Chapter 7
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7. Sobbing
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*Click.* As the zipper opened, pale light spilled out. Jae-hak squinted and pushed himself up from the body bag. It was a place he had never seen before. The interior was luxurious from floor to ceiling, yet it felt desolate and cold. There were no windows on any of the walls.
Is this underground?
"Hello, Mr. Seong Jae-hak."
He turned his head to see a man he didn't recognize greeting him. He had an intellectual look with semi-rimless glasses and a tall, lean frame. When Jae-hak took the man’s hand, he felt firm, bony knuckles.
"My name is Park Hyo-seok. I am the team leader of the Active Operations Team at the National Intelligence Service Special Operations Office. I was also the person in charge of this operation."
So it really was the NIS. Jae-hak instinctively started to introduce himself as Officer Seong Jae-hak of the Nowon-gu Police Station, but he quickly regained his composure.
"You’re already acquainted with Senior Agent Kang Ji-seul, aren't you?"
Beside him, Ji-seul offered a faint, friendly nod.
"Thank you for saving me," Jae-hak said, bowing his head.
"Not at all. It was only our duty."
Team Leader Park Hyo-seok gestured toward the marble table in the center of the room.
"I know you must be exhausted, but I apologize—could we talk for a moment? I’m sure we both have many questions for each other."
Jae-hak obediently sat in the chair as instructed. And so, the conversation began.
Jae-hak slowly poured out everything that had happened to him. Team Leader Park listened quietly, while Ji-seul took notes from time to time. His sick mother. Meeting Jeong Doyeong on a rainy day. The green gem Jeong Doyeong had given him. The Awakened who had disguised himself as Seong-min. The murder. The frame-up. And everything up to this point.
Jae-hak’s story was frequently interrupted. Organizing the things he had endured and the things he had committed into his own words was a more grueling task than he had imagined. Every time emotions he hadn't even realized he was feeling were dragged up by the net of his words, Jae-hak had to bow his head for a moment.
"Then, it is our turn to explain our position."
Next, it was Ji-seul’s turn.
"Our National Intelligence Service has been tracking a certain organization for quite some time."
"An organization?"
"Whether it’s a corporation, a military-industrial complex, or a state-level actor... we aren't certain yet. What is clear is that they are a foreign power, and they are behind various operations—industrial espionage, assassinations, kidnappings, and bribery—that have occurred since the Gates opened."
Ji-seul took documents from the file she had brought and placed them on the table one by one. They were classified documents marked with "Top Secret" stamps at the top and bottom.
"The primary field of damage is bio... specifically, monster biotechnology. Do you know what that is, Mr. Jae-hak?"
"Uh... no."
"Core engineering. It is the study of researching and processing Cores, which are the hearts and power sources of high-ranking monsters. Because they can handle the explosive activity of monsters in a small size, their value as a next-generation energy source is drawing attention. 'The country that deciphers the principles of the Core first will lead the future.' ...That is what the U.S. President said last month."
"And you’re saying that secrets in that field are continuously... being leaked?"
"Exactly. Scientists are killed or kidnapped, and industrial spies steal the technology... it’s almost at the level of the Cold War. But they hide their tracks so well that we’ve failed to trace their funding or the spies themselves. Because they go through countless borrowed-name accounts and cell-based organizations, even the spies themselves don't know who the information they steal ultimately goes to."
Ji-seul continued.
"In the midst of this, we captured evidence that a large sum of cash was delivered to Im Gyeong-pil, an inspector with the Railway Special Judicial Police. It was delivered through an international bypass route that they frequently use. That is why I was undercover at the Railway Special Judicial Police."
*Flip.* Ji-seul placed a photo of Im Gyeong-pil and the cash bag found at his home on the table.
"And as was revealed today, that was a contract killing for you, Mr. Jae-hak."
Ji-seul paused here. After observing Jae-hak’s face for a moment, she spoke cautiously. That is to say.
"We believe that these are the very people who murdered your mother and your friend."
Jae-hak looked down at the materials Ji-seul had laid out without a word. Core engineering. Core. Everything was slowly falling into place.
"That green gem I received... that was a monster's Core. And they were chasing that Core."
"Correct. However... it likely wasn't an ordinary Core."
"...Then what was it?"
Ji-seul seemed to be choosing her words carefully.
"There was a rumor that circulated in the intelligence community a long time ago. That there exists a Core capable of artificially awakening a person."
"That’s..."
"We suspect that you may have awakened using that Core, Mr. Jae-hak. It is still at the stage of speculation, but... if it is true, then whoever possesses that Core..."
"Could create an army of Awakened," Ji-seul said.
"Then, so..."
Jae-hak swallowed hard before he could barely speak.
"Jeong Doyeong, my mother, and Seong-min... did they all die... because of that Core?"
"..."
"So... Mom and Seong-min... they died because I received that Core."
