Chapter 66 - Transfer Procedures (3)

Chapter 66: Transfer Procedures (3)TL: SHW

Ark.

Boss.

A combination of words that I had never expected dropped like a bomb.

“…….”

I looked at the person in the video.

Even with the baggy clothes, it couldn’t completely hide the slender frame. From the unblemished hands, it seemed like it could be a woman, but the playful smile and the way they walked made them seem like a man.

But regardless of which, to think this person is the leader of Ark… Aren’t they too young for that? At best, they look like a teenager. Maybe in their twenties.

No. It’s hard to guess the age of someone this skilled just by their appearance.

But still.

“…Is this really the boss?”

It wasn’t just me who thought this way. Kim Chae-min also had a doubtful expression, and Lee Mi-seon tilted her head in confusion. Sᴇaʀᴄh the Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“I’m not trying to be prejudiced, but… for a boss? It’s a bit?”

“I only heard rumors, so it might not be the real boss.”

Hong Seok-young furrowed his brow deeply.

“But the fact that there are such rumors? They’re probably not a low-ranking member, so I thought we could get something out of them by capturing them…”

“And you didn’t catch them?”

“Teacher Woo… Why do you always say things like that?”

“So, you didn’t catch them?”

“Since we didn’t catch them, that’s why they’re still walking around like that. Teacher Hong isn’t all-powerful, so there’s nothing we can do.”

“Don’t you think you’re lacking a bit of respect for your superior?”

Hong Seok-young grumbled.

But the playful atmosphere didn’t last long.

People had died. If they were Hunters, it might be understandable, but these were civilians. Among the sixteen dead, five were children.

Even though it’s tragic that it happened during a Dungeon Break, to be killed by some unidentified person leaves a bitter taste.

I don’t know if it’s appropriate to use the word “fortunately” in this context, but fortunately, the incident occurred on a weekday afternoon. Most of the children from the orphanage were at school. No. 3 was also outside the orphanage with me and Kim Chae-min for his Awakening registration.

The children who weren’t at the orphanage at that time are all safe. We dealt with the Dungeon Break and checked things out. They are currently being protected in another location.

If No. 3 or the other children had been at the orphanage at that time, they would have all died.

A brief silence followed. Then Kim Chae-min broke the silence.

“So… why did they kill them?”

It’s a fundamental question.

“That orphanage is also connected to Ark, right? Correct?”

“Not all the staff were involved, but there were some connections.”

“What about the children?”

“Except for Kang Tae-woo, whom Teacher Woo confirmed, there were some children whose whereabouts before coming to the orphanage were unclear. Some of the deceased children were among them.”

The conversation halted again.

Kim Chae-min grabbed her head.

“It doesn’t make sense. If, as Teacher Hong said, that person is the boss of Ark… or at least a key figure, why would they attack their own organization? Especially an orphanage without any hidden labs or anything?”

If we knew the reason, we wouldn’t be struggling with this.

Were they planning to blame it on the monsters because there was a Dungeon Break? But if that was the case, they would have at least tried to hide it. It’s not difficult to make it look like the work of monsters. Since it was a Dungeon Break, even if someone died, there wouldn’t be a thorough investigation.

It’s an incredibly frustrating situation. Not knowing anything like this is not my style.

If I tried to think about it more deeply, it would become endlessly complicated.

Even if they acted so openly, the investigation might not have been done properly. Even if there were suspicious points, they could blame it on the Dungeon Break and cover it up. That there’s a serial killer who murders unarmed children during a Dungeon Break?

It’s exactly the kind of thing that would bring the government a lot of criticism.

That guy might have thought so too. Honestly, if it weren’t for No. 3, I wouldn’t have thought about going to the orphanage either. If I had only heard that the orphanage was attacked, I would have assumed it was the work of a Salamander.

Should I delve deeper into this?

I still don’t understand the words of the research lab director related to the Myeong-dong Dungeon that I wrote in my diary when I was younger. What about the bodies inside the Bangi-dong Dungeon?

Let’s say that’s evidence that the Ark can be involved in Dungeon Breaks. To dispose of the orphanage, they deliberately caused a Dungeon Break and in that gap…

“…….”

Forget it.

“Let’s think simply.”

The reason why the same organization would attack each other.

There’s only one.

“Could it be an internal conflict?”

Ark is a cellular organization. It’s so compartmentalized that even Hong Seok-young, who was chasing Ark, didn’t know that the money-making side and the money-draining side were distinctly separated.

If the guy Hong Seok-young was chasing in South America was involved, he would be part of Ark’s… international crime organization, which engages in various criminal activities.

But the research lab where No. 3 and I were held is different from those international crimes. It’s a bit more cult-like… something along those lines. If the money earned from various criminal activities was being sucked up like water into a bottomless pit on this side, it would cause dissatisfaction.

Given the nature of a cellular organization, where loyalty to the group is weak, there’s bound to be someone who rebels.

“Internal conflict… Actually, that’s the cleanest explanation.”

“You said the data was left intact, right?”

“Yes.”

Lee Mi-seon nodded.

“It wasn’t a robbery, nor were they targeting the data. It only makes sense if it was an internal conflict.”

“Exactly. There was no attempt to delete the data, and as Teacher Woo mentioned initially, there was no resistance. If you think of it as someone familiar… if it was someone within the same organization, it all makes sense.”

There’s no need to complicate things by considering external circumstances. Yoo Ji-eun often said,

‘Most people don’t view the world as cynically as you do.’

…What’s wrong with me anyway?

“For now.”

Hong Seok-young, who had been staring intently at the person in the video, finally looked away.

“We can’t do anything about this one right now, so let’s ignore it. Or maybe, we should bait them.”

“Huh?”

