By Zephyria Busy footsteps came and went. Most of the Wave Guild’s Hunters headed outside to deal with the situation, and the remaining personnel were low-ranking Hunters or non-Awakened who were in charge of desk work. Except for Bae Won-woo, who was wandering around the hallway with a tablet showing a map. Then a vibration rang. Bae Won-woo peeled off the bandage on his face with his thumb and forefinger and put his phone to his ear.
“Yes, this is Wave Guild’s Bae Won-woo…. Ah, Hunter Yang. Am I busy? No, I’m also injured… Ah, it’s not a big injury. Just a minor traffic accident.”
Yang Hye-jin’s voice rose slightly.
—…A traffic accident? Are you sure you’re okay?
“Ah, it’s okay, only the car is a bit broken. But what’s the matter?”
—Ah, I was wondering if you could check something for me. I can’t leave my post….
“Yes, if it’s a problem I can solve. What is it?”
—If I send you location information…. Could you find out more about it?
“Location tracking? That’s not my specialty….”
Already complicated numbers were looming before his eyes. Mackerel or Min-gi Seo were experts in this kind of thing. Bae Won-woo only knew how to block attacks from the front, and was weak at minor tasks. But what could he do? Both of them were busy, so he had no choice but to borrow a bear’s paw. He clicked his tongue.
“I’ll try.”
—I just sent it in a text message. The part-timer’s location is showing up there.
“The part-timer?”
Bae Won-woo’s voice rose sharply. A troubled look was evident in Yang Hye-jin’s voice.
—Yes… I asked him to go into their base because of my request, but he hasn’t come out. When I checked the location, he’s on some strange mountain.
This was a major issue comparable to Doomsday. Bae Won-woo looked around, found an empty seat without an owner, and quickly sat down. Then he entered the location Yang Hye-jin sent him into the satellite map. However.
“…Huh?”
Bae Won-woo squinted and stared intently at the monitor. Then he turned on the tablet screen he was holding under his arm and placed it next to the monitor. The small dot on the tablet was moving towards the red destination point on the monitor. Before he knew it, a word popped out.
“Strange?”
—What is it? Is there a problem? Is there something wrong with our part-timer….
“Ah, no. Uh….”
No matter how he looked at it, wasn’t it the same place? He moved his head back and forth busily, frowning deeply.
“Uhhh?”
He needed to sort out the situation. Bae Won-woo tapped the desk with his fingertips. Lee Sa-young said he was going to find J. It was uneasy to send him alone, but the two decision-makers couldn’t leave their posts at the same time, so Kang Ji-soo was sent instead. The location on the tablet is the current location of the two. And at their apparent destination, the Hangover Soup Restaurant part-timer is located….
Suddenly, his mind lit up like a light bulb. Bae Won-woo jumped up from his seat. No, no way.
“I….”
His thin voice trembled like a goat.
“Kidnapping?”
—What? Kidnapping? What are you talking about?
“S-Sorry! I’ll call you back!”
Bae Won-woo hurriedly hung up the phone and then called someone else.
“Stop.”
The moment the low voice spoke, the bright red motorcycle screeched to a halt. The heavy exhaust sound gradually subsided. The red helmet turned around.
“Why, Guild Leader?”
The black helmet, which had managed to maintain its balance without holding onto the driver, replied.
“If we go any further, we’ll be spotted right away….”
“The road is stretched out like this?”
“We have to move the supplies.”
“What if we just go as we are?”
“It’s better to reduce unnecessary conflicts….”
The black helmet gestured towards the mountain ridge.
“Let’s go that way.”
“You want us to go hiking? Ugh.”
“That way is better. It’s better to avoid attention….”
A hand wearing a black glove took off the helmet. Disheveled black hair and a pale face appeared. He got off the motorcycle lightly and looked up at the mountain. The gaunt mountain was fully reflected in his darkly sunken purple eyes. He slowly closed his eyes and inhaled.
The red helmet, which had been grumbling, also took off its helmet. Kang Ji-soo took out her phone from her hoodie pocket and put it to her ear.
“Yes, Vice Guild Leader. Yes? Yes. Huh? Eh. Yes….”
Kang Ji-soo’s face twisted strangely. She sidled up to Sa-young with a crab-like walk.
