Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Find the Right Path (3)
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6.
“Weapon numbering is RX-78.”
Breastplate. Equipped with a nucleus featuring a miniature instrument panel.
Backplate. Two long gas canisters mounted side by side.
Finally.
A cascade of large and small gears organically interlinked, enveloping the entire suit of armor.
“Codename is Gundam.”
Seo Hwa-yoon spread her arms wide, her white coat billowing as she looked at us with expectant eyes.
Of course, we couldn’t react.
We knew nothing about Gundam. Seo Hwa-yoon cleared her throat awkwardly.
“It operates the nucleus using gas as fuel. Then the nucleus rotates the gears according to the motion, amplifying the wearer’s strength—that’s the principle.”
“Wow…….”
“The reason for collecting data? It’s all for this guy. You could call it the culmination of all my accumulated tech.”
Seo Hwa-yoon thumped the Gundam with a hollow clang.
“It’s still just a prototype and has a lot of shortcomings, but someday I plan to deploy it in the Nightmare Zone.”
“It might actually be inconvenient for Hunters…….”
Shin Tae-yeop trailed off with an “Ah,” letting out a groan. I was genuinely shocked too.
“You all get it now, right? Exactly! The goal is to commercialize this for civilians! How about it? Exciting, isn’t it?”
That’s why she collected even the trivial data.
Suddenly, I recalled the stalkers we’d encountered in the Hunting Zone. If stalkers like those could wear reinforced exoskeletons…… But.
“It’s an uncertain gamble. Civilians have clear limits.”
“It might end up as a meaningless result. Still, I won’t give up. Not until the end. It’s my creed—life is like a math problem. You’ll reach the answer eventually, as long as you don’t quit.”
I stared at Seo Hwa-yoon, momentarily entranced as she gazed at the Gundam like it was a dream.
She was an eccentric.
And yet, a genius.
This must have been the moment.
When I first began to hold genuine respect for Seo Hwa-yoon.
“Actually, I didn’t bring you here just to show this off.”
That was when Seo Hwa-yoon got to the point.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“……A favor? What kind?”
“I want you to save Do Ye-jin.”
Do Ye-jin?
I hesitated for a moment.
“Me?”
“I’m not saying you should save her out of some moral obligation. We know next to nothing about what’s going on right now.”
Seo Hwa-yoon let out a long sigh.
“But this much is clear: the power of the Subordinates is absolute. To stand against it, we need an equally absolute power.”
“…….”
“But my research achievements are still this rudimentary. We’re far from catching up to that power. However…….”
I could immediately guess what Seo Hwa-yoon was about to say.
“You want to use Do Ye-jin as a weapon?”
“Yeah. You saw the statement, right? Someone gave her power. And told her to come find them with that power.”
- You have been chosen.
“What do you think that means? It’s saying she can become a Subordinate of her own will. Do Ye-jin is essentially a Subordinate weapon!”
A Subordinate weapon?
My battle with Arishel’rab was still vivid in my mind. That chilling power dominating the old downtown Nightmare.
“No.”
That’s why, perhaps.
I averted my gaze and shook my head firmly.
“It’s too dangerous.”
“No! Don’t you get it? This is an once-in-a-lifetime, massive opportunity! High risk, high return—that’s a given.”
“The risk is too great.”
“Please rethink it. Do you really think we can keep raiding Nightmares like this forever?”
“…….”
“Emotions like rage and hatred are highly volatile—they’ll fade eventually.”
Seo Hwa-yoon pointed at Shin Tae-yeop this time.
“Vague hope is the same. With half the raid team dying every time, who’d want to keep going?”
“That’s certainly…….”
“Exactly! If comrades keep dying one by one, any normal person would break. Because they’re human. Not monsters—humans.”
Shin Tae-yeop gave a wry smile and looked down. I spoke up.
“But…….”
“No ‘buts’! You stubborn idiot!”
As I tried to respond, Seo Hwa-yoon grabbed both my shoulders and shoved her face close to mine.
