Chapter 72
Haru was lying sprawled on the sofa, just wiggling his feet. Seeing this, Yu Sol clicked her tongue and said.
“Stop making excuses about visiting the sick and go work now, Park Haru.”
“There’s still 10 minutes left, you know?”
“Don’t you know you have to go early to prepare?”
“What are you saying, the patient should just lie down.”
Haru waved his hands dismissively as if annoyed. He could just go on time, so why go early? This is why it’s best not to listen to Yu Sol’s nagging.
“Nora’s coming soon, will that be okay?”
“Ah, really!”
Haru sat up straight in shock. The moment Yu Sol spilled everything that had happened to Nora, it was obvious as fire that the second round would be with Nora. Though their abilities were similar, he was at a disadvantage in terms of strength and persistence, so he didn’t want to give Nora any reason to pick on him if possible.
He should spend the remaining time outside killing time. Just as Haru got up from his seat and was about to take a step.
“…Huh?”
“Eh?”
The air became heavy and they could feel energy fluctuating.
Yu Sol and Haru looked at each other with their mouths shut. Having experienced something similar just recently, tension immediately rose.
The protective energy was shaking unstably.
“……”
“……”
The moment Yu Sol swallowed dry saliva, Han Seong Hyeon shot up from his seat.
“Park Haru! Evacuate the people, quickly!”
“Y-yeah.”
“Yu Sol, you go to the underground bunker with the people. Don’t think about coming outside this time and take care of yourself first. Got it?”
“Y-yeah. …Ah, I got it.”
Haru covered Yu Sol’s shoulders with a blanket as her face turned pale and immediately took her out of the office. Meanwhile, Han Seong Hyeon slammed down hard on the red button under the table. With a bang, emergency sirens began ringing throughout Yeongdeungpo Station Shelter.
Han Seong Hyeon cursed under his breath and let out a big sigh. Then he immediately took out his radio and rushed out of the office.
“Nora! Give up on the barrier and send everyone down to the underground bunker! The barrier can’t withstand this attack!”
[Don’t lure them to the barrier? Then what about the inside?]
“We have to give up what we have to give up. Right now, survival comes first.”
[…What about the food storage?]
“The kids in charge there will handle it themselves, so evacuate first!”
[Got it. Is the captain coming this way too?]
“No, I’m going where I was headed. Please take care of the people for me.”
[Alright…]
“It’s daytime now, so they won’t swarm like last time. But it’s still dangerous, so don’t come outside until I contact you. I’m hanging up first.”
Han Seong Hyeon cut off the radio before Nora’s response came back.
He went down the escalator stairs like flying, checked the bustling first floor, then blocked the entrance to the second floor stairs with steel plates so creatures couldn’t come up.
Screams and cries from people poured in from around him. Leaving the confused people to Haru, Han Seong Hyeon immediately entered the building next to the department store.
It was a passage leading to another underground bunker filled with medical equipment, restricted to authorized personnel only.
“…Damn. Why already.”
Feeling the unstable fluctuating energy, he quickly opened the door and went inside. His steps going down the stairs were very urgent.
Finally arriving underground, he ran to where the protective energy originated. Cold sweat from tension left scattered traces on the floor.
Hoping the energy wouldn’t completely disappear like last time, Han Seong Hyeon flung open the door.
***
The sound of machines running, people shouting boisterously, electricity flowing through the protective barrier surrounding the tanks. The power room tangled with such noises was noisier than expected.
Seo Won let out a small sigh while not taking his eyes off the direction where Baek Rak had disappeared. He really had absolutely nothing to do.
The anxiety of being left alone was brief, and as time passed, various emotions arose. He thought it might be better to sleep.
He didn’t know how long he’d have to wait, the floor was too cold, it was cramped, and the noise was annoying. Time passed so slowly that seconds felt like minutes.
It wasn’t like this when he was on the first basement level. The second level seemed to make people feel desolate somehow. Was it because of the hiding place?
This place surrounded by darkness and full of dust suddenly felt stuffy. Still, he endured it. Having entered a place outsiders shouldn’t enter, if caught, it wouldn’t end with just being arrested.
Seo Won let out another long breath and rubbed his face.
