By Zephyria Second Doomsday
About three weeks after that day, the Awakened Management Bureau secretly met with Prometheus. The details of the discussions held in the meeting, attended by only a small number of people, were not fully disclosed, but all the kidnapped Hunters were transferred to the Seowon Guild. The reason for using the term “transferred” was simple.
Thump, a dry fist slammed down on the desk.
“It’s so violent. They’re bloodthirsty, trying to tear people apart. They can’t even distinguish what’s what. They’re no different from beasts. All of them!”
Because even after escaping the research facility, they still had to be confined.
Nam Woo-jin sat down on the chair with a displeased expression. His hair was a mess, and his white gown was scorched and crumpled, with hardly a spot that was intact. As soon as his Master sat down, Marionette stood behind him and began to tidy up his tangled hair. Nam Woo-jin also took off his glasses and held them up to the light. Jung-bin, sitting across from him, let out a groan.
“Is that so… Is treatment impossible?”
“I was researching. I had some information. But I was interrupted because of someone.”
Nam Woo-jin, who had been nervously drumming on the desk, suddenly burst out in anger.
“Seriously… we’re not a combat Guild. Do you even know how much we suffered? And if you’re going to transfer them, you should tell us in advance. Who are these guys who just bring over a dozen people out of the blue! Do you think this is a guesthouse!”
“We are truly sorry about that. Originally, the Wave Guild was also supposed to take some, but, um.”
Jung-bin shook his head with a troubled expression.
“We can’t get in touch with them. I wonder if something else is going on…”
“Tsk…”
Nam Woo-jin crossed his arms and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“I owe that guy, so I won’t say much more… Thanks to him, my work has doubled. I need more manpower.”
“Are you talking about management personnel?”
“Yes. Our Guild members aren’t strong enough to subdue rampaging Awakened. Most of them are highly intelligent individuals.”
“I’ll talk to the Director, but there’s a high chance it won’t work.”
“Why?”
“The inside of the Awakened Management Bureau isn’t safe either.”
A shadow fell over Jung-bin’s gentle face.
“It’s not just Awakened within the Management Bureau, is it? There may be someone affiliated with Prometheus, and there have actually been suspicious circumstances… It’s difficult to spare manpower. That’s one of the reasons why we concluded that it would be difficult for us to manage them.”
“What kind of trick are they planning to pull? They handed them over to the Management Bureau themselves.”
“They could kill them before the antidote is administered. They need their own weapons too.”
Jung-bin’s voice lowered. He sighed softly and continued.
“We are temporarily cooperating to resolve the Doomsday… But in reality, the Management Bureau and Prometheus are fundamentally incompatible. There is a significant difference in our basic positions.”
“Ah, that’s what’s so strange. Given the Director’s personality, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had deployed a special forces team to wipe them all out.”
Jung-bin gave an inscrutable smile. The boy, having finished tidying up, combed his white hair and tied it back. Nam Woo-jin, who tilted his head back slightly as the boy pulled his hair, shrugged.
“Why, are you still bothered that I’m a civilian?”
“…The scale is larger than I thought. Mr. Mackerel is investigating in various ways… Even if they don’t know the organization name Prometheus, their ideology is quite widespread.”
“Ideology?”
“Let’s overcome hardships with human strength, without relying on Awakened…”
“Sounds good on paper.”
“Moreover, while rescuing and treating civilians during the last incident, they set up small counseling centers in various places. They are still helping people who are struggling with what happened back then.”
“Aha, so their image in the local community is quite good?”
“Yes. Sharing the same pain seems to be very effective.”
“They’re cunning. They’re good at exploiting weaknesses. So, the Song Jo-heon incident hasn’t been made public yet, has it?”
“That’s right. In this situation, if we announce that the Guild Leader of the Three Great Guilds… um, committed such an act, it would only tarnish the image of Awakened.”
“We can’t hide it forever.”
“The Director is aware of it.”
A brief silence descended. The boy brought a clean white gown and placed it on the desk. Nam Woo-jin got up from his seat, took off his scorched gown, and put on the new one. He finally looked somewhat presentable. He sighed deeply, then shuffled off somewhere in his Crox. Jung-bin, who had been watching him leave, lowered his gaze.
“Mr. Mackerel judged that if we rashly provoke them, there is a risk that the story will spread that an Awakened attacked civilians… Even a Hunter affiliated with the Awakened Management Bureau. In that way.”
“That brat made the right call. I think so too.”
The savory aroma of coffee wafted through the air. Nam Woo-jin poured coffee from the pot and downed it in one gulp. His face was pale, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look terrible. He roughly washed his face and pointed at Jung-bin with his index finger.
“Go back for now. I’ll ask the Wave Guild or Honeybee for management personnel support.”
“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to visit often to help.”
