Chapter 44. Entering Cheonan (2)
"Unknown! Something is going wrong!"
"..."
I stared at the observation screen while listening to Number 49's urgent voice.
Kang Yujin and Lee Jukheon were fighting zombies that had suddenly appeared.
"Why are zombies appearing in the middle of the city?"
"The church did this."
"What? The church?"
"Those things are failed human experiments."
They weren't undead monsters created through magic or curses.
They were moving corpses created through failed human experimentation.
I had seen them before.
So I immediately recognized the Church of the Morning Star's work.
"This is probably Bishop Baek Yunho."
"The guy who modified Kang Yujin?"
Number 49's expression changed.
"If he's doing something like this..."
"He intends to capture Kang Yujin."
Kang Yujin was a modified human Baek Yunho had created through enormous effort.
From Baek Yunho's perspective...
He would want Kang Yujin back at any cost.
"But releasing zombies openly in the middle of the city?"
Number 49 frowned.
"Is he insane? How is he going to deal with the consequences?"
"The church will hide any evidence connecting them to this."
"Still, there's a Contractor Association branch nearby."
Number 49 looked worried.
"If they cause something this big..."
"Wait."
I suddenly felt something was wrong.
"What is it?"
"..."
I silently adjusted the observation screen.
I zoomed out and checked the surrounding area.
"There are people collapsed everywhere."
"What?"
"Poison gas..."
I narrowed my eyes.
"No. Sleeping gas?"
I hurriedly searched for Seok Taejun and Joo Minha.
Then I found them.
Both were unconscious inside the walnut cake shop.
"Unknown, this is...!"
"..."
Sleeping gas capable of knocking people unconscious this quickly?
Did the church possess technology capable of producing something like that?
"Then..."
"Ah! Unknown!"
Number 49 suddenly shouted.
"Lee Jukheon too!"
I moved the screen.
Lee Jukheon had collapsed unconscious.
Only Kang Yujin was still standing and fighting the zombies.
Kang Yujin's body could endure even Hydra poison.
His resistance seemed strong enough that the sleeping gas didn't affect him.
"At least Kang Yujin is still conscious."
Number 49 sighed in relief.
"He can probably wipe out zombies of this level alone."
"Yeah..."
Even as I answered...
An uneasy feeling remained.
"Unknown."
Number 49 squinted at the screen.
"Doesn't Kang Yujin seem like he's been trying to move in one direction for a while?"
"Wait."
After hearing that, I tried to determine where Kang Yujin was heading.
Then I spotted a lone man standing on a rooftop.
"Ah!"
Number 49 immediately recognized him.
"That's Bishop Baek Yunho!"
It seemed Baek Yunho himself was commanding this operation.
"But that guy is careless too."
Number 49 scoffed.
"Why would he openly show himself in front of Kang Yujin?"
"Wait."
The moment I heard Number 49 say that...
I finally understood Baek Yunho's plan.
"Number 49."
"Yes?"
"Go down to Earth immediately."
"What?"
"Now."
I couldn't leave things as they were.
So I hurried Number 49.
The first thing Kang Yujin saw after reaching the rooftop was a lone man smoking a cigarette.
He wore glasses.
Kang Yujin knew he was in his late forties.
But he looked much younger.
He had neat features and was apparently quite popular within the church.
"Baek Yunho."
When Kang Yujin called his name...
The man smiled gently.
"It's been a long time, Kang Yujin."
"What are you doing in the middle of the city?"
"Is there really a problem?"
Baek Yunho smiled.
"Everyone is only sleeping for a little while."
"Nobody has been harmed."
"I passed a truck on my way here."
Kang Yujin stared at him.
"The driver fell asleep and crashed into a nearby building."
"Ah."
Baek Yunho smiled.
"I wasn't aware of that."
Then he spread his hands.
"I hope you'll understand."
"I didn't want anyone interfering with our reunion."
"What a joke."
"I'm serious."
Baek Yunho smiled warmly.
"Do you know how much I love you?"
"Love?"
Kang Yujin felt disgust.
"Wasn't I just an experimental animal to you?"
Baek Yunho suddenly looked serious.
