110.
It was inevitable that there would be complaints if people were selected from only certain guilds. Hyunwoo mentally considered which guild members should remain.
“It would be better to keep him unconscious, right?”
After seeing the discussion conclude well, Jian, together with Sehun, examined Researcher Heather’s condition. Researcher Heather still hadn’t regained consciousness, with white foam dried around his mouth.
“How are you feeling?”
But all of Sehun’s attention was focused on Jian. The image of Jian lying limp like a corpse kept flashing in his mind.
Even now, Jian’s pale complexion hadn’t fully recovered, so honestly, Sehun wanted to extract Researcher Heather’s life force and give it to Jian.
“I’m fine. I’ll recover completely with time. You don’t need to worry so much.”
Jian checked his life force level on his status window. Though not as fast as when drinking a life recovery potion, it was steadily recovering.
“Are you really okay, Sehun?”
An affectionate touch reached Sehun’s face. Jian’s heart ached whenever he saw the bloodstains on Sehun’s clothes and skin.
“…Yes. Thanks to you, hyung.”
Sehun embraced Jian and buried his face in his neck. Inhaling Jian’s unique warm scent helped calm his anxiously beating heart.
If it weren’t for Jian, by now he would have completely lost his mind, controlled by the parasite living in his body and Researcher Heather.
The time he had forgotten Jian wasn’t very long, but during that time, he might as well have been dead.
“You two over there, stop filming a movie and let’s go down.”
Hyunwoo shook his head and called to Jian and Sehun, who looked like they might stay glued together forever.
Jian detached Sehun from his embrace with an embarrassed expression.
Even after leaving the tent, they couldn’t go down right away. They wasted more time reassuring Hyunsu and others who were lingering around.
“Shall we go down now?”
Only after an hour had passed did those selected to go down gather in front of the portal, after each team had chosen a certain number of people. Jian looked at the door that exuded an enormous presence even from afar. The space between the doorposts occasionally rippled black.
He felt a pressure similar to when facing Cerberus. From the Darknet Guild, Jihwan, Seonjun, and Daeun were chosen to stay.
After exchanging eye greetings with Seonjun, who was looking at him with a bitter smile, Jian stood beside Sehun.
Sehun interlocked his fingers with Jian’s. Behind the two, Researcher Heather, bound in restraints, followed while floating in the air.
* * *
The 4th raiding party members, except for some who remained on the 45th floor, filled the magnificent banquet hall on the tower’s first floor. Standing in front of the door leading outside, Siyun turned around.
“Everyone, get ready.”
Whispering in a small voice, he activated his skill window. Jian also prepared to use his barrier skill immediately.
This was all for the one-in-a-million possibility that something might happen, though nothing might actually occur.
Once everyone seemed ready, Siyun pushed the heavy door. Dazzling sunlight poured in through the gap in the door.
Jian immediately used his barrier skill to protect the group. Along with murmuring noises, the scenery in front of the tower came into view.
Dozens of people were gathered in front of the tower. Yoonjae, who was standing at the very front, came forward and bowed politely. It didn’t feel like he was going to attack.
Whether they had been waiting all along or had received some signal from inside, they showed no surprise at the raiding party members who suddenly emerged.
“Thank you all for your hard work.”
Others waiting behind Yoonjae also bowed to express their gratitude to the raiding party.
Straightening up, Yoonjae met Jian’s eyes and smiled.
“I’m truly glad to see you safe.”
His smiling eyes moved past Jian. When looking at Sehun standing unharmed and the unconscious Researcher Heather, his smile deepened a bit.
“Although you must be tired, let’s talk for a moment.”
A situation similar to what happened on the 45th floor unfolded. Yoonjae pointed to a container box being used as a control tower for Jian and those standing around him.
Staff from the Hunter Management Bureau approached the others. They were informed that arrangements had been made for the injured to receive immediate treatment and for everyone to rest at a nearby hotel in recognition of their hard work.
“Hyung, am I excluded this time too?”
As the atmosphere seemed to be turning strange again, Hyunsu grabbed Hyunwoo’s arm and asked.
“Just a moment.”
Hyunwoo stroked Hyunsu’s head. It was a story that had to be told to Hyunsu anyway.
He was not only closest to both Sehun and Jian but also an S-class hunter.
