250 – Awakened of Namsan #2
“No matter how much I interrogate him, he just won’t speak. I even tried a more aggressive approach, but it was useless.”
Seo Ye-rim, the president’s daughter and an S Rank Awakened, sighed as she looked at Kang Cheol-Min on the monitor.
Kang Cheol-Min, a first-generation Awakened, was said to be a member of a team known as the “Patriots,” executing all sorts of illegal black operations.
However, he was also responsible for the ‘Seo Ye-rim Disappearance Incident’ that happened not long ago, and because of that, he was confined to “Level 0” on the 51st floor of Namsan.
Why on earth did Kang Cheol-Min, who was working for the country, commit such an act?
Many were curious, but Kang Cheol-Min reportedly remained silent.
“That bastard Kang Cheol-Min will never speak under interrogation or torture. He has always been number one in endurance training for torture. He’s a truly vile person.”
I was someone who knew Kang Cheol-Min quite well.
That must be why the government called me to this prison.
“Is it possible for you to make him talk, Il-do? We have so many questions to ask him—why he suddenly did such a thing, who he’s colluding with, what his objectives are, and more.”
“I’ll try as much as I can. But don’t expect too much.”
I looked at Inoi.
If there was a nymph Inoi, dealing with the bound villains would be easy.
Once the nymphs started hitting him, Kang Cheol-Min would spill everything.
Whoosh—.
As the door opened, a cool breeze shot toward my face.
I stepped into a room covered entirely in white cushions with Inoi.
“Is that a mummy?”
I asked Kang Cheol-Min first.
He was bound up in white clothing, looking just like a mummy.
Then Kang Cheol-Min replied.
“At times like this, you ought to be asking if I’m Hannibal Lecter. Anyone would see I’m looking like Hannibal right now.”
“You said you wouldn’t say a word, yet here you are talking away.”
“That’s because you’re always saying something dumb.”
Kang Cheol-Min laughed with a “heh heh heh.”
I went straight to the point and asked him.
“Why did you do that? Do you know how much I suffered because you isolated us on that deserted island? You’ve always been reckless, but isn’t there a line you shouldn’t cross?”
“……”
Kang Cheol-Min kept his mouth shut.
Is he planning to avoid answering questions that put him at a disadvantage?
I expected this behavior from him, so I nodded at Inoi.
Then Inoi clenched his fists and shouted.
“Nymphs’ fists have the effect of clearing the twisted hearts of wicked people like water…! Especially for me, Inoi, the top nymph…! The effect must be at its peak…!”
Thud thud thud thud thud thud—.
The blast of the top nymph’s “Nymph Technique, Beatdown.”
Most villains cannot endure even a single second and scream “Aaaah~” in repentance.
Kang Cheol-Min was no exception.
“Aaaah~.”
“Now, hurry up and tell the truth.”
“─Did you think I would say it?”
“What?”
I was astonished.
Kang Cheol-Min showed no reaction even to “Nymph Technique, Beatdown”?
Inoi also seemed startled.
“This is the first time for me…! All villains are supposed to be weak against nymphs’ fists…! That’s the rule of the world…! Nymphs are strong against dragons and villains…!”
Fairies had an advantage against dragons and villains.
And since they used special martial arts like Nymphu, they displayed overwhelming superiority against fighters.
But it seemed Kang Cheol-Min was unfazed even by Inoi’s fists.
Is it because his name is Kang Cheol-Min?
Is he a Steel type, making him resistant to Fairy types?
For a moment, I thought it was a ridiculous joke, but upon reflection, it was entirely plausible.
Kang Cheol-Min is not a villain─.
That conclusion formed in my mind.
“Kang Cheol-Min, are you saying you’re not a villain?”
“What a foolish question. Haildo, rather, I want to ask you something. Why did you leave the island? You could have just lived happily with the women on that deserted island. But now it’s too late for that.”
Kang Cheol-Min turned his head, saying something I couldn’t understand.
He seemed to be looking at the CCTV installed in the room.
“Haildo, that receiver on you is monitoring all our conversations, isn’t it? I know a lot about interrogations. Turn it off. Then I’ll tell you what I know, and you can also let the nymph go.”
He wants to have a private conversation.
I sent Inoi out and turned off the receiver.
Now only Kang Cheol-Min and I remained in this small room.
Shortly after, Kang Cheol-Min spoke.
“You’ve got guts. What will you do when I overpower you and escape?”
“Kang Cheol-Min, you can’t defeat me.”
“What do you mean? Don’t you remember that I had a higher winning rate against you? Do you not recall how you got defeated in that 1:1 duel and were frustrated about it?”
“I seem to recall winning more often. You were the second best.”
“Haildo, maybe it’s because you’re getting older, but it seems your memory is fading. Anyway, I don’t want to have a long discussion with you. I’ll get right to the point. There isn’t much time left.”
“There isn’t much time?”
“A strong Awakened causes a strong rift—. Even someone weak like you, Haildo, should know this basic rule. And right now, I must say that strong Awakened are honestly in saturation.”
“Saturation?”
“Sudden autumn snow, unusually hot summers. Abnormal temperatures. Anomalous rifts occurring frequently lately. You wouldn’t think that’s just coincidence. Soon, something unmanageable will break out.”
“Are you saying that a danger beyond T-class rifts is coming?”
“I don’t know. But if S Rankers keep increasing like this, something unimaginable will happen. The current president and corporations won’t be able to stop it.”
I began to understand why Kang Cheol-Min had trapped Seo Ye-rim on the deserted island.
It was to reduce the number of S Rankers roaming around the world.
