Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Ran’s lips stuck out even more.
Aren pressed them down with his finger.
“It's a summons. You can’t just not go.”
“Mmph… I know that, I do know, but still….”
Even as he kept pressing, her lips refused to go back in.
“I made plans first, so I don’t like them stealing you away.”
“What do you mean stealing? I’m just going and coming back.”
Ran closed her eyes for a moment, let out a deep breath, then nodded.
“Yeah, it’s not something a normal agent would accomplish, so they must’ve called you for a reason. We have to go anyway, so let’s just get it over with quickly.”
As Ran walked ahead, Aren asked,
“You’re coming too?”
“Hm? Yeah. Why?”
“They didn’t call you.”
“So what? I’m going with my friend… no, my team member.”
She switched between “friend” and “team member” however she pleased.
“You’ll probably just hear things you already know.”
“What does that matter? I’ll just wait for you. Then we’ll go eat tteokbokki after.”
Ran genuinely wanted to have dinner with Aren.
It wasn’t hard to understand why.
No matter how good food was, it wouldn’t feel the same if she couldn’t fully share that feeling with someone.
After spending over a year eating nothing but canned food, she wanted to enjoy it with someone who could truly relate.
As they crossed into another building, the air changed.
“The research wing still feels cold, even now.”
A chilling air brushed against their cheeks.
It almost felt like stepping into a refrigerator.
“Ugh….”
“Ghh….”
Nearby, researchers staggered around like zombies.
Not monsters—actual research staff.
Those who worked in the research wing instead of field support were mostly like that.
“Been a while.”
“Yeah. It’s been over two years since the lab got destroyed.”
In the future they came from, the research wing had completely collapsed due to massive gate failures.
Compared to that place filled with cold corpses, this—filled with walking corpses—was still better.
Even so, neither of them had ever forgotten the way here.
As time passed, they had come to the research lab more and more often.
[Gate Research Lab Director’s Office]
They stopped in front of a door they hadn’t seen in a long time.
Knock knock.
No response.
Normally, someone would knock again or assume no one was there and leave.
But—
Click.
They simply opened the door and walked in.
“Gate Management Team 3, Agent Aren. I’m here in response to the director’s summons.”
Even after introducing himself, there was no reply.
“Krrr….”
The person who had summoned him was fast asleep in a cushioned chair.
“He calls you and then falls asleep?”
Ran crossed her arms and let out a dry laugh.
But she didn’t seem surprised.
That man was always like this.
Knock knock.
Aren tapped the desk.
“Director.”
“Ghk… ugh… who…?”
The man finally woke up and rubbed his eyes.
Messy blond hair sticking out in every direction.
Dark circles hanging down to his cheeks despite just waking up.
A wrinkled lab coat.
[Gate Research Lab Director – Doise]
That was the name and title on the nameplate.
“Gate Management Team 3, Aren. You called for me.”
“Ah—ah! You came quickly!”
The sleepiness vanished from Doise’s face instantly.
His navy-blue eyes lit up as he reached out his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Agent Aren! I’m Doise, director of the Gate Research Lab. I find your discovery of the monster tree seeds extremely, extremely, extremely fascinating!”
He leaned in enthusiastically, almost uncomfortably close.
A madman obsessed with gates.
And a familiar face that had to be saved this time.
4.
“Just a moment. I have so much I want to discuss. Let me get you some coffee.”
The director personally served coffee to a mere field agent.
Doise was a genius who had uncovered countless secrets about gates.
Seventy percent of what Aren and Ran knew came from him.
—Ha, haha… I’ve realized it. If I go there, I’ll understand everything…!
—Director! That’s a mental-type gate!
—No… I have to go. I have to understand…!
His end had been fitting for a researcher.
One day, he fell completely under the influence of a C-rank mental-type gate.
Since he wasn’t a hunter, he couldn’t resist at all.
They had restrained him, of course.
But being unable to reach the gate, he withered away mentally.
Eventually, he broke—and took his own life.
‘Not this time.’
Aren wouldn’t let that happen again.
Even after returning ten years, there was still too much they didn’t know about gates.
