Chapter 215
Chapter 215: Execution
Tiring—
"Hm?"
As soon as Baek Woohyun connected to 'Reverse Planet', a notification sound rang from inside his pocket.
Upon checking, this time it was a notification from his work smartphone.
He had two smartphones—one for Otherworld Management Bureau work, and one for Manmulsang and the Avengers—and this time, it was a text on the former.
Having already noticed before connecting that the 'Hack Tour' content had started, he checked the message contents without hesitation.
[Sender: Director Jeong Yeongcheol
Transmitted to all Otherworld Management Bureau agents
Return to headquarters immediately upon reading this message]
'Immediate return for all agents...'
The text message consisting of only two lines carried an ominous air.
Even the sender was significant. Director Jeong Yeongcheol of the Otherworld Management Bureau? Wasn't he someone Baek Woohyun had never seen even once until now?
Just like 'over there', in 'Reverse Planet' too, Director Jeong Yeongcheol was in the process of gradually transferring power to Team 1 Leader Kim Cheol.
So he would usually be holed up in the director's office or out meeting government people, but to suddenly send a message under his own name summoning agents.
'Is something big about to change following the [Lord of Storms] subjugation?'
Well, it made sense, Baek Woohyun thought.
This Otherworld Lord's rampage had revealed that the research facility had essentially been consumed by Otherworld forces, and in the process, the hole in the dimensional barrier had become permanent.
There was no way the Otherworld Management Bureau, which reacts convulsively to anything Otherworld-related, would stay still. The same would be true for the international organization, the Otherworld Response Alliance.
Moreover, the current government was also likely to strongly back the Otherworld Management Bureau and take some major action.
If they didn't, the Otherworld Response Alliance would undoubtedly tear into them mercilessly as humanity's traitors who joined hands with the Otherworld.
With the Dimensional War ongoing, if they were branded as traitors, who knows what international sanctions they might face. They'd want to avoid that situation at all costs.
"......"
Following such speculation, he arrived at the Otherworld Management Bureau headquarters.
The auditorium he reached, following people who were bustling around more than usual yet much quieter than usual, was filled with those wearing agent badges.
Despite continuously losing agents here and there, being a government organization, it had substantial size. Even with such substantial size, the majority suffered from excessive workload.
"Junior! Over here!"
"You can sit here."
"Ah, seniors. You were here."
Those who called out to Baek Woohyun as he looked around for a seat were Lee Yujin and Kim Hana.
Following their guidance to the front row, he spotted a nameplate with his name written large as a door plaque.
Interestingly, the seat nameplates were arranged in the order of Lee Yujin-Baek Woohyun-Kim Hana. In other words, he would be sitting flanked by the Management Bureau's representative beauties on both sides.
It was an arrangement that would make the back of one's head burn just from sitting there.
"......"
Of course, there was no way Baek Woohyun, who would be second to none in boldness, would care about that. He sat in his seat with his usual indifferent attitude.
While doing so, he also saw traces of the nameplate being removed once and reattached, but ignored that too. He just assumed someone had mistakenly placed it.
'They'll probably make a fuss about flowers in both hands on the broadcast,' was the entirety of his impression.
"Do you have any idea why they summoned the agents, junior?"
As Baek Woohyun took his seat, Lee Yujin on his left spoke to him.
From her sparkling eyes, he could clearly feel her willingness to step forward and explain if he didn't know.
"Yes. I roughly guessed. It must be related to the research facility."
"Oh— you're quicker on the uptake than I thought."
"Right? He seemed completely oblivious."
"Hm?"
"Ahaha! This guy!"
"See? He's like that even now."
"Mm?"
There was an incident where Kim Hana said something incomprehensible in the middle, and Lee Yujin burst into laughter hearing it, but anyway, the three chatted away.
Since three people capable enough to sit in the front row were acting that way, the heavy atmosphere that had settled over the auditorium's interior also loosened considerably.
From barely whispering, laughter gradually began to be heard.
However.
"......"
""......"
That was only until Director Jeong Yeongcheol climbed onto the podium with a stern expression.
With the director's appearance clearly showing anger, the auditorium fell silent once more. Even Baek Woohyun, Lee Yujin, and Kim Hana in the front row could no longer open their mouths.
Of course he wouldn't yell at them for chattering, but anyone with sense had no choice but to realize that now was a time to be quiet.
"First, I would like to express my gratitude to all agents who faithfully responded to this summons despite being busy."
After a brief introduction.
Director Jeong Yeongcheol immediately got to the main point.
"Everyone."
""......"
"Currently, the Otherworld Management Bureau faces a critical and serious threat. This is because the organization called 'Research Facility' threatens our mission to protect Korea and furthermore, Earth."
Strong anger could be felt from his tone, as if chewing and spitting out each syllable.
As if wanting to crush the word research facility.
"They have not hesitated to commit unethical experiments and illegal criminal activities, and as if that weren't enough, they have now damaged the dimensional barrier in an attempt to sell out Earth to the Otherworld."
"Damaged the dimensional barrier..."
"Are those bastards in their right minds?"
Agents who belatedly grasped the situation murmured.
No matter what, the statement about damaging the dimensional barrier couldn't be overlooked.
With the aftermath of the terrible Otherworld invasion and Dimensional War still remaining, to damage the dimensional barrier that had barely brought it to a lull.
For the agents who remained at the Otherworld Management Bureau despite suffering from excessive workload, this was absolutely unforgivable.
"We cannot take this situation lightly. The Research Facility's atrocities go beyond simple criminal acts—they are attacking the safety of our citizens. To tolerate this is to abandon our future."
""......"
"Now is the time to act. We must unite and fight against the Research Facility, and we cannot retreat. Please lend your strength to executing the Research Facility and its associated forces."
