Set Items and a Favor
"Enemy."
"Tell me this. Is there really such a Gift out there?"
This time, even Won-goo's expression turned grave.
Copying a Seal.
It was a Gift he had never heard of, even in all his lifetimes of knowledge. But then, nothing was impossible. The universe was littered with countless stars, and Gifts were said to exist in as many varieties as there were stars in the sky. Even if a Gift that copied Seals did exist, it wasn't something he couldn't wrap his head around.
"Entertaining imagination, I'll give you that. But no, you punk."
"Then what is it?"
"What do you think a Seal is?"
"A Seal's a Seal. What else would I think it is? Some kind of Gift, isn't it?"
"Wrong. A Seal is, for all intents and purposes, the distilled essence of power extracted from the countless races that exist in this world. That's why it grants such extraordinary abilities."
"How's that any different from a Gift? Anyway, so what?"
"Suppose there's one race — and within it, it splinters into many branches."
"Like how there are all sorts of great beasts under the feline family, you mean?"
"You catch on fast. Good. Yes. Seals like that influence one another."
"What? So they work like a set of matching gear?"
Won-goo already knew all of this, of course. But to keep his own information under wraps, he was feeding the old woman just enough to keep the conversation moving.
"A set item. That's an apt way to put it."
"Message received, more or less. So the Seal Collectors use that trick to wield all sorts of different abilities. That about right?"
"That's the shape of it. And those bastards will show up again. There's word going around that a very large Seal has manifested somewhere near here."
"Well... if they show up, we deal with it then. We've got our hands full with Ganjeol Point as it is."
"I'm telling you to be careful. Those bastards are walking a path where Coins mean nothing."
"I'll take the advice to heart. Now then — I'd actually like to see what you brought."
"You really don't trust a soul, do you?"
"Not a soul — just you, specifically. Let's be clear about that."
"...?"
Yeom-gwi looked at him with visible surprise, and Won-goo's face immediately hardened.
"Ah, hell... let's just be honest with each other. When you came to sign a contract with us, you mixed in plenty of lies too. The Number Society. You glossed right over it, and it turned out you weren't telling the whole truth. Am I wrong?"
"I didn't know you'd end up entangled with them."
"Exactly my point. There's nothing better than getting things laid out clearly from the start. So let's draw the line for good, right here. You and I are entering a partnership. I don't want interference in our ideology, our business policies, any of it. And in return, I won't ask for anything more from you than what a cooperating partner gives."
"You want me to view this strictly as a transaction?"
"That's right."
"Fine."
Yeom-gwi glanced back over her shoulder. At that, a man in a hood pulled low stepped forward.
"This is Begonia. He handles intelligence for this region. Call on him when you hunt Ganjeol, and he'll lend you a hand."
"Whoa, hold on. That's not right. The scales are way out of balance here."
"Let me correct you. He won't lend a hand. He'll handle it."
Only then did Won-goo turn his gaze to Begonia.
The man wore a mask, making his age impossible to guess. His build was the same — he was dressed in such a shapeless, baggy raincoat that there was nothing to properly read. All Won-goo could confirm was that he was fairly tall, and that the corners of his eyes tilted upward.
"'Handle' Ganjeol... So he's supposed to be that man's natural predator, is he?"
"A man like Ganjeol — I wouldn't say this can't do the job."
"Well... if Ganjeol can genuinely be taken down, I suppose I could make this matter come out clean."
"Then you'll have to put something on the table too."
"Number Four's flames. Split the damage."
"...?"
"Her magic. The raw power, I'll concede, is undeniable. But calling that thing magic... that's the real story."
"You call that... nothing?"
Killing intent flickered in Yeom-gwi's eyes.
"'Nothing,' is it? Think it through properly. Think about what splitting the damage actually means."
"...?"
Yeom-gwi tilted her head.
"Do I have to spoon-feed you everything? That fire was supposed to kill — the ones who took it died. When you split it, people lived. Which means its power was clearly reduced, doesn't it? And if it can be reduced, then there's a method."
