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“Since when did you become so optimistic? Did your personality change after dying and coming back to life?”
Chertan sneered, his face showing his discomfort at such words. Soon, he changed the subject of conversation to the green feather.
“You’ve studied hard, so you’ll know. The green feather is a substance that can be used to open and close rifts.”
According to Nox’s explanation, the green feather was a kind of key. A key that could open and close rifts according to a specific spell.
He said that if the amount of substance needed to open one rift was assumed to be 10, then closing it would consume about 12 or 13. In conclusion, it was a disadvantageous game that required more substance at the moment of closing the door. But Chertan did not view the situation pessimistically.
“The Director-General originally planned for over fifteen rifts. If they had opened simultaneously, that would have been enough for the massacre he dreamed of. But currently, the Director-General can only open four rifts with the substance he secretly embezzled from Nox. This was confirmed by an insider whom Lee Hae-kyung persuaded.”
“Is one of the four a major rift, similar to the one Kali came out of?”
“Yes. They say they plan to create a major rift near Ark’s aquatic city.”
Yoon Tae-ha, feeling grateful to an unknown person, murmured,
“What a courageous person.”
“They say he changed his mind after hearing that Cheon Geon-young is cooperating with us. That man is a useful propaganda tool. Even now, the headquarters’ employees are searching all over Seoul with bloodshot eyes to meet Cheon Geon-young.”
“Then there must be a lot of Titans in Seoul to guard them.”
“That’s why it’s dangerous for you to appear in any place you’ve visited before. Not only you, but the intentions of those trying to protect you will also be questioned.”
Yoon Tae-ha also wanted to avoid such a situation. She couldn’t let the kind intentions of those who had supported her be questioned.
“I have no intention of suddenly appearing in the middle of Yeouido. And I won’t be hurt by however the Director-General’s people try to cut me down. If they let down their guard even a little, thinking I’m dead, that would be ideal.”
“But Cheon Geon-young is worried.”
Chertan gazed at his daughter, who had grown so much in his absence, with a fond expression.
“It was quite painful when the choice that would help more people was different from the choice that would help the person I love most.”
“...”
“And you’re not the type to do whatever you want in a situation like this.”
“This is my choice.”
“A choice made in a situation where there’s only one option can’t be called a real one. You know how to take other people’s lives seriously, and that’s fundamentally why you’re different from Yoon Jung-hoon.”
“Then do you want me to contact that child?”
“If you want to, yes. I want you to contact her.”
She was speechless, staring blankly at the man in front of her. Hadn’t Chertan just said it was dangerous for her to show herself? Chertan sighed, as if he understood the contradiction in his own words.
“Perhaps Kwon Hyuk would give a different answer. Others involved in this matter would probably answer similarly to Kwon Hyuk. If you weren’t my daughter, I would have made you disappear too. Because you’re an important witness. But what’s important to me isn’t the happiness of everyone on this earth. It’s your happiness.”
“Don’t say things like that carelessly in front of other people. It sounds dangerous.”
“I, for one, don’t care what others think of me.”
Chertan didn’t seem inclined to grant her request. He sat down on the stairs connecting the mansion and the garden, looking towards the bush where the sound of insects could be heard. The bug’s cry, like a thin flute, was strangely melancholic.
After standing stiffly on the lawn for a while, Yoon Tae-ha cautiously brought up a thought she’d kept to herself.
“The Director-General will try to use my chimera for propaganda. He’ll probably take her to the event held soon at Ark’s aquatic city. Just seeing that Jet invited me to attend there confirms it.”
“He would. Especially if she has guiding abilities.”
“They might take her to places that are difficult for us to infiltrate. They might even assign her missions required to open rifts.”
Chertan, who had been listening to Yoon Tae-ha with a serious expression, suddenly raised his head. He looked uneasy.
“So?”
Yoon Tae-ha took a deep breath. Her initial thought after reading her mother’s letter became an unshakeable resolve through her conversation with her father.
Her parents had done anything to protect those they loved. Yoon Seo-hyun had prepared for her daughter’s future even when her own life was in danger, and hadn’t Chertan become a knight who took up the sword he used to protect others, enduring dishonor?
She wanted to be proud of them. She couldn’t just hide and then appear to testify after the incident was over. Yoon Tae-ha quickly revealed her decision, lest she be tempted to hover near other options out of fear.
“The only difference between me and the chimera is the chip implanted near the collarbone. Even Lee Hae-kyung, who has such a sharp eye, couldn’t find a difference.”
“You, no way.”
“I’m going to wait for the right timing to dispose of the chimera and transplant the chip into my body. And I’ll go to the aquatic city. You need someone next to the Director-General to tell you what he’s doing, right?”
“No!”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Chertan yelled. He glared at Yoon Tae-ha, his face boiling with anger and fear.
