Chapter 76
That person’s identity was so intriguing that he couldn’t help but focus. Seo Won put strength into his eyes and scrutinized him thoroughly.
From his tall height, large hands with visible tendons, and the arms extending below, he could tell it was a man. The nose and lips faintly visible from the hood fluttering in the wind were sharper than expected.
Having seen that much, Seo Won felt something familiar about him.
Just as he was about to recall the people he knew one by one, the wind swept through once more, causing the hood covering the man’s face to flutter greatly.
Seeing the man’s profile fully revealed at last, Seo Won froze stiff.
The man using his abilities so fiercely was someone he knew all too well.
“…Jody?”
Jody, who had been making a gentle expression with his drooping eyes, was casually throwing fireballs. It was more shocking than when he had discovered him in the power room.
The guy who had shown strange signs, the guy who had made meaningful offers to help, was a fire-type hunter?
That hunter who was said to hide thoroughly and not reveal his identity to anyone was Jody. It was unbelievable. He had firmly believed he was an ordinary person, but to think he was a hunter with such powerful abilities…
But the shock was brief, as Jody suddenly jumped down below the barrier.
“Huh?”
He shouldn’t go down there?
Seo Won urgently looked at where Jody had originally been. There, Baek Rak was standing with a furrowed brow. As he had suspected, it seemed Baek Rak hadn’t been able to copy Jody’s ability.
Looking at Jody again, he was running across the open field with both arms extended. Then red energy flowed from his hands and surged forward.
That energy became blazing fire, creating a giant curtain. Two flame walls created from both hands blocked the left and right sides of those rushing toward the shelter.
While he couldn’t continue speaking at the tremendous sight, the creatures that had been rushing into the fire pit all stopped their actions as a group. There was only one reason why those who had been charging recklessly regardless of whether they lived or died were acting strangely.
The fact that they were currently receiving orders from the alpha.
Of all times, it had to appear when it got dark. Night was the time when they became stronger, making it a very dangerous situation.
That’s why Jody had run out and spread the curtain of fire. Thanks to his quick judgment, the people seemed to have fortunately saved their lives.
Several hunters on the tanker trucks seemed to be in a state of exhaustion, and the vehicles were almost half-destroyed, struggling to reach them. Though some creatures could be seen entering the curtain, apparently under the alpha’s instructions, the remaining hunters dealt with them and the situation was somewhat resolved.
However, the fire curtain couldn’t be maintained until the end. Perhaps from overusing his power, Jody had collapsed to the ground.
At least it was fortunate that most people had almost all arrived, otherwise a frightening situation might have occurred.
Finally, the vehicles that had entered the safe zone stopped with rough braking in front of the barrier. One hunter who jumped down to the ground ran to the collapsed Jody and brought him back.
Looking at those who had arrived, the administrator was unconscious, and several were bleeding and sitting down. Seeing their chests heaving, it seemed no one was dead. The drivers who got out of the cars were all safe too.
Seo Won stroked his chest. He was relieved that no one had been harmed. His palms were damp from how tense he had been.
“…Thank goodness.”
Everyone had returned alive, but the problem was with the vehicles.
Of the three tanker trucks total, the water tank that should have been on the last vehicle to enter was nowhere to be seen. It appeared to have fallen off during the journey, unable to withstand the creatures’ attacks. The motorcycles and jeeps were destroyed to the point where it felt miraculous they were still moving, and most of the protective equipment had fallen off, making them look much thinner than before.
Even without seeing it, he could picture how desperately they had fought.
Since it had been like this even before the alpha appeared, this might be a normal situation for them. The distance between the shelter and the Han River was definitely far, so frequent battles seemed inevitable.
Anyway, they had overcome one hurdle and it wasn’t like they had no harvest at all, so they would recover again.
They had missed Jody, but since they had discovered his identity, they could plan for next time.
“…Jody.”
If he had known he was in such a close place, they wouldn’t have had to go through all that trouble.
Seo Won quietly watched the vehicles and hunters that had finished simple maintenance disappear underground, then left with Baek Rak who had returned.
Entering the shelter, Seo Won observed the people passing by.
Even though the people who had gone to fetch water had returned battered, everyone didn’t look particularly surprised. Though worried voices could be heard here and there, they didn’t seem confused as if it were a familiar occurrence.
