#097
Knock knock-.
There was a knock and the door opened. The person who entered was Chief Secretary Lee Eunju.
“We just finished coordinating with the Ability Management Bureau. As of today, our Baekho Guild will completely withdraw from gate break sites and gate raids. We will enter into full-scale war against the terrorist organization calling itself the Apostles of the End. Our objectives are to dismantle the terrorist organization, arrest key figures, and rescue Guide Lee Eunseok.”
Secretary Lee Eunju listed off in a businesslike tone.
Everyone’s faces lightened a bit. They now had the opportunity to leave the gates and confront the real enemy.
“Have their hideouts been identified?” Han Cheolyong asked.
“Yes. We have a general idea.”
“Where are those bastards?”
“Their last traces were found in Gangwon Province.”
Screech-.
The impatient Moon Bora stood up abruptly, looking ready to dash out immediately.
“Let’s go. Let’s go right now, sweep them away and get Guide Lee back.”
Han Cheolyong also stood up, speaking resolutely in a manner uncharacteristic of his usually calm demeanor.
“It’s been decided that a large number of hunters and guides from the guild will temporarily relocate to Gangwon Province. We’re currently searching for a building to use as a temporary branch. First Combat Team members, please organize your equipment and luggage, and standby while receiving as much guiding as possible. An official notification will be sent to the entire guild shortly.”
Having finished relaying the information, Chief Secretary Lee Eunju gave a slight nod and left the conference room.
“It’s almost our first time fighting among ourselves,” Oh Seongeun said quietly. Everyone nodded at her words.
Indeed, until now they had been dealing with monsters, rarely having to face other ability users. Fighting other humans would be completely different from eliminating monsters. But it was something they had to do.
“Those bastards are openly saying that ordinary people should deal with gates without the power of ability users. If we lose… the country will be devastated,” Han Cheolyong said in a heavy voice.
“There’s no way we’ll lose, right?” Moon Bora said, her face burning with fighting spirit. Then she turned abruptly.
“Let’s quickly go get guiding and prepare to depart. We need to save Eunseok and crush those bastards.”
Moon Bora left the conference room with quick steps. The others also stood up one by one and started to move busily.
“Alright. I’ll transfer the money right away, so prepare the electronic signature documents and send them to the Guild Master. Start the internal setup immediately once the transfer is confirmed.”
Secretary Lee, who had been on the phone with the team that departed for Gangwon Province first, took the phone away from her ear. She then immediately called the finance team to instruct them to transfer the rent.
“You can check the lease contract for the temporary branch building by email and stamp it. The rent has been transferred, and the internal setup will begin soon.”
Secretary Lee reported to Choi Hanseo, who was sitting in the back, in a businesslike tone. There was no response from Choi Hanseo. But after confirming that he was tapping on his tablet, Secretary Lee picked up her phone again to take necessary measures. There was a mountain of work to do.
The sedan that had left Seoul was speeding down the highway. The driver, who roughly understood the situation without being told, consistently kept to the overtaking lane, driving at high speed towards the destination. It was a speed that would get them caught immediately if spotted by an undercover patrol car, but to Choi Hanseo, it still felt slow. Choi Hanseo suppressed the urge to break through the car and run at full speed towards Gangwon Province.
The instinct as a hunter who had lost his guide was constantly screaming to rush out and retrieve Eunseok immediately. But Choi Hanseo had chosen to live as a socialized hunter, not as a monster beyond human limits.
Of course, it would be easy to throw off that self-imposed restraint. But thinking of Eunseok, he couldn’t do that. Lee Eunseok was a highly conventional member of society and citizen. To live as his companion, Choi Hanseo was willing to continue living with the restraints of being human. Even if it meant Eunseok’s time of suffering would be prolonged a bit more.
Even amidst the boiling desire and longing for Eunseok, and the murderous intent towards Park Sunwoo, Choi Hanseo’s reason remained firmly intact. He checked his email and signed the electronic contract sent to him in neat handwriting. Then he opened and read through the reports that were coming in moment by moment.
The number of ability users who had defected to the terrorist organization was about 50. Excluding guides who were not combat personnel, their fighting force was about 40 people. It was determined that most were espers from the Ability Management Bureau, with the rest filled by hunters who had left various guilds and those who had been operating underground.
