Chapter 70:

Chapter 70:

Chapter 70

Saying so, Seomun Yongneo's expression turned somewhat disappointed. "But it won't be easy to get him."

Dealing with a straightforward human would have been easier. Many people would come over if offered with reasonable terms or promised definite rewards. Unfortunately, Seo Gangrim didn't seem like a person who would follow someone just because of power.

"What do you think of the relationship between Seo Gangrim and the Zone Two trainees?"

"It seems like there's a pretty strong sense of camaraderie between them. It didn't seem like a temporary cooperative relationship."CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m

At this, Seomun Yongneo chuckled wryly. If they had already built camaraderie, persuading them to switch sides wouldn't be easy. There was no reason for people from another zone to leave behind reliable comrades in exchange for not guaranteed allies.

While Seomun Yongneo silently stared at the wall, the agent spoke up, "Then are you giving up on Seo Gangrim?"

"Giving up?" She replied as if it were an odd question.

Seomun Yongneo's eyes curved, and she smiled with a certain amount of ease.

"Not a chance. I want him even more."

She picked up a dart from the table. The tip of the dart gleamed sharply.

"Team Leader Gong seemed to be quite attached to Seo Gangrim. If I take Seo Gangrim with me, his reaction will be worth seeing."

While she had the desire to bring a strong trainee to her team, it seemed like her desire to confound Gong Joo was even greater. She aimed the dart at the dartboard on the wall. With a thud, the dart hit the bullseye's dead center.

"Now then..." Seomun Yongneo said, then rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought for a moment before opening the system window. The message composition box appeared promptly. Quickly composing her message, she sent it and then stood up. The agent who had been holding her jacket draped it over her shoulders, and he handed her neatly arranged gloves.

"Are you done?"

"For now. I have to deal with my main duties first, so I'll take care of this slowly." Saying so, Seomun Yongneo left with the agent. As they walked through the long corridor, she received a message notification sound.

"Did a reply come already?"

Seomun Yongneo was somewhat surprised as she opened the message window. While she silently read through the messages, her lips slowly curled upward. When she finished reading the message, she smiled in satisfaction.

"Oh, now I really want to see Team Leader Gong's face."

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Part 9: The Seventh Stage

Seo Gangrim woke up with a heavy weight on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He tried to open his eyes, but it was still dark, and not a single finger of his would move as he willed it.

'Is this another nightmare?'

He had had them so frequently that they've become all too familiar, but today seemed different. It felt as if a massive boulder were crushing his chest. It was agonizing. As Seo Gangrim struggled to break free from this torment by thrashing his body, a familiar voice sounded.

"Woong!"

With that familiar cry, Seo Gangrim's eyes opened. He glanced around, and outside the window, it was dark. He felt like he hadn't slept for more than a few hours, yet the clock indicated it was evening.

'Why on earth was I still asleep at this hour?'

As he attempted to sit up in bed, that oppressive feeling, as if he were still pinned down by boulders, lingered.

"Wo? Woong, woong?"

It was only then that he realized the identity of the boulder. Linnie was perched atop him, peering down at his face. What had once been a puppy was now considerably larger, causing him to feel like he was being flattened. Her hard hooves were pressing into his ribs, and it hurt a bit.

"Linnie, get down. I said, get down."

"Woong, woong!"

Her expression was unusually stern, as if she weren't playing around. Instead of moving away, Linnie placed her head on top of Seo Gangrim's. White light then started pouring out of the horns.

["Purification" ability is activated!]

'Why is she using Purification?'

Suddenly, someone slapped Seo Gangrim's back.

"Ah! You're awake now!"

Seo Gangrim felt like his spine was about to snap from the force, and the voice was unnaturally cheerful. When he glanced back, Jang Taeheon was grinning.

"...Ouch."

"Quit exaggerating. You're not the type to be in this much pain, are you?"

'No, it really hurts.'

Jang Taeheon might have thought that Seo Gangrim was at a higher class, but that was a big misunderstanding. Jang Taeheon examined Seo Gangrim's body and said, "Oh, you're really in pain. Sorry about that."

"It's fine. Just don't hit me anymore."

The part where Jang Taeheon had struck still throbbed. Jang Taeheon then grabbed a meal and sat in front of Seo Gangrim.

Jang Taeheon glanced at the dragon lying in wait for its share of food.

"Is that Steel?"

"Yeah."

"He looks completely different."

When Seo Gangrim didn't offer Steel food when he finished his portion, Steel set his sights on Linnie's. Linnie seemed to realize this and pushed her food toward him as if encouraging him to eat. It looked like Linnie was being ripped off, but Seo Gangrim was glad that they seemed to be getting along.

"Steel, I'm relieved you're not dead."

Jang Taeheon said that while trying to pet the dragon. However, when his hand got closer to Steel, the dragon opened its mouth as if to bite his fingers. Steel's teeth clashed with a click.

With a shocked expression, Jang Tae-heon said, "Wow, he's got a feisty personality."

"Don't touch him carelessly. Your fingers might get bitten."

As they continued to eat and engage in light conversation, Seo Gangrim felt a strange sense of nostalgia, as if he had returned to the past. Jang Taeheon would chat away, Yu Harang would counter his arguments, and Kang Dohyun would mediate when the two argued. Shin Sooah just sitting with a smile, listening to their conversation.

'Could we return to those times?'

They had clashed in the previous stage, but now they were having a meal like this.

"Oh, Master!"

As Seo Gangrim was lost in thought, a familiar voice reached his ears. Yoon Geoul was standing at the entrance of the dining hall. He started approaching Seo Gangrim, but he suddenly stopped.

"...Uh."

Yoon Geoul was glancing back and forth between Jang Taeheon and Seo Gangrim with a slightly puzzled expression. It seemed like he was taken aback by the presence of a stranger. Just as Seo Gangrim was about to introduce Jang Taeheon, Yoon Geoul gestured to him and quickly left the dining hall, which left Seo Gangrim doumbfounded.

"Aren't you eating that? If you're not, I'll have it."

Jang Taeheon took a side dish from in front of Seo Gangrim and put it in his mouth.

'Perhaps he hadn't noticed Yoon Geoul's reaction?'

Just then, a fellow trainee approached them .

"Uh, Seo Gangrim-ssi, I have something to discuss. Can you spare a moment?"

This person wasn't someone Seo Gangrim usually interacted with, which made Seo Gangrim wonder if there was something important, so he sent a glance to Jang Taeheon and stood up. After leaving the dining hall with Seo Gangrim, the person seemed hesitant when he spoke, "Um... that person who was just eating with you, isn't he from Zone Three?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Seo Gangrim's reply seemed to make the person even more uneasy.

In a low voice, he said, "I... I think it might be a good idea to keep some distance from him. Given that he suddenly came to our zone... it's a bit suspicious, isn't it? He might be a spy or something."

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