‘Whether that’s fortunate or unfortunate.’
Seo Won let out a small sigh and quietly approached Baek Rak who was walking.
“From what I saw earlier, Jody seemed exhausted, so it’ll be hard to see him for a while, right?”
“He’ll be in the recovery room, probably.”
“Can’t we get in there?”
Baek Rak looked quietly at Seo Won who was muttering and answered a beat late.
“…The recovery room is impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the most important place in the shelter.”
Was it that important a place?
Seo Won recalled Yeongdeungpo Station’s recovery room and asked Baek Rak.
“Didn’t I easily enter it at Yeongdeungpo?”
“No one except authorized people can enter. You could because I set it up so you could access it.”
He had thought the security was lax for a restricted area, but he didn’t know such a function existed.
“…Who can enter?”
“You, me, and Han Seong Hyeon.”
“Sol went in too.”
“That was temporary. She can’t enter now.”
“If Sol can’t, why can I…”
Seo Won trailed off as he belatedly recalled his own situation. Being a guardian was reason enough.
“Hmm… Then we have no choice but to wait until Jody comes out.”
Changing the subject and glancing at Baek Rak, he was looking at him with an indescribable gaze.
“Is there a way to meet him?”
“…If I go to the place where I first met Jody, he might come sometime. I don’t know what ulterior motives he has, but he seems to want to meet me anyway.”
Jody would definitely come looking. He had even deliberately shown himself erasing traces of his presence, so what more was there to say?
It might be dangerous, but with Baek Rak by his side, it would be fine. Elemental hunters were weak in close combat, and his condition obviously wouldn’t be good after today’s events. In many ways, it wasn’t an unfavorable situation for them.
Baek Rak seemed to think the same as he nodded. Seo Won was quietly relieved inside. Since he wasn’t the only one responsible for all future decisions, he had to be careful.
Now he just had to wait for Jody, so his steps felt somewhat lighter.
But suddenly one fact came to mind. A very important fact.
When Seo Won stopped walking, Baek Rak also stopped and looked at him as if asking what was wrong. Seo Won asked Baek Rak without being able to hide his wavering eyes.
“…But can’t we wash up?”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why…”
He was bewildered, wondering if he had to explain the reason with words, when Baek Rak’s expression changed slightly. Should he say he was smiling a little? It wasn’t a big change, but it was clearly noticeable.
“What would you do after washing?”
“That’s obviously…”
“Obviously?”
This guy, he knows everything but is acting like this for no reason, right?
Seo Won clamped his mouth shut and glared at Baek Rak. He wasn’t originally like this, but since he kept acting like this lately, Seo Won was also starting to feel defiant.
“People are supposed to live by washing themselves, you know?”
“Really?”
“Aren’t you uncomfortable? It’s been quite a while since we properly washed.”
“Well, hunters are relatively free in that aspect.”
“Free, how?”
“Unlike ordinary people, cleanliness is maintained for a long time. Though we can’t help dust or foreign substances that stick from outside.”
Come to think of it, for not having washed for several days, Baek Rak’s face was spotless. His hair was also shiny, and no greasiness could be felt anywhere.
Wow, really… what a cheat character.
“Then what about me?”
“You, what?”
“I feel really grimy right now?”
If what Baek Rak said was true, shouldn’t he be clean too? Was he perhaps a half-baked hunter so it was somewhat ambiguous?
Seo Won lifted his arms and sniffed around various parts of himself while grumbling. Baek Rak watched this, then approached Seo Won’s nape and smelled. Only a characteristic refreshing scent could be felt from him.
“You only smell like your body scent.”
“Hng…”
Startled, Seo Won quickly created distance and covered his nape with his hand. His face gradually heated up, seeming very flustered.
“What was that all of a sudden!”
“You’re clean though?”
“No, that’s not the problem…”
“Then what is the problem?”
“Ah… ugh, really.”
Seo Won, who had been flustered while scratching his nape, decided this wouldn’t work and completely ignored Baek Rak as he walked away. It still felt like Baek Rak’s hot breath on his nape.
“Yoon Seo Won.”
Baek Rak, who was calling him with a smile while following behind, couldn’t be more infuriating.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
