DTD 11

Although I wasn’t sure exactly what method drove them to their deaths, the key was fear. Could the culprit have been able to spread emotions like awakener A-P-91?

Keeping that in mind, I meticulously reviewed the list. 

But there weren’t any awakened individuals there who could’ve been the culprit.

“Is this information really accurate, though? Couldn’t someone have deceived The Association and registered falsely?”

Considering I’d lived my whole life hiding the fact that I’d awakened, it seemed possible that someone could have lied to The Association. However, Simeon furrowed his brows and tilted his head.

“Once you’ve gone to register your abilities, deceiving The Association is nearly impossible. It would’ve been especially hard for our culprit.”

“Why?”

“Because abilities related to mind control or death are subject to particularly rigorous tests.”

“That’s true.” 

Matteo chimed in promptly.

“I think it took about a month for me. That was how long they spent testing my abilities.”

“A month…?”

“Yes. On top of that, they isolated me in some kind of laboratory deep in the mountains and put me under 24/7 surveillance.”

I couldn’t help but grimace. They isolated him in the mountains for a month like some sort of criminal or biochemical weapon? If I were to register as an awakened, only to be dragged off into the mountains, I’d also think twice about cooperating with The Association. But given how dangerous these abilities could be, I suppose they’d need to be absolutely sure.

Matteo glanced at Simeon slyly. 

“I bet you were isolated even longer than I was, hyung.”

Instead of responding to Matteo’s words, Simeon sighed softly. His furrowed brow, recalling that time, didn’t ease at all.

As they said, lying about one’s ability with such strict tests would be difficult. In other words, the culprit is someone unregistered or recently awakened.

“So, the list is no longer needed…”

With a swipe, the screen transitioned to a map with a red line winding across it.

“What’s this?”

“This is the route the transport team took that day. The company sent us GPS records since they’ll help the most in tracking the culprit’s movements.”

Since they provided the information so readily, it seemed they had no reason to hide anything. I zoomed in on the map and carefully followed the route. Hopefully, it could give us some vital clues about where the transport team might’ve encountered the culprit.

“Jamsil is where the auction house headquarters is, and Hongcheon is where <Golden Fleece>’s owner lives, right?”

“Yes. The transport vehicle left headquarters, went straight to Hongcheon without stopping, and was attacked on the way back after picking up <Golden Fleece>.”

If they’d stopped even briefly at some obscure point, we’d have grounds for suspicion, but the route was headquarters-home-headquarters. 

Such a simple path. This meant the transport team met the culprit at the auction house or the owner’s home.

Could there be a collaborator hidden within the company? Could we even trust these GPS records?

My suspicions didn’t stop there.

“They said the owner of <Amrita> had some urgent matter come up that day, so only <Golden Fleece> was transported, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then the transport team must’ve been informed before they left headquarters that they didn’t need to transport <Amrita>.”

I muttered as I scanned the map. And then Simeon opened his mouth and spoke.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because there’s no sign they turned the vehicle around midway.”

As Simeon fell into thought, Matteo stared at me intently, blinking like a student who’d missed part of a lesson. I ended up explaining the map step by step.

“Uh… So, imagine Simeon asked you to run an errand. He wants you to buy a carton of milk from the market and a book from the bookstore.”

“Okay, yes.”

“So you get the milk from the market, and after that, you start heading towards the bookstore. But on the way, you get a call from Simeon, who tells you that you don’t need to get the book anymore. In that case, you’d stop heading towards the bookstore and turn around, right?”

Matteo nodded enthusiastically.

“But here, there’s no sign of that.”

The GPS record showed a clean curve from Jamsil to Hongcheon with no sign of turning back.

Once Matteo understood, he let out an “Ah!” in realization.

“This leaves us with two possibilities: either someone informed before they departed that they weren’t picking up <Amrita>, or, <Amrita>’s owner lives somewhere in the same direction as Hongcheon, so there was no need to turn the car around.”

“Oh, that sounds plausible. No, it makes sense.”

Matteo nodded vigorously, his eyes shining. Just then, Simeon spoke up.

“There’s another possibility.”

“What is it?”

“The two spirit items could belong to the same owner.”

The possibilities racing through my brain stopped at his words.

One person owning both <Golden Fleece> and <Amrita>? It seemed unlikely. Maybe they had planned to auction both but changed their mind on the day and decided to keep <Amrita>?

“But then that means that three days later, they changed their mind again and decided to put <Amrita> up for auction, right?”

Could that happen? I glanced sideways at Matteo, who waved his right hand dismissively.

“Maybe they’re just, like, super indecisive. Like when people return items after impulse shopping. You know, that kind of thing.”

It was a stretch, but that could happen. But it raised another question.

“Matteo, if the bank you were using lost all your money, would you give them more of your money?”

“No way! How could I trust them again?”

“Exactly… that’s what I’m getting at.”

After the owner lost their prized <Golden Fleece>, could they trust the same auction house with <Amrita>? I certainly couldn’t. At the very least, I’d hand it over to a different auction house or assemble my own transport team.

There had to be another reason. A significant one for why the owner didn’t hand over <Amrita> that day, only to entrust it to the same auction house three days later.

“Does the company know why the owner changed their mind at the last minute?”

“I’m not sure. They just said it was due to the owner’s personal circumstances.”

What am I missing? Why didn’t the owner hand over <Amrita> that day? And why, after three days, did they once again trust the same auction house, which not only used a transport team of civilians but consequently lost one of their prized possessions?

“What is going on…?”

My thoughts were tangled like a disorganized drawer, and I began sorting through them carefully.

The culprit knew the transport team would be composed of civilians. No, more than just knowing, they had directly faced all twelve of them. On top of that, they knew when <Amrita> would be transported. Given all this, I was almost certain there was a collaborator within the auction company.

And yet, in the end, the thief didn’t manage to steal it. They hadn’t anticipated that the owner would suddenly change their mind.

“Being fickle can be helpful sometimes. Thanks to that, <Amrita> was safe.”

Matteo muttered to himself.

He was right. It was only due to the owner’s indecisiveness that the culprit’s plan failed. What a stroke of fortune. What an exquisite coincidence.

“But was it… really a coincidence?”

At my sudden remark, Simeon narrowed his eyes slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“What if it wasn’t a coincidence? What if the owner deliberately canceled the transport of <Amrita> that day?”

It was possible. But for this argument to hold, one critical premise must be true.

“Then the owner must have known about the culprit’s plan in advance.”

“They could have.”

The owner could have been one step ahead of the culprit. With this, the strange actions of the ‘fickle’ owner start to make a bit more sense. 

Still, without evidence, all of this remained pure speculation. We needed to meet the owner. At the very least, we needed to hear their account of the events that day.

“Simeon, do you know who the owner is?”

“No. They requested to remain anonymous with the company.”

Anonymous. My trail of reasoning came to a sudden halt, blocked by those two words. How could we draw out the person hidden behind this wall?

As I pressed my temples, an idea suddenly struck me.

“Do you think we could check the property registration for the house in Hongcheon?”

“Why the property registration?”

“At least we’d know who owns the house.”

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the owner of the spirit item and the Hongcheon house owner are the same person. They could’ve rented the house under someone else’s name while remaining anonymous. But still, it was worth checking.

Simeon immediately asked an employee to get it. 

It wasn’t long until the employee returned holding a sheet of paper. I quickly took it from the employee and checked the property owner’s name.

“Kyunghyun Choi…?”

It was a name I’d never heard before, but Simeon’s reaction was markedly different. His frown deepened as he stared at the paper in my hand.

“What’s wrong? Is it someone you know?”

Instead of answering, Simeon stood up abruptly. He strode over, took the paper, and stared at it intently. His face didn’t look right. After confirming the name with his own eyes, Simeon grimaced and let out a hollow laugh.

“That’s the CEO.”

“What… did you say?”

“Kyunghyun Choi is the Director of the auction house.”

The owner of <Amrita> is the same person who organized its transport and assembled the security team to protect it?

Stunned, I stared at the property owner’s name for a long time. 

Simeon crumpled the paper slightly and muttered.

“I guess we’re going to Hongcheon.”

“How are we going to get into the villa? We can’t just go in there and expect them to let us in.”

After receiving the criminal’s threat to get them to hand over <Amrita>, the security around the villa must have tightened even more. Of course, if we honestly revealed we were from The Apostles, Director Choi would agree to meet us, but… would we have to wear masks while we talked to him?

As I nervously bit my lip with my fingers, Simeon gently took my hand and lowered it, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry. I have a plan.”

****

They say to strike while the iron is hot. So the next morning, as soon as Matteo left for school, Simeon and I headed to Hongcheon alone. Fortunately, there was a door connected to the Ark near Amisan in Hongcheon, saving us travel time.

On the way to the villa in a car that had been waiting for us, we stopped on a forest road.

“Is this it? Are we here?”

“No, the villa’s at the top.”

“Then why are we stopping here?”

Is the mountain path too rough for the car to enter? Glancing out the window, I saw a well-paved road. It wasn’t a fully paved road, but it was undoubtedly smooth enough for a car to drive on. However, it was blocked by a metal gate, like a restricted area.

“From here on, it’s private property.”

“…What?”

Could it be that he owned the entire mountain? Even if it wasn’t prime real estate, owning land of this size must’ve cost a fortune. For someone who cut costs by hiring a civilian transport team, it seemed he deserved much of the backlash he’d received.

“The maintenance costs alone must be a fortune…”

Soon, two burly men stepped out from a guard post along the road. They looked identical as if someone had cut them from the same bodyguard mold, and they wore matching sunglasses, earpieces, and black suits. When the driver rolled down the window, one of them bent over and asked.

“What business do you have here?”

Despite the polite tone, their demeanor was quite intimidating. However, the driver calmly responded as if he was used to this.

“We’re here regarding the spirit item theft incident. We want to request your cooperation with this investigation.”

At the mention of the incident, the guard’s eyebrows twitched.

“If it’s about that incident, the police have already come by to investigate.”

“We have additional questions.”

“If you don’t have an appointment, you can’t enter.”

Just when it seemed like we might have to turn back, Simeon suddenly pulled something out from his pocket and handed it to the driver. It looked like a card. 

The driver received it with both hands and passed it to the guard. The guard’s expression instantly hardened when he saw it.

“You’re with The Hunter’s Association?”

I almost choked at the unexpected name-drop. Turning away, I barely managed to suppress my cough.

So that’s what Simeon pulled out—a badge with The Association’s logo. For someone who claims to hate The Hunter’s Association, he sure knows how to impersonate them when it’s convenient… He really uses every chess piece he has.

Thanks to that, the guards, who’d looked like they wouldn’t budge, had a sudden shift in attitude.

“Please wait a moment.”

The guards stepped back and muttered something into their earpieces. Soon after, the gate swung open. So this is the power of The Hunter’s Association. I was relieved we’d made it to the villa without any trouble, but now, a wave of worry crept in.

“But is this really okay? What if they find out we’re imposters…?”

Having put the badge back into his jacket pocket, Simeon looked at me with mild disapproval.

“Imposters? I received this badge from them in exchange for information.”

So, that’s how it was. Yesterday’s enemy is today’s ally, huh?

“Simeon, your relationship with The Hunter’s Association doesn’t seem as bad as I thought.”

It was just a casual comment, but Simeon’s face instantly darkened.

“I’d rather you insult me.”

“…I’m sorry. It was just a joke.”

After passing the guard post, we climbed the mountain for a while. CCTV cameras dotted the property, proving it was indeed private. If you wanted to commit a crime, this wasn’t the place to do it. That’s probably why the criminal waited for the spirit item to leave this security fortress before striking.

At the top of the mountain, a modern two-story villa came into view. But more striking than the massive mansion were the people lined up in black suits, despite the 80-degree weather.

“Aren’t they hot…?”

I’d rolled my sleeves halfway up, feeling hot even in just a shirt. Yet here they were in full suits, not sweating a drop, just like Simeon.

