By Zephyria It’s okay. My face is covered, and no one can identify me from this distance. Eui-jae placed his palm on the bars, replying. The gaps in the bars were firmly sealed with something like glass.
“Gas came out of the room of the new guy who came in earlier. I was checking just in case. It’s dangerous if you get too close.”
“Oh? Ah…. Right. There was a guy like that. Is he okay?”
“Yes. He seems to have lost consciousness, but he’ll wake up soon. You don’t have to worry.”
“Good, finish up quickly and get back to your post. He’ll be here soon.”
Coming soon? Who? Just then, a ticklish sensation was felt on his calf. Min-gi Seo had only taken out his hand and was writing something on his calf.
‘Be bold’
He probably meant to just ask directly. Eui-jae asked abruptly.
“Who?”
“Huh? Who do you think?”
The man scratched his head and replied.
“Did you inhale the gas? I told you earlier that the old tiger was coming.”
‘Old tiger?’
“Hyung-nim told me to prepare it the way he always does. Hurry up and go.”
“Ah, ah, right. I understand.”
“Keep your wits about you, huh? All I see are undisciplined guys…”
The man’s footsteps, filled with nagging to the end, gradually faded away. When he could no longer hear them, Eui-jae asked the shadow.
“…Do you know who the old tiger is?”
“I do know.”
Min-gi Seo poked his face out of the shadow. His face was quite serious.
“If it’s who I think it is, the problem becomes serious. Very serious.”
“Who is it?”
“It’s someone the client also knows.”
Min-gi Seo, who rarely hesitated, moved only his lips without making a sound. Eui-jae’s face, having read his lips, hardened coldly.
Ringing phone, hurried footsteps, the sound of paper turning… various noises were chaotically mixed together. In the center of the Awakened Management Bureau’s crisis response room, a huge screen was installed, and long desks were lined up around the screen.
The screen changed from moment to moment. A broken road with bloodstains smeared, a broken traffic light, the cross-section of a car that had been roughly bitten by something…. Ham Seok-jeong stood in the center of it all, staring silently at the screen. She opened her mouth.
“Has the current location of all the Hunters been identified?”
“Yes! We received word that Lee Sa-young Hunter also regained consciousness earlier and returned to Wave Guild. It seems they will take action after the Guild comes up with a plan.”
“What about Seowon Guild?”
“They are cooperating with nearby hospitals to send ordinary injured people to the hospitals, and Seowon Guild is mainly treating those injured by Monsters. However, both the hospitals and Seowon Guild are relatively free.”
“Because of the tents?”
“Yes, that’s right. All the minor injuries are being treated in the tents.”
“……”
Just then, a white tent appeared on the screen. People in white clothes were diligently moving bandages and disinfectants. Ham Seok-jeong’s lips twisted. The Hunter standing next to her subtly watched Ham Seok-jeong’s expression. She glared at the screen with fierce eyes and asked.
“Do you think there is such a thing as selfless goodwill?”
“Pardon?”
“Do those bastards who come out and act like this, as if they’ve been waiting for this situation, look reliable to you?”
“It is suspicious, but…”
Their help might feel greater to the injured and ordinary citizens. Because they are directly providing help where they can see it. Ham Seok-jeong clicked her tongue.
“What is Samra Guild doing?”
“The affiliated Guilds are showing signs of movement, but the elite team has not yet moved.”
“What about Song Jo-heon?”
“He returned to the Guild building and has not come out. He seems to still be inside the building.”
“……”
Ham Seok-jeong slammed her hands on the table.
“Something’s strange…”
“What is it?”
“A man like Song Jo-heon, who likes to stand out and is ambitious, is missing this opportunity? An opportunity to promote himself greatly?”
Ham Seok-jeong’s eyes gleamed sharply as she gritted her teeth.
“That can’t be.”
“……”
“Check again. Whether he’s really in the Guild, or if he’s gone somewhere.”
“Yes, yes! I understand!”
“What about the student? Has she not arrived yet?”
“No, that’s right.”
“Have you contacted her?”
“Yes, but she’s not answering.”
Ham Seok-jeong checked her phone. Yoon Ga-eul, who said she would go to the Awakened Management Bureau soon, had not arrived. Did something happen? Or did she get caught up in something? Normally, she would have sent a vehicle or an escort Hunter, but the situation was such that she couldn’t.