“Nonsense. Do you not know how busy the Team Leader is? You’ll probably be summoned again to film public service announcements to improve our image. The higher-ups’ thinking is obvious.”
Perhaps he had hit a nerve. Jung-bin didn’t answer and only gave a painted smile. It was indeed the smile of a Hunter who was always the first choice for public service announcements. Nam Woo-jin irritably gestured to the boy.
“Escort him to the entrance.”
“Understood.”
After the boy and Jung-bin disappeared, Nam Woo-jin covered his eyes with his hand. His burned-out eyes throbbed painfully today.
In the lobby of the building in Incheon where the Wave Guild’s research lab was located, there was a large LED panel. Originally, it would have displayed the history of the Wave Guild or images encouraging people to join the Wave Guild, but today it was different.
[The Awakened Management Bureau is always by your side.]
A public service announcement featuring Jung-bin, the Hunter who is a guaranteed pass for meeting the parents, the number one Hunter people want as a son-in-law, and a civil servant, was displayed with a gentle smile as he reached out his hand. Eui-jae stood with his hands in his pockets, staring intently at Jung-bin’s face on the screen. People passing by glanced at him, but he didn’t care.
‘This seems like a new advertisement?’
During the time when Eui-jae was hiding from Lee Sa-young and living in the fish market, he had already mastered Mr. Mackerel’s video collection since he couldn’t sleep anyway. His collection also included a compilation of Jung-bin’s public service announcements. What was it, there was quite a demand for it.
‘Ah, he said it was especially popular among civil servant Hunters…’
When they were tired of work and wanted to give up everything, they would watch that collection and feel somewhat relieved. It was like, if that Jung-bin is doing this much, what right do I have to say I’m struggling, and they would leave with that kind of relatively okay feeling. But that didn’t seem like a very positive mindset either.
‘Anyway, the higher-ups who tell him to film something like this in this situation…’
Jung-bin probably doesn’t feel like it either. Just as Eui-jae was clicking his tongue, heavy footsteps echoed from behind.
“Have you arrived, J?”
It was Bae Won-woo. He scratched his short hair, bowed, and asked.
“Are you going again today?”
Eui-jae didn’t answer and nodded. Bae Won-woo didn’t say anything more and led him. The short but long time it took to get on the elevator and go down to the basement. Bae Won-woo, who had been silent, suddenly opened his mouth.
“I…”
“……”
“I think it’s really fortunate that J keeps coming…”
“In what way?”
“Um, doesn’t it help a lot to have someone by your side when you’re sick? It’s also reassuring. I’m embarrassed, but I can’t last long against Sa-young’s Poison either. And he likes J more than me…”
“……”
“Ah, anyway, that’s it. We’ve already arrived.”
Bae Won-woo scratched his head awkwardly and got off the elevator. Eui-jae, pretending not to notice the ticklish feeling in his heart, followed him. The door, as if sensing Eui-jae’s visit, was already half open. Hong Ye-seong, who was sprawled out on a makeshift bed across from the door, slightly raised his head.
“Oh, you’re here? You’re diligent.”
“I don’t have anything else to do anyway.”
“The Pro… what’s-his-name?”
“I received orders not to contact them recklessly.”
Eui-jae was not allowed to attend the meeting between the Awakened Management Bureau and Prometheus. They acted like they were going to use Eui-jae to their heart’s content, but they strictly forbade him from being called to the meeting. They said that the moment J was called, all conditions would be nullified. Eui-jae didn’t particularly want to go, so he accepted it…
After the meeting, the Director called Eui-jae and said only one thing. Do not contact them.
Still, I should ask Jung-bin about it. As Eui-jae nodded, ‘Hong Ye-seong’ shone his Emotional Eye and flailed his arms and legs.
“Ah, why! Can’t we just kill them?”
“Are you allowed to say ‘kill you’ so carelessly?”
“I hate those guys!”
“Who do you think likes them? I’m going in.”
J ignored the flailing Hong Ye-seong and stepped into the darkness. As he stood on the damp floor, the door immediately closed behind him. Eui-jae walked through the darkness without hesitation, as if he was used to it. Soon, he stopped where he could hear a small breath. A purple gaze stared at Eui-jae.
“I’m here.”
“…Welcome.”
A small laugh seemed to be heard, and then a damp arm hugged Eui-jae’s leg. Eui-jae intertwined his fingers in the wet hair and stroked it.
Lee Sa-young was spending more and more time here. The longer the time spent covering the Eye of the Apocalypse, the more the Doomsday was watching this world. Maybe he would have to stay here all day. I wanted to be with him a little longer.
The damp arm passed over Eui-jae’s thighs and buttocks, and soon wrapped around his waist. Eui-jae bent his legs and hugged the mass of flesh clinging to him. He also felt it instinctively.
There wasn’t much time left.