By Zephyria Dazzling light filled the dim isolation chamber, clearly revealing its shabby interior. Inside the isolation chamber where Jeong Si-young had stayed for a long time, there was only a bed, a chair, a desk that looked well-used, and a broken fluorescent light. It hardly seemed like a space where a person could stay.
A swarm of light poured into the isolation chamber. Sparkling, it brilliantly enveloped everything in light. Jeong Si-young, thrown into confusion, raged once more. Unlike in Gwacheon, it took some time to wash away Jeong Si-young’s old Corruption. His left arm, like a long, massive creature, thrashed about. However, nothing could even approach Yohan.
Jeong Si-young gasped for breath. His left arm began to melt and drip. Shrinking, and shrinking, and shrinking… until finally, a spark returned to his eyes. Now, no longer resisting, Jeong Si-young merely gazed at the light seeping into his body. Emotion flickered across his expressionless face beneath his disheveled hair.
“Haa, ha… As expected…”
Watching the Corruption that had been swelling his left arm melt away, Jeong Si-young let out a laugh after a long time. The mottled sores and spots on his face also disappeared. Drip, drip. His left arm, reduced as it melted like flesh falling off, became balanced with his right arm. As the other party regained full consciousness, Lee Hyun-muk released Jeong Si-young. The captain of the Special Suppression Unit raised his now-healed left arm, clenching and unclenching his fist.
“I thought it wouldn’t be him. My guess… was right.”
Looking at the restored Jeong Si-young, the captain took a trembling breath and rushed forward. He quickly cut the chains binding Jeong Si-young’s body and examined him.
“Captain, are you truly alright?”
“Yes. I’m in peak condition for the first time in a while. You look good too, Woobin.”
Only then did the captain realize that his own body had also been cleanly purified. Jeong Si-young bowed respectfully to Yohan, who was smiling with a proud expression.
“Thank you, Awakened Yang Yohan. Thanks to you, I can continue to fight. Please, tell me if there is anything you desire.”
“No, it’s alright! I just did it because I wanted to!”
As Yohan replied with a bright smile, the captain’s eyes became filled with renewed emotion. He was truly worlds apart from Park Seung-min. He wished he had joined the Special Suppression Unit… Though he thought this, he considered it a selfish thought and did not voice it. He knew very well why the Sun Guild had gone to such lengths to conceal Yang Yohan’s identity until now.
“In that case, if Yohan ever needs help in the future, I would like to ask for your assistance.”
Lee Hyun-muk intercepted the price for Yang Yohan’s refusal. Jeong Si-young also nodded readily. Unsure how to act in such an awkward situation, Yohan, who was flustered, suddenly remembered something.
“Ah! Then, shall I… purify the other Special Suppression Unit members as well? I still have some purification power left.”
The captain’s eyes wavered with emotion once more. He quickly bowed his head and said to Yohan,
“I am shameless, but please do. Thank you so much. I will never forget this kindness.”
“Not at all! You are the ones protecting our country.”
Yohan, having achieved something he had wanted to do for a long time, excitedly followed the captain. As Lee Hyun-muk smiled and prepared to follow them, Jeong Si-young, having roughly tidied his disheveled hair, called out to Lee Hyun-muk.
“Awakened Lee Hyun-muk.”
When Lee Hyun-muk turned around, Jeong Si-young was staring at him with a stern expression.
“You… what exactly are you?”
Even though his reason had been almost entirely gone, Jeong Si-young clearly remembered the future he had glimpsed. It was endlessly black and dark. Nothing could be seen, and nothing existed. It was terrifyingly chilling. It was the first time he had ever experienced such a thing while using his abilities. That was why, even during the battle, he had been unable to do anything.
What had happened to that person in the Abyss? He felt more dangerous than any monster. He seemed like something ominous, merely wearing the shell of a human… Lee Hyun-muk offered a gentle smile to Jeong Si-young, who had all his nerves on edge.
“Well. Some people still call me human…”
He paused, letting his words trail, then glanced at Yohan, who was excitedly chattering to his teammates, before answering.
“It’s probably just as Awakened Jeong Si-young saw.”
Lee Hyun-muk immediately followed closely behind Yohan. His gaze was gentle, as if treating a rare and precious treasure that could not be left alone for even a moment. Jeong Si-young narrowed his eyes and looked down at his left palm.
On the back of his hand and palm, damp with cold sweat, were dark bruises, exactly as Lee Hyun-muk’s grip had left them. Deep bruises that even the regeneration of a High-level Awakener couldn’t immediately erase.
