CH 136

“Alright. I understand, so please move.”

“Okay. Let’s go in and talk.”

Park Geon-ho closed the door, pushing me into the room with a smile as I was about to leave the hallway. It was like having Park Geon-ho and Woo Seo-hyuk in the room.

There was nothing I could do about it. I looked at Park Geon-ho and said.

“As Woo Seo-hyuk-ssi said, I have some work to do.”

“Hmm.”

“I’m sorry I tried to deceive you. But it’s kind of important to me. So even if you block me, I have to go.”

“I’m not going to stop you though?”

“Team Leader Park Geon-ho.”

Park Geon-ho put his arm on Woo Seo-hyuk’s shoulder, who was frowning, and made a smirk.

“No, honestly, you have to weigh what you have to weigh. Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk. Aren’t we not in a position to hold onto the Independent Han Yi-gyeol?” (따질 건 제대로 따져야지, not sure)

“That… that’s right, but it’s too risky. It hasn’t been long since he left the hospital room.”

“How about it. Han Yi-gyeol.”

Cutting off Woo Seo-hyuk’s words, Park Geon-ho glanced at me.

“Where is your destination?”

“Are you going to take me?”

“Yeah. I’ll take you nearby and wait in the car. I don’t think there will be any danger. How is it?”

“Um.”

I wanted to say something nonsense again, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Woo Seo-hyuk glanced at Park Geon-ho as if he had the same mind as me.

“…are you really just taking me there? You’re not going to follow me, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll be quiet in the car.”

Even so, there was no reason to refuse, since the distance was quite far and it was a burden to fly. I nodded my head straight away.

“Then I owe you a favour.”

“I will follow, too.”

As soon as I finished my words, Woo Seo-hyuk brought out the words that he would go with me. Park Geon-ho, who was laid-back enough to say go away when he was free, was worthy of it, but Woo Seo-hyuk said he would go.

“Aren’t you busy?”

“There is no need to overdo it, Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk. I’m enough to go with Han Yi-gyeol.”

At the sound of Park Geon-ho’s words, Woo Seo-hyuk slapped Park Geon-ho’s arm on his shoulder with a displeased expression.

“It’s okay to be away for a day or so.”

“Non-sense. Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk.”

“More than that.”

“I don’t think so? If you have a sense, you wouldn’t have been caught in this situation now.” (눈치가 있었으면 지금 이 상황에서 끼지 않았겠지)

“I got it right because I have a sense.” (눈치가 있으니까 끼는 겁니다)

“Stop it, both of you.”

I asked, intervening between Park Geon-ho and Woo Seo-hyuk, who started fighting like flowing water.

“Then can we leave right away?”

“Sure. Where is your destination?”

“It’s C12 Area.”

When I put on my shoes and answered while opening the front door, Park Geon-ho, who was looking at Woo Seo-hyuk for a moment, tilted his head.

“C12 Area? Why do you want to go there all of a sudden?”

“Didn’t you say you’ll just take me there? If you’re going to ask why, I’ll just go by myself.”

“Oh, no. I was impatient just now.”

Park Geon-ho, who strode forward and wrapped my shoulders from behind, said as if he was soothing me.

“You mean it’s our secret, right? I am welcome.”

“Let go.”

Woo Seo-hyuk, who had forcibly removed Park Geon-ho, who was clinging to me, pressed the elevator button with a tired look.

“As Team Leader Park Geon-ho said, Han Yi-gyeol-ssi isn’t a member of the guild, so I won’t report to Master… You have to be careful. C12 Area isn’t a very safe place.”

“Do not worry.”

As I smiled confidently so that he could be relieved, on the contrary, Woo Seo-hyuk’s eyes filled with disbelief. Why is it?

We got on the elevator and went straight down to the underground parking lot, and then got into the car right away. I sat in the back seat in a familiar interior and fastened my seat belt.

“Is this the car you used to ride when you went to N23 Area gate?”

“Yeah. You remember that.”

Park Geon-ho, who answered lightly, started the car.

