Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Doubt (1)
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Cha Su-ho let out a long sigh as soon as he returned to his room.
'I hope there won't be any more of these annoying hassles.'
Jin Seong-hyeok chuckled at Su-ho's words.
'It's only just starting.'
'...Only just starting?!'
'Well, random visits aren't a big deal. They'll drag in everyone around you and cling on tight.'
He had known that his existence as an SSS-grade would be a big deal in a world with monsters, Hunters, and Helpers. But he hadn't expected it to blow up like this.
The Association and even the nation were in an uproar.
'Now you're getting dragged into politics too. Worst case scenario.'
'Politics? I hate the sound of it already.'
'The field will feel more comfortable, actually. If you stay here, they'll keep sticking to you like bugs or dust.'
The bugs and dust Jin Seong-hyeok mentioned were people—specifically, Association and government folks. They latched onto him every time he came back from the field, sucking him dry.
Tired of being used not just as a monster-killing weapon but also as a political tool, Jin Seong-hyeok had no choice but to roam the field.
If he swept the monsters clean, he could rest easy until they reset. Free to relax as much as he wanted.
Jin Seong-hyeok sighed, thinking Su-ho would likely follow the same path.
'Hyung.'
As if reading his mind, Su-ho smiled and continued.
'Don't worry. Like you said, I have no intention of living by their orders.'
'Good to hear.'
Jin Seong-hyeok wouldn't let Su-ho live like that anyway. Otherwise, he'd end up walking the same road he did.
'Then, shall we pack our bags?'
After seeing the 5th Branch representative's behavior, he wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. He'd already contacted Gi-uk and asked him to pass the word to the other 1st Branch Hunters and Helpers.
If Su-ho left the 5th Branch, everyone else would probably follow suit.
Su-ho pulled clothes from the closet. There was the Hunter suit Jin Seong-hyeok had given him—the one he'd worn first—along with a bunch of identical black outfits made to match.
He tossed the tattered ones and packed only the clean clothes into his bag. Of course, the one from Jin Seong-hyeok went in first.
As he rummaged around packing...
'Cha Su-ho.'
Jin Seong-hyeok called out to him.
'Yeah?'
'Lift up the mattress.'
'The mattress all of a sudden?'
'Yeah. There should be a small glass vial at the end of it.'
A small glass vial?
Su-ho lifted the mattress.
'Nothing here... Huh?'
Something was caught on the edge of the board underneath. He set the mattress down and reached for it.
It really was a glass vial. About two knuckles of his pinky finger long.
'Technically not a glass vial. It's a special container shaped like one. Completely unbreakable.'
But something else caught Su-ho's eye more than the vial. Frowning, he brought it close to his face.
A lump of unidentified pale pink flesh. It looked like a small chunk of brain preserved in a formalin jar from a lab.
"Ah."
Come to think of it, the color was exactly like that cheap-tasting pink sausage Team Leader Kang Hong-seok had tossed him back when he was F-grade.
'Wh-what is this... pink sausage thing?'
'Sausage.'
Jin Seong-hyeok burst out laughing in disbelief.
'Calling a lump of Clot a sausage. It's gonna be offended.'
'Clot? Oh, I've heard that name before.'
It was something Jin Seong-hyeok had mentioned once.
'A lump of Clot... No way.'
Su-ho carefully set down the vial and spoke.
'You said Eric was a monster corpse enthusiast. Don't tell me you...'
'What are you trying to say.'
'From a close colleague...'
'It's not that, so don't get weird ideas.'
Su-ho picked up the vial again at Jin Seong-hyeok's disgusted reaction.
'So, what exactly is this? Clot?'
'Yeah, Clot.'
Jin Seong-hyeok continued matter-of-factly.
'Flesh from the final boss of the Last Zone.'
'Ah, so this is from the Last Zone's final boss... What?!'
Su-ho choked in shock.
'So, this is...'
'Why so surprised.'
'Of course I am! The Last Zone's final boss!'
Su-ho examined the flesh inside from every angle with curious eyes and asked.
'But where did you get this?'
'Early on, when I came to my room here.'
It was an item Jin Seong-hyeok had brought along with his clothes.
'This was where I stayed before "dying," and I needed to store it.'
'Huh? Why store this... Huh?'
Su-ho paused and peered closely at the vial.
'Just now... I swear it twitched.'
He held the vial right up to his eyes and stared at the flesh. Of course, it didn't move. As he opened his mouth to say it was nothing...
The flesh inside the vial faintly writhed.
'Hyung, hyung... this!'
'Yeah, it moves.'
Su-ho gaped at Jin Seong-hyeok, who spoke calmly as if he'd known all along.
'A monster is moving right here, right now! Is this okay?!'
'No need to freak out. It's basically just cells.'
'Cells...?'
'Yeah. Like, um.'
Jin Seong-hyeok seemed to search for an analogy before speaking.
'You know planarians?'
No way Su-ho knew.
'Hyung... you're surprisingly well-read.'
'Don't they teach this at the Center?'
