Chapter 184
Chapter 184
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Yi Do-won (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Two days until Shiba's talent show.
It'd be nice if nothing happened, but I won't feel right unless I scour the area thoroughly.
What if a bomb goes off nearby and shuts down Shiba's show?
Just imagining it makes my eyes bloodshot and my hands and feet tremble.
Counter-revolutionaries.
To me, they're all commies, reactionaries, and Nazis.
The wording might be crude, but that's just how cheap my vocabulary is.
They're the ones wearing that vile label while calling themselves 'Flower'.
It's an insult to flowers—more like dumping filth on them.
A World Tree would be better.
Trees at least let me reap abilities from them.
'...Sigh.'
I sat in an alley during the day, cooling off my sweat, and put on the mask.
The moment I did, it sank into my skin like lotion.
A completely different face stared back.
Skin Mask. It fit the name perfectly—my face had transformed utterly.
'Clothes... Not ideal for now.'
I'd just thrown on a hoodie from the dorm.
Early summer was hot, but bearable.
Since I'd been selected for the Forest Keeper trials, my finals were replaced by midterms, so I skipped the academy entirely.
-Bzzz, bzzzz!
My mentor's calls tugged at my conscience, but...
Even CCTV wouldn't catch me. I used spatial magic to slip out undetected from the dorm.
'Sorry. You were so enthusiastic. Please understand.'
I muted the phone vibrations, mumbling an excuse about training late and crashing hard.
'Gotta get a burner phone.'
I shoved my hand in the hoodie pocket and scanned the alleys around me.
With this face-changing artifact, I avoided the old awkward stares.
-...Why the mask?
Back when I first attended the academy, it cemented my weirdo image.
This was a huge improvement.
"Anyway."
How do I track down those bastards ahead?
Flower's a big organization—bound to have a presence here.
Another drug incident like last time wasn't impossible.
'...Normal methods won't cut it.'
Last time was blatant terrorism.
But organized groups link with corporations and have escape plans.
They blew the factory sky-high to erase evidence, remember?
'The issue is what they're targeting here.'
First, blindly patrol the area.
Not baseless.
Third petal: Cistus.
If they're zealots driven by conviction, they might strike impulsively, ignoring their base.
'Drug trafficking.'
Recalling that incident.
I hadn't thought much of Flower then, but now it warranted review.
Drugs with severe addiction... turning victims into Ents.
But different from the factory Ents.
Wood Ghosts.
Global terror group... maybe brewing monstrous weapons.
Start with wild theories and work methodically.
If it pans out, great luck.
Build from there... trace the evidence.
Weapons mimicking awakener enhancers. Astronomical costs normally, but sponsors abound for this.
'...Wealthy families.'
Like Lee Se-young's Oak Family. Or Azalea, Cornus.
Azalea runs her own company, so probably not, but families could fund covertly.
Against the World Tree's will?
Corporations chase profit, gods or not.
"......"
I wandered alleys, then hit the streets.
Dodging cars, I covered kilometers briskly, spotting bustling factories.
I paused.
-Outskirts lead straight to the industrial zone. Imported mana processors are essential for them. Korea's a mana-tech powerhouse—that's where it flocks.
I drew up mana slowly, sensing every object around.
A natural skill honed with growth: detecting presences.
Start here, expand outward.
Why factories? Simple.
Star hinted at resources Flower craves here. High chance of shady deals.
Plus, big corps make Hunter Association or government probes tricky.
Most dangerous spot.
Still, legwork was best—no better option.
Select spots with intel, then leave the rest to luck.
And I got lucky.
*****
"The director looks so tired lately."
At the teacher's concern, Shin Hye-young tilted her head first, peering at the director's face.
Her cheeks were sunken, eyes shadowed dark.
Hard to believe this was the same woman always pushing drinks.
"Ugh..."
"You okay?"
"Yeah... Hye-young. Feeling sluggish lately."
Director Min Hyun-joo scratched her nape with dark-circled eyes, then stood.
"...Gonna head out early. Can't hack it."
"Take care! Oh, Director!"
She shuffled to the door, legs unsteady, body frail.
Hye-young glanced aside, spotted a wallet on the floor, and called out.
"You forgot your wallet."
"...Huh? When'd I drop it?"
Checking pockets, Hyun-joo grinned sheepishly and reached out.
"Losing my memory sometimes lately."
"Seen a doctor?"
"...Appointment Saturday. Ugh, yaaawn."
A massive yawn, but no relief in it.
She tucked the wallet into her handbag, grabbed the door, then paused as if remembering something.
"Oh right, Hye-young."