A very ignorant method.
“Haildo, you know the world is different from fairy tales. Sometimes, to save the many, sacrifices must be made. Someone has to bear the burden.”
Kang Cheol-Min seemed to have firmly wrapped himself in a barrier of his own justice.
In a sense, his argument was right.
There are many situations where it is necessary to sacrifice the minority for the happiness of the absolute majority.
Of course, I disagreed.
“I don’t think that way. There must be a way for the overwhelming majority to be safe and happy without sacrificing anyone.”
“Haildo, your idealism exhausts me even more than non-stop torture. You’ve always been like this. Our opinions have always run parallel. Just wait and see. I’ll be proven right.”
“Proven right? Before you preach about the greater good or justice, take care of your own mother first. You ungrateful brat. She raised you well as her only son, and now you’re locked up in a prison. I’m sure she must be thrilled.”
“…….”
Kang Cheol-Min completely shut his mouth now.
Even when I tried to speak to him again, he refused to answer and just closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep.
I had won this debate.
# # #
“The saturation of S Rankers…? So that’s why such things…”
S Ranker Cha Yura nodded at the information I gathered from Kang Cheol-Min.
She seemed impressed, as if she were in awe.
“It was indeed the right choice to call you, Il-do. You two were quite close, right? I’m a third-generation Awakened, so I haven’t seen the two in the training camp myself. I heard you were close friends.”
“That was the case back then. Now our positions have changed like this.”
I looked back at the monitor showing the cell where Kang Cheol-Min was confined.
What a foolish guy.
Cha Yura asked me.
“So, what do you think, Il-do? Do you really think there’s a connection between the increasing S Rankers and the arising unmanageable situations? Do you truly believe that?”
“Well….”
I found myself unable to give a clear answer.
As Kang Cheol-Min pointed out, I was weak in theoretical matters.
But I could say this much for sure.
“Even though that bastard Kang Cheol-Min looks all muscular and intimidating, he’s actually a soft-hearted and fearful guy. It’s laughable that he doesn’t cultivate his power because he’s afraid of the future.”
In fact, it should have been the opposite.
If problems arise that S Rankers cannot solve, wouldn’t increasing one’s power to surpass even S Rankers be the answer?
It was said that a weak body often leads to a troubled mind.
If you cannot solve problems due to a lack of strength, then you should just cultivate more strength.
I knew better than anyone that after struggling as a D Rank, progressing to A Rank naturally solved many of my problems.
Overwhelming strength.
That was the ultimate answer to a hundred questions.
“Oh, by the way, the rift that appeared in your well will be handled by Ye-rim this week. I believe both you and Jin-ah will be participating.”
“Oh, is that so? I thought it would take longer, but it seems the paperwork was processed faster than I expected.”
“I’m Cha Yura, after all. Everything goes smoothly when I’m involved.”
Cha Yura said this proudly, puffing out her chest.
She resembled those nymphs who loved to brag about themselves.
Honorary nymph indeed.
She was truly turning more into a nymph.
I exited Namsan, guided by Cha Yura.
As we left, I noticed a child standing at the entrance of the Namsan facility, holding a small squirrel beast.
Was he an elementary school student?
A little boy holding a young squirrel beast.
Cha Yura greeted him.
“Oh, Ji-ho is here again.”
“Who is that? Do you know him?”
“He’s the child of an intelligence team member, and he comes here every day asking to return his father.”
“What happened to his father?”
“Well… that’s a regrettable matter. But it seems the children took it too hard to accept. The ‘Patriot Team’ has always been short-staffed. The B Team Leader just quit… So the remaining agents always have to deal with more tasks, resulting in a vicious cycle.”
Those black ops agents engaged in dangerous work always face a shortage of manpower.
“Il-do, since there are quite a few vacancies due to this incident, have you thought about working for the government? If you join, I think you could start right at the team leader level.”
Me, working as a government agent?
Cha Yura added an explanation.
“It seems there will be a significant reorganization this time. They plan to pull everything out from the shadows into the light. They would want to have a reformative and symbolic figure during that period—someone who can gain the public’s trust. I believe you would be the perfect fit…”
“As a legendary figure, I may indeed be a symbol of trust. But….”
I pondered for a moment.
It was a good opportunity to serve the country and its people.
There would surely be many benefits as well.
But with that would also come more obligations and restrictions.
“I’ll have to think about it.”
As I gave a vague reply, Cha Yura produced a badge-like item from her possession and handed it to me.
It was a brooch in the shape of a hibiscus.
“Then for now, please consider yourself an honorary agent. With this, you can access most government facilities as a VIP.”
Oh—.
This was a government facility access pass, meaning I wouldn’t have to wait in line or take a number to be served.
What a nice token of appreciation.
I carefully placed the hibiscus badge into my pocket and looked back at the little boy standing at the entrance, clutching his squirrel beast.
As our gazes met, he seemed to have noticed and approached me. His hair looked unkempt, as if he hadn’t washed it for days.
“Are you the Haildo of the squirrel beast!”
The little boy came closer.
I shook my head.
“That’s true, but I’m not just an uncle. Call me Legendary Haildo.”
“I want to be strong like you! Tell me! How can I become strong!”
—Bang…!
The boy squeezed the squirrel beast even tighter in his arms.
His eyes were filled with a burning desire.
It was a pure longing for power, and I recognized that kind of look well.
“I want to be strong like you! So I can fight against the bad guys…!”
He wants to be strong like me.
He has discerning eyes for a kid.
“Are you saying you want to become my subordinate?”
