DB Vol 4 Part 7
Seo-na answered as if spitting the words out, then glared at Gye Yoon again. He stared into the air with emotionless eyes, muttering as he sank into his own thoughts.
“So you really did gag because of me.”
“Yes. It’s because of you. Because the sight of you is disgusting. You’re covered in blood.”
Only then did Gye Yoon slowly look down at himself. Seo-na thought he might get angry at such a blunt remark, but contrary to her expectations, Gye Yoon simply nodded.
“I get it.”
And that was all; he just walked out. As the door clicked shut, the shackles that had been pressing down on Seo-na’s body vanished, as if the power Gye Yoon had been restricting had completely disappeared. However, she felt filthy. She had never felt such helplessness in the face of such overwhelming power, and a severe sense of self-loathing washed over her. Because of that, she wasn’t even angry at Gye Yoon. Though it had been less than a minute, she felt as exhausted as if she had run for hours. Seo-na slumped into a chair and let out a hollow laugh.
“Crazy bastard. He only treated me like a human being in front of Won-woo-nim.”
Gye Yoon washed himself thoroughly several times, but he couldn’t go to Won-woo. Instead, he was dragged before Min. Since he was irritated and wanted to check Won-woo’s condition quickly, Gye Yoon’s eyes were filled with a fierce light. There was a determination in his gaze that if his Noona nagged him, he would flip everything over and leave, but Min remained still, looking down at the documents on her desk.
“Tell me quickly.”
Despite Gye Yoon’s urging, Min didn’t look up, only opening her mouth after a long while.
“You… you’re still perfectly fine even after stirring up all that trouble?”
Gye Yoon’s eyebrow twitched with irritation. That was exactly why his frustration [Read [unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novels]level was already so high. He never dreamed that he would actually miss being in a rampage.
“I’m on the verge of a rampage.”
Min looked up and glanced at him.
“You look completely fine to me.”
This time, the corners of Gye Yoon’s eyes trembled as if they were spasming. Fuck, he should have just forcibly woken up and killed all the monsters on the farm. As he turned to leave to create some monsters that didn’t exist, Chief Jung hurriedly stopped him.
“You’re going to see Ji Won-woo-ssi, right? His current condition is fine. The doctor who examined him said it’s just gastritis and there are no other health issues.”
“How is it ‘no issues’ when he has gastritis?”
“…I have a gastric ulcer.”
However, to Gye Yoon’s ears, only the gastritis afflicting his Guide sounded serious.
“Is surgery not necessary?”
“If Ji Won-woo-ssi needs surgery, I should be ordering my own coffin right now.”
“So what about Ji Won-woo’s pain? Isn’t he hurting?”
“He’s snoring and sleeping after taking medication.”
“How on earth did he get such a serious illness?”
Chief Jung’s stomach began to ache. He informed Gye Yoon of the typical cause of gastritis.
“It’s probably due to stress. Especially because of someone close to him.”
“Close… fuck, it’s definitely because of those bastards in his family.”
Seeing his boss, who believed he could never be the cause even if he died, Chief Jung felt like the meal he had eaten three hours ago was getting stuck in his throat.
“Ji Won-woo is still alive and well, so shut up and look at this.”
Min tossed the list Won-woo had checked in front of Gye Yoon.
“What is this?”
“A list of people who need to be killed as a priority.”
Gye Yoon scanned the list with disinterested eyes.
“What do you think?”
“I’m going to kill them all anyway, so what does it matter who dies first?”
“Why does it not matter? The enemies we’re trying to eliminate are Espers who protect civilians from monsters. If the fight drags on, the civilians are the ones who suffer the most.”
Gye Yoon knew well that Min was speaking not as a Noona, but as a leader of a region. That was why he sneered at her even more.
“If you have the mental capacity to care for others, just give up on revenge.”
Min’s gaze turned cold, but Gye Yoon ignored her and threw the list back onto her desk.
“I’m enough on my own for revenge.”
“Do all the Espers in the world look pathetic to you now that you’re receiving guiding? Don’t be mistaken. You’re not the only strong one in the world. There are other Espers like you.”
“No, there aren’t. I’m the best.”
