DL Episode 74

#74

‘Is that… really what he wants?’

Though surprised, Lee Do-seon felt a tinge of relief that the decision had been made before he had to push further. His gaze fell on Ha-gyeom, who was still blinking with desperate, longing eyes, not fully grasping Baek Seung-woo’s words. Every second felt like an eternity.

Lee Do-seon swallowed all the words he wanted to say and simply concluded,

“If this fails, there might not be another rescue operation.”

Baek Seung-woo bit his lip. The Baek Seung-woo Lee Do-seon knew wouldn’t be afraid of such a thing. The only concern troubling him was likely Ha-gyeom’s safety.

Baek Seung-woo was the only person from the Center who had faced the grim reality of the 0 District, something far worse than its infamy suggested. The fact that he had gone to such lengths to create an opportunity to save Ha-gyeom meant he was convinced Ha-gyeom couldn’t survive there.

Even now, after succeeding in the rescue mission, Baek Seung-woo had changed his mind. He couldn’t let Ha-gyeom go. Lee Do-seon’s gaze turned somber. He couldn’t shake the suspicion that it wasn’t just Ha-gyeom’s rebellion that had swayed Baek Seung-woo.

If it were only Ha-gyeom’s safety he was concerned about, he would have knocked him unconscious and sent him back to the Center without hesitation. Instead, Baek Seung-woo held onto Ha-gyeom as though he couldn’t bear to let him go, looking at him with an unguarded, vulnerable gaze.

Five years.

It must have been an unbearably lonely time, too harsh to endure without any ties. Perhaps Ha-gyeom had been the only one who could keep Baek Seung-woo from losing his sense of self in that place.

Even amidst the discomfort and confusion, Lee Do-seon straightened his posture. Ha-gyeom’s energy seemed like it might reach the stars at this rate. Given his personality, it was clear he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted.

Lee Do-seon glanced briefly at Han Young-jae and Seok Ji-ho, who occasionally flickered in and out of view, before speaking to Baek Seung-woo.

“I’ll handle the explanation to the director. You’ll have to answer for it to the others.”

“….”

“Ha-gyeom is the person you saved. Whether he lives or dies is ultimately up to you. Accept that.”

With a firm pat on Baek Seung-woo’s broad shoulder, Lee Do-seon stepped away and waved a hand. Seok Ji-ho, now towering on the rooftop, split a monster’s head open with a powerful strike before stepping onto the railing.

“…”

For once, Seok Ji-ho didn’t have anything to say. His face was pale, uncharacteristically quiet as his gaze fixed on Baek Seung-woo and Ha-gyeom.

Lee Do-seon waved his hand again, breaking Seok Ji-ho’s focus and forcing him to stop his rampage. The monsters’ cries faded as a result. Yang Ga-eun and Han Young-jae disappeared into the shadows below the skyscrapers, leaving no trace behind. Even the sisters Park Ha and Kang Ha-na, who had been tearing through the building’s exterior, went silent.

Looking around, the area was eerily quiet. Only the sound of the wind whistling through the buildings remained, a stark reminder of how fragile the moment had become. Dark clouds descended, close enough to brush the rooftop.

The time had come.

“What about the mission?”

Seok Ji-ho’s nonchalant question earned a shake of the head from Lee Do-seon.

“It failed. No more questions.”

Gripping Seok Ji-ho’s thick wrist firmly, Lee Do-seon took a step—not toward the rooftop stairs but into thin air. Trusting Seok Ji-ho’s strength, Lee Do-seon leapt with him down toward the street below. A deafening crash echoed as they collided with an abandoned car.

Hic… hic….

Ha-gyeom buried himself deeper into Baek Seung-woo’s warm embrace. If he had gills, this embrace would be the only ocean where he could breathe and swim freely.


Chapter 10: Baek Sa

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, B1, B2….

The cracked elevator display flickered as it descended. Numbers blinked red, counting down past B3 before disappearing altogether. After a minute of silence, the screen remained lifeless, its light extinguished.

