Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Invitation (1)
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The Heavenly Demon started his commute in his usual manner.
After finishing his morning meditation, he donned the Our Clothes hanging in one corner of the room, took the subway, got off at the station, and walked to the hanok building housing Bokbok Interiors.
The Our Clothes, crafted like a gentleman's suit, always maintained a comfortable temperature, but the wind brushing against his face had grown chilly.
The Heavenly Demon suddenly realized that autumn had deepened.
Jingle.
As he pulled out his keychain to unlock the door of Bokbok Interiors and raised his head, he noticed the shop lights were already on, and he could hear movement inside. Stepping in, he saw Jang Chaewon, who had arrived earlier, smiling faintly.
"Come on in."
Jang Chaewon usually arrived thirty minutes to an hour later than the Heavenly Demon.
But today, not only had she come in early, the interior of the shop was spotless.
"You didn't spill the beans to the shop owner again, did you?"
The Heavenly Demon glared menacingly at Nameless.
Had it really been unable to hold back and blabbed to Jang Chaewon about yesterday's incident in the meantime?
[Would I do that?]
As the flustered Nameless waved its hands in denial,
"What are you doing?"
At Jang Chaewon's words, the Heavenly Demon, who had been baring his fangs like a goblin, quickly composed his face into serenity and asked,
"What brings you in so early?"
"Oh."
Jang Chaewon glanced around the shop and rubbed her nose.
"I did a thorough cleaning for once. Wanted to change up the shop's vibe a bit."
Now that he looked, the furniture and samples had been rearranged slightly. She must have gotten up at dawn to clean.
"I see."
"I already cleaned everything, so no mopping today."
"Understood."
As the Heavenly Demon turned his gaze, Nameless perched on his shoulder had set its eye sensors to an intensely aggrieved expression.
"Get inside."
With an indifferent expression, the Heavenly Demon set Nameless down in the storage room and picked up a green tea teabag.
Thus began another ordinary day, just like always.
* * *
Conference room of the Strategic Analysis Team under the Strategic Planning Office.
Leaning deeply back in his chair, Kim Suwoong stared at the hologram screen floating in the air.
The screen showed twenty or so Awakeners battling a Gigant Pep that towered skyward.
Countless varied attack skills lit up the air, but the Gigant Pep showed no signs of falling easily.
No, it was overwhelming the Awakeners instead.
Boom!
At that moment, a crimson cloud from the distant sky shot straight toward the Gigant Pep's head.
Screeech!
Sensing danger, the Gigant Pep swung its massive sickle-shaped arm just as—
Click.
Kim Suwoong extended a finger into the air, pausing the screen.
"Hmm."
In the frozen frame, a faint silhouette shrouded in crimson light was visible.
It resembled a demon born from roaring flames.
"A monster?"
At Kim Suwoong's words, an agent staring at the hologram nodded.
"Judging by the form, it seems like a new type of unidentified Hidden Monster."
"No."
Kim Suwoong shook his head as he eyed the figure engulfed in blazing red light.
"It's no mere monster."
He rotated his finger, shifting the screen view to the side profile of the demon-like face.
"It's just that it moved so fast and was covered in red light that the focus didn't catch properly."
Adjusting the viewpoint to the side with his finger, Kim Suwoong pointed to the unnatural edge of the demon-like face.
"This unnatural boundary... it's a mask."
"You're saying that red glowing figure is human?"
At the agent's question, Kim Suwoong gave a cold smile.
"It could be. Monsters don't wear masks like that."
Among monsters, only the Hidden Monster 'Masked Gentleman' wore a mask.
Silence fell over the conference room.
Propping his chin, Kim Suwoong pondered deeply before clicking his finger again.
Boom.
The paused screen resumed, showing an explosion as the Gigant Pep's head burst in all directions.
Something poured from the red figure had shattered the Gigant Pep's head, tougher than titanium alloy.
"Hmm."
As Kim Suwoong let out another low hum, the conference room door opened.
"Excuse me."
The shadow that entered was a woman in her twenties with her long hair neatly tied back.
"Kim Sera from the Data Mining Team, Big Data Analysis Office."
The agents in the room briefly showed surprised expressions.
Data Mining Team.
An elite group of genius-minded Awakeners even among the Data Analysis Office.
"Sorry about this. Had to pull you away from your regular duties."
Kim Suwoong pointed at the screen toward Kim Sera, who had the sharp eyes and classic prodigy face.
"No formal report material yet, you see."
"Not at all. I've been fully briefed by Team Leader Jin Seongryeong on everything."
'A newbie, huh.'
Kim Suwoong narrowed his eyes as he reviewed Kim Sera's profile.