Gye Yoon replied indifferently and turned away again. Before closing the door, he heard Min’s order to bring Won-woo to her as soon as he woke up, but he let it go in one ear and out the other. When Ji Won-woo woke up, he would naturally be with him. He couldn’t bear to let someone else see him the moment he woke up. He lifted his arm, sniffed his own scent once, and walked quickly down the hallway.
Was it because of the sedatives? Won-woo, who rarely dreamed, had a dream for the first time in a very long while. The house where he used to live. And he was inside it. A face distorted by scars, eyes that had lost their vitality, a body that couldn’t move properly. The moment Won-woo saw him in the familiar old room, he stopped breathing.
Even though he knew the man couldn’t hear, he felt as if he shouldn’t make the slightest sound. However, his heart pounded so loudly it was almost noisy, having seen him after so long. Won-woo had always tried to remember nothing about him after he had left.
Because he was a sinner who had used him solely for the sake of his own loneliness. He had made excuses while holding onto a man who couldn’t even die alone despite wanting to. If even he leaves, who will be left by my side? Out of selfishness, he had ignored the death the man might have wished for. Yet, ridiculously, the guilt remained. That was why he was always afraid before facing him.
Would the man’s eyes be filled with accusation and hatred toward him? Terrified, Won-woo couldn’t even meet his eyes properly. But in the man’s eyes, there [[visit our site]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">Read on Read BL Novels]had been a different emotion toward him. By the time he realized it, he had turned away.
So, as the man slowly turned his head to look at him now, Won-woo’s breath caught again. In the eyes he saw after so long, the emotions Won-woo had feared so much were overflowing. Hatred, loathing, resentment.
‘I’m… I’m sorry.’
Won-woo muttered in a trembling voice, but the man, unable to hear, turned his gaze back toward the window.
‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’
Apologies that had turned into sobs poured out incessantly, but he did not look back at Won-woo. It felt like a rebuke, as if saying your apologies are already useless, and Won-woo sobbed until he felt suffocated. I’m sorry, I’m still sorry.
“…Woo! Ji Won-woo!”
Gasp!
With the sudden sound of his name, his consciousness snapped back. However, he couldn’t regain his senses immediately. His heart, submerged in guilt, felt as heavy as cabbage salted in brine. Moreover, the eyes that looked exactly like his, which he faced the moment he opened them, tightened the grip on his heart.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
A nightmare? Ah… it was a dream. Won-woo thought blankly and opened his mouth.
“Gye Yoon…”
Gye Yoon sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at Won-woo seriously and asked in a low voice.
“That’s right. Do you recognize me?”
Instead of nodding, Won-woo struggled to catch the fading remnants of the dream. It was Gye Yoon. Yes, he was also Gye Yoon. But the Gye Yoon in the original world and the Gye Yoon before him were so different it was hard to believe they were the same person. The Gye Yoon here was still physically intact, and even if he had suffered misfortune, he still had the will to live. The man here still had a chance to be happy.
“Breathe.”
Only after hearing the low mutter did Won-woo let out the breath he had been holding. Even then, he couldn’t take his eyes off Gye Yoon. Seeing his reaction, Gye Yoon asked curiously.
“Why are you looking at me with those eyes?”
“What kind of eyes am I using?”
He was embarrassed by his cracked voice, but he focused on the eyes of the living Gye Yoon.
“You look like someone who has done something wrong to me.”
“…I haven’t done anything like that.”
Won-woo muttered belatedly, fully regaining his senses. The Gye Yoon here and the one from the past are different people. I’ve already lost the chance to atone. Even as he told himself coldly, his heart wavered when he looked at the Gye Yoon before him. He wanted to make this person happy, more than anyone. So, as soon as he sat up in bed, he grabbed Gye Yoon’s hand.
“I’ll give you guiding.”
“No.”
When Gye Yoon pulled his hand away, Won-woo misunderstood it as him worrying about Won-woo’s health and shook his head.
“I’m not sick. So I can do the guiding.”
“Do you absolutely have to do it now?”
“Are you dissatisfied even though I’m offering?”
“Then tell me what the dream was first.”
Won-woo started to grab his hand again but hesitated. Then, keeping his gaze fixed on the hand, he answered nonchalantly.
