Chapter 173

Whack—!

"Yeeoowch!"

With a ridiculous yelp, the man toppled over.

A suffocating silence.

Shocked eyes swung all at once to Hayun.

"Hayun? That just now — was that telekinesis…?"

"I-I'll ekshplain later! F-firsht, the Direektuh!"

At Sea-ah's flustered question, Hayun — as if caught out — dodged her eyes and blurted out, urgent:

Only then did Inho snap out of it and snap Hayun's chains, while Kang Taemin sprang up and tore the steel net apart like paper.

Sea-ah and Cha Yul deftly caught Hajun and Suho as they fell from midair, and Kang Taemin scooped the unconscious Director firmly into his arms and touched down.

From the Director's tightly shut eyes, blood-red tears were still trickling.

"Pulse is weak. We need to treat him, fast…"

Just as Kang Taemin urgently called out, face hard —

Beyond the torn-open side of the ship, cutting through the thick sea fog, a chirpy voice utterly at odds with the dire situation rang out.

[Ah, ah! Mic check! Surprise! Directorrr~ Where are you? Ma Dohee is here to save you!]

"…"

On a coast guard patrol boat that had pulled up beyond the ruptured hull. Right at its center, a white-haired woman with a loudspeaker was waving cheerfully.

[We rescued the boy! I've come to save you too, Director, so don't you worry~!]

At the chirpy, tone-deaf voice — a total misread of the room — the kids' brows knit as one.

"That woman — I really don't like her."

Ignoring the kids' grumbling, Kang Taemin silently adjusted his grip on the Director and pulled a black radio from his bloody coat.

"…We've rescued the girl too. But the Director is injured."

[Wh-what?! What did you say?! How bad? Where?! It's not his brain, is it? That can't happen! D-doctor! No — a healer! Get a top-grade healer standing by right now!!!]

Ma Dohee's panicked scream came through the radio, loud enough to split eardrums.

[I'm bringing a lifeboat right up alongside the ship — bring the Director straight over!]

The transmission cut, and everyone hurried toward the ruptured hull.

But then —

"You go on ahead."

Cha Yul, at the very back, came to a dead stop, and his voice dropped, cool.

"What? Why? Why aren't you coming, oppa?"

Sea-ah asked, eyes round.

Cha Yul looked back and forth between the blood-soaked Director and Hayun's pale face — held tight against Sea-ah's chest — and then spoke, flat.

"Got something left to take care of."

Cha Yul turned his head and looked squarely at Inho beside him.

"Hey. Hit me with the hardest punch you've got. One shot."

"Huh? What kind of crazy talk is that? You joking? I hit you at full power and you'll get hurt!"

At Inho jumping back in refusal, Cha Yul curled the corner of his mouth up and let a scoff slip out, incredulous.

"Get hurt? Me?"

The instant Inho caught that arrogant sneer, a vein popped hard on his brow.

"You cocky little brat — ha, don't come crying later when your bones are in pieces!"

"Skip the chatter and hit me."

Under Cha Yul's firm, cool stare, Inho finally clicked his tongue, rough.

Then, with a sharp motor whine — vrooom! — his huge fist came down on Cha Yul's stomach like lightning.

Thud—!

But instead of being flung back, Cha Yul soaked up every scrap of Inho's massive energy like a sponge, eyes glinting.

"Wh-what?! Why isn't my attack—!"

His all-out strike landing on nothing, Inho stared, dumbstruck.

"That'll do."

Enough mana banked, Cha Yul lightly shook out his hand and jerked his chin.

"Everyone out. And tell them to keep some distance from here."

Not understanding why, the group nodded, thrown.

Kang Taemin, still cradling the unconscious Director firmly against him, jumped down without hesitation.

Inho with Hajun and Suho slung over his shoulders, and Sea-ah with Hayun in her arms, likewise cut through the air one after another.

For an ordinary person, it was a drop that would have shattered bone — but as Awakened, they cut through the crashing waves and touched down on the lifeboat, soundless.

Alone on the ship, Cha Yul waited until he'd confirmed their landing, then turned and made his way up in silence to the freighter's highest deck.

Black hair whipping in the rough sea wind, he stood at the railing, gaze dropping to the vast fall below.

