NOVEL NEXT Chapter 54
Chapter 54
A man sat alone on a desolate bench in a quiet walking path. It was Yoo Hyun-soo, the chief aide to Jang Hak-ki.
He was nervously lighting cigarette after cigarette, a briefcase resting at his feet.
After a short while, a black sedan approached Yoo Hyun-soo. Noticing it, he flicked his cigarette to the ground and stamped it out.
The tinted window rolled down, revealing a face. Yoo Hyun-soo looked a bit surprised; the face at the window belonged to a young woman.
“Please get in,” she said.
Yoo Hyun-soo opened the back door and climbed into the car.
Inside were two people: a robust man in the driver’s seat and the young woman he had just seen sitting next to him.
Yoo Hyun-soo frowned in confusion. The driver was wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, clearly trying to hide his identity. Thinking back, that made sense.
If he were a member of an assassination group, it would be normal to keep their identity hidden even in front of the client.
However, the woman in the passenger seat seemed completely unconcerned about such things, showing her bare face without a care.
“It seems you were in a hurry.”
“What do you…?”
“Well, since the representative told me you accessed some shady websites right after the congressman left the hospital.”
The woman smiled slyly. Her mouth wore a smile, but her eyes did not share the same sentiment.
Yoo Hyun-soo remained silent, realizing she had seen through him. He assumed she must have some level of information. After all, he had connections in various circles. Thus, he probably came here directly instead of sending a representative.
“Let’s get to the point.”
As he spoke, Yoo Hyun-soo thought about the current situation. He had many questions about this matter. Congressman Jang Hak-ki had suddenly mentioned Lee Si-hyun’s name while bringing up a black card.
But he hadn’t given any detailed explanations, as if trying to avoid discussing it deliberately. Of course, he understood that it meant to commission a murder against Lee Si-hyun.
However, understanding the reasoning behind it was difficult. If he were to ask what harm was done by Lee Si-hyun, he would only receive a vague denial in reply.
But it wasn’t likely to be a lie. Congressman Jang Hak-ki was known for not forgetting even the smallest grievances against him.
That only raised more questions. How could one commission a murder without having suffered any harm?
It was hard to comprehend. While there could indeed be such a thing as unwarranted malice, hiring a hitman seemed excessive. Though he still couldn’t wrap his head around it, he had no choice but to come here, as he couldn’t refuse Congressman Jang Hak-ki’s orders.
“Are you interested in purchasing?”
The woman spoke. It was easy to guess what she meant.
A black card depicting an inverted cross.
There were rumors among the upper class that only a select few knew. If one could obtain a black card, they could have whomever they wanted killed. It was said that to acquire one, one must access a specific website and make contact with the seller. Without information, it was impossible.
There were billions of websites on the internet. Finding one that could connect to the Black Cross was like picking a single grain of sand from a beach. Moreover, the site changed its address every few weeks to keep things clean and hidden.
But Yoo Hyun-soo was in a position to acquire information. Granted, it was only because of Congressman Jang Hak-ki’s backing.
“Isn’t this too expensive?”
Before handing over the briefcase stuffed with fifty-thousand-won bills, Yoo Hyun-soo expressed his concern. A person at rock bottom could hire someone to commit murder for a mere hundred million won. Money had that kind of power.
But one billion was simply exorbitant. Especially since the target was deemed not that troublesome. If the target were difficult, the price would easily have been several times higher.
“Can an ordinary person kill an Awakened Being? You’re an E-rank Hunter, aren’t you?”
The woman smiled, her lips forming a polite smile.
In truth, Yoo Hyun-soo didn’t take E-rank Hunters seriously. No matter how significant an Awakened Being may be, he knew that E-rank holders had trivial abilities.
Yet, the woman wasn’t wrong either. For an ordinary person to kill an Awakened Being was nearly impossible. Nodding in acknowledgment, Yoo Hyun-soo handed over the money bag.
“Please maintain strict confidentiality.”
He was already in the same boat. Furthermore, if they didn’t have credibility, even a powerful group of Awakened Beings wouldn’t survive. Still, just to be safe, he said that.
“You’re quite worried, aren’t you? Keeping secrets is vital to an assassination group’s existence. If we fail a contract, we’ll die, but we won’t leak secrets.”
“Excuse me, but you seem rather careless for someone in that line of work. You appear to be openly showing your face…”
Yoo Hyun-soo expressed his concerns. As she said, confidentiality was crucial for a contract. Yet who would want to hire someone they could easily identify?
“Even if you’re the client, that’s a bit harsh. This person is…”
The man in the driver’s seat spoke for the first time.
“Hahaha.”
The woman’s laughter cut him off.
“No, no! You’re completely justified in thinking that. Then what about this?”
Suddenly, the woman raised her left hand, spreading her fingers, and held it to her face. After a moment, she lowered her hand.
“Wait…!”
Yoo Hyun-soo’s face went slack in shock.
