Chapter 19
DvhwKwak Hanmuk, Mo Haein, Samra, and the others looked quite similar to the image I had imagined from seeing their pixel sprites.0YG
wKmL2bI even found myself silently admiring how accurately the game had portrayed their features.3bJ
ThjvqgBut Je Hyuno was different.52pWnQZ
v92KPThroughout the entire game, he never showed his face.rwM
wMtMoHpNot even once did he remove his protective goggles.Eun7rd
yv3YvsAnd now, for the first time in both the game and reality, I was about to see at least part of his face.75tiX6Q
GmhHowever, Je Hyuno was completely different from how I had imagined him.LoIQKKq
5LtZro‘With that height and build, I thought he’d be a very handsome man, but…’0Si2u
kbL5KaBeneath thick eyelashes, a pair of narrow dark purple eyes stared directly at me.qbSHLA
wEAHis iris and pupil were different colors.ApD
jaHHis pupil was a metallic gold.oRj
fBuThat color, altered by the infection, made it clear that he was no longer completely human.sJhPL
n73aAs I stood frozen in surprise, Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein barely reacted.nco5
7991SyThey simply seemed to think.dAyx
nz4a0EA‘Huh, he actually took off his goggles today.’vzr
iwm83VThey had already seen his face many times.UvcJ
OznIt wasn’t anything new.qGYP
kcDXMkGI tried not to stare at him too intently.PrzL
b913kTfThen Je Hyuno’s eyes curved slightly.4Drm6ah
nu8yOnly then did I realize that I had unconsciously taken several steps closer.9xR0LUG
CLIDyKFI must have walked forward without realizing it just to get a better look at him.6meR
cqFY‘Since we’re already here, I wish he’d take off the gas mask too.’PZn
oKNIf we ever got along, I wanted to ask him to let me see his face.5xBoi
pMcA0“Recruit.”YuAP0m
ipbHgZNJe Hyuno’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.fNkb
bhR“What’s your name?”RcUj
tk9qlV“Han Goyo.”2QSY
lccF“Goyo.”XBcd
z2n6That deep, gravelly voice didn’t match the smiling expression in his eyes at all.7vD
SZvIt was as if two completely different people had been stitched together.C7r1u3v
69E“If you do it one more time, I’ll really kill you.”bK13
cJpA chill ran down my spine.wSxb2f
btyNh“I’m sorry.”NNRC9b
prMI apologized immediately.0Fn3j6n
wyoKwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein would probably think he was warning me for using him to eliminate zombies.r0FIV
WUrYBut I knew the truth.0URUZ
UpYJe Hyuno was talking about Zero.qefEqd
PnR‘He’s telling me never to pretend I know about that again.’uxSOA0W
ar5U6MAlthough he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Je Hyuno was the youngest team leader in the entire Trial Response Agency.zvuo
QtLFanPWhile Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein were both around thirty, he was only twenty-eight.tcv
7bsmOThe turning point that led to his impossible promotions was Zero.zmHY9
ocwbPuHe had already been an exceptionally promising soldier before then.PUu6SC
aTkSQxBut everything changed after he entered that Trial.mLYa
3qOrAfter becoming an Infected who retained his sanity, he became the Trial Response Agency’s most powerful weapon.XBTFkmc
4Lv7It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that South Korea survived the threat of national collapse thanks to Je Hyuno.6MRxi
vEQZyUThere were even Compatibles who voluntarily entered Zero, hoping to obtain the same power.GEzQB
6W8oD3None of them returned alive.DLKVfT
dtnvxJe Hyuno was the only survivor.v8mQ6r
YH57The Agency wanted to know how he had cleared that Trial.wSYrYO
zJCBut he never submitted a report.ABT2e
9dolLw0Not even Director Jang Seokyun could get a single word out of him.DbGY
6XxThey continued trying to gather information about Zero afterward.jeu5
RPPzYThen Je Hyuno started attacking anyone who mentioned that Trial in front of him.xK35
