Chapter 129
Chapter 129
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Let's Keep the Schedule! (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sleep wasn't long.
I woke up to a cold shower of water.
"Since it's come to this, why don't we share some information?"
Water soaking my stinging forehead.
I looked at the droplets falling from my hair and spoke.
One of the twins, who had come in holding something like a whip, looked down at me.
"It's a fair trade where neither side loses. I get my curiosity satisfied before dying, and you get the Badger intel."
"You're still full of energy."
The woman grinned.
I thought she was happy, but apparently not. The masked kidnappers flew into a rage.
"You still don't know your place and keep acting up! You lab rat!"
"Yeah, yeah, shut up. My bad. Just go ahead and kill me properly."
"What are you curious about?"
The curly-haired man neatly folded the whip. He knelt on one knee beside me.
The hem of his dark suit brushed the dusty floor.
"If you tell us something useful, we'll grant you one last mercy."
His hand brushed my bangs aside again.
It was like he was admiring the seal he'd stamped on my forehead.
I quietly felt the pain on my forehead and spoke.
"I've been asking since earlier—who the hell kidnapped me?"
The masked ones groaned in annoyance at the question, as if fed up.
Only the twins grinned instead of getting annoyed.
"You really want to know that, huh."
"Of course. I want to know who led me to my death before I die."
The curly-haired man and woman exchanged glances.
While they silently conferred, I let my gaze drift boredly. No point being polite in front of the people who're gonna kill you anyway.
Just answer before Colton gets here, kids.
The woman was the one who answered.
"A rookie who joined our organization six months ago did it."
"Huh?"
My voice pitched up.
"A civilian?"
"You're really arrogant."
The woman sneered at my surprise.
She shot me a look like I was some pup that didn't know its place.
"You think there's no way a civilian could've kidnapped you?"
To be honest, yeah.
I didn't say it out loud, but it must've shown on my face.
The kidnappers burst out laughing at my expression.
"Look at that guy's face!"
"What do we do? He's realizing he's totally ordinary except for the Enhanced Body!"
"Hey, isn't it time to drop that arrogance?"
"Even the boss stamping seals won't fix it!"
"These things just don't learn!"
The mockery dragged on.
Laughter echoing through the cold space. Footsteps stomping in glee.
The man listened to his subordinates' amused jeers with a smile as he brushed back my white hair.
"Living at the bottom, then becoming a Black Badger—must've made you think the world was yours."
What nonsense.
Becoming a Black Badger doesn't make the world yours. And I wasn't exactly living miserably.
But to these people who'd researched me, that's probably how it looked. On paper, I was an orphan, never went to school, and hadn't done anything noteworthy before Black Badger.
So they figured I was some street rat without a proper education.
"Did you even graduate elementary school?"
"I thought they at least checked brains when recruiting. Didn't expect they'd pick some kid who never even saw a school."
"Shooting straight to status like that—you don't know your place."
"A rookie who can't even run missions solo, and you're shocked a civilian kidnapped you?"
"Who's this rookie from your group?"
I pressed on stubbornly amid the torrent of discriminatory mockery.
The woman's eyes gleamed with scorn, contempt, and delight as she looked at me.
"Ah. You still can't accept that your kidnapper's just a normal guy."
Yes.
"But he really is an ordinary human. Quiet, always looking at the ground, bites his nails when anxious—a scrawny little kid."
Jaeyeon.
Was Jaeyeon posing as a civilian and helping kidnap me? That had to be it. Otherwise, it made no sense. No way I wouldn't notice a real ordinary civilian approaching.
It might sound arrogant to others, but it was true.
This is seriously weird!
I racked my brain for a plausible explanation, unable to accept the twins' words.
The kidnappers delighted in my confusion.
"Hurts your pride, huh?"
Not really.
"Still got that look like you can't accept reality. You know, you might not have heard this yet. Getting an Enhanced Body doesn't make you invincible overnight."
"Why'd that rookie kidnap me? Did you make the newbie handle it?"
"Nah. He insisted on doing it himself."
The male twin stroked the whip along his hand.
"Asked us to trust him and let him."
They'd doused me with water to wake me—now whipping time?
Good thing I was the kidnapping target. I'd lived enough life that this wouldn't shatter me mentally.
But Tom or Heshy? They'd be wrecked.
A small sense of relief spread in my chest.
"Why'd he insist on doing it himself?"
"What a guy."
Crack!
The whip lashed my wet body.
A burning pain hit, but it wasn't as bad as I'd thought.
I shook my head lightly to clear the hair from my eyes.
Better keep asking questions.
"What's the name of the guy who kidnapped me?"
"What good's knowing? You're dying anyway."
"So I can shout his name as he kills me."
"Guy still hasn't accepted reality."
"Hey! How many times do we gotta say it? You got dumbass-kidnapped by a total loser!"
The masked ones reveled in my denial of reality.
They laughed until it echoed, then pointed at me.
"Couldn't lift a finger against that stuttering nerd who never straightens his back!"
"Man, wanna show you his mug. Seeing that pathetic sight would shock you more."
"But he's still one of your rookies—talking that harsh?"
"Still in denial."
The kidnappers seemed to find endless fun in mocking the "arrogant rookie Badger who couldn't accept getting kidnapped by a plain civilian."
But it wasn't arrogance...
Ah. No matter how I explain it, I sound like a total prick.
I gave up trying to explain further. They didn't seem to know much about the guy anyway—just kept emphasizing how pathetic he was. Stuttering, hunched back, nail-biting when anxious, never worked out.
Then, when they got bored, the male twin grabbed my hair.
He yanked my head up and grinned.
"Our arrogant Talib."
Madness and superiority gleamed in his eyes.
"Time to teach you a lesson in humility."
Cheesy line.