‘He’ll be essential in tracking the traces of humanoid gates.’
He was one of the most important people for their goal.
While Aren was deep in thought—
Clink.
“Your report was excellent. Have you ever considered transferring to the research lab?”
Doise suddenly tried to recruit him.
“Huh? That’s not happening.”
Before Aren could respond, Ran answered.
“Aren belongs to our team.”
“Oh… who might you be…?”
Only then did Doise notice Ran.
As expected, he hadn’t even registered her presence.
“I’m Ran. Team Leader of Gate Management Team 3.”
“Ah… I see. Nice to meet you, Team Leader.”
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and bowed.
Not a normal reaction.
Most people either recognized her as the chairman’s daughter or became cautious around her.
Doise did neither.
“So, Team Leader, could you transfer Agent Aren to the research lab? He has excellent potential as a researcher.”
He genuinely didn’t care who she was.
He probably didn’t even know.
—Uh… I’m not the chairman. Why would I need to know his daughter?
That was exactly what he’d said in the past.
That one sentence defined him.
A man who cared about nothing but gates.
“Hmm….”
In the past, Ran might’ve been offended.
But now she was slightly more mature.
At a time when everyone treated her carefully, someone like Doise—who had no bias—might actually be better.
“What should I do, Director? Aren isn’t just talented in research. He won’t be transferring.”
She wrapped an arm tightly around Aren’s shoulder as if claiming him.
“I see… that’s unfortunate….”
Doise looked genuinely disappointed.
Instead of responding to the offer, Aren asked calmly,
“Did you call me here just to recruit me?”
Then he tried to remove Ran’s arm—
But—
Squeeze.
As a C-rank hunter, she didn’t budge.
He had no choice but to continue the conversation like that.
“No, no. I was just excited to meet you!”
Doise waved his hands.
“I called you to share the results regarding the monster tree seeds and to hear your opinion on the museum’s classification.”
He handed over a tablet.
“These are the seeds recovered from F-rank spatial gate GT-078, the Grand Garden.”
Seven seeds were displayed on the screen.
“Incredible… I still can’t believe there are trees that grow monsters.”
“You’ll see them often in the future.”
“Oh? You sound quite certain. Are you knowledgeable about gates?”
Doise’s eyes sparkled even more.
“I just know what’s in the manuals.”
If he revealed more, he might end up locked in the lab.
Doise would probably drain him of every bit of knowledge and forcibly transfer him.
“Hm… I see.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he moved on.
“The strange thing is that the seeds lost all vitality once brought outside. They’re just stones now.”
“They probably only grow inside their original environment.”
“That’s what I thought too, so I placed them into another gate.”
“…What?”
“What?”
Aren and Ran reacted at the same time.
“Did I… do something wrong?”
Doise looked confused.
“Which gate did you use?”
“F-rank phenomenon-type gate ‘Frost Flower.’”
Smack.
Both Aren and Ran slapped their foreheads at the same time.
They were too used to each other.
“Why that reaction? Frost Flower is very safe. It just lowers temperature.”
“I know.”
GT-070.
F-rank phenomenon-type gate, Frost Flower.
Harmless.
Just cooling.
Used frequently for research.
But—
“How long has it been?”
“…About four hours.”
“That’s enough time.”
Ran muttered,
“What would grow? A baby yeti?”
“Nothing that strong.”
As they spoke seriously, Doise grew uneasy.
“What are you two talking about? There hasn’t been any reaction—”
WEEEEEE—
A siren blared.
[Lab 27: Integration of GT-070 Frost Flower and GT-078 seeds has resulted in monster emergence. Estimated E-rank monster ‘Frost Gnome.’ Evacuate immediately.]
Perfect timing.
Doise jumped to his feet—not in fear, but excitement.
“You predicted this?!”
His eyes widened in admiration.
“Team Leader, if your whole team is like this, maybe all of you should transfer—”
Even with alarms blaring, he was still recruiting.
Aren and Ran didn’t even need to exchange glances.
They thought the same thing.
‘There really isn’t a single normal person in the research team.’