At the far end of that gaze — the blood-soaked, blond-haired man.

"…Total mess every time. Infuriating."

The low mutter had barely scattered into the sound of the waves —

Bang—!

Along with the massive kickback of the deck caving in under him, Cha Yul's body was launched vertically into the night sky, defying gravity.

A cool silhouette shot up into the night sky — and for a moment eclipsed the huge full moon.

Suspended in midair, Cha Yul compressed every scrap of the mana absorbed from Inho and his own energy to the limit, and drove it straight down into the freighter.

KRA-KOOOM—!

A column of deep-blue energy poured down like a lightning strike and struck the exact center of the ship.

Along with an ear-splitting explosion, the massive tens-of-thousands-of-tons freighter split cleanly in half and shattered, helpless.

A soaring pillar of flame and shredded steel lit the night sea like broad daylight.

"……!!!!"

The coast guard on the lifeboat and the kids stood mouths agape, and even Inho gave an involuntary shudder at the overwhelming force.

"Th-that crazy monster of a brat…!"

Whoosh—!

Leaving the dazzling firework behind him, Cha Yul pushed off the air and leapt again — traced a smooth arc — and touched down lightly on the lifeboat.

"…Get moving."

At the offhand line tossed out like it was nothing, the dumbstruck helmsman started and hurriedly turned the wheel.

Leaving the wreckage of the split, sinking freighter behind, the lifeboat cut through the pitch-black sea toward the port.

After sending the group off, Ma Dohee, back at the shattered wreck of the ship, let out a short sigh.

"Haah… knew it would go like this."

In a corner of the steel plating where acrid smoke was drifting.

There, the red-eyed masked man was slumped on the deck, blank.

Not dead, not unconscious.

Just staring into empty air with unfocused, murky eyes — not so much as twitching, like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Honestly… what on earth happened here. No way anyone took this monster down by force."

Clicking her tongue, Ma Dohee walked up and unceremoniously stripped the mask off him.

Studying the face beneath with cool detachment, a chill little smile spread at her mouth.

"Guess I'll have to poke around in his brain and rummage through his memories. Ha, the bastard'd say 'serves him right' if he saw this."

Tapping the man's frozen puppet-cheek, she stood and irritably dusted ash off her clothes.

The chirpy woman from before, kicking up a fuss calling for the Director, was nowhere to be seen.

"Ugh, so annoying! I wanted to be at the Director's bedside, and instead I have to repair a broken doll!"

After grumbling on for a while, Ma Dohee gave up and clamped a hand around the man's thick arm.

"Let's go, broken toy. Time to see what fixing you'll cost."

Whoosh—!

A bizarre black mana array rose soundlessly under their feet and swallowed the two of them like a huge snake.

Soon, on the burning wreckage where only the cold sound of waves remained, not a trace of them was left.

"Haah…"

In the quiet infirmary, Lee Jinwoo's and Han Soeun's heavy sighs went up together.

"Hey, Number One."

"What."

"This isn't the kind of thing a so-called scientist should say, but…"

"But what?"

"…You wouldn't happen to know a legit shaman? Feels like we ought to hold a proper big ritual for the Director."

At Han Soeun's groan as she pressed her temples, Lee Jinwoo nodded, gloomy.

"…I think one of the M.A.D.E kids came from a shaman family. I'll ask later."

"Right."

"…"

"…"

"Haaah…"

As if by agreement, the two of them sighed heavily again.

Han Soeun looked over at Chae Junhyeok, lying on the bed in the distance.

Thanks to Suho's healing and the healing tank, his external injuries had closed cleanly, but he'd been out cold for a full week now.

"Maybe the Director's secret hobby is self-harm and we just didn't know? Every single time he goes out he comes back a rag."

"Ha… could be…"

Lee Jinwoo let out a hollow laugh, eyes unfocused.

"Good thing we moved buildings, at least. Otherwise we couldn't even get into the place with all the reporters."

"Well… it's quiet here, but… it's chaos outside."

The news that had been plastering every screen for days flashed through Lee Jinwoo's mind.

The whole racket had started with none other than the District Seven Police Chief's briefing.

[The complete takedown of this large-scale human trafficking ring is a triumph brought about by Deputy Guild Master Chae Junhyeok's devotion and the swift response of our police force…!]

