Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Ark Shandy Rendezvous (2)
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The friction with Hound Dog resolved surprisingly quickly.
Lee Gyeo-ul had slipped in between them—the ones frozen solid and begging for their lives—and me at some point.
"What are you guys doing right now."
"Boss!"
"Leader!"
"You damn vicious vampire bastard, you're done for!"
"The Special-Class Hunter has returned! Clean your neck and wait there quietly!"
You know those little dogs that stay quiet when the owner's gone but pick fights with the big dogs the moment the owner shows up? They looked just like a pack of Maltese to me.
But the one unfortunate thing was that the leader of these hunting dogs wasn't really on their side.
>
"Hmm."
Lee Gyeo-ul quickly sized up the situation.
Frozen Hound Dog members, me standing with my back to Han Cheong-ah, corpses of Dimensional Beasts scattered around, and the total mess in the vicinity.
Without any explanation from me, she seemed to have pieced it all together and got right to work.
"Do-hyun."
"Yes."
"These guys might seem a little dim, but they've got standing with the hunters, top-notch skills, and they listen well. Can you let them go? I'll handle the rest."
"Yes."
"Add 'sis' to it."
"Got it, sis."
Spotting the close relationship between Lee Gyeo-ul and me, Hound Dog's expressions turned a bit odd. I released them and passed on some body heat.
Lee Gyeo-ul gave Hound Dog a quick rundown of everything that had happened. It was the kind of outlandish tale that would've gone in one ear and out the other if a freak like me with zero credibility had told it—but coming from her, it carried real weight.
Once they'd heard it all, Hound Dog grimaced.
"Fuck, couldn't you have just told us from the start?"
"Hahaha, sorry."
The tension eased up a bit from before.
But even after learning about AOD's existence, the Society's plans, and how AOD was working to stop them, they pressed on with skeptical looks.
Especially Han Ga-eul, who took the lead with plenty of dissatisfaction in her voice.
"If the Society's after Han Cheong-ah, just kill the bitch. No idea why they're beating around the bush like this."
Han Cheong-ah's shoulders hunched inward.
"Without Han Cheong-ah, it's all over, right? Their whole humanity-reduction scenario falls apart."
"Hey."
Lee Gyeo-ul's icy voice rang out.
"Am I wrong, leader?"
Han Ga-eul shrugged nonchalantly. Confrontations were nothing new to her. With her heavy sociopath streak, other people's feelings were irrelevant.
Han Ga-eul was mostly right. For now, Han Cheong-ah was the Society's top prize. Her powerful queen's authority to command Dimensional Beasts made her the ultimate tactical weapon.
Smashing what they couldn't have was the logical move.
But...
"Enough with the execution talk in front of the person herself."
I rested a hand on Han Cheong-ah's shoulder.
It wasn't about manners. That kind of thing just wasn't something to brag about in front of her or anyone close to her.
"Yeeeah~"
"Also, Ga-eul-ssi's half right and half wrong."
"Why~?"
I kept my tone even through her half-hearted reply.
"Because even without Han Cheong-ah specifically, the Society will definitely push their humanity-reduction scenario some other way."
"Doesn't change that she's their best shot~"
"Why assume Cheong-ah's power is a weapon just for the Society?"
Han Ga-eul's mouth snapped shut.
"You need to think bigger. Cheong-ah's ability has huge potential to help us and all of humanity in the fight against them."
"That's just wishful thinking. A 'possibility.' Can Han Cheong-ah actually control that power freely?"
She can't, Han Ga-eul glared at me, as if to say.
"Not right now, no."
"See?"
"But not forever..."
Lee Gyeo-ul clapped her hands to break the mood.
"That's enough, everyone. We just wrapped up a brutal fight. Rest up instead of bickering. And Han Ga-eul."
"Yes."
"I get your position and feelings, but if you spout off about executions in front of Cheong-ah one more time, I'll kill you. That's the kind of thing you discuss privately."
Han Ga-eul apologized. "I was too narrow-minded. Sorry." But the vibe stayed chilly.
