Chapter 144
Chapter 144
I Know, So Get Lost
***
Thud.
Just before Gabriel, who had fallen to his knees, collapsed completely, fine particles as delicate as grains of sand drifted around him and formed a single shape. Soon, the outline darkened and transformed into a suit.
The person who suddenly appeared and supported the falling Gabriel was someone even Ga-on had not expected.
“How about stopping here?”
The man had no discernible facial features.
A smooth oval shape—an egg, perhaps. There was not a single strand of hair beneath the bowler hat either.
Age, identity, history. Everything about him was unknown—
“Mr. Slenderman.”
“I am aware that I resemble such a bizarre creature, but hearing it directly is a little saddening.”
He was the vanguard of the mysterious organization known as the Inner Circle.
A mysterious figure whom he had encountered once before.
Why was someone like that protecting Gabriel?
Never having expected to see him in a place like this, Ga-on’s voice naturally sharpened.
“What are you doing?”
“As you can see, I intend to retrieve him.”
“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
As if embodying that resolve, Polar Night lashed out like a whip.
Even if he was someone dispatched by the Inner Circle, there was no reason for Ga-on to show mercy. The sound of air splitting apart echoed in every direction as the attack tore through its trajectory.
That alone was enough proof of its terrifying power.
Yet Mumyung showed no sign of evading and accepted the fierce assault head-on.
Ga-on had expected him to be sliced cleanly in half, but instead—
The severed area turned into fine particles, and before the ink-black blade could even pass through, it gathered together once more.
Realizing that his attack was no different from throwing a stone into still water and creating a small ripple, Ga-on withdrew his blade.
Needless to say, it was the product of a technology never revealed to the public.
“Your body is still as disgusting as ever.”
“If it eases your anger, then please enjoy this body to your heart’s content.”
The choice of words alone was enough to make one's affection evaporate.
“You must know what that bastard did if you came all the way here. Are you still going to overlook it?”
“The distinction between good and evil and the appropriate punishment that follows? We could debate that all night, but I would rather remain faithful to my duty.”
“And that duty is taking that bastard away?”
“I have complete faith that Mr. Baek Ga-on will understand. Or should I address you as Mr. Baek Seok-do instead?”
Baek Seok-do.
The one and only successor.
And the Inner Circle.
The keywords stirring inside his mind converged into a single conclusion.
Mumyung had not appeared to cover up what the Gathering had done.
The central figure was Gabriel.
He was—
“A sacrifice.”
It seemed that the tragedy that had occurred in Baekdu was being repeated in Trian as well.
Three hundred years had passed since the Third World War, yet humanity still repeated the sins of the past.
The lower classes in their own way, the upper classes in theirs, both unable to escape the deepening darkness.
Even though it was not something he particularly wanted to see.
A bitter taste spread through his mouth.
As if that distortion itself was pointing toward some ominous sign.
“Because I delayed a little, taking him back alive is no longer possible. Even so, I think he can still be recycled to a reasonable degree.”
After taking Gabriel out of Over Gear, Mumyung examined him from various angles before nodding with apparent satisfaction.
Well, it was a body that had absorbed countless talents.
If they were to clone him, there could hardly be a better specimen.
“Of course, if you wish to stop this abuse of authority, I will respect that as well. However, if I return empty-handed, I fear the relationship between Trian and Baekdu may grow somewhat distant.”
Adding that he personally hoped the two would remain on good terms, Mumyung spoke in a tone as soft as willow branches.
But in reality, it was a warning.
Even Ga-on could not ignore it.
Punishing Gabriel here was practically the same as declaring war on Trian from this point forward.
Naturally, what would follow would not be some lukewarm exchange of pressure.
The megacorps themselves would clash in open conflict.
Not only did he have no confidence in explaining that to Baek Seol, but it was also obvious that her position would be shaken.
Ga-on's final judgment was that he could not afford to take that risk.
However—
“I’m not your subordinate. Much less your servant. There’s nothing more pathetic than blindly accepting unreasonable demands.”
“Meaning?”
