Time for Revenge
Before I knew it, the sky outside had gone dark.
Fresh from the shower, I sat waiting inside the government-run building they called the Hwaseong Gate Management Office. I kept trading messages with the company, hanging on every update while we waited for word that our people had been pulled out safely.
"Ah, so much for clocking out today. Of all the nights for this to blow up, it had to be a Friday."
A staffer from Shinbaram Corporation was venting. Their side already had confirmation that one Awakened was dead, so the situation should have hit them harder—yet the guy's face looked completely detached from the gravity of it. Senior and I, on the other hand, had gone stone-faced.
Six hours had already crawled by since the rescue team went in. Seven of those heavy hitters had piled through the Gate, and still not a single word. That silence meant whatever was happening inside was almost certainly worse than anything we understood.
"Senior. What are they saying at the company?"
"Overtime pay if we sit tight and wait, what else. This is a disaster. The rental gear's insured through the vendor, so that part will sort itself out no matter what... but we're still looking at massive losses. Might be months without a bonus."
"Money matters, sure, but still..."
"You think I don't know? Team Leader An Sora. Kim Miyeon. The Awakened... they all have to come out alive. You've been through it yourself—when those monsters swarm, do you really think our company's soft Awakened could hold out? Wearing C-rank suits, not even A-rank? Haa..."
Senior sighed once every twenty seconds. Listening to it was getting on my nerves, so I stepped outside for a smoke.
I was lighting up when a woman approached. The same Diamond Guild woman who'd been spouting manuals earlier—and who'd gotten an eyeful of me naked. My private nickname for her, of course.
"Why... is something wrong? Want one?"
"Yes. Please."
I'd only offered out of politeness; I hadn't expected her to take it so readily. I handed her a cigarette and transferred the flame from mine. I hadn't even bothered pulling out a lighter—just a casual gesture—yet she leaned in so naturally our foreheads nearly touched.
She didn't pull back, which I found oddly fascinating, so I just stared at her face. Cold impression, but not an ugly one.
"Hoo... thanks. But why are you looking at me like that? Something on my face?"
"No. Just curious."
"Ah, I hear that a lot from regular guys."
"Regular guys?"
"Men who live completely separate from dungeons and Awakened. Women like me must seem exotic to them. But you're in the same line of work, aren't you? You went into a dungeon and came back out."
"Ah, introductions are late. Kang Junghyeok, Cool Support. Fresh Academy graduate herding rookies through F-rank dungeons, nothing more."
"I see. Then what brings someone like you here? Ah—company people?"
"Something like that. First time on an E-rank dungeon, and I never dreamed it would turn out like this. Hoo..."
Working the same industry made conversation easy, the way it had been the first time I met Shin Haneul. Meaningless small talk flowed back and forth, and the cigarettes burned down in the blink of an eye.
"Sorry about earlier."
"About what, all of a sudden?"
"The mana-coated suit. Last time I lost one of the gloves by accident, so I was on edge."
"Ah, I get it. What happened with the lost one? Those things aren't cheap."
"Still only cost me three months' pay cut. Considering the price of the glove, the company went easy on me."
"They billed you for it? Insurance should have covered it."
"It's not just about the money. Someone could fake an accident and quietly sell the gear, so they say harsh penalties are non-negotiable for prevention."
"I see. That must've been rough."
"Heh... I really can't keep my mouth shut around someone I just met."
"This is also the first time I've shown everything to a woman I just met."
I'd meant it as a joke, but then last night's business-trip massage flashed through my mind. Unintentionally, I'd just lied. Not that it mattered.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
I'd been hoping for a flustered or embarrassed face. What I got was nothing like what I expected.
"D-did what?"
Now I was the one thrown off. Was she calling my question sexual harassment, or was she saying walking out of the shower naked had been deliberate? Either way could land as harassment, technically.
The doubt only cleared with her next words.
"What you showed me. That wasn't intentional?"
"Of course not. I'm not that shameless. I genuinely forgot."