cfk1dhAfter a researcher from the Research Analysis Division was killed because of it, talking about Zero in front of Je Hyuno became a forbidden subject.Z9kvY
zARTo this day, the Trial Response Agency still had no idea what kind of Trial Zero was.gs5vM
7YsAnd I had just brought up that exact subject.pPJ
BXIZThough I also had something to say.IhgMUGY
Sy29ud“So… will you accept me as a member of the team?”PdZh
HLZIf anyone had tried to kill someone from the very first meeting, it had been Je Hyuno.5AM5VK
OcWqPvINo matter how violent he was toward Trials and Compatibles, he had never attacked an Agency soldier like that without reason.GA2ST
IwaInstead of answering whether he would stop trying to kill me, Je Hyuno turned his gaze toward Mo Haein.7cV6
fl1C3“Captain Mo. What’s this?”pra
f6T1AP“He’s a new recruit. Han Goyo. He’ll be with us for one month. Because of his special knowledge about Trials, the Director created a new Special Mission Team under his direct command.”LTrtvT
5Al“Hmm. Then I’m assigned to it as well.”F6holS
k1o5“That’s right.”D7ngwB
IPbMMo Haein paused briefly before adding as she looked directly at him,YQd
DD2Z“…He’s a member of the team, Lieutenant Colonel.”epiW
jUYJe Hyuno slowly closed his eyes and opened them again.4lma
u3dZKfN“Recruit Crazy Night closed the HAZPAC Trial. He possesses extensive knowledge about Trials. He’ll be useful to the team.”K7m
V5Eh6ZwKwak Hanmuk also spoke up, doing his best to convince him of my usefulness.pbzIM1
hL9While both captains were doing everything they could to defend me, I also sent a Message.kw5biY
Q0GcJShTrust me.c0TXF
jdJvQJe Hyuno’s eyes shifted toward the system window that had appeared before him.XnqP2Gj
0YosiDtThen he looked back at me.Nr0Ui
QrngBAn instinctive chill ran through my body.gdY
XMlkJe Hyuno still wanted to kill me.BEGSk
fydu1tI had no idea why he harbored such killing intent.1Zt0
anOPWBut at the same time, I was convinced he wouldn’t do it.IFPMZw
cXNcAt least not while we remained inside Dead Zone Delivery.1tt
rd0rzt5‘If he’d wanted to kill me, he would’ve done it already.’9MYbIl
gsrKThere was no way someone like Je Hyuno would remain immobilized just because he had rolled across the asphalt a little.mrJKk
1kyKyEven after my Restriction had stopped his last attack, he had had countless opportunities to tear my head off.pyu
h0YAnd yet he had left me alive.VmHpK
MDQROv‘Probably because he still doesn’t fully understand my abilities.’Vl4hojQ
8GQJe Hyuno didn’t know that my powers were still quite limited.AMP
PUNZrtHe only knew that I could display system windows and restrict his movements for a few seconds.TbL
KcssIt was only natural for him to imagine that I possessed far greater abilities.5Jl
fTJKIn fact, Execution did exist.snNIp
QcFNow that I had registered him, Je Hyuno’s life was literally in my hands.fi68fHF
Q1KsWThe silence between us began to stretch on.aaPDWX
jJjMo Haein started showing signs of unease.c9xKlfr
dhmbrONFinally, Je Hyuno spoke.CcUih
Tk8fp“Can you get the True Ending in this one too?”ABBh
EBYbThe meaning was obvious.tgFk9nS
AiOT3If I couldn’t prove my worth in Dead Zone Delivery, it wouldn’t matter that I could use system windows.9YPx2
ABsKlHe would eliminate me.tqyeuMx
sroThe truth was, I still didn’t know whether the True Ending was even possible anymore.ESG
YyPC0g‘But that’s my problem.’oA0Q
T5UcEEither way, if I wanted to keep my arms and legs, I’d have to make it possible, even if it seemed impossible.iF6lV
9UHI looked at him with determination.0I5
YjKe“I’ll do it. No matter what.”qKA4o0g
aHBvdI didn’t know what he found so amusing.e4WW
1L81BZ0But a smile appeared in his eyes.8OKtTRk
0w5uoPWith his eyes curved like a crescent moon, he suddenly said my name.cXkkn
2jdGuAO“Goyo.”8IPZ0i
Tf9YDI“Yes!”QA4Jlx
w0UAFj“You’re going to die young.”VFx4D
SB8a0“…Huh?”aWAjHn
f31WZV8After throwing out that completely unprovoked curse, he put his protective goggles back on.Cbbey
vCEQlGKwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein were speechless for a few seconds.OwxX
a9Vl70Finally, they protested on my behalf.sa4mdlU
kEoMC“But, Lieutenant Colonel, how can you say that to the team’s most valuable rookie? Goyo is only twenty-four years old! Twenty-four!”PnDdfO5
tKpZb7“Lieutenant Colonel, that was going too far.”6VKywBe
f8yAcNaturally, Je Hyuno didn’t respond.2U6PZr
xOBMInstead, an irritating emoticon appeared on his goggles.cSXtwf
bF1i> <7M1
3U1J3q0‘What does that emoticon mean this time…?’FMvEke
rKOC7NnIn the end, I decided to give up trying to interpret his emoticons.cxq
E8YFCIn any case, that wasn’t what mattered.b5OY
bVdMoq4Je Hyuno had finally joined the Special Mission Team!aGR13rC
I9HEBWith my heart overflowing with excitement, I looked at Je Hyuno, Mo Haein, and Kwak Hanmuk.HO8Al
GKQmLI never imagined that I would end up on the same team as the people I had always considered the best members of the Trial Response Agency while playing Archive.Ty5a
uBa4JPWEver since I became a System and had been living with the constant fear of losing my limbs, this was the happiest moment I had experienced.MgCSlWb
YSRZK“I look forward to working with you from now on, Lieutenant Colonel.”CjYC
iAPaI respectfully bowed to Je Hyuno.BfbMedU
dvOAt the same time, a small wish crossed my mind.w2bptA
XZUf4op‘Maybe someday I’ll get to meet my favorite character too.’Eee
dREfSI liked the Agency members, but my favorite character in Archive wasn’t part of the Trial Response Agency.VoE
vZBDKvcEven so, they were also a Compatible.FP6Hvq
LDXKSurely, we’d meet someday.paF
tNdOzOf course, first I had to survive an entire month without losing my arms or legs.VMGTH9
JvSAt that moment, the silence of the night was broken by the growls of zombies.ecof1
QGAThe remaining Dead Zombies seemed to have tracked our presence.8h9v
A157y“The jeep!”hy9aF
u40gKwak Hanmuk was the first to react.gs16mv
mFI“I’ll go hide the jeep.”bHFu
ulQ8xIt was far too valuable a means of transportation to use only once and abandon there.bfZT
uVCxA9But if they hid it poorly, the Dead Zombies would eventually destroy it.snj8
9ZS2wUnlike normal zombies, they possessed far greater destructive power.1X2Ph
S8cPLoThat was precisely why Dead Zone had become nothing more than a mountain of ruins.Ybin
56iLAt the very least, they’d have to drive the jeep all the way back to Red Zone to hide it safely.L9s
qJ6But then it would lose all usefulness as a vehicle.VGF
Bq2a“Captain Kwak. I think it’d take too long to move the jeep somewhere safe.”5hY
MpKVMXSI pointed at the roof of the laboratory.zfwrq3
CpXgU“How about leaving it on the rooftop?”MfluxK
H86Mo Haein gave me a look that clearly said.lpi3SHU
YiGtX5‘This crazy recruit is at it again.’KOXb7
mUkdvEven though she looked utterly incredulous, she still asked,cyaeWL
IOEN“And how do you plan to get it up there?”Taf
ba5K0fs“By flying.”ouNA1
X8MIA little later.590X
Wt9CLZ7We were successfully flying through the night sky.tJukx6a
tu0BoMore specifically, Je Hyuno was carrying the jeep through the air while Kwak Hanmuk, Mo Haein, and I sat inside it.rsK
AKJ2HEach beat of his metallic wings produced a cold metallic sound that served as background music.r7RZj
NHNSitting behind the wheel, Kwak Hanmuk rested his arm on the open window while calmly enjoying the flight.qOSo
GWf5fA“The Lieutenant Colonel is really convenient.”JNF
lwJHWtHe seemed completely satisfied with the performance of that unusual “aircraft.”PrCjQ
8MB“Captain Mo. How about making Big Brother Goyo the leader of the Special Mission Team? Then we could travel like this all the time.”7xTihn0
C1WzAs Kwak Hanmuk laughed and joked, Mo Haein still wore an expression of disbelief.KIOH
0TOZUShe still seemed unable to accept that we were flying inside a jeep.yvGt9
