Devil's Seed (5)
At that moment, somewhere on Sejong Island.
"Team leader. Internal mana reaction has vanished. The intruder seems to have disappeared."
In a secret room filled only with the blue glow of monitor screens amid the darkness, those in white uniforms worked diligently at their computers, compiling data. A black-haired man in a slightly different white uniform frowned and adjusted his glasses, his sharp, irritable features making him look even more intimidating.
"Damn it..."
The name on his badge read 'Pungbaek'.
"The intruder's identity?"
"W-well..."
"You still haven't identified them? What about the mana pattern analysis? At least the CCTV footage?"
"They were all massacred right before transmission. As you know, the facility was sealed off before the data could come through..."
"So we're just sitting here blind and helpless?"
Pungbaek scoffed in disbelief.
"A facility holding devil experiment subjects gets raided! All the staff inside have flatlined! And the best you can say is 'we don't know,' 'insufficient information,' 'under investigation'?"
Pungbaek jabbed a finger downward, veins bulging in his neck.
"Since when did incompetents like you become part of the 'Hall'? Huh? How the hell are you sitting here drawing 3 million a month with skills like that? Can't even identify a single intruder!"
"Elder Pungbaek. This is just a hypothesis, but..."
"What is it?"
"...Isn't it Dokkaebi?"
"......Oh?"
Pungbaek's eyes lit up at his subordinate's words, his anger momentarily forgotten.
"The only one who could completely cut off information leakage like this is Dokkaebi?"
"Yes. Paradoxically, no one else could hide their identity this thoroughly."
"Evidence?"
"The raid happened without any intruder reaction detected beforehand, the researchers were massacred before they could send an emergency signal, and the chief researcher barely managed to activate only the facility destruction and flooding protocols."
"Hmm..."
Pungbaek stroked his chin, twisting his lips.
"Still feels off. The Dokkaebi I know wouldn't let the facility collapse like this. He slaughters villains without a trace, but he doesn't act this sloppily."
Pungbaek tilted his head repeatedly.
"The guy I know would've killed our researchers before they could hit the self-destruct. If he'd purely targeted the research facility, we'd find lifeless bodies, not a self-destructed site."
"What if someone else intruded?"
"Someone else...?"
"Yes. That group that recently challenged us..."
"Ah, those Hwalbindang bastards?"
Pungbaek slumped into his chair, face grave.
"A Hwalbindang intruder overlapping with Dokkaebi? What kind of coincidence is that?"
"But if not, how do you explain the situation?"
"Feels too conveniently pieced together... Tch."
Pungbaek threw his hands up in exasperation.
"Damn it. Whatever happens, happens. Log into the community and start monitoring. Report and block anything about devils immediately, and spread rumors that Hwalbindang is scheming something with them."
"Understood!"
The subordinates hammered at their keyboards in unison, and Pungbaek muttered softly at their backs.
"...At least non-ability users can help with this. Tch."
In a voice too quiet for anyone to hear.
"Sigh. We need to 'enlighten' the unawakened sooner."
No one heard him.
After escaping underground through a long emergency exit resembling a sewer tunnel.
Splash.
I set the unconscious Malttugi down on the beach and checked if he might have drowned.
No need for CPR or mouth-to-mouth.
An S-grade ability user could hold their breath underwater without issue. Depending on mana reserves, someone like me could last about 30 minutes without an oxygen tank. We're superhumans, after all—not like we'd sink forever. A quick dip in the sea wouldn't kill us.
No Taeguk Watch, so I can't pinpoint the location, but this is definitely Sejong Island.
The terrain, lingering mana echoes, patrolling soldiers everywhere. High chance I'd exited a restricted zone off-limits to civilians.
Meaning Malttugi had infiltrated via the sea.
Our timings overlapping—was that coincidence?
Really just bad luck that he hit the Devil's Seed lab at the same time as me? Something's up. It'd be weirder if there wasn't.
To figure it out, I'd need to wake Malttugi—but
[Hmm.]
I scanned Malttugi's soaked body up and down. His clothes clung damply from the seawater, but his build was far more delicate than I'd imagined. Fortunately—or unfortunately—not what I'd half-suspected.
Male.
When I'd slung him over my shoulder, the soft sensation had tricked me into thinking female, but his drenched upper body told otherwise.
Poor guy.
Some men had bodies that barely screamed "male." Malttugi seemed one of them. The kind who'd get thirsty stares from dangerous types just from a photo—or a cross-dressed one. Judging by the clothes' fit, not firsthand, but definitely.
Voice too, actions, speech—hair's shortish.
Maybe one of those tomboy trends? Not that gender mattered. Not to Imae Mangnyang. What counted was ability, character, and loyalty to the organization's world conquest directives.
Imae Mangnyang, Special Executive, Dokkaebi. Even if unofficial, leaving a direct line could backfire, but the organization wasn't naive enough to get played via a contact email.
Still out cold, but stirring soon. Time to go.
I placed a business card beside him.
If someone asks about the organization?
The organization's goal isn't threatening world peace—it's conquering it.
Apples and oranges.
Too many evil people in this world. The Total Leader didn't found it on a whim.
I'll become Earth's king and end all wars here.
If Hwalbindang obstructs her world? Next to shatter won't be a devil lab—it'll be them.
"Cough, cough...!"
I slipped away as Malttugi began coughing and regaining consciousness.
A moment later.
"......Cough."
Regaining consciousness, Malttugi clutched his face.
"...?!"
His mask was still on. He stared up at the starry night sky.
"W-what...?"
Malttugi recalled the moments before blacking out: seawater seeping into his infiltration tunnel, then a powerful impact from behind.
Nothing after. Only the current scene to go on.
"This...?"
A black business card lay beside him, gold-embossed lettering unmistakably Dokkaebi's.
"Hic...?"
Dokkaebi's voice emanated from the card—mana-imprinted audio. In a grave tone, he offered recruitment and a warning: join the organization, or face consequences next time.
"...Can't do that."
Malttugi rose, straightening his wet clothes.
"......."
Click.
Removing mask and hat, Malttugi shook out damp hair and took a deep breath.
"...Ugh."
Unmasked, Malttugi revealed a strikingly delicate—
"He didn't do anything weird...?"
—woman.
Beep beep.
A sound emanated from her wrist. Malttugi gripped it, carefully operating her Taeguk Watch-like smartwatch.
"Ah, boss."
On the small screen appeared a dark-skinned man in sunglasses.
"...Target slipped. Dokkaebi got there first."
"Yeah. The situation was..."
Malttugi quickly briefed the man.
The sunglassed man rubbed his bald head.
"Got it. But... you sure? No evidence secured."
The bald black man gave a thumbs-up.
"...What? Hold on, boss—this isn't what I thought."
"......."
The man, 'Hong Gildong', grinned, flashing white teeth.