“I don’t remember.”
“Was I not in it?”
“It might have just been a random dream.”
Won-woo brushed it off lightly, but his gaze remained downward.
“Give me your hand.”
He urged him again, but there was no response. Unable to endure it, Won-woo looked up, and as if waiting Read on Read BL Novelsstyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[Read on Read BL Novels]for that moment, Gye Yoon met his eyes and asked.
“To Ji Won-woo-ssi, am I ‘on your side’?”
“…Yes, we’re on the same side. Do you still not believe it?”
“It’s ambiguous. At first, you insisted that guiding would only happen once, but at some point, it felt like you were dying to give me guiding.”
Who’s dying for what? Won-woo barely suppressed his anger and crawled back to the center of the bed, lying flat on his back.
“Fine. I’ll just go back to dreaming my random dreams, so do the guiding later or whatever.”
“Good choice. I’m an expert at enduring pain.”
Gye Yoon nodded and turned his body. If it were anyone else, or for any other reason, Won-woo would have ignored him, but the mention of pain made his heart ache instinctively. So, he bolted upright and called him again.
“Wait. I’ll make time… I’ll just do it. Because it’ll be a hassle to do it later.”
Won-woo was too busy mumbling excuses to notice the strange light that appeared in the eyes of the turned-away Gye Yoon. Won-woo denied it, but he was reacting sensitively to Gye Yoon’s pain and death. However, since he was trying to hide it, there was no need to dig into the reason right now. There was something more important. Turning back, Gye Yoon tilted his expressionless face crookedly.
“If you’re going to do it, do it with that guiding we did before.”
“Are you concerned about Ji Won-woo-ssi’s list?”
The general secretary, who had come to report, asked knowing that Min was still looking at the list. However, no answer came, and after waiting a moment, he spoke cautiously.
“Shall I investigate the authenticity of the list first?”
Min raised her sharp eyes.
“How? By asking if they’ll fight to the end even if their family ruins?”
She lowered her gaze back to the list, expressing her curiosity.
“It’s really strange. There are a few people mixed in who are suspicious to be those with high loyalty to their family.”
Min turned the list toward the general secretary and pointed to a few checked names.
“These people, at least on the surface, maintain neutrality or are completely on Yang Cheon-hyo’s or Ji Geun-oh’s side. Yang Cheon-hyo and Ji Geun-oh probably believe some of these people are their own. But.”
Min stopped there, but the general secretary could understand her meaning. For a long time, the Gye Family had tried to gather information on the Ji and Yang families. They had recorded everything down to the smallest habits of those with the surnames Ji and Yang.
Therefore, the Gye Family had created their own power map. And unlike what appeared on the surface, they had separately categorized a few people suspected of hiding their true intentions.
Those were exactly the names Min was pointing to. If those people were hiding their intentions and extracting information while by the side of Yang Cheon-hyo and Ji Geun-oh, it would be proof that they were truly prepared to die for their family. That was why they couldn’t ignore Ji Won-woo’s list.
“How on earth did he know?”
“Could he have obtained information from the Ji family?”
Min shook her head.
“These people are clearly favorable to Yang Cheon-hyo. If Yang Cheon-hyo suspected them, they would have been executed already.”
That was Yang Cheon-hyo’s way. Since the moment he began to build power within the Yang family, he had strictly distinguished between those on his side and those who weren’t. And if they weren’t on his side, he cut them off without mercy.
“What do you think?”
“Verification of the list will be necessary.”
At the general secretary’s words, Min shook her head.
“Should we eliminate the people on this list first?”
“I think that’s not a bad idea.”
Min looked up, surprised, and the general secretary added calmly.
“However, if that many Espers disappear, as the family head said, ordinary people will pay the price.”
Min remained silent for a moment and then ordered.
“Bring Ji Won-woo here.”
Won-woo didn’t get angry at the ‘guiding we did before’ that Gye Yoon mentioned. If it had been before he fell asleep, he might have considered the request brazen and refused it. However, the aftermath of the dream still lingered. A person whose only action was staring blankly out the window with a body that couldn’t move.