As we exited the car, one of the staff members stepped forward. It was a woman with her hair tightly pulled back, giving her a cold impression.

“Welcome. The guards informed me you’re from The Hunter’s Association.”

“Yes, hello.”

I smiled and made eye contact, but the woman only gave a slight nod with a blank expression. Maybe she was worn out from dealing with the investigation, or she was just always this lifeless, like an office worker on a morning commute.

“Are you the manager?”

“I’m the team leader. We are the staff who manage the mansion.”

“Oh, I see. You’re the team leader.”

Beneath her composed expression, I sensed a creeping wariness. She must have wondered why we showed up so suddenly, but she couldn’t ask directly. To break the ice, I decided to be upfront.

“We’re sorry to bother you when you’re busy. We just had some questions during the investigation and wanted to speak with someone directly. We didn’t have time to contact the Director with <Amrita>’s transport already less than a week away.”

Perhaps my polite apology helped as the team leader’s sharp eyes softened slightly.

“It’s fine. Please, come inside.”

Luckily, the staff didn’t all follow us. After the greeting, the personnel dispersed, allowing us to follow the team leader into the villa. Without a moment to take in the house, she led us to a sitting room next to the entrance and skillfully served us tea.

“I’m unsure what you want to ask, but the Director isn’t here.”

Now that fewer eyes were on us, her attitude seemed gentler.

“Oh… When will he be back?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t say.”

Great. The one person who has the information we need isn’t here.

“Do you know where he went?”

“He’s in the United States.”

“…Pardon?”

“He left about three weeks ago.”

The unexpected news was dumbfounding.

Not just a brief outing or a company meeting—he’s in the U.S.? And if he left a month ago, that meant he wasn’t even in the country when the theft happened.

“Then… who handed <Golden Fleece> over to the transport team?”

“We did.”

“What about <Amrita>?”

“<Amrita> isn’t here. And I can’t tell you where it is.”

As soon as she finished speaking, I quietly glanced at Simeon. He must’ve thought the same thing as me as he blinked slowly when our eyes met.

We were right. The two spirit relics had the same owner, Director Choi. Since we’d asked so casually, the team leader probably answered without suspicion. Now, we needed to find out why Director Choi changed his mind at the last minute.

“So, what exactly is it that you’re curious about?”

“We’d like to talk to the people present when you handed the spirit item to the transport team.”

“You can ask me. I was there.”

She’s sharp. But despite her stiff expression, she kept fidgeting with her neatly folded hands. Especially when we talked about the relics, she swallowed nervously. Whatever was making her so uneasy, if we could figure that out, we’d be able to get her to talk.

“Could you describe in detail what happened that day?”

“…All of it?”

“If it’s too much trouble, just the events before and after the transport team arrived is fine.”

The team leader rolled her eyes as if recalling the day.

“Usually, the owner watches as the security team places the spirit item in the safe, but since the Director wasn’t here that day, together, our staff members were the ones who put the relic in the safe.”

“A safe?”

“Yes. It’s designed to protect spirit items from potential fire or explosions. Our company always places them in a safe during transport. Of course, the relics rarely get damaged, but it’s a precaution our clients request.”

“Ah ok… And do you set a passcode?”

“No. We use fingerprint recognition, so only the owner and certain staff members have access.”

So, opening the safe wasn’t possible without the staff or the owner themselves.

“That’s why at least one staff member accompanies the transport team on the journey to the main office so they can unlock the safe with their fingerprint once it arrives.”

I unconsciously nodded but then realized something odd.

“Then, a staff member accompanied the transport team that day, too?”

“Yes.”

…Wait. That means that a staff member was in the transport vehicle. However, there were no company employees on the list of casualties. Did the staff member escape? Is that even possible, considering someone murdered all the trained bodyguards?

“If you don’t mind, we’d like to meet that person.”

I stared intently at the team leader and felt suspicion creeping in. Her eyes darted back and forth like a metronome as she gripped her wrist tightly. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but only a sigh escaped. As I watched her, a thought crossed my mind.

She doesn’t seem anxious about getting caught in a lie—she seems to be debating whether or not to tell the truth.

“Would that be difficult?”

“…I’d like you to meet them also, but it’s impossible.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The team leader’s lips twitched as she opened her mouth with difficulty.

“That employee… disappeared after the incident.”

My eyes widened at her words.

“Disappeared… you say?”

“Yes. He still hasn’t returned. So, there’s been a lot of speculation among the staff. Some say the culprit kidnapped him. Others think he ran away because he was involved in something shady…”

Is that why she’s been so anxious this whole time? Not knowing the fate of a colleague, the fear that she might be the next target was understandable.

“So, you have no idea where he is now?”

She nodded gravely. It didn’t seem like she was lying.

I had no idea there was a staff member in the transport vehicle. It wasn’t even mentioned in the media. The company must have kept it hidden. But why? Were they afraid of the case escalating? Or was there something wrong with the employee?

“Uh… Do you know anything else about that person? Where he lives, for example.”

“This place is so remote that all the staff who manage the mansion live in the annex at the back.”

“Then what about their hometown or family? Surely you talked about that much while working together.”

“I don’t know.”

“Were you not close with him?”

“It’s not just that…”

The manager swallowed hard.

“He hadn’t been here long, that employee.”

“How long did he work here?”

“A week… maybe.”

Only a week? This isn’t some small startup where one person handles accounting, HR, and design. This is a mid-sized company, so it’s not like they’re short-staffed. Yet they entrusted a new hire with such a critical task… Something feels… no, a lot feels wrong.

“So…”

I was about to dig deeper into the employee, but the manager swept one arm across her body, cutting me off.

“Sorry, but why do you keep asking about him?”

The manager, who had readily answered most questions until now, was suddenly defensive. That reaction was confirmation. This missing employee was the key to everything, and she was hiding something important about them.

“You know better than anyone, don’t you? Important tasks are rarely given to new hires.”

When I looked her straight in the eye, she averted her gaze.

“The only way that employee would’ve been the only one to accompany the transport team is if everyone else had stayed behind in the annex. And there’s no way all the staff would take time off on such a critical day.”

“Well…”

“Would you please be honest with me? Tell me everything you know about him.”

In the end, she remained silent. Her arms crossed, her face grew paler by the second. Simeon gestured that we should drop it, but I wasn’t about to give up. Leaning forward onto the table, I spoke in a low voice.

“Twelve people are dead.”

Her shoulders trembled.

“They shot themselves in the head. None of them resisted because the culprit overpowered them.”

“………”

“Who knows how many more will die if this continues? This place isn’t safe either.”

Her throat tensed as she swallowed again.

“But it’s not too late. We can still catch them. If you help us, we can prevent this from happening again. So, please…”

Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut and let out the words she had been holding back.

“I’ve had enough.”

“Manager.”

Was she about to throw us out? I tried to think of a way to keep the conversation going when she continued.

“I was going to quit anyway.”

“…What?”

“I’d rather speak out and ease my conscience than live with guilt for the rest of my life.”

Her unexpected reaction left me momentarily stunned, but I quickly nodded in understanding.

“Thank you. I promise to keep this confidential.”

“I appreciate that, but it doesn’t matter now. Even if the Director finds out I talked, he can’t touch me… I’ve seen and heard too much at the mansion.”

With a hand on her chest, she took a deep breath, clearly trying to steady herself. Her lips trembled as she exhaled, still tense. But soon, just like when we first met, she straightened her back and looked me directly in the eyes.

“All of this was the Director’s direct order.”

“What?”

“He said a new employee would join us. He specifically instructed me to let the new guy accompany the transport team, but…”

She glanced toward the door and lowered her voice.

“But he also told me to smuggle out <Amrita> secretly.”

It felt like running headfirst into a cliff. Just hearing those few words set off a barrage of questions in my mind. What should I even ask first? I felt like a malfunctioning machine, raising my right hand only to lower it again, unable to speak.

“So… the Director personally hired the new employee? And selected them for this task?”

“Yes, exactly. But before I could assign the job, he volunteered to do it himself.”

“The new hire did?”

“Yes. Normally, I wouldn’t give such a task to a new person. If necessary, I would accompany them. But the Director gave the order, so I trusted him to handle it alone. I never expected… that something like this would happen…”

She bit her lip, fighting back tears. Her face was twisted like a crumpled sheet of paper, filled with complex emotions. Guilt for the transport team and shame for keeping this secret.

But at least she didn’t have to feel guilty about the missing employee. It seemed more and more likely that he wasn’t a victim.

“When did you take <Amrita> out of the vault?”

Simeon handed her a handkerchief as he asked. She hesitated for a moment before clenching her fist and shaking her head.

“While the staff were preparing refreshments.”

“What refreshments?”

“That day was unusually hot. The new hire suggested we offer cold drinks to the transport team when they arrived. I needed a distraction anyway to take <Amrita> out of the vault unnoticed.”

So, she opened the vault and took <Amrita> while no one was around?

“Who else knew about the order to smuggle out <Amrita>?”

“Only I knew.”

“So even the transport team didn’t know?”

She nodded slowly.

“After the incident, I contacted headquarters separately and told them that the owner had had something personal come up and requested us only to place <Golden Fleece> in the vault.”

“So where is <Amrita> now?”

“At the bank. As you said, this place isn’t safe anymore.”

So <Amrita> wasn’t in the vault from the start. Not only the new hire but also the other staff and transport team didn’t know. But then… how did the culprit find out?

There was only one way. They must have opened the vault and seen that <Amrita> wasn’t inside. And the only people who could open the vault were the employees with registered fingerprints.

“Do you have any more questions?”

The puzzle pieces were slowly falling into place.

“Do you have the new hire’s application or contract?”

“One moment.”

As soon as the manager left the room, silence filled the space. There was so much I wanted to say to Simeon now that we were alone. But I didn’t know where to start, and before I could gather my thoughts, the manager returned with a file.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as I picked up the application, I saw a rather well-groomed man’s face. If we’d met at work, I would’ve thought he seemed like a decent person. Who would’ve guessed he’d commit a crime?

“Hyuntae Lee, 35 years old…”

Of course, the name and age were probably fake. But it didn’t matter. The face was real. As I stared at the photo, the manager cautiously asked.

“Do you suspect him of being an accomplice?”

“Is there reason to suspect otherwise?”

“No, it’s just that…”

She touched her throat before continuing.

“He was a very diligent worker. Quick learner, good sense. That’s why when the Director told me to assign the transport to him… I thought he just liked the new hire.”

The manager gave a bitter smile.

“It’s funny to say that now, I guess.”

I shook my head silently. Even I wouldn’t have suspected that employee. But his diligence in front of others was probably just an act to gain trust. He must have been convincing enough to fool even the stern manager.

“Thank you for your time today. Would it be alright if I take this resume with me?”

“Go ahead.”

She looked more at ease now than when we first met. After leaving the mansion with the culprit’s photo, I got into the car and closed the door before turning to Simeon.

“What do you think?”

“High chance he’s the culprit.”

“That’s what I thought too…”

The culprit had infiltrated the company under false pretenses, joined the transport team, and used his abilities to steal from the vault. But he failed to take <Amrita>. His actions made sense.

What didn’t make sense, however, was the behavior of Director Choi.

“Isn’t the Director’s behavior kind of suspicious, though?”

Director Choi clearly knew. He knew the new hire would steal <Amrita> and aim to do it that specific day. But instead of stopping it, he personally hired the guy and even assigned him to the transport team. Who hires a thief intentionally?

And that wasn’t the only strange thing.

“If you expect something to be stolen, wouldn’t you increase security? But instead, Director Choi tries to smuggle <Amrita> out, using regular staff for transport. Does that make any sense?”

The suspect’s actions made sense, but the victim’s didn’t. How could that be?

“It’s almost like… he wanted the incident to happen.”

As I voiced my frustration, Simeon tilted his head and muttered.

“Wanted it to happen…”

“What?”

“What if he did it intentionally because he wanted something to happen?”

