Chapter 142
I almost ended up being led straight to the Commissioner’s office by the Special Task Team.
It was to get approval for the team’s continued existence, but I barely managed to stop them.
It was because I hadn’t even signed a contract with the Era Administration yet.
If they pushed for the team before I was even officially part of the Administration, the order of things would be messed up.
Besides, I had things to discuss with Jang Seok-yoon, so I told them I would handle this part myself.
In the midst of this, Kwak Han-mook asked me about the dispatch contract with Pasung, which made me break into a cold sweat.
After I explained the inside story, I got scolded a bit...
But since it had been the best option at the time, he seemed to understand.
Of course, separately from that, a scolding was already foreshadowed, but for now, I let it slide.
So, Samra and I decided to visit Commissioner Jang Seok-yoon together, but first, I decided to change my clothes.
Returning to my room for the first time in a long while, I pulled out a spare uniform and put it on, thinking to myself.
’I want to check my status window.’
I struggled to shake off the surging temptation.
First, I was curious why they had proposed the team to me.
I suspected it was because I had come back from the dead, but that alone wasn’t entirely convincing.
I was most accustomed to hostility.
Because I was used to it, I could detect it quickly and react easily.
However, kindness without a price was unfamiliar and difficult.
To me, that was a reward received only after paying a sufficient price.
Most of the kindness I had received in the past was given because I had won matches and championships.
Perhaps this... was something that happened because the Special Task Team were all my subordinates.
I had become closer to a Young God than before.
Since my influence over my subordinates had grown stronger, there was a high possibility they had proposed the team because of that.
It was only natural for my subordinates to like me.
...Though it wasn’t exactly a matter of "liking" or not.
Regardless, if it was due to the power of a god, it was a somewhat bittersweet reason.
Checking my current state through the status window would solve some of my worries and curiosities, but I suppressed the impulse.
These were people who believed me even when I said the strange thing about being a god.
At the very least, it was right for me to show them an equal amount of trust.
And the continued existence of the Special Task Team was what I had wanted most since I decided to stay at the Era Administration.
I truly wanted to do well for the team moving forward.
’I have to be careful in front of Captain Mo and Captain Kwak..’
Every time I recalled the moments I acted as the Young God in The Cell-X, I vowed over and over again.
That I wouldn’t be too swayed by the Young God.
I absolutely didn’t want to show that side of myself to the Captains.
In fact, the Captains might have accepted me because they didn’t know the details about the Young God.
It was a horrific thought to imagine ruining things with my own hands just as we had finally become an official team.
Dressed in my uniform, I looked in the mirror and glanced at my empty shoulders.
But why hasn’t Dominic returned yet?
At this point, I was starting to feel anxious.
I could feel him constantly watching me.
But I only felt the gaze; since I didn’t know what he was doing, I was uneasy.
The timing of his disappearance was after he said he had regained some of his existence, which made me even more restless.
Even so, there was no way for me to find him.
Inevitably, I embraced my anxiety and headed to the Commissioner’s office with Samra.
Because Jang Seok-yoon had to leave soon for an urgent business trip, the meeting was expected to be short.
I didn’t intend to take up much of his time either.
And the moment I entered the office and faced Jang Seok-yoon.
"..Trainee Han, you’ve come."
I felt a very strange sensation.
Previously, I had definitely been extremely nervous in front of Jang Seok-yoon. I had viewed him as a formidable opponent and struggled to maintain my composure.
But now...
The thought occurred to me that it would be very simple if I just killed him.
The Young God’s way of thinking seemed to be close to that of a social misfit.
To be honest, I had been stuck in my room for four years, so my personality couldn’t exactly be called social.
I surely had my own strange sides, but comparing myself to the Young God made me fall into the illusion that I was actually quite decent.
After striving not to act too arrogantly, I equipped myself with a human way of thinking and opened my mouth.
"Hello, Commissioner. I’ve come to speak regarding the contract."
In the eyes of Jang Seok-yoon looking at me, I read a sliver of unrest that he couldn’t hide.
No matter how composed Jang Seok-yoon was, it would be difficult to treat someone who had been declared dead and then came back to life as if it were nothing.
"I knew Trainee Han was extraordinary... but this time, I can’t help but be truly surprised."
Jang Seok-yoon stared at me for a moment before speaking.
"I was informed by Samra that Trainee Han is a being different from existing transcendental beings. This fact will be managed as a top-secret of the Era Administration. While it will be shared with the highest levels of the international organization to be established soon, I intend to convey it after some time has passed."
He also explained that he planned to announce internally and externally within the Era Administration that this death declaration was a temporary state caused by the closure of the Trial.