Whenever he suffered from phantom pain, he would convulse and twist his entire body. His pain was a button that pressed down on Won-woo’s guilt. Those gestures were like silent screams, and Won-woo didn’t know how much his hand trembled while administering the sedative injections. That was why Won-woo couldn’t ignore Gye Yoon’s claim of being in pain.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Won-woo slowly raised his gaze and answered calmly.
“Let’s do it.”
“…”
“I said let’s do it.”
“Do you hate that I’m in pain?”
At the low voice, Won-woo swallowed as if waking up. He tried to quickly gather his emotions. Since he started gagging again, it felt as if the vessel where he had sealed his emotions had developed a leak. Otherwise, he couldn’t explain this feeling of becoming sensitive toward Gye Yoon.
Just then, as a hand touched his face, Won-woo was startled and instinctively pushed the hand away violently. Then, as if hiding his awkwardness, he replied sharply.
“It’s hard to work together if a colleague’s condition is bad. That’s all.”
“If every colleague’s condition is bad, do you have guiding sex with all of them?”
The expression vanished from the handsome face. Won-woo immediately frowned.
“That’s…”.
…impossible. The words didn’t come out the moment he realized he had fallen into a trap. But that seemed to be enough for Gye Yoon. Satisfied, he curled his lips upward.
“I guess it’s just me.”
“It’s not.”
“That’s a lie.”
Ha, Won-woo let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh and glared at Gye Yoon. In response to that gaze, Gye Yoon’s eyes filled with an amused light.
“Just so you know, I didn’t use my ability.”
Then, a low and soft voice murmured as if soothing him.
“The guiding before was incredibly good. When I think about you doing this good thing with another Esper, my stomach… hurts. Like it’s been cut with a knife.”
The expression Gye Yoon originally intended to use was ‘my stomach turns,’ but he wanted to test Won-woo’s reaction again. To see if he was still weak to the mention of his pain. Sure enough, the strength left the eyes that had been glaring. Won-woo muttered like a whisper.
“There’s nothing more foolish than hurting over the past.”
It was a hypocritical thing to say to another, but he needed it for himself right now. And as if steadying his mind, he added firmly.
“So let’s just quickly solve the pain you have now. If we hold hands, it’ll be solved in five minutes.”
“No, I told you. I want to do it like last time. The 30-minute version.”
A specific method to extend it to 30 minutes immediately came to mind. Feeling suddenly embarrassed, he replied bluntly.
“It was shorter than 30 minutes.”
“Yes. You were short.”
What am I… Yes, I was shorter, but. Won-woo’s pride was wounded, but more than that, the memory of that short encounter that day became clearer in his head, so he shut his mouth.
The sensation of being rubbed in a hand along with his member, the heat touching his back, the humid sound of breathing echoing in his ear. He was about to insist that it couldn’t happen this time, but Gye Yoon noticed as if by magic and added.
“The effect of the guiding was completely different from the ones you gave me before.”
Different? This sparked Won-woo’s curiosity. Gye Yoon nodded deeply.
“The efficiency is more than double that of the guiding you do just by holding hands.”
He gripped his hand tightly and muttered as if it were fascinating.
“That’s why I feel like my ability has become even stronger.”
He’s already S-rank; if his ability gets stronger, what then? There’s no rank above that. Moreover, he had never heard of abilities improving through guiding.
“Isn’t it just that you feel that way because you’re using your power without the risk of a rampage, unlike before?”
“I didn’t care much about rampages when using my power before either. The only thing that changed is that guiding you gave me. That’s why I want to check it again.”
“…”
“I’ll do it well.”
What, what? Won-woo was appalled inwardly, but cold words came out of his mouth.
“Since you’ve never done it, everything is a first for you anyway.”
“Didn’t I do well last time too?”
Won-woo tilted his head as if weighing the answer, but his insides were filled with confusion. Did he do well? There weren’t many people to compare with. Seeing Won-woo deep in thought, a flicker of anxiety passed through Gye Yoon’s eyes.
“Was it lacking?”
“…I’m not sure.”
It was an answer given because he truly didn’t know, but Gye Yoon’s expression momentarily stiffened. Feeling as if he might grab him by the collar at any moment and demand a list of 100 things that were lacking, Won-woo hurried to comfort him.