oWUE5oW“Stop talking nonsense, Captain Kwak. You’re making me want to bite you.”Lwmfiw6
adFysFShe wore articulated handcuffs around her wrists.cpo
iQNhIt was a precaution in case the infection suddenly made her aggression increase.qMMV
4NlsbeyShe also sat in the front passenger seat so she would always remain within Kwak Hanmuk’s field of vision.ehntm
wdsThanks to that, even though I was the youngest member of the team, I ended up sitting in the back seat.YlW
PNm4DAs I listened to the two of them bickering, I looked out the window.OzsniP
WrjuSrvBelow us, countless Dead Zombies had already surrounded the laboratory.fikX
3wWAd6Fortunately, none of them could climb onto the rooftop.eVRyAd
T2p‘Please let everything stay this way.’LMBKsnK
omzAIf we could quickly achieve the True Ending, everything would be perfect.GK3
sAWUzJe Hyuno circled the building once to judge the position.xJksrO
8pXJE9Then he carefully set the jeep down on the rooftop.g3wU
lQNmJlUThud.AgB
PRcWith a light jolt, the vehicle landed.krxysyX
csbBHSeveral Dead Zombies hidden in a corner of the roof lunged at us.C996ryl
1dTZe89But there wasn’t even any need to intervene.TgoK59M
A7tJe Hyuno finished them off in an instant.EoJV
ekU52aVAs Kwak Hanmuk removed Mo Haein’s handcuffs, a system window appeared.hDryDQL
bUH◆ Main Quest: Explore the laboratory and find the researcher who survived to develop the vaccine.HA4lin
hbBXYou have accomplished an incredible feat using an impossible method.rfyHW3
0KDIAlthough you have achieved the unimaginable, this is only the beginning.h48jsP
E6WYYou believe that if you find the researcher capable of developing the vaccine, there may still be new hope.FcTON6
lBJOzlHowever, there is no guarantee that everything will go well.gCnp4
pqiuk8PBecause too many things have already changed.Qh0ked4
UiWctFinding the researcher responsible for developing the vaccine had also been a mission in the game.htG58Hr
qndp7xAlthough the description was slightly different, the objective remained the same.ZfRm
NoCbII took a deep breath and began the briefing.BzMnvH
zXg9aU“As soon as we enter the laboratory, the first thing we—”KKMfm
H7A“Recruit, wait a moment.”Q0f9go
LVeEMo Haein interrupted me before I could continue.si8CL88
z0VJh“Have you fully recovered your hunger and thirst levels?”h8DGF
if1“Yes! They’re completely full now. I’ll be more careful from now on so it doesn’t happen again.”xuBVj
8tr“……”zZICFJV
rDrMo Haein frowned slightly.dux8iIl
kwu3hZoThen, all of a sudden, Kwak Hanmuk threw an arm around my shoulders.EApi8m1
PTGvI looked at him as he practically crushed me.oGJF9aE
Vshc“Listen. We take clearing Trials very seriously. Very, very seriously. But that doesn’t mean we’re heartless bastards.”EUK
MlG“Exactly, Recruit. You’re only a recruit. You haven’t even received official military training yet.”BNqp
XtYwMo Haein looked directly at me.xTWtJa
LilMlP“To be precise, right now you’re not even a soldier. You’re a civilian.”3tnd
XBBhbS“Ah… I’m sorry.”tuHeuA
k8GEmPRJust as I was about to step back, thinking I might have gone too far…4dI
U6A0qLfMo Haein took out a piece of cloth from somewhere, dampened it with water, and handed it to me.L2hlx
d4dzWhen I just stood there holding it without understanding, she pointed at my face.WhK5Nt
VhjPxOnly then did I realize.dBlf
l4hJSOkI wiped my face.RwG
p1qTXdThe cloth was completely soaked with blood.Wedb9
jMVtkMo Haein sighed before quietly saying,UB97c
EqVhvVM“…What I’m trying to tell you is to learn to take care of your physical condition while you’re doing all this.”jqof
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dihnblls 300
Golden Core👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
dihnblls 300
Golden Core👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
dihnblls 300
Golden Core👀👀👀👀👀👀👀