Chapter 1
It sounds absurd to say that the end of the world has come. This world had already been ruined long ago.
…
Rumors of the world’s end in 1999, the Millennium Bug, the fin de siècle…
The end of the 20th century was restless and noisy. Even while people dismissed the rampant doomsday theories as nonsense, they would still occasionally look up at the sky, worrying—what if, just in case, a meteor fell?
Contrary to those fears, the Earth did not end with the new millennium.
January 2000 passed without incident. So did February. So did March.
As expected. Our planet might be slowly dying, but it would not end in an instant.
Everyone had been reassured like that—until June 6, 2000.
“…Why is the sea that color?”
The apocalypse began from the sea.
“Looks like some lunatic dumped oil again.”
“Wait a second.”
“Yeah?”
“Is that… blood?”
“…Huh?”
One of the ten plagues of Exodus—the turning of water into blood.
The plagues that once judged ancient Egypt began to manifest again in the 21st century.
“Captain! T-there are monsters in the sea…! The port has been overrun by them!”
“Aaaaargh!”
All rivers and seas turned into blood. Monsters crawling out from them stained the land as well, and beneath the clear blue sky, all five oceans and six continents were dyed crimson.
This was the end of the world.
Everyone thought so.
Rustle—
[This is lineage, history, and the world calling to you.]
[This is the register that will define you.]
[This is the chronicle that records your footsteps.]
[This is the commentary on the miracles you will face.]
[This book calls you an “Apostle,” and you shall call this book as follows.]
[Toledot]
<Character Information> Name: Hwang Nansa True Name: Undetermined Abilities: Flight, Bird Collision Achievements: None +
“…What is this?”
If the “Toledot” had not appeared a week after the disaster, that would have been the end.
This book granted supernatural powers to chosen individuals. With its arrival, humanity managed to turn the situation around and survive… but—
“My younger brother was eaten by a marlin.”
“I—I can’t drink water anymore… I know it’s purified water, but every time I drink it, I feel nauseous… the smell of fish… ugh…”
“The end of the world has come. What revelation awaits us? Only death will save us! Aaaah…”
Aftereffects lingered in the minds of people. Everyone began to suffer from invisible psychological ailments.
But where there is illness, there are doctors.
And all of this began from the very start.
…
“…Are you serious?”
The professor asked the student sitting across from him with a serious expression.
The student nodded.
“Yes.”
The one who would become their doctor, a fourth-year psychology major at Gaon University, Lee Cheomcheom.
“I would like to go to graduate school and continue studying psychology.”
She had voluntarily chosen the path of servitude.
“Hm…”
Professor Kim Hong-sik could not hide his troubled expression.
Her enthusiasm in coming here in person was commendable. Naturally, a proactive student was better than those dragged along unwillingly against their will.
But the problem lay in the transcript he held in his hands.
Introduction to Psychology: C
Counseling Psychology: C
Learning and Memory: C
Western Philosophy: C
Why was she cultivating strawberries on her transcript?
It was all seeds. Every single course looked like this.
She had no relevant achievements whatsoever, and her other documents were equally lacking.
No matter how much she was an in-house student, this would fail document screening.
Suppressing the urge to scold her for how she expected to enter Gaon Graduate School with such grades, Professor Kim spoke as carefully as possible.
“I understand your enthusiasm, but… even if you come here like this, I cannot admit you into my lab solely at my discretion.”
Though it felt awkward, as a professor of five years to be reading a student’s mood, Kim had good instincts.
“That one looks like the type to build a homemade bomb and throw it into my office if things go wrong.”
Just the fact that she diligently requested counseling twice a week and pressured him to admit her into graduate school proved she was no ordinary person. He needed to handle her carefully and send her off.
“Focus on your thesis for graduation, and if you have time, prepare for TOEIC. I’ll review your application more carefully… alright?”
Even in front of a professor who seemed almost to be begging, Lee Cheomcheom’s expression did not change. It was downright eerie.
She silently looked at him… then said:
“Understood.”
She stood up far more obediently than expected.
Just as Professor Kim breathed a sigh of relief inwardly—
“But.”
“…Yes?”
“I’ll come again sometime next week.”
“…Huh?”
Lee Cheomcheom’s dead, fish-like eyes suddenly sharpened.
“Until the day you truly want me as your student, Professor.”
“Ah…”
Please stop coming, you madwoman…
Leaving behind the despairing Professor Kim, Lee Cheomcheom exited the office.
Two students were waiting near the professor’s office.
“Hey! Over here!”
One of them, a friendly-looking male student, waved at Lee Cheomcheom.
