New Seoul Chinatown (1)
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Kim Taeju arrived at the Central Awakening Management Bureau headquarters on the outskirts of New Seoul aboard the helicopter sent by Deputy Director Moon Kyungshik.
Ilbaek was with him for the first time in a while.
His outfit was simple training wear.
Ilbaek was curled up snoring inside the chest pocket of his top.
He had to let the little guy out for some fresh air every now and then.
The rotating faces were a dead giveaway if you looked too closely, but only someone with exceptionally sharp eyes would notice.
Deputy Director Moon Kyungshik was already waiting at the bureau's helicopter pad.
"Welcome. ...I'm not sure what to call you these days."
"Chairman feels the most natural."
"Understood, Chairman Kim. I've been agonizing over this. Whether to request your assistance or not—your status has changed so much since before."
Paju Territory lord, Gurye lifelong mayor.
Was that even comparable to being a pharmaceutical company chairman?
Even the bureau director would have to grovel before Taeju.
"Feel free to call on me anytime for mine-related matters. Don't hold back."
"Ah... thank you. This way, then."
Taeju followed Moon Kyungshik into the morgue beneath the bureau headquarters.
The message he'd received in his home training room.
Sergei, the Leaders Club mine he'd personally captured and handed over, and Daigo Katsuya, the Hapbin Prison mine—both had died mysteriously at the same time.
"We're truly sorry. You caught two mines that are nearly impossible to take alive, and we failed to keep them secure..."
It was true.
Capturing mines alive was almost impossible.
Even killing them after capture was no easy feat.
There had been a few live captures in the past, but not a single one in the last ten years.
The freezer door in the morgue swung open.
Mines that had turned into monster-like corpses after death.
At that moment!
Suddenly,
"Meow?"
Ibaek poked its head out from Taeju's chest pocket.
Then,
"Kyaaak!"
Ibaek bared its teeth at the monsterfied mines.
"Get back in for now."
"Meo."
Pop.
Taeju examined the corpses as he asked Moon Kyungshik,
"When did they die?"
"Right after the victory ceremony. And they died simultaneously."
"Exactly the same time?"
"One second apart. Daigo first, then Sergei."
One second—that was as good as simultaneous.
"Were the mana restraints still in place?"
"On both hands, feet, heart, and head—six points total. They couldn't have moved a fingertip."
Then suicide was impossible.
"Cause of death? You must have done an autopsy."
"Their brains exploded. Shattered into pieces."
Moon Kyungshik continued gravely.
"We did detailed MRI scans when we first captured them. No metal or foreign objects in their heads. No external trauma, no drugs..."
He pulled out two reagent bottles stored in the freezer.
"Samples from their brains taken during the autopsy."
"Mind if I take a look?"
"Please, go ahead."
Taeju opened a reagent bottle.
It was frozen solid, truly liquefied.
He thawed it slightly and sniffed.
Hmm.
A strange smell.
Mostly the rot from decaying brains, but...
This...
Something was off.
Familiar.
From the experiences of Absolute Poison Demon Dang Gunak, of course.
No way?
Impossible.
This was Earth, not the murim world.
He sniffed again.
Yes. No doubt.
Traces of gudok.
A forbidden poison technique in the murim world.
Especially the Five Venom Sect's gudok was infamous.
Gudok was a kind of tiny insect.
It entered the human body like a parasite and acted.
Countless varieties.
It could control the victim's mind, emit subtle poisons to induce illness, drain inner energy, or explode the brain into mush like this.
Definitely gudok.
The simultaneous deaths made sense now.
The caster had detonated them.
Implanting gudok required profound poison mastery.
That's why it was rarely detected.
Doubtful that gudok even existed on Earth, but...
Someone fed it to these mines?
It would work on mines too.
They were half-human, after all.
Who was it?
Individual or organization?
"Deputy Director Moon, how far has the investigation gone?"
"I'll show you in the investigation room."
In the bureau's investigation situation room.
A large screen displayed detailed info on Mine Sergei and Mine Daigo Katsuya side by side.
Lists of victims they'd killed, jobs they'd held, card and financial transactions, phone records...
A memory flashed.
