“Understood.”
Kwon Jae-jin drank some water first, then chewed on a cube-shaped emergency ration. It seemed his stomach had been empty for quite a long time. The moment food entered his mouth, his gut let out a silent cry of happiness.
Even though it was dry and cold field rations, it tasted surprisingly good. The crumbling corn starch inside had a subtle sweetness.
‘Yeah… Eating makes all the difference.’
His nerves had been on edge, but as soon as he filled his stomach, he felt miraculously calmer.
‘People really do need to eat and sleep well…’
Seo Eui-woo smiled with his eyes as he watched Jae-jin focus on his meal. His long, monolid eyes curved beautifully.
“Do you want more? There’s plenty.”
Two more packs of rations floated toward Kwon Jae-jin, their packaging opening on their own. Jae-jin picked out the most perfectly shaped cube, a neatly formed dry ration, and held it up to Seo Eui-woo’s lips.
“Ah.”
Seo Eui-woo accepted it without hesitation, opening his mouth and taking it in. Like a puppy receiving a treat, he even took Jae-jin’s fingers into his mouth, lightly sucking on them. His warm, soft tongue wrapped around the tips of Jae-jin’s fingers.
Seo Eui-woo smiled again, his gaze affectionate.
Jae-jin had gotten some sleep and filled his stomach. That was enough for him. But Seo Eui-woo…
Suddenly, Jae-jin recalled that the mansion had hot water.
Their eyes met once more.
***
This time, both of them left the house properly dressed in coats and shoes. White light droplets scattered brilliantly in the air, and as the glow faded, they could feel the shift in temperature.
Feeling a slight chill, Jae-jin scanned his surroundings. They were standing before the main entrance of the fortified wall encircling the center.
The towering gate was firmly shut with no sign of opening. It wasn’t the designated opening time, and neither Jae-jin nor Seo Eui-woo had their identification tags with them.
Instead, two guides were waiting for them in front of the gate.
“…You’re here.”
The man who had been waiting frowned slightly as the two suddenly appeared. Using coordinate transfer outside of a sterile transport chamber? Seo Eui-woo’s ability was so far beyond conventional understanding that his expression naturally turned grim.
“Captain Seo. And Kwon Jae-jin.”
“Lieutenant Colonel.”
Seo Eui-woo immediately recognized the guide. But for Kwon Jae-jin, it was an unfamiliar face.
He felt like he might have seen him once before, but the memory wasn’t clear. At the very least, the man didn’t seem to be a high-ranking official important enough to appear in the news.
The man appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties and was wearing practical combat gear rather than a formal military uniform. His tanned, bronzed skin and steady, experienced eyes gave him a seasoned look. His body was built like a solid rock—muscular, massive, and bear-like in stature.
At first glance, he looked like a perfect warrior, a general.
If he had been born in an ancient era, he would have surely passed the military service exams with ease.
“I am Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san, commander of the 1st Special Operations Unit.”
With that introduction, Jae-jin finally realized who he was. Seo Eui-woo’s direct superior.
‘…Ah. The guy who ordered my corpse to be retrieved.’
<“Do you know who Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san is? He’s the commander of the 1st Special Operations Unit. My superior. He ordered me to kill you and bring back your corpse.”>
Jae-jin responded briefly, his tone polite but firm.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Kwon Jae-jin.”
For some reason, Jang Tae-san’s gaze turned enigmatic. Seo Eui-woo, standing beside him, kindly explained why.
“This isn’t the first time. He saw you then.”
“Pardon? Ah…”
“Lieutenant Colonel, you happened to be standing next to Mateo. You’ve recovered quickly, I see.”
At that moment, Jae-jin finally understood why Jang Tae-san’s face seemed vaguely familiar. A delayed memory surfaced—the image of Jang Tae-san on his knees, blood trickling from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
“Mateo? That’s quite the insolent tone for you, Captain Seo. Even your eyes…”
Jang Tae-san murmured slowly. He scrutinized Seo Eui-woo, who stood protectively beside Kwon Jae-jin, maintaining a powerful barrier around him. However, as if deciding this wasn’t the time for such matters, he extended something in his hand.
“Did you hear that Major Mateo was demoted? He’s now Captain Mateo. Here, take this and wear it.”
“I wasn’t aware of that. It doesn’t concern me.”
What Jang Tae-san handed over was a bracelet-shaped entry pass. It was a one-time identification device issued to awakened individuals who had lost or damaged their identification tags, allowing them temporary access to the center.
Seo Eui-woo took the pass instead and personally placed it on Jae-jin’s wrist. He didn’t just put it on—he first wiped the bracelet carefully with Jae-jin’s sleeve before fastening it with deliberate precision and care.