It’s my fault, Jae-hak muttered in a hoarse voice. His hands, covering his face, trembled faintly.
If I hadn't hit Jeong Doyeong with my car.
If I hadn't received that Core.
If I had at least not brought it home...
Ji-seul habitually tried to comfort him by saying it wasn't his fault, but she closed her mouth.
Empathy offered in a few words was sweet but ultimately hollow. She knew from experience that what a broken person needed was not words, but a reason to get up and move their limbs right now.
"We intend to catch them."
Ji-seul began calmly.
"So that victims like you... will no longer be created."
Jae-hak lifted his head. His eyes were hollow and sunken. Ji-seul watched those eyes for a moment. Then, she cast her final line.
"Will you help us?"
— — —
* * *
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"Branch Manager, we have recovered it. It is the 'Crown'."
At the secretary’s voice, Nicholas Takahashi opened his tired eyes.
*...Did I doze off?*
The watch on his wrist indicated four in the morning. Takahashi rubbed his exhausted face and straightened his posture.
"I have just submitted the report that the lab director has begun the extraction."
"What is the deadline?"
"They say they should be able to meet it, just barely."
"Yes, yes..."
His head throbbed as if it would shatter. The pain was now almost as natural as breathing. With practiced movements, Takahashi took three pure white pills from the side of his desk and swallowed them.
"...What happened to the witness?"
"It was finished according to plan. They were killed during transport."
"A regrettable matter."
It is a regrettable matter, Takahashi muttered as if saddened.
"And the commander of Erger Six has requested an audience."
"Why?"
"They are dissatisfied with losing two men during this operation. It seems they are angry that we did not share the fact that the target was an Awakened."
Takahashi was silent for a moment, lost in thought.
"Let’s meet. Prepare the consolation money."
"Branch Manager. There is no reason for us to act subserviently to those mercenaries..."
"It is true that this operation was too reckless. Even if we were pressed for time... we should show some sincerity."
*Throb, throb, throb.*
"Tell the Strategic Planning Office not to engage in any back-alley dealings for the time being and to keep a low profile. Since we handled things so recklessly this time, there will surely be people tracking us. Update the protocols... so we don't get caught..."
Takahashi’s voice trailed off as his headache worsened.
"Are you alright?"
Instead of answering, Takahashi stood up and took a bottle of whiskey from the shelf. Amber liquid filled the glass. The scent of oak rising from it was thick.
"Shall I call your personal physician?"
Instead of answering, Takahashi tossed three more pills into his mouth and downed the whiskey. A burning heat spread down his esophagus. The secretary started to stop him, but realizing it was useless, let out a worried sigh.
"...It’s bad for your health."
"I’ll be careful."
The secretary bowed silently and left the office. Left alone, Takahashi set down the glass and stood before the office window.
The city at dawn, viewed from the 62nd floor.
It was quiet and bright. Neon signs shone, refusing to be defeated by the darkness the heavens had cast. Beneath it, the collective of humanity held its breath for a moment, waiting for tomorrow’s sun once again.
Takahashi loved it.
This city, this country, this world.
The people who ate, drank, and loved with all their might in every passing moment.
He loved all of human civilization, built up by cutting down forests, digging up the earth, and through blood, iron, and effort.
It was impossible not to love it.
Takahashi began to review the documents again.
Everything was for the tomorrow of humanity.
The sacrifice of a mere few dozen or few hundred was, by comparison, infinitely, just infinitely light.
— — —
* * *
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"Everything else is normal, but... there is some Triazolam in your system," the doctor in the white lab coat said, flipping through the results of Jae-hak’s tests.
"Triazolam?"
"It’s a sleeping pill."
"Ah."
Since his mother died and he was framed as a murderer, Jae-hak had been suffering from chronic insomnia due to stress. Jae-hak hesitated for a moment, then answered vaguely.
"Yes, I haven't been able to sleep well lately... so I got a prescription."
"Well... yes. You seem fine. Your mutation rate is 2.3%."
Mutation rate...?
"What is a mutation rate?"
"The mutation rate is a measurement of how much your genes have changed from those of an ordinary person."
I see, Jae-hak thought. 2.3%...
"Is it low?"
"It’s high," the doctor said.
"You said it hasn't been a week since you awakened, right? Usually, awakening progresses gradually over a period of three to six months from the day the ability is first manifested. At this rate, your final mutation rate will likely reach 6 to 7%."
"Is... is a high mutation rate good?"
"Strength and ability are usually proportional to the mutation rate. 7% would be on the high side even among Level 5s. Generally, anything over double digits is classified as a Level 3 Awakened."
Contrary to the impression the rank gave, a Level 3 Awakened by international standards was a very, very rare existence. For one, the average for all Hunters was known to be around Level 5, and Jae-hak’s mutation rate of 2.3% corresponded to a Level 7 Awakened by current standards.
"Ah, but it’s not necessarily all good. Because your genes are literally mutating... there are significant side effects."
