Chapter 14: The House in the Sky (2)
02:30 a.m. at Museong Mountain, Gongju City.
"Where on earth do you think they got their hands on this?" a Hunter from Shine Guild quietly muttered.
The other Hunters nodded questioningly as they looked at the piece of parchment held by the team leader.
[Teleportation Restriction Scroll]
Description: Scatters the surrounding mana to prevent teleportation magic skills
Range: 300 meters in front of caster
This kind of scroll could only be obtained at Gates associated with magic. Within such Gates, some Awakened had even met magicians and learned magic directly from them.
The 3rd Circle was the highest level achievable, as far as anyone knew. Not even Awakened magicians could use wide-area magic, let alone teleportation magic. Therefore, possessing this scroll meant that one had access to a magic-related Gate.
"Team leader."
The team leader gave a delayed response, still staring at the sealed scroll with the other Hunters. "What is it?"
"How many of these scrolls were there again?"
"Nine."
Kim Ki-Rok had given nine sealed scrolls to the Hunter team from Shine Guild. This very team had set up a blockade to prevent the Awakened criminals from escaping.
"Magic-related Gates are rare," one of the Hunters muttered in disbelief. "This was from DG Guild, right?"
"Yup," affirmed the team leader.
"Impressive."
Inhibition scrolls were sold at very high prices. Although these items were single-use, they could facilitate powerful abilities and only required small amounts of mana to activate. Despite that, no one suggested, "Let's stash it away without using it."
"To think that this sort of thing is being used just to eradicate Awakened criminals. Or perhaps, it's precisely because they were meant for eradicating Awakened criminals that we can use it."
The goal of this operation was to capture Awakened criminals who had conducted human experiments on children. Kim Ki-Rok had handed out these scrolls for free so that they could, as he put it, "eradicate those $&@%!#& %@$!@&#$ who had given up humanity." Stealing the scrolls would be akin to giving up one's humanity.
***
2:59 a.m.
Kim Ki-Rok twisted his body back and forth. "One, two, one, two."
He had explained the operation several times verbatim. He had even contacted each team to ensure they understood the operation correctly.
"Let's see..." Kim Ki-Rok mumbled.
Lee Yeon-Hwa was an S-Class Hunter, so Mirror wouldn't work on her. Baek Su-Wang, no, Baek Min-Hyuk, was the only Awakened suitable to copy stats from. Although he was technically still an A-Class Hunter, through his ability enhancement, Baek Min-Hyuk had strength stats comparable to those of an S-Class Hunter.
But not now...
Mirror would last for ten minutes, and the cooldown for this ability was twenty-four hours. He had to be patient.
"Let's go rescue the children."
On Kim Ki-Rok's command, the Hunters surrounding the House in the Sky revealed themselves. They swiftly converged on the orphanage, while those stationed on the rooftop scattered in all directions to prepare for any contingencies.
"Miss Ji-Yeon."
"Yes, Guildmaster."
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
Kim Ki-Rok turned his head and checked on Lee Ji-Yeon for a moment, then smiled and faced forward. "Then let's start moving as well."
***
When the child lifted her head, she could see a tiny window. Turning to the side, she saw a sturdy iron grille come into view. As she slowly raised her hand along her neck, she could feel the cold touch of metal.
This was fine.
Unlike the old house, she could see the sky from here. Grandfather and his men did not beat her or hurt her. They even gave her food. Although she felt some teeth marks on the food before she had even taken a bite, it wasn't food that made her feel sick, so all was fine.
However, she regretted not being able to play with the friends she occasionally saw through the window.
It was fine, though, because it didn't hurt being here. Now, she had to fall asleep quickly if she wanted to see her friends tomorrow...
Creeak.
***
A decently-sized group of ten Hunters were in charge of storming the House in the Sky.
Because the hideouts were disguised as orphanages, only two Awakened criminals had been stationed in each orphanage. There were at most four Awakened in the more crowded ones. Ten Hunters were more than enough to deal with that.
Creeak!
"A warehouse?" Lee Ji-Yeon wondered.
As the Hunters from Shine Guild were capturing the few Awakened criminals and bringing the children to safety, Kim Ki-Rok leisurely headed toward the kitchen. "Wait a moment."
"Ah, right." After briefly gazing into the darkness below, Lee Ji-Yeon stopped at Kim Ki-Rok's call and turned to him. "But Guildmaster."
"Yes?"
"This place is..."
"It's where they held their first victim."
No further explanation was needed.