"Don't tell me you're talking about dispersing the damage."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about. Only just catching on now? Then the answer's simple. Either bring in someone with an ability like that, or bring an item that does the same thing."
"..."
"Don't tell me you actually entertained the fantasy of taking Number Four down alone."
"I didn't."
"Then you'll prepare accordingly. Weathering the flames while dispersing the damage — that's the best path. The simplest method would be attaching someone with a predator-type ability, but that's not a strategy, is it? Anyone can see that much."
"..."
Yeom-gwi rose from her seat without a word. Then she pulled a small ballpoint pen from inside her coat and tossed it over.
"A receiver. Press that, and Begonia will come find you within twenty-four hours."
"I'll put it to good use, ma'am."
Yeom-gwi was in a thoroughly foul mood. She left without so much as a proper farewell, and the men of Cheon filed out behind her.
"Why did you give him the receiver?"
Begonia asked. His voice was so deep it made the listener's chest feel tight.
"We made a deal. That's why I gave it."
"Over something like that... there must be another reason..."
"There is. Something that trivial, and Cheon failed to uncover it. That's what makes me angry. Why did we miss such a simple method..."
Yeom-gwi glared at Begonia hard enough to make his eyes bulge.
Her anger stemmed from the fact that Won-goo's proposed method had been sound. If he had merely talked a big game, she might have dismissed it as empty bluster.
But Cheon had already finished investigating both the incident between Won-goo and Ganjeol Point and the fact that he had encountered Number Four.
Which meant they also knew that Yeongyeong had been attacked by Number Four.
"Begonia."
"Yes."
"Why did you brush off Allium's request?"
"...?"
"The method that came out of that room just now — it could have been found with proper investigation. You don't think so?"
"..."
Yeom-gwi swept her gaze once, slowly, across the men of Cheon.
Then she threw out a single line.
"Do not make an enemy of Director Gong."
"The mood in here's murderous. Did you see the way that granny looked at us at the end? I thought she was gonna boil me alive."
"Must've been annoying for you. But it stung because it was true."
"Still — something that important doesn't need a written contract? That part I don't get."
Mu Beob-sa spoke up quietly from his book. Pacific turned to look at him.
"And here I thought you weren't interested, Mage. You've been quietly buried in that book this whole time."
"The part where I read and listen at the same time, that is."
"Multitasking, very nice. But hey, Mage, I've got one question for you."
"The part where you may ask me anything, that is."
"What in the world are you always reading? It's the same book every time I look. Is it really that good?"
Mu Beob-sa held the book up and showed him the cover.
"The part where a book containing the truth, that is."
"Tr... Tactus Lo... Heh, that's a fine book you've got there. And in English, no less. Impressive stuff."
Pacific gave a thumbs-up and turned away.
"We don't need a contract. That way, when they slip up down the line, it's easier to clean house. But — Pacific."
"What?"
"Kim Yang-cheon. He'd had his Seal for quite a while, hadn't he?"
"...?"
"Something about it bugged me earlier, but I let it slide. Am I wrong?"
"Huh... now that you mention it, yeah? People in the know already knew Kim Yang-cheon was a Seal user. That's a different story from what Granny was telling us, though?"
"Hmm."
"Granny's feeding us bullshit again."
"That, I doubt."
"Why not?"
"I've been wondering for a while now — what exactly do the Seal Collectors get in exchange for selling off a Seal?"
"What are you on about? Spell it out for me."
"Do you think those bastards are short on money?"
"...?"
"Granny Yeom-gwi said it herself, didn't she? They're walking a different path from Coin enhancement. If all you're after is hoarding gold, you don't need Coins in bulk. A decent stash is more than enough to survive. Am I right?"
"Sure, that tracks."
"That's my point. I think I know what Kim Yang-cheon used to buy his resurrection Seal."
"So he sold a Seal he was already holding to buy it. That's it, isn't it, Director?"
It was Jeon Hye-ji.
"That's right. See, Hye-ji's quick. Pacific, how's business supposed to work with math this slow? You sure you're actually good at trading?"
"The hell's that supposed to mean. I'm plenty fast with money."
"Yeah, sure you are."