“Show me sincerity. Enough for me to stop here.”
“What is it that you want?”
“Why should I be the one to decide that? You’re the one who barged in, and you’re the one in a hurry.”
For a moment, Mumyung froze.
It wasn't that he had touched a reverse scale and provoked anger.
After all, Mumyung had maintained a consistently subdued attitude.
He was probably asking someone for permission.
Though with no facial features, there was no way to confirm the movement of his eyes.
“Chairman Samuel says he will pay. He asks that you visit him later and receive it personally.”
Samuel Trian.
Gabriel's father and the supreme ruler of Trian.
And a member of the Board.
If he had managed to extract a concession from someone like that, it was fair to say he had achieved his objective.
“Fine. Now get lost before I change my mind.”
“Thank you for your mercy, as vast as the sea.”
Bowing exaggeratedly like a clown, Mumyung disappeared with Gabriel.
Beyond the cavern.
Watching him melt into the shadows, Ga-on opened and closed his grip around Polar Night before ultimately hanging it back at his waist.
Today simply wasn't his day.
“Besides, it wasn't my turn.”
When Mumyung had contacted Samuel, Ga-on had also requested assistance from someone.
A short while later, he quietly smiled upon receiving the reply.
Just because one escaped a wolf did not mean a tiger would not appear.
In the past, this was called a tiger calamity.
More frightening than smallpox.
***
Two Solweeks later—
[Large-scale plant owned by megacorp Trian catches fire. Fire extinguished after 114 minutes, though some equipment was lost. Investigation into the cause is currently underway.]
A rare piece of news appeared online.
Trian, a company renowned for its meticulous facility management, had made a mistake.
Since it was a corporation responsible for food production, concerns mainly focused on whether problems had arisen within the distribution line.
However, before long, an official announcement stated that there would be no disruption in the supply of cultured meat, and those worries quickly subsided.
It was hardly surprising that the falling stock price rebounded almost immediately.
But did they know?
That it had not been a natural disaster, but a man-made one.
Everything had unfolded exactly as Ga-on expected.
As warned by Mumyung, he had not lifted a finger.
There had been no reason to recklessly provoke Trian and invite trouble.
When it came to matters involving Meta-humans, wasn't there someone constantly standing by who could exercise authority beyond the law?
Ga-on had taken Gabriel's life.
But the one who handled the aftermath to ensure he could never be cloned was Jin Geon.
Perhaps this could be called the first case resolved since the Sheriff & Advisor duo had been formed.
“As you said, there were many suspicious aspects regarding Gabriel's activities.”
Ga-on invited Jin Geon to Café Velvet, the same place he had once visited with Alice.
He quietly slid only the coffee over to him, having already eaten the cake himself.
“Ah, thank you.”
Unaware of anything, Jin Geon took a gulp.
His brow immediately furrowed, but he quickly concealed his expression and continued speaking.
“Until just two years ago, he had failed to distinguish himself. Then he suddenly rose to prominence.”
According to Jin Geon's investigation, Gabriel had been considered one of the weakest among his siblings, practically a premature child.
The turning point that allowed the neglected outcast, who had been treated as half-witted, to bloom spectacularly was—
“It was immediately after exactly three people disappeared. All of them were considered close to him.”
“In ancient times, devouring one's own kind carried ritualistic significance.”
The notion that eating a heart would make one brave and consuming a brain would make one wise—
A concept that was little more than superstition in modern times.
Ga-on did not know why Gabriel had arrived at such a line of thinking.
But he did know how far someone who despised their own circumstances could fall.
“It is also believed that he awakened to his ability around that time.”
“And that coincides with the period when the Gathering was formed.”
There was no need to ask where his boundless narcissism had originated.
Obviously, he had convinced himself that he was chosen.
“Furthermore, multiple genetic signatures were detected in the corpse. There were so many that they could not possibly have belonged to a single individual.”
There was no evidence anywhere proving that Gabriel was not a Meta-human.
That was precisely why Jin Geon had refused to back down against Trian and forcefully carried out the operation.
