Chapter 51
Chapter 51
I Am Serious
***
Ripples spread from the question I had thrown at myself.
Yes, in the beginning I had struggled to break free. But it was impossible for a human to defy the laws of nature. I had lost consciousness and inevitably been forced into hibernation.
At the time, I had been completely at ease. To Ga-on, time had been worth less than a stone. It fell into my hands simply by staying still, so there had been absolutely no reason to be impatient.
But regrettably, the price for that indolence had been nothing short of horrific. By the time I realized it, an amount of time too significant to ignore had already passed.
At times, I had squandered decades.
In terms of the absence of existence, it was no different from death.
After that, Ga-on devised a single method.
Just like what I was doing now.
Kwa-jijik.
The ancient martial art I had learned had no form.
It was not originally meant to be that way, but since I had been unable to receive instruction to the very end, it had resulted in disaster.
In other words, it had been born of ignorance, but Ga-on did not give up and instead filled in the missing parts myself.
What I devised in that process was rotation.
Kwa-jijik.
By stimulating the involuntary muscles, I wrung my entire body like laundry.
From head to toe, every blood vessel and muscle and bone.
As my heightened mind surged, it was only natural that the inside of my body would convulse. The key was not to stop in any posture. Even if the price of excessive rotation meant my entire body shattered.
Kwa-jik, kwa-jijik.
Frozen joints cracked, and bone segments twisted out of place. Under normal circumstances, this would have been the point of no return. Even if one escaped frostbite, they would have suffered irreversible aftereffects—but to Ga-on, such assumptions were meaningless.
I was shaving down bone and flesh, advancing little by little.
Only one part needed to thaw.
The hormone regulator.
In that place, there was not only Nuclase but also a drug cocktail I had personally mixed.
It was powerful enough to stimulate nerve endings and cause permanent disability, but to Ga-on, who could even ingest uranium or mercury, it was nothing more than daily sustenance.
Tuduk.
The moment embers flared and my body temperature rose, regeneration was complete.
What entered Ga-on’s restored vision were the boy’s feet and Sakuya screaming.
‘Am I being trampled?’
It was a suitable position.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the aggressive skate and crushed it as it was.
Kwa-deuk.
It was only natural for the boy to be startled at the sound of a product equivalent to MUG—1 crumpling like a cardboard box.
A look as if he were searching for an answer surfaced on his face, but without giving him so much as a reply, I clamped his leg between my armpit.
A joint lock that subdued the ankle, knee, and thigh—the heel hook.
That was the name of the gift I gave him.
“Say goodbye to your leg.”
Kwa-jik.
A chilling tearing sound filled the dry street, but the boy did not scream and instead wrenched open the valve. He had realized that only the ability he possessed was his way out.
The temperature dropped as it descended along the mist spraying in all directions.
The boy reinforced his broken leg with ice and swiftly widened the distance between us.
Even in the worst situation, he sought a counterattack, but it was not enough to stop Ga-on, who had heated up to the extreme.
Kuu-kwang!
The water stream thrust out like a spear drove away the cold air.
Following the sudden aftershock that swept through, the frost that had settled throughout the street was also wiped away cleanly, as if erased by an eraser.
Of course, it did not mean the boy’s ability had lost its power. A natural disaster was not something a mere human could defy.
That remained true even for Ga-on.
But just before the frozen hand fell and touched the ground, another hand emerged and replaced it.
Even a lizard could not have shown a more dramatic sight.
Only then did the boy realize who stood before him.
“You too……?”
“You lost the moment you were certain you were the only special one.”
Stepping closer, Ga-on personally shut the valve and then snapped the handle off. So that the boy could not freely unleash his ability.
The boy, sensing his end, tried to flee, but it was futile.
Hooking his leg and knocking him down, I threw a punch. He was the kind who would not hesitate to commit murder. There was no need for mercy.
Before long, the boy’s limbs went limp.
Now, the only thing left intact was his mouth.
“There’s only one thing I want to ask. Why? Why did you commit something like this? What exactly were you after?”
“Y-you think I’d tell you?”
Having already been defeated, there was no way he would confess truthfully. Knowing that remaining silent until the end was the greatest revenge, the boy closed his eyes without hesitation.
As if he had no lingering attachment to life.
However, the situation reversed when Sakuya, who had been watching the entire sequence unfold, opened her mouth.
“「Speak」”
***
“Oppa.”
It was only a single word, but it contained countless meanings.
“Let’s talk about that later.”
Whether she wanted to ask how I had come back to life, or whether the information the boy had left behind had shocked her—I had no way of knowing.
But either way, this was not the time to bring it up.
Not mentioning the ability Sakuya had suddenly displayed was an extension of that.
Rather than being astonished by the current situation, it was more important to calmly deal with the aftermath.
Ga-on’s gaze turned to the boy whose breathing had stopped.
How could I make the most efficient use of him?
Taking him as he was and using him as experimental material was not a bad option. The more samples there were, the more smoothly research on immortality could proceed.
But that was a poor choice.
A spectacle had already been made. There was no way the Public Enforcement Corps would refrain from investigating.
Fortunately, there was nothing that could be considered evidence.
The shattered head had evaporated,
the rotated foothold had also evaporated,
and even the sword marks had likewise evaporated.
It would not have been an exaggeration to call it the perfect crime.
