By Zephyria 348
“This is the Awakened Management Bureau! Everyone, hands up!”
“Knock them all out first!”
“Wait a minute! We’re civilians! Can you really do this!”
“This is an emergency situation, please cooperate!”
“Damn it, are there this many people?”
Honeybee looked around the interior. White-clothed people were packed tightly inside the small office. Matthew wasn’t here either. Only screaming people. Did they know they were contributing to the end of the world?
‘Probably not.’
Even if they did, they’d probably think of it as a trial to overcome the Doomsday. They wouldn’t know that the higher-ups’ goal was the actual destruction of the world. Honeybee approached the Hunter injecting sedatives.
“I’m going on ahead, is there a bigger place? Somewhere with some scale.”
“A bigger place? Hmm….”
The Hunter pulled out a terminal with a troubled expression and checked the map. Honeybee bit her lip. She was anxious. Would anything change if she met Matthew? No. She didn’t even have such optimistic thoughts.
She just wanted to meet him and talk. Like he had spoken to her when she was lost.
“There is a biggest place, but Team Leader Jung-bin said he’d go there himself….”
“Ah, I see. I’ll talk to him. Just tell me the location.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Honeybee escaped the stuffy office and lightly jumped from the top of the stairs. As she was about to leave the building and jump, a greasy voice greeted her.
“Hi~ You look busy?”
It was Gyu-Gyu, sitting on the flower bed of the building. When Honeybee ignored him and passed by, Gyu-Gyu got up and started chasing after her.
“Looks like you have somewhere to go?”
“Don’t bother me and get lost. If you have nothing to do, go upstairs and help knock people out.”
“Too bad~ I was going to offer to guide you.”
Honeybee snorted.
“Do you even know where I’m going?”
“It’s obvious. You’re going where the brains are.”
As her pace slowed slightly, Gyu-Gyu covered his mouth and chuckled.
“I even know where it is…. I’ve already infiltrated it.”
Gyu-Gyu held out his hand. Honeybee slowly turned around. She scanned Gyu-Gyu up and down and whispered.
“If you’re lying, you’re dead. I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
“I’m serious~? If you don’t believe me, you can ask Hero. He infiltrated it with me.”
“Look at the state of things around here. What’s the reason you’re trying to go with me instead of helping people?”
“Hmm, isn’t it the same for you?”
Honeybee quickly pierced through an incoming Monster. Gyu-Gyu lightly dodged the flying debris and replied.
“Don’t be too suspicious~ I’m just going to a place that needs help.”
“Ha, since when did you start helping others.”
“You’re free to be suspicious, but if you stand on the street like this for too long, you’ll get caught by people. Won’t you decide quickly?”
Even now, people’s gazes were piercingly felt. Saving people was also an important duty. But….
Gyu-Gyu gestured for her to decide quickly.
“Will you hire me?”
Honeybee slapped his hand away.
“Guide me the fastest way.”
“Lee Sa-young, that guy, he’s not going to keep helping, is he?”
“No. It seems he has something to do.”
“Tsk…. He’s busy as soon as he gets back.”
“Ah, the park that Lee Sa-young cleared has a Poison swamp. It’s impossible to even approach within 100m. It will take quite a while to purify it.”
“There’s no need to emphasize his danger. I’m not thinking of capturing him.”
“Yes…. I’m sorry.”
Jung-bin gave an awkward smile. Ham Seok-jeong clicked her tongue softly and propped her chin. They were severely short on manpower. As many Monsters were killed, new ones poured out, and the number of mutating people only increased. It was a clearly limited defensive war, but there was no other way to do anything but hold on.
“What about J?”
“He said he went directly into Big Mouth’s mouth.”
“After meeting you.”
“Yes. It seems he found a way.”
“Then we have to hold on until then.”
She gripped the handle of her cane tightly. Hooo, she took a small deep breath and got up. Then she nodded towards the door.
“Let’s go to the prison.”
“…Are you sure it’s okay?”
“It’ll be fine.”
However, the worried look didn’t disappear from Jung-bin’s face. Ham Seok-jeong covered her mouth and laughed softly.
“It’s okay. I’ve seen that guy longer than you have.”
The Awakened Management Bureau was quiet. All the Hunters who could move had gone to the field, and the Hunters in charge of the information desk had gone to evacuate people, so they didn’t encounter anyone while heading to the basement.
The air in the prison prepared in the basement of the Management Bureau was cold. Tap, tap, the sound of the cane hitting the stone floor echoed in the prison. She stopped in front of the iron bars at the deepest part.
“Song Jo-heon.”
An old man sitting in a chair with chains on his wrists and ankles slowly raised his head. The relaxed smile and attitude that always lingered on his face had long disappeared. The hair that had been mixed with black and white had already turned completely white. Was it a side effect of the modification, or a side effect of not receiving the medicine on time? He looked smaller than before.
