302 – HGL 302

302

Professor Jang stroked his beard and chuckled.

“Wow, I never dreamed I’d hear those words. After erecting the memorial, they completely forgot about the West Sea Rift, and everyone was busy talking about whether the new number one could fill J’s spot….”

“……”

“The West Sea Rift was a space I couldn’t understand with my knowledge. But… I wanted to start researching it again. I immediately told Director Ham that I would follow that guy and open the Rift, and I packed my bags and left.”

Eui-jae flipped through the scraps one by one with one hand. Lee Sa-young collected all of this? Just for saving his life and for the person who promised to return. In case he got lost and couldn’t return. To find someone who might be dead.

‘To bring out someone whose face and name he doesn’t even know….’

Eui-jae stroked his picture in the faded newspaper clipping. The profile of a young man wearing a black mask and a white scarf. The picture quality wasn’t good, as it was zoomed in from a distance. Lee Sa-young’s obsession was sometimes hard to understand.

But Eui-jae is standing here now. Eui-jae chuckled.

‘Well… it seems like similar people met.’

If this is fate, then it is. Eui-jae tried to suppress the tickling feeling in his heart.

“Professor, can you tell me more?”

“Oh-ho? About what?”

“Anything about Lee Sa-young. Anything is fine.”

At that moment, Min-gi Seo, who was standing outside the door, chimed in.

“Director Ham nags the Guild Master a lot. It’s a love-hate relationship.”

“Why?”

Min-gi Seo pushed up his sunglasses.

“Would she like it if he took away all the important personnel? The Guild Master generously even tried to scout Team Leader Jung-bin.”

“Hohoho…. Considering Director Ham’s personality, she ended it with nagging? She must have held back a lot. If Team Leader Jung had left, she would have tried to retaliate somehow.”

“…Against whom?”

“The Guild Master, of course. I would want to hit him at least once!”

Professor Jang mercilessly spat out harsh words and laughed heartily. Well, Eui-jae glanced at Min-gi Seo’s face. Min-gi Seo in a world without Wave Guild belonged to the Awakened Management Bureau.

Meeh, the sheep, who was quietly nestled in Eui-jae’s arm, bleated softly. Eui-jae put the sheep down on the floor. He looked at its fluffy back and thought.

‘Should I go watch Lee Sa-young’s old videos again?’

Mackerel’s video room was so cozy and nice.

At that moment, Eui-jae hurriedly raised his head. That’s right, Mackerel! He had to check on the Mackerel Brothers. There was no guarantee that Whitening would occur in the same area as the Memorial Dungeon….

‘I can’t rule out the possibility.’

Then Professor Jang looked around the room and clicked his tongue.

“I’ve worked with both of them, and honestly, Director Ham and the Guild Master are the same, really. When I see them, it’s like kindred hatred. They bicker like the same kind of people, really. Director Ham also bullies young children.”

“You are absolutely right.”

Now that he had achieved his purpose, he had to go to the fish market quickly. However, Eui-jae couldn’t resist participating in the suddenly opened discussion.

“…But, you know.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“Isn’t Director Ham’s personality better?”

“Oh-ho?”

This was something he had to evaluate objectively. No matter how precious Lee Sa-young was.

Pale light flickered. Tension flowed through the spacious laboratory. Beyond the transparent wall, something with its limbs bound struggled. It was a boy whose hair and skin were turning white in places. His right leg had already mutated like that of a carnivore.

Bang, the laboratory door opened. Ga-young, wearing slippers and holding a steaming cup, strode in. She greeted brightly.

“Hi~ Sorry I’m late~ Looks like you’re all ready? Can we proceed right away?”

“Yes, yes! We just need to inject it.”

“Really? Um, um. Let’s see…. Since the day has changed, I should greet you again.”

Ga-young adjusted the microphone height on the desk in front of the transparent wall and pressed the red button.

“Ah, ah…. Can you hear me? I guess you can. Did you sleep well, our friend?”

Save me, let me go…. A wailing voice was heard through the speaker. Ga-young smiled brightly.

“Oh, come on, you know I won’t let you go even if you say that~ But this time it’s a new drug. If it works, I’ll let you go. I’ll even let you meet your mom. Okay? It might hurt, but you have to endure it well?”

A sobbing voice flowed out. Ga-young pressed the button again, and the sobbing stopped abruptly. She took a sip of coffee and nodded. The lively voice from just before was nowhere to be found; it was cold.

“Start.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The area beyond the wall began to fill with a hazy smoke. Soon, a piercing scream was heard. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts…. The faces of several researchers turned pale. But Ga-young sipped her coffee with an expressionless face.

After a while, the screaming subsided. The hazy smoke also subsided. Ga-young tapped the shoulder of a researcher sitting in a chair.

“Zoom in.”

The boy’s appearance was magnified on a large monitor. Ga-young adjusted the angle herself and examined the boy’s body in detail. And someone shouted.

“It, it’s working! Look at his lower body.”

The end of the right leg, which had been mutated and twisted like an animal’s leg, was returning to its original form. The animal’s large foot had returned to a human foot. Ga-young widened her eyes and giggled softly. She headed to the corner of the laboratory with a light step. In the corner, a man was sitting tied tightly to a chair, his head drooping.

Ga-young said kindly.

“It was real? Thank you for helping me, Min-jun. After all, old affection is good. Right?”

“……”

“Your ability is good too~ Not only did you join the Seowon Guild, but you also joined the Guild Master’s direct team. And you even brought me the information I needed.”

