Chapter 66. Additional Pay (1)
“At first, I wondered if that guy who came to our room was the ringleader. It's a natural thought since his mental power was strong.”
Hyeon-yul tightened his grip on the guy's neck and lifted him straight up.
“But it wasn't.”
The guy dangled, struggling and kicking his feet.
Even as his face turned red, Hyeon-yul just looked at him.
“Then, isn't the only one left the Saint? Even if it seems obvious, such obvious things are common. Rather, I even wondered if it was too straightforward, intentionally meant to arouse suspicion.”
“……Keoheok.”
“But I saw very thin threads attached to the Saint's back, and to the backs of others too. Like the kind of strings used in puppet shows.”
Hyeon-yul threw the guy to the floor, then pressed his foot onto his neck.
“Was the puppet show fun?”
“……Crazy, bastard.”
“Where did you get that drug?”
“…You, Black……”
“What does that matter? As long as you’re alive, that’s all that counts, isn't it?”
Hyeon-yul briefly lifted his foot and looked at his own right hand.
Threads, difficult to see with the naked eye, were entangled around his right hand.
It was ridiculous.
“Knowing you won’t die yourself, you act like this, so what does being a Black Eagle matter? Why must Black Eagles always uphold the line of good?”
Censorship, perhaps? Too much was always demanded of those who called themselves good.
In my eyes, such situations looked strange.
Evil thinks nothing of killing me, taking advantage of the fact that they won't die, yet I have to keep even guys like this alive.
Isn't this why they run wild like fruit flies?
Guys like that should be stomped on just the same.
They had to be beaten to death's door so they couldn't even roll their eyes again.
Only then would they not look this way again.
Someone might lump even my thoughts together under the name of ‘evil’, but honestly, I didn’t know what good and evil were.
Were Black Eagles truly immaculately white and noble without a single flaw?
Bringing up nobility in the first place was strange.
Aren't good and evil parts that everyone possesses?
No matter what anyone said, I intended to walk my own path.
“Unfortunately, this doesn't work on me.”
Hyeon-yul seemed to tense his arm, then absorbed the threads.
Watching the guy’s distorted face, he kicked him.
His face shook violently, and blood streamed from both nostrils.
Hyeon-yul took out a dagger.
He twirled it quickly and stabbed it into the guy’s palm.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
“Are you still confident you won't die? Can you really, truly be sure?”
Hyeon-yul looked at the guy.
Utter panic was evident.
That's a Black Eagle?
It was a look I had often seen from villains I faced.
Hyeon-yul’s eyes curved.
Not killing him was enough.
Seeing Na-yoon and Shin-woo approaching, he pulled the dagger from the palm and stabbed it into the guy's perfectly fine finger.
“……C-Crazy bastarrrrd!”
A scream erupted along with his flushed face.
Tears streamed down from the guy's eyes looking at me.
“I’ll ask again. That drug, where did you get it?”
“As if I’d tell……”
“Unfortunate.”
As Hyeon-yul moved the dagger, the dangling finger separated completely.
Following the flowing blood, the guy’s body trembled violently.
He seemed to sense something was wrong.
As he slowly turned his gaze towards his hand, Hyeon-yul willingly raised the hand holding the dagger.
A finger was gone.
The guy's pupils shook violently.
“After killing countless people, should you act so weak just because one finger was cut off? Isn’t it standard to put your own life on the line if you intend to kill others?”
It could be said that I had died countless times while being experimented on.
I thought I had killed quite a few villains, but still not as many times as I had died.
“……You, you.”
The guy’s breathing quickened.
An expression as if denying reality was etched all over his face.
“I’ll ask again. You need to answer quickly if you want to keep the rest of your fingers intact. It becomes very inconvenient when fingers are missing. This is based on experience, so I recommend not holding out. As you can see, I do it.”
Hyeon-yul smiled and plunged the dagger into another finger.
Along with another burst of screams, his gaze changed.
That bastard really does it.
That was imprinted.
“…I, I bought it too.”
“Who did you buy it from?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
As the corners of Hyeon-yul's eyes lifted, the guy hastily added.
“I really don’t know! Someone just approached me and asked if I wanted one of these!”
“Is that so?”
“It’s true. Honestly, in this line of work, drugs and weapons with killer effects come before trust, right? It was cheap too, and I thought it would be good to have one.”
“Do you know what it is?”
“H-He said it gives abilities to non-Awakened people. They died off quickly, but why should I care about that? It’s something amazing that can lead the believers. Right…?”
The guy forced the corners of his mouth up.
“So?”
“Th-The transaction history, right! I can show you that!”
The guy broke out in a cold sweat.
He showed no other reaction.
“So, you’re saying you bought it without knowing what it was, just because the effect was good?”
