Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Elder's Mansion (2)
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I wanted to smack Jaeyeon.
But rational judgment told me now wasn’t the time, cooling my impulse.
I’d get out first…
“What kind of guy is this Yates?”
I asked without removing the hand covering my face.
“If we come clean with the truth and say we want to leave, will he let us go nice and easy?”
Jaeyeon snorted.
It was as good as an answer, but I didn’t want to face reality.
Jaeyeon ruthlessly dragged me back to it.
“He’ll be thrilled a rat wandered into his trap. If we get caught, we won’t go down easy.”
Yoon muttered to himself in a voice like he was suppressing murderous rage.
“If it looks like we’ll get nabbed, we toss this psycho as bait and bolt.”
“Will he kill us?”
I removed the hand from my face.
Then, slouching as I sat up, I stared glumly at the floor.
White, featureless plastic flooring.
“One’s the right-hand man of the top powerbroker, one’s a renowned scientist and the youngest son of the Etak family, and one is…”
What am I…?
“The Supreme Commander’s ace agent, who’s caught the eye of the upper echelon elders?”
“Doesn’t it embarrass you to call yourself an ace agent?”
Jaeyeon asked.
I glared at the man responsible for this mess.
“Shut up.”
“But sorry, what can we do? Yates doesn’t know who you are.”
Huh?
Why not?
“Only the elders who were there that day know you. To the rest, you’re just some street-rat badger.”
“The one from the Colosseum knew me.”
“That’s why we’re screwed. You overreached without knowing your place.”
“So the other elders really don’t know me? Even though I was at the party they hosted?”
“They’d have done a background check, obviously! But what’d they find?”
Jaeyeon shrugged, then suddenly grinned.
Every time he smiled, he reminded me of a fox demon from a comic.
“Point is, if you get caught, you’re dead meat!”
Just me?
“You won’t even die easy. You’ll get the full Yates torture treatment—sweet as pie. He sticks to brilliantly old-school interrogation methods. Honestly, compared to that, our imagination is downright pathetic!”
“Hey.”
I ignored the unwanted info about Colton’s colorful interrogation techniques.
Jaeyeon looked at me. Yoon, who’d been sulking beside me staring at his phone, looked up too.
I glanced back and forth between the two handsome guys in pitch-black suits, then spoke.
“Listen up. If I die here, it’s all your fault.”
Jaeyeon just laughed without replying.
Should I skip the escape plan and beat him first?
As I pondered, Yoon pocketed his phone and stood.
“Enough pointless talk that helps nothing. Let’s figure out how to get out.”
Why’s this pointless?
We’d just had a crucial discussion—namely, that if the elder’s minions catch us, only my life’s on the line. It was so unfair.
But I stood up anyway.
My eye level shifted, taking in the surroundings.
The portal was closed now. Annoyingly, no going back that way.
The blue ripples were gone, leaving just the device’s skeleton.
The area around it was shabby.
Like an unused basement storage room. Dim fluorescent lights illuminated a space cluttered with random junk—scattered boxes, toolboxes, paper cups, water cooler.
No signs of life, which was a relief.
Didn’t seem like anyone would show up anytime soon.
That was all the info observation yielded. I finished sullenly scanning the area and asked.
“How about calling the Commander or Falcon?”
“Bad idea.”
Yoon replied.
“First, the second we call, our location’s blown. Second, they’ll find us before backup arrives. Third, no guarantee Falcon would even help.”
“Very logical. I’ll turn off my phone.”
My master nodded at my response.
I’m no good with this stuff. Sure, I’ve been on Earth a while, but I was away too long. I didn’t know the extent of modern tech or how to counter it.
In spy work against humans and machines, I was a total rookie.
Jaeyeon, on the other hand, was an expert.
Yoon… probably seemed like a newbie like me, but surely wasn’t.
I didn’t want to think deeper.
“So how do we get out?”
The problem was, the ones coming for us were experts too.
I wanted to escape before they arrived. Go home, change into comfy clothes, and sleep.
I pressed Jaeyeon.
“You got in here, so you know the way out.”
Jaeyeon was silent for a while.
He wore a pensive expression. Being totally unhinged, I couldn’t guess his thoughts.
Retracing the path here?
Silence settled in the pale warehouse.
Minutes later, the fickle one spoke.
“Ye-hyeon…”
Yoon slapped Jaeyeon.
Smack!
Jaeyeon’s fist flew back.
Thwack!
“You two get along great.”
I muttered tiredly.
“Thanks to you, we’ll sneak out undetected.”
They ignored me.
A brutal brawl erupted. No confidence to break it up. They rolled tangled, smashing everything around. Thud! Thud! Boom! Yoon’s punches and kicks were efficient, no waste. Jaeyeon’s were merciless, emotional.
Why snap like this after holding back?
I sighed and looked around.
Spotted a pipe.
Perfect.
I grabbed it and swung like a sword.
Kwoong!
The tangled men took the strike and crashed into the wall.
Crashing wall and groaning men.
I tossed the broken pipe to the floor.
“Do you have to go wild without a leash?”
