to know?”

Pointing his firm chin towards the monitor, the man uttered his demand.

“Why you became a vampire.”

“…..!”

Si-wol’s large eyes widened even further. At the same time, the chat window was filled with loud exclamations.

≫ Lololololol Hunter-nim is indeed on our side! Lololololol

≫ You won’t tell us even now? LOLOL

≫ Hunter-nim wants to hear it too, right~~~~~~~~~~~~

≫ If Hunter-nim asks, I might spill everything, including my great-grandmother’s social security number Lolololololol

≫ I agree LOL

≫ Give us your home address and registered seal too!

≫ I’ll spill everything about my personal life… ♡

Perplexed, he glanced at the chat messages from viewers who seemed to be eagerly waiting for Si-wol’s response. He wasn’t particularly trying to hide anything, but it wasn’t a story he wanted to bring up and discuss extensively. Even in the past, it took significant coaxing from the viewers for Si-wol to share tidbits of those stories.

Why did the man, who seemed uninterested in the broadcast all along, suddenly show a peculiar curiosity about his past? It was genuinely amusing how someone who appeared indifferent to everything could abruptly take an interest in them. This thought quietly amused Si-wol.

Then, as if driving a wedge, the man continued speaking.

“I’m really curious.”

His rather low voice penetrated through Si-wol’s eardrums directly.

“Uh… Well then… I’ll tell you.”

Was I really that intriguing? Oh, seriously.  Until now, you’ve been staring at me without any interest. It’s because you were curious. You were curious, you were curious about me… About me…

The fact that he, who had captured the attention of all the viewers, was now solely focused on him at this moment, made Si-wol’s mouth involuntarily curl upwards. He made an effort to suppress the rising corners of his mouth. Then, finally feeling liberated, he gently touched his freed wrist and began to speak.

“For those who are hearing this for the first time, I’ll start from the very beginning. Um, when was that again…”

Si-wol couldn’t even remember when that moment occurred, a distant event from the past that had faded from his memory. He began to recall his own story, which took place in a small village so insignificant that it was embarrassing to call it a village.

* * *

When Si-wol opened his eyes with difficulty, he saw the collapsed thatched roof made of straw.

It was a pitiful and humble house, with mud clumps falling down like raindrops whenever it rained, as he couldn’t even properly patch up the leaking spots. Inside that house, crowded with family members, it was always cramped and filled with a stuffy smell.

Si-wol truly despised that house, which had no redeeming qualities to speak of. It lacked even a single small window and didn’t have a proper floor. He didn’t expect much from his living conditions. He didn’t even desire a simple thatched-roof cottage.

He just wanted to live in a house with at least a small window, where he could feel the breeze on his palm. Not a house like this, where he had to use his body to push and close the door that didn’t even have a doorknob, and where he had to carefully preserve everything. Not a cramped house so narrow that they had to take turns lying down.

But one day, a plague broke out in the village, and many things changed rapidly.

Si-wol never imagined that this house, which he had always thought was small, could be so spacious. He never even imagined that he would be able to stretch his legs without falling onto someone else’s stomach, let alone touch the ground.

All of this was brought to him by a tormenting illness, which he knew nothing about—why it caused pain, suffering, and death. And it dragged Si-wol towards death as well.

“Heu, huegh….”

Si-wol lay weakly, crying. He no longer had the strength to move. The plague, which had started from his fingertips and toes, quickly engulfed his entire body, causing mysterious spots, fever, and rashes.

Near Si-wol, pus oozed from burst blisters, emitting a putrid odor. It smelled just like the scent Si-wol had encountered while facing his dying family members. It felt exactly like the smell of death.

“Hiiingg, I don’t want to die…”

Sobs erupted from Si-wol’s cracked lips. In an indistinct tone, he pleaded repeatedly, expressing his desire not to die. He didn’t want to walk the same path as his family, who were rotting naked beside him. He didn’t want to be like them, reduced to bones with their flesh hanging here and there, covered in worms.

“P-Please, save me… I want to live. Save me…”

Covered in snot and tears, Si-wol continued to plead incessantly. Even after days and days had passed, leaving him emaciated and resembling little more than a skeletal figure, Si-wol kept on begging.

Was it because of the intensity of his plea? When Si-wol regained consciousness, feeling a chilling touch on his face, he saw a woman looking down at him, someone he had never seen before in his life. She possessed an exceptionally beautiful appearance that could make anyone’s eyes widen in awe.

“A-Are you a god…?”

In response to Si-wol’s first question, the woman smirked and laughed as if mocking. Si-wol asked again with a bewildered expression on his face.

“In that case… You must be… the Great King Yeomra?”

“How did you come to such a conclusion?”

“Gasp!”

It was a voice that seemed like a gem rolling on a highly polished, shining floor, which had been oiled hundreds of times. With the convincing sound that made his ear melt, Si-wol answered with confidence.

“I-It’s because of the sins I committed in my lifetime…”

“You’re revealing your sins yourself?”

“How could I not? Heugh, I would sneak around and steal whatever food I could find, day after day…”

Si-wol confessed, sobbing and choking on his words, leaving the woman astonished as she burst into laughter.

“You rascal. I spared you simply out of pity, and yet you reveal an unexpected talent.”

“Yes…?”

“If you know your sins, that’s all that matters. I spared you out of pity, so live this life without committing sins.”

Upon hearing the words of being spared, Si-wol scanned his own body with a puzzled look. Somehow, the itching and irritation that had plagued him had completely disappeared. The red and itchy spots, as well as the grotesque rashes that covered his entire body, were all gone and no longer existed.