“I… I was scammed too. Honestly, the side effects were much worse than I expected! They kept dying off, and I broke out in a sweat trying to hide it! And then you guys caught the scent and came!”
Hyeon-yul stared blankly at the guy, then pulled out the dagger.
This was all the information he could get.
‘He was good at increasing believers, so why is he so stupid in this area?’
Wondering, I got up and faced Na-yoon and Shin-woo.
They stared at me with wide, seemingly surprised eyes.
“I didn’t kill him.”
Hyeon-yul reported that he had followed instructions.
“I know that. More importantly, are you hurt anywhere?”
When Shin-woo asked, Hyeon-yul blinked.
Did they not see the guy’s severed finger?
Hyeon-yul subtly stepped aside so they could see the guy better.
“Did he do anything to you? We don’t even know what his ability is, how could you just charge in like that.”
Na-yoon scolded him, mixed with worry.
Hyeon-yul just looked at this too.
Did they not know I cut it off?
“I cut off that finger. If perhaps you can’t see it……”
“It’s okay if it’s cut off!”
“What’s a severed finger!”
Shin-woo and Na-yoon shouted almost simultaneously.
They always wanted to cut off fingers too.
Especially today.
Maybe they lacked the courage to go that far, or perhaps they still saw villains as human.
Hyeon-yul had simply carried it out, following the mission parameters.
Who could criticize that?
It was just commendable.
How did he know?
How did he realize that guy was the real one?
It was also Hyeon-yul who found out there was a traitor among the White Sparrows.
If he hadn't, they might have been the ones affected.
“……Is that so?”
Hyeon-yul hesitated before speaking.
I expected them to look disgusted, but this was unexpected.
Shin-woo took out a handkerchief and wrapped the guy’s finger.
It was merely a measure taken because he couldn't die.
“You don’t have to be nervous. We’ve seen all sorts of things too.”
Shin-woo lifted his foot and stomped down on the guy’s face.
Thwack.
The guy’s eyes rolled back and closed.
“Should I go catch them now?”
Hyeon-yul asked, as other villains were still around.
“No. Hyeon-yul, you stay here with me. We can leave the rest to him.”
Na-yoon pointed at Shin-woo.
“Right, right. Leave the rest to me. It’s cold, so when the managers come, go inside the building.”
Shin-woo grinned and started moving.
He put his hands in his coat pockets and took large strides forward.
As he walked, the smile slowly faded.
The cries of his swords, spread out in all directions, echoed in his ears.
Behind Shin-woo, the sound of footsteps increased one by one.
Entering the building, numerous swords were spinning around the villains' necks.
If they moved even slightly, those swords would slash their throats; some were already bleeding from the neck.
Everyone was frozen in terror, only able to dart their eyes around.
Save me.
Seeing those eyes, Shin-woo didn't smile.
With dark blue eyes, he looked at them like prey and swept his hair back.
“Managers.”
Shin-woo quietly opened his mouth.
“Let’s make the arrests.”
It was time to take them all away.
“…Hyung. Aren’t you cold?”
The car door opened.
Hyeon-yul, sitting on the seat, turned his head and took the paper cup Ji-hwan handed over.
“No hallucinogens. It’s tea made with clean water.”
“I know. However, I don’t understand why I have to sit here.”
Na-yoon had brought me here.
I wondered whose car it was, but she told me to sit, so I was sitting.
Ji-hwan laughed loudly at those words.
“It’s because the situation is concluded, and we’re cleaning up. You’d have to keep standing outside otherwise, and that would be tiring.”
“It’s not tiring. The cold doesn't affect me either.”
“Hyung. You did enough for this mission. No, you actually did much more. You fully deserve to sit down. Usually, we even play rock-paper-scissors because we want to sit here.”
“Ms. Chu Na-yoon said the same thing.”
Hyeon-yul answered calmly.
Na-yoon had also brought something and explained how nice this spot was before turning back.
Ji-hwan chuckled at those words.
Refusing this nice spot, and frowning as if he didn’t understand, was typical Hyeon-yul.
No matter what was said, Hyeon-yul was the one who should be sitting here.
I, too, unconditionally agreed with Na-yoon’s words.
Hyeon-yul's physical condition aside, who wouldn't welcome shortening a 5-day job like this?
Honestly, right now, Hyeon-yul was close to a god.
“Hyung. How did you know that person earlier was the villain?”
“It was just a hunch.”
Hyeon-yul answered calmly.
I had killed countless villains.
If I didn't have that kind of intuition, I thought I would have died long ago.
“You just, feel it?”
“Yes. There’s a sort of characteristic chill unique to villains. I’ve seen it countless times. …Ah, I’m not saying Mr. Ye Ji-hwan hasn’t seen villains. I know you’ve encountered plenty.”