Still, the elevator reached its destination and stopped with a jarring screech. As the doors creaked open, Baek Sa was greeted by a dimly lit hallway, shrouded in damp shadows. He stepped forward, his boots echoing against the floor. With each step, lights flickered to life overhead, though their illumination was unnecessary. He could have reached his destination even in complete darkness.

The corridor stretched ahead, lined with identical gray steel doors on both sides, resembling prison cells. Puddles formed in the cracks of the broken tiles, soaking the soles of his boots. Baek Sa grimaced slightly, more annoyed by the sound of dripping water from the ceiling than by the dampness itself.

Nameplates hung on each door, but they were blank and served no purpose. Instead of counting the doors, Baek Sa relied on his senses, following faint traces of movement through the oppressive silence.

At the first steel door he approached after rounding a corner, he keyed in a six-digit code to unlock it. The door opened, spilling harsh light into the hallway. The brightness irritated him just as much as the sound of the dripping water, scratching at his nerves.

“I heard you returned safely,” a low voice echoed, breaking the silence.

It was Dr. Kim, one of the researchers stationed here. His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time.

Baek Sa, one hand in his pocket, approached the man, rubbing his sharp cheekbone. The empty holding cells lined the walls like sentinels as he passed, each one barren.

Entering the lab encased in reinforced glass, Baek Sa spoke curtly, “News travels fast.”

“The courier who brought the delivery mentioned it,” Dr. Kim replied.

“Delivery?”

“A body,” Dr. Kim clarified. “You likely have other matters to discuss, but would you like to see it first?”

Dr. Kim’s lab was obsessively clean, save for the stainless steel instruments scattered about. The white tile floors and walls, combined with the sterile lab coats, evoked the unsettling atmosphere of a psychiatric hospital. The harsh brightness of the room aggravated Baek Sa’s light sensitivity, but he endured by turning his back to the light.

Dr. Kim retrieved a body from the morgue freezer, draped under a white sheet. Meeting Baek Sa’s gaze, he spoke,

“This is a guide who participated in an exploration mission two months ago. An A-rank, so they likely lasted a few hours, but they ultimately died in the field. Two accompanying C-rank guides….”

“Didn’t leave behind even a body,” Baek Sa finished coldly.

“Yes,” Dr. Kim confirmed.

He pulled back the sheet, revealing the guide’s corpse. The body was grotesque—capillaries swollen, skin partially melted and frozen, hair barely clinging to the scalp. The state of the body painted a gruesome picture of the guide’s final moments.

Baek Sa examined the corpse meticulously, from head to toe, searching for anomalies that might set it apart from others who had perished in similar missions.

“Nothing unusual,” Dr. Kim said, preempting any conclusions.

Without hesitation, Baek Sa gave his orders. “There’s no point in keeping it. Send it to the crematorium.”

“Understood.”

Dr. Kim’s response was mechanical, but his face betrayed unease. He had handled dozens of guide corpses, yet the weight of it all seemed to catch up with him now. Unable to contain himself, he muttered,

“How much longer do you plan to continue this? Forcing guides into these meaningless missions?”

“Until we find out what’s there,” Baek Sa replied bluntly.

“Those monsters, even the weak ones on Earth, become immeasurably stronger inside. Some guides have had their insides completely devoured. It feels like a warning—like whatever is in there isn’t meant for humans to touch.”

Baek Sa was well aware of the grim reality. Of all the guides sent on exploration missions into the 0 District, only one had ever returned alive. Despite the repeated failures, the missions continued for one reason:

“Orders from above. We have no choice but to obey.”

The upper echelons prioritized the survival of the community over the lives of individual operatives. Disobedience meant immediate exile. Baek Sa regarded Dr. Kim with an emotionless gaze, devoid even of sarcasm, as he continued,

“Next time, they’ll insist on an S-rank guide.”

Baek Sa’s icy expression finally shifted, hardening as Dr. Kim spoke. S-rank guides were not only incredibly rare but also included Ha-gyeom among their number. Even the guides forced into these missions were told nothing about the reality of the 0 District.

Sensing Baek Sa’s mood souring, Dr. Kim added, “At least S-ranks tend to survive long enough to return.”