The white gown worn over the clothes worn by the Seowon Guild librarians was crumpled and torn. Min-jun struggled to open his eyes and muttered softly.

“…If you’ve confirmed… the effect… now, let me go….”

“Oh, come on, why are you rushing me so much? It’s not too late to do a few more tests.”

“I, I’m fine. My family, let my family go! Please!”

The chair rattled as Min-jun struggled. Ga-young received a tablet from another researcher with an indifferent face.

“Wait a minute~…. Who said I was going to kill them? Your wife and son are still fine, so don’t shout too much~ They’re peacefully singing hymns.”

“Let me go, please….”

“Oh, okay. Then can you answer just one question?”

Ga-young bent down and made eye contact with Min-jun, who was sitting down. His bloodshot eyes were trembling. She smiled slyly.

“That great doctor, Nam Woo-jin. Where did he get the information…? There’s no way he could have developed this much in such a short time.”

“……”

“He doesn’t grind Mutants like us either…. He has far fewer trials, so where is he ahead?”

Min-jun kept his mouth shut. Ga-young sighed deeply and took out her phone from her gown pocket. And she made a call somewhere. Noise and music flowed from beyond the phone.

“…Yes, it’s me. No~ It’s nothing much, I was just wondering if Lee Ji-hyun is among the people participating in the rally right now. Can you check for me?”

“Ju, just a moment. Just a moment!”

“Did she bring her son today too? Check if she has a child too. Yes, five years old. Ah, she’s there? Then….”

“…Notebook!”

Min-jun closed his eyes tightly and shouted. The corners of Ga-young’s lips turned up.

“Yes~ Don’t touch them yet. Min-jun, a notebook?”

“Th, that’s right. There’s a notebook. It’s something that came out of the Dungeon, and originally… originally, I couldn’t recognize it. But recently, I’ve been able to recognize it little by little….”

“There’s a hint for developing the cure in there?”

“Th, that’s right. There are several methods written there, so I’m trying to follow them….”

“Ah-ha….”

Ga-young smiled brightly and took the phone away from her ear. And she grabbed Min-jun’s shoulder.

“Then…. We’ll have to see each other often. Right? You’ll have to come and tell me every time it changes~”

Min-jun closed his eyes tightly. Ga-young’s giggling laughter echoed.

Squeak, the old truck stopped in the fish market parking lot. Eui-jae stared at the parking lot full of cars with a troubled face. White ash was piled up in the places without a roof.

‘I wasted too much time.’

The discussion comparing the similarities and personalities of Ham Seok-jeong and Lee Sa-young did not end easily. It was understandable since many people who had accumulated a lot of grievances participated. Professor Jang especially participated enthusiastically. Perhaps because he had both of them as superiors, he was jumping up and down. In the end, they couldn’t even reach a conclusion.

‘Professor Jang really talks a lot.’

Eui-jae understood why Min-gi Seo had told him not to listen to Professor Jang’s explanations. At that moment, the truck door burst open. Dark blue hair fluttered. A young man with a confident face greeted him.

“It’s been a while, Hyung. I heard you were back…. I’m so grateful that you came to visit, weep.”

Eui-jae grabbed both cheeks of his younger brother Mackerel with one hand. And he turned his head back and forth, examining his face that had turned into a carp. Skin color, the same. Hair color, the same. No scales, nothing. Mackerel waved his hands.

“Hello? Hyung? Hello? What are you doing?”

Thank goodness. There were no signs of Mutation. It was the same brazen face as before. Eui-jae let out a sigh of relief and took his hand away. His younger brother Mackerel rubbed his reddened cheeks and glared at Eui-jae as if he was dumbfounded.

“Ouch, I thought my face was going to be crushed. Why are you suddenly doing this?”

“There was something I needed to check.”

“What? Whether my handsome face is still the same?”

“Let’s say that’s it. How’s your brother? Does he have any pain?”

“My brother? He’s healthy. He’s probably watching us right now.”

“Then is there any problem around here?”

“Problem? Why, is there something?”

“Is there an Invasion Dungeon nearby, or is there a place where Invasion is progressing nearby?”

“That’s a pretty specific example? There is one Invasion Dungeon. It’s Samra Guild’s, but the management is terrible…. It can’t be helped since Song Jo-heon is captured. So I asked the Rift Management Agency to take care of it. They haven’t come yet though.”

An Invasion Dungeon is nearby. The Invasion zone is gradually widening. Unmanaged Dungeons become over-saturated with Monsters, causing a Dungeon Break. Monsters break through the Dungeon and pour out. Eui-jae asked urgently.

“Where is it? Is it very close?”

“About an 8-minute walk? Seriously, why are you doing this, Hyung?”

“Tell me the direction.”

“Wow, you’re saying so much but not giving me any information and just digging for it. Hyung, are you from the National Intelligence Service?”

“Hurry, I’m in a hurry!”

Mackerel’s face hardened slightly as Eui-jae shouted. Min-gi Seo, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, chimed in.

“He knows a lot, so follow him.”

“Did you see the future or something? If you go straight along the convenience store alley, it’s there.”

Eui-jae jumped out of the car and started running. Min-gi Seo followed him like a shadow.

Mackerel, left alone, stared at their backs with a dumbfounded face, then clicked his tongue and said, “Aish.” And he shouted into the air.

“I’ll go after you. Be careful just in case!”

The wind blew fiercely. White ash began to scatter like a blizzard.