A cheap move — hoisting Chae Junhyeok up while sneaking their own credit in on the side.

But thanks to it, Korea right now was caught in an enormous frenzy over the name 'Chae Junhyeok.'

Just who is Chae Junhyeok, seriously?

3 posts

IsThisEvenReal?: What is this guy, actually? Blows the lid off all the institute's corruption, gets his guild's members within reach of a secondary awakening, and now he takes down a trafficking ring? On top of that, word on the tabloids is he pounds most Awakened into the dirt. Is this even real?

HunterHopeful: Write a web novel MC like this and readers roast you for zero plausibility;; personality + brains + power all maxed out — that kind of munchkin cheat character doesn't exist in real life. Plus he's a born diamond spoon so his money's maxed too, sheesh

JustPassingBy: Honestly I've seen him on the news so much lately he feels like the guy next door;; catch is every appearance is a heartwarming story or good-news piece so there's nothing to hate on;;

If you had to describe Chae Junhyeok to the public in one line right now, it went like this.

Everyone's favorite. The nation's son.

The ideal any guild leader should aspire to.

Buoyed by that reputation, guild applications had likewise gone through the roof.

The administrative-staff posting they'd put up only three weeks ago had boasted a mind-boggling 1,000:1 ratio, with talent of every stripe flocking in in droves.

The industry-best compensation was a big part of it, but more than half of the personal statements were packed with a manic devotion — 'I want to serve at Deputy Guild Master Chae Junhyeok's side.'

"Haah… what's the point of exploding popularity outside. Meanwhile the Director's lying there like a corpse. And on top of that…"

Their two heavy gazes swung to the bed.

There, stuck to the unconscious Director like glue, the kids had filled every last gap.

Suho and the twins had wormed under the Director's arms and pressed their bodies close to him like blankets, and Sihyeok was curled up in the Director's dark shadow, still, breath held.

By the bed, Sea-ah had pulled a chair right up close and was quietly turning pages, and beside her Cha Yul was working out in silence, dripping sweat.

Normally, they'd have stayed in the Sunshine Room and come tearing over the moment the Director woke up.

But this time the shock had clearly cut deep — they'd flatly refused to go back to their room at all and had planted themselves in the sickroom, immovable.

"The kids have been like this for seven days straight. What do we do if they collapse next?"

"Don't jinx it. The kids go down, and the Director — who just barely woke up — will clutch the back of his neck and keel right over again."

Just as Lee Jinwoo and Han Soeun were murmuring to each other, swallowing sighs —

Suho's small body — pressed to the Director's right side — sprang up like a coiled spring.

"Just now…! The Director's body moved just now!!"

"What?!"

At that one small shout, the air in the sickroom lurched as if it had exploded.

Sihyeok shot out of the shadow, Sea-ah flung down the thick Advanced Mana Control Theory she'd been reading, and Cha Yul — mid-push-up in the corner — sprang to his feet.

Kang Taemin, standing guard like a statue at the head of the bed, and Lee Jinwoo and Han Soeun at the door — all crowded around the bed in a heartbeat, startled.

"Really?! Did he really move?!"

At the moment the kids and the group crowded around the bed, breath held, looking down at Chae Junhyeok together —

"Nnghh…"

With a cracked voice, the Director pushed himself up, laboring for it.

"……!"

"Director!!!!"

"Direektuhhhh!!!"

Along with cries of joy, an unrestrained hugging assault from the kids poured in all at once.

The Director, who had barely gotten upright, tipped straight back onto the mattress three seconds later.

"Whaaaah! Direektuh! Why'd you take sho long to wake uup…!"

"Thank god, hic, really, thank god…"

As always, the sickroom turned into a sea of tears.

The kids burrowed into the Director's chest and wailed, and the Director, still on his back, patted them warmly.

"Shh, all right, stop crying. Your eyes are going to swell up. I'm perfectly fine, I said."

Lee Jinwoo and Han Soeun, wiping the corners of their eyes at the touching scene, were on the verge of speaking —

"But why is it so dark in here? The kids'll trip. Someone turn a light on."

"…Sorry?"

Under the fluorescent lights blazing overhead, bright as noon, the air in the sickroom went ice-cold.