Internal Cleanup
I pushed the women behind me. "Both of you, stick right behind me. Yena, summon one scarecrow."
"Y-yes..yes!"
"Got it."
Come to think of it, something felt off. Whenever I entered with someone, I always led with two Ice Spears floating ahead. Given their personalities, they would've come out to greet us without fail. Plus, they'd have posted a night watch at the back door, but my scan had picked up exactly thirteen on the upper floor.
Something must've gone wrong inside.
Two dead, maybe. I summoned two more Ice Spears and headed up to the fourth floor.
Thud.
I gestured for the women to come closer. What I saw then: eleven white dots clustered in classroom 409, and two red dots in 408.
They overlapped.
The red dots must've been plastered right against the wall, tricking the scan into thinking all thirteen were crammed into 409. I sighed, setting an Ice Spear down at the end of the hall.
"...No problem here."
"...Huh? Th-there are two m-monsters..."
"Nah."
Looked like the base had handled the reds themselves. I sighed again and headed for 409.
The door slid open with a rattle.
Inside the 409 command post, people sat at desks and chairs arranged in a circle. They all stood as I entered—Lee Yoon had dipped his head in greeting, like he'd known I was coming.
"Junyoung!"
"Boss!"
"Kim Yunjin."
She rushed me, throwing her arms around me in a hug.
"Eek!"
Yoo Soyeon yelped in surprise. I calmed everyone down and got to the point.
"What happened?"
"...You made it."
Jeong Suhyun spoke up, his left arm wrapped thick with bandages. He sat with his gun aimed at the door, arm looking stiff as hell. Definitely some internal shitshow.
"......You hurt?"
"Yeah, Yunjin patched me up, but it's still stiff. Who's the ladies... and that ugly-ass scarecrow?"
"Oh, these are—"
"Y-Yoo... Yoo Soyeon!"
"Jeong Yena."
As the women introduced themselves, I explained what went down at Yuseong University. Jeong Suhyun and the others nodded along. Made sense—I'd come and gone plenty, rescued people more than a few times, so they just rolled with it. Even the part about the Liberation Army's human breeding pens.
Of course. They've seen those Liberation Army bastards up close.
Won't shock 'em. That's when Jeong Suhyun narrowed his eyes.
"All the way to the library... tough slog. But two detection abilities? Shit, this'll make things way easier from here."
He clocked it instantly. I nodded.
"Yeah. If they do their jobs right."
"I-I'll work h-hard!"
"Me too."
Yoo Soyeon and Jeong Yena nodded eagerly. Jeong Suhyun nodded back.
"Good to have you. Uh... mind writing down your status windows and basic info first? And chat with me a sec."
"O-okay..!"
"Sure."
He slid paper their way, eyes subtly flushing red.
He'll handle it.
I glanced at Kim Yunjin, still clinging tight. Her sharp features looked hollow-eyed, but unlike usual, she seemed almost... clingy, spoiled even.
"Yunjin."
I called her softly. She whispered back.
"...No injuries?"
I answered quietly. "None... but everyone's watching."
She'd told me to hold off on dating talk till later—why pull this now?
"Let 'em watch. Just one minute like this."
"You smell like blood."
"Don't care."
"...Fine."
I sighed and gave up. Wasn't uncomfortable anyway. Leaving her hug be, I scanned the group.
No one else looks hurt.
But two seats empty.
"So, what went down?"
Kim Jungshik, at the end of the circle, caught my gaze and spoke up.
"...Hwang Jinseok and Lee Jeongsu went after the women."
The two who'd clashed with Jeong Suhyun back at our base. Kim Jungshik grimaced.
"Right after you left, Hwang targeted Yoon Mina and Yunjin. Lee went for Choi Yuri. Lucky for us, Jeong Suhyun took Hwang, I got Lee. They're locked in 408 now, untreated."
Figures. I stroked Yunjin's back once. She had damn good reason to act like this.
"Hoo..."
Kim Jungshik sighed. "...Bastards won't talk. They weren't like this—changed overnight, like someone flipped a switch."
I turned to him, face twisted, sighing heavy. No wonder he'd blame himself; they were his people, messing with base members.
He spoke gravely. "...My fault. I'll take responsibility—"
"No."
I cut him off. "Yunjin."
"...Yeah."
I peeled her off and dragged Yoo Soyeon over—she'd finished her form, coming without resistance, arm in my grip.
"Wh-what?!"
All eyes snapped to her.
"Eek.."
She struggled feebly. Time to show 'em. I spoke.
