NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61
Episode 61
“…That guy from earlier, is he Han I-seol PD’s brother?”
No way could I have imagined that the assassin from Black Cross who tried to kill me would be related to someone I know. The shocking realization left Si-hyun momentarily dazed.
In the meantime, the call was abruptly disconnected.
Does she know about her brother’s hidden identity?
Si-hyun shook his head inwardly. She probably didn’t. If he’s an assassin, he would certainly keep his identity a secret from his family.
“….”
Si-hyun ruffled his hair, his troubled expression looming.
Should I tell her?
If this were about something else, I might think it was meddlesome to involve family, but this was no ordinary matter. If her brother were secretly committing crimes, it wouldn’t be strange to inform the family—especially if it was murder and not just petty crime.
…No.
Si-hyun shook his head again. Getting involved with an organization like Black Cross was far too dangerous. That’s precisely why he was refraining from reporting this even after experiencing such a drastic incident. Having already lost his residence and job, making a report could invite retaliation. And at this moment, he had no confidence he could withstand such retaliation. How could he risk putting others in danger?
That was something he absolutely had to avoid. If I-seol found out about this, she’d also be at risk, plain as day.
Si-hyun resolved to keep silent for now. He might feel a twinge of unease if he met her in the future.
But that was probably for the best. It was better than exposing her to potential danger.
◈ ◈ ◈
Fire trucks were tirelessly spraying water.
These fire trucks had deployed in response to reports of a fire near the foothills.
Fortunately, the wind that had been raging until the day before had calmed down, preventing the forest fire from spreading significantly. If the wind had been strong, quick remediation would have been incredibly difficult.
The flames were nearly under control.
However, there was a problem.
“…Is that…?”
A firefighter muttered as he pointed ahead.
There was a massive pit deep in the ground. It certainly looked like the aftermath of an explosion. This was likely the cause of the fire.
“Did a bomb go off?”
“Who would detonate a bomb out here? Isn’t it magic?”
“Magic? What kind of madman would use that kind of magic outside the Gate?”
Another firefighter chimed in.
“Whether it’s a bomb or magic isn’t for us to judge. Let’s contact the police and Inspection Bureau. They’ll take care of the rest.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“We have a situation.”
The scarred man spoke with a serious expression.
This request was straightforward. Taking out one E-rank Hunter was almost laughably easy for Black Cross.
But now, there’s a situation?
“Really? What is it?”
Cheonbyeon closed the book he was reading, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the man.
“I just got a call from the ones we sent to Yangju. They say numbers 72 and 75 are dead… 71 is still unaccounted for.”
“Dead?”
Cheonbyeon frowned in disbelief. Even the third-rate assassins under Black Cross were deemed C-class in terms of Awakened ranks.
He had sent three of them, and now two were dead while one was missing?
This mission shouldn’t have led to such outcomes.
Did someone interfere?
Cheonbyeon’s expression grew complicated as he stood up.
“We’re headed to Yangju.”
“Are you going there in person?”
“Yeah, get ready right away.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“This is….”
Inspection Bureau staff arrived at the scene after receiving the firefighter’s contact, struggling to hide their astonishment. They gaped at the large crater as they processed the sight.
Even they, confident in having experienced all sorts of situations in the Bureau, had never encountered such evidence in reality. They had seen it in photos, sure.
“Team Leader, could this possibly be Hell…?”
Team Leader Seo Yong-gil raised a finger to signal for silence. The staff member immediately closed his mouth at the sight.
“Hmm, this is definitely indicative of magic. From now on, this case will be handled by our Inspection Bureau.”
Seo Yong-gil announced to the firefighters and police present at the site.
The explosive ordnance disposal team investigating the area nodded in agreement. This was not an explosion caused by explosive materials—there was no sign of such a thing at all.
Soon, only Inspection Bureau personnel remained as everyone else departed. Seo Yong-gil’s expression changed then, turning rigid.
“Right now, check the list of S-Class Awakened Beings in our country. See if anyone new has come in today.”
They check daily, but he spoke out of a sense of unease.
“Understood.”
Seo Yong-gil’s gaze returned to the signs of the explosion. He hadn’t seen it with his own eyes yet.
However, he was certain, having seen photos of it a dozen times.
Hellfire.
Known to be the most powerful fire magic of the 8th class, it wielded incredible destructive power.
Not every S-Class Great Sorceress had the ability to perform Hellfire. Only those who had perfected flame magic could wield such power.
Being a Great Sorceress didn’t mean mastery over all elements. They maximized their potential in specific fields of exceptional talent, which was no exception for them. In fact, it suited the symbol of wisdom that a Great Sorceress embodied.
“…Where could it be?”
Seo Yong-gil muttered to himself.
He knew well that the only S-Class Great Sorceress currently in Korea did not specialize in fire magic. That meant the one responsible for this incident must be a foreigner.
“Team Leader.”
A staff member hurriedly approached, seeming finished with the list check.
“Speak.”
“There’s been no change. Currently, there is 1 S-Class Awakened Being in our country—Ikeda Wataru from Japan.”
