253 – The Nymphs and Hell’s Escapees #1
Gumihee could freely enter and exit the facility known as “Nansan Underground,” a place where even the usual pre-screening and entrance evaluations reportedly took months.
This was a perk of being an S-Rank Awakened.
A man in a black uniform, who had been waiting, approached Gumihee and extended his hand.
“Ms. Gumihee. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Gan Su-Hyun, the team leader of the guards at this Nansan Penitentiary. I was once a B-Rank Awakened. They used to call me ‘The Warden of Stillness.’ You might have heard of me….”
“This place is tidier than I expected. I thought a prison would be a lot scarier.”
The individuals imprisoned here were all considered dangerous monsters when set loose in society.
Gumihee slowly looked at the prisoners trapped behind transparent, ultra-hard acrylic panels with her sharp eyes.
Her fox-like, captivating gaze had a certain charm that could enchant any man, and this year’s 35-year-old unmarried male, Gan Su-Hyun, briefly lost himself staring at her face.
Gumihee asked him.
“Are all the people here locked up because they committed terrible crimes?”
“Yes. Most of them are lunatics. Awakened individuals often go berserk after their brains are affected by mana, isn’t that so? These guys are exactly the type of people who do that.”
“If even one of these people were to escape…it would surely be terrifying.”
Brrr-.
As Gumihee shivered, Gan Su-Hyun felt an urge to protect her as a man.
Of course, since he was a B-Rank Awakened and she was a reigning S-Rank, the idea of ‘protecting’ her was completely inappropriate.
Still, Gan Su-Hyun puffed up his chest and showed off his typical male bravado in front of the woman he admired.
“Don’t worry. It’s absolutely impossible for anyone in here to escape. Do you see those tubes connected to the Awakened? They’re filled with specially made drugs that render the inmates powerless.”
“Hooh-.”
“And these ultra-hard acrylic panels may look thin, but they can easily withstand even the firepower of most S-Rank individuals. This material is used exclusively in fifth-generation industrial power plants and this prison.”
“They can withstand S-Rank firepower? That’s impressive, yet it kind of hurts my pride, doesn’t it?”
Gumihee gave a small, interested smile and lifted the corner of her lips.
Soon, Team Leader Gan Su-Hyun joked.
“Would you like to give it a test? Haha, just a joke of course. Simply put, it’s that sturdy. And with competent guards like me monitoring the area 25 hours a day, you can completely rest assured.”
The conversation was a balanced mix of jokes and serious remarks.
It was true that no one could ever escape from the prison.
Gumihee, however, asked as if she had something on her mind.
“So, is it true that no one can enter the inside, beyond that acrylic wall?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Though in emergencies, including myself, the team leaders can approve entrance using the individual codes we each possess. But that hardly ever happens.”
“Wow, you really are reliable. You carry such an important mission. It must be thanks to team leaders like you who work hard in this dark underground that people can rest soundly, right?”
Swish.
Gumihee’s slender fingers adjusted Gan Su-Hyun’s uniform collar. Her delicate touch had the effect of making Gan Su-Hyun’s mind race from imagining a date to planning a wedding.
The tidiness of his attire was now complete.
Gan Su-Hyun, realizing this, regretted not having shaved more carefully and taken extra showers. He felt a slight embarrassment over his tired appearance after pulling an all-nighter on duty last night.
An awkward atmosphere grew.
Gan Su-Hyun nervously tapped his legs.
Then S-Rank Gumihee spoke.
“Team leader, I’ve heard that there’s one more level below these 50 floors, right? The underground 51st floor, the Level 0 Zone. Is that true?”
Lowering her head to look at the floor, Gumihee inquired.
“Yes, that’s right. That’s where we detain the extremely dangerous and terrifying criminals that not even this 50th floor can handle. If even one prisoner from the Level 0 Zone escaped, it would create a national level crisis.”
“Hooh…while we’re on the topic, I’d like to take a look at them. Could I go down to the 51st floor and just peek at the inmates?”
“Of course not. The 51st floor is a place where no one can enter without the VIP’s prior approval. Even as an S-Rank Awakened, Ms. Gumihee, I cannot allow you access there.”
“What if I ask really nicely?”
Gan Su-Hyun’s eyes gleamed brightly.
No man could escape her gaze, wet as if it carried the sparkle of jewels.
For Gan Su-Hyun, a 35-year-old lifelong bachelor, such an eye contact was fatally tempting.
The answer was already decided.
“I’m sorry, but no.”
At this firm reply, Gumihee’s expression subtly changed.
“You won’t let me?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll ask someone else.”
Before anything else, Gan Su-Hyun was a frontline protector and a duty-bound civil servant guarding the world. He wasn’t weak enough to engage in misconduct just because a woman asked him.
Because he was on the side that locked away and watched over those who violated the rules.