With S-class Park Sunwoo as the leader and five A-class members, it was a considerable force in itself. Even if Choi Hanseo dealt with Park Sunwoo, it would barely be an even situation even if Baekho Guild poured in all its strength. Of course, Choi Hanseo was willing to mobilize the guild’s full power to deal with them.
Even as he mechanically read through the reports, one corner of Choi Hanseo’s mind was occupied with Eunseok. That poorly socialized youngster Park Sunwoo would not leave the S-class guide Eunseok alone. He must be exploiting him.
Eunseok, strong inside and out, would not break easily. But that didn’t mean the process of enduring wasn’t painful. It had already been ten days. Thinking of Eunseok enduring alone during that time, and the exploitation he must be being forced to endure…
Choi Hanseo closed his eyes for a moment. It was to suppress the desire to throw off the restraints of being human and the intense destructive urge that kept welling up. But right now, it was truly not easy.
The car, which had left the highway, entered a city that could only be described as quiet compared to Seoul. Choi Hanseo put the tablet down on his lap and imprinted the panorama of the small city in his eyes. This place would become the battlefield to reclaim Eunseok.
The car stopped in front of a five-story building. It was incomparably old and shabby compared to the guild building in Seoul, but it was the only building that could be quickly secured in this small city. This would be the center of Baekho Guild for the time being.
Guild employees who had been dispatched in advance were busily going in and out of the building entrance. Everyone was busy carrying out unnecessary fixtures to an empty lot near the building, and bringing in computers, equipment, and furniture that had been transported.
“Guild Master!”
A woman who had been pacing anxiously at the building entrance ran towards Choi Hanseo. She was Eunseok’s personal secretary.
“Secretary Kim?”
Secretary Lee approached Secretary Kim and put a hand on her shoulder. The eyes of Secretary Kim, known for her calm and neat personality, were bloodshot. There were clear traces that she had been crying.
“This arrived suddenly about two hours ago. Judging by how it fell right in front of me, I think a hunter threw it. I couldn’t chase after them in time.”
Secretary Kim held out a small box with trembling hands. It was a cheap gift box with a large red heart pattern drawn on it.
Choi Hanseo silently took the box and opened the lid. Inside was a white shirt with no particular features, crumpled messily. Choi Hanseo recognized it as Eunseok’s without even taking it out, as he could faintly sense Eunseok’s scent.
As he lifted the shirt, writing scribbled in marker on the front became visible.
“It was fucking delicious.”
Secretary Lee was heard taking a sharp breath as she saw the writing.
Choi Hanseo closed his eyes for a moment. It was because his vision had been dyed a blood-red color.
When he slowly opened his eyes, the letters mocking Choi Hanseo came into view again.
Park Sunwoo.
Choi Hanseo chewed on the name of the person who had played this dirty trick.
As if sensing the mood, the surroundings went quiet. Secretary Lee and Secretary Kim beside him were even holding their breath.
Choi Hanseo put the shirt back in the box and closed the lid with an expressionless face.
“Is the office set up?”
When Choi Hanseo asked, deep relief filled Secretary Lee’s face.
“Secretary Kim?”
Secretary Lee called out to Secretary Kim. Secretary Kim suddenly came to her senses and nodded.
“We set up the Guild Master’s office first. You can go up right away.”
Choi Hanseo gave a small nod and headed into the building, holding the box in one hand.
When he arrived at the office, a man sitting on the sofa stood up. It was Lim Gyucheol, who had been working undercover in the guild’s weapons shop.
“Have you already seen that box?”
Lim Gyucheol asked, looking at the gift box in Choi Hanseo’s hand. Instead of answering, Choi Hanseo put the box down on the desk and sat in the chair.
Seeing Choi Hanseo’s face that looked like he might throw off his human shell at any moment, Lim Gyucheol scratched his chin. He looked perplexed.
“Location?”
When Choi Hanseo asked, Lim Gyucheol got up from the sofa and approached the desk.
“We’ve narrowed down a few places that they might use as a den. But given who we’re dealing with, we haven’t gone to confirm in person. There’s concern about casualties, and once the location is exposed, they might move their base elsewhere.”
Having said that, Lim Gyucheol handed a tablet to Choi Hanseo. Several locations suspected to be the terrorist organization’s bases were marked on a map of the area.
