Chapter 78
Chapter 78
Stirrings: The Beginning of Act Two
****
Four days prior, at Monster Management Bureau Headquarters.
Hye-seo, having spent the entire night directing the cleanup of the incident site, sat wearily in a conference room.
The dimly lit room lacked any windows, illuminated only by a few small lights sparsely scattered on the walls.
It was clearly no ordinary space.
Suddenly, a beam of light projected in front of Hye-seo and formed a human-shaped hologram.
It was Choi Il-gun, the director of the Monster Management Bureau and its highest authority.
Hye-seo rose from her seat, gave a perfunctory nod, and sat back down.
Not only did she already know why she’d been summoned, but her heart was already heavy with the death of her respected senior.
Moreover,
"Do me a favor, Hye-seo. You know about the upcoming marriage between Hunter Jang Su-ho of the Black Guardian Guild and my daughter, right? It's costing me a fortune. If I get demoted or disciplined here, I'm in serious trouble. Please, I'm begging you. Okay?"
The head of the investigation department, with whom she had co-led the top-secret investigation project codenamed “IS Project,” had asked her to take the fall for the death of Holder Han Chang-ho.
It was a high-risk, high-reward project that had required deceiving even the director.
It had ultimately failed, meaning they should share the consequences of the high risk, but the head of the investigation department was trying to slip away.
The IS Project was a secret so deep that even the director of the Monster Management Bureau hadn’t been informed.
The only ones who knew about it were Hye-seo herself, the head of the investigation department, and the late Han Chang-ho.
The head had promised to be her staunch supporter when they started, but now that things had gone south, he was desperate to escape responsibility. It was infuriating.
However, Hye-seo gritted her teeth and accepted.
Her decision wasn’t based on any misplaced sentimentality.
She knew a severe disciplinary action was inevitable.
Whether she bore the responsibility alone or shared it with the head of the investigation department, the severity of the punishment wouldn’t change. It was meaningless.
Besides, disciplinary action was the least of her concerns right now.
The failure of the IS Project, into which she had poured her blood, sweat, and tears, the death of Han Chang-ho, and the image of Cadet Han Tae-jin confronting an S-rank Hunter kept replaying in her mind.
It had been a truly chilling sight, sending shivers down her spine and evoking a fear she hadn't felt in a long time.
The blood-red glint in his eyes, his thirst for blood, and the roaring crimson mana… it was the first time she had felt such overwhelming power since becoming the head of the villain investigation team.
Even though he was human, he exuded the absolute terror of a colossal monster.
The bestial mana emanating from Han Tae-jin, powerful enough to crush her, remained a vivid afterimage seared into her memory.
It was a mana unlike anything she had ever encountered.
Savage like a wild beast, ferocious like a monster.
If, as Hunter Park Na-yeon had reported, Han Tae-jin hadn’t caused a mana explosion and lost consciousness, she might have had to join the fight. It had been that close to a life-or-death situation.
‘Just who are you, Han Tae-jin?’
She grieved for her senior, Han Chang-ho, and was furious about the failure of the IS Project, but strangely, thoughts of Han Tae-jin lingered, disturbing her mind.
[Team Leader Kim Hye-seo.]
Director Choi Il-gun called her.
Hye-seo shook off her thoughts and straightened her posture.
“Yes, Director.”
[The IS Project… A top-secret investigation was underway without my knowledge, as director? Interesting.]
“Yes, sir.”
Hye-seo replied firmly.
She wasn’t afraid of disciplinary action.
She was simply bitter that the failure of the project meant losing a crucial strategy for capturing God R’hell, the leader of Illusion.
But she had no intention of giving up.
For the sake of her parents’ long-held wish, she would find another way and wipe out Illusion, no matter the cost.
[You tried to infiltrate Illusion by faking Holder Han Chang-ho’s death and turning him into a spy to uncover God R’hell’s identity and the location of Gaikan… The intention was good, but it ended up a wasted effort.]
“I apologize for the failure.”
[The IS Project, faking the death of a Platinum-grade Holder and turning him into an Illusion spy… It seems rather large-scale for a solo operation. Are you certain that Holder Han Chang-ho and Team Leader Kim Hye-seo were the only ones involved?]
“Yes, sir. That is correct.”
[Hmm.]
Director Choi Il-gun narrowed his eyes at Hye-seo. He clearly didn't believe she had carried out such a project alone, especially one he hadn’t even heard of.
However, knowing what kind of person Kim Hye-seo was, he didn’t press the matter.
Instead,
[I assume you’re prepared to accept any disciplinary action.]
He was willing to overlook the fact that she had conducted a top-secret investigation behind his back, but he couldn’t condone its failure.
“Yes, sir.”
[Very well. Then, I shall issue the disciplinary action immediately.]
Even as the disciplinary action loomed, the image of Han Tae-jin flashed in Hye-seo’s mind again.
The image grew more vivid, clinging to her thoughts like a leech, sucking her blood and swelling in size, despite her attempts to shake it off.
“Ah.”
Suddenly, it hit her.
The reason why he kept coming to mind.
The strange energy hidden beneath the absolute terror.
