WHM Chapter 1

. A Life of Loss (1)

The world is a brilliant display of colorful hues.

People perceive depth and form through a range of colors and shades. Most people take this for granted—and Doyoon was one of those normal, healthy individuals.

But everything changed for Doyoon eight months ago after an accident. The blue sky turned black, and people on the street appeared in shades of blue, green, yellow, and red—the colors of their body heat. Doyoon’s world became like a thermal imaging camera, distinguishing only between warm and cold.

Even now, the monster tearing down buildings and devouring people in the distance appeared to Doyoon as nothing more than a silhouette in blue and green.

Boom.

A humanoid monster, far larger than a 17-story apartment, smashed buildings with its massive hands and repeatedly tossed people into its mouth.

“Aaaaaah!”
“Help us!!!”

People ran in terror. Others were frozen in fear.

“There wasn’t even a gate! No emergency alert!”
“Move! Get downstairs now!”

Amid the chaos, some pushed others aside, desperate to save themselves.

In this world where death can appear at any moment, what becomes of people with disabilities?

Boom, boom.

Since Doyoon now sees the world like a thermal camera, the lack of visual information meant his other senses had to work overtime. The deafening sound of the monster’s footsteps, the crashing buildings, and the screams of people—this cacophony told him just how dire the situation was.

But even with that awareness, Doyoon’s body couldn’t move. Amid the panicked silhouettes of warm-bodied lifeforms fleeing for their lives, he was like a piece of rubble on the street. Bumped and shoved by passersby, Doyoon took cover beside an abandoned car. He gripped the hood of his sweatshirt tightly, making sure it didn’t fall back. His father had told him: standing out in the wrong way could make you a target—better to be cautious.

With fear stiffening his body, Doyoon looked toward the monster. Debris flew in every direction. He stared blankly at the massive blue-tinged silhouette of the monster and the shimmering white threads and clumps surrounding it.

Since the accident, Doyoon had often wondered about those white shapes. They weren’t exclusive to monsters. Hunters fighting the monster right now also had those white threads.

“I see them when I heal too… Is that energy? Or mana, like they say?”

Thwack!

A sudden hit to the back of his head made Doyoon stagger.

“Hey! Shin Doyoon! What are you doing?! Can’t you see we’re hurt?!”

The annoyed voice of Kim Changshik, a senior from high school, pierced through the chaos. Looking back, Doyoon saw Changshik’s body glowing red—a sure sign it was him. Based on his voice, posture, and build, Doyoon was certain. Next to him floated a life gauge in a clear ocean blue—also Changshik’s. It had appeared ever since Doyoon joined his team. Like a game screen, it felt surreal. But ignoring it could cost lives, so it was vital.

At present, Changshik’s life bar was almost full—barely a scratch. His two teammates were in similar condition.

“Senior, you’re barely hurt. Just a scratch, right?”
“Wow~ Shin Doyoon, acting like you know something when you can’t even see? If your senior says he’s hurt, you’re supposed to heal him right away. That’s the only reason we bring you along, got it?”

“…”

“Aren’t you grateful? I protect you, drag you along, and help you earn money. Don’t you feel thankful? Huh? I even ran over here instead of fighting the monster, just to check on you.”

He had been thankful when Changshik first offered to take him hunting. Without him, Doyoon would’ve been a useless healer stuck in bed, doing nothing.

Even after awakening as a healer, Doyoon had to be careful walking because of his altered vision. He couldn’t move confidently in unfamiliar places. For someone like that, going monster hunting through a gate? He was a burden.