Ghost Ship 5

“Outside? The exhibition hall, or the plaza where we were watching people?”

“I got it from the ice cream shop.”

“I was watching the whole time, but neither you nor the shop owner did anything suspicious.”

“It’s a job that ends quickly if you focus.”

As if the indoors were hot, Cheon Geon-young took off his jacket and quickly loosened his tie. Yoon Tae-ha stared blankly at his hands as he untied the tie, then suddenly came to her senses and cleared her throat.

“I’ll get the laptop. You go and wash up.”

Seeing him enter the room, Yoon Tae-ha also returned to her bedroom and took off her restrictive two-piece suit.

Just taking a shower, tying her hair up high, and changing into more comfortable loungewear was strangely exhausting. It was similar to, or even more difficult than, when she was training with Knox. She thought it might be because she had spent several hours with the enemy, laughing so much that her cheeks ached.

She opened a can of soda and settled on the living room sofa, and soon Cheon Geon-young appeared before her. As he arrived, a fresh and sensual lime scent wafted through the air. While Cheon Geon-young was setting up the equipment, she secretly sniffed the back of her own hand, wondering if it had the same scent.

A moment later, Cheon Geon-young finished setting up the laptop and moved to sit beside her. He looked at her face and said,

“If you want to sleep and do it later, that’s fine.”

She gathered her knees together and hugged the blanket she had brought from the bedroom.

“No. It’s not something we can postpone.”

A video was paused on the laptop, showing a bird’s-eye view of the Central Hub and the architectural blueprints of its main buildings, waiting for them. When Yoon Tae-ha put on the wireless earphone that Cheon Geon-young handed her, the operation briefing video began to play.

— Agents C and Y, can you hear me? I am Hong Eun-su of the Dawn, and I am in charge of the Ghost Ship operation. Ah, do I have to do this as a recording? I prefer live communication... Okay, I get it.

The bright and energetic voice was familiar. Yoon Tae-ha chuckled and watched the video.

— The data center of Nautilus City is not in a remote location. On land, they would have built a structure in a sparsely populated area with good ventilation and easy access to water, but here, on the sea, the situation is different. The place we need to infiltrate is in the central area.

The relatively quiet western section of the Central Hub, where the two of them had spent the entire morning and afternoon, appeared on the screen. Afterwards, the words ‘Target Point’ appeared over a Y-shaped building.

— The data center is in the safest location from the risks of tsunamis and typhoons. A low-energy, high-efficiency cooling system is in operation. Since a lot of heat-emitting equipment is concentrated there, they lower the temperature by forming pipes around it and circulating cold water. Water is readily available just by turning your head.

The Y-shaped building was magnified to fill the screen, and it was separated into four floor plans. The data center was a low, wide building with one basement floor and three above-ground floors.

— We have kidnapped, ahem, persuaded one of the center’s managers, so the route to install the server access device has been perfectly cleared. But the building is incredibly large and complex. Do you see this?

Although she knew it was a recording, Yoon Tae-ha nodded as if possessed.

— We plan to approach through the large ventilation fan that was opened for air circulation. There are fewer surveillance cameras there.

A diagram of a propeller as massive as a volcanic crater appeared next. Even while concentrating, Yoon Tae-ha could feel that Cheon Geon-young was gauging the danger of infiltrating the building through the propeller.

— We can stop the propeller for about three seconds. If we stop it for any longer, the life of our undercover agent inside the data center will be in danger. So, Agent Y, you have to go down to the lower floor in that brief moment when the propeller stops.

“Hmm.”

Hong Eun-su did not mention that the propeller was made of a very sturdy material.

— After moving through the cooling tower where the pipes are installed, you just have to insert the access device into the computer in the designated area and come out the same way you came in. Doesn’t that sound simple?

For a moment, Yoon Tae-ha glanced at Cheon Geon-young’s expression, but he just had a cold, stern face and said nothing.

— It might be a little hot and cold, but please think of it as the fun of alternating between a hot and cold bath at a spa. Ahem, okay. Formally. I told you, I’ll think of it as a video letter to the boss.

As the sound disappeared for a moment, the expected route was marked on the 3D model. She followed the winding blue line with a serious gaze.

Without control of the system, it would be like racing on a slanted field. The first step was to ensure the safe landing of Changcheon and other agency agents in the city. Judging by Cheon Geon-young’s movements, it seemed there were a decent number of collaborators inside Ark, but they were still at a disadvantage compared to the army of superhumans led by the Chancellor and his friends.

However, just the fact that there were internal employees who had rolled up their sleeves to right the organization’s wrongs filled Yoon Tae-ha with a feeling of confidence that they could do it. It was a different feeling from when she had taken the helping hand extended from the outside.

