#069
News of mutant appearances had been popping up almost daily lately. Eunseok checked past records to see if this was normal, but it was clear that the frequency of mutant appearances had been increasing recently.
The green magic stone they found in the valley came to mind.
There was no mention of the magic stone discovery on the Ability Management Bureau’s information site. They weren’t even acknowledging the existence of the green magic stone. They were deliberately omitting this information.
Intentionally withholding important information from the public meant they were treating the matter very seriously. Eunseok guessed there was a good chance that magic stones had been found at other mutant appearance sites as well.
Did Choi Hanseo know about this?
As the leader of the top-ranked guild in the country, he probably had some grasp of the related information. But in their previous conversation, Choi Hanseo didn’t seem particularly concerned about the green magic stone. Or maybe he had deliberately avoided the topic.
Well, this was something for the Ability Management Bureau to handle, not the guild.
Eunseok pushed thoughts of the magic stone aside.
After closing the Ability Management Bureau site and browsing other news, a photo caught his eye. It was a picture of Choi Hanseo and Eunseok walking side by side right after exiting the gate yesterday. He knew they had looked disheveled at the time, but seeing it in the photo made it even more apparent. Choi Hanseo was covered in the dragon’s red blood, while Eunseok was drenched in green blood.
Seeing a photo of the two of them together felt strange. Even to Eunseok, they looked quite intimate in the picture. Especially the photo of Choi Hanseo opening the sedan door and helping Eunseok in first.
Eunseok couldn’t bring himself to read the comments below the news article. He could guess what kind of things people were saying. Undoubtedly, many comments would be speculating about the relationship between Choi Hanseo and Eunseok.
As he was marking the locations of mutant appearances in and around the capital area on his phone’s map app, a text notification popped up.
Choi Hanseo
[Let’s have dinner together.]
It was Choi Hanseo. After a moment’s hesitation, Eunseok sent a brief reply agreeing.
After lunch, the next appointment was with Moon Bora.
Moon Bora arrived right on time, ringing the bell with a smile, but the slight furrow in her brow indicated she wasn’t feeling too well.
Eunseok grabbed Moon Bora’s hand as soon as she sat down. He could feel her turbulent energy. She had probably been suffering from a headache all night.
“I’m sorry, noona. We should have done some guiding before parting yesterday.”
“No, no. This is nothing compared to before. It’s just that I’ve gotten so used to receiving good guiding lately that I get sensitive even with a small spike in the numbers. Don’t worry about it.”
Moon Bora waved her hand dismissively.
As the guiding began in earnest, the furrow in Moon Bora’s brow gradually smoothed out.
“Ah… I feel alive again.”
Moon Bora muttered, leaning her head back against the chair.
As the guiding continued, Moon Bora’s eyes glazed over. She seemed deeply immersed in the guiding itself.
After some time had passed like this, Moon Bora suddenly lifted her upper body from the chair and leaned towards Eunseok. Her eyes had regained their usual sparkle.
“What’s going on between you and the guild leader?”
“We’re employer and employee.”
Eunseok answered nonchalantly. Moon Bora’s eyes narrowed. Eunseok met her probing gaze with a calm face.
After staring at Eunseok for a moment, Moon Bora let out a soft sigh.
“Well, if I had to choose, I suppose the guild leader is better than some random guy.”
Moon Bora seemed certain about the relationship between Choi Hanseo and Eunseok. Eunseok couldn’t lie and deny it, nor could he confirm it.
When the guiding ended, Moon Bora patted Eunseok’s shoulder with a look that said she had a lot to say but wouldn’t. Whether it meant she was supporting him or encouraging him, Eunseok couldn’t tell.
The next appointment, Ji Taeuk, was the same. Throughout the guiding, he kept glancing at Eunseok with a conflicted expression, as if debating whether to speak or not. In the end, he left the guiding room saying he respected Eunseok’s choice.
After finishing the guiding schedule, Eunseok rubbed his face and sighed deeply. It seemed impossible to keep this relationship a secret.
***
Eunseok was on his way to the weapons shop to replenish the ammunition used at the gate. The elevator stopped midway, and a few people got on.
“Oh, Guide Lee!”