My eyebrows naturally furrowed.

“Do you think it could be what, insurance fraud? But why would a rich person—the CEO of a corporation, no less—do something like that?”

“It may not have been the insurance fraud he wanted, but the incident itself.”

The incident itself. A shiver ran down my spine when I understood the true meaning of those words.

“Was he… waiting for the culprit to kill someone?”

The stage had been set to commit the crime.

“So, does that mean Director Choi was an accomplice?”

“Well, I doubt it. If he were an accomplice, he’d have shared the same objective, but it doesn’t seem that way.”

If he wasn’t an accomplice, then the culprit had unintentionally walked into a trap set by the Director. Of course, just because someone is the culprit doesn’t mean others can’t use them. But what was Director Choi planning this crime for, anyway?

Would he gain anything from a stunt like this? It didn’t seem like it. All he did was lose. The company’s image plummeted, customers stopped coming, and after the auction, he himself had to resign. Giving up money and fame and everything beyond that. What did he want to achieve, to the point of abandoning it all?

What would I be willing to give up money and fame for?

“What’s wrong?”

I was lost in thought when Simeon’s voice suddenly brought me back to reality.

“…What? What do you mean?”

“You were staring at me.”

“O-Oh… It’s nothing.”

I awkwardly laughed and turned my gaze away from Simeon.

Right. For him, I could give up money and fame. I could give it all up. But… I still couldn’t take the lives of twelve innocent people for him. So, what on earth had been controlling Director Choi?

“Whatever the reason or purpose, if Director Choi really planned all this, he must’ve already known about the culprit’s abilities.”

“It seems likely.”

“But then why didn’t he inform The Hunter’s Association that there was someone with such a dangerous ability?”

It was either blackmail or protection. For me, it was the latter.

“Mr. Hajae, you said you hid your ability because your father opposed it.”

“Yes. So, I’ve never used it in front of others. I was afraid I’d get caught.”

Except for that one time… But Simeon, who was unaware of this, simply nodded.

“It’s not easy to hide being an awakened person, whether willingly or not, especially if you have an ability that can kill someone. It would only take one instance for rumors to spread. So, like you, this person likely didn’t use their ability at all after awakening. Or they may have only awakened recently.”

“Well, that could be. But why?”

“If they wanted to misuse that ability now, wouldn’t they want to test its strength?”

Unlike me, who could fail at using my ability without much consequence, the culprit had only one chance to steal <Amrita>. As Simeon said, they would’ve needed to test their ability to ensure they wouldn’t make a mistake.

“There must’ve been a similar incident before.”

I tilted my head slightly at Simeon’s words.

“I can’t recall any. If something like this had made the news repeatedly, I would’ve remembered…”

“This is a special case. Most suicides don’t get widely reported.”

Ah… I couldn’t help but sigh.

The culprit caused suicides, not homicides. So, unless it were an unusual case targeting an escort team like this one, any past incidents would likely have been dismissed as simple suicide cases. The families would’ve wanted to keep it quiet, so the incidents wouldn’t have surfaced.

“But there are over ten thousand suicides every year. We don’t have the time to search through them all.”

“Of course, we need to narrow it down.”

Simeon stroked his chin, speaking in a low voice.

“The point is, they staged these incidents to ‘test the limits of their ability.’ So, there wouldn’t be just one victim.”

They manipulated multiple people simultaneously. Even if it were a bizarre incident, if there were no connection between the victims, it could’ve been closed as a simple suicide case. It’s all just speculation, but even the smallest question is valuable right now.

“Let’s look into it.”

After that, we mobilized The Apostles’ entire workforce to search for incidents. However, we couldn’t find a single case of multiple people either successfully or unsuccessfully attempting suicide. We even contacted Director Choi, who was in the U.S., just in case. But all we received in return was silence.

Days passed without progress, and the day of <Amrita>’s transportation finally arrived. If we encountered the culprit, I was determined to confront them somehow.

But…

“Well done.”

The culprit never appeared. 

Despite our thorough preparations, no one tried to block the transportation of <Amrita> from the bank vault to the auction house. We transported <Amrita> without a hitch, and the executive waiting at the auction house greeted us with a bright smile.

“As expected from members of The Apostles. I should’ve entrusted this to you from the start.”

Only after safely escorting the spirit item did I realize that the Director really had wanted the incident to occur. He’d deliberately hired regular people at first, and this time, to protect <Amrita>, he’d requested us. There was even an overwhelming number of security personnel stationed around the auction house.

I couldn’t help but feel like a pawn in Director Choi’s game; it wasn’t a good feeling.

“Simeon.”

As soon as we returned to Ark, I finally asked the question I’d been holding back throughout the journey.

“Why didn’t the culprit show up?”

Did they hear we were the ones transporting <Amrita>? Or did they have another plan? While I still harbored doubts, Simeon just shrugged nonchalantly.

“Who knows? Either way, it’s a good thing. No unnecessary trouble.”

“But we need to catch the culprit…”

“You didn’t forget what you promised, right?”

His cold words left me no room to argue. Simeon had said that once the auction was over, he would withdraw. I’d agreed to that. …Right. Catching the culprit was the police’s job.

But I couldn’t relax just yet. Though we successfully helped transport the item, the auction was still three days away. I kept watch around the auction house during that time, just in case. Fortunately or unfortunately, the culprit didn’t show up at all.

And so, the three days passed. Finally, the day of the auction arrived.

“Good morning.”

As I stepped out of my room dressed in a suit, I was greeted by a staff member waiting outside.

“Oh, good morning. Is there something going on?”

“Please come to the conference room for a moment.”

I’d assumed we’d head straight to the auction house, but instead, the staff led me to the conference room. They seemed in a hurry, so I quickened my pace. When I entered the room, I found Simeon, Matteo, and three other staff members looking at me. The tense atmosphere made me swallow as Simeon spoke first.

“We found something.”

“What? The culprit?”

“No. Something suspicious.”

It wasn’t until the day of the auction that we finally found something. At least we’d caught a lead before meeting the perpetrator directly.

As I pulled out a chair and sat down, one of the male staff members brought up a photo on a large screen. The gray building surrounded by forest looked like an ordinary villa from the road.

“Where is this?”

“It’s a psychiatric ward in Hoengseong.”

“A psychiatric… ward?”

“It used to be called a closed ward.”

Could something have happened there? I unconsciously covered my mouth with my hand.

“Three weeks ago, four patients in this ward simultaneously attempted suicide. Due to the location, it wasn’t reported to the media, and it was difficult to find the case.”

“Hoengseong? That’s quite close to Hongcheon.”

“Yes. It’s about a 30-minute drive away.”

It wasn’t far from Director Choi’s house or the site of the transportation ambush. And it was a fitting place to test out abilities quietly. As tragic as it is, in a psychiatric ward, such incidents could be dismissed as common occurrences.

“But that alone doesn’t seem enough to connect it to the culprit, does it?”

“Well…”

The staff hesitated before changing the subject.

“Take a look.”

A video appeared on the large screen. A woman in a navy nurse’s uniform sat in what seemed to be a break room. The camera was placed at an odd angle, likely on a low table, but the nurse’s face was clearly visible, even down to the hospital’s logo on her chest.

[Is that really necessary?]

As soon as the video began, the nurse shot a nervous glance at the camera.

[You’ll blur my face and change my voice, right?]

The voice of a male staff member came from somewhere off-camera.

[The footage won’t be posted anywhere. This is just for reporting purposes, so don’t worry.]

[Oh… okay.]

The nurse visibly relaxed and started to speak.

[The four patients were scheduled to be discharged next month.]

[Discharged?]

[Yes. Their symptoms had improved a lot. Plus, they were very cooperative, so we rarely had to observe them. That’s why… when all four of them suddenly started banging their heads against the wall in unison, it was such a shock… The entire ward was in chaos that day.]

Four patients who’d been scheduled for discharge next month suddenly started self-harming? Thankfully, the ward had 24-hour staff on standby. Otherwise, all four of them would’ve probably died.

[Where are they now?]

[Their discharge has been postponed, and they’re resting. But they still don’t seem to have any memories of that day.]

[All four don’t remember harming themselves or causing a disturbance?]

[That’s right. Whether it’s due to trauma or something else, they seem to have completely… forgotten that day.]

Was it trauma? Or an aftereffect of the ability? There was no way to find out if they’d lost their memory.

[Is it possible to meet with a patient just by submitting a request?]

[Even if you submit a request, you can’t meet with a patient unless you’re an immediate family member.]

[Then, is it possible to see the list of people those patients met with?]

[I’m afraid that will be difficult due to our policies surrounding patient confidentiality.]

The nurse frowned and firmly refused. A notification sound echoed along with a vibration from the screen shortly after. She quickly pulled out a device from her pocket that looked like a pedometer to check it.

[Oh, I’m being summoned. I need to get going.]

It seemed like this was the end.

[We have just one more request if you don’t mind.]

[Sure, go ahead.]

The staff member placed a piece of paper on the table. It was the application form of a new recruit that’d been brought from Director Choi’s house.

[Have you ever seen this person before?]

The nurse, who picked up the paper without much interest, suddenly widened her eyes. The smile she had maintained to appear friendly quickly disappeared, her lips tightening. She tried to hide her face by pretending to fix her bangs, but the camera, positioned from below, captured her pale expression clearly.

[Well… I-I’m not sure.]

Her forced smile trembled slightly. She hastily put down the paper as though it’d burnt her.

[Uh, was that everything? I have to get back to work now…]

After that, she left in a rush, as though she were fleeing.

Even after the video ended, I couldn’t stop thinking about her frozen expression. It wasn’t the reaction of recognizing someone familiar. It was fear; it was an expression of coming face to face with someone she never wanted to encounter again.

After the video ended, the screen again displayed a gray-toned image of a hospital ward.

It was clear. The culprit was definitely in that ward, whether as a patient or having infiltrated as a staff member. There’s no doubt about it. But we could still only regard it as a suspicion.

“What should we do, Simeon?”

Simeon was silent for a long time, lost in thought. He stared at the ward intently, tapping his slender index finger rhythmically on the table. After a while, his gaze finally met mine.

“For now, Mr. Hajae, follow the plan and come with me to the auction house. And Matteo, you head to the ward in Hoengseong.”

Matteo slowly widened his eyes, pointing to the image of the hospital ward with his finger.

“That place, over there?”

“Yes. Go and find out what happened before and after the incident.”

“But do you think that nurse will actually tell me?”

“If she won’t, you’ll have to make her talk… I’m sure you can handle that, Matteo.”

Simeon looked Matteo straight in the eyes and smiled slightly. There was an expectation in his gaze that might have been burdensome for some, but Matteo just smiled brightly, baring his teeth as if he’d been waiting for those words.

“If you say so, I guess I have no choice but to do it.”

The scarred eyes gleamed brightly. Unlike Raphael, who sought Simeon’s trust, Matteo seemed driven by absolute loyalty.

Just as Matteo stood up to leave the meeting room, he stopped suddenly. 

“Ah. I almost forgot. I have to put you under.”

Matteo removed his glasses and turned to face me.

“You remember the conditions, right?”

“Yes, lie three times and leave the last question unanswered. Is that correct?”

“As expected of you, you’re sharp.”

Matteo approached with a lively step and then casually sat on the table, wrinkling his nose with a grin.

“It’s better not to lie.”

He tapped the long scar beneath his right eye. I found myself staring at his oddly pale irises, almost entranced. Seeing this, the corners of his mouth curled up.

“What time did you go to bed yesterday?”

“Around 10 o’clock.”

“Did you have breakfast?”

“Yes, I ate a hearty meal.”

He continued with simple questions, probably to maintain the hypnotic state. As I easily lied with every breath, Matteo suddenly whispered slyly,

“You’ll come back safely, right?”

“Of course.”

When I nodded without hesitation, Matteo sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“No, that’s the third question; you’re supposed to lie, remember?”

He thought I’d accidentally told the truth. But that wasn’t the case.