'I was F-grade, so I didn't get that elite high-level education.'
'Are you joking?'
'Serious.'
At a loss for words, Jin Seong-hyeok changed the subject.
'Anyway, planarians are creatures with super-regeneration abilities.'
'Super-regeneration?'
'Yeah. No matter how much you cut them, they don't die. Cut them, and they turn into new individuals.'
'Hold on. So if you cut one in half, you get two?'
'Exactly.'
Even if you cut one into ten, you'd get ten independent ones.
'Clot is the boss of the Last Zone, the link connecting all origin zones, and it creates boss monsters too.'
'A monster like that exists...'
A boss-grade monster that produces other boss-grade monsters. He couldn't even fathom its strength.
'The funny thing is, Clot itself isn't that strong.'
'Not strong?'
'Everything Clot controls is.'
'...Isn't that the same thing?'
'Well, yeah. Anyway, I'll explain the details when you're strong enough to go to the Last Zone.'
Su-ho was curious about more on Clot but held back. If Jin Seong-hyeok said he'd explain later, there was a good reason.
Su-ho looked at the vial in his hand and asked.
'But why do you keep this?'
Why preserve a piece of Clot like a treasure in a special container?
'The fact that it moves.'
Su-ho focused intently on what came next.
'Means Clot is still alive, not dead.'
'So... that twitch earlier...'
'Proves Clot is alive and well. That's why the Last Zone monsters are saturated, and resets in the Dead Zone and Evil Zone are speeding up.'
Jin Seong-hyeok added.
'The Last Zone is still far off for you, so don't lose it. Keep it safe.'
'Got it.'
Wondering how to store it safely, Su-ho noticed a tiny ring on the vial's cap.
'To keep it safe without losing it, I should just wear it.'
He rummaged in his bag. His F-grade Helper ID. He yanked off the necklace attached to it, hooked the ring through, and hung it around his neck.
A necklace with a vial of Clot flesh.
'That's creepy.'
'Isn't the hyung who treasured it even creepier?'
'Mine's to find Clot in the Last Zone. Yours is a necklace... Whatever. Drop it.'
Su-ho fiddled with the vial dangling from his neck and said.
'Eh, not bad. Kinda cool.'
Grinning, Su-ho scanned the room.
'Packing's mostly done, so time to say goodbyes.'
Su-ho stepped out. The vial clinking against his chest felt strange at first but quickly became familiar.
[ "Whoa! Cha! You okay?!" ]
As soon as he entered the fitness club, Ronny, Larry, and Kwon Oh—who were there together—greeted him.
[ "Lookin' sturdy! Yeah! Today's the day for my special shake!" ]
As Larry moved to grab a shake, Su-ho quickly blocked him.
"Have the shake later. I came to say goodbye."
[ "Man, we heard from Yoo Han. Leavin' 1st Branch tomorrow." ]
Ronny continued regretfully.
[ "Yoo Han too, and you too—finally made some good buddies, yeah." ]
"It's not like we'll never see each other. And you're welcome at 1st Branch anytime, Ronny, Larry."
Ronny and Larry's eyes widened as they asked in unison.
[ "Man! We can come?!" ]
[ "Whoa, for real?!" ]
"Yeah. Kwon Oh hyung and you guys are always welcome."
Kwon Oh smiled at Su-ho watching the cheering duo and asked.
"Packed everything?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Us too. Soon as we heard you were going, everyone jumped to leave."
"Haha. Weren't you guys wanting to stay longer? You're just following me?"
"Nah, home's the most comfortable."
Kwon Oh scratched the back of his head and went on.
"Cleared out the Evil Zone and Dead Zone this time, no monsters left, so we got vacation. Su-ho, thanks to you, I can finally visit family after so long."
Family. Was family really that great? Judging by Kwon Oh's expression, it sure seemed so.
Su-ho said it was great.
"Sounds nice, hyung. Spend time with family, see your little sister too."
"All thanks to you, Su-ho."
As Su-ho shook his head at Kwon Oh's repeated thanks...
"Huh?"
Kwon Oh spotted the necklace dangling from Su-ho's neck.
"What's that? A necklace?"
"Ah... yeah. Kinda weird-looking, right?"
"Nah, it's cool. Sausage in the vial?"
"...Something like that."
"Neat necklace."
Su-ho chuckled inwardly and said to Jin Seong-hyeok.
'See? I'm not the only one who thinks it's a sausage.'
Jin Seong-hyeok muttered that everyone had bad eyesight.
As he turned to give Ronny and Larry final goodbyes, suddenly both his arms were grabbed.
Larry had his right arm, Ronny the left.
[ "Whoa, Cha! Last workout today—let's burn it up!" ]
[ "Yeah! Shakes can wait till after!" ]
No way.
"No! I haven't finished packing... and goodbyes..."
[ "Whoa! We'll help later! Workout now, workout!" ]
"No...!! Ugh."
Caught, Su-ho was dragged by Larry and Ronny and couldn't escape the fitness club for a while.