[Raccoon Man Beginning]
[Raccoon Man Beginning]
Around a few hours after Choi Ak left for the US, Team Leader Jo In-hyung called his phone. He was trying to get help for this current situation, but unfortunately, he had already left for the US.
So Sion decided to intercept the signal and answer on his behalf to explain.
"Who is this?"
[U-uh? Isn't this Choi Ak-ssi's phone number? It was the right one when I called last time...]
"He has gone to the US."
[Wait, the US?! Why on earth did he go to the US?! It's the same situation over there, shouldn't he be helping us instead?!]
"He went to protect Lee Kyung-jin-ssi's daughter at his request."
[Ah......]
Team Leader Jo had nothing to say. It wasn't like a Master-class Force User of their own country could go personally, and if he had to send someone else, there was no justification to stop him if he went for that reason.
If he wanted to argue, he should have sent Lee Kyung-jin to the US and kept Choi Ak in Korea.
[.....I understand. Then there's nothing we can do.]
"Did you call to request cooperation because of this Dimensional Rift?"
[Yes, given the gravity of the situation. I barely managed to find the time to call you just now.]
If he had called right after the news broke, he might have caught Choi Ak and had him finish the job in Korea before going to the US. But Team Leader Jo also needed time for field deployment and assessment, so he could only call now.
Without Choi Ak, Lee Kyung-jin is the only Master-class Force User left to defend Korea.
Can they really endure this Dimensional Rift?
"They will be able to."
[How can you be so sure?]
"If things really go south, it's a problem that will be solved once he returns from the US. You just need to buy as much time as possible."
[That's not as easy as it sounds....... Anyway, understood, Sion-ssi.]
Team Leader Jo hung up. Even though Force Users from the provinces, excluding a skeleton crew, had come up to Seoul and were deployed in various areas to prepare, it still felt insufficient.
"Team Leader, how is it? Is Raccoon Man coming?"
"We're fucked, Chang-in-ah."
"Pardon?"
"Raccoon Man went to the US."
"Wait, is he dead?!"
"Why does going to the US mean he's dead?"
"No, did he go to his hometown?! Since he's a raccoon, he'd be an American raccoon, right?"
Since their trump card, Raccoon Man, was absent, they were incredibly worried. There is a Master-class Force User, Lee Kyung-jin, but there's a huge difference between having one Master-class user and two.
That's why the state is so desperate to recruit capable Force Users. Thinking about that, if Raccoon Man were caught, at best he'd serve a few years in prison, and then likely be released via special pardon to become a state asset.
"Of all times, at this timing...... We'll just have to try and manage on our own."
"Right, but it feels ominous. I have a feeling things are going to get twisted."
"What, are you an awakened Precognition Trait user?"
"Not that, but the experience I've accumulated over the years seems to be telling me that."
Not a Precognition Trait, but a sixth sense. He couldn't grasp the details, only judge whether things would go well or poorly, but even just that filled Team Leader Jo's feeling with ominousness.
Suddenly, he wondered if he was relying too much on Raccoon Man. If he hadn't been there in the first place, they would have had to solve the Dimensional Rift just like now; there's no big difference. It was just that he had placed expectations on someone.
The starting point had just returned to the beginning. With that, Team Leader Jo steeled his heart.
"In the end, it's the same. We have to try and manage on our own."
"......Understood. I'll tell Mi-yeon as well."
"Yeah."
Team Leader Jo sighed while looking at the sky.
The pitch-black night sky seemed to represent his state of mind.
Sion decided to answer the calls coming to Choi Ak. Not just because of Team Leader Jo's business, but because there were cases where people called about shop business. Since Choi Ak was probably stowing away on a plane right now, it was better not to inconvenience him unnecessarily.
And the next day. While she was answering his calls, a call came from Baek-ri. He had arrived at work early, but since Choi Ak hadn't shown up, he called just in case.
[Hello? Hyung?]
"Is that Baek-ri-haksaeng?"
[Huh? Isn't this Hyung's phone number? Why is Hyung-sunim answering?]
"He has gone to the US."
[Did Hyung die?! No, why?!]
"No, I don't mean it in a derogatory way. I mean it literally."
[The US?! Why suddenly the US?!]
Baek-ri's shocked voice was conveyed vividly over the receiver. Well, it's surprising to hear someone went to the US overnight, of all places.
[Then what should I do about the shop? I can run the business even without Hyung, but I think there will be fewer people than usual.]
This is not a day to be leisurely tearing into chicken. With no idea when or where a Dimensional Rift might erupt, it was unlikely many people would be buying chicken and heading home. He couldn't say there would be none, but it was certain there would be fewer than usual.
"Then please take the day off today. Others will understand. I will call Seo-ae-ssi separately."
[Ah, then I'll close the shop.]
For today, the chicken shop [Dak-cheo-jul-kka?] is closed. Given the situation, that's actually better.