“You can just do better from now on.”
For a moment, Gye Yoon’s eyes widened. He soon returned to his original expression, but he turned his head away, unable to look at Won-woo. Then, as if releasing tension, he licked his lips with his tongue and asked as if nothing were wrong.
“Does that mean I can do it again?”
“Yes.”
Gye Yoon froze for a moment before slowly turning his head. The moment their eyes met, Won-woo almost took back what he had said. There was a burdensome heat in Gye Yoon’s gaze, enough to make Won-woo want to recoil. However, the voice that came from him was low and quiet.
“Is that for real?”
“You said you wanted to test it.”
“Yes. In other ways, too.”
What other ways? As Won-woo wondered, a dry explanation reached his ears.
“I want to see if the effect is better the wider and deeper the contact area is.”
The part about the area being wide wasn’t a problem, but he couldn’t immediately grasp the expression ‘deep.’ style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[stolen content]How could contact be deep… Ah.
“I’m confident I can do it well.”
The words were firm and full of confidence, but they were laced with an urgency, as if he feared being rejected. Won-woo, too busy hiding his own fluster to notice, slightly averted his eyes.
“Confidence isn’t exactly what’s needed here.”
Won-woo countered on purpose, but he soon realized these words were useless against Gye Yoon. There was something he used to hear as a joke back when he was in the military. That no matter how confident someone with a small member was, they could never keep up with a single clumsy thrust from a natural giant. By that logic, Gye Yoon was already a gold medalist, at the very least.
“Then what is needed?”
“…Practice?”
Gye Yoon’s eyes shone with intense determination.
“I’ll work hard.”
How on earth is he planning to practice? Won-woo sighed softly, regretting having said it.
“Forget it. I’ll just do it well. We can just do it.”
Gye Yoon froze, unable to even blink, before snapping his head back. Since he couldn’t see his expression, Won-woo tilted his head, only to first see Gye Yoon’s chest heave deeply before settling. Then, turning back toward Won-woo, Gye Yoon asked in his usual tone.
“Shall we do it now?”
His fingertips touched the back of Won-woo’s hand with a heat that felt almost burning. The heat from that small surface seemed to spread through his body in an instant. Just as Won-woo was about to open his mouth, fortunately or unfortunately, another sound intervened between them.
Knock, knock.
The sound of knocking was heard.
Won-woo found it surprising when he was summoned before the Head of the Gye Family again. He hadn’t expected her to reach a decision so quickly. Thinking it would take at least a week to verify the list he had handed over, he wondered if he had been called for another matter. However, after showing her displeasure toward her younger brother’s murderous gaze—muttering, ‘What’s with those eyes?’—she immediately brought up the list.
“Where did this list come from?”
“I cannot tell you at this time.”
It was strange that she asked for the source rather than whether the list was accurate. Did it mean she trusted his words? However, looking at the Head of the Gye Family, Won-woo could infer her answer to some extent.
No matter how much she had lost her family or how great her grudge against other families was, she was still the Head of the Gye Family. No matter how deep the personal resentment, the position of Head was one that required considering countless people.
When he was in the military, Won-woo had high security clearance for classified documents and occasionally entered restricted archives. There was a high-ranking official he had encountered there several times. This list was the very material that official had shown him. While explaining the criteria of the list, the man had added this:
‘Fighting is all about momentum. Even if outnumbered, if the fighting spirit doesn’t break, miracles happen. Therefore, no matter how good the people on this list are, if they instill the will for enemies to endure, they are the priority targets to be killed. That is the only way the war will end even a day sooner.’
The man had chatted quite a bit to the unresponsive Won-woo, rubbing his face as if exhausted. Won-woo suspected that what he was saying was a secret that couldn’t be easily told to others.
‘Originally, we didn’t create this list. We found one made by the Gye Family long ago, then verified, [stolen [visit our site]content[visit our site]0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]corrected, and supplemented it. There are people whose true nature is only revealed when a crisis hits.’
‘The Gye Family?’
When Won-woo asked, wondering who they were, the official explained.
‘The rulers of the North.’
Ah, those people who had all been slaughtered.
‘Then why did the Gye Family lose even while possessing this list?’
