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Nox gazed at the emaciated woman with an unreadable expression.
Was that too childish a question? But it was a necessary one. What if the chimera created by Ark had guiding abilities? What if Kali’s mention of radiation guiding wasn’t a coincidence?
Perhaps Yoon Jung-hoon and Kali had succeeded in creating a flawless chimera using her biological information. A perfect creation, to the point where the original body felt unnecessary. Recalling how similar Iroa, who had spit out green jewels, was to a human, Yoon Tae-ha’s stomach turned.
What if a woman who looks exactly like me returns to the side of the people I care about? What if they can’t tell the difference and believe the chimera is me? And what if Cheon Geon-yeong even receives guiding from it? Her imagination spun, one thought leading to another.
“Tell me. The truth.”
“I don’t know what abilities the chimera modeled after you possesses. Gaia has recently excluded me from classified information.”
“Then let’s infer. Does my chimera have guiding abilities? If you were the Director, how confident would you be in the chimera when swapping the original body and the chimera?”
Nox looked at her, seemingly concerned about her reaction.
“Speak realistically.”
“The swap operation would only be carried out with the conviction that it could even deceive your guide.”
“That’s right. The chimera must be indistinguishable from me. That’s why the Special Forces and Alpha Team finished their search and returned to Korea.”
Yoon Tae-ha paused briefly, then struggled to utter the date they had left.
“A week ago.”
A week ago. That was when she had been robbed of her home to return to.
________________________________________
Lee Hae-gyeong sat upright in a conference room chair, observing the people conversing beyond the soundproof glass. Ignoring the section chief, lost in their own world, were three staff members dispatched from the Audit Bureau, Min Cha-hoon, and Moon So-eun.
It was unusual for a high-ranking official from the Audit Bureau to personally travel this far. The self-proclaimed “first mates” who had worked at the headquarters for a long time were reluctant to leave Ark’s artificial island. They believed the outside world was filled with pollutants and Espers with animal-level intelligence.
Min Cha-hoon and Moon So-eun greeted the Audit Bureau staff, who had been arrogant since disembarking at the airport. Moon So-eun smiled sweetly at a joke thrown by the highest-ranking man. Having taken off her usual gown and wearing a light beige jacket, she looked like someone utterly without worry.
Min Cha-hoon actively led the conversation a step ahead of her. He reacted as if he had heard incredibly fresh and useful insights every time someone from the Audit Bureau spoke.
“It’s like the old men are ready to shine their shoes if they’re suddenly told to. Might as well dance a mating dance...”
Seo Do-jin, who had been sitting silently next to Lee Hae-gyeong, suddenly muttered in a gloomy voice. He was glaring at Min Cha-hoon.
“Was he the kind of person who could laugh so brightly?”
Lee Hae-gyeong didn’t even look at him, lightly tapping the desk with her fingertip to warn him. However, Seo Do-jin didn’t care.
“A parasite who sells people out.”
“You’re using harsh language in a conference room without Gaia. Even if it’s not being recorded, everyone beyond the glass can see your lip movements.”
“I’d say the same even if Gaia was here. He acts like he owns the place, with the section chief sitting there? He’s probably disrespecting you because you’re in your 30s.”
The armrest of Seo Do-jin’s chair creaked precariously, unable to withstand his force.
“They’re the kind of people who think they can’t communicate with psychics.”
“That’s why they brought five psychic bodyguards each. As if there’s nothing better than Espers to use as bullet shields.”
In fact, Lee Hae-gyeong had not wanted to attend this meeting with Seo Do-jin. Since receiving the news of Yoon Tae-ha’s disappearance, Seo Do-jin had often struggled to control his anger. It seemed that only the duty of being responsible for the office’s safety when the section chief was absent barely kept him sane. Seo Do-jin, whose composure had evaporated, was recently treated as a ticking time bomb within the center.
However, among the agents who could attend an R-grade security meeting, there weren’t many Lee Hae-gyeong could trust. For now, it was only Seo Do-jin.
“We’re in a disadvantageous position. Keep that in mind and act accordingly.”
Seo Do-jin mumbled, his face flushing with anger.
“We’re always at a disadvantage, aren’t we?”
Strictly speaking, Baek Sang-ho was also qualified to attend this meeting. As the leader of the team that had been with Yoon Tae-ha from the beginning in the Green Sea, he had a high relevance to the case.
However, Lee Hae-gyeong was not confident that the Alpha Team leader would make a choice favorable to Yoon Tae-ha.
In a land where the boundary between death and life was blurred, they were trained to clearly distinguish between public and private matters. But it was natural for their own wounds to be noticed first. And Baek Sang-ho had suffered the greatest wound from Iroa’s death. Would he move for Yoon Tae-ha?
“Section Chief.”
“What?”
