Chapter 320
Chapter 320
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Full-Scale War
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For over a week, we really took it easy.
At least I did.
I recruited the Branch Director, shook off Park Ye-eun who wanted to tag along, and recruited Eileen.
I wanted to recruit the Containment Team too, but the Branch Director said they'd already been deployed somewhere, so I couldn't.
"The Containment Team's been thrown into something huge," he'd said.
This damn Management Bureau never has enough manpower.
Everyone seemed to have gotten some rest in their own way.
Or at least, I hoped they had.
Yoo Daon showed up bundled up tight every time, Song Arin occasionally slipped into weird speech patterns, and Jang Chaeyeon would just sit there flashing a smile—looks like I was the only one who'd actually rested properly.
Of course, I didn't exactly lounge around either.
I rested way more intensely.
I did nothing but sleep at home, took some time off from the office with permission from Team Leader and the Branch Director, watched whatever I wanted.
Anyway, I rested properly, way better than usual.
And then the appointed time arrived.
"Oppa, are you sure I really can't come?"
"I'd love to have you there, but... it's too dangerous."
I meet the worried gaze of Park Ye-eun staring at me.
"Oppa, I'm on the HR Team too."
Park Ye-eun glares at me, pretending to be angry.
"If you keep leaving me out just because I'm young, when am I supposed to get stronger?"
"Ye-eun, want some advice from a senior in the working world?"
"Yes?"
I look at the puzzled Park Ye-eun and speak up.
"Enjoy doing nothing while you can. Eventually, you'll have to work whether you like it or not."
"You're talking like an old man again."
Park Ye-eun pouts at my words, grumbles, then glances up at me.
"Really, no way...?"
"No."
Aestheticism isn't an easy opponent. No, it's really tough to face.
I don't want to drag Park Ye-eun up against something like that.
Especially since I made a promise.
"...For real?"
Why don't kids these days listen? I shake my head at Park Ye-eun, who's looking up at me pleadingly.
"Yeah. I made a promise."
"..."
She stares at me intently, then suddenly grabs my hand.
"Oppa."
"Yeah."
"Be careful. Promise."
"Got it. Don't worry."
Park Ye-eun sighs at my words and lets go of my hand.
I look at Team Leader, and he stares right back at me before blurting out,
"Don't worry. I'm feeling pretty good right now."
"Wow, that's the most positive encouragement I've ever heard in my life."
Team Leader smirks at my quip.
"Anyway, be careful out there. Me and the Branch Director got a ton of work done while you were resting, so if you come back a little banged up, just rest up."
"That doesn't sound like encouragement, but I'll head out anyway."
"Do that."
What else are two grown men gonna say? This is peak conversation right here.
Team Leader and I nod to each other, then step out of the HR Team office and head to the parking lot.
Eileen's already there, arms crossed, rifle slung on her back.
"You got here early."
"The team members kept making a fuss about coming along, so I snuck out early saying I had to scout ahead."
Eileen's tone is much softer than before.
Fortunately, her team seems to have accepted her a lot more, and hearing bits of the old Eileen I knew in her speech puts my mind at ease.
"No items you left behind?"
"Nope!"
"Yeah."
"None."
The three from HR respond to my question.
Yoo Daon slips an awl into her pocket with gloved hands, Jang Chaeyeon jingles a small pouch, and Song Arin climbs into the car empty-handed.
"Good. Let's roll."
The Branch Director said he'd come separately.
I punch the address for Inspiration Hotel into the navigation.
[Displaying the designated route.]
A mechanical voice chimes, a route appears, and after a brief silence, I hit the pedal.
Time to go.
*
It was farther than I thought.
No, we were crossing past Gangseo into deep countryside to begin with.
We hop on the highway, veer onto mountain roads, and keep climbing twisty paths.
"What kind of place has a hotel out here?"
"Probably a resort."
Maybe one of those healing resorts? Good facilities tucked in the mountains.
As the driver, it was a total pain for me.
"It's pretty far."
"Want me to drive?"
"You got a license?"
"Nope. But I've been watching you drive, Jaeheon, so I think I can do it!"
Yoo Daon beams brightly, and Song Arin stares at her like she's insane.
"You're talking nonsense without even a license. Shut up and sit there."
"I could totally copy you exactly..."
"Quiet."
"...Should I get my license too?"
Jang Chaeyeon mutters, and Song Arin snickers as she looks at her.
"What, white-hair? You don't have one either?"
"...Do you?"
"Hey, I got mine the second I was old enough."
Song Arin puffs out her chest proudly.