"Deputy Director Moon, after the Great Wall Wave War, you called me saying you'd found a lead on the mines, right?"
"Yes, I remember. I said I'd formally request help after bolstering the case."
"What was the lead?"
"Well..."
Moon Kyungshik pulled up Sergei and Daigo's card transaction records on screen.
"These two operated in different areas, had different jobs and hobbies—no overlaps at all. Except for one thing."
He pointed to a line on Daigo's statement.
"Here, 'Geumyong Pavilion,' a restaurant in New Seoul Chinatown. Daigo paid there in October 2322."
Then another statement.
"Sergei visited New Seoul Chinatown in May 2322 and ate dinner at 'Cheonghwa Chun.'"
"Hmm..."
"They'd both frequented Chinatown before too. Not the same dates or places, but still."
It was a commonality, but hardly solid evidence.
"Ambiguous."
"Yes, so we handled it internally without requesting help."
Different dates, different restaurants.
The only link: New Seoul Chinatown.
A major tourist spot in New Seoul.
Swarming with people on weekends.
"Investigating Chinatown is a huge burden for police or the bureau. Accusations of ethnic discrimination or hate-driven overreach fly constantly."
Disappeared China.
Chinese refugees who'd fled to the Samhan Empire.
They hadn't integrated well at first.
East Asia's three nations weren't exactly buddies.
Plus the rumors swirling in the empire:
The imperial government saw it as a liability.
In the unified Samhan Empire of East Asia, it could spark ethnic tensions.
But not entirely baseless rumors...
The Gurye trio mines were Chinese descent too, weren't they?
Gudok traces in these corpses were suspicious.
They'd survived unscathed until right after the victory ceremony.
The ceremony also proclaimed the emperor's robust health to the world.
Unpublicized, but the emperor had suffered from mines for years.
Now he was fine.
Naturally, interest in the captured mines.
Ways to detect or remove gudok.
The caster recalls it directly, or...
A Hyeon-gyeong level expert injects mana or inner energy into the victim to locate it. And remove it.
For example, a grand master like the emperor?
If the emperor personally interrogated them and uncovered the gudok?
Taeju at Hunwon Musang Dokryeong Gong 9th stage could too.
Should've checked earlier?
But he hadn't even known about gudok then.
"I'll have to go check it out."
"Pardon? Where..."
"Chinatown."
"Alone? Shall I assemble an investigation team?"
"No... hmm, just in case, assign one investigator."
"Got it."
Off to Chinatown.
To verify the rumors too.
Who knows?
Might even sniff out some mine scent.
※ ※ ※
Taeju arrived in New Seoul Chinatown.
Not alone, but with company.
And the person Moon Kyungshik assigned was none other than,
"It's truly an honor, Chairman. To conduct an operation together like this..."
"...Yeah."
Baekdu Group's granddaughter, Jeong Yeonhui.
"Weren't you with the Imperial Capital Defense Command?"
"I was reassigned. Bureau mine investigators are recruited this way."
"I see."
It made sense.
She was exceptionally talented.
A pearl in a pocket would shine through.
...Still an ideal martial physique.
Optimized for cultivating martial arts.
Pretend not to notice again?
But ignoring such talent as a martial artist was negligence.
Aah, how could he leave this potential untapped?
Jeong Yeonhui blushed, flustered as Taeju's gaze lingered up and down her body.
A bit awkward.
Easy to misinterpret.
Suddenly!
"Meow?"
Sambaek poked its head from under Taeju's chin.
"Oh? A kitty? So cute."
"Meeeow~"
He pulled jerky from his pocket and fed Sambaek, then,
"Not time to come out yet. Back in."
"Meow."
Jeong Yeonhui looked disappointed, then,
"Um, what are we doing in Chinatown?"
"...Let's grab some food first."
Taeju headed to Geumyong Pavilion first.
As soon as they entered,
"One jjajangmyeon and one tangsuyuk here."
Jeong Yeonhui blinked.
"I didn't order?"
"Oh! Forgot to mention. I'll eat it all."
"Pardon? Why..."
The jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk arrived.
Taeju pulled the plates in front of him and inhaled them.
Jeong Yeonhui was baffled.
What the—? Is this guy for real?
Eating alone?