“I know what you mean. I never misunderstood either.”
“Then that’s fortunate.”
I was constantly aware that I was poor at communicating with people.
The reason I felt most natural talking to Jeong-min was because I knew Jeong-min wouldn't misunderstand whatever I said.
I wanted to speak as briefly as possible, but the Black Eagles kept asking for my opinion, making it difficult.
“Mr. Ye Ji-hwan. By any chance, wasn't there a computer or tablet the ringleader used? I want to know who he received the drug from.”
Hyeon-yul wanted to check the transaction history the guy mentioned earlier.
This had to be pursued.
“I’ll check and be right back.”
“Thank you.”
“And Hyung.”
“Yes.”
“You were brilliant.”
Ji-hwan gave two thumbs up and jogged away lightly.
Hyeon-yul started to raise his thumb in return but stopped.
‘Everyone keeps saying difficult things again…….’
Another incomprehensible thing happened today.
—Hyeon-yul. You were the best today. Really.
Na-yoon had said that too.
‘Am I, not disgusting.’
Impossible.
Hyeon-yul immediately denied it.
Because one of the many words I had heard countless times throughout my life was ‘disgusting’.
Ziiiing.
Hyeon-yul took out his phone.
“Yes, Team Leader.”
<Are you hurt anywhere?>
“No.”
<That’s a relief. I got so many calls, I thought something terrible had happened.>
“Something terrible did happen.”
<Right. Something terrible did happen. I didn't… know such a flaw could arise. We checked constantly. We really kept checking.>
“The reason it wasn’t caught by the checks is because he possessed power exceeding that of the person checking.”
<……No way. The Team Leader conducted the check?>
“Ah, a different Team Leader conducted the check?”
<Yes. That’s why I said it was impossible.>
“Team Leader.”
<Yes…?>
Hae-ryeon answered hesitantly.
“How much do you know about the drug?”
<You mean the drug that came up today?>
“Yes.”
<I received a report that it was a drug used in experiments and had been discarded.>
“That drug has different effects depending on the person. Among them, some people gain immense power. I don’t know how much power the other Team Leader possesses, but he likely obtained power stronger than that. Wasn't that proven this time?”
<That… is true. It was proven. Mr. Hyeon-yul informed us of something we didn't know.>
Hae-ryeon’s voice gradually sank.
Was it self-blame?
“Don’t worry too much about it though. The outcome that taking that drug leads to death remains unchanged anyway.”
<……Perhaps. No. It’s nothing.>
“I was injected too.”
Hyeon-yul said without hesitation.
There was no reason to hide it.
Rather, I expected that saying I was injected would increase the credibility of my words.
“I don’t know if I was originally non-Awakened because my memory is gone, but I survived.”
I had a natural tolerance to that drug.
Wasn’t I created like this because of that fact?
<…Are you okay?>
“Are you asking if I’m sad?”
<Yes. I want to ask that.>
“Perhaps I was. I don’t know now.”
<Then forget my question. You worked hard today, Mr. Hyeon-yul.>
“Can I clock out when I return?”
<Just clock out? The remaining 4 days are vacation.>
Hyeon-yul blinked for a moment.
What did I just hear?
“Did I… hear, that correctly?”
Hyeon-yul asked, stuttering.
<It was originally scheduled work, so since it was handled quickly, it will naturally be replaced with vacation. Of course, you can work if you want. Think of it as roughly double the pay for 4 days.>
“I’ll work.”
Hyeon-yul answered without hesitation.
It was a chance to pay off the debt.
<Alright, I understand for now. You can think about it slowly again and let me know.>
“Yes. I’ll think about it quickly and let you know.”
Hyeon-yul turned his head.
Knock, knock.
He opened the door at the sound of knocking.
“Hyung. Finished your call?”
“Did you wait long?”
“Not at all. We found the computer, want to go together?”
“I’ll go.”
Hyeon-yul put aside his delight and got out of the car.
“But Hyung.”
“Yes.”
“Did something fun happen?”
“They said if I work the remaining 4 days, the pay is roughly double.”
Ji-hwan cheered as soon as he heard those words.
It was news that would make anyone happy.
Hyeon-yul’s hands, moving over the keyboard, stopped.
‘…It’s true.’
Hyeon-yul examined the computer here and there and realized what the guy had said earlier was true.
It wasn't written who he received the drug from.
Only the transaction history existed.
The guy who accepted this was foolish, and conversely, the other party seemed quite meticulous.
Furthermore, hiding one's identity was, in other words, evidence that there was something to hide.
“You want to chase it?”
Na-yoon, who had been watching blankly from the side, asked.
“Yes. I want to chase it.”
“Then, let’s try chasing it.”
When Na-yoon answered as if it were obvious, Hyeon-yul had a question mark appear in his mind.