16 – 016. Interlude

The safe house owned by the Hansung Group was a safe house, almost like a luxurious mansion.

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Luxurious interiors, luxury furniture worth thousands of dollars.

Everything in sight was of high quality, even the toilet paper smelled sweet.

It was a strange feeling to be reheating the retort porridge I bought from a convenience store in the kitchen of such a luxurious Western-style house.

‘I can’t help it because I can’t find an employee.’

Originally, there were employees who were allocated when using the safe house, but now all of them have been evicted. Because Ji Ye-won, a criminal, could not be exposed to civilians who did not know the circumstances.

Thanks to that, I was in charge of all housework such as cleaning, laundry, and cooking in this spacious western-style house.

I couldn’t help it. Min Chae-ryeong is busy with her team leader work, and Chae-yeon is completely ill when it comes to housework.

For reference, the guards were temporarily hired at the request of Min Chaeryeong, and it was treated as being dispatched to another site.

I could see Min Chae-ryeong’s powerful authority in that she could hire people from other departments at will.

“What are you doing?”

When I turned my head, Chae-yeon, dressed in work clothes, was entering the kitchen.

“Are you here? Heating up the porridge right now.”

“Porridge? Oh, looks like he finally woke up?”

Chaesoyeon was about 10 cm smaller than it was originally. Originally, she came near my chest, but now she was below her stomach.

The decrease in her size was due to the side effects of her Yonghwa ability. Her psychic powers of her vegetative nature were just as severe as her penalties.

First of all, in order to use her ability, she has to stock up on her power. She says that her physique is extremely small and that her physical abilities are superhuman and weak, all in order to reduce unnecessary energy waste.

And even if you use the ability after saving power like that, the maintenance time is only about 10 minutes.

After the time limit expires, her abilities are forcibly released and her physical abilities become extremely weak.

This time, it was only activated for a very short time, about a minute in terms of time, so it ended with her body shrinking a bit. She says that if she spends all of her time, she will turn into a toddler and her physical abilities will drop to that of an elementary school girl.

From nob le mt l dot com

Literally, a high-risk, high-return ability for just one battle.

Although the dragon fire talents in the original work had some kind of penalty, in her case it was particularly severe.

‘…… Is the lack of intelligence a side effect of the ability?’

I couldn’t bear to ask myself. Later, I should ask Min Chaeryeong or something.

Anyway, even though she was already small, she was a little girl from her neighborhood. Even her work uniform, which was tailored to her body, was so wide that she looked just like her sister, who had stolen her older sister’s clothes.

Chae-yeon, who came to my side with clattering steps, looked up at me.

“A delicious smell. What kind of porridge is this?”

“Don’t think about stealing it.”

“Who comforts you? Seriously, no matter how much I do, I never take anything from patients to eat!?”

Seeing that she says, no matter how much I am, she seems to be aware that she is reckless.

“How is Ji Ye-won?”

“It’s okay. Except it looks a little languid. The wound on her shoulder healed almost completely, and other than that, she had no visible trauma.”

“Still, you passed out for three days, right? I also used a potion, but seeing as I couldn’t wake up for three days, the wounds were severe.”

Chae So-yeon made a noise and covered her mouth. Then she looked up at me with her anxious eyes.

A silence falls between the two of us.

As I stared down at her in silence, Chae-yeon started to get restless.

“That, sorry.”

At the apology that was extended, I relaxed my expression and nodded.

“It’s okay. There is no one around to listen.”

“Sorry though. I should have been careful with my words because it was a sensitive issue…….”

It was a very serious attitude for a vegetable kite who always seems to be thinking with her peripheral nerves rather than her brain.

“It’s really okay. It’s already in the past.”

I smiled weakly at her. A hard smile, as if forced.

At that smile, she bowed her head as if she were guilty.

At first, she questioned why she didn’t use the potion on herself, but why did her attitude change so much?

To find out the answer, it was necessary to go back in time a little.

***

Three days ago. Roof of an abandoned building.

As I was using the potion I received as a quest reward on Ji Ye-won, Chae-yeon, who had unlocked her ability, approached me.

