By Zephyria 
The camera installed at the entrance of Zone D activated, signaling an external visitor. As Baek Seol, who was watching the screen, announced the captain’s arrival, the others excitedly rushed out. They had worried he might have lost interest and never return, but thankfully, he was back.
A moment later, a luxury car, rarely seen in the vicinity, appeared. However, Ire’s expression as he stepped out of the car was grim. Instead of greetings, he urgently requested a stretcher. Upon closer inspection, an old man was in the passenger seat, and someone was lying in the back.
Baek Seol, approaching, realized the person lying down was Kim Ha-yoon, and his expression turned serious.
“What the hell happened? Did you pick up a corpse? And who is this old geezer?”
When Kim Ha-yoon let out a shallow groan with his eyes closed, Baek Seol recoiled in shock. It wasn’t a corpse! Gangsan was equally surprised. Everyone had thought Kim Ha-yoon was dead, and they never dreamed he would appear like this.
Meanwhile, Jang-cheon and Gilsu transferred Kim Ha-yoon onto the stretcher. It was understandable why Baek Seol mistook him for a corpse; he was a mess. His face was pale, and blood seeped from his bandaged abdomen. They took Kim Ha-yoon to the lab and laid him on a bed. Following instructions, they brought all the necessary medications, along with surgical thread and needles. The old man narrowed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.
“Tell me if you need anything else. I’ll get it.”
The old man took the medications and examined the writing. As if he couldn’t see clearly, he repeatedly brought it closer and then moved it further away. Seeing this, Baek Seol tugged at Ire’s arm with a worried expression.
“Can you even see?”
Then, he waved his hand in front of the old man. “Old man, can you see this? How many fingers is this? Can you hear me?” Gangsan chimed in from the side.
“Captain, why did you come here? You should have taken him to District A.”
They couldn’t understand why he had come here when top-tier medical facilities and excellent doctors awaited him there. Ire initially agreed with them, but Kim Ha-yoon had objected, leaving him no choice.
Before losing consciousness, Kim Ha-yoon had instructed Ire not to inform Kwon So-young and to take him to their district, along with this quack old man. The fact that he didn’t trust Kwon So-young either was somewhat shocking. Moreover, the old man they brought along was of unknown skill level.
The old man, taking a pen and paper, wrote something. His hand trembled so much that the writing was messy, further diminishing any trust. The old man handed it over.
“For now, I’ll do emergency treatment with what we have. It would be good if you could get me this.”
Since hardly anyone knew how to read, there was no one else to step forward but him. He looked at Kim Ha-yoon lying on the bed. The man who had jokingly asked if he was an angel now struggled even to breathe.
Leaving him felt unsettling. He had hoped he was alive, but he never expected to find him in such a wretched state. Seeing the man who was always so confident and infuriating now teetering on the brink of life and death made his feelings incredibly complex.
As he hesitated to leave, the old man urged him with his eyes. Are you planning to stand there all day? Ire finally came to his senses, took the paper, and went outside.
He quickly left Zone D and accelerated to maximum speed. The only place nearby where he could obtain all the medications written on the paper was Area C. Despite its poor environment, all sorts of drugs were secretly traded there.
It would undoubtedly cost a considerable sum, but saving Kim Ha-yoon’s life was the priority now. He planned to collect the cost from Kim Ha-yoon later. To do that, he had to ensure he survived.
* * *
A blood-soaked man was tied to a bed. The man, who had been tortured, had no uninjured parts; he had tried to commit suicide by biting his tongue just before the end. His skin was pale, his body emaciated, and no one knew where the man had come from.
“Do you really have to go this far?”
Kim Seon-oh’s words were met with a smirk from Kim Do-cheol.
“Why? You want to find Kim Ha-yoon too, don’t you?”
Kim Do-cheol subtly probed Kim Seon-oh. A while ago, a man had approached the search party near the lake, asking if the person they were holding might not be from this area. He mentioned the person was badly injured, and based on the description, it was undoubtedly Kim Ha-yoon. When asked where he was from, the man audaciously proposed a negotiation.
