#072
As Eunseok’s consciousness faintly returned, he immediately moved his left wrist slightly. As expected, the smartwatch he had been wearing was gone.
Thoroughly trained to deal with kidnapping, confinement, torture, and interrogation, Eunseok quietly began to assess his current situation.
Both arms were perfectly bound behind his back, and his legs were similarly restrained. This binding method was designed to prevent escape even for those who knew techniques to break free from restraints. It was clearly the work of professionals.
Realizing he couldn’t immediately free himself, Eunseok kept his eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious, and quietly took deep breaths. As his mind cleared, he caught the sound of shallow, regular breathing. There was one guard in the same space. Judging by the lack of the distinct energy typical of ability users, the guard was likely an ordinary person.
Who could it be? Who had kidnapped him?
He thought briefly, but the possibilities were endless.
Individual hunters, guilds, foreign powers, criminal organizations after money – all could be targeting an S-class guide.
Eunseok had always been mindful of the possibility of kidnapping attempts. That’s why he had refrained from any private outings since joining the Baekho Guild. But to be kidnapped like this while on a mission with the 1st Combat Team, with them so close by – Eunseok felt more embarrassed and ashamed than worried about his current situation.
At least he had managed to fire one shot before losing consciousness, so his team members would have quickly realized something was wrong. The fact that he hadn’t been rescued yet meant that the kidnappers’ preparations had been thorough.
Could these guys have planted the magic stones?
Eunseok speculated in his mind.
Starting with Bukhansan National Park, the frequency of mutant appearances had been increasing. Then today, mutants appeared simultaneously in multiple locations. It eventually led to a situation where both the 1st and 2nd Combat Teams of the Baekho Guild, and even Choi Hanseo, had to be deployed separately. There was a good chance this was an attempt to draw out Eunseok, who always moved with the 1st Combat Team, and to separate Choi Hanseo.
But…
To mobilize astronomical amounts of magic stones just to kidnap one person? They didn’t hesitate to cause mutant outbreaks by scattering magic stones, resulting in numerous casualties and property damage?
As much as he wanted to think it impossible, Eunseok had already seen and heard of such cases a few times. It was thanks to his experience as a spy and intelligence agent between countries. Deploying dozens or hundreds of troops and special agents to kidnap a specific agent from an enemy country was not uncommon in covert operations. The higher the value of the information an individual possessed, the more extreme the means employed. If such large-scale operations were conducted for a single agent, what wouldn’t they do to kidnap one of only four S-class guides in the world?
Having thought this far, Eunseok had to admit that he had been too complacent about his own safety.
“It should be about time for him to wake up.”
A voice was heard from about 2 meters away. As expected, it was a familiar voice.
“If you’re awake, why don’t you say something before I have to kick you? It’s been a while since we met.”
It was someone who knew Eunseok well. There was no point in pretending to be unconscious any longer. Finally, Eunseok opened his eyes. His focus was blurry due to the lingering effects of the drug, but after blinking a few times, his vision cleared somewhat.
“Ha Byeonghun.”
Eunseok called out the name of the young man standing before him.
“It’s been a while, senior.”
Ha Byeonghun, who had been a year junior to Eunseok in the Special Task Force, greeted him.
“I thought you joined an international mercenary company right after being discharged. Did they receive a request?”
Eunseok asked in a calm voice. Of course, he was also assessing the internal structure of the room with his peripheral vision.
He was lying on a single bed. Judging by the windows and interior structure, it seemed to be a room on the second floor of a regular house.
There were four people when he was kidnapped.
One of them had given Eunseok an electric shock with bare hands, so at least one of the four must be a hunter. Maybe even more than one.
Still, if it was just four, it might be manageable. He didn’t necessarily need to subdue or defeat them; if it was just about escaping, there might be a possibility.
“So, have you assessed the situation?”
Ha Byeonghun asked instead of answering.
Having spent three years together in the Special Task Force, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they knew each other inside out. What Eunseok had learned, Ha Byeonghun had learned too. What Eunseok knew, Ha Byeonghun knew as well. That’s why he felt even more troublesome than a hunter.
As far as Eunseok knew, Ha Byeonghun had completed his three years of service and immediately joined an international mercenary company upon discharge. He had considerable talent and ability but wasn’t suited for group life. That’s why Eunseok had felt his choice was natural.