“This is our chance. The first and last opportunity to stand equal to Nightmares in future hunts.”
A chance…… A chance? No.
I squeezed my eyes shut and started shaking my head.
“This is something only you can do.”
Those words stopped me cold.
“Don’t you get it? You, who’ve hunted two Subordinates. Lead Hunter Kim Baek-jun. Only you can advocate for weaponizing Do Ye-jin. Humanity’s fate hangs on your choice.”
7.
Seodaemun Prison.
This ruin had been transformed into an old underground prison by Civilization Tuning.
Under the dawn starlight.
The bleakly rising towers were mere annexes.
The underground prison lay below, accessed through those towers.
“You sure you’ll be okay?”
Shin Tae-yeop said.
He carried bread and a water bottle in his arms.
“I asked earlier if I could just see her for a bit, but they refused.”
“She’ll be fine. ……I’ll talk to her.”
At the tower entrance.
A 2.5-meter giant leaning on a sledgehammer. He guarded the door like a human barricade, his gaze turning to me.
“What do you want?”
It was Im Yong-gon.
Meeting him again, he wore plain clothes but still had the metal bucket upside down on his head.
“I’m here to visit Do Ye-jin.”
Im Yong-gon glanced at Shin Tae-yeop. More precisely, at the food in his arms.
“Not for that.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then?”
His question left me at a loss for words.
What should I say? I forcibly dragged out the thoughts clogged in my head.
“To know the right choice. It’ll only take a moment. Please.”
Im Yong-gon stared at me for a long time, and I didn’t look away.
With the bucket on his head, I couldn’t see his expression.
“This isn’t a standard visit.”
I swallowed dryly.
If Im Yong-gon refused…… there’d be nothing I could do.
“If it were another Hunter asking, I’d turn you down.”
But Im Yong-gon trusted me. He eventually unhooked the keyring from his belt and handed me two keys.
“This one’s for the oak door, and this for the cell. She’s on underground level 4. Come out as soon as you can.”
Im Yong-gon stepped aside. After a nod of thanks, I entered the tower.
“Leave the food. We can’t handle separate bathroom arrangements.”
I grabbed a torch from the wall mount, and Shin Tae-yeop hurriedly followed.
“Uncle, aren’t you scared of that guy?”
Shin Tae-yeop asked as I opened the stair door.
Pitch blackness swallowed our view—not even the feet below visible. I led carefully, illuminating the spiral stairs with the torch.
“Not really?”
Though running into him at night might still make my legs shake.
“Why’s he always wearing that bucket?”
“No idea. Watch the stairs ahead.”
Underground level 4 was the deepest.
A chill crept in with every descending step, now piercing my whole body.
“I don’t get why they stuck her so deep underground…… If she can become a Subordinate again, what’s the point of any cell?”
“It’s not about guarding against Subordinate transformation.”
“Then?”
I shrugged.
“It’s to guard against people.”
The ugly truth in my words was obvious. But Shin Tae-yeop was too innocent to grasp it.
“Can I ask one thing?”
“Yeah?”
“What’s your deal with [Master of the Broken Dawn]?”
“……What’s that?”
I froze mid-step.
Shin Tae-yeop’s small head bumped into my back with a thunk.
“Ow, why.”
“Why…… Don’t you remember this? We even talked about it.”
Shin Tae-yeop looked at the Dawn Sword, clutching his forehead like he had a headache.
“What the…… I have no idea what you’re talking about, Uncle. But why does my head hurt so much?”
I was speechless for a moment. Then…… it hit me.
- He only got back fragmentary memories.
“Your power…… it’s not from the stars. You got it from [Master of the Broken Dawn], right?”
“That person gave you this power?”
Shin Tae-yeop gave a bitter smile and pulled a red rosary from under his clothes.
“I don’t know the details. But on April 5th…… Destruction Day, this suddenly appeared around my neck.”
“……?”
“From then on, I could suddenly control flames.”