"He's got to have a prosthetic leg, that's for sure?"
Montage asked as a curtain was drawn around the bed where Joce lay.
Unlike the old world, there was no separate operating room here anymore. In most cases, surgery was performed right on the bed the patient lay in.
It was only possible because survivors rarely died from anything short of catastrophic injury.
"Then we go with a prosthetic. A leg's not like an arm. With an arm, you can slap on whatever's roughly the right shape and it works fine, but if a leg's the wrong length, it wrecks how you move."
"Haah..."
Montage scratched his head.
"If a well-matched leg turns up later, we can attach it then."
"Guess I'll have to start keeping a close eye on my boys' legs from now on. You say that real casual for such a bloody-minded thing to say. Anyway, that Cola fella — his skills are top-notch, I'll say that much."
"They are. Though... why's he all tied up like that?"
The man called Cola lay there with dead, listless eyes.
"He screwed up, that's why."
"Screwed up how?"
"He killed a patient."
"Say what now?"
"Not by accident. He just killed him. Then he got caught and dragged here, and that's how he lives now."
"And they call him Cola?"
"Give him a Coke and he'll do flawless surgery. He only gets brought out like this for the big operations."
"Sounds like there's some deep story behind that fella."
"You know anybody in this line of work without one? Even I don't know his full story. He's managed by Sapiens."
"That's right, aye."
Won-goo nodded.
"Anyway, that prosthetic — it's good gear. I covered the cost, so there's nothing else you need to sort out."
"Ah... Director Gong, you didn't have to come all the way and do..."
"Aren't we half family already? Wouldn't your hyung do the same if I got hurt?"
"Well, that's... not quite the same thing..."
"Exactly, so that's that. Besides, when I take point on it, it comes out cheaper. Leave it to the open market and the price only goes up. You know how this world works, hyung-nim."
Montage nodded at that.
"I'm much obliged."
"Forget it. I made a promise, didn't I? Said I'd source you a good prosthetic."
Shhhk.
The sound of the curtain being pulled back. The moment Cola emerged drenched in blood, he grabbed a PET bottle of Coke and chugged it, gulping frantically.
BUUURP!
He even let out a long, satisfying belch.
Meanwhile, Sapiens' men were glaring daggers at him from every side.
"Done?"
A nod. Then Cola held out his hands, and Sapiens' men bound his arms again.
"Hyun-sung."
"Yes, hyung-nim!"
Lee Hyun-sung stepped forward and hung a bag around the man's neck. It was stuffed full of Coke bottles.
"That's a bonus from me."
"..."
"You got a problem with that, punk?"
"...Thank you."
And with that, Cola shuffled wearily out the door.
"What's that now? It's done already? Hasn't it been, what, five minutes?"
"That's all it takes. Were you expecting it to drag on?"
"Now does that make any sense?"
"Fit the prosthetic, attach it, cast healing magic. Done."
"The mages, was it?"
"The mages are over there."
Aside from Cola, several others had their hands on Joce's leg, chanting incantations. Joce himself was sleeping like a baby, utterly oblivious to the world.
"Nothing needs to be attached as delicately as it used to be, you see."
"I know my way around amputation surgery too, mind. But finishing this fast — that's a first for me."
"That man's skills are exceptional. If you ever need work done, just talk to Sapiens."
"That's really alright?"
Won-goo nodded. Montage looked at the prosthetic fitted to Joce's leg, then pulled out a cigarette again.
"Well, that's that sorted... so there's one favor I'd like to ask."
"What is it?"
"Director Gong, you haven't gone into the Shelter warehouse yet, have you?"
"Not yet — it's not our turn. Did you already go in, hyung-nim?"
"Went in and came back out."
"How was it?"
"Lots of general items in there too, I noticed."
"Bound to be. That's where the Shelter collects all the items that go to waste otherwise."
"That's exactly why I'm bringing it up. Can I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it? Why are you beating around the bush like this?"
"Your entry card, Director Gong. The one you'll be going in with. How about handing that over to me instead?"
"Eh?"
Gong Won-goo's eyes went wide. It was a proposal he had never seen coming.