Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Supervisors' Crackdown
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There had always been a strict rule against speaking to visitors, but the kids in training rarely followed it.
They couldn’t leave freely, their bodies ached from exhaustion, and their minds were under constant strain—if they couldn’t even talk to visitors, they felt like they’d lose their minds.
Among the test subject kids, some really did go mad. When that happened, they became guinea pigs for potions meant to restore their sanity.
With more and more test subjects begging visitors for help, talk of tightening regulations was already in the air.
Seol Do-yun, who had been biding her time, decided that if regulations were going to get stricter anyway, she might as well cause a proper uproar before they did.
Everyone assemble!
Late at night, the supervisor’s voice boomed, calling for a gathering. Lee Sa-byeok, sprawled on her bed, chucked the cap of her water bottle at Seol Do-yun.
“Hey, Seol Do-yun. Supervisor’s here. If he’s just come for a basic gag order without any fuss, that means Yoo-hyun ajusshi pulled it off, right?”
“Yeah.”
Seol Do-yun fiddled with the CCTV jammer.
“Lee Sa-byeok, how many supervisors showed up for this gag order?”
“Checked earlier—most of them came down. They looked pissed, like they’d been threatened with pay cuts. Seol Do-yun levels of rage from losing their emergency funds.”
“...Not a fan of the phrasing, but yeah, they’d be furious if their salaries got slashed.”
Seol Do-yun rummaged through her drawer for a moment before activating the radio jammer.
After a quick strategy huddle, the two got up and headed outside.
Outside the dorm, the kids stood trembling in a line against the wall. Supervisors with fierce expressions paced in front of them.
Once all the kids seemed gathered, the burliest disciplinary supervisor grabbed an iron bat and slammed it against the wall.
Kwaaaang!
The menacing crash came with the bat partially shattering.
“Have I ever said you could talk to visitors?”
“No, sir!!”
Ah, so it’s finally here.
The kids who’d been here a while knew what this atmosphere meant. They’d been caught sneaking out or interacting with visitors, and now punishment was coming. With so many having broken the rules, everyone hung their heads low, bodies shaking.
The supervisor prodded the kids lined up against the wall with his iron baseball bat.
A few shaky-looking ones flinched hard, faces pale with fear.
In the midst of it, Lee Sa-byeok and Seol Do-yun stepped forward one pace and spoke up.
“It’s all our fault. We think the chairman overheard us talking to visitors recently by mistake.”
“We’ll take responsibility for the punishment on everyone’s behalf.”
The kids watching Seol Do-yun and Lee Sa-byeok went wide-eyed.
Those A-2 Class kids would never make a mistake in front of the chairman, as far as anyone knew.
‘They’re stepping up to take the fall for us.’
The other kids’ eyes welled up. They hadn’t talked much with them, but watching those fearless girls always made them feel secure.
Seeing the A-2 girls willing to take the hit for everyone choked them up.
“It was you two? Ah, figures—the noisiest ones finally caused trouble.”
“We’re sorry. We won’t say a word from now on.”
The supervisor tapped Lee Sa-byeok’s head with the iron bat. She dodged naturally, shifting toward a CCTV blind spot. Thanks to her, Seol Do-yun could move that way too without suspicion.
“Well, well? Dodging? You said you’d take the punishment for everyone?”
“If we’re taking hits as representatives to enforce the gag order, wouldn’t it be better in a spot where the kids can see clearly?”
“...You crazy bitch.”
It was a excuse only Lee Sa-byeok—famous for her foul mouth, rough speech, and weird personality—could pull off.
“So, what’d you tell the visitors?”
“We asked for ice cream because training’s tough.”
“What’s tough about it for you? We feed you, educate you, give you a place to sleep. Know how many people outside are homeless and freezing? Fuck, you should be grateful to the Association.”
While Lee Sa-byeok kept the supervisor distracted, Seol Do-yun stood with her hands behind her back, secretly knocking out the CCTV just like they’d practiced.
To keep eyes off Seol Do-yun, Lee Sa-byeok had to provoke him.
She scratched her head and opened her mouth.
“You’ve got some real morals there. Jealous of our life? How about handing your supervisor spot over to me? You become the test subject instead. I’ll savor your life’s worth.”
“You... you... don’t twist my words!”
The enraged supervisor swung the iron bat at Lee Sa-byeok’s head. Seasoned from countless fights, she simply ducked.
“Seol Do-yun, all set?”
“Yeah.”
* * *
Tzzzt, tzztzzzt...
Lee Nam-soo, the CCTV monitor on mobile game duty, grimaced as one screen suddenly glitched again.
“Cameras acting up again.”
He muttered while popping a potato chip from the bag a girl had given him earlier.
“Eh, it’ll probably fix itself like last time.”
It had been flickering a lot lately, so he brushed it off.
* * *
Seol Do-yun stripped off her outer jacket and hurled it at one supervisor’s face. She wrapped the sleeve around his head, kneed his face hard, then tossed him to Lee Sa-byeok.
Lee Sa-byeok snatched the supervisor’s iron bat and smashed it over his head, knocking him out.
“Hey, the kids are going wild! Radio for backup!”