Ham Seok-jeong didn’t like him. The man who tried to suppress her with his position when they first met, the bad memories of the time when they were in conflict over the Director position, the man who subtly ostracized and alienated J. A narrow-minded petty person who divided sides and created his own power wherever he went. Blinded by the desire for power….
…However, they had also seen each other for that long.
“Do you remember? You said at a drinking party. That if you die, you’ll kill Monsters until the end, that you’ll die in the middle of the road. That that was your wish as a Hunter.”
“…….”
“I wonder if a guy like you, who only cherishes his own life, can do that?”
“Keukeuke….”
Song Jo-heon shook his shoulders and laughed. A low, cracked voice answered.
“I didn’t expect you to still remember a story from almost 10 years ago. You’ve gotten old too.”
“Yes, as I get older, I only dwell on old memories. Just like you.”
“…….”
The laughter gradually subsided. Song Jo-heon stared blankly into the air.
“What happened to the Samra Guild?”
“It seems they’ve united well by making you a public enemy. It’s fortunate. It would be a big loss if a Guild of that size collapsed.”
“I see….”
“The reason I came here is to make you an offer.”
Ham Seok-jeong grabbed the iron bars with one hand. And she put her face close through the gap. A chilling voice echoed in the dark space.
“I’ll let you out, so fight.”
“…….”
“Fight Monsters until you die, as you wished. If you survive, I’ll allow you to beg for forgiveness.”
“Keukeuke….”
Song Jo-heon laughed roughly. The laughter that started small gradually grew louder and echoed through the prison.
“Hahahahaha!”
“…….”
“Haha…. You stupid friend. Don’t you think I’ll run away?”
“It doesn’t matter if you run away pathetically. I’m giving you a chance. Out of old friendship.”
Ham Seok-jeong’s eyes flashed. She raised the corners of her mouth and smiled.
“You have three options. First, to be trapped and die in this cold and dark prison.”
“…….”
“Second, to take the opportunity to run away pathetically, to die alone in a place where no one knows you, as an ordinary old man.”
“…….”
“Finally, the third.”
Their eyes met in the air. Ham Seok-jeong pulled the iron bars she was holding to the side. With a heavy sound, the iron bars buckled and a space was created. Ham Seok-jeong threw the key through the gap.
“Die fighting Monsters. Then you’ll be a hero.”
“…….”
“10 minutes. I won’t give you more. The situation is urgent.”
She turned around and left the prison without hesitation. As the sound of the cane faded away, Jung-bin, who was still standing in front of the iron gate, opened his mouth.
“Song Jo-heon.”
“…….”Song Jo-heon’s equipment, weapons, cell phone, and other belongings are in the evidence storage room on the 2nd floor, in the cabinet starting with the letter ‘S’.” It will be easy to take them out since there are no managers now.”
“…….”
“The drugs confiscated from Researcher Ga-young are also there. It’s your choice whether to use them or not.”
He left the front of the iron bars after a short bow. Silence came to the prison.
A little later,
Clink….
The sound of picking up a key broke the silence.
‘Lee Sa-young must not die.’
Hong Ye-seong smiled meaningfully at those words. And instead of telling him the way to the source, he just told him to wait and then wandered off somewhere. He looked everywhere, but he couldn’t see him anywhere.
All Eui-jae could do was sit on the plastic chair next to the tent and sharpen the edge of his spear. But that also had its limits.
“…Damn it.”
He muttered a small curse. The more time passed, the worse the situation in reality would only get. He couldn’t waste time like this. Even to repay the people who believed in him and sent him….
“…Ah, I don’t know!”
Eui-jae jumped up from his seat. Rather than wasting time like this, it seemed better to find Hong Ye-seong or find the way to the source.
‘He said he was looking for materials where he fell.’
To find Hong Ye-seong and to find some clues, he started walking towards the place where he had fallen. Before long, he saw a small hill.
Eui-jae stood at the bottom of the hill and looked up. It was higher than before. That meant it was still swallowing things up.
‘A living person could fall.’
Then he could save people and understand the situation in reality, so it would be killing two birds with one stone. Eui-jae licked his lips and looked at the sky. Then, something black appeared in the pure white sky.
What is it? A car?
Eui-jae narrowed his eyes. But he couldn’t think any more and hurriedly started climbing the hill.
Because the fluttering clothes were surprisingly familiar.
“Uh, uh…!”
Eui-jae stood on top of the hill and stretched out his arms as far as he could. In a few seconds, something heavy fell into his arms with a thud, and at the same time, a low scream burst out. It was a scream for two people.
Eui-jae carefully opened his tightly closed eyes. The heavy thing that had hit his arm, it was….
“…Lee Sa-young?”
It was Lee Sa-young, holding a black plastic bag preciously.