“Come to think of it, you were seriously injured at the gate, so I took you to the hospital with this car. Do you remember, Han Yi-gyeol?”

“Haha, yes…”

I don’t remember. Because I fainted. I leaned over and looked out the window. A low sigh was heard from Woo Seo-hyuk, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

* * *

C12 Area, which took us two hours to arrive, was, as expected, an old neighbourhood full of bumpy, untidy alleyways and old shacks.

“Then I’ll be back, so don’t follow me.”

After getting out of the car, I asked Woo Seo-hyuk and Park Geon-ho, who were seen through the opened window of the passenger seat.

“Okay, okay.”

“I understand.”

Park Geon-ho, smiling with his arms overlapped on the steering wheel, and Woo Seo-hyuk, who put down the documents he was looking at, answered at the same time.

“……”

I was nervous for some reason, but I couldn’t say anything since they drove me here. I swallowed the words I was about to say and turned around.

“I will be back soon.”

In front of the stairs entering the C12 Area, I looked up at the shantytown, which was tangled like a maze.

I didn’t have time to go around and check them all. Feeling fortunate to have the wind ability with a wide range of use, I flew myself up the sloping stairs.

The detailed location wasn’t written on the document, but I already knew this place through my dream anyway. I found the most burnt spot from above the sky, went straight down, and looked around.

Squeak.

I touched the address plate hanging on the dirty wall, covered in black ashes. 3-17. The address plate I saw in my dream was clear.

The scorching flames burning the building, the screams of several people, and the cries of monsters passed through my ears like hallucinations. I walked slowly with my hands on the wall. Rattle. The stone I kicked with the tip of my toe rolled on the floor.

“Yeo, Yeon-ah… hic, Yeon-ah…”

Han Yi-gyeol, who was crawling on the floor holding his side which was dripping with blood, and Han Yi-gyeol’s younger sister lying in front of him. The scene I had seen in my dream clearly overlapped over the alleyway that spread out in front of me.

Beeeeep—!

“Uh, what…”

At the same time as the ringing sound, a strong headache came rushing in, as if piercing the brain with an awl. I grabbed my head and blinked several times. My vision was twisted and distorted at random.

‘Fuck, what?’

I was so confused by the sudden change in my body. I was exhaling rough breaths from the banging pain, and a thick smell of burning came from somewhere.

“Ah…”

Noticing the change in front of me belatedly, I opened my mouth stupidly. The clear sky was filled with smoke, and the surrounding area was filled with hot fire and blood. It was a very similar sight to what I had seen in my dream.

“Save, save us please… Save us please…”

I slowly turned my gaze to the side at the small voice that seemed to wither at any moment. Obviously, I was standing here, but I could see another Han Yi-gyeol in front of me.

“Sis, sister. Even my sister… please…”

Han Yi-gyeol begged with all his might to the man standing opposite him. As I slowly lifted my face, I saw the profile of Cheon Sa-yeon, staring at Han Yi-gyeol with bright red blood on his cheek.

I could feel the heat of the fire which was burning the building through my skin. The smell of suffocating burning and the eerie sound of footsteps of monsters running around were so realistic. I didn’t know if I was dreaming or if I was going crazy.

Thud. Just as I had seen in the dream, Cheon Sa-yeon took one step closer to Han Yi-gyeol and raised his sword. A sword soaked in unidentified blood flashed in the light.

Kieeek!

The monster’s body that was about to attack Han Yi-gyeol was split in half with the sword he swung. Thud! As the monster’s upper body, which resembled a caterpillar, fell down and poured out green blood, Han Yi-gyeol breathed in with a fearful expression.

“Master!”

“Are you okay?”

People flocked behind Cheon Sa-yeon, who wiped the blood off his sword. Cheon Sa-yeon, who glanced at Han Yi-gyeol and his collapsed younger sister with a bored expression, opened his mouth.

“Healer?”

“There are still a lot of monsters, they can’t come and are waiting below.”

“They’re injured. Transfer them.”