As the Dimensional Rift forecast was issued for Seoul, soldiers were frequently seen, helicopters were flying around, and the situation was no joke. They were definitely prepared to rush to the location and respond immediately if a Dimensional Rift erupted.
This is why people value those with the Precognition Trait. Dimensional Rift alarms start ringing about 10 to 15 minutes before, so it takes quite a while to deploy and arrive at the scene, but the precognition of a Precognition Trait holder provides a lead time of at least an hour, or up to a day if it's long.
The difference between being fully prepared and not is huge. The utility of a Precognition Trait holder lay here.
"The shop is closed... and there's nothing else to take care of. I think I've done enough preparation by now."
If a Dimensional Rift happens near her house, she plans to evacuate first. Anyway, there are some defensive facilities in place.
The problem is Yejin, who is still sleeping. After using her precognition once, she fell into a deep sleep and still hasn't regained consciousness.
Assuming she doesn't use any power, Sion only has the physical ability of an adult woman, despite her appearance. However, even if she is stronger than she looks, her small frame makes it natural that she would have trouble moving a passed-out woman.
It's not a problem of muscle strength, but of the center of gravity. If she struggles and drags Yejin's feet on the ground, she could carry her. But even so, it would be difficult to get to a nearby bomb shelter or evacuation facility.
This happened because Choi Ak wasn't here. Sion, pondering what to do, decided to call Baek-ri.
"Baek-ri-haksaeng?"
[Ah, Hyung-sunim. I just closed the shop and am on my way home.]
"I have a favor to ask, would that be okay?"
[What is it?]
"Since he isn't home right now, there's no one to do the heavy lifting. Besides, the child I mentioned before is half-fainted, so if a situation erupts, it will be hard to evacuate."
[If it's that, I'll head over there. Hyung must not have thought of that either.]
Anyway, at Baek-ri's house, there is Ruri, who is also a Force User. And since Ruri is stronger than Baek-ri, it would be much safer.
If Baek-ri, a Force User, comes, heavy lifting won't be a problem. Then she can breathe a sigh of relief.
Not long after, Baek-ri arrived at Sion's house. Sion was a little surprised that he arrived quickly, as she thought it would take longer than expected.
"Wasn't traffic bad?"
"Ah, I thought it would be, so I ran here. That was faster."
"Indeed, that would be the case."
Sion brought Baek-ri inside. And she showed him Yejin, who was still sleeping as if half-fainted, and explained the details.
"Yejin is a Precognition Trait holder. Perhaps because of that, she heard about the situation in the US... and he went to the US at the request of Master-class Force User Lee Kyung-jin-ssi."
"What if the home base gets raided while he's gone? Shouldn't he be protecting his most important home?"
"He probably judged that it would be fine."
If Choi Ak, who has good intuition, knew that the house would be destroyed by this incident, he wouldn't have gone to the US. If he didn't feel any ominousness regarding the house or Sion, it means it's safe.
Furthermore, if push comes to shove, there's Sion. If she uses her power, prepared to be exposed, the aftermath might be troublesome, but the situation becomes much easier.
"Is this Yejin? I'm seeing her face for the first time..."
"She's still in her second year of high school."
"........?"
"Clank clank."
"Ah! It's not like that, okay?!"
Baek-ri, who realized what Sion meant, shouted in violent denial.
Considering the age gap, it's not even 5 years, but still, a minor is a crime.
"If something happens, we'll have to evacuate, but then it's hard for me to take this child alone."
"Ah, so that's why you called me. Understood. Then I'll make a quick call to say I'll be staying here."
When they turned on the TV, various broadcasts were on the news. A significant number of channels had stopped their regular programming and were airing news, and since the situation hadn't erupted yet, they were broadcasting the still-chaotic situation.
It wasn't like the lawless zone during the Great Depression 20 years ago, but the disorderly appearance of people hoarding at supermarkets was clearly revealed on the broadcast. Seeing that, Baek-ri felt complicated.
"This isn't the first or second time this has happened, so why are they acting like that?"
"It's because they're anxious."
"I know that too."
They must be confused, scared, and anxious. That's why people, terrified, show disarray in order to prepare. Even though he said that, there was no guarantee that Baek-ri himself wouldn't do the same in an extreme situation. If his family were in danger, he would be the same.
"Even in this country, which has a Master-class Force User, it's like this. What if such a thing happened in another country without a Master-class Force User?"
"......That's true."
"If you really want to reassure people like that, it would be better to bring in Superman or something. This is an unavoidable matter."
Humans are not omnipotent. Sion is the same, and Choi Ak is the same. Because there are no absolutes in this world.
"Still, seeing things like that makes me feel bad."
"That is proof that you are still pure. Having compassion and sympathy when seeing such things is proof that your conscience as a human is alive, so cherish it."
"......I think you should say that to Hyung, not me."