‘Because they used it in reverse. It seems they judged these people to be good Espers to cooperate with. After all, if there are Espers, civilians can be saved from monsters. It was a decision made for the civilians, not the Espers. But…’
The official shook his head, muttering like a lament.
‘Not only the previous Head of the Gye Family, but the young Head who succeeded him was too kind-hearted.’
“Ji Won-woo.”
Won-woo looked up at the voice that broke his reminiscence. Min asked him with an expressionless face.
“Do you want all of them to die?”
“For now, that is the goal, but it doesn’t matter Read on Read BL Novelsif they don’t. There are other forms of victory.”
Min nodded as if in agreement. There was no absolute need to kill everyone. There were more such victories in the world. Without asking further, Min handed the list to the general secretary standing nearby.
“From now on, we will prioritize killing those checked on this list. Set up a plan.”
Except for Gye Yoon, who was still irritated, everyone in the room widened their eyes in surprise. Won-woo, in particular, doubted his ears because he had expected her to ultimately avoid a total massacre. He spoke to confirm with Min.
“If they die and the Espers of the Yang and Hong families are nearly wiped out afterward, the civilian casualties caused by monsters will be immense.”
Min twisted the corner of her mouth at those words.
“It’s funny to hear a Guide say such a thing. That is the arrogant delusion of Espers. Do you know? Espers are the ones blocking the development of weapons to eliminate monsters. Perhaps if Espers disappear, civilians will actually gain the power to protect themselves. The future is unknown. Therefore,”
Stopping her words, she looked up and stared coldly at Won-woo.
“I intend to take my revenge to my heart’s content.”
Yoon-im held no official position within the Yang Family, but she was so busy that more guests visited her than her husband. A silent war had been ongoing in the Yang Family for a long time due to a power struggle between the Head of the Yang Family and his son, Yang Cheon-hyo. Since the Head of the Yang Family was one of the few S-rank Espers, he was revered like a god within the family, but nothing in the world is eternal.
No matter how healthy and long-lived an Esper is compared to a civilian, they cannot escape the natural laws of aging and death. In particular, the Head of the Yang Family, who had been in seclusion for a long time, was the subject of rumors that he had already passed away. Thus, since the end of last year, the nature of the struggle had shifted to the eldest son, who would succeed him as the head, and his younger brother, Yang Cheon-hyo.
However, the eldest, who was not an S-rank, lacked the same grip on power as his father. He was continuously pushed back by the attacks of Yang Cheon-hyo, who was backed by the Ji Family, and many predictions now suggested he would fail to ascend to the position of Head. Consequently, those quick to sense the shift struggled to make appointments with Yoon-im to get on Yang Cheon-hyo’s good side. It had reached the point where even the Hong Family, which had only been observing the situation, sent their people.
“The Head of the Hong Family is positive about this matter?”
As Yoon-im elegantly lifted her teacup, the man who identified himself as Chief Cheon from the Hong Family nodded.
“However, he has great concerns about implementing the next step immediately. Has it not been only a few days since the Mutant Seed appeared in the North? Is it not too early?”
“It is early. But the situation has changed.”
“What situation are you referring to?”
Yoon-im looked at Chief Cheon, wondering if he was asking because he truly didn’t know, and scoffed inwardly. He knows everything; he just came here because he wants to hear the exact confirmation from my mouth. Ji Geun-oh had said that the people of the Hong Family pretend not to take sides but are actually the most sinister, and he was right. Partnering with such a slippery eel was dangerous, but it was an inevitable choice to bring down the North.
“Gye Yoon has stepped forward. We believe he is the one who dealt with the Mutant Seed a few days ago.”
“Is it certain that Gye Yoon has come out of the cave? I thought the Ji Family was keeping him tied down as a Guide.”
What a sly fox. Yoon-im sneered inwardly again while maintaining a picture-perfect smile on her face.
“Yes. It appears he has left the cave. Ah, since all the spies the Hong Family planted in the North were eliminated, you probably don’t know for sure.”
After the Guide sent for the Head of the Gye Family’s young daughter died, the contacts within the Gye Family were suddenly cut off all at once, as if a great cleaning had taken place. Of course, some informants still remained, but since the Hong Family likely hadn’t put much effort into planting spies anyway, they had probably lost them all.