"How do you 'forget' that? You were holding the suit you'd been wearing and somehow blanked on the fact you were naked—does that make any sense?"
"No. What I blanked on was the fact that you were a woman."
She looked utterly speechless. Finally her expression shifted. Lips pushed out in a pout, cheeks puffed full of air—pure girl. I found myself thinking she was actually pretty cute. Even the sore-loser streak.
"I couldn't tell you were a man either. Too small."
"Then why were you groping your own chest while looking at that 'small' thing?"
Maybe that one went too far. I watched her face carefully. Color slowly climbed into her cheeks.
"That was just... it itched, so don't get the wrong idea."
"I won't."
"Pfft..."
Without realizing it, I was grinning wide. Strange. Talking with her had somehow sorted out the mess in my head. Completely different from the first impression. Turns out you really do have to talk to someone before you know who they are.
Still, I couldn't stand here chatting forever. This wasn't a blind date.
"I hope they come out soon."
"They will. Only the absolute best from our company went in."
"That's good to hear."
Half true, half false. Relief that a strong rescue team had gone in for Senior An and Kim Miyeon—irritation that Min Hyeokju, that bastard, was one of the "absolute best."
I knew it was rude, but I decided to ask her about him anyway.
"Excuse me... there's something I'd like to ask."
"My number?"
"What? No..."
"Then what are you asking about in a situation like this?"
"No... I know someone at your company. Had a question, but if you'd rather not answer, forget it."
"I'm kidding. Go ahead. Classified internal secrets aren't something someone like me would know anyway, so ask whatever."
I didn't waste time.
"The man named Min Hyeokju who joined the rescue team today—what kind of person is he? And please keep this conversation private if you can."
"Hmm? Why do you want to know that? Also privately."
"If you're not going to answer, never mind."
"No, I'll tell you. He's famous enough that it's not really a secret. In a word: a golden boy. Top Academy grades, scouted straight in without even the usual internal tests—elite among elites. Youngest on today's rescue team. Age... what was it. Third year with the company, so twenty-three? Making the rescue team in three years is no small thing. Especially not at Diamond Guild."
All praise. My mood soured. Still—the higher they sit, the harder they fall.
"Not the surface stuff. Anything else? Flaws, personality..."
I asked casually, but her expression turned strange. I had no idea why, but whatever she thought of me, I still wanted the answer.
"You're really weird."
"About what?"
"Nothing. Just a little annoyed, that's all. I'll tell you what you want to hear. I said Min Hyeokju was a golden boy, right?"
"Yes."
"He's someone who knows himself too well. Meaning he knows exactly how special he is. You might think every Awakened is like that, but he's worse. He has to get whatever he wants or he can't stand it, and he loves taking things that belong to other people. The company even stuck him on a veteran team on purpose just to try and rein him in—knock him down a peg. Then he thrived there too, so they threw up their hands. Unless it's completely outrageous, they have no choice but to give him what he wants. Lately he even demanded some female staffer be assigned exclusively to him? That woman hit the jackpot. Attached herself to a total elite. Ah~ so jealous."
I said nothing.
What? Exclusive? So those two bastards stick together every single dungeon run?
Fuck. Maybe I shouldn't have asked. Irritation surged hard.
I kept my face carefully blank so the irritation wouldn't show, and the woman in front of me started to panic. She'd clearly jumped to some solid wrong conclusion.
"When I said jealous, I didn't mean it for real. Just, you know, socially most women would be jealous—money, power, looks..."
"That's enough. Of that kind of talk."
"Ah, sorry. But I really wasn't jealous for real, so don't misunderstand. Just talking. I actually don't like Awakened as romantic partners. The way they try to dominate everything is suffocating."
She kept chattering, but my mind was somewhere else entirely.
Min Hyeokju taking Shin Haneul into every dungeon with him. That told me everything I needed about their relationship.
Surprising, really. I never expected to still be this hung up on Shin Haneul. I knew full well there would never be a reunion even if the sky split in two, and I had zero intention of one—so why did this piss me off so much?