“Hello, Guide Lee.”
Familiar faces greeted him warmly. It was Lim Jihyeok and a few other members of the 2nd Combat Team, who were now under Eunseok’s care.
“Are you heading out?”
Eunseok asked, noticing their combat gear. They were all equipped with armor and weapons.
“Yes, a mutant has appeared.”
Lim Jihyeok answered promptly.
Another mutant, huh.
Eunseok nodded, thinking to himself.
Ding-.
The elevator stopped at the floor with the weapons shop.
“Come back safely, without getting hurt.”
Eunseok said as he got off the elevator. Lim Jihyeok nodded with a touched expression.
As Eunseok entered the weapons shop, an unfamiliar employee approached instead of the usual one.
“Welcome.”
“I’m just here to restock ammunition today.”
“Understood.”
The employee nodded. Eunseok walked ahead to the display case with ammunition and picked out the boxes he needed.
“Please come again next time.”
No separate payment was necessary. The cost would be deducted from Eunseok’s salary. Eunseok headed back to his quarters with an armful of ammunition boxes. He needed to get ready to go up for his dinner appointment with Choi Hanseo soon.
He had just put down the ammunition boxes in his quarters and was about to enter the bathroom to wash up when his watch suddenly beeped.
[Emergency Deployment: Mutant Appearance. 1st Combat Team, emergency dispatch. Assemble at the main gate.]
The moment he checked his watch, Eunseok immediately turned and unzipped the duffel bag by the entrance. He neatly packed the ammunition boxes he had just bought into the bag.
After putting on his combat boots and slinging the duffel bag over his shoulder, Eunseok opened the front door and stepped out.
While waiting for the elevator, his phone rang. It was Choi Hanseo.
“Hello.”
– Are you going?
Choi Hanseo asked abruptly.
“It’s a 1st Combat Team call, so I have to go.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone after Eunseok’s answer. Just as Eunseok was about to speak, thinking Choi Hanseo might try to stop him again, Choi Hanseo’s voice came through.
– Another mutant has appeared elsewhere, so I have to go there. Be careful since I can’t go with you. Don’t get hurt like last time.
“Understood.”
– If you come back injured… this time you’ll have to comfort me properly for being hurt.
Choi Hanseo whispered something that sounded like both expectation and a threat. Eunseok responded with a soft chuckle.
A limousine van was waiting at the main gate. When Eunseok got in the car, no one else was there yet. Given the sudden call, it would take some time for others to get ready.
Eunseok sat in his usual spot and unzipped the duffel bag. He started quickly loading the ammunition he had just bought into empty magazines.
After filling two empty magazines, team members began getting into the car one by one.
“The 2nd Combat Team just went out, and now we’re being called for an emergency too. We just got back from the gate, why are they running us like this?”
Ji Taeuk grumbled. Moon Bora nodded in agreement, yawning widely.
The car started moving.
Eunseok silently continued loading bullets into new magazines.
The 2nd Combat Team had gone out, and now the 1st Combat Team was called for an emergency. On top of that, even Choi Hanseo was dispatched to another location.
It wasn’t like the Baekho Guild was the only one in the Seoul and Gyeonggi area, and there were even espers belonging to the Ability Management Bureau. Yet, the Baekho Guild had received three consecutive requests to deal with mutants. Something didn’t seem right about the situation.
By the time the car arrived at the destination, darkness was already falling. When they opened the doors and got out, they found themselves at the entrance of a school’s playground. Police car lights were flashing in the surrounding area, and large headlights were illuminating the school building engulfed in darkness.
Beyond the main gate outside the playground, several ambulances could be seen hurriedly departing. There were also quite a few students in school uniforms, either sitting on the ground or standing, crying.
Could there have been fatalities?
Eunseok frowned and turned his gaze back to the school building.
The school, which would normally have been bustling with students, looked completely different now. It wasn’t just because of the darkness. Broken windows here and there, and bags and shoes scattered around indicated that there had been a mass exodus of students just moments ago. Black smoke was rising from one of the windows, suggesting a fire. The one silver lining was that the high walls surrounding the school seemed to have prevented damage to the surrounding area.
