SLAM!
The elevator doors shut abruptly.
"Damn it!" the doctor exclaimed, his voice ringing through the hall. He dashed to a nearby counter and snatched up the phone. Speaking rapidly and with a high-pitched urgency, he said, "Hello… I need all security personnel to block every entry and exit immediately! I repeat, secure the entire building!"
All eyes in the hospital were glued to him. The room was a mixture of tense silence and anxious murmurs.
From the ward, a nurse's voice rang out, mirroring the doctor's anxiety, "Doctor, please! The patient's pulse is dropping!"
"Aish, seriously!" the doctor muttered, abandoning the phone and sprinting back to the ward. The murmurs grew louder, save for Seung and his clone, who remained silent.
'Who was that man earlier? And why is he considered a threat?' Seung wondered, his gaze shifting between the elevator and the ward. 'Could he have murdered a patient?'
He swallowed hard. Directing the clone to find the man, Seung himself moved closer to the ward. As he approached, he heard the frantic voices and the continuous beep of the life-support machine.
'Something is definitely wrong.'
As he reached the door, the beep suddenly flattened.
Beeeeppp...
Inside the ward, the doctor and nurses moved frantically. Some slammed their palms against the walls, while others sat despondently in chairs, faces buried in their hands. The life monitor, once active with fluctuating signals, now displayed a flat line. On the bed lay an unconscious man with a chiselled jawline.
Seung's legs froze just inside the room. His mouth fell open, and he felt a pulsation in his head. His eyes were fixed on the patient.
"Isn't that…the D-rank man?" he murmured. His legs trembled as he moved closer to the bed, the shock evident on his face.
The doctor stepped in his way, gripping his shoulders and pushing him back. "You can't be here, young man…"
"Please, I need to check something," Seung insisted, almost groaning. The doctor stepped aside, and Seung reached the bed. Scars from their last fight still marred the man's face.
Despite their enmity, Seung felt a pang of sorrow. He sighed deeply, thinking, 'Why was he killed? Was it personal, or the act of a psychopath?'
Ding, ding!
A ringtone interrupted his thoughts. The doctor answered his phone immediately. "Did you get him?"
"We are sorry, but the target escaped," came the reply.
---
The scene shifted to a pristine neighborhood of duplexes and storied buildings. Vehicles were neatly parked, and the area was enveloped in silence.
The black-jacketed figure turned a corner and walked down the street, hands in his pockets. His posture was relaxed, his stride unhurried. Despite recent events, he remained nonchalant.
"Stay right there, bastard!" a voice shouted. In the next moment, the new clone appeared around the corner.
The man glanced back briefly before breaking into a run. The clone, clicking his fingers, gave chase. He often came within inches of the man but lost balance at sharp turns.
Suddenly, the man darted into a warehouse, with the clone close behind. The interior was dark and smelled of decay. Despite the gloom, they pressed on, occasionally stumbling over scattered debris.
The clone ascended the stairs after the man and burst through a door to the rooftop.
The black-jacketed man stopped, while the clone, panting heavily, dropped to his knees. Despite his exhaustion, he charged forward, determined to capture the man for his summoner.
The man sidestepped and struck the clone's abdomen, causing him to collapse, gasping. Relentlessly, the man then struck his jaw, knocking him to the ground.
"Ow!" the clone grimaced. He tried to rise, but the man pinned him down with a foot.
"I almost took you for a human," the man said, his voice robotic and devoid of emotion, matching his intimidating presence and tattoo.
He bent down, covering the clone's face with his palm. The clone couldn't move, possibly weakened from getting into a fight a few minutes after being summoned.
"You'll be useful for the organization soon," the man proclaimed. A crimson, black fume swirled from his hand to the clone's face, dissipating after fifteen seconds. The man then took a photo of the clone and jumped off the rooftop, vanishing before hitting the ground.
---
Back at the hospital in ward 301, Lee Seung resummoned the first clone, changing from hospital garb to a fancier outfit. The police had arrived to investigate the murder. The doctor, nurses, and Seung were asked to visit the station to give statements. The corpse was taken to the morgue for further investigation.
'I may not have liked that man, but I feel sorry for him. I'll tell the police everything I observed about the dragon-tattooed man, hoping they can track him down and bring justice,' Seung thought, staring at the police station's card given to him.
"Don't stay out long, master," the first clone said worriedly.
Seung smiled lightly. "For the first time, my experience is actually helpful," he muttered before exiting the room.
A few moments later, a cab pulled into a compound filled with parked cars. Seung got out, paid the driver, and looked at the card, then at the building before him.
"Metropolitan Crime-curbing Centre," he read aloud, then confirmed by looking at the letters. He sighed, pocketing the card. "Couldn't they have made it shorter, like M-C-C?"
As he took a step forward, cars revved into the compound. All were black, some with sirens blazing, others being SUVs or luxury sedans. Seung counted eight cars from his position, with more out of view.
Reporters suddenly swarmed out of the police station, cameras clicking furiously. Seung glanced at the huddle of black cars and saw the police escorting a man inside, preventing reporters from getting close.
The man was clearly aged, with entirely grey hair and a slightly hunched back.
Flash, click! Shutter!
"Please say something, Mr. Gu," a reporter persistently followed the man, thrusting a lavalier microphone towards him. "How far has the police gotten with the serial murder investigation? The main victims are Hunters; did the investigation unit collaborate with guilds? What's the W.H.A HQ's stance on this? Did they promise to apprehend the murderers?"
Lee Seung's brows furrowed at this, his shoulders tensed. "Some people are killing Hunters?" he mumbled. 'Could the shadowy figure have murdered the D-rank man for a broader reason?' He gasped and moved closer to the reporters.
The old man addressed a police officer clearing the way, "You can back off at the entrance. I should speak to the public."
"Yes, sir."
The police complied, and the man stood at the building's entrance, lights flashing on his suit from all directions.
"Hello, I am Gu Doyoung, the Commissioner of Police," he began, bowing his head. "We have received reports of Hunters found dead over the past week. As previously mentioned, the police are collaborating with all guilds in Seoul. Our investigation has revealed that the murderers use unusual weapons to kill their victims. The government is planning to announce a lockdown for months while we do our best to protect everyone. This is all I can share for now. We will keep the public updated as the investigation progresses. Thank you for your attention." He bowed again and headed inside.
Shutter!
The reporters tried to move closer, but officers blocked their way.
"Are the murderers generally stronger than Hunters?"
"Do you believe the case can really be solved?"
"One more minute, please, Mr. Gu. You need to clarify a few points!"
'I will soon be a target too,' Seung thought, his eyes darting to the reporters. Sighing, he headed inside. A police officer asked for identification, and he explained his purpose.
As he ascended a stairway, he saw the commissioner deep in conversation behind a door one would pass through if taking the stairs. Seung stepped back, waiting for the man to exit before making his move.
"The number of consumable people is twenty?" the man whispered into his phone, glancing around.
Seung swallowed hard. 'Did he just say people?! Consumable or what?!'
"Alright, alright. Get them ready in the next five minutes. I'll be there."
----
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