"Yes?"
"...Bought jelly with my money. Feed the kids before it spoils."
"Jelly doesn't spoil that fast. Hehe."
"Doesn't it."
She often bought snacks for the kids with her own cash.
Hye-young smiled, waved her off, and fetched the jelly from the fridge.
Fruit jelly in cups—small for adults, plenty for kids.
Recalling how she'd missed snacks as a kid and wanted to spoil them, Hye-young chuckled.
'Director really loves the kids.'
Not junk—real fruit chunks, healthy stuff.
"Wonder if the director's okay like this."
Once Min Hyun-joo left, a colleague stared at the door, pained.
"Won't she collapse?"
"...She did look exhausted."
"Who knows. Weird diseases popping up everywhere. Flower? Those lunatics. Rumors say they're cooking up a virus now~"
"Gasp, no swearing at a kindergarten!"
"Got it~ I know you care about the kids, Hye-young."
"Seriously."
Puffing her cheeks, Hye-young grabbed the jelly and headed to the door.
"Gonna give the kids their snack."
"Thanks."
In the kitchen, she portioned the jelly, breaking it small to avoid choking.
Kids stuff big pieces in mouths, so she stabbed spoons into each plate.
"No need to go that far—they eat fine."
"What if one chokes?"
A teacher with coffee chuckled, but Hye-young was firm.
"I dreamed of big jelly bites as a kid. Who knows? You might crush their dreams."
"Pfft, what?"
Light banter in the cozy vibe.
Older kids don't cause issues.
Just fuss over the little ones—that's standard.
Hye-young's doting was overkill, sure.
She loaded 40 plates on a big tray and headed to her class.
"Kids~ Snack time!"
Her cheerful call lit up the playing Wood People toddlers.
They mobbed her apron and legs with sunflower smiles.
"Wow~!"
"What's it?"
"What'd the director get us today~?"
"I know! Choco pie!"
"Nope~"
Amid the swarm, one green-haired toddler observed from afar, intrigued.
Hye-young waved at Shiba, who hopped up reluctantly, arms swinging as she toddled over.
"Wow, jelly!"
"Know this fruit?"
"Strawberry!"
"Correct~ Hyun-soo, genius?"
"Hehehe."
Handing out jelly, she gave Shiba hers too.
After distributing, Hye-young set the tray on her hip and watched Shiba eat.
"......"
Shiba eyed the jelly, then Hye-young.
Wanting to share?
She split hers with the spoon and offered half.
"You."
Hehe. A loose smile.
Hye-young patted Shiba's shoulder, beaming mom-like.
Wanted to pet her head, but lately she wouldn't allow it.
'So cute~'
Mocking child actors with her charm.
Hye-young's new joy.
*****
"This is brutal."
"Why do they need all this crap anyway?"
Robed figures trembled at five packed logistics trucks.
"...Beats me."
Flower grunts.
Conscious, complaining, but eyes vacant as they stared at the ground.
"...So, that rumor true?"
"What rumor."
"All this—for drug development. Helping families."
"Dunno. But whispers been around."
Cornerus Family.
From medieval to modern, lineage unbroken—everyone knows the name.
Governments and corps dare not cross their threshold.
Wealth top-tier worldwide.
But glory breeds conspiracies aplenty.
Same inside Flower.
Rumors swirled about a frequent middle-aged visitor being Cornerus kin.
"Hey, you know, right?"
Gazes locked on a veteran worker.
"Sigh."
Bitter breath. Smoke-veiled face.
He unveiled ruined eyes, cheek scarred badly from burns.
"Keeps coming up. Probably some truth."
"...Then they've got the World Tree's curse already?"
"Pfft hahaha. Bullshit."
He sneered viciously.
Crushed his cigarette with fierce eyes.
Black ash scarred the floor with smoke.
"World Tree can't wield power anymore. Just a figurehead god. If it cut out Cornerus now, what do they gain?"
Endure massive loss to excise the cancer.
Long treatment afterward—normal function unlikely.
Not growing pains.
Unnecessary sacrifice. No hostility toward World Tree so far.
Thus, hard to punish as blasphemy without proof.
"No evidence. Just suspicion."
"Dunno."
"But it could blow anytime."
He lit a fresh smoke mechanically.
Then, someone yelled ahead.
"...One guy's watching us."
Thud!
Daily chat froze into blank masks.
Hoods down, mana gripped tight.
Freshly smoked, their mana flared brighter, livelier.
"Lucky bastard—one."
Lucky. The rat that tailed them.
Call that luck? Whatever, they did.
The central man scanned surroundings with dull eyes.