— So, where was I? Ah. I showed you Agent Y’s route. This time, it’s Agent C’s route. As you know, Agent Y is currently undercover. She can't show her face. Similarly, our boss is a person the Chancellor is keeping a close eye on, so any suspicious behavior is forbidden. In the end, both of you need an alibi.

All the information related to the Y-shaped data center disappeared. What appeared next was a large department store located in the Central Hub. Hong Eun-su explained the department store’s floor plan, then showed the VIP-only lounge and the changing rooms inside.

— The view from here is really nice. It’s quite high up, and there aren’t many obstacles, so it’s good for teleporting to the data center. Since it’s a changing room, there are, of course, no cameras. The structure is such that there are separate changing rooms within individual rooms, so the person you’re with can stall for time outside.

A yellow line was drawn connecting the changing room and the data center. It was a route she could travel without much trouble.

— Our boss is a VIP of this department store brand. He has the highest tier, so they’ll probably give him a good room. When you arrive there, a staff member will provide Agent Y with the necessary items. If you come out of the villa carrying a heavy mission bag, even an elementary school student would find it suspicious.

The screen soon zoomed out, and the total distance Yoon Tae-ha would have to travel was calculated.

— Department store, data center, back to the department store. The time we can give you is 30 minutes.

Upon hearing the time, Cheon Geon-young couldn’t help but turn his head sharply to look at Yoon Tae-ha. Since his face seemed to demand an answer, she made her voice as arrogant as she could.

“I’ll be back in 15 minutes.”

“That attitude doesn’t help me feel better.”

“Why? If I can find the computer quickly, I think I can cut about 10 minutes off. You’ve teleported with me a lot.”

He sighed, leaned his head back on the sofa, and closed his eyes. Yoon Tae-ha resisted the urge to poke him in the side and concentrated on Hong Eun-su’s voice as she listed the precautions.

— I’ll contact you right away if there are any changes. Let’s do our best!

After the video briefing ended, she sipped her drink while absorbing the data center’s operating principles into her mind.

Important infrastructure facilities have cutoff systems to prepare for natural disasters or intruders. Although she had been bragging, she knew better than anyone that if she didn’t stay sharp, she would be like a rat in a trap.

Yoon Tae-ha, who was calculating her escape route in case of an emergency, suddenly felt a lot of time had passed and raised her head. Through the living room window, where the curtains were half-drawn, she could see the darkened sea.

She had been studying on the floor, leaning against the sofa, and now she turned around, rubbing her sore back. Cheon Geon-young had been sitting on the sofa watching the laptop just a little while ago. She was hungry, probably because they had worked without dinner.

“Cheon…”

Yoon Tae-ha was about to ask if they should order room service together, but she quickly closed her mouth. Cheon Geon-young was lying on his side on the sofa, asleep.

When had he fallen asleep? Yoon Tae-ha was momentarily confused whether she was being foolish for not noticing him change his position right behind her, or if Cheon Geon-young was just exceptionally good at muffling his presence.

Yoon Tae-ha carefully moved the laptop from near his head to the coffee table. Using her psychokinesis, she pressed the light button to darken the living room, then moved one space over like an assassin.

“Hey.”

She called his name a bit roughly, but her actual voice was so quiet it was drowned out by the sound of the waves. Cheon Geon-young didn’t wake up.

Growing a bit bolder, Yoon Tae-ha ran her finger over the man’s bangs, which looked more bluish than usual due to the pale moonlight. His breathing still sounded like that of a sleeping person. She even gently rubbed the space between his eyebrows, which was often furrowed when he looked at her.

Finally, Yoon Tae-ha managed to tear her eyes away from his face and examined his outstretched left hand more closely.

Espers who control fire often get burns from their own heat. Cheon Geon-young was no exception. Several spots on his skin were redder than before. The fact that scars remained even after receiving special treatment meant that the wounds before treatment were quite severe.

Yoon Tae-ha held a fleeting hope and gently caressed the injured area, but there was no change in the scars. If Chimeras can have guiding abilities, couldn't I? The hope she had secretly held after hearing Song Jun-tae say there were two fairy godmothers wavered.

At that moment, the man’s helplessly outstretched fingers twitched, then grabbed her fingers with a powerful grip like a trap catching a small animal. Startled by the unexpected movement, Yoon Tae-ha reflexively half-sat up.

Cheon Geon-young’s eyes were open. His narrowed gaze was so sensual it made the other person’s cheeks flush.

“Don’t go.”

His voice was very low. The face that had looked affectionate and in need of protection disappeared the moment the man opened his eyes. Even the breath she was about to take was sucked in. Yoon Tae-ha finally broke the tense silence between them.

“I’m not going anywhere. This is my spot.”

Their gazes tangled intensely. Then, an arm with tensed muscles and veins pulled Yoon Tae-ha closer. Cheon Geon-young’s solid shoulder opened up, and he held her captive in his embrace.