Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Episode 59. Fireworks (1) + Yoo Yeoreum Illustration
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Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Warp Station.
Early morning. In a busy North American Portal Management Bureau, an East Asian man emerged from a swirl of light. Dressed in a pitch-black suit and mask, with black sunglasses hanging below his black beanie.
Vanguard: Fill the Grey's vice-captain of the Alliance Vanguard covert strike team.
Ranked 271st. The shadow human,
On Seung-oh.
The airport staff checking his ID stepped aside in surprise. WOO. It was because his high-ranking position in the Superhuman Alliance had been confirmed.
Soon, several men rushed over to greet him.
"Welcome."
"Please, come this way!"
They were from the North American branch of the Alliance.
"Good. Is everything alright here in North America?"
"Yes. No issues."
"Excellent. You all look capable enough."
The man walked ahead with a stern expression, escorting them along. Those following him matched his pace with stiff, rigid faces, as they were serving a high-ranking Alliance official.
A courtesy Rolls-Royce sedan pulled up, its door opening automatically. The North American branch must have assumed he was dispatched for some special mission.
'Not quite...'
On Seung-oh let out a sigh.
No one could imagine that a forty-year-old vice-captain of an Alliance vanguard unit had come all this way just to wipe the ass of his older brother's acquaintance.
In the meantime, the sedan glided smoothly through the forest of skyscrapers. And he began his solo operation.
Antonio Jefferson had returned to Alliance HQ for work. Now, On Seung-oh had to track down 'the guy' based on the intel Jefferson had given him.
Activity radius. Mana texture and size. Appearance. On Seung-oh started his search and found the target in less than three days.
'That guy's the one...'
Antonio Jefferson had pegged him as a 'retired soldier from the Great War.' After the Great War ended, many soldiers disillusioned with battle left active duty to live quietly.
Vanished from the public eye. In quiet places. Possessing immense power. Living ordinary lives.
And the target seemed to be one of them.
A blue seal forms over his eyes.
A ability that can peer a hundred kilometers away if desired.
A man with a somewhat drab aura sat on a bench, tearing bread for the pigeons. An utterly mundane scene in a hazy landscape.
'...'
Pzzt— A subspace rift opens at On Seung-oh's fingertips. As he grips something with his hand, a modern weapon's handle materializes there. PMM-307. A level 3 artifact anti-materiel sniper rifle.
On the rooftop of the Saint Paul Trade Building. On Seung-oh lay prone in a picture-perfect stance, rifle braced, eyeing his target.
No need for a scope. His eyes were the scope.
'The guy' was strong.
His hitman's instincts told him. The target was definitely an old-generation senior who had been through the wars.
At this distance, even a two-digit ranker couldn't detect him. But if even one shot missed, he'd be pinpointed immediately. A headache. So he had to nail it with the first bullet.
The hitman calculates.
Distance to target: approximately 72.43 km. Margin of error ±0.15 m.
Checking environment with kestrel artifact.
Wind is strong. Southeast at 4.12 m/s.
High pressure and humidity. 5.2 hPa, 52.5%.
Latitude 47° north. Close to the poles, Earth's rotation slower. 265.57 km/s.
Getting creep advice from TDS artifact.
.312WH MTT183 looks advantageous.
Vertical creep adjustment: 27.1.
Horizontal creep adjustment: 5.9.
The hitman channels mana into the artifact anti-materiel sniper rifle.
The living weapon writhes, devouring his arm up to the shoulder.
Soon, his body begins to stiffen.
Breathing stops.
Heartbeat stops.
All factors causing human vibration halt.
Three.
Two.
One...
The trigger is pulled.
Thung—
A guided bullet infused with mana launches from the muzzle. Crossing the atmosphere, leaping space, tracing an ideal arc, covering dozens of kilometers in one breath.
He focuses all his ocular power on the bullet. 2, 3, 4 seconds pass.
The man catches the bullet with index and middle fingers.
'...'
What just happened?
The next instant, from 72 km away, the man slowly turns his head.
Their eyes meet.
—Or so it seemed. The veteran hitman released his body's rigidity and leaped off the trade building rooftop. Then he urgently fled into the distance. Alarms blared in his mind. He made a call somewhere.
"Hello? Yeah, hyung-nim, it's me. Are you fucking insane? What the hell have you been poking at?"
A flustered voice comes through the receiver. On Seung-oh bellows in rage.
"What? Estimated top 200s? Shove it up your ass! That's at least single digits!"
"Anyway, I'm out! You should cool it too, hyung-nim. Keep stirring shit like this, and the Alliance flips—it's only a matter of time..."
But On Seung-oh couldn't finish.
On his way back to the Alliance branch via a long detour.
In some alley corner. 'The guy' appeared.
And blocked his path with slow steps.
"..."
Shouting echoes from the receiver.
But On Seung-oh hung up. And muttered,
"We're fucked..."
Time passed. The last day of break.
The day of the 'Fireworks Festival' dawned.
On the way back from buying breakfast with Bom. Even in broad daylight, Lair was bustling. Cadets dressed sharply and prettily strolled the academy district. Lots of traditional outfits from various countries. Bom watched the people and asked Yoo Ji-tae,
"What's that country's clothes?"
"Cheongsam? Probably Chinese."
"Pretty. What about that one?"
"Not sure. Something European?"
"Mine says Korean nationality, right? What do Koreans wear?"
"Hmm..."
Yoo Ji-tae looked around and pointed to cadets in hanbok.
"That."
"Ahh. Pretty. Right?"
