F-Class Destiny Hunter

Chapter 79

"Yeah, that's right," Dokgo Jun replied, and it didn't surprise Seo Gangrim at all. If someone was requesting help, they would have left more than just a picture as a message.

Seo Gangrim spoke in an even voice, "Why did you send the message?"

"Because you didn't show up," came the response even before Seo Gangrim's question had finished. Dokgo Jun smiled.

"I waited for four days, but you never showed up. It's absurd to have a story without a protagonist, don't you think?"

"......."

"Are you angry?"

"No, I'm not. I don't like your motives, but at least thanks to you, I know Shin Sooah-ssi is in danger."

Seo Gangrim was irritated, but he had decided not to reprimand Dokgo Jun. Instead, he posed a question, "How did you get the Temporal Arrow? They were quite expensive."

"Ah, sorry. That's a secret," Dokgo Jun said.

It was sneaky of him to say it was a secret when he could have lied. It bothered Seo Gangrim that he was making it sound like such a big thing. It seemed as if Dokgo Jun were hoping Seo Gangrim would ask again, but he refrained from doing so. Seo Gangrim instead speculated Dokgo Jun had received help from a god.

With nothing more to inquire, Seo Gangrim remained silent. This time, it was Dokgo Jun who initiated the conversation. "Seo Gangrim, do you know where the theme for Geohae's room comes from?"

"Hell, isn't it?"

"Oh, you know. That's right. It seems that each stage is inspired by the names of hells."

The seven stages in the educational facility were inspired by the seven hells, although they didn't exactly replicate the forms of the hells. Geohae used a saw and bones. In other words, it meant sawing bones.

"In the Geohae hell, sinners are sawn while they are alive. All of the people here have saws attached to their bodies."

Seo Gangrim couldn't understand why Dokgo Jun was talking so extensively about this, so he just listened in silence, and Dokgo Jun was delighted to continue.

"At first, I thought the placement of the devices was random. But someone told me an interesting story," Dokgo Jun said, and his eyes stared intently at Seo Gangrim's neck.

"Seo Gangrim, it's to the point where you have saws all over your body. How many karma have you piled up?"

There was a moment of silence. The metallic odor of the prison permeated the stillness. Seo Gangrim looked at him without saying anything and then finally spoke, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"The placement of the shackles depends on your karma. The more karma you have, the more likely it is to be attached to a fatal spot," he said as he raised his hands, showing the shackles in both his wrists

"I have a few karma too."

There were fewer than Seo Gangrim had expected. He had thought that Dokgo Jun would have at least some saws attached to all his limbs, considering his reputation.

"Also, the more karma you have, the stronger your shadow becomes."

Seo Gangrim wished that was a lie, but it was an undeniable fact. That's why he had wanted to be the last to enter this place. He had amassed numerous karma while stealing the destinies of over four hundred people. If the shadow's strength increased according to the amount of karma, he couldn't fathom how powerful his shadow would become.

"So, what are you trying to say? Are you trying to accuse me?"

"Hmm? No. I just find it interesting."

When someone learned that the other person had accumulated numerous karma, they would usually react with contempt or fear. However, Dokgo Jun's eyes shone as if he were turning the pages of a thrilling story.

"I'm curious. I wonder what kind of person you are, pretending to be righteous."

"I'm a criminal."

"That's impossible," he said, laughing like someone who had heard a joke, but Seo Gangrim's expression remained stoic.

Dokgo Jun spoke with a gleam in his eyes, as if eagerly anticipating a joyful picnic day. "I want to meet your shadow soon."

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The wall of the massive observation room was lined with dozens of monitors. The monitors displayed footage from each of the rooms inside the last stage, showing various reactions from different individuals. There were those fighting against their shadows and those trying to kill the entities instead.

"It's fortunate that we were granted permission to observe the final stage," commented Ju Sungtae, standing among the many people moving in and out of the observation room.

Gong Joo, standing beside him, responded with a stern gaze, his eyes fixed firmly on the monitors. His gaze was focused on one place in particular: the prison area. Seo Gangrim was seated at the entrance to the prison, on guard duty.

Ju Sungtae expressed his dissatisfaction, "The more I see Seo Gangrim, the more I can't figure him out."

Seo Gangrim's unique journey from the beginning to the location where the others were in just one day had been unusual enough, but something else was even more striking. The Geohae's Shackle attached around his neck and limbs. There was no one else on the monitors with as many saws attached to their body.

Annaby, who was standing nearby, raised some documents and said, "According to the investigation, he has no records of criminal activity."

Even in the face of Annaby's report, Gong Joo remained unresponsive, continuing to scrutinize the monitors with an intense gaze. His attention was solely focused on Seo Gangrim.

Ju Sungtae muttered quietly, "What could he have done to accumulate such karma?"

"Perhaps murder?" Annaby suggested.

"Just one or two murders wouldn't have accumulated karma to this extent."