Jaeyeon irritably shook debris from his hair; Yoon sullenly brushed off rubble from the collapsed wall.
Both spat blood.
I coldly overlooked the scene.
“At this rate, we’ll kill each other first. Pull it together and let’s go.”
I turned to Yoon.
My master sat on the rubble, eyes narrowed.
Seeing his neat, pale face, I barked.
“Senior. It’s not work hours, so until we escape, drop the rank and talk straight.”
Yoon looked up.
“Isn’t this the situation we’re in?”
I was prepared.
For ‘What’d you eat to talk like that?’ Or ‘Get ready then.’ Or even a raised eyebrow.
But Yoon didn’t.
He stared at me with a parched face.
“Fine.”
Fear crawled up my throat.
“Scary.”
“What do you want me to do?”
I muttered preemptively, and Yoon looked exasperated.
“You say it, then chicken out?”
“No, why accept so readily? It’s scary.”
“Want me to punch you?”
Yoon said flatly, then stood.
Jaeyeon, who’d lit a cigarette from his pocket, stood too. I tensed, fearing another fight.
But fortunately, they focused elsewhere.
Footsteps from outside.
“Guess we’re busted.”
Jaeyeon muttered at the door.
I stared sullenly at him.
“Wow. Really. So. Surprising.”
“You’re even slimier than before?”
“Got a gun?”
Yoon, pressed against the wall dividing hall and room, asked lowly.
Directed at Jaeyeon.
“There’ll be opposition.”
“Nope.”
“Guns matter?”
I gauged distance from the footsteps.
“They’re all Enhanced Bodies anyway.”
“You don’t know shit.”
Jaeyeon shot me a ‘that’s why rookies suck’ look.
“Green Dream rounds are standard here.”
Great news.
Eyes rolling while plastered to the wall.
Approaching steps halted simultaneously.
They’d stopped right at our door. Obviously. After these lunatics made such a racket, not getting caught would be weirder.
Hated killing if avoidable.
Muttering as the doorknob turned.
“You’re not planning to kill everyone on the way out, right?”
Door opening.
Yates’s minion on corridor patrol couldn’t fire.
As it opened, waiting Yoon slapped the gun away, disarming; Jaeyeon’s fist cracked the jaw.
Smack!
Eyes rolling back, opponent crumpled like a log.
Yoon kicked the body aside.
“Good start.”
Jaeyeon whistled, kneeling by the unconscious man.
“Now I got a gun, honey.”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“Let’s avoid guns if possible.”
Having gloriously failed at bantering with Yoon, I knelt beside Jaeyeon.
Reached out, snatching the gun he was grabbing.
Ignoring Jaeyeon’s irritation—‘I answered ‘cause you asked!’—I looked up at my master.
He met my eyes.
“Who knows. Won’t be smooth. Even low elders didn’t claw to the top on luck.”
But killing’s a crime.
Of course I knew. Once you’re an elder’s minion, society erases your existence, so killing them isn’t a crime.
Yoon and Jaeyeon had zero intent to spare lives, nor did the enemy.
If I fell into their hands, I’d end up a mess.
This place was the most dangerous for me.
“No decent sword, and you suck at guns.”
Yoon said, reading my mind.
“Told you to practice.”
“Sorry.”
I muttered gloomily.
“Never imagined this scenario.”
Goal: escape with minimal engagement.
Thinking that, Jaeyeon and I amiably stripped the minion.
***
Ami was drinking a Java Chip Frappuccino.
Delicious Java Chip Frappuccino.
Friday evening, cool weather. Patrol ended hours ago. She’d eaten dinner nearby, then ordered a drink to-go from a beverage stand.
If Yoon had no schedule, she’d have gone home for dinner together.
Hilde had plans too.
Seemed like they went somewhere together.
Heading home, Ska called. On his way off-duty, wanted to grab beers?
Her patrol zone included Ska’s place. Ami happily accepted. Rare chance to see Ska. They’d hung out often before he became aide.
Said he’d eat dinner and stroll nearby, so come slow.
Waiting for her friend, strolling the bustling street, she ordered the Frappuccino.
Sweet Frappuccino…
Standing at the crowded roadside, staring at the number board, she beamed when hers came up.
Frappuccino’s ready!
Poke.
Too focused, Ami momentarily forgot her surroundings.
Didn’t notice someone approaching.
“Huh?”
Taking the Java Chip Frappuccino, she widened her eyes, looking at her warm side.
“Ugh?!”
“Ami!”
Ska’s urgent voice.
“Choi Ami!”
Stabbed with a knife.
Sharp pain hit her side. Ami’s eyes bulged as she slowly sank to the ground.
Shrieks from bystanders, Ska’s voice shoving through.
Ghostly fading voice of the perp too.
“That white-hair so great?”
She whipped her head around.
But the voice’s owner was gone, vanished into the crowd.
Ami blankly stared where the unfamiliar voice came from.
Until Ska cursed double, peering at the wound that wouldn’t close easily.
Until she realized the tragic fact she’d dropped her Frappuccino.