― …Professor Choi Ju-yeon, could you please comment on the recent Cult incident in Gwacheon?
― This issue of ‘Re-awakening’ has become a hot topic since Awakened Lee Hyun-muk and the Sunrise Team returned. However, it must be remembered that this ‘Re-awakening’ is not properly proven and, for now, is merely the personal experience of Awakened Lee Hyun-muk….
― Speaking of which, didn’t the Sun Guild make an announcement not too long ago? It was regarding the response to so-called Re-awakening Cult Corrupted individuals….
The news was chaotic. It was due to the string of recent incidents. Hwang Young-chul, who had been instantly ruined after evidence videos of his murder-for-hire were exposed, was one thing, but the Gwacheon incident videos, filmed by citizens and various reporters, had garnered explosive interest. Among them, the biggest sensation was Park Seung-min’s fraud case.
High-level Awakeners were always subjects of interest, but Park Seung-min was particularly prone to gossip. Starting with the most recent school violence incident, followed by abuse of power within the guild, and biased use of purification abilities… On top of that, he was even closely cooperating with an Awakening Cult, and it turned out he wasn’t even a High-level Awakener but a fraud.
Everyone was enraged by the grand deception perpetrated against the nation. Articles analyzing how much special treatment Park Seung-min had received from the government and how much tax money had been spent on that treatment garnered thousands of comments.
― Hahahaha, saying he mistook himself for a High-level because he was the first Awakener is ridiculous. You can’t not know if you’re intermediate or low-grade when you Awaken.
― Seeing how he showed his true colors even as a minor, he was completely planning to deceive from the start, that scammer.
― He probably intended to pull off one big score and leave, but got caught because of the Cult, what a shame lol.
― Scum of the earth. A national disgrace. He should be given a life sentence.
The interview given by Park Seung-min’s former secretary also caused a huge stir.
― He was a truly terrible person. I could overlook being told to fetch coffee or wash his car for menial tasks. But the hardest part was the constant verbal abuse and violence. He would find fault and make me repeat the same task multiple times, and he even made me do disciplinary exercises. No matter how important earning a living is, do I have to go this far? Sometimes I even felt like dying.
Then, she revealed the recorded verbal abuse, hospital diagnosis certificates, and severely bruised body parts she had collected. She also declared her intention to sue him for assault.
Consequently, Park Seung-min fell from being the pride of South Korea, a High-rank Purifier, to the enemy of all. He had gone into hiding immediately after the Gwacheon incident and had not reappeared, nor did he respond to requests for interviews from media outlets. The government sued Park Seung-min for fraud. As a low-grade Purifier became a public enemy of the nation, the existence of others proportionally drew attention.
So, is Yang Yohan truly a High-level Awakener?
Those who had their Corruption washed away thanks to Yang Yohan in Gwacheon were particularly curious about this question. Jeong Eun-jae, who had witnessed the Gwacheon Cult incident up close and was fortunate enough to have his severely corrupted lower body purified, was one of them. And the answer to this was revealed the very next day in an official interview video released by the Sun Guild.
Upon hearing the news that an interview video with Lee Hyun-muk had been uploaded, Jeong Eun-jae quickly logged in. Although only a magazine logo was displayed, the chat window was already overheating. After a moment, the video began with a brief summary of the Gwacheon Cult incident, then transitioned to a screen showing Lee Hyun-muk. The Guild Master of the Sun Guild, sitting comfortably in a chair, offered a faint smile.
Even though Lee Hyun-muk’s hair was white, it suited him handsomely, as if it were just a trendy dye job. His unique aura and handsome face played a large part in this. Most comments stated that he seemed more mature after emerging from the Abyss. The interviewer from the magazine, which had always published articles favorable to the Sun Guild, opened her mouth.
― Hello, Awakened Lee Hyun-muk. It’s been a while.
― Yes, has it been 3 years? It’s a pleasure to see you again.
After brief greetings and pleasantries, the interviewer got straight to the point.
― The Sun Team’s performance during the recent Gwacheon Cult incident was remarkable. In particular, didn’t Awakened Yang Yohan show truly dazzling performance? Many people are curious about this, so I will ask directly. Is Awakened Yang Yohan a High-rank Purifier?
The moment the question was posed, the number of connected users began to skyrocket endlessly. Lee Hyun-muk paused for a moment, then nodded without hesitation. The chat window exploded, scrolling down so fast it was impossible to read.