Something my grandfather used to say when I was little floated up.
'The worst thing in this world is having something given and then taken away.'
Having what was mine stolen felt this rotten, and it lingered this long.
"They're out! They're coming out, everyone!"
While I was thinking that, someone finally appeared beyond the Gate. Camera flashes exploded toward it, and I headed straight over.
Now it was time for revenge.
I pushed toward the Gate to get a clear picture of the situation. The reporters made enough noise that Senior and the others came out of the management building on their own without me having to call them.
"Huh?"
The only people emerging from the Gate were Diamond's rescue team members. Had there really been no survivors left inside?
The faces I knew... the thought that Senior An and Kim Miyeon might be dead sent a chill through my whole body.
"Show's over! You're in the way—move!"
A voice that boomed like a drum. Lee Daeman.
"Whew..."
I realized I was relieved he was alive. Maybe because he'd saved my life at least once. Of course, the Shield might have triggered even without him, but still.
I wanted to step up and demand what the hell had happened, but I had no authority for that. I got right in front of him and Lee Daeman treated me like I didn't exist. He looked exhausted, face full of despair. I couldn't bring myself to speak to that expression; it was almost frightening.
"What, you were still here?"
From the opposite side of Lee Daeman, someone addressed me. Min Hyeokju.
I gave him no answer. The plan was already fully prepared. Enjoy being an Awakened while you still can.
"Min Hyeokju, you son of a bitch. What the hell kind of rescue team are you?!"
Out of nowhere Lee Daeman started raging at him.
"Ah, what's the problem, Senior? No transport team, no Supporters—we went completely hungry in there. Couldn't even sleep properly. Our captain agreed with me, so why are you like this? You're out of mana yourself, Senior Lee Daeman."
"Heesu's in there! Heesu's still inside! She's your junior, you heartless bastard!"
"Ah, I get that your little sister's in there, Senior, but think about it. Survival odds are basically zero. If we push too hard and get dragged down with her, then what..."
Listening to them, I finally understood why Lee Daeman had been so desperate to charge back into the dungeon. Anyone would be, with family still inside under these conditions.
Furious beyond endurance, Lee Daeman finally swung a fist at Min Hyeokju. A B-rank mana Awakened's punch. Miss the dodge and something was getting broken...
Yet Min Hyeokju slipped it far too easily. Was the bastard really that good?
"Senior. You're completely out of mana and you're picking a fight? You want to die? If I kill you right now it's self-defense. Recognize?"
"That's enough."
"Ah, look who it is—our glorious captain. Tch."
The one who stopped Min Hyeokju was the first rescue member I'd seen enter the Gate while I was still inside. Apparently the team's captain...
Clearly the rescue team had burned through their mana and could no longer continue operations inside. Six-plus hours of activity made that reasonable. Entering without a Support team meant limited operating time by design.
Still. A major corporation like Diamond Guild's rescue team finding absolutely nothing in six hours raised questions. What the hell had actually happened in there?
The rescue captain spoke.
"Lee Daeman. I want to save everyone too. Not just your sister—the other Awakened and our company staff as well. But I cannot accept more sacrifices for that. I hope you understand."
"I do understand. I understand, but... still, Heesu..."
"Don't worry. Our guild's new blood is strong. They're alive somewhere inside the dungeon, I'm certain of it. We recover our mana and go back in first thing tomorrow morning. Get proper rest yourself. Otherwise we leave you behind tomorrow."
"Senior Lee Daeman. Without the captain you'd already be dead. Next time aim that fancy fist at someone who can take it. OK?"
Watching Min Hyeokju's attitude, the woman I'd smoked with earlier hadn't been wrong about a single thing. Famous inside the company—yeah, with a personality like that, of course he was famous.
"Captain. Then I'll go wash up first. Sleeping anywhere's fine, right? Hotel nearby? Ah, better call Haneul."
That bastard, right to the end...
I decided to put the plan into motion immediately.