Jang Tae-san’s gaze grew even more unreadable as he observed the scene.
At that moment, Seo Eui-woo turned to face him.
“Is there only one entry pass? I don’t have my identification tag either.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I just… scrapped it. No entry pass available?”
“…?”
Fortunately, Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san had brought a spare entry pass. He connected to the center’s system through his goggles, synchronized Seo Eui-woo’s credentials, and issued an additional pass on the spot. The process took a little extra time.
Once the pass was ready, Seo Eui-woo fastened it onto his wrist. Jang Tae-san frowned at the sight, deep creases forming on his rigid forehead.
For a long time, Lieutenant Colonel Jang had sensed something unsettling about Seo Eui-woo. His words and actions often triggered a strange suspicion, prompting Jang Tae-san to keep a close watch on his movements. Yet, no matter how much scrutiny he applied, his suspicions always remained just that—suspicions. He had never found any concrete evidence or circumstantial proof.
As far as Jang Tae-san knew, Seo Eui-woo was exceptionally skilled at hiding his true intentions and deceiving others. That was why he had been able to commit the audacious crime of smuggling away an S-class mutant like Kwon Jae-jin without batting an eye.
But the Seo Eui-woo standing before him now… felt like a completely different person.
Gone was the inscrutable mask. Instead, just from the way he stood protectively in front of Kwon Jae-jin, there was an unmistakable, hostile warning emanating from him. It was as if he was silently but explicitly telling everyone not to approach. There was a sharp, murderous edge to it.
Yet, his demeanor toward Kwon Jae-jin was the exact opposite.
“Jae-jin, since you’ve put on the entry pass, the gate should open now. What do you think? Are you ready to go in? Or do you want to look around first?”
His voice was unusually soft, almost gentle.
And his eyes… they had melted into a warm, tender gaze.
Jang Tae-san wasn’t sure if this was truly Seo Eui-woo or if someone else had simply stolen his face and was wearing it like a mask.
“This is fine. I’m ready, so let’s go in.”
Kwon Jae-jin glanced down at the entry pass on his wrist before giving Seo Eui-woo a nod. Seo Eui-woo responded with an easy, “Yes, Jae-jin,” and then—Jang Tae-san had never seen this before—he flashed a bright, eye-smiling grin.
Kwon Jae-jin didn’t seem the least bit surprised. He followed along, as if this expression was completely normal for Seo Eui-woo, completely unfazed.
“Hah…”
Jang Tae-san furrowed his brows further as he trailed behind them.
As the three of them stepped up to the gate’s recognition system, their identification tags and entry passes were scanned automatically. Their names and affiliations appeared on the screen, and a mechanical voice read them aloud.
—Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san, 1st Special Operations Unit. Captain Seo Eui-woo, 1st Special Operations Unit. No rank, Kwon Jae-jin, Unaffiliated.
Then, the gate opened. It slid apart sideways like an elevator door.
When Seo Eui-woo had used coordinate transfer, they had been able to infiltrate straight into the headquarters. But now, going through the official procedure, they were only just setting foot onto the premises.
Kwon Jae-jin lifted his head and took a slow, sweeping glance around.
The center was just as he remembered.
No, in fact, it was even more imposing from ground level than it had seemed from above. Looking up, the walls surrounding the complex were so high that he had to crane his neck. The structures were layered and compartmentalized, forming what was practically a fortress.
From this vantage point, he could see not only the central hall, training facilities, and research wing, but also clusters of smaller buildings packed tightly together. They appeared to be armories, warehouses, and other operational facilities.
“We’ll take a military vehicle.”
Inside the wall, the same vehicle Jang Tae-san had arrived in was waiting. A young-looking awakened soldier sat in the driver’s seat, likely the designated driver.
Jang Tae-san took the front seat while Seo Eui-woo and Kwon Jae-jin climbed into the back. As they traveled toward the central hall, Jae-jin watched the scenery pass by through the window. In the distance, the flag of the New Government fluttered in the wind.
Seo Eui-woo, meanwhile, remained on high alert, wary of any possible ambush.
The vehicle moved straight down the road until it reached the central hall. Here, too, an identification scanner awaited them. As soon as they stepped inside, their credentials were recognized once more. Fortunately, this time, the system didn’t announce their names aloud.
The interior was a stark contrast to the fortress-like exterior—sleek, modern, and meticulously maintained.
Even the first-floor hall alone was vast and imposing. The ceiling stretched remarkably high, and the entire hall was built in a cylindrical structure that extended upward.
Beyond that, a sealed ceiling loomed above them.
