This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 482

Even after contemplating over and over, the doubts didn’t get resolved; instead, it felt like I was sinking deeper into a labyrinth of confusion.

Thanks to that, I had been racking my brain for a while, but soon I quickly shook my head and cleared out the fog that had settled in my mind.

And understandably so, because no matter how much I thought about it, it seemed like there wouldn’t be an answer this way.

Unless some hint was given, it would just be the same situation repeating itself.

In that sense, when Chae-rim’s Sister comes later, I think I should at least ask her about it.

If it’s Chae-rim’s Sister, she must know something.

It would definitely be more efficient to hear something from Chae-rim’s Sister first and then use that as the basis to continue guessing, rather than struggling alone like this.

Of course, there’s a possibility that Chae-rim’s Sister might not know much about it either… but honestly, how likely is that?

It wouldn’t be so easy to say it’s just a trivial matter, considering that with Yoonseo involved, it’s clearly not something trivial anymore.

Thus, if I ask her, I should be able to get some information.

‘I hope it’s not something too serious…’

Was it because I happened to have that thought?

Just when the idea crossed my mind, I suddenly thought about whether I should just call or text Yoonseo directly to ask, but I quickly shook my head.

My personal hope was for it not to be a situation like that, but if, by any chance, it really was a serious matter, reaching out might just interfere with Yoonseo.

Of course, if the situation is that serious, it’s likely she wouldn’t even receive any messages from me anyway.

So if I were to contact Yoonseo, it would definitely be better to do it at night rather than during the day when she’s busy.

No matter how serious the situation, it wouldn’t make sense to keep a Hero like Yoonseo, a valuable asset, occupied 24/7.

So, I decided to wait until night to make contact…

‘When will I get to see Chae-rim’s Sister…’

One thing was certain: it didn’t seem like it would be today.

There was no way around it since today was the day the Senior was visiting.

Tomorrow would be Bora’s visit.

Thus, if I wanted to naturally meet them, it meant waiting at least two more days.

Two days, huh.

‘Why not just ask over the phone…?’

Thinking it would be a way longer wait than I initially thought, I then wondered if that might be the better option, but ultimately decided against it.

After all, it wasn’t just Yoonseo who was busy.

Somehow, despite being away on a work trip, it was safe to say Chae-rim was the busiest among the four of us.

Even with Bora practically being in a state of being closed down, both Yoonseo and the Senior would invariably get a rest day after a tough mission.

In contrast, Chae-rim seemed to be working overtime like it was nothing, so I couldn’t risk being disruptive, even if I wanted to offer help.

‘How much work must she have…’

If Chae-rim had said that becoming the Association Chairman was one of her long-held dreams, one could say she might have regretted not just staying in the field.

Of course, it was just a common complaint, but the crucial part was that Chae-rim said it herself.

That means she was struggling with her current situation to that extent.

In that light, it would be nice if I could still look out for Chae-rim like before.

Adding my presence wouldn’t dramatically change the situation, but when it’s urgent, every extra hand counts, right?

It was just a pity that I couldn’t leave this hospital room due to the Association’s policy.

‘…But wait.’

Things might change a bit from now on.

Thinking back, it made sense that I had just been outside yesterday.

Even though I had Yoonseo with me, considering I hadn’t experienced any problems while walking around outside, it might be reported to the Association soon, which could mean some good news might be on the way.

Honestly, it didn’t seem impossible at all.

It was not like there was no hope… however, saying this did make me feel a bit strange, but as I was being pressured to continuously come up with countermeasures against the Monsterization phenomenon, my existence was a prime candidate for a propaganda tool.

You could say I was a living, breathing billboard, essentially.

After all, what was the reason the Association had previously isolated those who had turned into monsters?

It was due to the aggression they had displayed.

The reason they couldn’t act recklessly against those they had isolated might be because of the possibility that they could return to normal, and the unwavering belief of those who thought they would.

Continuing this isolation would cost a fortune, and if they classified them as Another and dealt with them quickly, even the public’s opinion toward the already crumbling Association could turn against them.

From the perspective of those leading the Association, it was indeed a catch-22, and they needed a solution to breakthrough the situation in any way possible.

In such a scenario, what kind of reaction would they have upon hearing about my existence?

Perhaps they would slap their knees and exclaim, ‘This is it!’

Without a doubt, that would be the case.

In a situation like this, my existence could answer both sides: those wanting to deal with the Monsterized individuals immediately and those who believed that there might be a way to revert them back to normal.

Given that managing the isolated individuals would cost a pretty penny, my presence could serve as the antithesis to those arguing for their prompt disposal, while for those whose acquaintances were Monsterized and opposed their extermination, my existence would prove their hopes.

Once my existence was announced, the Association would have no reason to keep me locked inside this hospital room.

After all, the more people witness a billboard, the more effective it becomes, right?

Yet, why keep such a thing confined only to this tiny hospital room?

It could only be seen as inefficient.

Thus, to utilize me effectively, the Association would have no choice but to lift some of the restrictions they had placed on me, and since they couldn’t just let me free without a plan, they would likely try to assign someone to keep an eye on me.

Ideally, they would assign someone capable of responding to any situation that might arise.

The moment that began to happen, Chae-rim wouldn’t just sit idly by; the situation would naturally lead to her being by my side.

‘If that happens…’

Then, I wouldn’t even need to ask Chae-rim about Yoonseo.

It would be hard, but once she was next to me, all the valuable information that couldn’t be found elsewhere would be pouring out from Chae-rim.

Thus, finding out about Yoonseo wouldn’t be hard at all.

‘Plus…’

If all goes well, I might also be able to gather information about exploring Heogye too.

What more could I ask for?

I was concerned that if I showed any interest, it might make me overly nervous, so in front of others—especially Chae-rim—I pretended not to be particularly interested, but in reality, I was anything but indifferent.

How could I possibly not care?

There was a chance they could find the solution to restore my left arm over there.

I had quite a bit of interest in that area, but since the exploration was being conducted in secrecy, the information I could gather was exceedingly limited.

At best, the only information I had procured was that certain supplies were being ordered in bulk, which hinted that an exploration would likely commence soon.

Thanks to this, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated…

But by being next to Chae-rim like before, perhaps this frustration would be somewhat relieved.

‘If that happens, honestly, I wouldn’t want anything more…’

Would that really become a reality…?

Perhaps it was because the situation was so chaotic.

I found it hard to be certain.