As Shin Tae-yeop fiddled with the rosary, the beads flickered with crimson flame light.
“As naturally as breathing. I don’t know why.”
Shin Tae-yeop paused, then added.
“I did hear a voice then. [Found you.]”
Found you?
I scratched my head awkwardly.
I’d hoped it might clear up some questions, but my mind only grew more tangled.
While we chattered, we reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Hold the torch.”
While Shin Tae-yeop held the torch, I unlocked the massive oak door with the key.
A long, pitch-dark corridor.
Finding Do Ye-jin’s cell was easy. Rough coughing echoed from it.
“Who…… Sis?”
Do Ye-jin huddled in a corner of the cell, knees drawn to her chest. Shackles clanked on her wrists and ankles.
Do Ye-jin was a pale, frail girl.
She resembled her sister in beauty…… but that was it. She just looked like a small, fragile child.
Maybe that’s why.
Seeing her eyes, I suddenly thought of Shin Tae-yeop three days ago.
……Dead eyes.
It was no wonder.
According to the statement, she’d just blacked out and woken up to find her family and daily life gone.
“Not your sis, duh. It’s me, your VIP Shin Tae-yeop.”
Do Ye-jin narrowed her eyes, then tilted her head slightly.
“What’re you saying? Did you hit your head? You okay?”
I let out a hollow breath.
This kid was the first to play along with Shin Tae-yeop’s silly joke right away.
“Hey, wait. How old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
“I’m nineteen. Use honorifics. Say ‘oppa.’”
“Nah? My creed is no honorifics for the weak.”
Shin Tae-yeop made a scoffing face.
“A rabbit yapping in front of a tiger…… If you wanna survive in Korea, follow Confucian rites, you bunny punk.”
I had to admit I was surprised.
Similar to Do Su-jin, but different.
The cool impression was the same, but Do Ye-jin was honest and playful. Like any girl her age.
“You two seem…… really close.”
I smiled bitterly.
For a moment, it felt like the old world had returned. The kind of chatter I’d overhear between students on the street……
“Personally, I’m convinced now. You’re human.”
Do Ye-jin blinked.
Her eyes finally registering me. Shin Tae-yeop puffed up proudly.
“Say hi. This uncle’s Kim Baek-jun! Lead Hunter.”
“Lead……?”
“You can tell from the title, but he’s strong. The strongest among Hunters. The one who…….”
Shin Tae-yeop fell silent briefly.
“Hunted Arishel’rab too.”
“Ah.”
Do Ye-jin’s eyes wavered, then dropped.
“So…… sorry…….”
It wasn’t a typical reaction.
Maybe…… on the way to being locked up, Hunters had branded her a murderer.
……Me?
I tried too.
Rage over Kim Gye-sang’s death. But the only feeling was faint pity.
“You say you don’t remember? Is that true?”
“I can’t believe I did that…… I thought they were lying about everyone.”
I stared at Do Ye-jin for a while.
If Kim Gye-sang had been in my shoes…… how would he react?
Would he rage, “Don’t bullshit me”?
Lunge at her, “I’ll kill you”?
I’d never know…… but the gentle man wouldn’t have. He’d say something like this instead.
“Then no need to apologize…….”
I let out a long sigh.
After a brief silence, I spoke again.
“Time’s short, so let’s get to the point. There’s a council meeting this morning.”
“……What’s a council?”
“A bunch of people gathering to discuss important matters.”
“What matters?”
“Whether to kill you or let you live.”
Do Ye-jin stared into distant space, speaking resignedly.
“I see.”
“You knew?”
“I figured. They said people would definitely kill me. Sis said she wouldn’t let them.”
I stopped Shin Tae-yeop from jumping in with a hand on his shoulder.
“If possible…… could you keep Sis somewhere else? I don’t want her getting hurt.”
Her words pained me a little. Not the kind of thought for a sixteen-year-old.
“Don’t want to live?”
“Even if I do, there’s no way.”
“There is.”