After going through a fierce battle and still operating an intact device, Ga-on contacted someone.
There happened to be suitable manpower.
***
Jin Geon, who had been dispatched after receiving the report, examined the scene. As an aside, he secretly wiped his dry face.
No matter that it was winter, the snow-covered landscape dyed white like clouds was unnaturally excessive.
At that moment, someone approached his side.
“It’s been a while, Mr. Geon.”
“Is that you, Mr. Ga-on.”
The genetic test results had just come out. Ordinarily, a course of action should have been decided, yet that was not possible.
[Comparison impossible]
He had been informed that verification could not be conducted because the genetic information had been damaged.
This, even for Jin Geon, had been unexpected.
It meant Ga-on either suffered from a related condition or had intentionally damaged it.
To confirm whether it was coincidence or deliberate staging, he had to approach him regardless.
In the midst of that, Ga-on’s contact could not help but be welcome.
It had become an opportunity to get close without creating variables.
But that relief was only momentary; rather, it made judgment more difficult.
As if he were aware that his identity could not be uncovered through a genetic test, he had called at a most timely moment.
Was Ga-on truly Yang Hu? Was he toying with him to gauge his intentions? Or was everything merely his own delusion? Was he conducting an oppressive investigation against an innocent civilian?
Ignoring the numerous assumptions that surfaced in his mind, Jin Geon gave a small nod.
“Normally, you would report this to the relevant Public Enforcement Office. May I assume there was some intention behind specifically pointing me out?”
“I thought it would be nice to have a Sheriff I’m on friendly terms with.”
“I wouldn’t recommend summoning someone at dawn for that purpose.”
“My apologies for that. But there wasn’t anyone I could trust.”
Ga-on, who let Jin Geon’s complaint go in one ear and out the other, concealed the corner of his lips curling up faintly.
It was obvious that he was a hunting dog belonging to the municipal government, but the nameplate Jin Geon presented outwardly was the Wide-Area Investigation Unit.
Ga-on decided to take a page from that as well.
He chose to hide Yang Hu behind the concept of a rookie problem-solver with skill but little experience.
Reporting to a Sheriff he knew without hesitation aligned with that persona.
There were more than enough excuses.
Simply explaining about the boy had already made Jin Geon’s attitude noticeably change.
“So you’re saying that while carrying out a request, you encountered a wanted individual who used a peculiar ability.”
“Strange, right? He didn’t have a Unit or a Slot.”
“If that’s true, then this is no trivial matter. I think I understand why you contacted me.”
Contrary to his reply, Jin Geon’s suspicion only grew. No matter how he thought about it, it was a dubious excuse. It was obvious he was using the infected as bait to gauge a reaction.
Ga-on was likely Yang Hu after all.
Just as he was about to convince himself of that—
“There’s one more thing. That guy seemed to be connected to the Pier Gang.”
An unexpected name surfaced.
“The Pier Gang, you say.”
“Yeah, the ones going around extracting devices. Weren’t you chasing them?”
“That is true, but.”
Jin Geon held his tongue. Though he was usually confident in all matters, he was at least aware that he had nearly committed the greatest misjudgment of his life.
It had been him who headed underground last time, and him who had left a strong impression by firing a warning shot without hesitation.
Now then, here was the question.
If Ga-on had discovered traces of the Pier Gang, would he really have turned a blind eye?
The answer, of course, was ‘No.’
“They’ll be collapsed not far from here.”
“Was it merely a coincidence again?”
“At least for the ones without bounties on their heads.”
Answering nonchalantly, Ga-on sensed all of that shift in mindset.
This was precisely why I had contacted Jin Geon directly. He was an agent who pursued only Meta-humans. There was no way he would ignore the abnormal climate that had temporarily occurred in District 39.
Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the boy or Ga-on’s movements came to light.
And yet, if I fled for fear of taking risks?
I would only rise rapidly as a person of interest and be placed under concentrated scrutiny. It was best to break through head-on without leaving even the slightest room for doubt.
Even now, had I not thrown Jin Geon into confusion?
He must be uncertain.
If I truly were Yang Hu, I would avoid contact with the Public Enforcement Corps altogether.
Had I not known about Meta-humans, about Jin Geon, I would have done the same.
But having grasped the full circumstances, slipping beyond the investigative net was hardly difficult.
Moreover, since I had subtly revealed that a Meta-human was committing crimes, Jin Geon could not simply ignore it either.
Whether he approached it zealously or not made no difference to me. I only intended to stay close and steal the fruits.
“If you ever need help, contact me anytime. I called you once, so it’s only fair you call me once too, right?”
“So wanting to be on friendly terms wasn’t just empty talk?”
“I’m serious. Honestly, I’m curious. How far we can take this friendship.”
This was an offer Jin Geon had no choice but to accept.
‘He’ll have to clear away every doubt he harbors about me before moving on to the next stage.’
It was obvious he would assign me a request as a test. Likely selecting only the dangerous ones.
Wasn’t the theme already decided?
‘Meta-human.’
It was the perfect opportunity to find out why the municipal government was so fervently chasing them.
If fortune favored me, I might even find a Meta-human capable of treating Dobby in the process.
Jin Geon might believe he held the initiative, but that was a misconception.
Everything about this relationship had been designed because Ga-on wanted it.