"Told you earlier. Detection ability."
"......"
They looked puzzled, not getting it yet.
"Yoo Soyeon. If you would."
"Ah, uh. Okay."
The group stared, wide-eyed at the radar window from her hand. I explained.
"Yoo Soyeon's power is detection—specifically, identification. White for humans, blue for animals, red for monsters or zombies."
And then.
"Covers a 25-meter radius. In a way, it's an upgrade over Park Donghyuk or Lee Yoon's abilities."
Narrower range, sure, but distinguishing types made it superior. I pointed at each person.
"That's you, Yoo Soyeon. Jeong Suhyun, Kim Jungshik... next..."
I ticked them off one by one. But they'd already caught on.
"But next to 'em, two red dots. What'd I say earlier?"
"......Not human..?"
Kim Jungshik looked gutted. I nodded.
"Yeah. Probably swapped out by someone. Or... possessed by a Ruin Remnant."
"...Chance her power's wrong?"
Jeong Suhyun, forms done, chimed in. I shook my head.
"Zero."
He sighed deep. "......Haa. Monsters. Fucking monsters. Kim Jungshik, you notice anything?"
"Nope... Vice-leader, you?"
"Nothing. No one slipped in or out on my watch."
"Then maybe on the move here... Anyone spot something en route? Kim Inho. Wait, if so, wouldn't Inho be hit worse?"
Eyes turned to glasses guy Kim Inho. He waved frantically.
"I... didn't notice. Bathroom break was just that."
Yeah. Didn't ping on Yoo Soyeon's radar or Jeong Suhyun's watcher skill. Hell, he showed white—human for real.
"Didn't know. Swear."
"When'd it start? Kim, you sense anything?"
"Nah. Northdong Station maybe?"
"No, vice-leader and that Park deputy were there."
"True, but..."
They debated. I had a hunch why. Liberation Army mimicked humans but turned violent, cruel, chasing base instincts like lust. This felt similar. No reason, no trigger—Hwang and Lee just attacked base women.
But had they changed during migration? Thinking back, at Northdong Station, Lee Euna tried something while sleeping.
Might've started then.
Yuseong's Liberation Army acted human despite being monsters. Not confirmed, though—deal with 'em first, investigate after. Were Hwang and Lee faceless like Jo Jeongmin, or influenced like Hwang Jutae? Unclear.
Getting pissed.
Head throbbed. Too much blood today? Or shit not going my way?
Ugh...
"Jeong Suhyun."
"Yeah?"
"Come with. 408, right?"
"Yeah, just tied up, no treatment..."
"Kim Yunjin, Yoo Soyeon too."
"......"
"E-eh?!"
Wish I had detection myself. I led them to 408.
Door rattled open.
Hwang Jinseok and Lee Jeongsu bound to chairs, mouths taped—everything taped. Hwang's arms and legs broken, Lee's leg shot. Blood pooled on the floor. They thrashed.
I faced them. "Ice Spear."
Ice Spear
Target lower body shredded — blood sprays everywhere!
Lee Jeongsu's lower half exploded, painting 408 red.
"...Junyoung?" Jeong Suhyun called.
"Kyaaahhh!"
"......"
"Mmmph! Mmmph!"
Jeong Suhyun questioning. Yoo Soyeon screaming. Yunjin blank. Hwang wide-eyed, thrashing, mouth gagged.
I ignored him, eyeing Lee Jeongsu's torso.
"......."
Face gone, just like Jo Jeongmin. Confirmed—these were library Liberation Army types. I turned to Hwang.
He grinned at me, shock wiped clean.
Face flipped in a blink. Yoo Soyeon shuddered; Jeong Suhyun scowled.
I hit Hwang with another "Ice Spear."
Ice Spear
Concrete beside target shattered — dust billows!
Spear right over his head—still grinning. I approached, slashed his face.
"Jeong Suhyun. Status window pop?"
"Yeah."
"Yoo Soyeon, red dot?"
"...Yes..."
"Yunjin. Heal it."
"Got it. Heal."
Wound on face closes rapidly.
Wound faded. Yeah, knew it. Merges with base info, status window shows, heals normal.
Just figure out how faceless get made. "Physical stats same?"
"Yeah. Blunt summon, strength—all identical. Just personality flipped."
"Got it. Leave 'em for now. Head hurts—been bouncing around too much today."
Fucking scum. Planned to watch Yuseong—Liberation Army and survivors—for ten days.
Now? Straight to the black fog. Split up, who knows when this shit repeats.