Holding a whip in that pitch-black suit—picture was ridiculous.
I sighed as the twin raised his whip hand.
"No one's coming to save you, even if you beg for mercy in tears."
My sigh must've felt like a taunt. The man spoke.
"Even if Ye-hyeon saw the email, no way he'd find this place in time."
"Oh, really?"
"No point busting his ass to save a worthless rookie."
Gleeful spark.
Rising smirk.
Whatever belief he was preaching, right now it was pure thrill from crushing a Badger. He swung the whip.
"Your arrogance killed you, Talib!"
Bang!
A hand explodes.
Bang!
The other twin's hand flies off too.
Kidnappers frozen like after a bomb blast.
Man and woman staring blankly at their missing hands.
I blinked at them, forgetting to even scream.
Ah.
This time, my skills really failed me—I missed the presence.
"Aaaagh!"
A shrill scream pierced my ears.
"Aaagh! My hand! My hand!"
"Ugh! Agh!"
"Guns!"
"Help!"
"How long you been there?"
I let out a hollow laugh at the man standing ghost-like in the dark corner.
"Didn't even hear you come in."
Lee Seung-hyun didn't answer.
He stepped out of the shadows with heavy footfalls instead. The kidnappers, screaming in shock at the blood soaking the floor and scattered flesh, finally noticed him late.
The terrified shouts thickened.
Lee Seung-hyun walked straight to me, ignoring the panic.
"Thanks."
"Lab rat?"
The man flicked his arm to free my bonds, then raised one eyebrow at my forehead.
"You let them stamp this on you?"
"Got dosed with so much drugs, no confidence in controlling my strength."
I let out a small groan, bracing the floor to sit up.
Hands bluish from being tied too long.
"They were filming nonstop... If I messed up strength control and only that clip leaked online, it'd be disaster."
Even elders can't scrub every video from the internet.
I really didn't want to put Ye-hyeon in a tough spot.
Lee Seung-hyun snorted wordlessly as I rose slowly. No need for words—his thoughts were clear. Getting kidnapped was pathetic.
Can't argue that...
The stamp on my forehead and stomach still hurt.
I sighed heavily and met his eyes.
"But didn't expect you. Was waiting for Colton."
Ignoring the screaming kidnappers and the twins flailing pale-faced to staunch their wrists, his disciple raised a brow.
Yekaterina's right-hand man.
Looked just like Ye-hyeon, but without that unique pallor and fragility. He spoke in a low voice.
"You still haven't grasped the situation?"
"Huh? What?"
"Guess you have no clue about the fallout."
My ears caught approaching engine roars.
Several cars pulling up. People getting out.
Lee Seung-hyun stepped back a pace from me.
"Better start realizing now."
The door opened.
Blinding light stabbing eyes used to dark. Approaching footsteps. Amid panicked screams, I sensed the bustling presences.
People strolled in casually. Familiar faces. Eric looking thrilled, contrasting the scowling blond.
Shashinsky looking as pissed as the blond.
As they crossed the threshold, Jaeyeon—looking as thrilled as Eric—burst through the wall.
Male body this time.
"What the!"
Kidnappers panicked and yelled, but no one glanced their way.
"Who are you guys! Who the hell are you!"
Not like an elder meeting—why arrive one after another?
I was just waiting for Colton. Feels overly honored.
Population density spiked instantly. This dump turned into an elder gathering spot.
Shashinsky and the blond punched out fleeing kidnappers.
"Ah, what a sight."
Eric stopped at a spot and spoke the moment he saw me.
"Wanna snap a pic to remember."
"You already saw the video."
"Obviously. That's why we rushed here."
"Aw, fuck."
Jaeyeon scanned Lee Seung-hyun, Eric, and crew, then spat a curse.
"Came in pumped, but Ye-hyeon's dad and cult weirdos killed the vibe."
The fox-like man ruffled his hair irritably.
Lee Seung-hyun ignored the eye-rolling, Eric winked smoothly.
I watched Jaeyeon flip off Eric with both middle fingers.
Then asked.
"Why so late?"
"You complain after we show up?"
Jaeyeon turned from Eric.
He glared at me, brows furrowed, then burst laughing at my forehead.
"Dude! Up close, it's hilarious!"
"Yeah. Thanks for worrying."
"Too bad. If not for the exam, we'd have let it drag longer."
His eyes curved like crescent moons.
"Then we'd have way better footage."
Everyone saw the video, huh.
Then Ye-hyeon and Sca definitely saw it too. First and second videos, both.
Realizing that, shame surged up. Not embarrassing shown to these guys, but thinking of Ye-hyeon or Sca seeing it? Mortifying.
I closed my eyes briefly to calm my turmoil.
In the darkness, I heard Shashinsky and blond efficiently handling kidnappers. They staunched the twins' wounds, planning to drag them off alive.
Eh. Elders'll handle it now.
I breathed slowly.
"Hey, hurry up."
Jaeyeon's irritated voice made me open my eyes.
"Aren't you taking the exam?"
I am.
Eyes open, I turned to the tall man by the crumbled wall.
The one I'd briefly suspected as culprit, still not fully cleared.
I stepped toward him.
"Ugh."
Body pitched forward.
Lee Seung-hyun beside me caught my stumbling form with an outstretched arm. Solid grip. Without him, faceplant.
Aw...
Smelling blood on my disciple, I gave a wry smile.
"Sorry."
This is really embarrassing.
"Thanks."
"Hildebert."
The following voice.
The one I'd been hoping to hear.
And in this situation, the last one I wanted.
Elegant and charismatic.
The voice that changed the air just by opening his mouth.
"Get in the car."
Colton Wiseman.
Standing impeccably beyond the crumbled wall.
He fixed his blazing blue eyes on me.