They sent a fresh hire for something like this? She must be an extraordinary genius with a tight lip.
"Take a look, then."
Nodding, Kim Suwoong played the hologram again.
After staring at the screen for a long while, Kim Sera nodded.
"...I see."
What exactly did she see? Kim Sera reached out and rewound the footage.
Click.
Pausing at the moment the red figure fired light at the Gigant Pep, she said,
"This isn't light. It's an arm extending at extreme speed."
"An arm...?"
"Yes. It's moving at such supersonic speed and enveloped in intense energy waves that it looks like light."
She manipulated the screen again, pointing to the blurry boundary on the demon-like face.
"This one has a high probability of wearing a mask. The side afterimage suggests something covering the face, not skin."
Her analysis matched Kim Suwoong's.
Then, an agent from the Strategic Analysis Team sitting beside her muttered skeptically.
"It's probably not human, right?"
Meeting Kim Sera's gaze, the agent continued.
"No human skill lets you emit light from your body, move at supersonic speeds, and unleash missile-like power, is there?"
"It could be an IR skill."
IR skill. Also called Irregular Skill.
A catch-all term for skills not yet discovered or those with randomly varying effects each time.
"Even with an IR skill, no known Awakener can wield that level of power."
At Kim Sera's response, the agent reiterated his point.
"If there is one, it'd be one of our country's top rankers everyone knows."
"A top ranker with unregistered skills..."
Muttering lowly, Kim Sera looked at the agent and said flatly,
"There are plenty, aren't there?"
"Pardon?"
"Even in the Strategic Planning Office..."
"That's enough."
Cutting off Kim Sera, Kim Suwoong waved his hand and changed the subject.
"There are always hidden powerhouses. Even the bars near the Association have folks living like hermits."
He abruptly shut off the hologram and said to Kim Sera,
"Good work. Head back."
"Understood."
As Kim Sera turned to leave the conference room, Kim Suwoong chuckled.
"Keep drawing our talents over there, huh."
Muttering something cryptic, he made Kim Sera pause.
"Pardon?"
"Heard you just joined not long ago."
"Yes."
"No thoughts of coming over here?"
"I'm sorry. My major is Dungeon Studies..."
A slight smile cracked her stiff expression, revealing Kim Sera's true charm.
'She was nervous.'
He'd thought her cold and analytical, but she showed emotions more than expected.
Kim Suwoong's heated gaze cooled sharply.
No matter how brilliant the prodigy, he had no need for someone with such a naive personality.
"Shame."
At Kim Suwoong's subtle reply, Kim Sera bowed and left the room.
"Then, excuse me."
Retrieving the nanochip with the file, Kim Suwoong stood.
"We'll handle this case later. Good work."
He turned and exited the conference room. In that moment, the agents' eyes sank heavily, as if by prior agreement.
-We'll handle this later.
It was the phrase Kim Suwoong, the Strategic Planning Director, used most often since taking the position.
In short, the matter had left the Strategic Analysis Team's hands.
"Hey, doesn't this mean our department's been sidelined too?"
Once Kim Suwoong left, Lee Soon-chul, the middle-aged Strategic Analysis Team Leader sitting in one corner, spoke up.
"Those 'later' cases always end up closed somehow."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Since he became director, the subordinate departments had turned into isolated silos, with no shared info or coordination.
"Looks like that rumor is true."
The young agent who had sparred verbally with Kim Sera earlier, Kim Youngmin, broke the silence.
"That the Director picks agents regardless of affiliation and runs a separate direct unit."
A chill wind swept through the office.
Originally, the Strategic Analysis Team was the brain of the Strategic Planning Office. It collected and analyzed all incoming info and oversaw other departments.
But since Kim Suwoong took over, the team just endlessly produced incomprehensible analyses and results.
"No way."
Lee Soon-chul laughed and shook his head.
No matter what, they were the head of the Planning Office. He believed nothing like that would happen.
* * *
Back in his private office, Director Kim Suwoong.
He sat at the desk finished in natural leather and marble.
"Heh."
Sweeping his gaze over the pitch-black office, he suddenly stared intently at one spot in the darkness and smirked.
"Human? More like something in human form."
He recalled the red shadow from the conference footage.
The shadow in the video possessed power far surpassing a 1st Grade Awakener.
Gazing emptily into space, he pressed the button on the direct line intercom on his desk.
"Progress report."
-Stabilization over 90 percent.
"Good. Time to test it, then."
Pressing the intercom again, Kim Suwoong leaned deep into his chair.
He held the nanochip storing the hologram footage and looked down at it.
"Not reporting something like this... huh."
Click.
Lightly tossing the nanochip onto the desk, he whispered lowly.
"Team Leader Cho's up to some fun games. Isn't she?"
