< 113. Shock and Terror (11) >
The smell of blood once again writhed inside his skull.
The trauma, which he thought he had forgotten, overcome, and somewhat resolved over time, was now vividly revived by nightmares. It was wreaking havoc in his mind like raw blood dripping, flaunting its presence.
Amid this, her grim request provoked extreme revulsion in Min-jun.
"I'm not a fool. It's obvious why you're asking for that. Are you doing something similar to what you did back then?"
He could vividly recall the homunculi that were either dying or had already died in the secret laboratory.
Nervously, Del took a deep breath. She spoke in a desperate tone, her eyes wavering with deep emotions.
"It's not what you're thinking. I'm trying to save you."
"Then explain."
"I... can't go into details."
Min-jun spoke bluntly.
"Put yourself in my position. The ex-wife who committed 'such acts' back then is now openly asking for biological samples that she secretly stole bit by bit. But you can't explain the reason? Is there anyone who would immediately comply in this situation?"
"I can't explain the reason, but I can explain the intent. I'm trying to make amends for what happened. This is my atonement."
"So, you beat someone up badly and then apologize by stabbing them with a knife. Is that the Endelion way of apologizing?"
"I know it was a terrible thing. But... there was a reason."
"Right, it was crazy. A splendid reason."
Del eventually gave up. Time was running short. There was no choice but to mention other matters before leaving.
"I hope you understand my sincerity. After all... I'm trying to help you."
Then, without giving him a chance to respond, she continued.
"There will be another tax investigation. Only targeting you."
Min-jun clenched his teeth. If it was true, it meant they were likely going to scrutinize him due to the sudden increase in his account balance. However, Del added an unexpected detail.
"It could come with a much tighter deadline than before. It might even start as soon as you receive the notice."
"...Damn those bastards."
"But you know, they can notify the prisoner urgently but not the Earth representative."
Min-jun understood Del's intention.
"As long as I'm in that position, the tax collection bureau has to notify me before sending investigators to Earth. At least a few days in advance. When that moment comes, I'll let you know. It will be helpful if you know the exact timing a few days before the event, in addition to preparing now."
Del was proving that she had come to Earth because of Min-jun. She then asked a question.
"How is the goblin situation going?"
Come to think of it, he hadn't received an update from Jenkins for quite a while. It was time to check the current status.
"It would be best to hurry. The committee's movements are showing strange signs lately. Instead of assigning tasks to prisoners, they've sent permanent staff to several dimensions to carry out the work. Yes, collecting genetic samples. Do you understand what that implies?"
It meant that the chances of the mission's success were very high, and the timing was approaching, with minimal expected risks.
In such cases, permanent staff are sent instead of temporary workers. Consequently, the prisoners' freedom becomes even more distant.
"This remote dimension has been deprioritized, but you can't afford to be complacent. If you're not careful, permanent staff might take the credit. I can delay their dispatch requests a bit, but it's impossible to prevent them entirely."
Del finally brought up her final point.
"And, the Asif-1 fragment."
"You received a tip?"
"Yes. But the exact form is uncertain. It might be hidden in a sentient soul or embedded in an object. In the latter case, the likelihood of it being a sword is strong."
Min-jun naturally thought of the Ego Sword.
"I can't officially investigate, but I plan to do some discreet inquiries. If anything comes up, I'll let you know. It's better to leave evidence that you were involved from the beginning if you want to credit yourself."
Del had been listing ways to help Min-jun, each plan as a contingency if the first one failed. It was not a roadmap that could be established overnight.
Nevertheless...
"······"
Min-jun still couldn't fully trust Del. His wounds and sense of betrayal were that deep.
Moreover, she was an ancient race, a member of their royal family, and now also a member of the committee.
So, he decided to put off discussing the frying pan for now. If the Asif-1 fragment was indeed one of the two items—either the grim kitchen tool or the Ego Sword—he could open one first and observe her and the committee's reactions.
The other could remain as a backup.
And...
'Since the Ego Sword story will quickly reach Del's ears. The police investigation has already started.'
If she would notice it anyway, it wasn't a bad idea to get ahead of the situation.
Feigning ignorance, he asked.
"What's the clue to determine if it's the Asif-1 fragment?"
Del wrinkled her nose slightly.
"That's the problem. The known information is very limited."
They had put a bounty on it without fully knowing how to find it. There was a reason for the large reward.
"Even a small fragment definitely has a self. It could be dormant or awake, but..."
"So it's almost impossible to find if it's dormant."
"That's right. If it's awake, you need to figure out what the entity wants. If it is Asif-1, it's likely to have some obsessive compulsion."
"What kind?"
"Simply put, it can be defined as an obsession with salvation."
A sense of mission to save someone.
"Salvation? What exactly does that mean?"
"It seems to mean understanding it as the concept of rescuing someone from suffering and bringing them happiness."
This obsession typically targets sentient beings around the fragment.
"If it's inhabiting a person, it would manipulate the host's subconscious to influence their actions. If it's hidden in an object, it would evolve to fit its function. Based on the high probability of it being a sword..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"It would likely attempt to bring salvation by killing or harming someone."
"A concept that's hard to grasp easily."
At this point, Min-jun decided to reveal his own information.
