Chapter 56
Why am I pulling this man’s hair out?
No sooner had the question surfaced than an inexplicable rage pierced straight through the center of his chest, as if urging him to erase the thought at once.
“Ugh…!”
A fierce anger and a defiance hard to suppress. The heat that scorched his veins and lanced through his spinal cord left his vision swimming.
No, what had grown muddled was his reason. The things before his eyes were painfully clear.
So clear, in fact, that he wanted to smash them to pieces.
‘Annoying.’
A malice he could not understand boiled up inside him. Even with his teeth clenched, he couldn’t suppress the emotion surging within.
Like a boy in the throes of adolescence. Like a stupid rebel unable to control the hot blood rushing through him.
‘Right, a rebel.’
The instant that word came to mind, it felt as if someone had struck him in the head with a hammer.
“This is insane.”
The single thread of reason he had left caught hold of his mind as it was about to evaporate. His eyes flew wide open, like someone drenched in cold water.
“Ha…!”
At last, he began to understand what was happening.
This was definitely the effect of a skill. The Rebellion skill that had activated on its own just moments ago.
‘Cancel it. Cancel the skill!’
He had no time to go looking for some nemesis or whatever. His emotions and mind were running wild as if he’d been brainwashed, so what was he supposed to do after finding this nemesis?
Run at them with a stupid look on his face and throw a punch?
Han Chasu bit down on the tender flesh inside his mouth and repeatedly shouted for the skill to deactivate.
‘Deactivate the Rebellion skill!’
As if responding to his call, a system message appeared.
[ Warning! Your nemesis exists within a 10 m radius. ]
I don’t care. Grinding his teeth, Han Chasu drove his fist into the floor. If he left his hand free, he felt as though he might strangle the head of the development department.
‘Deactivate the skill, now!’
[ If the skill is deactivated, you will be unable to respond effectively to your nemesis. ]
[ Will you deactivate the skill “Rebellion”? ]
[ Y / N ]
You really are being disgustingly persistent to the very end.
Swallowing the blood running down his throat, Han Chasu clenched his teeth.
The moment his trembling fingertip reached into the air—
“——!”
His vision flickered.
And Han Chasu realized why the system window had clung so stubbornly and tried to stop him from deactivating the skill.
***
It had been a very long time since he had run wild like this under the sunlight.
“Aaaagh! Die, die already! You useless bastard, please just die!”
“Director, Director, where are you? A Class-1 Gate has burst open, Director!”
“You idiots, get a hold of yourselves! That’s a hallucination! It’s all fake!”
It had also been a long time since he had toyed with the Administration Bureau’s employees.
“It was good that I came today.”
Standing with his back to Han Chasu, Geum Myeonggyeol smiled in satisfaction. His eyes, catching the sunlight, glittered like jewels.
No matter how he thought about it, coming to see Han Chasu today had been a wise choice. Though he had been forced to drink down bowl after bowl of medicine airlifted from England for the sick visit, it had been a tolerable sort of pain.
Thanks to that, hadn’t he been able to enjoy such an entertaining experience?
“Hunter Geum Myeonggyeol, what on earth are you doing? We came here at the medical center director’s request. If you’re in your right mind, stop attacking us immediately and stand down!”
One of the hunters who had somehow avoided being cursed shouted at him. At the anger packed into that voice, Geum Myeonggyeol tilted his head.
“Mm… Sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re the ones who grabbed your weapons and charged at me out of nowhere, then fell over all by yourselves, aren’t you?”
“How can you say something so shameless…!”
The hunter holding a sword glared at him, trembling with rage. A rough energy dripped from the blade.
Geum Myeonggyeol smiled brightly and pointed at his feet.
“I’d rather not explain it with my own mouth, but I suppose I have no choice. Now, look closely. All I did was set a few traps so obvious they were practically boring.”
In truth, the traps Geum Myeonggyeol had laid were not particularly serious. Shadow traps that anyone with eyes could avoid.
It was not his fault that the Administration Bureau hunters had failed to notice them and had charged in like colts with their tails on fire.
“Really, who told you to rush in like a pack of dogs?”
“You…!”
The hunter ground his teeth and trembled. Geum Myeonggyeol let out a soft laugh and dusted off his hands.
“Still, thank you for informing me that I haven’t launched a proper attack yet. I was just getting bored.”
Screams erupted from here and there. From within the shadows of those who had not been cursed, the evil spirits that had been quietly hiding rose to their feet.
“Aaaagh!”
“Damn it, get lost, get away from me!”
“Everyone, get a grip and don’t break formation!”
Now then, how much longer can they hold out?
His eyes sparkled with pleasure as he watched the Administration Bureau hunters struggle desperately against the evil spirits.
‘Gi Taeyeon is fighting rather well, too.’
As soon as the medical center director appeared leading the Security Office, Gi Taeyeon had moved to the opposite side. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to fight alongside him or anything of the sort. It was probably because of Han Chasu.