“Of course. Hunter Yoo Hyunsu, please join us.”
When Hyunwoo approached and asked if Hyunsu could join the conversation, Yoonjae readily agreed.
Jian followed behind Hyunwoo, somewhat tense as he didn’t know what Yoonjae was plotting.
“Should we put that person in here?”
When they entered a place that was slightly dim despite being daytime, Yoonjae gestured to Jian. Following his gaze, Jian saw a small, temporary prison.
The space with iron bars was barely large enough for one person to stand. Jian looked at Sehun, and Sehun wiggled his fingertips.
Researcher Heather’s body slipped into the temporary prison. When Sehun withdrew his telekinesis, the body tilted forward and his forehead hit the iron bars.
“Ugh…”
Researcher Heather opened his eyes with a small groan. Blink, blink. His pupils focused slowly, as if it was taking time to assess the situation.
Shortly after, upon spotting Yoonjae standing right in front of him, Researcher Heather’s expression brightened like a light bulb turning on. Jian watched the change without blinking.
Others were also tense, though they didn’t speak. If Yoonjae was on the same side as Researcher Heather, the situation would become complicated. However, Shin Yoonjae did something unexpected.
“Stay quiet. That way, you can receive a trial and proper punishment.”
“Mmmmph…!”
At these meaningful words, Researcher Heather let out a suppressed cry and widened his eyes. Yoonjae, with a smile on his lips, reached into his pocket and took out a small medicine bottle.
The moment Researcher Heather saw the red liquid swirling in the bottle, his struggles intensified.
“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for the day to use this medicine on you.”
The strange reaction wasn’t limited to Researcher Heather. Jian felt his mind go blank from the moment he saw the blood-red liquid.
The intense color, as if freshly extracted from a human body, blurred his vision.
A scene unfolded before his eyes of numerous children writhing in pain. Vomiting blood, scratching their skin with their nails, rolling their eyes back, and convulsing.
Though it was an illusion, it felt real. The mixture of countless screams and foul smells made him feel like he was wandering through hell.
With pain as if his intestines were twisting, Jian bent over deeply. He couldn’t breathe properly, as if a stone was blocking his airway.
“Hyung.”
Sehun embraced Jian’s body as it leaned forward. Up close, Jian’s pupils were completely dilated. As if he had been subjected to a mental attack.
“…Hunter Han Sehun, please cover Jian’s eyes.”
Discovering Jian’s state, Yoonjae made the request in a heavy voice. He thought Jian would be fine due to his memory loss, but it seemed the memories remaining in his body had been triggered.
Even his own hands were trembling finely right now. Whenever he occasionally took out this medicine bottle, unforgettable memories would surface, making him lose sleep at night.
It was a drug that forcibly drew out the magical power inherent in the body. People with weak bodies would feel pain as if their internal organs were being crushed, enough to die from shock after just one sip.
Researcher Heather had fed this drug to children with nowhere to go.
After being deceived by Researcher Heather, who promised food and shelter while wandering the streets with young Jian, he regretted every day since entering the research facility.
Though he survived that hellish place, Jian eventually couldn’t overcome his ravaged mind.
“I intend to return to you exactly what you did to those innocent children. Starting with this medicine.”
The reason Yoonjae had belonged to the Jeongho Association and lived as their pawn was all for revenge.
And he had hoped that at least Jian would escape from the shadow of the Jeongho Association and live happily. A hope that was already broken.
Still, he felt vicarious satisfaction watching someone else enter and live in Jian’s body, which had been no more than an empty shell.
Whenever he saw those eyes full of vitality, he missed that child, but he also wanted to protect the person who had newly become Jian. As well as Sehun, who had also survived the same brutal experiments.
“You don’t think you’ll get away with this, do you?”
After removing the artifact covering his mouth, Researcher Heather glared ferociously.
“Why do you think I’ve been working under you all this time? Surely you don’t think I would have done this without being prepared to overturn the situation?”
Yoonjae smiled faintly, mocking Researcher Heather’s last struggle. He had already passed information on the Jeongho Association’s evil deeds and numerous corruptions to the hunter police and prosecutors.
He had only come forward after tying up the hands and feet of the people who formed the foundation of the Jeongho Association one by one.
By tomorrow, internet headlines would be filled with news about the Jeongho Association.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