In any case, since he had joined an international mercenary company, this kidnapping could be considered an international move. While it might not be a problem domestically, if Eunseok was smuggled out of the country, the situation would become serious. Even if it was an illegal kidnapping, the moment Eunseok entered another country’s territory, that country would likely detain him for life, valuing the acquisition of an S-class guide. Or perhaps a country had orchestrated this kidnapping from the start.
“By the way, I was surprised, senior. To think you’d become an S-class guide.”
Ha Byeonghun said, crossing his legs in the chair he was sitting on. He didn’t seem particularly interested in getting a response or having a conversation. He was just talking to alleviate boredom.
Judging by how he wasn’t paying any attention to his surroundings, it was clear he was quite confident about the safety of this place. This meant they were likely far beyond the search perimeter.
“I heard there are only four in the world, including you? S-class guides, that is.”
“……”
“It’s funny. Someone like you becoming a guide… I could understand if you became a hunter, but a guide? Man. When I first heard the news, I couldn’t stop laughing.”
Ha Byeonghun chuckled as if he still found it amusing. Then he ran his eyes over Eunseok’s bound body as if licking it.
“This guide thing, isn’t it basically offering your body to hunters? I can’t imagine someone with your personality meekly playing the role of a guide…”
“I see your mind is still as filthy as ever.”
Eunseok glared sharply, but Ha Byeonghun just shrugged and continued speaking.
“Do you remember? Because you had such a pretty face, there were always guys trying to make a move on you, and some who tried to use their rank to force themselves on you. Every time, you’d make a show of nearly killing them.”
Eunseok didn’t react.
As he said, because of his admittedly handsome face, there had been no shortage of people making dirty advances at the orphanage, at school, and in the military. Of course, Eunseok had nearly killed every single one of them. He didn’t think about the consequences. The most important thing was to break their spirit and instill the recognition that messing with him would inevitably result in bloodshed.
Just as Ha Byeonghun was about to speak again, footsteps began to approach. Ha Byeonghun closed his mouth and returned to an expressionless face as if nothing had happened. The fact that he didn’t even assume a defensive posture indicated he was confident about the safety of this place.
The door opened. As the footsteps had suggested, two people entered.
Eunseok slightly raised his eyebrows as he confirmed the appearance of the two. One was, as expected, a blonde foreigner, and the other was a familiar face.
“Россия?” (Russia?)
Eunseok asked the large, blonde man. Or rather, it was more of a confirmation than a question.
“Иван.” (Ivan.)
The blonde man nodded affirmatively and briefly stated his name.
“Oh. So you speak Russian too, I see.”
The well-groomed man who had been intentionally ignored spoke with a grin.
“Of course he does. He was considered a specialist even in the Special Task Force. Knowing a few languages is basic for him.”
Ha Byeonghun said gruffly.
“That’s good. He’ll adapt well in Russia then.”
The well-groomed man said with a smiling face. He then walked up to Eunseok and crouched down in front of the bed. The man’s face came close.
“I thought we were acquaintances of sorts, but it hurts a bit to be ignored like this.”
The employee from the Baekho Guild’s weapons shop spoke as if feeling slighted. Eunseok remembered the name tag on the suit he always wore. His name was Lim Gyucheol.
Eunseok wasn’t particularly surprised by his presence. Planting a spy to monitor an important person is a basic tactic in kidnapping operations. After joining the guild, Eunseok had minimized his movement patterns. Therefore, there couldn’t have been a better choice for contact than the weapons shop employee.
“An S-class guide, huh… If I were a hunter, I would have already…”
The fake employee, Lim Gyucheol, reached out with narrowed eyes towards Eunseok’s face. Eunseok was prepared to bite off his fingers, but the Russian man, Ivan, grabbed Lim Gyucheol’s hand first to stop him. He gripped it so tightly that the caught hand immediately turned pale.
“Ah, I get it. I get it. Someone like me, a mere ordinary person, can’t touch such valuable goods, right?”
Lim Gyucheol twisted his hand free and stepped back.
Ivan pointed at the door with his finger. Ha Byeonghun glanced at Eunseok before standing up and leaving the room. Lim Gyucheol waved once at Eunseok before following.