Ju Sungtae couldn't guess what Seo Gangrim did to accumulate such karma. Nevertheless, whatever Seo Gangrim did, it couldn't have been a good thing. At the mention that he didn't kill just one or two people, Ju Sungtae became somewhat contemplative. "Are you going to bring someone like that... into the team? A potential criminal?"

In response to that question, Gong Joo glanced at Ju Sungtae. His piercing stare seemed even more intimidating. "Ju Sungtae, why do you think the Director ordered the inclusion of a 'karma' category for the last stage?"

"Um, well... I think..."

Startled by the sudden question, Ju Sungtae cleared his throat and said, "No matter how talented an awakened individual is, if they have personality issues, they can be dangerous. So, wasn't the imposition of karma penalties aimed at excluding that?"

As Ju Sungtae put it, no matter how talented one is, if they use their abilities for crimes, there is no point in nurturing them. After all, the Destiny Protection Bureau was established to protect both awakened individuals and non-awakened individuals.

In response to Ju Sungtae's answer, Gong Joo spoke in an indifferent tone, "Half of your answer is correct."

"Only half?" Ju Sungtae looked puzzled, as if asking whether there was another reason.

"If we wanted to filter out those with karma, it would have been more logical to do it at the first stage."

Why waste months of effort and exclude individuals with karma only at the very end? Although the penalty for karma was given at the final stage, it also provided a week of leeway.

Gong Joo continued with his emotionless voice, "If the shadow becomes as strong as it has accumulated karma, people will naturally want to kill the original body."

"Yes, that makes sense."

"But what if, even with karma, the shadow is stronger than the individual?"

Gong Joo briefly glanced at another monitor, showing Yoon Bom and Yoon Geoul, Father Yohan, and Jang Taeheon searching through the place.

"Even with the penalty, if an Awakener has the ability to pass through the last stage, we have no reason to reject them."

"But what if Seo Gangrim causes trouble?"

"Would a single Awakened, no matter how strong, be beyond the control of the Fate Protection Bureau?"

At those words, Ju Sungtae fell silent. No matter how strong they were, they were still trainees, far from the level of the seasoned agents who had been training for years.

"If Seo Gangrim fails here, he'll be nothing more than a sinner who accumulated karma. But if he succeeds in leaving this place..."

The corners of Gong Joo's mouth twisted greedily. "It means he's a sinner worth exploiting."

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Together with the sound of saw blades clicking and moving filled the air, Yoon Bom let out a short whimper.

"Ugh...!"

She clutched her ears in pain, blood trickling down her neck. The agonizing sound didn't deter the slow but steady progress of the saw blade as it dug into her flesh, like a starving beast.

"Damn it! It hurts so much...!"

Jang Taeheon, who had been searching the place, was also in agony, clutching his hand in pain. The saw blade had cut halfway into his fingers.

"Is everyone okay?"

Seo Gangrim noticed the unusual situation and approached them.

Yoon Bom forced a smile, but her face contorted in pain. "Yes, we're fine. It hurts a bit, but..."

【She's lying. How can she say it only hurts a bit?】

【Enduring it while being sawed alive is commendable.】

【Her ear almost got cut off.】

Their words were accurate; Yoon Bom's wounds were quite deep. Blood flowed down her hand and stained her sleeve. The Geohae's shackle, which had been moving gradually over the past few days, now had exposed blades protruding from it. Jang Taeheon's fingers were on the verge of revealing the bone.

Seo Gangrim urgently handed them a piece of cloth. As he pressed it around the wounds, the cloth quickly turned red.

"The bleeding is severe."

Seo Gangrim glanced around before shifting his attention. They were in what appeared to be an apothecary's room, a place where useful herbs could be found. However, there were many drawers, and it would take time to go through each one.

Seo Gangrim brought some herbs with hemostatic properties and sprinkled them on the wounds. "It's going to be painful, but it's only for hemostasis. Don't use any healing medicine."

If they fully recovered from their injuries while the saw blades were still stuck in them, the Geohae's Shackle and flesh would become entangled.

Although in agony, the two of them nodded since they're well aware of this fact.

"Still, thanks to the medicine, it feels much better. Thank you, Master."

Yoon Bom weakly smiled and expressed her gratitude. Thanks to the hemostatic agent, the bleeding had slowed down, but their conditions did not look good. How could anyone look fine when part of their body was being cut off while they were still conscious?

"After a day, it will be completely cut off."

"Well, that's right. But even if it's severed, we won't die, so we don't need to worry too much."

Jang Taeheon spoke casually, but he couldn't hide his pain. After all, while a severed ear or finger wouldn't be life-threatening, the sensation of one's body being cut away was still unbearable.

'Even in the case of people like Shin Sooah or Dokgo Jun, they probably won't die...'

Shin Sooah had a shackle on one arm, and Dokgo Jun on both wrists. In Dokgo Jun's case, it didn't matter if both of his hands were cut off or even both legs, but if Shin Sooah's arm got cut off... He tightly gripped the sword.

'I have to get everyone out today.'