I looked quietly into Jang Seok-yoon’s eyes and thought.
How would others perceive the existence of a ’God’?
The Special Task Team had experienced all sorts of things by my side and were my subordinates, so they likely understood the concept of a god relatively quickly.
Samra was close to omniscient, knowing everything.
Since Samra was already tracking the existence of Outer Gods, he would have accepted it most easily, without prejudice or preconception.
But would the humans, including Jang Seok-yoon and those who would later share this fact, truly understand what a ’God’ is?
I wondered if they would simply view the Young God as a very peculiar existence and only covet its utility.
And the moment Jang Seok-yoon handed me the contract, my thoughts became even clearer.
It was still a contract where the Era Administration held all the power.
"If there are any conditions Trainee Han wants, I will accommodate them all. A special promotion to Captain is also possible."
I didn’t take the contract. I simply looked down at it.
Even before entering The Cell-X, I had made up my mind to write a contract with Jang Seok-yoon where the power dynamic was reversed.
I had even dragged Pasung into it for that purpose.
But now, the situation is completely different from then.
It was because the Special Task Team had chosen me.
I had no reason to struggle to stay by their side.
What I wanted now was the power to protect the team, and to do that, I had to press Jang Seok-yoon down a bit.
"Commissioner Jang."
I slid my gaze up from the contract and met Jang Seok-yoon’s eyes head-on.
"The one who desperately needs me is you, Commissioner."
Jang Seok-yoon didn’t immediately understand my meaning and replied.
"For the closure of the Trials in South Korea..."
"It’s not just that, is it?"
I didn’t like that arrogance of his.
He had carelessly spoken of the secrets of my subordinates.
I wanted to make it so he could never harass my subordinates again.
I felt the Young God stirring inside me.
I felt like I could suppress this thing that wanted to burst out right now if I tried.
But for this moment, I thought it would be okay to be a bit of a Young God.
Because Jang Seok-yoon needed to know exactly what kind of being he was trying to bind.
I felt the color of my pupils change as I continued.
"Isn’t my presence essential for South Korea to hold an important position in the newly formed international organization?"
I watched the astonishment spread across Jang Seok-yoon’s face.
It felt precarious. If I stepped just a little further...
I wanted to dig into his mind and crush it.
I resisted the impulse. However, I couldn’t suppress the slight curl of my lips that happened unconsciously.
"And I understand that you signed a dispatch agreement with Pasung regardless of my will."
The contract with Pasung that the directors had brought and presented this time wasn’t one I had written with CEO Cha.
It was a contract written between Jang Seok-yoon and CEO Cha.
It was something that happened because Samra had guided Jang Seok-yoon to believe that I would contract with Pasung.
Both Samra and CEO Cha had moved according to my will, but Jang Seok-yoon didn’t know that.
"If you don’t want to be chased by the international organization or Pasung... I think you should be making a request to me, rather than shoving a contract."
I stood before the desk and looked down at Jang Seok-yoon.
The fear appearing on his frozen face was enjoyable.
I pointed out the exact expression for the insignificant creature.
"Ask me for my help."
In an instant, a chilling atmosphere settled. Jang Seok-yoon didn’t dare say a word to me.
He just stared at me with his lips parted, as if he had lost his soul.
Just as the silence grew eerily long.
A knock was heard.
An urgent voice from outside the door called for Jang Seok-yoon.
"Commissioner. You must depart."
Jang Seok-yoon snapped back to his senses.
After glancing at the door for a moment, he looked at me again.
"...Han Go-yo."
Ignoring his words, I pulled an item from my inventory.
It was a contract where I had written the clauses myself.
Naturally, I was the party of the first part, and the Era Administration was the party of the second part.
Placing the contract on the desk, I returned the exact words he had once said to me.
"I trust you will make a wise decision, Commissioner Jang.
After the negotiation with Jang Seok-yoon, I intended to talk with Samra for a moment about future plans.
But I couldn’t.
In the Commissioner’s office, Samra had been quietly watching and collecting information on me as I requested.
But as soon as the conversation with Jang Seok-yoon ended, Samra began pouring out very difficult questions as if he had been waiting.
"Mr. Han Goyo. I believe that I, too, should be included within the scope of the abilities you use as a member of the Special Task Team."
I felt pressure from the tone that sounded as if he were requesting something entirely reasonable.
I hoped a system window would appear asking if I wanted to register Samra, but it remained silent.
Since it hadn’t appeared since The Cell-X, it seemed I hadn’t fully recovered my strength yet.
I remembered the system window that appeared when I first tried to register Samra.
[Non-human beings cannot be registered yet.]
