120.
Epilogue (1)
“Was this person ultimately a victim too?”
“Well… Even if he was exploited, the fact that countless children were sacrificed because of his precognition doesn’t disappear, so we can’t call him simply an innocent victim.”
Jian and Hyunwoo conversed while looking at the man lying limply on the bed inside the prison. Through Sehun’s mind control ability, the chairperson of the Jeongho Association had divulged everything that had happened in detail.
The chairperson’s mental state was so fragile that it could be considered child-like compared to Yoonjae, Keum Heon-jung, and Researcher Heather.
As a result, shortly after Sehun used his ability, the man began speaking in slurred pronunciation according to commands.
The real mastermind wasn’t the Jeongho Association chairperson, but his older brother who was supposedly dead for half a year and nominally served as an errand boy. A man who lost his young daughter in the Dungeon Break phenomenon went insane.
When the man learned that his mentally unstable younger brother had acquired precognitive abilities one day, he used that power to create an organization. That was the Jeongho Association.
The Jeongho Association was ultimately an organization born from the combination of two madmen. Unable to bear the fact that innocent children were being sacrificed because of his ability, the chairperson gouged out his own eyes and lived in seclusion, seeking places with few people.
That’s when Jian’s group discovered him.
“His mind is already completely broken, so there’s no hope. He keeps refusing treatment too. It’s pretty much the same as having little time left to live.”
Jian wore a complex expression at Hyunwoo’s words. While Researcher Heather and Keum Heon-jung were definitely villains, this person left an unsettling feeling that made it difficult to purely hate him.
After learning that he had even punished himself, it became difficult to continue looking at him.
“I heard Researcher Heather bit her tongue again yesterday. The guards have caught Keum Heon-jung trying to hang himself for the tenth time already.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Why do they keep trying when they can’t succeed anyway?”
As soon as they realized there was no way to escape prison, the two constantly tried to kill themselves at every opportunity.
Researcher Heather couldn’t endure the experiments being inflicted on her and wanted to escape, while Keum Heon-jung couldn’t let go of his past glory.
But Sehun had brainwashed them not to commit suicide, so their attempts remained just attempts.
“Those bastards need to suffer much longer. The Director told me not to worry. With the elixir that Keum Heon-jung possessed, we can revive them again and again. Plus, Sehun has placed his brainwashing on them.”
When Jian heard about the existence of the elixir, past memories resurfaced. On the day Sehun was kidnapped, he clearly tried to kill Researcher Heather.
But the man who transformed into a tiger fed some kind of potion to Researcher Heather, and she immediately revived from the brink of death. That potion was the elixir. It was as formidable an item as the insect that controlled Sehun.
Research on both the elixir and the insect that controlled Sehun was still actively ongoing. Both were being conducted secretly under Yoonjae’s strict supervision due to concerns about potential misuse.
“How are your café preparations going? How did you even come up with such an idea? It’s really amazing.”
“I guess running a café suits me. We need someone to monitor the dungeon anyway, and I can make money on the side. I’m planning to charge 200,000 won for an Americano. It’s a profitable business, right?”
“You ruthless bastard. You definitely would have become rich even if you hadn’t awakened as a hunter.”
Hyunwoo turned his head away with a disgusted expression. Then he gestured toward the door and walked ahead. Jian looked at the dying man with complicated eyes before following. His steps lingered with regret, feeling this might be the last time he would see him.
“Hyung.”
When they came outside, Sehun, who had gone to meet Yoonjae, was already back. Yoonjae had proposed signing a mercenary contract to suggest occasional collaboration with Sehun in the future.
Sehun’s affiliation was with the Dark Net Guild, and he refused to work under the Hunter Management Bureau. Sehun accepted Yoonjae’s request under various conditions.
Jian being able to open a café at the top floor of the tower was largely due to Sehun’s help. More precisely, it was because Yoonjae used his influence due to the conditions Sehun had set.
“I just got a call from Soochul hyung. He says they’re finishing up work on the café. Want to go check it out?”
“Already? He said it would take at least another week.”
“I asked him to hurry.”
Jian broke into a cold sweat watching Sehun smile with satisfaction. He could imagine how much Sehun must have pressured Soochul. Despite Soochul being much older than Sehun, their hierarchy was clear whenever they were together.
“Then I’ll drive you to the tower. After dropping you off, I need to pick up Hyunsu. That kid’s gotten addicted to volunteer work these days.”
Hyunwoo proposed, tossing and catching his car key like a toy with his right hand. Jian nodded readily.
Without a car yet, he had been taking taxis, but as his face became more recognized than before as a member of the strike team that cleared the tower, awkward situations occasionally arose.
“The car will be ready soon. No more hitching rides.”
“You don’t like me giving you rides, you punk?”
Hyunwoo wrapped his arm around Sehun’s neck and messed up his hair. Seeing Sehun’s expression growing increasingly cold, Jian quickly removed Hyunwoo’s arm and pushed his back.
“Let’s hurry. You said you need to pick up Hyunsu too.”
“Ah, right. Wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back with the car.”
After Hyunwoo disappeared like the wind, Jian tidied Sehun’s disheveled hair. Sehun’s coldly set face gradually relaxed.
“I heard you’re going to volunteer at the orphanage with Hyunsu tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Because it’s a place you like. The children we rescued from the laboratory are staying there too. I’m planning to bring lots of gifts and food.”
Jian smiled warmly at Sehun’s words. After learning that there were many children in this world who needed a helping hand, just like Sehun ten years ago, he used half of his earnings to help such children.
Sehun had extracted every secret about the Jeongho Association’s hidden laboratories from the minds of Keum Heon-jung and Researcher Heather.
Experiments targeting children were still ongoing, and they were able to rescue a total of twelve children.
The surviving children were currently staying at one of the orphanages sponsored by Jian.
Jian, Sehun, Hyunsu, Hyunwoo, and other Dark Net Guild members each decided to sponsor one child.
They all agreed to become family for these children until they overcame their psychological trauma and found what they wanted to do in life.
Jian felt pleased seeing Sehun show interest in others besides himself. Especially when he saw children liking and following Sehun well, one part of his heart would swell. He felt proud, as if all the love he had poured into Sehun was blossoming in this way.
“Hey kids, get in.”
A black SUV from the famous company B stopped in front of Jian and Sehun, cutting through his thoughts. Jian and Sehun got into Hyunwoo’s car and headed to the tower. Jian smiled gently as he watched the scenery flowing past the window.
It had already been three months since they found the chairperson of the Jeongho Association. In this short yet long time, the area around the tower had changed remarkably.
When they arrived at the parking lot and opened the car door, various sounds poured into their ears. After saying goodbye to Hyunwoo, Jian walked shoulder to shoulder with Sehun through the crowd.
“Samsamyi Guild! Gather over here!”
“Everyone prepare recovery potions before entering the tower! Buy two get one free promotion going on!”
“Hungry? Grab a sandwich before you go!”
It was chaotic with guilds gathered to enter the dungeons in the tower and merchants selling items like recovery potions and food.
Occasionally, foreigners could be seen too. This was because the Korean government provided opportunities for friendly nations to experience the dungeons that appeared in the tower on a temporary basis.
Fortunately, the tower stopped growing at the 45th floor. Cerberus hadn’t appeared since that day either.
However, the amount of magical power measured on the 45th floor was gradually increasing, so the Hunter Management Bureau took special measures.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