The woman’s face had transformed in an instant. Just moments ago, she had looked like a young lady, but now she appeared to be a middle-aged woman. Not only her features, but even the wrinkles and skin tone had completely changed. It seemed impossible that even plastic surgery could yield such drastic results.
“What do you think?”
The woman asked calmly, still smiling.
“How is this possible…?”
What kind of trick is this?
Yoo Hyun-soo wore a bewildered expression. Even if she were an Awakened Being, this ability was beyond imagination.
Then, suddenly, a memory flashed in his mind.
“Could it be… the Thousand Changes? I think I’ve heard of an Awakened Being with such a power somewhere.”
“Thousand Changes? That’s just a crude technique.”
“…”
It appeared he was mistaken. When Yoo Hyun-soo looked at the woman with questioning eyes, her lips parted once more.
“Cheonbyeon.”
“Cheonbyeon?”
It meant the ability to change in many ways.
“If you know what that means, call me that. If you don’t, then that’s your position.”
“…”
Not understanding what she meant, Yoo Hyun-soo could only remain silent. The organization he was dealing with was shrouded in mystery, yet there was some information that had come to light.
But this “Cheonbyeon” was new to him. Judging from the man’s reaction in the driver’s seat, it seemed she was someone high-ranking in the organization. It was hard to believe she was merely a salesperson.
Yoo Hyun-soo made a mental note to remember the term “Cheonbyeon.”
The woman placed the money in the bag without checking and laid it on the floor, as if daring anyone to mess with the Black Cross.
“Here you go.”
She handed him a black card, bearing an inverted cross.
Yoo Hyun-soo accepted it. The information about his target had already been conveyed. This was just a formality.
It was tradition. The way it was done in the realm of the otherworld.
Yoo Hyun-soo quickly wrote down Lee Si-hyun’s name and passed the black card back to the woman.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Father is worried quite a bit. Even if you can’t show your face, at least keep in touch.”
The person who spoke was a neatly dressed woman with glasses.
It was Han I-seol.
“I should say something. I’ve been too busy learning the trade,” the man replied, appearing to be in his late twenties, tall and elegant.
“But still, you’re family.”
“As you know, I’ve always been a bit oblivious by nature. Please understand; it’s just how I am.”
“…Is learning the job really that tough?”
“Just so-so.”
“By now, shouldn’t you have some experience? Are there still so many things to learn?”
It had already been a few years since her younger brother, Han Kyung-jin, went down to Busan to learn welding. He occasionally came back to Seoul, but they rarely had the chance to see each other.
“I still feel inexperienced and lacking. I have to master it to earn more.”
“I see.”
“Mm….”
Ding!
Just as Kyung-jin was about to say something, his phone rang.
“Sorry, sis. Just a moment.”
He stepped outside the restaurant. The call wasn’t from his personal cell, but rather, the work-issued phone.
His expression turned serious as he checked the caller ID. After confirming nobody was around, he spoke in a low voice.
“Yes, Cheonbyeon. What’s on your mind?”
“It’s in Seoul?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I have a job for you.”
◈ ◈ ◈
How silly.
Jeon Hee-seung thought as he watched a movie about a hitman.
What a pathetic man. Why does he even have to agonize over taking a life?
It’s something one can do without thought, just like stepping on ants. And a gun? That’s such a silly tool that hardly signifies killing.
There’s nothing as thrilling as strangling someone to death.
Silly.
Hee-seung closed his eyes.
….
….
….
“Oppa.”
“…”
“Wake up, Oppa. The movie’s over.”
At the sound of his girlfriend calling him, Hee-seung opened his eyes. Rubbing them, he turned to face her, but his gaze drifted past her eyes.
It was her white neck.
A tantalizing neck that made him want to crush it with his hands. It was always disappointing that he couldn’t do that.
The organization he belonged to forbade actions not sanctioned by orders. He didn’t particularly like it, but he had no choice. No matter how formidable Hee-seung was, rebelling against the organization was never an option.
It was that frightening of an organization.
“Let’s go, Oppa.”
As he took his girlfriend’s hand and walked out of the theater, his phone buzzed.
“Just a moment.”
Hee-seung answered the call.
◈ ◈ ◈
[Quest: Show the problematic inmates being rehabilitated by utilizing the loud shout of the terrifying guard. 1/2]
Lee Si-hyun checked the quest window as he headed toward the External Gate to leave work. Noticing that the number hadn’t gone up, it appeared that they weren’t fully subdued yet.
Still, he was confident that it would be over soon. That’s why he felt light-hearted.
After taking the bus as usual, he got off at the stop near his home. It was only a ten-minute walk to his apartment.
Si-hyun walked slowly toward home. Before long, he arrived at his front door. Just as he approached the entrance, ready to input the door lock code.
“…!”
His hand suddenly froze. A warning notification had appeared.
[Warning: A relatively notorious individual has been detected nearby.]
The unexpected keen insight of a seasoned guard activated. In a place he never could have imagined.
However, that wasn’t the end. Another notification appeared.
[Warning: Another relatively notorious individual has been detected nearby.]
Two…?!
Si-hyun’s face turned stiff with tension.