Chapter 30. Hunting the Beast (2)
“W-We have no excuse...!”
“We're deeply sorry!”
The voices came through speakers beyond a sealed glass wall.
Park Min-ho and Choi Ji-woong stood inside a completely isolated chamber wearing hospital gowns.
“Hunter Kim Si-hyeon went all the way into the Back Alley to capture him...!”
The emergency alarm that rang through the Special Division...
It had announced Yang Chi-seok's death.
And...
“Not only did Yang Chi-seok die, but we ended up like this too... Hunter Kim Si-hyeon, we truly have no excuse. This is entirely my fault.”
“No! This isn't Director Park's fault! It's mine!”
Choi Ji-woong's voice followed immediately.
“I thought Director Park was torturing Yang Chi-seok, so I rushed into the interrogation room! The Director did nothing wrong!”
“What?! Choi Ji-woong! What the hell did you do wrong?!”
“Director Park didn't do anything! Yang Chi-seok suddenly exploded!”
“N-No! It's my fault, so please, Hunter Kim Si-hyeon!”
Okay.
I understood that Yang Chi-seok suddenly exploded and died during interrogation.
But what exactly...
“Please show mercy! Ji-woong is still young! He has his entire life ahead of him!”
“No, no! Director Park isn't even married! Actually, I don't think he's ever properly dated anyone at his age! I don't know whether he's technically a virgin, but I'm sure he's never had a real relationship! It would be too unfair for a man like him to die now! At least I'm still young!”
“J-Ji-woong?”
“If someone has to be punished, punish me! Please, kill me inst—”
What the hell were they doing?
“No! I've dated before! Choi Ji-woong is the one who's never dated anyone! Punish me and spare that bastard!”
“Director!”
“Ji-woong!”
“I'm not killing either of you.”
It looked like some cheap comedy skit.
But apparently the situation was serious enough to trigger an emergency alarm.
“There are rare Hunters whose blood contains poison or causes special magical effects.”
Yoo Min-a cautiously explained to Kim Si-hyeon.
“That man, Yang Chi-seok, used a false identity. Even his name was fake. We don't know what his awakened ability really was either. Since he suddenly exploded... we have no idea what effect that explosion might have had on those two.”
Park Min-ho and Choi Ji-woong had been covered in Yang Chi-seok's blood and flesh.
There was no telling what might happen to them.
They needed examinations.
“Some effects can be fatal and impossible to heal...”
If Yang Chi-seok had suddenly exploded despite appearing fine before, then this was definitely an abnormal situation.
Kim Si-hyeon had heard the underground interrogation room was equipped with systems to thoroughly inspect prisoners and suppress awakened abilities.
Meaning...
They didn't even know what caused the explosion.
Until the investigation and medical examinations were complete, Park Min-ho and Choi Ji-woong needed to remain quarantined.
Then what was that conversation where they were simultaneously trying to save and insult each other?
He had gone all the way into the Back Alley to capture Yang Chi-seok.
But he certainly wasn't going to kill these two over something like this.
He had only learned unwanted information about both of them apparently being hopelessly single.
“Anyway, it looks like they'll have to stay here for about a week. If it's dangerous, there may also be a possibility of transmission.”
“...Transmission?”
Kim Si-hyeon's eyes changed at that word.
Then...
WHOOOOOM!
Killing intent burst from him unconsciously.
“Gaaaaah! Hunter Kim Si-hyeon! Actually, it was Director Park's fault—!”
“Hey! Choi Ji-woong, you bastard! I told you I didn't do anything!”
Before Kim Si-hyeon hurriedly withdrew his killing intent, Yoo Min-a shook her head helplessly.
“Looks like both of them still have plenty of energy.”
She sounded relieved.
Kim Si-hyeon, however, had become far more serious.
Transmission.
For a survivor of a world destroyed by zombies...
There was almost no word more terrifying or sensitive.
“You need to make absolutely sure. Unless you all want to die.”
He meant they should thoroughly investigate the cause.
If something dangerous had happened, they needed certainty.
But...
“Hunter Kim Si-hyeon! P-Please, just kill me and spare—!”
“No! Kill me instead!”
Their madness returned immediately.
Another strange thing happened too.
Yoo Min-a began trembling like a leaf.
“...Yoo Min-a?”
“I-I'll remember that. We'll use every available method to identify the exact cause! I-If Korea doesn't want to collapse... no, if none of us want to die!”
Fine.
Looks like there had been another misunderstanding.
Still...
Being thorough was better.
Then...
BEEEEEEP!
The emergency alarm rang through the Special Division again.
A second emergency alarm in immediate succession.
That kind of thing had barely happened since the Special Division was established in the early days after the Great Upheaval.
Emergency alarms only sounded when serious threats to national security appeared.
An unexpected situation like Yang Chi-seok's death qualified.
So did an attack on the Association.
An abnormal Gate or sufficiently high-rank Gate approaching a Break.
A major terrorist incident.
Signs of one.
Or...
A serious threat to an S-Rank Hunter or above, one of the country's most important strategic assets.
Situations like that were almost nonexistent.
An S-Rank Hunter was essentially a strategic weapon by themselves.
One person could change the course of a war.
One individual could fight an army.
If someone powerful enough to threaten such a Hunter appeared...
That alone could shake the nation.
The problem was...
“W-What do you mean?! Please, speak slowly!”
“The Guild Master... The Guild Master has been kidnapped!”
The second emergency alarm had apparently been triggered by exactly such a case.
An S-Rank Hunter had been abducted.