“Just in case, send a search team. Check the shelters too. What about J? Has there been any more sightings since the last one?”
“No! The last sighting was when he was with Kang Ji-soo Hunter, and there have been no more sightings since then. What should we do, should we check on J more?”
“That’s enough.”
Ham Seok-jeong’s eyes followed the Hunters who were busily running around on the screen.
“That guy can’t stay still. He’ll be doing things on his own.”
“Yes…”
“Director!”
Someone abruptly handed her a receiver. Ham Seok-jeong took the receiver with a puzzled look, then asked with her lips. Who is it? The Hunter replied with a troubled face.
“Well…. You’ll know when you answer it.”
Is it a call from ‘above’? It seemed so, judging by his flustered appearance. I wondered why they hadn’t called yet. Ham Seok-jeong cleared her throat and answered the phone.
“Yes, this is Ham Seok-jeong, Director of the Awakened Management Bureau.”
Instead of the voice she had braced herself for, a cheerful voice greeted her.
―Hello, Director. You must be s-so busy, right?
“……”
The corner of Ham Seok-jeong’s lips tilted upward.
“What’s up with the heretic brats?”
Urgent footsteps crossed the hallway. The long scarf around his neck and the hem of his coat fluttered. Streaked hair, deeply etched wrinkles. He couldn’t escape the passage of time, but his face, still with the fierce spirit of a tiger, contorted. Thick veins popped out on the back of his hand holding the cane. His steps stopped in front of the tightly locked iron door. Song Jo-heon slammed the iron door. The iron hit by his fist buckled.
“Open the door! I’ve come to see the Seer!”
“……”
“I need to explain this situation… Open the door immediately!”
Slowly, the iron door opened. A woman in white clothes appeared. She bowed deeply.
“You’ve arrived. I’m sorry, but the Seer is currently meeting with another guest.”
“Is a guest important now? Do you know how troublesome things have become because of what you’ve done without permission!”
Song Jo-heon’s eyes blazed with anger. He slammed his cane hard on the floor.
“I need an explanation right now. To do something like this without telling me. What on earth are you thinking? Is trust so laughable to you? Did you all get shot in the head or something!”
“Please calm down. I understand your anger, but Hyung-nim will tell you everything.”
“Oh, really? Let’s see what kind of nonsense you’ll spout. Guide me immediately!”
“As I said, there is a guest. How about receiving the usual care instead?”
“……”
“We have already finished preparing.”
The woman gestured to the side. Song Jo-heon snorted and suppressed his anger. With a flushed face, he turned abruptly and headed down the hallway to the right. Familiar.
This white hallway is always unpleasant to look at. Really, it’s full of things I don’t like…. He threw open a closed door. Inside the room, there was only a white bed. So, they had prepared it. Just as the anger he had barely suppressed was about to boil over again, a young man wearing a white coat and a mask came in.
“Ah, ah. You’ve arrived.”
The young man was wearing horn-rimmed glasses. His face was not clearly visible because of his long, dark bangs. The young man bowed his head.
“I… I’ll go prepare. Please lie down here first.”
“It’s a face I’ve never seen before. Where did the usual doctor go?”
“Ah, the current situation is…. Yes, very busy. I’ll be taking his place.”
“There’s not a single one of you doing things properly…”
Song Jo-heon gritted his teeth, took off his scarf, and took off his coat. Even if he didn’t like it, he had to receive ‘care’. Because, given the situation, he didn’t know when he would be able to receive it again. Song Jo-heon unbuttoned his shirt. Snap, snap, snap…. He threw the white shirt off and onto the floor.
Despite being middle-aged, his firm muscles were revealed. However, there was something that caught the eye before his excellent muscles.
“……”
Song Jo-heon’s body was covered with all sorts of small stitched marks. He glanced at his arm and clicked his tongue. He didn’t like this either.
‘I don’t like anything.’
He swallowed his annoyance and lay down on the bed. And with only one eye open, he glared at the young man, who was still standing stiffly.
“What are you doing, not going to prepare immediately!”
“Ah, yes…”
The young man bowed his head awkwardly and left the room. Song Jo-heon closed his eyes.
Where did things start to go wrong? He couldn’t tell.