“If I do this, I won’t need to wear a separate mask or rush to make contact lenses. The Director-General must have given the chimera Yoon Tae-ha significant authority. Even if not, as long as my existing authority is maintained, there won’t be a need to kidnap someone and extract their eyeballs, right?”
“Absolutely not. Is that all you thought about after reading the letter?”
Yoon Tae-ha pointed her finger towards the inside of the building. The light from the screen Nox had turned on illuminated the darkness alone, like a lighthouse on a distant island.
“If they wanted me to live doing nothing, they wouldn’t have left something like that behind. My mother met me when she was young. She had enough time to figure out what kind of child I was.”
“Don’t speak so carelessly.”
“Ark’s aquatic city is a fortress built on the assumption that there would be no land left for people to live on if sea levels rose. It can shoot down all soldiers parachuting from an aerial carrier before they even land, with plenty to spare. We need someone who can access the internal system. You remember how we neutralized Green Hive, don’t you?”
“So you’re going to pretend to be a chimera and infiltrate them? In a place where Kali is?”
At the name Kali, Yoon Tae-ha momentarily froze. Her body reacted before her mind could. She barely managed to move her stiff tongue.
“I only need to fool them for a little while.”
“I don’t want to hear any more.”
Chertan, who had risen from the stairs, turned towards the building.
“I’ll give you time to think. But there won’t be a better plan than this, Father.”
Chertan, who had been walking away with his back to Yoon Tae-ha, paused for a moment. But he ultimately didn’t look back and entered the building. She dropped her head with a pained expression.
________________________________________
A hospital in downtown Seoul. The hallway was noisy. But the soldiers wearing the Special Forces mark ignored the commotion and faithfully followed orders. The order was to safely escort the hospitalized patient home, no matter what happened. There was also an instruction to eliminate any factors that hindered the mission.
Could the source of the current commotion be the target to be eliminated?
The eyes of the tightly-lipped soldiers shone sharply. The noise, like something breaking and shattering, was growing louder. It meant either the level of the disturbance had escalated, or the perpetrator of the disturbance was approaching.
Veins became prominent on the backs of the soldiers’ hands gripping their weapons. Just as the noises began to be heard clearly, the hospital room door opened.
Oh Gi-cheol, with a displeased expression, came out first from the opened door. He looked back and gently scolded.
“Professor Kim said he hasn’t even finished a third of the examination. Discharging now is unreasonable. It’s not just because I watched a documentary last night about the worst possible rampage incident a flame-type Esper can experience...”
“It’s a waste of time now.”
Cheon Geon-young answered in a dry voice, stepping out of the hospital room and closing the door. He was dressed in a suit without a tie, not a Special Forces uniform.
The soldiers were tense, hoping to avoid eye contact with Cheon Geon-young. All personnel waiting in the hallway had been previously briefed on the combat abilities of the newly awakened Esper. Fortunately, Cheon Geon-young was not interested in them.
Meanwhile, the noise echoing in the hallway was growing louder. Oh Gi-cheol followed the young man whose features had become sharper due to weight loss.
“Where are you going? Home? Going to headquarters is fine too. I’ve prepared several safe houses.”
“I can protect myself. Don’t worry.”
Oh Gi-cheol threw up both hands at the polite but clear boundary-setting.
Just then, from a corner in front of them, an unfamiliar man holding a doctor hostage burst out. Wielding a broken IV pole like a knife, the man held its sharp end to the doctor’s neck. He looked surprised at the corridor filled with men and shouted,
“Why are there so many people here? Everyone get down!”
The doctor, held by him, trembled in fear, struggling with his arms. The soldiers simultaneously aimed their guns at the man threatening a civilian’s life. Cheon Geon-young cast an unconcerned gaze at the hostage-taker blocking his path.
“I heard there’s a unique constitution here at this hospital. Where is that patient? Seeing so many armed men, he must be nearby. Bring him out now.”
Oh Gi-cheol scratched the back of his neck and replied,
“Why are you looking for that patient?”
“I need some blood. Just do that, and the doctor will be released.”
“You don’t seem to need a blood transfusion.”
The hostage-taker’s eyes glowed eerily.
“What does a civilian know? Three of my senses are already ruined because of my abilities. This is the end. I can only live if I get a blood transfusion from an Esper who can also guide. Lead me to him. If you don’t, I’ll start killing people, beginning with this doctor. Yes, you. You scanned my face, so you must know my identity, right? I can do what I say I will.”
The soldier, who had confirmed the opponent’s identity using equipment, whispered lowly to Oh Gi-cheol.
“He’s a Class A psychokinetic.”
Oh Gi-cheol also became tense at the unexpectedly high rank. Meanwhile, Cheon Geon-young walked towards the hostage-taker without any further discussion.
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