"Please receive detailed matters through your respective team leaders," Director Jeong Yeongcheol concluded his speech and hurriedly left.
Though no cheers particularly followed the end of the speech, having clearly displayed their determination to eradicate the Research Facility, the agents' eyes were very fierce.
For Baek Woohyun, who held memories from 'over there', this was truly a welcome development. He believed all those Research Facility bastards should die.
"From the start, the text gave off a strong feeling that something would happen, and it ended up like this. A large-scale eradication of the Research Facility."
"Hmm. It's one of the scenarios I expected."
—As expected, the story is on track lol
—That's true ㅇㅇ the Research Facility crossed the line too much
—A hole in the dimensional barrier lol lol lol lol
—Because they were consumed by the Otherworld, they just did crazy shit
"This is a problem on a scale where even the international organization, the Otherworld Response Alliance, will step in. Probably some measures have already been taken. That's why the director left right away."
"If things go wrong, a full-scale war with the Otherworld could break out through the hole in the dimensional barrier, right?"
"Of course! But in the end, the problem is the Doppelganger, the Otherworld God Abrasax's intentions. It's really exciting to see how it'll turn out!"
'RocksOnTheRocks' donated '1000 won'!
[Honestly if you're more interested in Lee Yujin Kim Hana flowers in both hands than the story, upvote lol lol]
—Upvote lol lol lol lol lol
—So jealous
—If I go to the Otherworld Management Bureau, can I get flowers in both hands too??
—Holding breath until regular users can use Fully Responsive AI too!
***
'By the way.'
Baek Woohyun suddenly tilted his head.
Director Jeong Yeongcheol had said to receive detailed matters through each team's leader, but he still didn't belong to any team.
This was because as soon as he became an official agent, he received Solo Operation Authority—the right to proceed with missions of his choice—and had now even transferred (?) to become a special agent.
"'We' go this way, junior. Follow me."
"Understood."
Fortunately, Baek Woohyun had Kim Hana and Lee Yujin occupying both sides of him.
Thanks to them leading the way, saying that 'we', meaning special agents, had separate roles, he could move to where he needed to go without wandering.
When he asked on the way if Lee Yujin was also a special agent, she smiled and shook her head.
"I'm not a special agent. I'm just helping out. We need agents to support the special agents too."
"Ah."
Lee Yujin was currently under Team 1 Leader Kim Cheol, who leads the special agents, and would take over as Team 1 Leader when he later became the Otherworld Management Bureau Director.
Therefore, it wasn't strange that she was deeply involved in special agent work. Her friend was also a special agent.
"You're here."
""......"
When Baek Woohyun and the other two arrived at the assembly location, Team Leader Kim Cheol and the other special agents were already gathered there.
The gazes of the special agents, sharper than regular agents and faintly containing killing intent, poured down, but Baek Woohyun didn't care.
Honestly speaking, compared to the crazy bastards of the Avengers, this was rather laughable. Those guys even had genuine Intermittent Explosive Disorder.
"We will do the necessary work in the shadows while the Otherworld Management Bureau executes the Research Facility in the light."
"By necessary work, you mean."
"Executing traitors."
Kim Cheol's eyes emitted an eerie light.
The same was true for the other special agents.
They muttered that this moment had finally come and smiled viciously.
"I'll send each of you a list, so handle them."
""Understood.""
Lee Yujin, who had subtly moved next to Kim Cheol, distributed lists to the special agents one by one, and Baek Woohyun also received one.
He immediately opened the folder to check the contents, and his eyes narrowed. It was quite unexpected.
His assigned elimination target was, surprisingly, Support·Auxiliary Team Leader Kim Hyeonu.
"......"
He wasn't someone he had particularly close ties with. Just someone he'd seen before when receiving the 「Soul-Extinguishing Sword 'Soul Eater'」, and then greeted in passing afterward.
What surprised Baek Woohyun was the situation itself—that someone who was a team leader of the Support·Auxiliary Team had joined the Research Facility and committed acts of betrayal.
Since someone with the title of team leader had committed acts of treason, it was obvious how chaotic the Otherworld Management Bureau must have been.
"Hmm."
The document contents detailed everything from how traitor Kim Hyeonu was caught to the acts he committed.
An interesting fact was that he'd been suspected from the time he assigned Jeong Jihun, that talkative Support·Auxiliary Team employee who had sold Baek Woohyun out to the Research Facility, to him.
He was marked as someone to watch due to directly giving orders, and after Jeong Jihun was 'suicided', thorough investigation revealed his acts of treason.
In a way, Baek Woohyun had contributed greatly to catching that bastard.
'He really screwed things up properly.'
Perhaps because he was in a position of team leader, the scope of his acts of treason seemed to have widened along with his authority.
Traitor Kim Hyeonu had committed numerous vicious acts of treason to the point where even Baek Woohyun would click his tongue. That was just from what was written in the documents.
From trivial matters like selling information about who took what from the armory, to using his team leader title to force subordinates to commit acts of treason.
Baek Woohyun understood why Kim Hyeonu had been assigned to him. This was a personnel decision where the determination to definitely kill was strongly felt.
Though he had few missions, he had shown perfect execution ability without failing even once so far.
Unless that bastard had prepared some great countermeasure, this time would be the same.
'Traitors must die.'
Baek Woohyun willingly decided to meet expectations and twist the traitor's neck. Traitors were what he hated second only to those Research Facility bastards.
As long as his experience from 'over there' sustained him, there would never be an ending where a traitor brazenly lived well before him.
As he closed the folder, a layer of frost settled over his face. Frost so cold it could freeze hands—frost by the name of killing intent.