Snow-white jeogori. A long pink skirt flowing from the chest, ending at the knees.
"Pretty."
He said it without much thought. More importantly, he wanted to get home quick. Breakfast wouldn't taste good if it got soggy.
"Whoa. Smells amazing. What is it?"
Breakfast was homemade tonkatsu.
Thick tenderloin wrapped in thin batter, deep-fried. The line was always too long, so they couldn't buy it daily. Today, they'd lined up from 5 a.m. with Bom.
"...I'll eat well."
Winter cautiously bit into the thick tonkatsu with chopsticks.
One big bite, and the thin crust crunches away. Inside, juices overflow, the fat and meat in perfect harmony, the thick cut melting softly.
Munch munch... Winter chewed, her expression brightening. It was really good.
"Here."
Meanwhile, Bom scooped something green onto Yoo Ji-tae's plate.
"What's this."
"Wasabi."
"I'm good."
"Try a little on top. Goes great with greasy stuff."
But as Yoo Ji-tae kept eating just the tonkatsu, Bom naturally added wasabi on top.
The regressor paused briefly, then bit into it. Chewed.
Bom stared at him and asked,
"How is it?"
No answer. But from the next piece, he consistently added wasabi.
"Hmm. Hey, Yoo Gaeul."
"Yeah?"
"Wanna hang out with me today?"
During breakfast. Yeoreum asked slyly.
"Wh-why? I have to go to PR at 3 p.m.?"
"Shop and play a bit before you go."
"Huh? Shopping?"
Wondering what was up with Yeoreum, Gaeul nodded anyway. So the two finished breakfast and headed out.
Truth be told...
Today was shaping up to be a boring day for Yeoreum.
All training facilities closed for the Fireworks Festival. For equipment checks and such.
Yeoreum pondered what to do with her free time. Then a brilliant idea hit. Her 'reading' time lately felt dull. She'd binged the manga series five times over.
So she needed new books. Today or never—training would interfere otherwise.
"Let's go."
"Okay!"
Wandering the entertainment district, they shopped at stores for clothes, cosmetics, weapons, etc.
Then Yeoreum naturally led Gaeul to the comprehensive toy department store.
1st floor: kids' toys.
2nd floor: board games, etc.
3rd floor...
"Anything decent?"
All sorts of manga and novels on display.
"Huh? Lots of books here. Ah...!"
Gaeul said as if remembering something.
"Right, right. Unni, you reading books lately?"
"What? Why."
"No, sometimes I smell books on your hands."
"Uh. Just..."
Yeoreum glares at Gaeul.
Why the glare? Gaeul tilted her head.
"Hey. But."
"Yeah?"
"Any fun manga or something?"
"Manga?"
"Yeah."
"What kind you like?"
"...Hmm. Good question. I don't even know what I'd like. It's not like I've read that stuff."
"What're you talking about? You used to read tons of manga, unni."
When they first entered Lair. Gaeul recalled Yeoreum stacking manga during breaks. Mostly gory, serious ones matching Yeoreum's tastes.
"No, not that kind. Dummy."
"Then?"
Yeoreum's face sours. Then, as if remembering, she asked,
"Oh yeah. If you were buying manga, what would you get?"
Curious about my tastes? Gaeul still didn't get Yeoreum's intent, but browsed and picked ones suiting her: idol manga, comedy, healing animal ones. And...
"Oh. What're you picking those for?"
Yeoreum asked. In Gaeul's hand: pink-filled shojo manga.
"What for? Hmm... The art style first?"
"Art style?"
"Yeah. Pretty art's nice. My type: male lead kinda beastly. Heroine pretty and smart. Oh, and no dark stuff...!"
"What's dark stuff?"
"Y'know, when it gets miserable midway. Guy dies in war...! Heroine becomes a slave...!"
"Slave? Sounds fine."
"No...! Crazy? Then don't read shojo!"
"Really?"
"Anyway, friends say this one's fun."
"Hmm..."
Gazing at the manga in Gaeul's hand, Yeoreum nodded nonchalantly.
"...Got it."
Yeoreum sent Gaeul to PR.
Then returned to the toy store alone in the afternoon.
"Hmm, hmm..."
Tense expression. Casually glances around. Good, no one she knows. Normally, she'd never browse where she might run into someone. Too embarrassing if caught. So grab quick and go. Thinking that, Yeoreum hurried, snatching books before anyone saw.
Her watch buzzed then.
"Fuck..."
It was Yoo Ji-tae. Yeoreum answered.
"Yeah. What. Something up?"
Trouble crosses her face.
"Picking me up? I can get there myself... Huh? Already here? First floor? Why?"
— ...Why? Why do you think. What's going on up there?
"What do you mean...? My business? None of yours?"
— What're you saying. Done shopping? Come down.
Hide in subspace? No good. Yeoreum sucked at subspace—opening it leaked mana big time and took forever.
What now? Yeoreum's eyes darted. Nearby: sports manga section. Next to it, manga tie-in toys. Baseball gear caught her eye.
"Uh...! Stay put on the first floor! I'll check out and come down...!"
Yoo Ji-tae waited on the first floor with Bom and Winter to meet Yeoreum.
She came down holding an aluminum baseball bat.
"What's that. Gonna hit someone?"
"Hmm, well..."
Whatever was bugging her, her pouty face was full of dissatisfaction.
She looked ready to bite—like a beast robbed of its food bowl. Wondering what her deal was, he eyed the bat.
Yeoreum snapped irritably.
"What! Wanna get hit for real?"
Then she sulked.
What's with her.