“Do you think Yoon Tae-ha is in their hands?”
Just then, one of the Audit Bureau staff members glanced towards Lee Hae-gyeong and Seo Do-jin, who were waiting. Min Cha-hoon then naturally turned his body and spoke to him, even shrugging as if it didn’t matter if they waited a little longer. Seo Do-jin, who had been glaring at all of this sourly, opened his mouth.
“I have no intention of believing their claims. Yoon Tae-ha was Orca’s spy for five years? Who would believe such a lie? She’s the kind of kid who’d go crazy if she couldn’t make snake wine.”
“Me too. There’s no way Tae-ha would do that.”
“But the story about the first dedicated guide is spreading again. People are desperate to console Moon So-eun.”
Seo Do-jin, slightly turning his body so that the person beyond the glass wall couldn’t see his lip movements, lowered his voice significantly.
“There’s a truckload of agents who firmly believe that Orca was indeed the one who killed Moon Seon-woo back then, that a chimera killed the young man, and that the real one has finally returned. There was even a woman who congratulated Moon So-eun. She said that since the child she originally cared for had returned home, she could finally rest easy.”
“That’s what they intended. So that we can’t recklessly touch the returning agent. If we question the agent found in the lab, it creates a situation where we’re accused of being Orca.”
“The Boss was also directly at the location where Yoon Tae-ha was found, right?”
“Yes. Choi Bo-mi was also part of the search team.”
“Was it really the Yoon Tae-ha we knew? Like, did she have an extra mole on her face, or slightly lighter hair color...? Or was it just a girl who looked exactly like her, like a twin?”
“The one in the capsule was definitely Tae-ha.”
“You mean her appearance was Yoon Tae-ha’s?”
Seo Do-jin significantly emphasized the word “appearance.”
“Yes. Her appearance was as we know it.”
“And no one knows what’s inside the shell.”
Seo Do-jin crossed his arms, indicating that he would not elaborate further since they were inside the center.
Not long ago, it was the search team, including Lee Hae-gyeong, who found Yoon Tae-ha in a small research lab on the outskirts of Phlegethon. There, Lee Hae-gyeong discovered Yoon Tae-ha asleep in a capsule. When the news of the discovery of the search target spread, the Mobile Command Team insisted that she be transferred to Korea.
At that time, the Phlegethon camp was not a good environment for patients to stay in. The constant pouring rain made stable power supply difficult, and the roads connecting Acheron, Cocytus, and Phlegethon seemed about to flood.
People, having endured the dreadful summer of the Green Sea, also complained of extreme fatigue and anxiety.
We found the agent already. Can’t we just take her to Korea and interrogate her, or throw her in jail? Why are we hesitating? I want to get out of this dreadful land.
Even the internal opinion of the Alpha Team was like this.
Only Choi Bo-mi and Ji Seong-chan expressed doubts about the Mobile Command Team’s protectiveness over Yoon Tae-ha, suggesting that additional investigation might be necessary. However, the general opinion, excluding theirs, was negative. Consequently, Lee Hae-gyeong had to return to Korea without time to determine whether the Yoon Tae-ha who emerged from the capsule was “real” or “fake.”
That’s why he was currently plagued by nightmares of Yoon Tae-ha in the capsule turning into liquid and melting away. Officially, Agent Yoon Tae-ha had returned alive, but Lee Hae-gyeong knew the problem was not over.
“They say the Yoon Tae-ha brought from the lab is now under the exclusive management of Moon So-eun’s team. I heard she went into intensive care.”
“Moon So-eun has been recorded as Tae-ha’s primary physician since she was young, so it was difficult to take separate action.”
Lee Hae-gyeong, who had poured everything into searching for Yoon Tae-ha in the Green Sea, was considerably exhausted.
The bug of helplessness, which gnawed at his nerves, had grown larger during the passing season. The forest where she had disappeared smelled of acrid ashes. Even the pouring rain couldn’t dilute that unpleasant and strong odor.
“I shouldn’t have believed it was okay,” Lee Hae-gyeong said, watching the man conversing with Moon So-eun. Self-reproach was evident in her voice. Seo Do-jin quietly shook his head without looking at his superior.
“She was eight years younger than me. We shouldn’t have made her bear the same burden just because we had the same rank.”
“If you say that, I’ll feel ashamed. I couldn’t even leave Korea...”
Seo Do-jin pressed his fist painfully against his temple. At that moment, Min Cha-hoon and the Audit Bureau staff finished their conversation and turned towards the conference room. Lee Hae-gyeong and Seo Do-jin maintained minimal courtesy and stood up.
Min Cha-hoon bustled forward and opened the glass door of the conference room. An elderly, well-built man passed through the open door as if it were his right. The Audit Bureau man was not intimidated even by the cold gazes of the two Espers.
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