“This is a problem. I run into a Meta-human every three steps. Earth can't possibly be this chaotic, can it?”
“You could say Mars is an exceptional case.”
“Because of the environment?”
He had heard that biological development differed between the two planets.
That was one of the reasons animals and plants could not simply be released into nature without restraint.
According to what he had heard, the direction of evolution would diverge further with each passing generation, though Ga-on did not know the details.
“More accurately, they are descendants of fugitives. It is also one of the few failures of the Emergency Disaster Response Unit.”
When Second stabilized Mars and declared large-scale development, all of humanity stirred.
Hundreds of millions dreamed of the Mars Dream and packed their belongings.
Even the municipal government could never have controlled such numbers.
“In the end, they had no choice but to watch helplessly as the infected took root on Mars.”
Today, the monopoly over spaceports could also be said to be the result of lessons learned from that experience.
“I see.”
The benchmark for Pioneering Power was January 1, 2201.
Meanwhile, the Device identification system had been introduced in 2199, a mere two-year difference.
It had been a period of great confusion.
One could say the Meta-humans had struck at exactly the right moment.
Hadn't Maximum Noise, which operated Lost Saga, also settled on Mars during that period to avoid persecution?
Perhaps—
“There might be established corporations supporting Meta-humans.”
As though pleased by the observation, Jin Geon clapped his hands.
“Exactly. From that perspective, your achievement in eliminating Gabriel is significant, Mr. Ga-on. You've effectively provided the Emergency Disaster Response Unit with a justification to insert itself into the corporate world.”
Indeed, who would have imagined that a Meta-human could be a member of a megacorp?
“Thanks to that, I can finally breathe easier as the person who recommended you.”
It was Jin Geon who had provided support in the form of equipment like Polar Night.
He must have been under considerable pressure.
Of course, Ga-on wasn't helping Jin Geon because he felt sorry for him.
The only reason he worked alongside him was to obtain information.
“Come to think of it, you said you were chasing Yang Hu, right?”
The moment the name Yang Hu was placed on the table, Jin Geon's gaze changed completely.
“I suppose there's no point in hiding it anymore.”
“Since you've come all the way to Mars, does that confirm he's a Meta-human?”
“It does.”
“And his ability?”
“We believe he possesses a healing factor, in other words, regenerative abilities.”
Having seen the hunter's cards, Ga-on responded casually.
“That sounds ordinary.”
“No, we still don't know.”
Jin Geon immediately refuted him and elaborated.
“I believe I've mentioned this before. The infected have stages.”
“You mean the ranks they ascend through as their abilities grow stronger.”
Gabriel's recovery after consuming his own blood had likely been the effect of Devouring evolving into a higher stage.
Perhaps it could be called a derived ability.
What Jin Geon wished to say was likely much the same.
“For now, it may only regenerate cuts and stab wounds. But if his ability develops to the point where it can affect the cause of death itself, the situation will spiral completely out of control. It would effectively amount to immortality.”
At this point, it was fair to say he had reached the truth.
Yes.
An organization like the Emergency Disaster Response Unit would never obsessively pursue someone merely because of a personal grudge.
The Millennium Code Gate incident had been nothing more than a trigger.
It seemed being discovered was only a matter of time.
After all, Ga-on was destined to survive in any era.
It was then, as he pondered the matter, that Jin Geon set down his coffee cup.
“By the way, about this coffee. The taste is exactly like...”
“Like someone mixed cigarette ashes into it?”
“So you knew.”
Was it an illusion that veins were bulging on Jin Geon's forehead?
No, it was reality.
“Wait. You're looking at me like I pulled some childish prank, but there's a story behind this.”
Ga-on proceeded to explain the history surrounding Café Velvet, just as Alice had once told him—
“And how exactly does that explain why you handed me the coffee as though you were doing me a favor? I'd appreciate hearing the answer today.”
Jin Geon remained completely unmoved.
Just as someone else had reacted before.
“......”
Ga-on felt as though he finally understood, at least a little, how Alice must have felt.