“Spies? Our Hong Family does not plant such people in the Gye Family.”
“Then plant some. You can’t [stolen content]stolen content -->keep coming to us for confirmation every single time, can you?”
Yoon-im’s light response was a sarcasm that anyone would find offensive, but the man called Chief Cheon nodded without a single change in expression.
“Thank you for the advice. So, has Gye Yoon come out?”
Yoon-im looked at him for a moment and then nodded.
“Yes.”
“I recall the Ji Family saying that there would be no problem for several years when they first tied him down.”
Clink. Yoon-im set down her teacup and looked up with cold eyes. Even a year ago, she would have bowed her head to whoever the Head of the Hong Family sent, but now it was different.
“Do you say that even knowing Gye Yoon? You didn’t think he would endure in that cave forever with that personality, did you? Honestly, it’s beyond expectations that the brute lasted over a year.”
“Does that mean the Ji Family bears no responsibility? Why are you laughing?”
Yoon-im, who had been covering her lips with her hand, waved it as if apologizing.
“I’m hearing whining about why they couldn’t do more, when the Guide Center blocked an S-rank that Espers are too terrified to even touch for over a year. How could I not laugh?”
Yoon-im’s voice was thick with ridicule, but Chief Cheon managed to keep his expression unchanged once again. He simply nodded as if acknowledging it. Yoon-im got the impression that Chief Cheon was similar to his boss, the Head of the Hong Family. He had kept someone exactly like himself as a subordinate.
“It is certainly difficult to hold Gye Yoon for long. Even if the Ji Family received so much money from our Hong Family while promising several years. Ah, [unauthorized [unauthorized copy]copy]of course, it’s not because I regret the money. However.”
A smile played on Chief Cheon’s lips.
“It is inevitable that trust has diminished.”
“Then let’s consider any future cooperation cancelled.”
At Yoon-im’s answer, Chief Cheon’s eyes widened slightly. Though he hid it with a smile, a hint of panic was visible, as if he hadn’t expected her to cut him off so decisively. Yoon-im had nothing to fear. Her father would soon become a People’s Welfare Committee Member, and Yang Cheon-hyo would completely take over the Yang Family. While the help of the Hong Family was needed to strike the North, Yang Cheon-hyo had said this:
‘The Gye Family without a Guide can never rise again. S-rank? That’s even better. The higher the rank, the greater the rampage, and the North will be devastated even faster. So, niece-in-law, you just need to manage the Guides well. If by any chance a Wave that overlaps with Gye Yoon’s is discovered, kill them as the absolute first priority.’
Yang Cheon-hyo acted as if he were obsessively desperate to bring down the Gye Family, especially Gye Yoon, to a baffling degree. And through long effort, he had now reached a point of certainty regarding the Gye Family’s downfall. On the surface, the Guide Center looked like the Guide Association, but in reality, it was no different from a forward base to destroy the Gye Family.
Thanks to that, the Gye Family was now completely cornered. Thus, seeing Chief Cheon testing the waters like this in front of her made her feel skeptical. Was the help of the Hong Family really necessary? As if reading her thoughts, Chief Cheon’s answer came.
“You will likely need us. If only Espers from the Yang Family are sent under the pretext of helping the North in crisis, wouldn’t that be a situation anyone could misunderstand?”
Chief Cheon added with a smile.
“Especially since you haven’t even taken over the Yang Family yet.”
Yoon-im lifted her teacup again to hide her irritation. Chief Cheon smiled at her, as if tossing a carrot.
“Of course, for the sake of the long-standing friendly relationship, the Hong Family is prepared to reach out and help in any situation.”
Help, my foot. He just can’t stand the thought of the Yang Family swallowing the North alone. Yoon-im knew their true intentions, but it was difficult to reject the offer of help. As they said, a justification was needed to enter the North. After all, the Head of the Gye Family already regarded Ji Geun-oh and Yang Cheon-hyo as sworn enemies.
“Since you are prepared, I might request it as early as tomorrow, then?”
At the condition of ‘tomorrow,’ a look of curiosity appeared in Chief Cheon’s eyes. Yoon-im spoke again, feeling a sense of superiority.