“Even if you ask my other colleagues, they won’t approve your request, Ms. Mihee.”
He was an elite, rigorously tested through daily psychological evaluations, combining thorough self-reflection with a strong sense of mission.
Such pride was also instilled in Gan Su-Hyun and the other guards.
“If you show me the 51st floor, I will take you on a date tonight. Depending on the situation, I might even offer you something more amazing…”
Gumihee’s soft, but distinct voice whispered into Gan Su-Hyun’s ear.
Even though his mind swayed for a moment due to this sweet temptation, Gan Su-Hyun soon laughed.
“Unfortunately, it seems fate has not brought me the chance for a date with someone like you. Our sightseeing tour has now come to an end, Ms. Gumihee. Please ascend back to the ground floor.”
Saying this, Team Leader Gan Su-Hyun turned to escort the visitor back to the ground floor.
Or rather, tried to turn around.
But Gan Su-Hyun noticed that his body would not move, not even a little.
Crack, crack, crack…
No matter how much force he exerted, his entire body was completely fixed in place, unable to move. He couldn’t even blink or emit a small sigh.
‘This sensation… it’s my own ‘Stillness’ ability. What on earth is…!’
Piiiiik, Piiiiik, Piiiiik-.
A loud alarm sounded through the 50th-floor prison.
This was the Code Zero warning sound.
It was the noise that rang when the three team leaders entered their code to deactivate the controls of all the Level 50 cells.
‘I’ve only heard this warning sound during training exercises. But this isn’t a drill—it’s a real situation!’
Gan Su-Hyun felt his hair standing on end.
He soon noticed strange figures standing next to Gumihee.
They were three shadows.
And, for some reason, one of them resembled Gan Su-Hyun’s own figure quite a lot.
Because that shadow figure was nervously tapping its legs, just like his habit.
It was exactly the same as Gan Su-Hyun’s.
“Team leader, no, Mr. Gan Su-Hyun. Unfortunately, I’ll have to go on that date with this version of you instead. And perhaps share something amazing with it too. Bye-bye.”
# # #
“Could Gumihee possibly be involved in this matter?”
At Lee Jin-A’s statement, I frowned.
After all, Gumihee was Korea’s new S-Rank Awakened.
A rising star.
A promising new force.
For such a person to be somehow linked to the disappearance of Lee Ji-Ho’s father?
That seemed quite far-fetched to say the least.
Lee Jin-A said.
“But how many individuals who can manipulate shadows exist? It’s an extremely rare ability within the Awakened world. If you had confronted her yourself, you would have known how unnerving her power truly is!”
Lee Jin-A mentioned that she clashed with Gumihee on the final night of the A-Rank Survival event and was utterly defeated.
She was attacked helplessly by Gumihee’s ability to manipulate shadows as if they were tangible matter.
It was quite a thought-provoking story.
I asked Lee Jin-A, who had directly engaged with Gumihee.
“I heard Ji-Ho’s father appeared in shadow form. Is there any possibility Gumihee can turn humans into shadows or, conversely, manipulate shadows to function like humans?”
“I don’t know.”
Lee Jin-A shook her head.
Not all Awakened abilities are fully documented in government databases.
After all, even I have hidden abilities like “Hyper Evolution” or “Justice Haildo Man Transformation,” akin to a joker card.
This suddenly made me curious.
“So, what if the S-Rank Gumihee really is involved in this case? What should we do?”
Lee Ji-Ho’s father was a civilian member of the Patriot team.
He was tasked with infiltrating villain groups and stealing information.
He disappeared during his last mission when he was meant to pass on some “important information” and was declared dead in the line of duty.
If that “important information” had any connection to Gumihee?
If the many mysteries surrounding Gumihee included colluding with villains or similar entities, possibly silencing Lee Ji-Ho’s father?
“The idea that Korea’s new S-Rank Awakened could be a villain is absurd.”
But haven’t I personally experienced such absurd fairy tales recently?
Thinking back, the fact that Gumihee was originally supported by the Osa Group was also slightly concerning.
The Osa Group was among the most uncontrollable factions within the Megacorps.
Uncooperative with the government.
With many secrets.
“Haildo, don’t rashly interrogate or confront Gumihee. We don’t know what new abilities she might have awakened after reaching S-Rank. The ability to create human form shadows might be one of them.”
S-Rank individuals were superhumans who transcended limits and broke through barriers.
Most of them possessed something akin to “fatal techniques” that defied human comprehension.
Gumihee’s ultimate skill remained a complete unknown.
Jin-A’s opinion that a careless approach could lead to terrifying consequences was extremely valid.
Piiiiiiiiik-.
At that moment, our cell phones both rang simultaneously.
It was the Awakened Alert call as well as a national emergency broadcast.
“A large-scale riot has broken out at the Nansan Underground Penitentiary! Assistance needed!”