"Am I not allowed to love an experimental animal?"
"..."
"Kang Yujin, didn't you love toys or dolls when you were young?"
"If people can love lifeless objects..."
He smiled.
"Why can't they love an experimental animal?"
"You're insane."
"Don't speak so harshly, Kang Yujin."
Baek Yunho looked almost hurt.
"Did I raise you to speak like that?"
"As someone who acted as your parent for many years..."
"It breaks my heart hearing those words from you."
Rage surged inside Kang Yujin.
But even while angry...
He never lowered his guard.
There was no way Baek Yunho had shown himself without preparation.
He had to have some kind of trap.
"Maybe the people who took over after I was promoted and left the facility failed to educate you properly."
Baek Yunho sighed.
"You used to be such a polite child."
"I don't remember ever being polite to you."
"No?"
Baek Yunho smiled brightly.
"I remember very clearly."
He looked directly into Kang Yujin's eyes.
"I still remember you as a little boy grabbing my pants and crying, 'Please save me. Please save me,' while begging for your life."
"..."
After hearing those words...
Kang Yujin decided there was no reason to continue talking.
Violent rage still burned inside him.
There were countless things he wanted to say to Baek Yunho.
But there was no reason to stand there arguing.
I'll subdue Baek Yunho now.
We can talk afterward.
Kang Yujin immediately moved.
He charged toward Baek Yunho.
He didn't run in a straight line.
Baek Yunho might have prepared traps.
So Kang Yujin repeatedly changed angles and moved in a zigzag pattern.
He also carefully watched his surroundings.
An ambush could come from anywhere.
"Groooaaah!"
And just as expected...
A zombie suddenly attacked.
But it didn't come from the front, back, left, or right.
It came from below.
It smashed straight through the rooftop floor.
Even so, Kang Yujin easily avoided it.
He kicked the zombie's head apart.
No other obstacles remained.
Baek Yunho was now within reach.
I'm not holding back.
Kang Yujin had no intention of killing him here.
But...
He punched with enough strength to rupture every organ inside Baek Yunho's abdomen.
The moment his fist touched Baek Yunho's stomach...
All the strength suddenly drained from his body.
"Urgh...!"
The fist that should have crushed Baek Yunho's insides dropped weakly.
Kang Yujin's legs also lost their strength.
He collapsed to the ground.
"It's probably a little uncomfortable after being away from it for so long."
"B-Baek Yunho...!"
"But you'll adjust quickly."
"Urgh...!"
"It's a drug you received continuously for several years."
Baek Yunho smiled.
"Your body should be extremely compatible with it."
Kang Yujin immediately understood what had happened.
The moment he approached Baek Yunho...
Somehow, a drug had entered his body.
It was the special drug used throughout his imprisonment.
The drug that had stolen Kang Yujin's freedom.
"You... planned this..."
"Yes."
Baek Yunho smiled.
"This was the goal from the beginning."
Had everything up until now been arranged for this moment?
Even the zombie coming through the floor wasn't meant as a true ambush.
It had only been there to make Kang Yujin believe that was the trap.
"Kang Yujin..."
Baek Yunho looked down at him.
"You're like a giant elephant."
"You..."
"Trying to capture you with guns or ropes would be foolish."
He smiled.
"The smartest method is to use a tranquilizer gun and inject the strongest drug possible."
"B-Baek..."
"Well, I don't actually know how people capture elephants."
Kang Yujin couldn't respond.
It wasn't only because his mouth wasn't moving properly.
His mind was also growing hazy.
The drug used during his imprisonment didn't merely steal control of the body.
It stole mental freedom as well.
Kang Yujin possessed a body capable of enduring almost any poison.
But this drug...
Was different.
"Now."
Baek Yunho crouched beside him.
"Let's go home."
"I've prepared a new home for you at the Central Sanctuary."
"Ugh..."
Baek Yunho smiled lovingly.
"This time, never leave me again, Kang Yujin."
Kang Yujin could barely understand his words anymore.
But even so...
He desperately fought to remain conscious.
I can't collapse here...
He struggled to gather his body and mind.
He knew it was nearly impossible.
But he couldn't give up.
It can't end here.
