Fried Chicken Breakout
Lee Taeseop nodded in shock, then kicked off the wall and leaped up, but the panic room's high ceiling kept his hands just short of the vent opening. No matter how many times he tried, it was the same.
"Take off your clothes and tie them together like a rope. I'll grab it."
Kim Jun came up with the idea.
"Okay."
Lee Taeseop stripped off his shirt and pants, knotting them into one long piece. He grabbed it and kicked off the wall again.
Whoosh.
Kim Jun caught the bundle with his right hand and held firm. With that pull, Lee Taeseop hauled himself into the vent.
"You were locked up too?"
"Something like that."
"What the hell is going on?"
"Move first. If they spot us, we're done."
Kim Jun resumed crawling. Lee Taeseop followed behind.
Jeong Taek-su closely examined the panic room door—thick and heavy like a safe—before turning to Kim Se-wi.
"That's the Cheonroegeom in there."
"Just open it."
"Team leader, that's cheating."
"Cheating my ass."
Kim Se-wi scowled, then let out a groan. His right palm up to his elbow was badly burned.
The skin was bright red and inflamed, some parts bubbling up like foam before bursting and oozing yellow pus.
"Whatever, we'll let it slide for now."
Jeong Taek-su raised his hand and tapped his fingers like piano keys. In rhythm with the silent melody, grains of dirt poured from his jacket pocket, gathering in the air. Countless specks danced to an unheard tune.
Spitera.
It was an item made from specially processed soil infused with rare cores like Spiridium and others.
The dirt slipped into the door's gap and entered the panic room. The Cheonroegeom sparked defiantly at the intrusion—pop pop—but it had no effect on the Spitera.
Soon, the Spitera coiled around the hilt and yanked. The Cheonroegeom clattered to the floor.
"Got it."
Jeong Taek-su grinned.
The Spitera flew back into his pocket on its own.
Kim Se-wi entered the panic room.
It was empty. Looking up, he spotted the vent opening. Kim Jun had fled that way.
"Find him now!"
The security team sprang into action.
"Team leader."
It was Jeong Taek-su.
"What?"
"Mind if I hold onto the Cheonroegeom? It'll belong to whoever takes out that guy anyway. Until then, I'd like to keep it. You won't object, right?"
"Do what you want."
Kim Se-wi barely suppressed his irritation.
"Sob sob."
A crying sound came from behind. It was muffled, suppressed sobs that sounded even sadder for it.
Kim Jun swallowed the urge to tell him to be quiet.
Now that Lee Taeseop knew the full situation, he must feel like the sky had fallen. Born into a solid family, he'd never faced a crisis like this. It was no wonder his mind was crumbling.
All Kim Jun could do was keep his arms and legs moving, crawling forward diligently.
"I-it's... all your... fault."
Lee Taeseop sniffled.
"Yeah."
Kim Jun understood his psychology.
It wasn't sincere. He was just so devastated by the world's sudden betrayal that he needed to vent on someone. He had to get past this stage before he could accept reality and make plans.
The problem was time.
How long would it take to move beyond hating and blaming someone? It might pass in under ten minutes—or he could resent forever.
Kim Jun pressed on in silence.
At intersections, he picked a direction without hesitation.
"Where are we going now?"
Lee Taeseop asked.
Kim Jun grinned. Typical Lee Taeseop. He'd already moved past denial.
"To get chicken."
"...What?"
"Smell it? Fried chicken."
"Y-you're joking, right?"
"I don't joke about food."
Kim Jun picked up the pace.
The vent grate in the cafeteria kitchen ceiling swung open. Kim Jun poked his head out, scanned the area, and dropped down first.
The kitchen—gleaming stainless steel sinks, counters, massive gas ranges, industrial fridges—was dead silent.
Everyone had evacuated due to the lockdown.
Kim Jun's eyes widened at the fridge. A mountain of perfectly golden fried chicken was piled on one side.
He went under the vent and beckoned.
"Come down."
"...Okay."
Lee Taeseop mustered his courage and jumped. Kim Jun was already grabbing plates and loading them with chicken.
"Check the fridge for kimchi."
"There really is chicken."
"Told you, no jokes about food. Kimchi."
"Yeah."
Lee Taeseop rummaged and pulled out crisp kimchi, realizing just how starving he was. They hunkered down in an unseen corner and tore into the chicken with gusto.
Kim Jun targeted the drumsticks mainly.
Luckily, Lee Taeseop stuck to wings and breast, so no overlap.
Only after a heap of bones piled up did Lee Taeseop burst out laughing at himself for devouring so much even now.
"Man, I was really scared back there."
Kim Jun chewed a drumstick and eyed him.
"Kinda embarrassing seeing you bawl."
"You were cool fighting the wax figures in the Honor Hall."
Kim Jun recalled Lee Taeseop pulling out an idol photo from his wallet and cracking a joke. That cool act had made Gong Yunju and Kang Hyeonseong laugh and rally.
"I don't care what happens to me, but..."