“Waiting isn’t easy either…”
It would have been nice if he could use the abilities he received while awakening as a guardian. Then he would have physical enhancement and healing abilities right now. Later he could add three more abilities, how nice that would be. He wouldn’t have to be left alone like this either.
Thinking like that made him feel more regretful. Seo Won clenched and unclenched his fist to comfort himself.
“…But even after finding the hunter, it’s still a problem.”
The time Baek Rak could maintain the copied ability was only 30 minutes. He was worried whether the ability could be safely transferred in that tight timeframe, and also afraid of having to feel that pain.
While he was having all sorts of worries like that, he heard someone approaching from a close distance.
Seo Won jumped up from his seat in joy. It seemed like Baek Rak was returning, so he looked eagerly at the curved passage.
‘Hopefully he didn’t find… no. Hopefully he found…’
“……”
Of course, inside him, the desire for Baek Rak’s success and failure were in tight competition.
Anyway, just his return seemed to dispel the anxiety.
But when the presence kept getting closer, Seo Won felt something chilly. Because the approaching presence was different from the Baek Rak he knew. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but that’s how it felt.
Just in case, Seo Won went behind the pile of boxes and completely hid his body.
As time passed, someone appeared from the curved passage. Seo Won, who had been watching the passage, covered his mouth when he saw who appeared.
‘Why is he here…?’
A man with drooping eyebrows and a gently smiling face that was perfect for gaining others’ favor. He was someone Seo Won knew all too well.
The man, who was rolling his eyes as if looking for someone, slowly opened his mouth.
“Yoon Seo Won, you’re here, right?”
Seo Won felt his heart sink and covered his mouth a bit more.
He didn’t know why Jody had appeared here, nor how he had found out that he was in this place. The guy was looking for him with certainty, not suspicion.
“I’m not going to say anything, so come out.”
“……”
“I think I saw you briefly earlier, so I’ve been looking around, and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere else to hide besides here.”
“……”
“You’re here, right? Let’s talk, Seo Won.”
How on earth did he discover him? Surely they had only traveled through places where there were no people? Had he been caught in that brief moment of touring the power room?
All sorts of thoughts came to him, making him rather confused.
He hadn’t imagined being discovered by anyone, but of all people, it had to be Jody. He couldn’t bring himself to show his face to him who had tried to help.
“The power room is an important place, but I don’t think you or that person have any reason to come here and cause trouble.”
“……”
“Rather, it seems like you’re looking for something you need, right? If you tell me, I’ll help. Even if I can’t get you a room, I can keep secrets.”
Why was he going this far?
Jody, who spoke kindly, was still favorable toward him. Even though he had entered a place he shouldn’t have, Jody said he’d keep it secret and help him find what he was looking for.
However, strangely, he didn’t feel grateful. Rather, he felt anxious. It felt like dust from the floor was sticking to his whole body and crawling around.
Inevitably, suspicions arose. What Jody really wanted, whether all those words were true, things like that.
Thud, thud.
Jody was continuing to persuade him while approaching this way. Seo Won frowned looking at the dead end. If Jody kept walking like this, he would be discovered.
The problem was that he couldn’t run away to avoid him. It would be more dangerous to push past Jody and run outside only to encounter other people.
Should he reveal himself like this?
While he was wondering what to do.
At the familiar warmth wrapping around his waist, he unconsciously flinched.
“…!”
When he hastily turned around, Baek Rak was standing there. He gestured quietly to stay quiet, then pulled him and slowly backed away.
Only then did his shoulders, which had been tensed up from nervousness, drop down. Seo Won grabbed Baek Rak’s arm and sent him a look saying they should escape quickly.
“Yoon Seo Won? Are you there?”
The moment Jody was about to enter the alley, Baek Rak hugged Seo Won and jumped up. It was such a light leap that the accumulated dust didn’t even scatter.
Soon after, Jody entered the blocked alley. However, the spot where he had guessed Seo Won would be was completely empty. He looked around and scratched his head, muttering.
“…He’s not here? Did I see wrong?”
He looked up and looked behind too, but there was nothing, let alone Yoon Seo Won. He searched around carefully for Yoon Seo Won for a long time. But there were no traces of Yoon Seo Won anywhere. Eventually he gave up searching and turned around.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