There was a look of disapproval on her face. She probably has a lot to say about potions.

Before she could say anything, I opened her mouth first.

“Sorry. I thought she was dead.”

“…… What?”

“There was a hole in the middle of her chest, and her blood gushed out like a fountain, so of course she was dead. Quite a bit of time has passed.”

“You should have used the potion as soon as I was attacked.”

“There was no rush at that moment. I didn’t even know where the sniper was, and right away he came up and the battle started. When I defeated him, I thought it was already too late.”

“…… Ji Ye-won wouldn’t have suffered like this if she had treated me even late.”

“As a result, it is. But you’re the one who hid your psychic powers while keeping things secret. If I had known your abilities, I would have saved you first regardless.”

Did I simply get angry at the time and not tell them about my abilities, or was it because I was not trustworthy?

You are the one who didn’t reveal your abilities for whatever reason.

At my words, Chae-yeon avoided my gaze as if she had nothing to say. It was a hastily put together excuse, but considering the situation at the time, there was nothing awkward about it.

‘At this point, I should give up a step.’

No matter how right I am, if I keep pushing my opinions like this, I’ll get angry again.

“…… Still, if you think about it from your point of view, it must have been sad. Because I left you, my colleague, and took care of the criminal first. Sorry. I apologize for that. My thoughts were short.”

My apology opened her eyes wide. The corners of her drooping mouth twitched upwards.

“Yes! It was very sad! But, whatever, you know! Special forgiveness! Hee hee.”

‘A simple guy.’

“By the way, where did you get that expensive potion? Intermediate potions cost 300 million won, right?”

“That… ….”

I cleared my expression, saying that something has come.

Fortunately, I had prepared an excuse in advance for this situation.

He puts on a complicated expression on his face. He bites his lip, but only his eyes gaze vaguely into the distant void. As if recalling painful memories.

“Huh? Where did you come from?”

Simple Vegetable Yeon prompts an answer without detecting such a change in me. Rather good.

“Maybe the team leader sent it to me-.”

“It’s a keepsake from my grandfather.”

“What?”

The expression of Chae-yeon, who had been laughing, hardened in an instant.

“Keeping…… ?”

“Yes. It is a memento of my deceased grandfather. I was born as a superhuman, so I was given it as a gift on the day I became an adult, in case I fell into danger someday. With all the money I’ve saved my entire life.”

At her confession of mine, Chae-yeon couldn’t continue her words, and only her lips moved.

“When she was alive, her grandfather always asked her to wear it. When he was alive, worrying like that was annoying, but now he says he can’t let go of it unless he dares to take it off. Thanks to that, I was able to use it when I needed it.”

Of course, it was all lies. In fact, I had no idea what kind of person Ahn Su-ho’s grandfather was. Because my knowledge as Ahn Soo-ho was the minimum necessary memory.

So what I just said was nothing more than a rough story.

A crude lie that makes my story suspicious and will soon find its awkwardness if you make up your mind and investigate it.

“Ah… ….”

But there’s no way this simple woman could doubt my words.

“Did you use something precious like that? To someone you don’t know?”

“You can’t ignore people dying right in front of your eyes.”

“That…… !”

Chae So-yeon’s expression was complex. A simple person can empathize easily. Chae-yeon, immersed in her hastily made up short story, looked at me with her painful expression as if it were her own business.

“Her grandfather always told me to ‘be a person who knows the right and keeps the duty’. Saving Ji Ye-won on the spot must be the righteousness and duty that her grandfather said. Maybe even my grandfather in heaven will be proud of my choice.”

Did I go too far? I thought so for a second, but immediately shook my head. If she was against Chae-yeon, she would have preferred to make it look a bit cheesy. In fact, seeing her expression, she was so moved that even her tears were shed.

“…… Can I ask you one favor?”

Ji Ye-won held her body up and looked up at her.

As sadly as possible, with as much sadness as possible.

“This potion is her last memory with her grandfather. I don’t want to be known to other people unnecessarily. So, can’t we keep things a secret only here?”