“Hey, Guild Leader.”
Sa-young only nodded slightly without saying a word. It was a sign to speak. Kang Ji-soo kept the phone, which was still loudly shouting something, away from her ear.
“The Vice Guild Leader is talking about the part-timer or something.”
Only then did the purple eyes slightly reveal themselves under the thin eyelids.
“…What?”
“Well, it seems like the part-timer is at the place we’re going to now? He said he received the part-timer’s location information, but how did we miraculously end up going to that place? Is that right?”
“…How did he get that location information?”
“It seems a Rift Management Bureau Hunter gave the part-timer a watch. It has a location tracking function, but he didn’t come, so he checked it.”
“……”
“Anyway, he’s making a fuss saying the part-timer seems to have been kidnapped, what should we do?”
Sa-young pressed his forehead as if he was tired.
“…Tell him we’ll rescue him along the way.”
“Did you hear that, Vice Guild Leader? I’ll hang up now!”
Kang Ji-soo quickly pressed the end call button and sighed, haaa. Then she ignored the incoming calls and looked up at the distant mountain. For her, who handles plants, a mountain with many plants was like a home ground….
“……”
She glanced up at Lee Sa-young, who was standing next to her. A fierce aura was emanating from around him. Her heart was also agitated. She fiddled with the Gas mask artifact in her pocket. She could also hear the sounds of the mountain’s life forms anxiously whispering. She instinctively realized it too.
That an enemy with malice had come.
‘I’m sorry, nameless mountain….’
Lee Sa-young jumped over the guardrail without hesitation and stepped on the soil. At that moment, the area around the ground he stepped on turned black. Kang Ji-soo closed her eyes tightly and followed him. There was a bitter smell. She covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve.
How far had they climbed? And how many small creatures had died? Instead of the bitter smell of dying life, the smell of oil and a faint smell of disinfectant began to waft. Along with the signs of more people. Sa-young, who had stopped walking, glanced at Kang Ji-soo.
“Kang Ji-soo.”
“Yes, Guild Leader.”
“You brought the Gas mask, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Wear it.”
“Well…. How much are you planning to do, Guild Leader?”
“……”
She could see his pale lips twitching upwards. Damn it, I should have climbed up a tree or something. Kang Ji-soo quickly resigned herself to her fate. She had to be prepared for this level of danger from the moment she came alone with him. She put on the Gas mask and fastened it tightly. Then she quickly jumped up and moved away from Lee Sa-young.
“…Hoo.”
Sa-young, who was left alone, moved lightly. It was a light movement as if he was taking a walk. He bit the end of his glove with his teeth and took it off. Then he brushed away the branches that were blocking his view with his bare hands. Chiik…. The branches melted down black. The obscured view was revealed, and an open space, a cargo truck, and soldiers with guns appeared.
The air cooled sharply. But that was only for a moment.
Clack! Clack! Clack! The loaded guns were all aimed at him at once.
“Who are you!”
Sa-young slowly took them into his eyes. He didn’t remember such soldiers. However….
“I feel bad….”
The smell emanating from them was poking at his brain. Someone shouted.
“Hey, hey, that’s…. Isn’t that Lee Sa-young?”
“Why is Lee Sa-young here…. How did he know?”
The whispering grew louder and louder. There was also a small hesitation in the guns. Lee Sa-young did not miss that hesitation. Waiting for a small gap was his specialty.
The black shadow disappeared.
“…?!”
And appeared behind a man, grabbing the gun in his hand. Chiik…. The handle of the gun began to melt down black along with a pungent smell. Along with the hand holding it. The man screamed. No, he was about to scream.
A black hand twisted his neck. A languid voice whispered.
“That won’t do.”
“……”
“If you make a noise….”
Soon darkness came. A black wave silently swept everything away. Guns, people, screams, cries, laughter, sneers.
“……”
Before long, the black wave subsided under the black Walker. The soldiers who had aimed their guns had disappeared without a trace. Only Lee Sa-young was standing in place. Sa-young put his hands behind his back.
“Then….”
Even though he handled it quietly, it must have been all captured on the surveillance camera. Several hurried footsteps were running out. Sa-young smiled brightly at the surveillance camera with the flashing red light.
“How many more do I have to kill for the boss to come out?”