As a result of this, two attendants nodded to his command and each carried Han Yi-gyeol and his younger sister on the back. Meanwhile, another monster came out of the alleyway. The monster that was running at the attendant carrying his younger sister had its head cut off by Cheon Sa-yeon’s sword.

Cheon Sa-yeon passed by me as I stood leaning against the wall. I looked at the distant back of Cheon Sa-yeon and followed him carefully.

While moving to the place where the ambulance and the healer were waiting, the monsters constantly rushed at the smell of thick blood. Cheon Sa-yeon continued swinging his sword to help keep the speed from slowing down.

“Gasp, gasp…”

I couldn’t even walk for a long time, but my breath kept running out and my legs were shaking. I forcibly moved my body and followed Cheon Sa-yeon and Han Yi-gyeol down the stairs.

“Master Cheon Sa-yeon!”

“He’s injured! Take him to the ambulance!”

“What is the situation, Master Cheon Sa-yeon!”

Beyond the smoke of the fire blowing in the wind stood an ambulance and numerous reporters with cameras. A familiar man jumped out between the flashes and the interview microphone.

“Ma, Master Cheon Sa-yeon!”

It was Kang Seung-geon. As soon as he appeared, I rubbed my eyes roughly at the somehow sharply blurred vision.

“Ho, how? The situation? It’s okay, right?”

Just like when we first met, Kang Seung-geon asked urgently, sweating with a contemplative face.

“Well. If you are so curious, why not go see it yourself.”

Kang Seung-geon’s lips twisted unpleasantly at Cheon Sa-yeon’s reckless answer, but he forced a smile, conscious of the reporters behind him.

“Of, of course, I should go. Before that…”

Kang Seung-geon, who took a step closer to Cheon Sa-yeon, lowered his voice.

“Master Cheon Sa-yeon. You know, I didn’t know about this. Oh? Please give the explanation well to the management headquarters!”

“……”

“The guild had a proper schedule, but the clear team who took care of it…!”

“You’re lying.”

The hard-spoken excuses were cut off in the middle. Cheon Sa-yeon and Kang Seung-geon’s gazes turned to the side at the same time.

“It was a lie.”

Han Yi-gyeol, who was barely breathing while being carried by the attendant, shouted fiercely with a distorted face.

“You came here a week ago and just left!”

“Wha, what…”

“You said that you don’t have to take care of this place, uh… I heard you said to put it off because it’s troublesome!”

Han Yi-gyeol, who spoke his words while panting, grabbed his bloody side, dripping with thick sweat. At that shout, Kang Seung-geon panicked and stepped back, the sound of the flash resounded again.

“Is that real?”

“That’s right. That man… I’ve seen him too.”

“I think I saw him, too!”

“Trash bastard!”

“Is that true?”

“Why bother? Just send him out in once!”

“Master Kang Seung-geon! Please say something!”

As the injured, who were being treated, and reporters murmured and spit out words at Han Yi-gyeol’s remarks, the surroundings quickly became noisy. Kang Seung-geon, who was biting his lip and hearing the complaints of reporters and victims, shouted with his face reddened.

“Shit, what kind of bullshit! Do you believe what that little bastard says?”

“Master Kang Seung-geon!”

“Let go of me!”

When Kang Seung-geon, furious, used his ability, the floor began to shake unstable. Cheon Sa-yeon’s attendant ran amongst the reporters, who were running away in confusion, and grabbed Kang Seung-geon’s arms.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who was looking at Kang Seung-geon, who was struggling with pathetic eyes, turned to Han Yi-gyeol. Han Yi-gyeol’s brown eyes and Cheon Sa-yeon’s black eyes, who were glaring at Kang Seung-geon, met.

Beeeeeep—!

“Gasp… uh…”

At that moment, the ringing sound was heard again and everything began to gradually blur. Watching Kang Seung-gun, Han Yi-gyeol, and Cheon Sa-yeon scattered like smoke, I struggled to exhale my breath.

“…Yi-gyeol! Han Yi-gyeol!”

Han Yi-gyeol disappeared without leaving a trace, but I couldn’t stand any longer and sit down. Someone grabbed my body, which was shaking so much beyond control.