"Doesn't he have me, his external conscience circuit, attached to him?"
"Hyung leaves his conscience at home when he goes out?!"
"At least that conscience hasn't grown hair."
".........?"
He expressed doubt while looking at Sion's long hair that reached her shoulders, but when his gaze went lower and he realized that what Sion said was a dirty joke, Baek-ri's face turned beet red.
He didn't know when he was with Choi Ak, but Sion was the same type as Ruri. He should have noticed when they met last time and hit it off, but because Choi Ak was such a weirdo, Sion was overshadowed, so he hadn't realized it well.
Wae-ae-ae-aeng!!
And around that time, the Dimensional Rift alarm started to ring.
The sound wasn't close, but it wasn't so far away that it couldn't be heard. At the very least, if the alarm was audible, it meant that even if there was some distance, it was in the vicinity.
"A Dimensional Rift......?"
"It's on the news now."
As the Dimensional Rift alarm rang, the exact location began to be specified in the breaking news.
[According to news that just came in, Dimensional Rift alarms have rung in two locations. The first location is near Yongsan-dong. And the second location is...... near Myeong-dong.]
"Uh......?"
Baek-ri doubted for a moment if he had misheard or misseen, but what was coming out on the news was no different.
Never mind Yongsan-dong, Myeong-dong is a place Baek-ri knows well. Naturally, since the chicken shop where he works is there.
"Hyung-sunim, that place is......"
"This time, there's nothing we can do."
Choi Ak, who would have stopped it, is now stopping what erupted in the US. There is no guarantee that nearby buildings will be intact during the fight.
Myeong-dong is not a small place, but if even one large Enemy Species appears, it would be much faster to find an intact building nearby. Therefore, it is more likely that the chicken shop [Dak-cheo-jul-kka?] where Baek-ri works will not be intact than that it will be.
Sion had already accepted it. Because what's important is human life, not buildings.
"If the shop collapses, we can just repair it. Even if it's completely smashed, the spot will remain, so we can rebuild it. But human lives are not like that."
Material things are not that important. Things that are not material are more important.
"The man who runs the pork cutlet specialty shop next door to us. Hyung taught him a little bit of know-how, and he was bragging about how business was going well now."
"......."
"The lady who ran the cafe upstairs from our shop was happy that her regulars increased after learning how to brew coffee from Hyung."
Baek-ri also knew. That what's important is human life, not buildings.
That's why he wants to help.
What he wants to protect is not the building, but the meaning contained within the building.
"They are all good people. The older sister who ran the clothing store across the street is like that, and the lady at the snack bar across the way is too. But if that place becomes a mess, what will happen?"
They might save their lives, but they will lose hope.
Thinking about the future, they might be hit by a bleak reality.
"I might be lacking, but I want to go. At the very least, I won't be a hindrance. So......."
"Now I understand why he told me to prepare."
Sion cut off Baek-ri's words. She stood up with a faint smile.
And with psychokinesis, a palm-sized object flew from somewhere and landed gently on her hand.
"Huh? What is that?"
"It's an item he prepared, knowing something like this would happen. I thought about what form would be good, and I prepared this because I thought it would be cooler."
In the center of a gray metallic oval plate, there was a device that looked like something hemispherical was attached. At first glance, it looked like a toy, but it emitted a faint light, and the circuits connected everywhere seemed to have been made with great effort.
When Sion brought it to Baek-ri's waist, it was worn like a belt by itself.
"What is this?! A transformation belt?!"
"Correct."
"No, seriously?!"
He already knew that Sion wasn't an ordinary person. He also knew she was an alien. But to actually make something like a transformation belt?!
"I deliberately programmed a voice recognition system. You just have to shout 'Transformation!' energetically and press the sphere in the center of the belt."
"You're not lying, right?! This isn't a hidden camera, right?!"
"It's faster to just try it, considering it as being tricked."
Everyone has their own tastes, so there must be quite a few people who like transformation hero shows even as adults, but among them, it would be rare for someone to have actually worn a belt and shouted "Transformation!". Honestly, it's also embarrassing.
Baek-ri endured the embarrassment and struck a pose. Having seen it before, he stretched his arm forward and shouted energetically.
"Transformation!!!"
At the same time, as he pressed the sphere on the belt, it emitted a red light, and small hexagonal panels rising from the center of the belt wrapped around Baek-ri's body.
Soon, as it wrapped around his entire body and even a mask was put on, the red light subsided. Soon, what was standing there was the Powered Exoskeleton suit that had been in Sion's underground laboratory.
However, the mask on the face was a mask that felt like a deformed raccoon.
"Space! It's heeeere!!!"
"Wait, Fourze from there!!!"
"I'm from that generation!"
"Argh! At least say 'I have arrived!' or something!"
"Whose line is that?"
"The generation gap!!!"
Sion screamed and fell into despair.
You rascal! Deca... no, Baek-ri!