Chuckling softly, Kim Suwoong addressed the darkness.
"And this footage? It's edited. Front and back are both cut off."
Then, from the thick darkness opposite him, a low voice replied.
"I know nothing about it."
"Is that so? Well, Team Leader Cho is always thorough, so she might have the original stashed separately."
With a strange smile, Kim Suwoong narrowed his eyes.
"Or maybe she sniffed out a traitor in her team."
Thud.
A heavy air seemed to settle somewhere.
"No issues with the mental barrier device. No signs of intrusion."
"Hmm."
"If someone violated the skill use order without permission, you'd have known first, Director."
Kim Suwoong shook his head at the firm voice from the shadow.
"So you don't know either? This one's identity?"
"No."
"Understood."
Standing from his chair, Director Kim Suwoong gazed down at the glittering city nightscape.
"Anyway, we'll proceed as you requested."
"Thank you. Ah, and..."
After a brief hesitation, a low voice emerged from the darkness.
"Switch the nanodrones to the new model this time."
"New model?"
"It's highly visible. That's why it got spotted taking out One-Eye."
"Noted."
With that reply, Director Kim Suwoong remained still, gazing at the nightscape.
It was a silent order to leave.
"Then."
The shadow bowed lowly and melted into the darkness.
* * *
Vroom.
Having finished all his tasks, the Heavenly Demon rode Lamas back to the rooftop building nonchalantly.
With gentle eyes, he meticulously checked the exhaust sounds and dashboard before slowly turning off the engine.
After inspecting the undercarriage and outer paint as well, the Heavenly Demon popped the hood and examined the engine bay.
"Something's off."
Pressing his ear close to the engine, he tilted his head.
"Nameless. Inspect the vehicle."
[Understood.]
Nameless hopped into Lamas's engine bay and began examining every nook and cranny diligently.
[Slight engine misfire. Throttle body needs cleaning. Ah, plugs look worn too. Recommend replacement.]
"Hm."
The Heavenly Demon's expression darkened.
Maintenance on an old classic like Lamas wasn't cheap. Parts were incompatible, and servicing was tricky.
Tools often didn't match the current vehicle, requiring separate purchases for repairs.
"No choice. This seat must work harder."
[You truly cherish your vehicle, Heavenly Demon.]
"It's not cherishing. It's maintenance."
At Nameless's words, the Heavenly Demon replied solemnly.
"Neglecting a weapon that serves as hands and feet is as good as suicide."
[Yesss...]
Clack clack.
Then, footsteps approached from behind the Heavenly Demon, accompanied by a familiar voice.
"Heading home now?"
A bob cut hairstyle evoking a voluminous mushroom, face bare of makeup.
She looked gentle but had an oddly resolute glint in her eyes. It was Cho Hong, gazing at the Heavenly Demon.
"Hm."
Even meeting her gaze, the Heavenly Demon ignored her and kept walking.
"Um, Heavenly Demon."
Cho Hong hurried ahead to block him, her face serious.
"Got a moment?"
"Time is equally available to all."
At the absurd reply, Cho Hong's mouth fell open.
"I mean..."
Without waiting for her to finish, the Heavenly Demon brushed past indifferently.
"Uh, wait a sec."
She dashed ahead again to block him and said,
"Let's talk for a bit."
"Speak."
"Here?"
[Is this a date invite?]
Then Nameless stepped forward dramatically.
[Shall I give you some space?]
"Would you? It's not a date invite, though."
[Then it must be!]
Nameless's eye sensor flashed as if realizing something.
[Blackmailing the Heavenly Demon who sneaks into dungeons, to extort money and lavish feasts!]
Nameless thrust its arms skyward and prostrated itself.
[Regrettably, the Heavenly Demon is a wageworking laborer. Driving an old car with upkeep costs rivaling a luxury import, as a total car poor—squeeze all you want, there's no fat to wring...]
Mid-ramble, Nameless scratched its round head at the Heavenly Demon's blazing glare.
[So, I was just revealing how frugally you live to block any money blackmail. Hehe.]
"You really loaded it with some weird language pack."
Cho Hong chuckled at Nameless.
"It's not that. Actually, I came to thank you, so don't worry."
[Thanks?]
"Yeah."
At Cho Hong's reply, Nameless retracted its limbs with a pop and saluted.
[Oh, right? Then go ahead! I'll head out.]
It zipped straight up to the rooftop.
"You've got some unique hobbies."
Watching Nameless scamper off, Cho Hong shook her head with a chuckle, assuming the Heavenly Demon had intentionally modded it that way.
"What do you want?"
"Well..."
The Heavenly Demon looked down at her with a stoic expression.
"Speak here. It matters not to this seat."