"So just say the word. If you're tired, I can take over as many times as you need."
"What class?"
And then Eileen, who's been listening quietly, finally speaks up, drawing Song Arin's gaze.
"Class 2 ordinary."
"I've got Class 1, so ask me."
"..."
Song Arin's face twists, and Eileen smiles softly as she glances at me.
"I'm not handing over the wheel, though."
Not that I planned to anyway.
Considering their ages, it's only a few years' difference at most.
Both go quiet at my words, and I check the navigation again.
Let's see, still quite a ways to go.
The moment that thought crosses my mind, the navigation blares.
[You have arrived at your destination.]
"..."
No way.
I peer out the window.
The mountain road stretches on, nothing but trees around.
Doesn't look like the destination's anywhere nearby.
It definitely wasn't a moment ago...
"Don't open the window."
Eileen mutters quietly, grabbing my wrist.
"Why?"
"...I hear something."
She squints and whispers.
We all shut up at Eileen's words, straining to listen, and soon an eerie sound reaches my ears.
-Screeech... screeeeech...
"What's that noise?"
"Probably a device the Management Bureau set up."
Eileen answers my mutter.
"It clouds perception and messes with electronics."
"So it's not dangerous for us?"
"You think it'd have friend-or-foe recognition? They'd sooner spend the budget on another fatality bonus."
Can't argue with that.
"How do we get through it?"
"Normally, you'd just push on, but..."
Eileen trails off, staring ahead.
[Straight, straight, straight, straight.]
The navigation starts droning mechanically, and Eileen closes her eyes.
"That voice wasn't there before."
"It's off, yeah. The sound."
"Right. The route—"
"Just go straight?"
Yoo Daon cuts in before Eileen can finish.
"I saw it earlier—about ten klicks ahead, then a right turn."
"Good. I'll keep the speed steady, so you all calculate the timing."
"I'll do it."
Song Arin nods and leans toward me, while Jang Chaeyeon pulls out her phone to time it.
"Alright. Here we go."
-Vroooom!
I floor it again.
[Right turn, left turn, straight, reverse.]
The navigation keeps yammering like it's lost its mind.
After some driving, Song Arin and Jang Chaeyeon speak up at the same time.
"Right turn."
"You need to turn right."
"..."
"..."
They stare at each other.
"Doing it."
No time to gawk, so I turn right onto the side path—and at that moment, a shadow appears in front.
"Person!"
Song Arin screams, and I slam the brakes.
-Screeeeech!
The car shrieks to a halt, but the person was closer than I thought, and the car was about to—
-Thud!
"...Huh...?"
It didn't hit.
Someone had stopped the car with one hand and was staring at us.
It was the Branch Director.
"...Did he just stop a moving car with one hand?"
"More like, did the car just crumple?"
Eileen mutters in response, but as I grab the door handle, the Branch Director waves no, shakes his head, then climbs onto the car.
"...What the hell?"
Song Arin mutters incredulously, and soon the Branch Director's on the roof.
A screech echoes, and he raps on the roof, yelling,
"Go!"
"..."
I ease onto the pedal, and the car inches forward.
Then another rap, and he shouts,
"Faster!"
"Any faster here and we'll fly off."
"He said go faster himself."
"..."
What is Diamond Indestructibility?
I stomp harder on the pedal, and the car picks up speed.
Only then does the Branch Director go quiet.
How long do we drive? Soon, the grim silhouette of a hotel comes into view.
[Inspiration Hotel] looms on the sign, and as I slow to a stop, the Branch Director leaps off the roof and gestures to open the door.
I open it, and finally, he grins at us.
"See, someone mixed hallucinogens into the air in between, tossed some weird stuff around too. That's why I said don't open the door."
The Branch Director flashes a friendly smile.
"You okay, Branch Director?"
"Hallucinogens? One deep breath and a gut clench, gone."
Hallucinogens work like that, huh.
He nods like it's obvious, then looks at me.
"Here it is. Inspiration Hotel."
"..."
Inspiration Hotel.
The rusted iron gate hangs open, like someone's already pried it, with a familiar sign planted out front.
"Guess once we pass that, no turning back."
Eileen mutters at the sign, and everyone else starts prepping.
Yoo Daon grips her awl reverse-handed, Jang Chaeyeon flicks her beads, Song Arin meditates with eyes closed, Eileen checks her rifle, and the Branch Director cracks his knuckles.
-Shing!
And my Manual unfurls in my hand.
[Office Manual]
[Inspiration Hotel - Response Team Won Yuhyeon's Record]
Let it begin.