Lee Taeseop gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"Thinking my family—bro and parents—would suffer because of me... I couldn't stand it. And above all, sigh... I really trusted the Association. Never imagined the Association or Jushin would treat me like this."
Kim Jun got it.
The greater the trust, the greater the disappointment, despair, and grief. Maybe he was staying relatively level-headed because he'd never expected anything from the Association.
Then, the sound of security team members running down the front hallway reached the kitchen.
Kim Jun and Lee Taeseop held their breath.
Thankfully, no one suspected two people hiding in the cafeteria kitchen.
"What now?"
"Buy time."
Kim Jun reached for another drumstick.
Yang Jaejin nodded.
Yi Hoseong took a deep breath, pistol at the ready, and entered the office. Yang Jaejin quickly checked the left side of the entrance.
Yi Hoseong swept every corner between partitions, checked the break room, then said,
"Clear."
Yang Jaejin opened cabinets, inspecting every possible hiding spot for Kim Jun, then turned.
"Clear."
"Phew, not here either. Good thing, Sergeant Yang."
Yi Hoseong released the trigger and wiped sweat from his sleeve.
He hadn't seen real action yet, so maintaining tension was tough.
"Hoseong, let's smoke one."
Yang Jaejin stopped a security member heading to the next office.
"Can we?"
"Who'll know."
Yang Jaejin plopped into a chair, set his gun on the desk, and lit a cigarette.
Yi Hoseong quickly flicked his lighter.
"Sergeant Park okay?"
"Myung-gyu? Even if we catch that bastard Kim Jun quick, he'll get disciplined bad. With Kim Se-wi raging and injured, Myung-gyu's screwed for failing the panic room. Anyway, gotta nab that fucker fast. Where the hell is he?"
Yang Jaejin spat.
Normally, he couldn't even enter here. These offices belonged to Dungeon Exam passers—tough as the bar exam.
"So, Sergeant Park, kicked out of security company?"
"Worst case, Sea Prison. Jushin might pin him as accomplice."
"...What?"
Yi Hoseong's eyes widened.
"All because of that prick. Shoulda stayed a carrier. Why take the awakening test and cause this shit? How many suffer 'cause of him?"
"Can this gun take him down?"
Yi Hoseong raised the silencer-equipped pistol.
Villains were ability users like raiders—just criminals. Bullets lethal to normals often bounced off raiders.
That's why mobile strike teams existed.
Their core guns, loaded with cores, made even villains tremble.
"He's fresh off awakening test. Ex-carrier too. And... orders are orders."
Yang Jaejin stubbed his cigarette on the monitor, tossing the butt on the desk.
Then, the radio crackled.
Yang Jaejin grabbed the radio with an annoyed look.
"This is Black Five. Go ahead, Black One. Over."
"Got it. Over."
Yang Jaejin grumbled as he stood.
The time-cut order probably didn't come from the security company commander... or even the section chief.
Some Jushin raider with a burned arm.
Yi Hoseong opened the office door, pistol lowered—and froze, speechless.
Kim Jun stood right there.
The startled Yi Hoseong raised his pistol, but Kim Jun's foot snapped up, kicking his wrist.
The gun vanished under the partition.
Kim Jun surged in with Mokhonbo Tan step, slamming his right elbow into Yi Hoseong's solar plexus. As he crumpled, drooling, Kim Jun spotted another guard aiming over his shoulder and dove for the wall.
Ping ping ping.
Bullets thudded into the door and wall.
Using Mokhonbo Tan and Po steps along the wall, Kim Jun planted a foot on the partition top and tackled Yang Jaejin in one motion.
His knee pinned the shoulder; Yang Jaejin toppled backward. He pulled the trigger, but the shot hit the partition.
Kim Jun's bandaged right hand uppercut Yang Jaejin's jaw, knocking him out.
"Whew."
Kim Jun winced at the pain in his left arm and patted down the fallen guards.
He needed the radio most; grabbed the silencer pistol too. Found a chocolate bar—why leave it?
Lee Taeseop peeked in, startled at the unconscious guards.
"This okay?"
"Can't just surrender. Didn't kill 'em. Not a dungeon here."
His calm tone made Lee Taeseop stare at Kim Jun.
How did he stay so composed? Lots of practice? It made sense why Baek Seungtae flipped from hating him.
"Now what?"
"Change clothes, just in case. Help me ditch this cast. Or smash it."
"Your arm? It's broken."
"Fix later. Hurry."
Lee Taeseop marveled at his decisiveness. He pondered, but once set, charged ahead without second thoughts.
"Got it, team leader."
Kim Jun chuckled at that.
Moments later, both wore crisp black security uniforms. Kim Jun eyed the underwear-clad guards and pointed to the break room.
"Hide 'em here; too obvious otherwise. Over there."
Lee Taeseop dragged them in. Kim Jun gagged them with bloody bandages, bound wrists and ankles crossed with found cord—impossible to escape.
Looked pro to Lee Taeseop.
"Where'd you learn this?"
"Docs."
"Really?"
"Kidding."
Kim Jun grinned and headed into the hall.