“That was a lie.”

I gave a small smile, and Matteo’s expression twisted slightly.

****

Was it truly a company of international renown? The headquarters building was one of the tallest and most luxurious in the forest of skyscrapers in Jamsil. The tall, sleek, curved building reflected sunlight, making me let out an involuntary gasp of awe.

“Wow, working here would make commuting a dream.”

I mumbled to myself, and Simeon, who’d been quietly staring out the window, suddenly spoke up.

“Do you like cities?”

“Huh? No, not really… What about you, Simeon?”

“I don’t like crowded places either.”

People who prefer the winter sea over the summer sea are all like that, aren’t they?

“But why ask all of a sudden?”

I glanced at his profile, and Simeon subtly met my gaze.

“If you liked the city, I was thinking of relocating.”

“W-What? What do you mean relocating?”

“The Ark.”

His face showed no signs of joking, which made my lips twitch nervously.

“Aren’t we staying on the water to keep the Ark’s location hidden?”

“There are ways to hide in the city too.”

I was about to ask what those ways were when an image of Noah’s haggard, pickled face popped into my mind. Even now, he’s probably cooped up in the Ark, managing staff entry and cursing his frequent outdoor duties. If Simeon moved the Ark because of me, those dark circles under his eyes would strangle me.

“If you did that, Noah would cry…”

I shook my head, but then suddenly, Simeon narrowed his eyes.

“Why would you care about… whether Noah is crying or not, Mr. Hajae?”

What on earth is he talking about? I froze, taken aback, before hurriedly shaking my head.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. Anyway, I just don’t like cities.”

“Really?”

“Yes. So let’s just keep living by the sea, okay?”

“…We?”

“Oh. Uh…”

I was about to correct myself, but I swallowed my words when I saw his face. His gentle smile looked so pleased that I couldn’t bear to shatter his happiness. So I just silently turned my gaze back to the window. I wasn’t sure when I’d stop being swayed by that smiling face.

It wasn’t long until we entered the building’s underground parking lot. Given the brutal incident targeting <Amrita>, I expected there to be fewer people. But the parking lot was packed with at least ten staff members running around organizing the incoming cars.

“Why are there so many people here?”

“It seems the incident has only brought more attention. The estimated auction price of <Amrita> has gone up several times.”

Controversy raising the value, huh… It happens. Even works that the original artist destroys sell for much more than intact pieces. But this situation is a bit different.

“Aren’t they scared? I mean, there’s a chance the culprit could come and kill them.”

“They probably don’t believe it could happen to them.”

Risking their lives just to see <Amrita> in person… should I admire them or call them idiots? This makes things easier for the culprit and more challenging for us. With so many people, it’d be easy to slip in unnoticed.

We headed to the CCTV room to monitor today’s auction while avoiding people’s eyes. The scenes shown on the multiple monitors were even more chaotic than the parking lot. From the entrance of the building to the second-floor auction hall, there was barely any room to walk.

“What is this, a wedding?”

I pressed my throbbing temples as a staff member who had arrived earlier handed me an auction paddle and a catalog.

“Here you go.”

“Ah, thank you.”

So, today, I’m bidder number 270.

They needed someone to monitor the auction in person, so I volunteered. Thanks to Matteo, the culprit wouldn’t be able to control me, and even if I faced him, I wouldn’t die, at least.

Still, Simeon seemed worried. He handed me a wireless earbud with a serious expression.

“We’ll be monitoring the CCTV, but just in case, keep this earbud in. Don’t hang up either.”

“Yes, yes.”

“If you get any messages from Matteo, they’ll be forwarded to this.”

“Sure, I got it.”

I casually answered while putting the earbud in, and Simeon frowned.

“Mr. Hajae, while I doubt you’ll encounter our guy, don’t let your guard down.”

“Got it.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. But you don’t need to worry so much. Before meeting you, I lived off this kind of work.”

I waved the paddle playfully, and Simeon sighed quietly.

Leaving the CCTV room, I took the elevator to the first floor. The mass of people from the entrance made me feel like I was in a bustling weekend crowd, leaving me breathless. While surveying the scene from a corner, I spotted a long line.

Maybe it was the heat, but staff were handing out tea to the participants in line for the second-floor auction. Many people stood around holding blue paper cups, chatting and laughing, their faces brimming with anticipation for today’s event.

“Am I the only one feeling anxious…?”

As I sighed, Simeon’s voice suddenly came through the earbud.

[What’s wrong?]

Ah, right. I’d forgotten Simeon could hear me. Embarrassed that I’d been talking to myself, I glanced around.

“Everyone seems oddly excited.”

[Well, looking at the bidders list, most are first-timers or stand-ins.]

So that’s why everyone was buzzing with excitement, looking around wide-eyed. The VIPs wouldn’t bother showing up on such a dangerous day. Even if they came, they’d probably stay in the VIP lounge upstairs, watching the auction on a screen. Only the clueless stand-ins and rookies were excited.

“I hope they got hazard pay for this.”

[Do you think our guy will show up?]

“He has to. This will be the last chance to see <Amrita> publicly.”

I naturally blended into the crowd and entered the auction hall. With the auction about to start, people were packed in the large room. All 300 seats surrounding the stage were filled, and many more were standing in the back.

“Number 270… 270… Ah, there it is.”

Thankfully, my seat was near the aisle, making it easy to find. As soon as I sat down, I adjusted my posture and casually scanned the room. No familiar faces. The seat next to me was still empty. The number on the chair was 77. A number that would drive any superstitious person crazy.

Just then, the surrounding lights began to dim, and everyone’s attention focused on the stage. Soon, a sharply dressed auctioneer stepped onto the platform. The atmosphere was more charged than usual, so the auctioneer seemed particularly excited.

“Alright, let’s now begin today’s auction.”

There are a total of 7 objects up for auction today. In addition to domestic collectors, there were many wealthy bidders from various countries, and the amount quoted was in the hundreds of millions. Moreover, because there were many spectators, the atmosphere at the scene quickly became heated whenever a bidding competition broke out.

As we looked across the river with our arms folded as if watching a fire, Simeon spoke to me.

[How’s it progressing?]

“It’s still quiet.”

It doesn’t matter whether the spirit product is sold for tens of billions of dollars. What matters is the whereabouts of the criminal.

However, the auction went on smoothly, to the point where I found it funny that I never let go of my nerves. It would soon be time for <Amrita>, the center of controversy, to rise to the stage, but when will our culprit make an appearance?

“Allow me to now introduce the next spirit item…….”

Just then, a beep rang in my ear and a new call participant made himself known.

[Simeon-hyung.]

It was Matteo.

[Speak.]

As soon as Simeon answered, Matteo burst into laughter.

[This guy is completely crazy, isn’t he?]

As the conversation unfolded, I wondered what Matteo had discovered at the hospital to provoke such a strong reaction.

[Back then, there was someone else sharing a room with the patients who suddenly started harming themselves.]

When I heard that, I increased the volume on my phone and moved to a secluded corner of the auction hall. Although I wore earbuds, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious while listening to their conversation.

[Was that patient there voluntarily?]

[No. What was the term again…? Ah, ‘under guardian discretion’.]

[So it was involuntary admission…]

[Yeah, that’s it. I said something similar to the nurse, and she scolded me.]

Matteo sounded a bit disgruntled as he clicked his tongue.

[Anyway, that patient was apparently admitted for schizophrenia but didn’t show any symptoms, oddly enough. Despite that, since they had the diagnosis, they conducted treatment anyway. Oh! They also said he was really outgoing and social, so a lot of the other patients were quick to trust him from pretty much the first day.]

He had a diagnosis but no symptoms and guardian consent is how they got him admitted… It seemed clear that the guardian wanted to isolate him, forcibly placing him in the ward. Whatever the reason, the guardian’s selfishness led to the suffering of those innocent patients.

[When was this person admitted?]

[About a month ago.]

A month ago? That timeline was awfully familiar….

[That’s around the time Director Choi left the country.]

Ah, that’s right. On the day I went to Hongcheon, the team leader mentioned that Director Choi had left for the U.S. three weeks ago. Today marked the tenth day we’d been tracking the suspect. If you calculate the dates, the suspect’s admission and Director Choi’s departure seemed to line up.

Could it really be a coincidence?

[So, how did someone who was supposed to be in an institution end up working at Director Choi’s house?]

[Well… according to the people I spoke to, our suspect disappeared from the hospital on the same day those four patients attempted suicide.]

[Are you saying he escaped the ward?]

[Yes. Apparently, it wasn’t until an hour later, when the staff had finally calmed down the disruptive patients, that they realized the other patient was gone.]

It’s hard to escape from a psychiatric ward. Even at night, the staff work shifts, and security patrols the area 24/7 to prevent incidents. Our suspect must have known that and deliberately caused a commotion to escape during the chaos.

[Did they contact the guardian? To let them know the patient was missing?]

[They did, but the guardian told them not to bother searching for him.]

What on earth? I furrowed my brow in disbelief.

[The guardian told them just to leave the runaway patient alone?]

[They said they knew where he was and not to worry…]

Did they anticipate the escape and put a tracking device on the patient? Even so, I still couldn’t understand the hospital’s actions.

“Then, what about the hospital…..?”

I trailed off, scanning my surroundings once more. Although everyone was preoccupied with the spiritual relic on display, it didn’t hurt to be cautious. The suspect could be hiding anywhere.

Leaning against the wall, I covered my mouth and lowered my voice.

“Did the hospital just take the guardian’s word for it and not even report the patient missing?”

The silence stretched on before a wary voice finally responded.

[…Who is this?]

“What? It’s Hajae.”

[Ahhh, you were also listening, Hajae-hyung? I almost freaked out; I thought someone else was on the line eavesdropping.]

Matteo chuckled awkwardly but quickly regained his serious tone.

[The hospital probably kept quiet to avoid any trouble. A missing patient would cause a scandal.]

Their damned reputation. Their damned image. Was a person’s life really worth less than their public status?

No wonder the nurse in the video panicked when she saw the suspect’s face. The higher-ups had likely buried the case, and seeing a man in a suit showing the escaped patient’s photo must’ve made her think an investigation had started.

[Matteo, did you get the suspect’s information?]

[Of course! I asked them to give it to me as compensation for keeping the escape under wraps.]

Even though I could only hear his voice, I could imagine Matteo proudly flashing a victory sign.

“Matteo… You didn’t blackmail them, did you?”

[Heeey, what blackmail? It’s business, hyung. Business.]

Just then, I faintly heard a woman’s voice through the earbuds.

[Give me one sec.]

Had the nurse returned with the patient’s details? I wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation, but it was hard to hear what they said as Matteo seemed to have put his phone down. Realizing this might take a while, I returned to my seat just in time to hear the auctioneer’s announcement.

“The current price is 320 billion won. Would anyone else like to place a bid?”

On the podium was a single fountain pen. 320 billion won for that? It was such an astronomical figure that I couldn’t even process it. Instead, I wondered how much <Bloodletting Sword> would have fetched if I’d placed it on that podium instead of embedding it in my body.

“I will now begin the countdown to finalize the auction.”

At that moment, the spiritual item’s new owner was about to be determined.

[Hyung!]

Matteo’s urgent voice rang out.

[It’s that bastard. I saw the photo.]

[What’s his name?]

[His name….]

Bang, bang, bang―!

“Congratulations to Client No. 62! You have won the bid at 320 billion won!”

Matteo’s voice came through clearly amid the cheerful sound of the auctioneer’s gavel.

[Hyunseong Choi.]

Applause erupted from the audience, celebrating the winner of the fiercely contested relic. But to me, it sounded like the applause was for us, for finally uncovering the suspect’s real name.

[Good job, Matteo. We’ll start by checking the on-site bidder list.]

Simeon’s words made me tilt my head in confusion.

Could he really be here? Using his real name, no less? That would make him an audaciously bold lunatic.

“Now, next up is the relic I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for.”