"Side effects?"
“In severe cases, it can lead to nerve damage or tumors… and mental illnesses like aggression or depression are quite common. That’s why the crime rate among the Awakened is so high….”
The doctor, who had been explaining with enthusiasm, suddenly trailed off as if realizing this wasn't the right thing to say, and hurriedly changed the subject.
“Oh, that aside, you said this was for documentation to submit to a company, right?”
“Ah… uh… Blanche. Blanche International.”
Jae-hak managed to recall the name just in time to answer.
Blanche International was one of the private Hunter agencies—or PMCs—that had sprung up like mushrooms after the Gates opened. It was known as a mediocre, small-to-medium agency with no particular reputation, but also no bad rumors.
However, the reality was a bit different. Blanche was actually a shell company for the National Intelligence Service, used for identity concealment and overseas dispatch. While it did operate as a standard Hunter agency, that was merely an alibi for its public image.
Lee Do-hyeon, a trainee Hunter at Blanche International. That was the undercover identity Jae-hak had been issued.
“Yes. I think I’ve heard of it. Please wait a moment.”
The doctor smiled and tapped at the keyboard. With a low mechanical hum, the test results were printed out. They were the documents required for the registration and certification of an Awakened.
Jae-hak took them and tucked them away carefully.
“Ah, Jae-hak.”
Ji-seul was waiting by the entrance of the special ward with the car parked nearby.
“Did it go well?”
“It hurt more than I thought….”
Jae-hak said. Naturally, the Awakened examination included measuring his manifested abilities. Measuring physical strength and athletic ability was nothing special, but the problem was the regeneration ability.
To test regeneration… they had to intentionally inflict wounds.
“It hurts?”
Ji-seul’s eyes went wide.
“Hey, don’t they use anesthesia?”
“…It still hurts even with it. No, the anesthetic injection itself is painful, and then…”
“Ahahaha. What is this, are you being a baby?”
Ji-seul burst into laughter at Jae-hak’s sheepish excuse.
Contrary to her first impression, Ji-seul had a playful personality. With a frame that was thinner than he expected, her sharp eyes would crinkle softly when she laughed, making her look like the most harmless person in the world.
Is this really the same person who took down the Special Operations Unit on the transport train? It was hard to believe.
“How’s your face? Are you getting used to it a little?”
Ji-seul said as she climbed into the driver’s seat of the SUV.
“To be honest, it feels awkward.”
Jae-hak had undergone semi-permanent facial modifications that morning for his disguise. It was a procedure bordering on surgery, but the blessing of the regeneration type was that he didn't need any recovery time, even after having his skin cut and sliced.
“Do you feel any numbness or tightness?”
“The corners of my mouth won’t go down. I feel like I’m getting a cramp in my cheek.”
“So that’s why you were smiling like that. I thought you were just happy to see me.”
*Vroom.* As Ji-seul started the engine, the digital clock lit up.
[TUE 10:13]
Tuesday. Jae-hak’s gaze lingered on the clock. Three days had passed since the transport train incident, so it was Tuesday.
Tuesday…….
“Um… Agent?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, but… would it be possible to make a quick stop somewhere?”
It was a cautious request. Ji-seul wore a faint smile, appearing to think it over for a moment.
“……As long as you only watch from a distance.”
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* * *
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“In memory of Kim Seong-min, who left our side due to an unfortunate accident.”
A desolate cemetery.
A priest dressed in black clasped his hands together.
“Let us pray that God the Father may hold Kim Seong-min in His arms and lead him to eternal life.”
“Amen.”
“Amen.”
As the people stepped aside, the workers carefully lowered the black casket into the pit. A deep, dark earthen floor. It was a place far too lonely and bleak to send off a loved one.
“Ah…….”
The woman holding her young daughter’s hand finally collapsed. Her cheeks were sunken and gaunt, as if she had spent the last few days doing nothing but crying.
“Mommy…….”
The girl began to cry, following her mother’s lead. But it was strange. The father who would always run over to hug her whenever she cried did not come. The girl was still too young to understand why.
The deceased’s father took the first shovel of dirt with a hardened expression. The sight of him covering his son’s casket with earth was long and arduous. The weight of what rested upon the shovel made him sob repeatedly.
Lord, have mercy, the priest repeated in a dry voice. Have mercy.
Kim Seong-min—a reliable husband, a beloved son, a bright father, and an excellent police officer—was buried just like that.
Jae-hak stood motionless on a hill some distance away, watching the entire process. No tears came. The faintly visible portrait of Seong-min and the wailing of those who had lost him simply clung to his mind, refusing to fade.
From that day on, Jae-hak would occasionally hear the sound of someone sobbing weakly in his ears. Was it an auditory hallucination, or a precursor to a mental disorder? But Jae-hak reported it to no one.
Because that was a portion of guilt he had to bear entirely on his own.
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