“…… Okay. I will definitely keep it a secret. Certainly.”

A determined word.

When I smiled, satisfied with her answer, she said with a hesitant expression.

“That, I must have been a little mistaken all this time. I was looking at you badly. You were a surprisingly good guy, weren’t you?”

“…… Great.”

I bowed my head at those words that were quite serious. I couldn’t bear to see her face. I felt like I was about to burst into laughter if I was careless.

My shoulders trembled as I tried to hold back my laughter. As if she thought I was going to cry in silence, she left her seat without a word.

I thought as I looked at the back of the slowly moving away.

‘…… A simple guy.’

***

For that reason, between Chae-yeon and me, the word ‘potion’ has become a Volunteer word that should not be mentioned.

As evidence of that, even though I said I was okay, Chae-yeon sat there and only looked at her side.

It was a good thing for me. Seeing you care so much, you wouldn’t tell anyone about the potion.

“So what are you here for today?”

I asked as I put the heated porridge into a bowl.

“The team leader told me to come and see the condition. Because the team leader doesn’t know that she was badly injured, she must have been worried since she has been unconscious for three days.”

Maybe it’s not worry, it’s doubt. I wonder if he’s deliberately pretending not to be conscious.

“Call the team leader that you are awake?”

“Yes. Let me ask you a favor.”

I left the kitchen with porridge on a tray.

If Ji Ye-won’s condition is conveyed to Min Chae-ryeong, the interrogation will probably begin tomorrow.

I was already aware of the rough steps and members of the Dawning through the original work. But she couldn’t downplay the information she had.

‘I’m sure this talisman was the key to the plan.’

A plan in which only the talisman of magic absorption, which was originally the main character’s ability, is the key.

I didn’t even know anything about the plan. The rice cake about Talisman was something that hadn’t been properly revealed in the original work yet.

Since it’s a plan related to the main character’s ability, it’s definitely not something light. The Heavenly Demon of Pleasure was not the kind of person who would waste such an important rice cake pointlessly.

‘…… The story will change considerably.’

Ji Ye-won, who was involved in the plan, did not die and survived. That fact alone would drastically change the course of the Dawning Team. It was impossible to guess how much the changed course would affect the development of the original story.

In the first place, it’s strange that the story doesn’t change at the point where the main character has a chance to eat.

“Ha ha.”

I let out a sigh when I thought of the bleak future.

But what can I do? It was inevitable that Ji Ye-won was saved and that I intercepted Talisman.

I headed to the bedroom where Ji Ye-won was, hoping that I would at least have time to prepare and respond to the future changes in the story.

***

On the other hand, that time.

The basement of a shabby shopping mall located in Wonju, Gangwon-do.

Three men and women were gathered there.

Yoo Hyeon-ho, an old man with gray hair.

Kim Seong-hak, a giant whose entire body is covered with muscles.

And Park Ji-hyun, a woman with a deep eye smile.

Of the three people sitting around the small table, Kim Seong-hak spoke first.

“So, inspiration. What the hell is the reason you called us? I’m going to be busy anyway.”

As he frowned and grumbled, Park Ji-hyeon accepted his words.

“That’s right. The work we are doing on our side won’t even work without me, right? If you have any business, could you tell me quickly?”

At those words, the old man, Yoo Hyeon-ho, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“Sunghak Kim, Jihyeon Park. As of now, the mission the two of you have been working on is temporarily put on hold.”

“What?”

“Hey, inspiration. What do you mean now?”

“This is an order from the branch manager. The three of us have been given an urgent mission.”

“Emergency mission?”

“You know that a traitor came out of the Seoul branch a few days ago, right?”

The two nodded at the old man’s words. The traitor case was kept strictly secret, but the rough news was only conveyed to them, who were executives.

“I heard that one combatant single-handedly killed all of his teammates and carried them away? And they say the other one stole something.”

“Even if I asked what was going on, the guys at headquarters kept their mouth shut and covered it up, saying it was confidential. But what does that mean?”

“The two members of the headquarters assassination team that were chasing the traitor are out of touch. Probably dead.”