Exclamations of awe rippled through the crowd. I stopped my musings and looked up, almost entranced. A staff member, accompanied by a guard with a holstered pistol, walked in with something draped in red velvet. At the auctioneer’s exaggerated gesture, the staff carefully removed the covering.

“It’s the legendary <Amrita>!”

Finally, <Amrita> was revealed. Intricate gold metalwork encased a bottle filled with a clear, sky-blue liquid. The liquid shimmered like the reflection of sunlight on the ocean; its divine aura certainly made it worthy of the title ‘Drink of the Gods.’

As I stood there mesmerized, a low voice reached my ear.

[It’s there. His name is on the attendance list.]

The shock jolted me, and I immediately scanned the room wide-eyed. But I didn’t see a familiar face among the crowd, who were all captivated by <Amrita>.

Is he really here? Could it be someone with the same name? At least if I knew where he was sitting, I could confirm it.

“What’s his paddle number?”

After a brief pause, Simeon replied.

[Number 77.]

My hand trembled as I gripped the armrest. Swallowing nervously, I turned my eyes to the right. That seat had been empty since the start of the auction. The number attached to it was…

[Mr. Hajae, can you see where number 77 is seated?]

As I drew in a breath to answer, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Excuse me.”

Startled, I looked up to meet the gaze of a man standing in the aisle beside me.

“May I get to my seat?”

I was at a loss for words.

It was him. Hyunseong Choi, in the flesh. He looked exactly like the photo attached to his application. His gentle expression, the luxury brand suit, the neatly styled hair, even the expensive cologne that accompanied the visuals—all of it matched. If I hadn’t seen his face beforehand, I never would’ve suspected him of being the man who mercilessly killed twelve people.

As I stared blankly, Hyunseong raised an eyebrow with a polite smile.

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, Yes. Please go ahead.”

I stood up to make room for him, and Hyunseong gave me a slight nod and smiled.

“Thank you.”

His manners were impeccable, which only made him more terrifying.

After Hyunseong took his seat, I sat down beside him. It hadn’t even been a full minute, but already, my body itched, and my mouth felt dry. I wanted to grab him by the collar and demand if he was indeed the killer. But now, more than ever, I had to stay calm.

[Hyung. Who was that just now?]

I didn’t answer Matteo’s question.

[Hajae-hyung?]

[Shh.]

Simeon seemed to have already caught on as he silenced Matteo.

[Mr. Hajae, If you can, try to speak to him first.]

What should I say to avoid raising suspicion? As I interlaced my fingers, pretending to focus on <Amrita>, the man beside me suddenly spoke first.

“There are more people here than I expected.”

What was he playing at? I feigned surprise at the unexpected conversation, turning toward him with a slight widening of my eyes as I flashed a friendly smile.

“Right. It’s my first time seeing such a large turnout as well.”

“Do you participate in auctions often?”

Not really, I just come sometimes as an agent to make some money.”

I nonchalantly shrugged as I replied, and Hyunseong chuckled softly.

“Ah, so most people here are probably agents as well?”

“Hmm… maybe. At least half of them, I’d say.”

“I see.”

Hyunseong blinked as if lost in thought for a moment, then murmured.

“I feel bad for the people who came here to make a profit.”

Then, his pitch-black eyes, devoid of any light, turned to me.

“For you, too.”

Feel bad? For what? Is he apologizing in advance because he plans to kill me?

“What do you mean by that?”

I asked with a naïve expression, pretending I didn’t know anything. Hyunseong smiled faintly.

“<Amrita> won’t end up in anyone’s hands.”

His dark gaze scanned the auction hall, where people were eagerly raising their paddles in hopes of winning the coveted <Amrita>. He looked down at them like a god surveying humans from above the clouds. Then, the faint smile lingering on his lips vanished completely.

“That is something that needs to disappear from this world.”

He wants it to disappear……? I thought he had been killing people all along to monopolize <Amrita>.

As I was lost in thought, Simeon whispered softly.

[Mr Hajae. Can you apprehend him?]

I can, of course. I was prepared to use <Bloodletting Sword> if I had to. The problem was the people here. With over 300 people held hostage, I shouldn’t make any sudden moves.

As I quietly observed Hyunseong, looking for an opening, a voice suddenly interrupted.

[Wait a moment, hyungs.]

It was Matteo.

[We still don’t know the full extent of that guy’s abilities, right?]

[Yes, we have some guesses, but nothing concrete.]

[Then, shouldn’t we handle this as safely as possible? If we kill him recklessly, then… you know…]

[Then what?]

[Well, what if he has something like a bomb? I mean, it doesn’t even have to be a bomb, he could have something else equally dangerous.]

He started rambling towards the end, but his point was valid. We still don’t know Hyunseong’s exact abilities. If he’s orchestrated it so that everyone here goes insane the moment he dies, by the time we try to stop it, it’ll already be too late.

[Do you have any better ideas?]

At Simeon’s question, Matteo hesitated. He thought for a moment before responding.

[From his actions so far, it doesn’t seem like he can control people remotely. So, how about we start by trying to separate him from the crowd somehow?]

[You mean like luring him outside?]

[Whether we get him to leave or the people to leave, either works. If we’re able to buy enough time for people to escape his influence, that’s even better. The stronger his ability, the shorter it should last.]

Enough time for people to escape his influence. Matteo’s influence lasts until sunrise… If what he says is true, the influence of an ability like Hyunseong’s would probably last less than half a day.

[So, Hajae hyung.]

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Matteo call my name.

[For now, just stall him as much as you can. It would be even better if we could figure out his ability or its conditions.]

Instead of answering, I tapped the microphone on the lower part of my earpiece.

[We’ll evacuate everyone inside the building first, so don’t make any bold moves just yet.]

As soon as Simeon finished speaking, Hyunseong suddenly stood up from his seat.

Is he already making a move? Without realizing it, I gripped the armrest tightly. But instead of heading for the exit, he just stood there, doing nothing. Slowly, the other customers behind him began to voice their annoyance.

“Hey, sit down.”

But Hyunseong didn’t respond. Instead, he casually put his hands behind his back. The auctioneer, noticing the man standing idly, looked at him with a soft smile.

“Are you planning to place a bid, sir?”

Once again, Hyunseong ignored the question. He fixed his crescent-shaped eyes solely on <Amrita>. Unable to bear it any longer, a middle-aged man stood up abruptly and placed a hand on Hyunseong’s shoulder.

“Can you not hear all of us asking you to sit down?”

It was that moment.

Bang—!

The sound of a gunshot pierced through the air, and an explosion of blood spattered on the cheek of the smiling auctioneer. His face, splattered in red, quickly turned pale, and soon, red covered the middle of the stage. The security guard on stage had put the muzzle of his gun into his own mouth and pulled the trigger. 

The auctioneer forced his stiff neck to look to the side. 

Crack, crack, crack—!

The sound of the auctioneer’s upper and lower teeth chattering together rang through the microphone, and then he collapsed in shock. The moment he dropped to the floor, a sharp scream engulfed the entire area.

In the chaos, Hyunseong was the only one who remained calm.

“Listen to me. Very carefully.”

Hyunseong flashed a grin at the middle-aged man after the words left his mouth. Then he casually walked toward the stage, still with his hands behind his back.

“Ahem.”

Standing on the podium, he spoke into the auctioneer’s microphone.

“Please, stay seated. If you remain calm, no one will get hurt.”

His tone was exceedingly polite, but no one listened. In unison, the crowd surged toward the exit, shoving anyone in their way aside. It didn’t matter whether it was a woman or an elderly person—they showed no mercy.

Watching the scene with displeasure, Hyunseong clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“I did warn you.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the first young man to reach the exit suddenly stopped. Then, without warning, he began tearing at his hair, screaming in agony. He smashed his head against the wall repeatedly, and soon, his forehead split open, painting the black wall with blood.

Despite the amount of onlookers, no one stopped him. People stood there, stunned as if watching a man possessed by a ghost. They momentarily forgot their attempts to escape, simply staring in shock at the man’s self-destruction. Finally, I rushed through the crowd toward the exit.

“Excuse me, move aside! Please move aside!”

I reached the man harming himself and grabbed him.

“Hey! Snap out of it! Can you hear me?”

It was as though he couldn’t hear a word I was saying. He struggled against me with all his might, desperate to break free.

“I’m going to die… I’m going to die.”

He kept muttering the same words, frothing at the mouth. His breathing was erratic, and eventually, he collapsed onto the floor. I quickly checked his pulse, but it was completely still. Even CPR was useless. The last trace of life had disappeared from his eyes as they stared blankly at the ceiling.

“H-He’s dead…”

A woman nearby gasped, covering her mouth as she sank to the ground. Hearing her words, people who had been standing back began approaching cautiously. They had done nothing to help, and now they wanted to spectate? I hurriedly took off my jacket and covered the deceased man’s face.

Then, a sharp sound entered my ears.

“See? I told you to listen.”

I whipped around to see Hyunseong standing on the stage, gazing down at us. Only then did people seem to realize the cause of all this. One by one, heads turned toward the stage like a wave rolling across the room.

Fear spread through the crowd.

“W-Why are you doing this?”

A person in the front row raised their voice, prompting others to speak up.

“Please, let us live! I beg you!”

“I’ll do anything if you just let me out of here!”

“Please, I have children… I have two children…”

Hyunseong looked down at them indifferently. With more than 300 people pleading all at once, the once-quiet hall quickly became chaotic again, like a crowded market. Some even tried to escape again, rattling the locked doors.

Hyunseong let out a deep sigh.

“Just stay calm.”

When the noise didn’t stop, his expression fiercely twisted as he shouted.

“I said, stay calm!”

The accompanying squealing loop of feedback from the microphone instantly silenced the hall. Covering one ear with his hand, Hyunseong squinted. After the noise subsided, he smiled and tapped the mic. 

“Ahem.” 

He leisurely tested the sound.

“Please excuse me for raising my voice.”

His gentle smile abruptly turned into a scowl.

“But you’re getting on my nerves, so just listen.”

The atmosphere chilled in an instant. Those who’d been shoving others in desperation to escape now stood frozen in place. Or rather, they were paralyzed by fear, unable to move. The eerie silence seemed to please Hyunseong, who smiled faintly.

“See? Isn’t it so much nicer when it’s quiet?”

A dead body on the stage, the floor stained with blood, the auctioneer too terrified to even move a finger, and the man responsible for all this—speaking in a gentle tone with a pleasant smile. The chilling dissonance between his demeanor and actions etched into my mind.

“Everyone, sit down. Your legs will start to hurt if you keep standing there, so come sit down, okay?”

People hesitantly returned to their seats at his words, glancing nervously at each other. Those without seats sat on the floor. Seeing grown adults dressed in suits sitting shoulder-to-shoulder like schoolchildren was a strange sight.

Hyunseong, now satisfied, scanned the audience and spoke.

“I have a message for the head of security watching this… or should I say, The Apostles?”

Turning his head sharply toward the CCTV, he flashed a grin.

“Don’t bother trying to catch me.”

Suddenly, Hyunseong turned and approached the auctioneer. Already in a state of panic, the auctioneer began trembling violently the moment their eyes met. Kneeling beside him, Hyunseong gently patted the auctioneer’s shoulder.

“You wouldn’t want innocent civilians to have to suffer, right?”

He stared intensely at the auctioneer’s face and spoke. 

“Don’t you agree?” 

But the auctioneer, too frightened to speak, kept his chin pressed tightly to his chest, shaking uncontrollably. Hyunseong leaned in and whispered something into the man’s ear, then pointed at the CCTV with his finger. Even so, the auctioneer remained frozen, unable to move.

Hyunseong’s neatly groomed eyebrows furrowed in irritation. Grabbing the auctioneer’s chin with one hand, he forcibly lifted the man’s head, making him face the camera. Then he spoke again, this time loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Scream for help. Like you’re in absolute agony.”

At his command, the auctioneer screamed at the top of his lungs.