As he continued his story, Del's expression changed to one of interest.
Min-jun explained about the Abram's Helper Service, a contracting organization, a killer with the code name Blade, and the Ego Sword and murder cases observed in Korea. Since he had just arrived on Earth today, it was likely that she had not yet received this information.
After Min-jun finished his explanation, Del said.
"There are some odd parts, but it does fit the condition of being an unknown Ego Sword. The suspicious abilities are also concerning."
After hearing where Min-jun had encountered obstacles, Del nodded and stood up.
"Unfortunately, I won't be able to stay any longer. Hundreds of people gathered from all over Earth are waiting for me. More than half of them are high dragons."
It was time to leave.
Min-jun opened the door to see her off. A strange atmosphere lingered between them. Min-jun remained cautious and, on some level, suspicious. His ex-wife's eyes were tinged with regretful emotion.
"I'll look into it. The contracting organization. For now, that's the only place where clues might come from."
Just before stepping out the door,
She suddenly stopped and asked,
"By the way, that Breed Shifter you mentioned earlier."
It was about Cassie.
Del asked casually, her tone serene, as if passing by the question.
"Surely, someone as perceptive as you isn't unaware of it?"
"······."
"Are you pretending not to know, just pushing it away?"
The things Del had done had fundamentally changed many aspects of Min-jun's life, but if he had to pinpoint the biggest changes, there were two:
He no longer formed deep relationships with anyone. And he no longer gave up his talents to anyone.
Instead of explaining that, Min-jun simply stared at his ex-wife. The silence contained many answers. Del met his gaze with calm yet deep eyes. She read countless memories from his face. The years they had spent together were buried under a layer of skin and a cold expression.
"Is that also my fault?"
Whatever her intentions, the fact that she had left wounds remained unchanged.
Min-jun didn't answer, and Del took a step outside before looking back again. Min-jun averted his gaze. Thus, he didn't notice Del's eyes linger briefly on the bottom drawer of the desk.
She murmured softly,
"But on the other hand... it might be a blessing in disguise."
Del left.
"Secretary... please... have this..."
The goblin offered a mug of herbal tea, but Cassie didn't respond. She was stationed in front of the counter at the Evergreen Bookstore, intently staring outside for several minutes. Dong-chul, seeing no reaction, was bewildered.
"Hmm, hmm."
When Lakefield cleared his throat, Cassie finally turned around.
"Oh, Dong-chul. Thank you."
"Yeah..."
But instead of touching the cup, she continued to stare outside. Her face showed the same fervor as a detective in the midst of a stakeout.
Lakefield, the old elf on the other side of the counter, asked,
"Was there a visitor to the office? I didn't see anyone."
The goblin chimed in.
"I... didn't see anyone... either..."
To reach the second floor, one has to pass in front of the bookstore. Yet both of them insisted that no one was there. Cassie responded in a sensitive tone,
"I'm currently on the second floor. I came down."
Lakefield was completely baffled.
"But didn't you say she was supposed to leave? Why are you still hanging around here? If there's something you need to ask when she comes down, you could just go up and talk to her…"
Cassie, who had been waiting motionlessly until the mysterious woman, whom she only knew as 'Del' and suspected to be a quarter-elf, left, seemed determined not to move until she had confirmed that Del did not stay longer than necessary.
Cassie herself couldn't understand why she was acting this way, but the impulse to do so completely dominated her thoughts.
While she continued to gaze out,
"···Huh? It's really her?"
The goblin spoke with an air of confusion.
Someone had approached the bookstore's front without a single sound of footsteps. From the trajectory, it was clear that the person had come down from the second floor and exited through the central entrance of the building.
The eyes of the human, goblin, and elf were all fixed on one spot.
At that moment,
The woman, who had been walking at a distance from the bookstore entrance, suddenly turned her head. Her gaze was directed towards the people inside the bookstore.
When their eyes met, Cassie, startled, grabbed any book from the counter. It was a book with an unreadable cover filled with foreign text, where it was impossible to discern what was picture and what was text. Her face flushed bright red as she buried it in the book.
In that state, Cassie couldn't see, but the goblin and the elf did. The guest they didn't recognize laughed as if it were amusing. A relaxed smile spread across her face. She stared at Cassie intently, observing her.
After a few seconds, her lips parted slightly. Though her tone was light and her distance somewhat far, her voice echoed as if she were whispering right beside them. It had a playful tone.
"···You're holding that book upside down."
With that remark, she averted her gaze. She walked away and soon disappeared from their sight.
"Hmm."
Lakefield made a thoughtful sound.
"How did she know?"
He looked at the cover of the thick book. Cassie threw it onto the counter and was unable to move her hands or feet from embarrassment. 'Why did it have to be an unreadable book here…!'
Meanwhile, Dong-chul could not contain his pounding heart for a different reason.
'Why… why is this happening?'
At the moment the woman had looked into the bookstore,
The goblin felt a rush of blood surge through his body. The instinct that had remained dormant until she emitted her pheromones when he saw the polymorphed dragon was now causing chaos, poking and prodding every nerve.
If this sensation could be expressed in words... it felt like standing before a very dangerous, intimidating, and great presence.
"······."
He continued to stare intently in the direction where the guest had disappeared.
< End terror 13 >