The expression of the two hardened. With just that one word, the two understood how things were going.

“Couldn’t it be that the guys at the headquarters are asking us to clean up the cheap sh*t? It doesn’t even matter!”

“No, Mr. Seonghak. Still, it’s an order from the branch manager. If you want to, you have to.”

“That’s what it says! Why is it us? Did that traitor even go to Gangwon-do?”

“Yes. The last place it was found was in Sokcho.”

“This is crazy!”

“Wait, Sokcho?”

Jihyun Park tilted her head.

“It’s right next to the Green House in Sokcho-myeon. Could it have anything to do with it?”

“Yes. They say the traitor’s external status was a Green House student.”

The reactions of Kim Seong-hak and Park Ji-hyeon were mixed. Kim Seong-hak, who had been making a fire, suddenly laughed, saying that it would be fun, while Park Ji-hyun wrapped his head around and made a sound of pain.

“You couldn’t possibly be involved with the academy, right? Then it hurts.”

“There is no such thing as that. I sent the traitor’s personal information and the information proving that he was a member of the Dawning Corps to the Green House anonymously.”

“In other words, even if you try to escape to the academy, you will be treated as a cop right away?”

“Yes. And if you are arrested by the police, the gangsters on the other side will bring you the news right away.”

“Sheesh. I thought I might take this opportunity to kick the door of the academy. Then it is of no use.”

“Not necessarily.”

At the old man’s words, Kim Seong-hak pressed his body closer to the table. As if to tell him to speak up, a look of excitement came over his face.

“According to a radio report from a sniper on the assassination team, the traitor has two unidentified collaborators. But I heard that the equipment used by those collaborators was unusual.”

“Is it unusual?”

“Yes. Stun blade on superman taser gun. There is a commercial defensive court. Who among the superhumans do you think would operate such equipment?”

It is not equipment for hunting monsters, it is equipment for dealing only with people thoroughly.

In this era when most superhumans become monster hunters, few superhumans dare to purchase and use anti-personnel equipment.

“Are you the police? The cops ate with a traitor?”

“I cannot deny that possibility. There is no such thing as a legal transaction.”

“If the collaborator is a cop, why don’t you ask the liaison?”

“Mister Seonghak. Think about it. The police are collaborating with the criminals, so of course they do it in secret, right?”

“Park Ji-hyun is right. And, there’s no law saying that a collaborator must be a cop. Isn’t the place also Sokcho?”

It was mostly the police who used anti-personnel riot gear, but there was no law saying that only the police would use it.

“Come to think of it, even the academy guards used police equipment. So, is there a possibility that you might be accepted into the academy?”

“Aha! I get it now! You’re saying that you can destroy both the police and the academy! The blood is boiling!”

“Arthur. No matter how wild you are, you will be caught in no time.”

“What a catch! If you want to catch me, you’ll have to bring an S-Rank Hunter?!”

“I know your skills well. But that is not the mission that has come down to us.”

At the old man’s words, Park Ji-hyun stretched out with an expression that he understood roughly.

“When you see that this member is called, it is obvious. Grandpa Hyeon-ho and I were in the intelligence department. You’re going to ask us to investigate.”

“Huh? Then what about me?”

“Well? If you find out where the traitor is, the role of going and killing them?”

“Oh! I like that!”

Jihyun Park shook her head as she saw Seonghak Kim laughing. A man who seems to have even this brain made up of muscles, it seems that he only has a fight in his head.

“Once you understand the basics, I will explain the details of the mission in earnest. The mission itself is an order from the branch manager, but of course the actual order must be higher up than that.”

“If it’s the top line-.”

“Even at the very least, he is the branch manager. Maybe even higher.”

At those words, Park Ji-hyun let out a shallow exclamation.

In the Dawning Corps, there is only one person higher than the branch head, the head of the organization.

“Now you see how important this mission is, right? Don’t miss a single word of the explanation I’m going to give you, and listen carefully. Got it?”

In the basement of the shabby office, secret conversations between the three officers of the Dawning Corps took place.

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