“This is the chance to make the Gye Family’s brute rampage, and I can’t miss it.”
“Is the problem with the Mutant Seed about to erupt in the North? How soon?”
Yoon-im only smiled and avoided a precise answer, but Chief Cheon noticed that it would be within a few days at the latest.
“Very well. We shall prepare quickly. However.”
After a brief pause, Chief Cheon asked a question laced with concern.
“What if Gye Yoon does not rampage?”
“That’s fine too. If he doesn’t rampage, it means Gye Yoon didn’t use his power. Without Gye Yoon, the North can never stop these monsters. There is no better justification to send Espers to the North than the fact that the Gye Family, who rules the North, cannot protect it.”
Chief Cheon nodded, but he did not let go of his concern until the end.
“Is it certain that there is no Guide by Gye Yoon’s side?”
Just how many times does he want to check? Irritation flickered in Yoon-im’s eyes, which then hardened into displeasure at Chief Cheon’s following question.
“I believe the Wave of the disappeared Ji Won-woo-ssi matches Gye Yoon’s?”
“I see you know my brother’s Wave but don’t know his rank?”
“I do. However, we cannot ignore even a 1% probability.”
“Ignore it. It would take months for a D-rank Guide to guide an S-rank Esper. Of course, the Guide would wither and die in less than a week.”
Chief Cheon nodded and smiled at Yoon-im’s light tone.
“In that case, we can be at ease even if your brother is in the North.”
However, unlike the relieved Chief Cheon, Yoon-im’s eyes grew sharp. Come to think of it, there was something bothersome about Ji Won-woo. She had forgotten it because she had been busy. The words her brother, Seong-hyeon, had said.
‘Everyone said that bastard Won-woo seems like a completely different person.’
A different person. As that phrase came to mind, it bothered her again. Yoon-im knew one person from the past who had changed into a completely different person. Thanks to that, the Ji Family had received enough help to stand tall among Espers. Just in case, it would be better to let him know. Yang Cheon-hyo, who had brought great fortune to the Ji Family by becoming a completely different person nine years ago.
“Let’s start that revenge right now.”
Hearing Won-woo’s proposal, Min’s feelings were a mix of half-disbelief and half-admiration. How on earth had such luck fallen into their hands? While [visit our site]wm: visit our site -->Won-woo’s proposal was refreshing, as the decision-maker, she couldn’t help but weigh it coldly and meticulously.
“Assassinating someone isn’t something that happens instantly without preparation. Especially an Esper.”
“Still, now that the other side has started moving, we cannot just wait and prepare indefinitely.”
Moving? At the sharp gaze, Won-woo relayed what he had heard from Seo-na. The Hong and Yang families are preparing Espers to send to the North. It was a brief explanation, but fortunately, everyone understood.
They intend to throw the North into chaos with the Mutant Seed and then seize it under the guise of help. Not only Min, the Head, but even the general secretary and Chief Jung, who had been listening quietly, showed their anger. The unexpected one was Gye Yoon. He summarized it in one line as if it were no big deal.
“I guess they’re trying to swallow us up using ‘help’ as an excuse.”
Won-woo looked at him for a moment and then nodded.
“Their target is likely Gye Yoon-ssi. They probably want him to rampage.”
“You won’t let me rampage, will you?”
“…That’s right.”
Then there was no problem. Gye Yoon took the situation lightly, but Min was different. She signaled the general secretary to verify the truth of the information and then turned back to Won-woo.
“Do you have something in mind?”
“Yes. We need to divert their attention elsewhere. That will make the assassination easier.”
“Divert it where?”
“To a situation where monsters are running wild, so no one would know if someone died.”
At Won-woo’s proposal, everyone in the room simultaneously thought of the Mutant Seed.
“Do you mean spreading the Mutant Seed in the lower regions? But we still don’t know how to create it. We only suspect that the Alpha seed was used. Ah, if you’re planning to test it because you have remaining Alpha seeds…”
Won-woo shook his head at Chief Jung’s words.
“No. There are no remaining Alpha seeds. But it doesn’t matter; if I need them, I can just make them. Oh, by the way, I can create Alpha seeds.”
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