“Radios are dead!”
“We’ve got tranquilizer guns! Tranquilize them quick!”
One panicked supervisor aimed a tranquilizer gun at Seol Do-yun.
Lee Sa-byeok grabbed Seol Do-yun’s nape and yanked her back. Seol Do-yun swiftly hoisted the unconscious supervisor at her feet as a shield.
Pop, popopop!
Tranquilizer darts riddled the supervisor’s body.
Lee Sa-byeok yanked one dart from the body, emptied the anesthetic, then spit inside to clean it.
She caught the temporary speed-boost potion Seol Do-yun flicked her way, uncapped it, filled the dart, and injected it into her arm.
With doubled agility from the potion, Lee Sa-byeok charged, iron bat in hand.
She stomped a nearby chair for a boost, leaped, and bashed the lead supervisor’s head, knocking him out. She smashed the next one’s shin, dropping him, then struck the back of his neck at eye level to finish him.
She chased the retreating supervisors, bashing heads one by one until they dropped.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
The trembling kids stared wide-eyed at the supervisors sprawled on the floor.
“What’re you waiting for? Help move these conscience-free old bastards.”
Lee Sa-byeok nodded toward the kids with her head.
“Uh, where to?”
“My room. Seol Do-yun’s drawer has rope—tie ’em up tight. They might wake up midway, so bash ’em with this bat if they do.”
“How do we bash to knock out...?”
“What’d you learn in training? Hit the spots that feel right.”
“Oh, got it!!”
The kids quietly and swiftly hauled the fallen supervisors to Lee Sa-byeok and Seol Do-yun’s room.
Meanwhile, Seol Do-yun tidied the messy dorm hallway.
Glancing at her watch, about three minutes had passed. Confirming the kids had moved all supervisors inside, Seol Do-yun looked for Lee Sa-byeok, who was helping clean.
“Looks cleaned up. Who’s gonna play the bullet sponge?”
“You know I suck at acting. You do it.”
“...Every time you say you can’t act, it sounds like a lie.”
“No time. Hurry.”
“Got it. Go easy.”
Lee Sa-byeok cackled, ruffling Seol Do-yun’s hair with both hands. Not stopping there, she shoved Seol Do-yun down and slapped her face to redden it.
“You dog bastard, payback for last time.”
Seol Do-yun spat blood-mixed saliva, gritted her teeth, and curled her lip up. Lee Sa-byeok messed up Seol Do-yun’s jet-black hair even more and grinned back.
“No time. Act pitiful, quick. Pretty girl, act pitiful.”
At Lee Sa-byeok’s urging, Seol Do-yun flipped the switch to restore the CCTV and forced out tears.
* * *
Tzztzzzt, tzzzt.
Just as the prolonged noise on the CCTV was starting to seem suspicious, the feed returned.
On the now-visible screen, a small boy lay sprawled in a mess.
The strikingly pretty boy was on the ground, tears streaming down his face. Beside him, a girl with a worried look helped him up.
“Ah, they got punished during the gag order enforcement, huh.”
Lee Nam-soo clucked his tongue while eating potato chips.
“Man, they go brutal on kids. Not my business since they pay well, though.”
He chomped away, then suddenly shot up.
“What if they jammed the CCTV on purpose to go overboard with punishment? Like torture or something.”
The supervisor line had a bunch of mild psychopaths. Sure, the pay kept them loyal, but they got real job satisfaction from the violence. With secretive hiring, a lot of thugs got brought on.
A bit worried now, Lee Nam-soo stared at the badly beaten boy and the limping girl on screen.
“Wait, that’s the kid who gave me snacks.”
Earlier, a girl had wandered by and offered potato chips.
I’m heading to the convenience store later—can you play dumb?
She was one who snuck out often and bribed him plenty. Looked like she got punished with the boy too.
Lee Nam-soo shoveled the rest of the chips into his mouth. It stung knowing the kids got hit.
“Why am I... why am I so... sleepy...”
Despite the ache in his heart, drowsiness crashed over him. Lee Nam-soo slumped on his desk and fell into deep sleep.
* * *
In the Nina Pinta server room, Lee Yoo-hyun tinkered with the devices and checked the time.
It was nearing midnight, and people were trickling out.
“Aren’t you working too hard right from the start? Take it easy, Hunter Yoo-hyun.”
“Haha, this ability’s tricky—once I start making something, I have to finish it right there to boost completion quality.”
“Ah... I’ll head out first then. Good luck. You have your access card?”
“Yes. Get home safe.”
Finally, the last employee left. Lee Yoo-hyun started toward the spot Seol Do-yun mentioned.
Behind that cactus.
This no-entry zone seemed like a front for show.
From chats with a few staff, not everyone knew everything about the Association.
The kids the Association raises? Yeah, they train pretty harshly, but they’re seriously strong. Huh? Where do they live? No idea, not my department...
Everyone just knew their own slice.
Deep in thought, Lee Yoo-hyun moved the cactus pot aside and touched the wall. Up close, there was a faint seam. Sliding the wall up along it revealed a staircase.
There, crouched on the stairs, were Seol Do-yun and Lee Sa-byeok.