“P-Please! Save me! Please, someone help me!”

Hyunseong smiled in satisfaction, patting the auctioneer’s shoulder. 

“Good job.” 

He whispered, without a trace of guilt on his face. Standing up calmly, he returned to the microphone.

“I trust you all understand now. You’re smart people.”

The entire hall was now completely under his control. Unlike earlier, no one dared to move.

“My demands are simple.”

His pleasant voice echoed through the speakers.

“Either bring Director Kyunghyun Choi to me or let me take <Amrita> through the rift.”

I assumed he wanted revenge on Director Choi for ruining his plans, but what was that about the rift?

But there was no time to think any further about it. Hyunseong glanced at his wristwatch and continued.

“It’s 11:57 right now, so I’ll give you just 3 minutes to think about it. If you haven’t accepted either of my terms by the time the clock strikes 12, one person will die for each minute after that.”

Hyunseong lightly gestured toward the auctioneer. Unlike before, when he was as still as a stone, the auctioneer quickly got up and stood next to him. Hyunseong pushed the microphone towards him.

“Can you please count out our 180 seconds?”

“M-Me?”

“Yes, you. Please begin the countdown.”

The auctioneer stood in front of the microphone, his face like that of someone being inched closer to the edge of a cliff. With that, he started counting.

“One, two, three….”

His dry, chapped lips stood out even more under the overhead lights.

I stood at a crossroads, caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Where is Director Choi right now?”

[He’s likely still in the U.S.]

If he’s in the U.S., even if we board a plane now, it would take over half a day to get there. We can’t leave the hostages unattended until then. But simply handing over <Amrita> is also a problem. What is his reason for trying to take that item to the gate?

The countdown had already reached 50. 51, 52, 53… it kept climbing as if there was no end, quickly surpassing one minute, just like an auction price for a rare spirit item. I chewed my lips helplessly and started contemplating our options.

“Can you contact Director Choi? Whether it’s through a phone call or through message, it might buy us some time.”

[I can try, but don’t get your hopes up.]

Right. Anyone investigating this case, even Hyunseong himself, would know. Director Choi isn’t going to come. Ultimately, there’s only one option—to hand over <Amrita> and send him to the gate.

Simeon must have had the same thought as he opened his mouth and spoke.

[I’ll look for the closest gate. Buy us as much time as you can.]

The lives of 300 people were in my hands. I could stall for time by any means necessary, but the problem was whether this lunatic’s patience would hold out until then.

Taking a quiet breath, I stood up. Hyunseong’s black eyes slowly turned toward me.

“Mr. Hyuntae Lee.”

A tremor flickered across his eyes at the mention of the fake name he used on his application.

“No, it’s better to call you Hyunseong Choi, right?”

When I exposed his real name in front of everyone, his face quickly hardened. I got up from my seat and stepped into the aisle, but he didn’t yell for me to stop, so I boldly walked right up to the front of the stage.

A slight smile tugged at his lips as my face was revealed under the bright lights.

“So it was you? The famous apostle that Director Choi hired to catch me.”

“As I told you earlier, I’m just an agent.”

“An agent…”

Hyunseong muttered to himself and then chuckled.

“So, Agent. Do you have any orders from your superiors?”

“Not yet. So, why don’t we talk for a bit?”

“For 1 minute and… 40 seconds?”

“Yes.”

As I looked up at him from below the stage, Hyunseong kindly crouched down in front of me.

“Sure. What are you curious about?”

“I thought you’d show up on the transport day.”

“You were waiting for me?”

“I was waiting so anxiously, I couldn’t sleep the previous night.”

“Oh… how unfortunate. Should I grovel at your feet and beg for forgiveness?”

He raised an eyebrow playfully, but I had no time to banter with him.

“You’ve stayed hidden all this time, so why show up here now, of all places?”

“Isn’t it great when there’s a crowd? It’s so lively and bustling.”

His black eyes, scanning the audience, gleamed with a chilling madness.

“Lots of useful hostages, too.”

So that was the reason. The company executive had said we’d prevented Hyunseong from showing up when they brought <Amrita> from the bank, but that wasn’t it. He was simply waiting for today when many people—no, many hostages—would be gathered at the auction.

“I wasn’t planning to take it this far. I just needed <Amrita>.”

He gestured with his eyes toward the golden vial inside the glass case.

“Back then, I just wanted to take <Amrita> and leave quietly. But when I opened the safe…”

He exaggerated his surprise as if he were performing in a play and whispered in a small voice.

“It wasn’t there.”

He furrowed his brow and frowned.

“It was so infuriating.”

“So… you killed them? All twelve of those security guards?”

“It was a warning. A warning to hand over <Amrita> quietly if he didn’t want anyone else to die.”

Hyunseong’s eyebrows lightly twitched as he attempted to reign in his emotions.

“But that person continued to refuse my offer. He didn’t care who died.”

‘That person’… Was he referring to Director Choi?

“So, the twelve people in the car at that time…”

Hyunseong nodded slightly toward the security guard lying on the floor.

“That security guard, too. They died because of him. Do you understand?”

Shifting the blame wasn’t the only problem. Since earlier, the intense hatred from Hyunseong toward ‘that person’ has been obvious; <Amrita> is merely a tool. The actual reason behind his crimes lay elsewhere.

As I silently gazed at him, Hyunseong stepped down the stairs, approaching without hesitation. He gripped my shoulders tightly and spoke clearly, his face close to mine.

“Wake up. Agent.”

He bent down slightly to meet my eyes. His bloodshot eyes were wide open.

“You’re being used by him too. If you were to kill me for his sake…”

He slowly slid his hands down my shoulders to my arms before lifting my right hand.

“You’d be staining these clean hands of yours.”

His cold hand, cold enough to feel lifeless, lightly caressed the back of my hand. His slightly furrowed brows made it seem like he genuinely pitied me. The auctioneer, who’d been counting numbers all this time, glanced anxiously at me, worried that I might be in danger.

I briefly looked at the auctioneer, signaling him not to worry. I addressed Hyunseong again.

“Who is ‘he’?”

“Who else?”

Hyunseong stepped even closer and whispered in my ear.

“My dear, respected father, Kyunghyun Choi.”

Director Choi is his father… How did I not realize that until now? Only a direct family member could arrange for patient hospitalization, after all.

No media had ever mentioned that Director Choi had a grown son. Even the reporters didn’t know, because Director Choi had deliberately kept it hidden. But why? To protect his son’s privacy? No, considering the Director’s behavior so far, that couldn’t be it.

Perhaps Hyunseong Choi’s very existence was something ‘shameful’ to him. But what kind of father hides his son from the world and forcibly hospitalizes him against his will while still deliberately setting the stage for him to commit crimes?

How could it be that his son was holding 300 people hostage, and yet there was still no word from the man?

“So, what will it be? Are you going to bring my father here? Or…”

Hyunseong climbed back onto the stage and tapped the glass case containing <Amrita>.

“Are you just going to let me leave with this?”

Simeon hadn’t phoned back in yet. As I stood silently, Hyunseong checked his watch. The auctioneer had now reached 170 seconds.

Only 10 seconds left. Hyunseong frowned slightly and turned his gaze toward the audience. His cold, indifferent eyes seemed to be selecting his next victim, like someone picking defective items from a conveyor belt.

“It seems you’ve left me with no other choice…”

His gaze finally settled right next to me.

“What’s your name?”

The auctioneer, who was still diligently counting the seconds, stopped and stuttered at the sudden question.

“S-Shin…”

“Mr. Shin, the reason you’re going to die today…”

Hyunseong placed his hand on the auctioneer’s shoulder.

“…is because you work for my father.”

“P-Please, spare me…”

Auctioneer Shin’s face turned pale. His body trembled so violently that even the podium shook. Eventually, he burst into tears, unable to hold them back. With a twisted grin, Hyunseong mocked his crying face and whispered.

“How boring. Is that all you’ve got to say?”

At this rate, another person would die. Just as I shifted my hand to the dagger in my back pocket, the order I’d been waiting for finally came through.

[Mr. Hajae, we’ve placed men at the gate near Namsan Park, the one where you brought down the Arachne in Myeong-dong. We’ll have a car waiting underground. Bring him down.]

I jumped onto the stage and grabbed Hyunseong’s wrist without hesitation.

“Let’s go. The car is ready.”

Hyunseong gently removed his hand from the auctioneer’s shoulder and looked back at me.

“You’re really going to take me to the gate? Where are we headed?”

“There’s one in Namsan.”

“Wow, it’ll be my first time going to a rift.”

He smiled innocently, like a child excited about visiting an amusement park for the first time. The auctioneer, having narrowly escaped death, gasped for breath. His face, once so professional, was now a tear-streaked mess.

If I could take Hyunseong out of here, there would be nothing to worry about. The 300 people remaining in the hall could be handled by Matteo or another member of The Apostles. However, he—

“Mr. Shin.”

—was never going to move according to my plans.

“You know how to drive, right?”

Under the piercing stare of his black eyes, the auctioneer trembled again like a brittle leaf.

“M-M-Me?”

“Yes, you. I just can’t trust the agent here to drive us.”

“I-I can drive. Yes, I’m good at it.”

“Good to know. Then take the wheel.”

So, he insists on taking a hostage. While one is better than 300, it’s still too early to feel relieved.

“As long as you don’t try anything funny and just drive properly…”

Hyunseong pulled a handkerchief from inside his jacket and gently wiped the blood from the auctioneer’s cheek. The tenderness in his touch was so unnerving that it sent a shiver down my spine. Then, as if it were nothing, Hyunseong carelessly tossed the blood-soaked handkerchief toward the bodyguard’s dead body. It landed on the man’s face, now too disfigured to recognize.

“You won’t end up looking like that.”

The auctioneer inhaled sharply and nodded frantically in agreement.

“Alright, let’s get going.”

Hyunseong turned to me with a satisfied smile.

“With my precious hostages.”

Hyunseong rested his arm on the auctioneer’s shoulder as we made our way down the center aisle. While the auctioneer shuffled forward with small, timid steps, Hyunseong’s stride was light, almost as if he were out for a leisurely stroll.

“Excuse me.”

With a single word, the people seated on the floor promptly stood up and cleared a path for him. Quietly following behind, I took out my earbuds and slipped them into my pocket. I hadn’t hung up the call yet.

Finally, we exited the auction house. Thanks to Simeon evacuating them in advance, all the employees had disappeared. Now, all that was left was safely getting down to the underground parking lot. But just as they headed for the elevator, Hyunseong suddenly stopped and gestured toward the drink stand where employees were handing out tea earlier.

“Did you have some?”

“Pardon? Ah, y-yes.”

As the auctioneer quickly nodded, Hyunseong smiled slyly and turned to look at me.

“And you?”

“I didn’t drink any.”

“That’s disappointing. I had it specially prepared.”

Why is he bringing up the drinks? Could it be related to his ability? The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt, so I secretly sent a quick text to Simeon.

[Please check the ingredients of the drink they were handing out earlier.]

Just as I hit the send button, Hyunseong spoke up.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”

Startled, I looked up to see him staring at me from inside the elevator. His cold gaze slid down to the phone in my hand.

“Is that urgent?”

A chill suddenly ran up my arm from where I gripped the phone. Since he’d already caught me, I decided to bluff my way through. I casually slipped the phone into my pocket and entered the elevator as if nothing had happened.

“I told them we’re on our way down.”

“They can see that on CCTV anyway.”

“But I still need to report it to them.”

“How diligent of you.”

Thankfully, Hyunseong let it go with a chuckle.

Ding—. 

With the clear noise of the elevator, we arrived at the underground parking lot. Earlier, parking attendants had been scurrying around, but now there was not a soul in sight. Only the cars remained.

“This is ridiculous. Shouldn’t there be at least some personnel here to see their guests out?”

With a click of his tongue, Hyunseong climbed into the back seat. The engine was already running, and the destination was programmed into the navigation system. When the auctioneer got into the driver’s seat, Hyunseong rested a hand on his shoulder.