“Hmm… got it.”
So it’s another unknown foreign S-Class Awakened Being. Wataru was completely unrelated to magic, so he couldn’t be the one.
This made figuring out who had caused this incident nearly impossible. The area had been completely devastated by Hellfire, and finding any clues would be incredibly hard.
‘Why did they use Hellfire?’
The obvious question arose.
Was it combat?
There wouldn’t be monsters appearing in a place like this, so was it another Awakened Being? Chances are, it would be another S-Class. If it were an Awakened Being below S-Class, they wouldn’t need to use such top-tier magic to handle it easily.
However, if it were a clash between S-Class Beings, there should be more signs of battle. S-Class Awakened Beings were not opponents that could be easily dealt with by just one casting of Hellfire. Moreover, if a fight had occurred, someone should have been injured, yet when the police checked for luminol reactions earlier, there weren’t any bloodstains around here.
Then what could it be?
A declaration of provocation against Korea?
But why in the wilderness?
The more he thought about it, the more his head throbbed without clarity.
If only there were witnesses… huh?
Suddenly, Team Leader Seo’s gaze shifted toward the villa across from him.
“Did the police check over there?”
“Well, I’m not sure. I heard something about it being locked….”
“Hmm, is that so? A locked door….”
Seo Yong-gil observed the villa closely. Indeed, all the lights were out. In that case, it would be natural for the door to be locked.
But something felt off; he couldn’t quite explain it.
Yet, his instincts were screaming with unease.
“Did anyone try ringing the bell?”
“I suppose they left it alone since there wasn’t any response?”
“Hmm… let’s head over there for now.”
Seo Yong-gil began walking toward the villa.
No response?
But he had a gut feeling that someone was inside. If so, perhaps there would be witnesses to this incident.
Following behind, the staff member looked at Seo Yong-gil with a puzzled expression.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Wound by a sword and Hellfire….”
A young woman furrowed her brows in deep thought.
It was Cheonbyeon.
She could guess to whom these seemingly contradictory cues pointed.
No way could that man be…?
[Someone’s coming, Cheonbyeon.]
The scarred man communicated via thought. Assassins needed a way to silently communicate with one another, hence it was basic for first-class assassins in Black Cross to use telepathy.
[How much longer until everything is perfectly sorted?]
Cheonbyeon inquired telepathically.
[Five more minutes, I think.]
[Really? Alright then. Stay hidden.]
[Understood.]
The man’s figure vanished into the darkness. It was a stealth technique pushed to its extremes.
Ding.
At that moment, the bell chimed.
Seo Yong-gil’s party had arrived at the villa’s front door. The bell rang, yet there was no sign of life inside.
Seo Yong-gil pressed the bell again.
But still, there was no response.
“Team Leader, there really doesn’t seem to be anyone here.”
The nearby staff member remarked.
Yet, Seo Yong-gil replied with a contemplative expression, considering something. Then he spoke up.
“I think we have to go in.”
“Uh? But we don’t have a search warrant? We can’t just barge into private property… Team Leader!”
But Seo Yong-gil had already jumped over the front gate. The staff member made a face of helplessness but soon followed, resigned to the situation.
The interior was quiet. All the lights were off, and only the moonlight streamed in through the darkness.
Is really no one here?
But…
Seo Yong-gil tilted his head in confusion.
Nevertheless, he walked toward the door leading inside the villa. Having come this far, he had to investigate. Just as he reached the front door and grabbed the handle to check if it was locked—
A sinister feeling brushed against him from behind.
“….”
Yet there wasn’t even a single rat. With a puzzled expression, he turned to face forward again just as—
Thud!
His consciousness abruptly cut off.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Ugh…”
“Congressman!”
Jang Hak-ki groaned as his aide Yu Hyun-soo rushed over.
“I’ve miscalculated… I’ve miscalculated….”
“Congressman?”
Seeing Jang Hak-ki’s condition, Yu Hyun-soo instinctively glanced toward where the correctional officer had been standing moments before. At that moment, the officer had left for the restroom.
Yu Hyun-soo moved closer to Jang Hak-ki.
“What do you mean?”
“Cancel it… cancel it immediately….”
“Excuse me?”
“Black Card… cancel it….”
“What? Cancel?”
Yu Hyun-soo’s eyes widened in shock. After arranging a murder contract, now he wanted to cancel it? It was utterly bewildering to him.
“Yeah… cancel….”
“..”
However, after pledging loyalty to Jang Hak-ki for over 20 years, Yu Hyun-soo didn’t dare to question his orders. That was the secret to surviving next to Jang Hak-ki for so long. Moreover, now, when communication with him was so tricky, asking too many questions would only irritate him further.
Just following his orders was the right move.
“Understood. I’ll take care of it right away.”
“And….”
“Yes.”
“I have to… go to the prison… I need to go to the prison….”
“Yes?”
“Prison….”
“How can you say that in this condition…?”
“Prison… right now… prison….”
Jang Hak-ki’s voice was desperate.