“So… this time… hmm. Right.”
It was obvious without even asking that the request had failed again. Park Gildong silently handed her an iced Americano topped with whipped cream.
Next to him, a tall female student, Jireum, shook a protein shake in her hand.
“With grades full of Cs like yours, you should be grateful just to graduate. Graduate school is asking too much.”
“I know.”
Lee Cheomcheom lowered her gaze and took a long sip of the drink she received.
“Still, I’m going.”
“Whether you want to go or not is one thing—you don’t even seem capable of getting in.”
“Honestly, if I were the professor, I wouldn’t accept me either.”
“Thanks for the enthusiastic ridicule.”
Lee Cheomcheom ignored their jabs and checked the time.
“I’m leaving first.”
“Wait. Another counseling session?”
She nodded.
“Wow. It’s getting popular, huh? You haven’t forgotten who made that happen, right?”
Park Gildong’s cheeky grin was irritating, but not unfounded.
Currently, even as an undergraduate, Lee Cheomcheom was conducting unofficial psychological counseling sessions.
“Why not try being a counselor instead? It’d be easy for you. I happen to have a friend who needs counseling…”
Park Gildong, well-known for his wide social connections, had been the one to arrange Lee Cheomcheom’s first client.
Word of mouth spread, and her counseling sessions became increasingly popular. However, her expression was not bright.
“It’s gotten out of hand.”
What began as a small side job to earn tuition and handle personal matters had now grown so large that it affected her ability to attend classes.
“I should rein this in soon.”
Seeing her downcast expression, Park Gildong cleared his throat.
“You’ve been pushing yourself lately… but it seems like you’re doing well. The first person you introduced even thanked you.”
“I just did what I was given.”
“Don’t be modest. Mental issues don’t resolve that easily in a short time. They said they were cured because of you.”
Cured. Lee Cheomcheom mulled over the word and let out a faint scoff.
“What I do isn’t treatment.”
“Huh?”
Without bothering to explain, she changed direction.
“I’m going.”
“Hey, wait!”
Park Gildong tried to stop her, but she quickly left the campus. She had no time to linger, meeting during a free period.
“…That girl really has no middle ground.”
Having failed to stop her, Park Gildong sighed deeply.
“She skipped classes and got academic warnings while playing around, suddenly became obsessed with graduate school, never worked a part-time job for four years, and now she’s doing counseling like crazy… If she really wanted grad school, shouldn’t she fix her grades first?”
“Don’t try to understand her. I tried as a freshman and nearly ended up with a mental disorder myself, becoming one of her patients.”
After delivering his ruthless evaluation, Jireum looked at the ponytail swaying ahead of them.
“Anyway…”
He was a simple yet utterly unpredictable person.
Lee Cheomcheom’s unofficial counseling sessions took place at a quiet teahouse.
Staff Lounge
…specifically, the staff lounge.
Standing before it, Lee Cheomcheom opened the door.
“Ah, counselor!”
Today’s client, Ha Yan, greeted her cheerfully.
Creak.
Lee Cheomcheom sat down across from her. The worn-out chair let out a dying groan.
“You missed yesterday’s session. Did you get some sleep?”
“Ha ha… no.”
Ha Yan awkwardly laughed and rubbed her neck.
“Like you said, as long as the abnormal condition persists, I guess I need daily counseling.”
At her slightly embarrassed expression, Lee Cheomcheom tilted her head.
“So you believe me now. The first time I suggested daily sessions, you seemed to think I just wanted to make money.”
“…Cough!”
Ha Yan coughed loudly.
Honestly, that was true. Her first impression had been the worst—but counseling was billed hourly.
“I thought skipping a day or so would be fine.”
As Ha Yan tried to excuse herself, Lee Cheomcheom’s gaze drifted into the air.
A book floating there.
Rustle—
An immaterial book visible only to Lee Cheomcheom flipped rapidly.
A personal book that every Apostle possessed: Toledot.
For Apostles, this book was as indispensable as a smartphone is to modern people. In gaming terms, it was a “status window.”
Toledot granted powers to Apostles and interpreted the strange phenomena appearing in the world. Though its principles and origins were unknown—much like the great catastrophe that engulfed the world—it was essential for confronting it.
Lee Cheomcheom was conducting her counseling through Toledot as well.
[Opening counseling log for the client “Ha Yan.”]
Ha Yan
State: Obedient
Disposition: Anxious Type
Response Rate: 2/5 (Initial)
Active Counseling Effects: None
This individual is afflicted with an abnormal condition.
Lee Cheomcheom had to record this counseling log.