“How long will it take?”

“About 30 minutes…”

“Drive safely. Although, the faster we get there, the better.”

“Y-Yes, sir! I’ll do my best.”

Despite his enthusiastic reply, the auctioneer’s hands trembled as he gripped the steering wheel. Eventually, the car began to move. Once we were out of the garage and on the road, Hyunseong turned to me as if he’d been waiting.

“Let’s use this time to chat, shall we, Agent?”

The corners of his mouth curved up slightly.

“Or shall I call you Hajae Shin?”

He threw my earlier words back at me. This guy really is something else. I frowned but stayed silent. Hyunseong, undeterred, seemed to enjoy talking even more.

“Would you like a cup of coffee? My treat. We could stop at a drive-thru on the way—”

“No, thanks.”

The moment I cut him off, his smiling face froze.

“…What?”

“Now’s not the time to be leisurely sipping coffee and chatting. Don’t you think, Mr. Hyunseong?”

I’d heard it before. People like Hyunseong Choi start with small, harmless requests and then escalate, slowly taking control of the situation. They gauge how far they can push you while subtly taking over. But now that we were out of the auction house and away from any hostages, I had no intention of letting him steer things anymore.

Perhaps because things weren’t going as planned, his expression quickly turned cold.

“Are you not afraid of me?”

“Why should I be?”

“Because I can kill you.”

His threat sounded so hollow that my eyes involuntarily narrowed.

“What exactly is your ability?”

“Ah…”

Hyunseong let out a soft exclamation.

“I almost told you.”

I sighed at his annoyingly smug grin.

“If your ability is death-related, sorry, but it won’t work on me.”

“So, you’re not afraid of death… is that it?”

Hyunseong chuckled bitterly and shook his head.

“I’ve met plenty of people who’ve said the same thing, Mr. Hajae. However, once they were face to face with death, they all shook with fear and prayed to every god they could think of. But, in the end…”

His words trailed off.

“I wonder how long you’ll hold out, Mr. Hajae.”

“Try it, then.”

“…What?”

“If you’re curious, why not do it? Go ahead.”

Coming at him so confidently seemed to leave him momentarily speechless. Hyunseong stared at me, lips pressed into a thin line.

“Try it. Right now.”

When I gave him a wry smile, the remnants of his smirk vanished from his face. The hostility in his narrowed eyes was almost refreshing as if I’d cut through his arrogance.

Then, the car suddenly stopped out of nowhere, throwing us forward. Hyunseong closed his eyes tightly, opened them again, and glared into the rearview mirror.

“What are you doing?”

“S-Sorry! I, uh, saw the drive-thru and panicked…”

…Were we seriously stopping for coffee?

Looking out the window, I saw the drive-thru sign. Dumbfounded, I just sat there, speechless, when a soft chuckle broke the silence. Hyunseong was covering his mouth, his shoulders shaking as he tried to suppress his laughter.

“Ah, really. I’m so glad I brought you both along.”

“Ha, ha…”

The auctioneer awkwardly wiped the sweat from his brow. Either way, the tension in the car dissipated. Hyunseong, in an even better mood than before, turned to me as if we were old friends.

“So, what do you want to drink, Mr. Hajae?”

“Me? No, I’m fine.”

Even as I responded, I couldn’t shake the feeling of how odd this was.

“And you, Mr. Shin?”

“Uh, I’m okay too…”

“Don’t be so boring.”

As Hyunseong furrowed his brow slightly, the auctioneer quickly changed his mind.

“Um, I’ll have an iced Americano, then…”

“Good. I’ll have the same.”

Hyunseong handed over a card from his jacket pocket, and the auctioneer hurriedly took it to pay.

What in the world is going on? Even though no one was getting hurt, I couldn’t help but question whether this was right. Drinking coffee at a drive-thru with a man holding us hostage?

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

The scent of coffee soon filled the car. If anyone saw this, they’d think it was just three guys on a casual trip to Namsan. The silver lining, I guess, was that it might be the perfect opportunity to get some information from him.

I glanced at Hyunseong’s relaxed profile as he sipped his coffee and then decided to break the silence.

“You mentioned earlier that we need to get rid of <Amrita>.”

“That’s right.”

“Why?”

“To return things to the way they were.”

“What do you mean?”

Hyunseong indifferently looked down at his cup and slowly twirled his straw, causing the ice inside his drink to rattle. After a long pause, he suddenly turned to me.

“Are you curious? About my story?”

“Sure, I’d say I’m curious.”

“Are you interested in my past, or my ability?”

What kind of question is that? I frowned but answered honestly.

“The former.”

“Really?”

“Well, you wouldn’t answer the latter anyway.”

Hyunseong stared at me for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. His loud, clear laugh echoed inside the car. But despite the sound, his eyes remained cold and unmoving.

“How strange. No one’s ever wanted to hear about my story before.”

“…Really?”

“All anyone ever asks is, ‘So, what’s your ability?’”

The unpleasant sound of plastic rubbing together grew louder as he harshly twisted the straw in his cup.

“Or, ‘Can you kill people?’ ‘How do you do it?’ ‘What are the conditions?’ ‘Is there a way to undo it?’”

He clenched the plastic cup tightly.

“Or my favorite, ‘Are you going to use it to kill me’?”

Like his twisted expression, the cup crumpled pitifully in his hand.

“I’ve heard that shit so many times, it makes my ears bleed.”

His emotions were like a raging sea. At times, they seemed ready to crash beyond the bordering shore, only to retreat suddenly into serenity again. Looking at him now, he was back to calmly molding the cup back into shape.

“This is the first time anyone’s been curious about me.”

And then he smiled at me so brightly it almost made me feel sick.

“I’m really happy right now, Mr. Hajae.”

“…Then, are you going to tell me?”

Hyunseong pressed his lips together for a moment before answering firmly.

“No.”

“…What?”

“It’s boring if I just tell you so easily.”

Ugh, damn. It was a mistake to expect anything from a jerk like him. I barely swallowed the curse that was about to slip from my lips. Meanwhile, Hyunseong calmly sipped his coffee, lightly tapping his foot as if he had all the time in the world.

After a long while, he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, smirking slightly.

“Ha, look at your face. If I’m not careful, it seems like you might actually punch me.”

I sighed deeply and turned my gaze out the window. I thought we’d sit in silence until we got to Namsan, but as soon as we stopped at a red light, Hyunseong spoke up.

“Have you awakened too?”

Hm? Had he changed his mind? Or did he suddenly want to dig into my personal life? I couldn’t tell what he was thinking just from his profile, so I answered honestly.

“Yes. I awakened when I was young.”

“Do your parents know?”

“Only my father.”

“So, how did your father react on the day you awakened?”

The day I awakened… my father… Those words instantly sent me into a memory.

My father was always the same—steady and unyielding. He would always tell me to be cautious in everything and not to be arrogant. Even when I awakened with a useful ability, he immediately forbade me from using it from the very beginning. He was afraid someone might exploit my power or, worse, that I might awaken an evil person and be plagued with guilt.

“…He was… afraid.”

When I cautiously began speaking, Hyunseong’s eyes widened, as if surprised.

“It was the same for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“My father was afraid too.”

He twisted his lips into a cold smile that sent a chill through me.

“Of me.”

I wasn’t particularly curious about who he was or the circumstances he grew up in. However, to ensure I was ready for anything, I needed to know as much about him as possible—the vulnerabilities of his past and the hidden cracks in his calm facade.

“Was Director Choi worried you would use your powers against him?”

“Yes. It’s ridiculous, right? I never had such intentions…  But maybe he’s gone senile.”

Hyunseong chuckled as he shook his head.

Did Hyunseong really have no intention of killing Director Choi? Surely, a regular father wouldn’t worry about their awakened son possibly harming them. There must’ve been some event before Hyunseong’s awakening that made the Director worry that his son may try to kill him.

“Do you remember how you awakened?”

“I accidentally touched <Amrita> while in the underground vault.”

I hadn’t expected <Amrita> to be his awakening trigger. I was briefly surprised by the revelation, but before I could respond, Hyunseong was already back to rambling about things I hadn’t asked.

“I honestly thought my father would be happy, you know? People who’ve awakened are useful in many ways.”

“Well… that’s true.”

“But his attitude didn’t change. No, it actually got worse. I went from being a burden hidden away in the basement to a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.”

“You two didn’t have a good relationship, I take it.”

“I liked my father. I still do… He’s the one who hated me.”

“Was there a reason for that?”

Just as he had been speaking freely, Hyunseong suddenly went silent, staring at me intently. I figured he wasn’t going to tell me about what happened between him and his father when—

“But, now that I think about it,”

Hyunseong leaned in toward me, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret.

“Why are you so interested in my story, Mr. Hajae?”

“… I told you earlier, I’m just curious.”

“But why are you curious?”

I didn’t know why he was suddenly asking, but it felt like I wouldn’t get any more answers unless I gave a satisfactory reason. In the end, I gave a response that wasn’t quite a lie but wasn’t entirely the truth.

“I’m curious how someone could end up so broken.”

“Come on, that’s a lie.”

His attitude, as if he’d already made up his mind about my answer, made me frown.

“Didn’t you say earlier you were glad to have someone to talk to finally?”

“If that’s really why you’re listening, Mr. Hajae, you should be a part of the church, not The Apostles.”

No matter what I said, it seemed like he’d remain suspicious. Maybe if I tried something else…

“The truth is, I plan to sell your story to a journalist and make some money. Happy?”

Hyunseong blinked blankly before bursting into hearty laughter.

“Haha! Now you’re finally being honest.”

“So, are you going to tell me?”

“Sure, why not? But don’t expect some third-rate drama sob story.”

Hyunseong rubbed his chin, his eyes wandering as he thought. 

“Hmm…” 

After a long pause, he extended his hand. Starting with his thumb, he began folding out his fingers as he counted.

“An abusive father, an unwanted pregnancy, and the bastard child born as a result of it.”

His voice was as casual as if he were reading a table of contents.

“What do you think? Think that story will sell for a good price?”

I couldn’t even muster a sigh as he stared straight into my eyes, grinning.

The reason the Director didn’t report his son’s awakening to The Hunter’s Association was clear: Hyunseong Choi was an illegitimate son who had to stay hidden. And now that the Director’s life was in danger, he’d used innocent lives as bait and ran, like feeding prey to a hungry beast.

He was practically shouting, ‘There’s a dangerous monster here that kills people! Capture and kill it!’

“If you want, I could tell you more in detail.”

For a moment, I felt a flicker of sympathy for Hyunseong.

“Maybe you could even write a plea letter for me when I’m on trial, telling everyone how pitiful I am?”

And just like that, that sympathy was extinguished.

“Don’t kid yourself, Hyunseong.”

If he’d really wanted to escape his father’s violence, at the very least, he should have directed the blade toward the Director. Then maybe the world would’ve felt sorry for him, even taken his side. But the moment he hurt innocent people, any room for excuses vanished.

“No matter how difficult your childhood was, it doesn’t negate the fact that you killed innocent people.”

Drawing a firm line, Hyunseong let out a small “Oh” of surprise.

“You’re colder than I thought. Would you say the same if I were your friend?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“If you were my friend, I would’ve slapped you and told you to come to your senses.”

Hyunseong let out a snort, turning to gaze out the window. His face, with its fading grin, seemed tinged with bitterness, but only for a moment. He crushed the empty plastic cup and spat out each word like he was chewing them.

“Good thing we’re not friends, then.”

Just as tension was beginning to build again, the navigation system chimed in.

<You will arrive at your destination in 1 kilometer.>

Already? Outside the window, I could see heavily armed special forces lining the road. Upon spotting us, they hurriedly cleared the barricades blocking the entrance to Namsan. Thanks to that, we were able to drive up the mountain without issue. No one dared to point their guns at us, probably because Hyunseong was holding both the auctioneer and myself hostage.