‘Come to think of it, by now Han Chasu must have relieved as much stress as he wanted.’
Geum Myeonggyeol had toyed with the Security Office not simply for enjoyment. He had merely wanted, in the purest sense, to help Han Chasu.
“He has a rougher side than I expected.”
To think he would grab the development director by the hair the moment the Security Office appeared. Heh, heh. A low laugh slipped through Geum Myeonggyeol’s teeth.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t forget that scene. Those development department bastards standing there with their mouths hanging open, wondering what on earth was happening.
‘I thought he was only strong against S-ranks, but it seems that isn’t the case.’
Han Chasu might be far bolder than he had thought. No, should he say he was quick to assess the situation?
To immediately realize the tide might turn, change his attitude, and try to crush the other side beneath him. It was a shame in many ways that he was production-type.
‘If only his health were at least decent, I could have had him serve as a strategist for the raid team.’
What a pity. Truly a pity.
It was just as he was unconsciously continuing his thoughts as if Han Chasu were already one of his own.
“Damn it, my head…. Ugh.”
A faint voice leaked out from behind him. It was so quiet that it would never have been heard without listening carefully.
“Haa, ha…. Kh….”
“Mr. Han Chasu?”
“…….”
No answer came back. Instead, what brushed past his ears was the sound of a breath so thin it seemed about to snap.
Geum Myeonggyeol’s face hardened coldly. In his eyes, always so relaxed, there was no trace of laughter or indolence.
Whoosh!
Kiaaaaaaak!
The sound of the wind thrashing violently rang out, and the dark red curtain that had risen high into the sky scattered in all directions in an instant. They were the evil spirits that, at Geum Myeonggyeol’s command, had hidden Han Chasu beneath them.
At last, an unbelievable sight filled those sun-like eyes.
“Han Chasu!”
Urgency colored the voice that was always laced with cheer. That rough shout, heavy enough to press down on everyone present, seized the attention of Gi Taeyeon, who had been fighting in the distance.
‘Han Chasu? Did something happen to Han Chasu again?’
Gi Taeyeon quickly kicked between Director Gwak’s charging legs and turned his head.
The shout had come from the opposite side of the rooftop, where he had been with Han Chasu moments ago. It was the place where Geum Myeonggyeol had stood like a gatekeeper with his back to the barrier made of evil spirits.
After checking that spot, Gi Taeyeon spat out a curse as though chewing it.
“Damn it.”
He could see Geum Myeonggyeol hurriedly gathering up the unconscious Han Chasu. As though it was no mere fainting spell, his face was grave as he checked Han Chasu’s pulse.
“Where do you think you’re looking, Gi Taeyeon!”
“Ha… This is driving me crazy.”
Could it be that scraping away the remaining energy from his body earlier had been a mistake? But there had been no other choice.
If he had not removed all the energy remaining in Han Chasu’s body, then a few days later, he would have been found drowned in the lake in the courtyard.
‘I still haven’t removed it all. What am I supposed to do now?’
The look in his eyes as he gazed at Han Chasu was no less serious than Geum Myeonggyeol’s.
“Why do you keep glancing over th— Guh!”
Thud!
This won’t do.
After sending Director Gwak flying with a spinning back kick, Gi Taeyeon turned his head with calm eyes.
“Let’s call a truce.”
“…….”
“Let’s say I lost.”
One step away from where Director Gwak had crashed. Standing there without a sound, the medical center director glared at him. If he let his guard down even for a moment, the poisoned needles in her hand would probably strike his entire body.
But right now, a truce was necessary. Not for himself, but for Han Chasu.
“Someone is dying, isn’t he? And not just anyone. He’s someone very important to the Administration Bureau.”
At his words, spoken while jerking his chin toward the pale-faced man collapsed on the other side of the rooftop, the medical center director ground her teeth.
“Is that the attitude of someone surrendering?”
“Then what would you like me to do? Mm, should I kneel?”
How bothersome. With a sigh, Gi Taeyeon dropped to his knees just like that.
“There. I surrender. So please go save that poor patient now.”
At his shameless request, the medical center director’s eyebrows shot up toward the sky. Ha. Letting out a cold breath, she strode forward.
“Don’t treat me like some unethical doctor, you delinquent bastard. Even if you didn’t act like that, our medical center doesn’t pretend not to see the sick. Whether he’s someone important to the Administration Bureau or not, we don’t cast aside a patient once we’ve taken them in.”
Her icy rebuke fell over the kneeling Gi Taeyeon. Hm. Gi Taeyeon tilted his head as he watched the medical center director pass him by.
“I was showing sincerity in my own way.”
“Shut your mouth!”
Ssshaak—!
Dodging the poisoned needle that flew precisely toward his throat, Gi Taeyeon rose to his feet.
It was to clear away the Security Office bastards who still hadn’t come to their senses and open a path for the medical center director.
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