"Now that Han Cheong-ah's shown 'signs,' we're not letting it slide. No solid counterargument? Then Hound Dog reports this formally to the Hunter Association."
"Fine."
"See you later, then."
The debate over Han Cheong-ah's fate got tabled for later.
Hound Dog dragged their exhausted bodies away one by one.
With that, the incident was fully wrapped. Han Cheong-ah looked back at me with a seriously complicated expression.
I was about to tell her she didn't need to worry when a scream echoed from somewhere.
"Uwaaaang... Dracuuulaaa!"
"Hey, Baek Do-hyun! Catch that bastard!"
I watched Mimir and Yubyeol-ha's chase unfold. What the hell was this? I glanced at Lee Gyeo-ul, but she was pretending not to notice, idly picking at her ear.
"Hmm."
Looked like wrapping things up would take a little more time.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Maladjusted Massive Terror Incident.
That was the official name from the investigators, but I'd just call it the Irregular Incident for short.
The Irregular Incident, spearheaded by Kang Chang-soo and Akeboshi Ichika, racked up around 1,500 casualties. Two-thirds were the criminals who'd popped Experimental Awakes; the rest were civilians and Federal Guidance Bureau officers.
Buildings equaling 1/8 of Academy City's total area were wrecked beyond use. Casualties were low for the scale, but Ark was still blacked out.
The Academy City oversight committee announced all classes suspended until recovery.
Every school shut down. Tons of students bailed back to their hometowns.
The ringleaders, Kang Chang-soo and Akeboshi Ichika, await judgment in a makeshift Psyker camp. Goat says they're holed up together there—neither in good shape.
Don't know much about law, but I heard from Cheryl that under the new international code, Academy City crimes get tried under the perp's home country's laws based on nationality.
Anyway, death penalty's a safe bet for both.
Point is, before the trials kick off, I've got a shot at meeting the worst of the bunch in that camp. Crime or character aside, they were high-rank Psykers and trained hunter hopefuls.
Kang Chang-soo especially awakened to S-rank during this mess. An S-rank Psyker means Special-Class Hunter potential, at minimum.
A step below Yubyeol-ha, who's maxed hers out, but he'd be a massive asset in the final showdown with the Society, no doubt.
And I've still got a recruitment card for him. No reason not to play it.
"......"
I was staring at the TV in my new digs.
"The unprecedented terror in Academy City—evidence mounts that maladjusted weren't the only cause. Unidentified bodies keep turning up in the redevelopment zone..."
For the record, my old semi-basement got obliterated without a trace in the attack.
No choice but to crash somewhere temporary.
"Cheong-ah, grab some gochujang from the fridge."
"No way it's that fucking Jeyuk Bokkeum, right?"
"You bet! Cheong-ah's gotta be tough enough for it!"
"You're a fucking bitch."
"Oh~ You're welcome. No side-dish whining. My right fist's your one-way ticket to hell. You know?"
"We're watching the news. Shut it, pussies."
The "temporary" spot? Han Cheong-ah and Lee Gyeo-ul's place. Living in an 80-pyeong luxury detached house, they extended a hand to the guy whose basement got crushed...
And just like that, I scored a room.
Asked if it was cool bringing a guy into a house of two ladies.
"A guy?"
Lee Gyeo-ul slapped a hand over her mouth in mock shock. Total tease, 100%.
Anyway, vibes were good all around, so now it's me, Lee Gyeo-ul, and Han Cheong-ah under one roof.
And...
"Ugh, that garlic smell..."
When Han Cheong-ah pulled kimchi from the fridge, one witch clamped her nose shut...
Mimir—who'd turned her back on the Society—had joined Lee Gyeo-ul's mansion too.
Her old spot was Society-provided lodging. Betrayal meant packing up and bolting; she was wandering like a lost pup, so we had to scoop her up.
"Mmm~ Smells so good."
(For the record, I have no clue why Yubyeol-ha's crashing here either.)
This girl's on leave but still hits school training religiously—why ditch the dorms for Lee Gyeo-ul's place?
Anyway, minus busy Cheryl and jailed Goat, every AOD member's kicked off this unexpected group living situation.