The car finally stopped halfway up the mountain. Just as Hyunseong was about to get out, I grabbed his arm.

“One last question.”

“Now that I think about it, a journalist seems more fitting for you than a priest.”

His snide remark didn’t stop me from pressing on, my face showing no shame.

“Why are you trying to destroy <Amrita>?”

Without hesitation, Hyunseong pointed to his chest, where he was carrying <Amrita>.

“If <Amrita> disappears, maybe my powers will too. And then my father might finally accept me again.”

For a second, I couldn’t believe my ears. He didn’t seem to be making it up, which made it even more baffling.

<Amrita> disappearing wouldn’t take away his powers. Besides, what he said was completely at odds with what I knew.

“You can’t destroy a spirit item.”

They can only be damaged, never completely destroyed. Even if someone shattered a spirit item into a million pieces, those pieces would still retain their power, like <Codex Gigas> or <Bloodletting Sword>. At least, that’s what I’d always believed. But the confident gleam in Hyunseong’s eyes suggested otherwise as he smirked.

“Did they teach you that in The Apostles?”

“What…?”

“Nothing in this world lasts forever. These spirit relics are no different.”

What’s with that confidence? Could it be… was it actually possible to destroy a spirit item? If he truly knew a way to do it, it must have something to do with the condition he demanded: bringing the item through the gate.

“Hey.”

“We shouldn’t keep all those people waiting.”

There was no time for further questioning. Raising his hand as if to signal me to hold off, Hyunseong stepped out of the car first. He walked around the vehicle and, in a mock gesture of escort, opened my door and offered his hand.

“Watch your step.”

He had a knife in his hand.

“You brought a weapon, too?”

“Of course. There might be someone my powers don’t work on. What do you think? I’m thorough, right?”

He smiled slyly, but I had no words. I quietly stepped out of the car, and Hyunseong threw his arm around my shoulders, pressing the blade to my neck. The edge was so sharp that even the slightest turn of my head made the cold steel graze my skin.

“You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?”

“If I behave, I won’t get hurt… right?”

“Haha, exactly. If only the guy in the auction hall had been as smart as you, he wouldn’t have had to die.”

Bullshit.

As we walked for a few minutes, a black rift appeared in the distance. This one was much smaller than the one we’d entered to retrieve <Bloodletting Sword>. However, it was still quite a sight for someone seeing it for the first time.

“Wow, it’s bigger than I thought.”

While Hyunseong marveled at the rift, I scanned the surroundings. At this distance, I could easily snatch <Amrita> away from him. Even if the auctioneer was under Hyungseong’s control, I could probably subdue him before he harmed himself.

Just as I was quietly waiting for the right moment, I heard footsteps approaching from behind. Hyunseong turned immediately, and I followed suit, surprised to see an unexpected figure. Dressed in a sharp suit and wearing a black mask, the man resembled Sang.

“…..”

I swallowed nervously, and Hyunseong whispered in my ear.

“Who’s that?”

“That… would be my superior.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Hyunseong let out a small “Ah!” and addressed Simeon.

“Your agent here does excellent work. Be sure to give this guy a hefty hazard pay bonus later.”

A sharp blade slowly grazed my throat. As the chilling sensation raised goosebumps, Simeon’s fingertips twitched. Though the mask hid Simeon’s expression, I could feel the heat of his gaze. 

Apparently, Hyunseong hadn’t noticed the subtle change, as he whispered again.

“Your boss seems like a pretty dull person.”

At that moment, an older man with graying hair emerged from behind Simeon. I felt like I’d seen him before…

Ah. Right. I recognized him from the news. He was the executive in line to become the next CEO after Chairman Choi.

“Well, look who it is.”

A bright voice reached my ears.

“It’s been a while, Director. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Although Hyunseong greeted him warmly, the director didn’t respond. He fixed his trembling gaze firmly on the ground and kept his parched lips tightly sealed. It was obvious he was terrified, but Hyunseong continued speaking calmly.

“What brings you here?”

The director swallowed hard, glancing nervously at Simeon beside him before speaking.

“The chairman has asked me to deliver something to you directly.”

So, there was already a response to Simeon’s message? I expected him to stay silent and keep hiding until this blew over, but this was unexpected. Not that I’m getting my hopes up. If anything, I’d be relieved if it didn’t set off Hyunseong.

But Hyunseong’s voice rose excitedly at the news of hearing from his father.

“My father did? What is it?”

The higher Hyunseong’s hopes soared, the more ominous my sense of foreboding grew.

Finally, the message from the chairman came out of the director’s trembling lips:

“The man who slaughtered those innocent civilians in a bid to seize power…”

Not even a single word strayed from my grim expectations.

“Has no relation to me.”

The tip of the blade grazing my neck wavered slightly. The tremors of the hand holding it transferred through the taut tendons that were pressed against me. Soon, the body clinging tightly to my back started shaking irregularly. Momentarily, I wondered if he was crying, but it wasn’t that. 

A loud, piercing laugh echoed through the area.

“Hahahaha!”

After laughing uproariously, Hyunseong suddenly took a deep breath. When the laughter stopped, silence settled over our surroundings. Though I couldn’t turn around due to the knife, I didn’t need to see his face to know what expression he wore. The director, who’d been anxiously watching, turned even paler.

“As I thought…”

Hyunseong let out a deep sigh as if shedding his last remaining emotion.

“I should’ve killed you back then.”

His murmuring voice, animated earlier, was now low and flat. The man laughing and talking non-stop just moments ago was now drained, like ash after a fire. Something felt seriously wrong.

“Mr. Hyunseong.”

I carefully spoke, trying to divert his attention.

“It doesn’t have to be like this.”

“….”

“Can you hear me?”

No response. The heartbeat I had sensed through my shoulder blades had slowed, and even his rough breathing had calmed. For a moment, I thought he had regained his senses. But I was wrong.

“It doesn’t matter anymore…”

He had given up.

“I’ll kill you, and everyone here… and then follow you in death. That should be fine, right?”

They say a person with nothing left to lose is the most dangerous. There’s no telling what he might do now that he’s given up everything.

If that was the case, then… maybe provoking him could work in my favor. I considered pressing my neck against the knife to draw blood. If I could disarm him, it’d be possible to subdue him. But what if that led to retaliation against the people at the auction? The attendees who were, undoubtedly, still under his influence?

The face of the victim who’d died smashing his head against the wall flashed before my eyes, and I unclenched my fists.

No more victims. I needed to buy time. At least until the people in the hall were free from his control or until I got confirmation from Matteo that everything was okay. I just needed to stall a little longer.

“Mr. Hyunseong.”

I have to stay calm. I knew his weaknesses; I’d learned them for moments like this.

“You’re more naive than I thought.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the trembling hand at my throat stopped.

“What… did you say?”

As expected, he reacted. I pressed on even more brazenly.

“I said you’re naive. You really think that if you took hostages, you could force your father to repent?”

“That’s…”

“What exactly were you expecting? A dramatic reconciliation with your father? A show of fatherly love?”

“…Shut up.”

“You couldn’t have believed that, right?”

“I said shut up!”

His cold hands gripped my neck tightly as my body turned, and he threw his weight on top of me. 

Thud—. 

My head hit the hard ground, and my vision blurred as pain shot through my skull. But even through my blurring vision, I could see clearly enough.

“What do you know?”

His bloodshot eyes were filled with unshed tears.

“What gives you the right to lecture me?”

Hyunseong screamed as he pinned me down, pressing the knife to my throat. With the mask of arrogance and laughter gone, the child who longed for his father’s attention was exposed. 

How twisted this love was.

Finally facing his true self, I no longer felt fear or tension.

“Your father will continue using you for the rest of your life. And then he’ll discard you when you’re no longer useful.”

“…What?”

“You think you control others, but you don’t even realize you’re the one being controlled.”

The moment he lost his composure, he’d already lost.

“Open your eyes, Mr. Hyunseong. The more you act out, the more it benefits him.”

His bloodshot eyes wavered like a candle in the wind.

“Even if you cause an uproar here, your father won’t come. The more people you kill, the more enemies you’ll make. And then what? You’ll either spend the rest of your life behind bars or be killed. Right here. Just as he planned.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously.

“This is just his final plan to eliminate you.”

I whispered so that only he could hear. The tip of the knife trembled. At first, it barely brushed my skin, but then it pressed down, cutting into me. Blood welled up along my neck and slowly dripped onto the ground.

At the same time, a droplet fell onto my face.

“You think I don’t know that?.”

The tears from his bloodshot eyes were surprisingly clear.

“Of course, I knew… I just pretended not to.”

“Why?”

“Because… my father never cared about anything that concerned me. But, for the first time in my life, he kept asking what my abilities were, how they worked…  He was seeing me, monitoring me, even after he ran away to the U.S.…”

“And that, did it satisfy you?”

“Of course not. I wanted payback before I died, but now there’s no way even to see him.”

He laughed bitterly, his face contorting with helplessness. I looked at him calmly before lifting my chin slightly.

“You might not be able to see his face, but there’s still a chance.”

“…What?”

“Don’t you think it’s unfair to let him get away without suffering too?”

I raised my dust-covered hand and placed it over his chest. His eyes widened as I pressed against him and whispered.

“Destroy it.”

I felt the small glass bottle beneath his clothing.

“Throw <Amrita>—the thing your father was trying to protect—into the rift.”

Once I got him into the rift, I’d escape his hold. Taking <Amrita> would be easy after that.

Luckily, it seemed Hyunseong hadn’t realized I had other motives. A small smile tugged at his lips as if a weight had been lifted.

“Yeah… that’s why I came here.”

The trembling tip of the knife stopped completely. His tears dried up, leaving only the marks where they had fallen. After staring blankly for a while, he leaned in close.

“You’ve been inside the rift, haven’t you?”

When I nodded silently, his face lit up.

“Then let’s go together. No, I’m definitely taking you with me… unless you want to see that auctioneer die.”

The auctioneer, who had been standing nearby, shrank back in fear, trembling as he stared at me and shook his head so hard his cheeks wobbled. I couldn’t tell if he was begging me not to go into the rift or just asking to be saved.

As I glanced at the auctioneer, Hyunseong grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

“You’ll come, won’t you? Hm?”

“Ok, just calm down. Just listen to me for a moment…”

At that moment, another shadow fell over us.

“Put the knife down and stand up.”

The soft voice made me look up. Behind Hyunseong, I saw the black mask. Simeon had crept up without making a sound, pressing the barrel of a gun to the back of Hyunseong’s head.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Hyunseong sneered in defiance, but Simeon remained composed.

“Get up.”

“……”

“I won’t ask again.”

“In that case, I’m done with all this talking, too.”

Hyunseong shrugged with a smirk.

“I guess it doesn’t matter to you if that guy dies, huh?”

His wide, crazed eyes turned toward the auctioneer. At that moment, the auctioneer let out a scream, twisting his body in pain as if set on fire. He dropped to his knees, gasping for breath as he tugged at his hair.

“Wait… what’s going on…?”

My brain froze as the situation unfolded. In the meantime, the auctioneer, his eyes hollow, scanned the area. His gaze settled on the gun in Simeon’s hand. Like a starved animal, he lunged at Simeon.

It took less than five seconds for the auctioneer to snatch the gun and press it to his own temple.

“No…”

I pushed Hyunseong aside and reached out to the auctioneer. But it was already too late.

“Don’t!”

Click—. 

The auctioneer pulled the trigger, and I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut. But instead of the sound of a body collapsing or the stench of blood, there was only silence. The eerie stillness made me cautiously open my eyes.

“…What?”

What I saw was entirely different from what I had expected. No blood, no body. The auctioneer was just trembling, pulling the trigger repeatedly with no result.

“What the…?”

As Hyunseong stood there, dumbfounded, Simeon casually gestured. Two special forces agents rushed over and subdued the auctioneer. They knocked him unconscious and dragged him away. Watching them, Hyunseong let out a hollow laugh.

“You were threatening me with an unloaded gun?”