I need to carry out his will...
I need to keep...
His thoughts were falling apart.
He felt himself slowly sinking into darkness.
Then...
"Kang Yujin!"
A desperate voice reached him.
"It's Number 49! You can hear me, right? You have to hear me! Wake up! Seriously!"
Kang Yujin couldn't recognize who was speaking.
But the voice sounded familiar.
"There's no item that can cure your current condition!"
"The first time was possible because it was a special benefit from forming the Constellation contract!"
"Even if Unknown personally intervenes now, there's nothing he can do!"
"There isn't any Blessing that can cure something like this!"
Kang Yujin barely understood the words.
"But..."
The voice became louder.
"There is a way!"
"I don't know whether it'll work, but there is a way!"
Even so...
Kang Yujin kept listening.
"Unknown just acknowledged your Bond Rank!"
"He gave you permission to use his Constellation Armament!"
"So use it!"
Constellation Armament.
The moment Kang Yujin heard those words...
It felt like a storm erupted inside his head.
Whenever he had heard people talking about Constellation Armaments, his heart had always felt heavy.
Because he believed the Nameless One still hadn't acknowledged him.
He acknowledged me...
The Nameless One acknowledged me!
For one brief instant...
His mind cleared.
Kang Yujin refused to waste that moment.
I don't even need an explanation.
This power...
His Constellation Armament is...!
Seok Taejun had once explained something to him.
Gaining permission to use a Constellation Armament didn't mean you could immediately summon the Constellation's actual weapon.
For example...
The B-rank Constellation "Princess of the Iron Fan" was actually Princess Rakshasa from Journey to the West.
Her Constellation Armament was the Banana Leaf Fan, capable of creating powerful winds.
But even after receiving permission to use the Constellation Armament, a Contractor couldn't summon the Banana Leaf Fan immediately.
At first, they could only briefly create strong wind.
Without raising their Bond Rank...
They couldn't even summon a replica of the Banana Leaf Fan.
The same applied here.
Kang Yujin couldn't manifest the actual Constellation Armament.
He could only manifest part of its concept.
But that was enough.
[S-rank Constellation '***' Bond Rank has increased.]
[Permission to manifest the Constellation Armament of S-rank Constellation '***' has been granted.]
[Your current authority allows 'Pseudo Manifestation' of the Constellation Armament.]
Kang Yujin stood up.
Normally, his arms and legs should have been too weak to move.
But now...
He stood proudly.
"Huh...?"
Baek Yunho's eyes widened.
"H-How are you moving?!"
"The drug was created using multiple effects specifically so that skills and items couldn't counter it!"
"My Constellation..."
Kang Yujin looked at him.
"Is the guardian of everyone struggling at the bottom of the world."
"W-What?"
"So..."
Kang Yujin slowly clenched his fist.
"It makes sense that his Constellation Armament would have this kind of power."
"C-Constellation Armament?"
"The power to draw out your final strength and make one last desperate struggle, no matter how terrible the situation becomes."
[Constellation Armament '***' Pseudo Manifestation is currently active.]
[You may ignore physical and mental damage and move using willpower alone.]
[Please struggle until the very end.]
Kang Yujin understood instinctively.
Because this was only Pseudo Manifestation, rather than Maximum Manifestation or Limited Manifestation...
He couldn't tell what the actual Constellation Armament looked like.
But he understood the concept it represented.
Right.
This is one last desperate struggle.
His body was still in terrible condition.
Soon...
He would collapse again.
The drug had not disappeared at all.
He was simply borrowing the power of the Constellation Armament for a few seconds to make one final struggle.
[Pseudo Manifestation remaining duration: 3 seconds.]
Still...
Three seconds were enough.
"W-Wait!"
Baek Yunho hurriedly stepped backward.
But Kang Yujin would not let him escape.
"Can't."
Kang Yujin squeezed out the last of his strength.
Then he punched Baek Yunho.
The fist buried itself deep in his stomach.
Baek Yunho vomited blood as his internal organs were crushed.
After confirming that...
Kang Yujin collapsed again.
But this time...
He felt completely satisfied.
Because at last...
He knew the Nameless One had acknowledged him.