Why did that energy resonate with her and grow stronger?
She finally understood.
The intense mana radiating from Han Tae-jin had the same signature as her senior and mentor, Han Chang-ho.
It was a unique signature that only she, as Han Chang-ho’s student, could recognize.
The fact that their mana signatures were identical in extreme crisis situations meant their instincts were the same, which in turn meant that the souls residing within them were the same.
The puzzle pieces seemed to be falling into place.
Hye-seo gasped.
[Do you have anything to say before I issue the disciplinary action?]
Choi Il-gun asked.
“No, sir. Nothing.”
Hye-seo replied firmly, shaking her head.
Now that she understood why the image of Han Tae-jin kept haunting her, she was eager for the disciplinary action to be over and done with.
[Very well. Then, effective today, Holder Kim Hye-seo, you are dismissed from your position as team leader of the investigation team and placed on probation for two months. Further instructions regarding your future position will be issued by headquarters after your probation is over.]
“Understood. Is that all?”
[…You don’t seem inclined to object?]
“No, sir.”
[Good. Let’s end this quietly then. However, keep in mind that there will be no second chances.]
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
[….]
Choi Il-gun gritted his teeth slightly, displeased by Hye-seo's prompt replies, as if she had been waiting for this disciplinary action.
However, there was nothing more to reprimand her for, and,
“Then, I’ll be going.”
He saw no need for further reproach and could only watch as Hye-seo flung open the door and strode out.
And that was the last sight he saw was Holder Kim Hye-seo’s back.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“What?! The team leader is on probation?! Why?!”
Back at her desk, Hye-seo frowned at her subordinate, Park Dong-jin’s loud outburst.
However, she silently packed her belongings.
-Thump! Thump! Thump!
…Or rather, she shoved everything haphazardly into a box.
Park Dong-jin jumped up from his seat and rushed over to her.
“Team Leader! What’s going on…!”
“Quiet. Are you trying to announce it to the whole world?”
“But why were you suddenly given such a disciplinary action?!”
Knowing that Dong-jin was venting his frustration on her behalf, Hye-seo sighed. She held a framed photo of herself and Han Chang-ho for a moment, then tossed it into the box.
“Orders are orders.”
“But Team Leader!”
“Quiet. While I’m gone, if you hear anything about God R’hell or the higher-ups in Illusion, contact me immediately. Understand?”
“Huh?”
Park Dong-jin stared at her, his eyes asking,
‘Are you still obsessed with God R’hell even after being dismissed and put on probation?’
But Hye-seo’s cold stare brought him back to his senses. He knew the reason for her hatred of God R’hell and why she had joined the Monster Management Bureau.
“Y-yes, ma’am! But how are you going to…?”
“They told me to take a break, so I’ll take a break.”
Dong-jin knew she was being sarcastic.
That was just who Kim Hye-seo was.
Disobeying orders was her modus operandi.
However, he knew it would be difficult without the official support of the Monster Management Bureau, so he looked at her with concern.
Having crammed all her belongings into the box, Hye-seo turned to leave.
But then,
“W-wait a minute! Team Leader.”
Dong-jin hurried back to his desk and returned with a small package.
“What’s this?”
“I don’t know. It just arrived. There’s no sender information.”
“Really?”
A mysterious package arriving before the aftermath of the Illusion terror incident had even settled…
A sense of foreboding washed over Hye-seo. She ripped open the packaging.
And,
“…This is…”
Inside the small box was a cylindrical device.
It was small enough to fit in one hand and had a monitor on its body, presumably for entering a passcode.
Dong-jin gasped.
“Eek?! I-is that a mana bomb?!”
Hye-seo shook her head.
If it were a bomb, it would have exploded the moment she opened the package, or a timer would have started.
Therefore, it was a device that required a passcode to activate.
And whoever sent this wanted her to activate it.
Without hesitation, Hye-seo entered a four-digit passcode on the keypad.
-Beep, beep, beep, beep.
Incorrect.
-Beep, beep, beep, beep.
Incorrect.
-Beep, beep.
“Eek! T-Team Leader, what are you doing?! What if it explodes?!”
Dong-jin stopped her before she could enter the third code.
Even a small mana bomb like this wouldn’t seriously injure a high-rank Hunter or a Holder.
However, it was powerful enough to vaporize an ordinary person without a trace.
“…Get out.”
Hye-seo dismissed him.
“Y-yes, ma’am!”
Dong-jin quickly left the room.
Alone, Hye-seo tossed the cylindrical object in the air like a juggling ball and slumped into her chair.
Usually, devices like this were designed to permanently lock after a certain number of incorrect attempts, preventing unauthorized access.
She had to be careful.
“Hmm…”
Hye-seo pondered for a moment.
Then, seemingly making up her mind, she entered a passcode.
-Ding!
It was the date the [IS PROJECT] began.
-Click.
Ironically, on the day the IS Project ended, the date of its beginning returned.
It was as if the IS Project wasn’t over, as if Act Two was about to begin.
A moment later, a hologram appeared above the activated device.
A familiar face, a hope she thought was lost.
It was her senior and mentor, Han Chang-ho.