“We have someone who’s definitely from Ark, right?”

I blinked. Next to me, Kim Chae-min blurted out something foolish.

“Teacher Woo?”

“No, what Hong Seok-young is talking about is…”

“Kang Tae-woo.”

No. 3’s name came up.

“Nothing has really changed. This was the original plan for the two of you, wasn’t it? To enroll that student in the pilot high school.”

“It was Teacher Kim’s idea.”

“Anyway. Let’s keep it simple here too. Just tell him outright. Or maybe, it’s better if I handle this personally. Should I get discharged early? I’m tired of the reporters visiting the hospital anyway, so it’s perfect timing.”

“W-wait a minute. What are you planning to do?”

“First, I’ll tell him this. There’s someone targeting the people from your orphanage.”

What is this old man talking about?

“I hate to tell you this, but it seems like the director was involved in some bad stuff. That’s why you and the others are in danger now. The other kids are being safely protected, but since you’re an Awakener, it’s hard to keep you with them.”

Hong Seok-young continued, unfazed.

“Given the situation, how about coming to the pilot high school? I’m not saying you have to become a Hunter, but wouldn’t it be good to have a means to protect yourself, and it would be easier for us to protect you as well?”

“…….”

“Whether Ark tries to retrieve No. 3 from the research lab, or this guy comes after No. 3 to eliminate him, it’s a win-win for us, don’t you think? Actually, it might even be an advantage.”

“Hmm. That’s good. I like that we’re not lying.”

Lee Mi-seon nodded.

“I also looked into that kid, and Kang Tae-woo is his real name. There are records of him up until first grade in elementary school, and after that, it says he was homeschooled. Then, when he was ten, he moved to the United States with his parents, but we can’t find out what he did there. He returned to Korea three years later, but his whereabouts here are also unclear.”

“When did he enter the orphanage?”

“Two years ago.”

“Is that so? Hmm… Well, there’s no need to stir things up unnecessarily with talk of revenge or anything like that. Let’s bring him in under the pretext of protection. Can Hunter Lee handle it?”

“Well… as long as this student Kang Tae-woo agrees.”

I started to say something but then stopped.

…If it were that old man, he would never talk about using the kids.

“How old did you say he was? I’m not too keen on dragging such a young kid into this, but… we can’t afford to be picky right now.”

“What should we do about that guy? The one who might be the Ark boss or whatever. Should we chase him? We’re looking into it now.”

“It would be good if we could find him… but it’s too dangerous, so don’t dig too deep. I’ll ask someone I know. Let Hunter Lee focus only on domestic matters.”

Hong Seok-young quickly exchanged words with Lee Mi-seon.

I had no room to interrupt. Thanks to that, I regained my composure.

“And… Ark, I mean the research lab? If they’re really killing those connected to it, other places could be in danger too. We need to find them as quickly as possible.”

“Ah… that’s right. We can’t just sit around doing nothing.”

Yes. We can’t afford to be picky right now.

I was too focused on Ark. But the final task I have to deal with isn’t just Ark; there’s also the matter of preventing the world from ending.

For the sake of my peaceful future, I need to eliminate anything that gets in the way. So…

“We need to find Teacher Woo’s younger brother quickly.”

My brother….

…….

My brother, what?

“Huh?”

“Your brother is connected to the research lab too, right? If they’re really targeting people from the lab, the place where your brother is could also be in danger. So…”

“…….”

“You’ve been careful, and that’s good. But isn’t it time you trusted us too?”

Hong Seok-young patted my back. The weight of his hand made it hard to breathe.

“Tell us about your brother. The more we know, the easier it will be to find them.”

“Yes, please. Start with the basics.”

Lee Mi-seon approached me.

“What’s your brother’s name?”

* * *

Four years ago.

In 2017, on the 5th basement floor of a training center in Gyeonggi-do. The deepest part.

The so-called ‘River of Promise’ research lab.

Beep.

“Good morning, No. 3. Did you sleep well?”

A gentle voice from the speaker announced the start of the morning.

“Happy birthday. We’ve prepared your favorite cake today.”

“Uh… thank you, Mom.”

“No. 3.”

The voice, which had been as calm as a river, turned cold.

“I told you not to call me that anymore, didn’t I? How long do you plan on acting like a child? What do you think the other kids will say?”

“I-I’m sorry….”

“You have talent. I believe you can do great things. So, you mustn’t make such mistakes.”

“Yes….”

“No. 3. What did I tell you to call me?”

“Researcher… ma’am.”

“That’s right.”

Beep.

After a short pause, the voice returned from the speaker.

“I’ve laid out your morning pills. Take them first. We’ll do the injection after you’ve washed up.”

“…Okay.”

Even on a birthday, nothing changes.

No. 3 casually swallowed the three pills. The bitter taste in the throat no longer mattered. Following the Researcher’s—no, the “Researcher ma’am’s”—instructions, No. 3 washed up and brushed his teeth. When he came out, the Researcher was waiting.

Rolling up the loose sleeve revealed an arm covered in bruises. Receiving injections three or four times a day inevitably left marks on the delicate skin.

But the masked Researcher administered the shot without batting an eye.

“You did well.”

The single lemon-flavored candy that dropped into No. 3’s palm stirred memories of his younger days with his mother. One piece of candy given when he didn’t cry after getting a shot.

No. 3 quickly popped the candy into his mouth.

“In the afternoon, a guest will be visiting.”

“A guest?”

“Maybe I shouldn’t call them a guest. The new research director will be coming.”

Even though a new research director was coming, it didn’t matter to No. 3. Every day was the same for him.

A monotonous routine filled with pills and injections.

No. 3 bit down on the lemon-flavored candy. Crunch. The sharp shards of the candy scraped the roof of his mouth.