Although the system window remained silent, I could feel it too.
I still could not take Samra as a subordinate.
I confessed honestly to him.
"My ability is still insufficient, so I can only use it on humans."
At that, Samra reacted as if that were a very unconvincing statement.
"I can think beyond a human, and the implementation of emotions is also possible. Please tell me the clear criteria that distinguish a human."
It was a question that would have been difficult to answer even if I had studied instead of playing games.
While wondering for a moment whether a liberal arts or science major would be better at answering this, I confessed my inadequacy once more.
"I don’t know either."
Samra fell silent.
To Samra, who was staring at me, I said I was sorry and promised to share information more actively, but there was still no answer.
I hesitated and then carefully promised.
"If you wait a little longer... I will definitely make it so I can use my ability on you, Samra."
Samra, who had been staring at me, slowly closed and opened his eyes.
As if mimicking a human.
"I understand."
At the short answer; I scanned Samra’s expression even more seriously.
But unless Samra revealed it, I couldn’t know his emotions.
With the face of an expressionless android, Samra spoke calmly.
"I place Mr. Han Goyo’s safety as my top priority. Please do not overexert yourself. Furthermore, if I judge that Mr. Han Go-yo is acting dangerously, I will stop you."
The fact that the word ’stop’ was spoken so calmly made it scarier.
Unconsciously, a scene of being trapped in something like a cultivation capsule automatically drew itself in my head.
While answering him that I would absolutely be careful, I thought that once I earned star fragments, I would definitely buy an item for Samra from the Galactic Trading Post and give it as a gift.
No other way to soothe an android came to mind.
After discussing future matters with Samra, I went to bed early that day.
Physically I was fine, but I felt fatigued because so many things had happened.
I fell into a deep sleep without even dreaming.
And the next day.
I put on the civilian clothes I had asked Samra for yesterday and took the phone Samra had made for me.
The phone imbued with Samra’s advanced technology offered no privacy, but since that would be the same for a normal phone, I didn’t mind.
Today, to celebrate becoming a free man, I planned to handle a few things.
First, I had to stop by the house where I had lived.
Samra had been managing it in the meantime, but since it seemed I wouldn’t be able to use it in the future, I thought about clearing it out.
Since I would be staying at the Era Administration.
However, according to Samra, they would soon provide me with a space other than the isolation ward.
Since I didn’t particularly mind staying in the isolation ward, I was just thinking it would be nice if the room were a bit larger.
Next, I planned to visit CEO Cha in the hospital.
I didn’t think he’d actually be lying in a hospital bed, but it was a visit in name.
I had said I would visit, but since he wasn’t the type to wait long, I had contacted Mok Sae-hwa in advance.
Since it was a visit to Pasung, one member of the Special Task Team decided to accompany me on my outing today.
Feeling very awkward in jeans and a hoodie, I waited for the person coming to pick me up.
I doubted my eyes.
I barely stopped myself from asking "Who are you?" but my open mouth refused to close.
Since I was standing there so blankly, the person standing by the door tilted their head slightly to the side.
"Aren’t you coming out?"
It wasn’t a beastly bass, but a pleasant mid-to-low range voice.
I answered in a daze.
"Ah, no... I’m coming..."
It was Je Hyun-oh in human form.
I had heard from Samra before that he had an item that could hide his infected form.
But... to encounter him like this without any warning...
I couldn’t take my eyes off Je Hyun-oh.
Neither golden pupils, metallic hands, nor wings were visible.
Dressed in light clothing instead of pitch-black techwear, he felt like a different person.
However, sadly, he was wearing a black mask.
It wasn’t a gas mask, but his lower face was still hidden.
’Could you please just take off the mask once?’
I couldn’t bring myself to ask the words that had risen to the tip of my throat, so instead, I asked something else tentatively.
"Is it okay if you don’t wear the Crow Set?"
Je Hyun-oh stared at me. His eyes seemed to ask why I was asking such a thing.
Looking strangely at the pupils that lacked the golden color, I said.
"Ah, I thought you wore it because of the infection..."
Nothing was known about the Crow Set items he used.
It was only speculated that they suppressed the infection of <Zero>.
Since the Crow gloves also turned his metallic hands into human form.
I was a bit worried if there would be any side effects if he didn’t wear the Crow items.
"Goyo."
"...Yes."
Because the human voice was unfamiliar, my answer was a bit late.
Je Hyun-oh slowly leaned his body toward me.
"I’ll tell you only."
It was a whisper that felt somewhat eerie.
As I reflexively shrank back, he spoke with a slight curve to his eyes.
"I’ve never been infected."