After finishing, Taeju went to Cheonghwa Chun.
There he ordered jjambbong and fried rice.
Slurp! Chomp chomp.
Gonna get labeled a glutton.
But no choice.
These were the spots visited by Mine Daigo and Sergei. What if they were poisoned?
Plus, he was hungry anyway.
Then they wandered Chinatown.
He bought tanghulu for a palate cleanser.
And ate it alone, of course.
Jeong Yeonhui seemed a tad sulky.
Those empire rumors about Chinese mines weren't total nonsense, it seemed.
Though Chinatown isn't exclusively Chinese imperials.
Scents wafted from here and there.
From Geumyong Pavilion, Cheonghwa Chun, even street stalls.
Jackpot?
Taeju looked at Jeong Yeonhui.
"Listen carefully from now on."
"What..."
"Leave Chinatown immediately and wait at the entrance. Reinforcements will arrive. Join them and come back in."
Jeong Yeonhui's eyes widened.
She understood what he meant.
"I-I want to stay and..."
"Follow orders. Disobey, and you're off the bureau."
"...Understood."
"And let's meet separately later."
"Pardon?"
"Not a date invite, so don't misunderstand."
"...Mm."
Taeju called Deputy Director Moon Kyungshik.
"Mobilize every available awakener unit and converge on Chinatown. This is an operation."
"...Pardon?"
"Remember: Full gear, bring as many as possible."
Click.
Taeju hung up.
Pulled his hood over his head.
"Nyaaang?"
Ilbaek emerged.
"Ilbaek-ah, time to earn your keep?"
"Nyaaang!"
Where to start?
The strongest scent first.
※ ※ ※
Celestial Realm.
The celestials' obsession with enjoying movies, dramas, and games in a comfy space was impressive.
The building's exterior was complete.
Now interior work was underway.
And far off, thud-thud-thud-thud—Geomseon still paving the road.
Poison Immortal Dang Gunak snapped a proof shot in front of the ornate seven-story pavilion.
Solemn expression, angling to capture his face and the celestial gift behind.
Click!
"Hmm, came out well."
Built this fast.
And sturdy too.
Earth weapons, even cannons, wouldn't dent it.
Celestials were top-tier labor.
Not freebies—he fed them snacks.
Cookies, chocolate, candy, even half-shots of whiskey.
But with so many celestials, his Earth snacks were nearly gone.
About time.
For the Earth delivery.
And as if summoned,
Bzzzzt!
"It's here!!!"
Dang Gunak's shout halted construction instantly.
Celestials swarmed.
"What?"
"Here?"
"Where?"
"Hey, quit shoving!"
He quickly swapped Earth goods for prepared celestial items.
Mostly talismans and amulets.
Plenty of protective talismans left, so other kinds.
Now check the delivery.
No soju or beer that Ta Baek craved.
All snacks and food.
Hmm, tsk tsk. Juseon'll be disappointed.
Singing soju-beer songs.
Next time, cocktail set probably.
But a leather bag was included.
What's this? Luxury?
Dang Gunak read Taeju's letter.
Eyes scanning down slowly.
Suddenly startled.
"Gasp!"
Subspace?
This worked?
Q-Quick...
He hurriedly opened the subspace bag and dumped it at his feet.
Whoosh!
Tablets, burner smartphones, massive cola and wine, green-bottled soju and beer, beer mug sets, even steaming boxes of multi-brand chicken.
"Woooow!"
"Awesome!!! Beer and soju!"
"Huh? Th-that's..."
"Ch-chicken? Crispy chicken?"
"So we can do chimaek too?"
"Heh, deeply moving. Chimaek from dramas."
Dang Gunak stowed the emptied subspace bag in the shared warehouse.
Then,
"Any celestials with gourd calabash pouches?"
"Me! Me! I've got one... but it's empty. Used to be full of talismans, all confiscated."
"Doesn't matter! Hand it over."
"You said you didn't need it before."
"Need it now! Pay later. Quick!"
Whoosh!
A man-sized gourd calabash that could hold anything was tossed to Dang Gunak.
Snatched it, shoved into shared warehouse.
Light flicked off.
Close call, but safe.
New Seoul Chinatown (1) End