He said he would bring the person if they decided on a meeting point. The news reached Kim Do-cheol, and he started to panic. Everyone thought Kim Ha-yoon was dead, and he had believed it too. Since all their plans could be ruined, he had to take action.
He tried to persuade and threaten the man, but he wouldn’t talk. Where could he have come from? The only place near the lake was a small, ruined village beyond the mountains. Even after searching the entire area, no trace was found.
The man ultimately refused to speak, and later, he bit his tongue. His resolve not to reveal anything was firm. After finally bringing him to the hospital and treating him, the doctor said he wouldn’t be able to speak for a while.
“What about that hybrid?”
“He’s going out every day.”
“Current location?”
Kim Seon-oh answered without hesitation.
“He has returned to his residence, and there are no further movements.”
“Track the vehicle’s location in real-time. Report immediately if you notice anything unusual.”
“Yes.”
Kim Do-cheol turned and looked at Kim Seon-oh. Kim Seon-oh, who had lost an eye in combat, wore a prosthetic. Although it was undetectable, the unnatural movement of his eyeball was unavoidable. He firmly grasped Kim Seon-oh’s shoulder. Kim Do-cheol, who always wore a friendly smile, now bore a hidden ambition.
“When I move to the committee, who will take this position? It’ll be you, no one else.”
“…….”
“When you were young, you followed me more than Kim Ha-yoon. Perhaps you knew this would happen. Right?”
As Kim Seon-oh offered a faint smile, Kim Do-cheol patted his shoulder. “Let’s do well.” After he left, Kim Seon-oh gazed at the man through the glass window.
A soldier lives by orders and dies by them. Yet, he had lied to his superior, Kim Do-cheol. He was tracking Ire’s location in real-time and confirmed his movement to Zone D today. Had he found something near the lake? He considered deploying a reconnaissance drone but decided against it, fearing it might reach Kim Do-cheol’s ears.
Instead, he altered the records to show he had returned home. He couldn’t guarantee how far he could protect Ire. All he could do was hope that Ire would find Kim Ha-yoon before anyone else, and that he was still alive.
As he let out a quiet sigh, Kwon So-young entered. She frowned, looking at the man inside the glass. It was awkward to bring someone being interrogated at the research hospital.
“Do you know why Kim Do-cheol is acting so erratically?”
Kim Seon-oh looked at her at the sudden question. Kwon So-young chuckled.
“He’s colluding with the Vice Chairman. He seems to firmly believe he can ascend to the successor position.”
“…….”
“You should trust the words of someone trustworthy. Do you really think that slippery old man will give up his seat?”
Kim Seon-oh, who had been listening silently, became curious about her intentions. Kwon So-young was a long-time friend of Kim Ha-yoon. Their families were so close that marriage had been discussed. However, her father also had significant ties with the Vice Chairman. With Kim Ha-yoon missing, no one knew what choices they would make.
“What about him? Did he go looking for Kim Ha-yoon again today?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are we going to be like this between us?”
Kim Seon-oh feigned ignorance. She likely suspected that the military was tracking Ire’s location in real-time.
“Did he find him today?”
“I don’t know. Don’t ask me.”
“Then, the next question. If he found him, where would he take him?”
Kim Seon-oh was also curious about that. At first, he naturally assumed Ire would bring him here, but not anymore. If Kim Ha-yoon was alive, he would have noticed that the situation was strange.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. As long as he’s by his side, he’s invincible.”
“What do you mean?”
“You saw it too.”
Kwon So-young brought her fingers together and then spread them, mimicking an explosion. Kim Seon-oh had also seen the video, but opinions within the military were divided. Some said the monster exploded by chance, while rumors circulated that Ire used an invisible ability to detonate it. No one knew the truth, except himself.
“Do you believe me? That he has that power?”
“Does your choice change based on my answer?”
Kim Seon-oh remained silent for a moment, then shook his head. No. My choice has been one from the beginning. Kwon So-young then smiled and patted his shoulder. She wished his bet was right, but she never revealed her own opinion until the end. However, Kim Seon-oh instinctively felt that she, too, was waiting for Kim Ha-yoon.