The first victim.
"You said that the experiments haven't started yet," she questioned.
Kim Ki-Rok had mentioned this before, which is why everyone had waited so patiently. But now, there had been a "first victim?"
"Before they had considered using an orphanage, the criminals conducted various experiments in the main building to study psychic abilities. This child was one of the first to be subjected to that experiment."
This was the first victim of the infected mana stone.
Lee Ji-Yeon gnashed her teeth.
Rummaging through the subspace pocket, Kim Ki-Rok smiled broadly at Lee Ji-Yeon. "Smile."
"What?"
"You have to smile. We're in the presence of children."
"I, I can't."
"Still, you have to smile."
Kim Ki-Rok entered the basement with a few items he had prepared in both hands. Lee Ji-Yeon watched him and pondered his words. They had to smile because they were in the presence of children.
Lee Ji-Yeon took a deep breath and followed Kim Ki-Rok. As they descended to the basement, the musty smell of the cellar invaded their nostrils. That wasn't all.
Is that the smell of something... rotting?
The stench lingered in the air. Lee Ji-Yeon's brows unconsciously furrowed. Once she had confirmed that Kim Ki-Rok was still smiling, she tried to force one of her own.
A vast space opened up at the end of the stairs, revealing a prison surrounded by iron bars.
"Ah..."
It was a young girl. Lee Ji-Yeon bit down on her lower lip to avoid yelling out, but she couldn't bear it anymore and quickly turned the other way. Kim Ki-Rok lightly patted her shoulder and walked forward.
The space between the two of them and the girl was separated by iron bars, but they had brought an artifact to take care of that.
Kim Ki-Rok bent the iron bars and entered through the opening. Crouching down next to the girl, he noticed her dirty button-up shirt that was worn out and moldy. Her long, messy hair hung down to her waist and her arms were bruised.
Kim Ki-Rok remained unfazed, however, as he handed the little girl one of the items he had been holding.
It was a stuffed doll that looked like a pink rabbit. "Hi there."
"Ra...bbit..."
"Yes. That's right. Rabbit. It's a gift."
"Gi...ft?"
"Gift."
The girl looked back and forth between Kim Ki-Rok and the stuffed rabbit which had a pocket watch hanging from its neck. She slowly reached out her hand. "Gi...ft..."
Kim Ki-Rok reached over to the girl who had blankly received the rabbit. He took off the leash from her neck and gently hugged her.
The girl flinched, a slight shiver running through her as the unfamiliar sensation of human touch unsettled her. Kim Ki-Rok lightly patted her back to comfort her, then gently pulled away to face her directly. He looked into her clear and transparent eyes and saw his reflection. On his face was a soft smile which he hadn't been able to manage between his 10th and 50th Attempts.
"What is your name?"
"Il-Ho[1]."
Although he already knew her name, he asked anyway because Lee Ji-Yeon was present.
"I think Ji-Hee is better than Il-Ho."
"Ji... Hee?"
"Yes. Kim Ji-Hee."
"Kim... Ji... Hee..."
"Can I call you Kim Ji-Hee?"
"Kim... Ji... Hee..." the girl murmured. She gave a small nod.
"Unc... cough, cough..."
It had been long since she last spoke, trapped in this place with stale air all that time.
"My name is Kim Ki-Rok. The lady over there is Lee Ji-Yeon."
"Mister... Kim Ki... Rok..."
Kim Ji-Hee looked at Kim Ki-Rok with intent, as if she was trying to engrave his face in her mind. She then turned to look at Lee Ji-Yeon who, at this point, was barely able to maintain her smile. Struggling to suppress her anger, she continued forcing the corners of her mouth up.
"Lee... Ji-Yeon... unnie..." Kim Ji-Hee repeated the name several times and buried her face in Kim Ki-Rok's chest.
***
The team leader from Shine Guild who was in charge of House in the Sky looked at the ordinary criminals they had just subdued with cold eyes. They couldn't kill them because these criminals were not Awakened. Even though they had collaborated in human experiments with young children, the criminals couldn't simply be disposed of because they were "ordinary people," not Awakened individuals with strong powers.
"Fucking hell."
The law had never been as infuriating as it was today.
"What about the DG Guild?"
The Hunters looked around nervously at the team leader's question. With the sound of a latch opening, Kim Ki-Rok and Lee Ji-Yeon entered through the door of the office.
"Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok. We have subdued them all as per the mission... Fuck..."
Unable to finish his report, the team leader closed his eyes. The other Hunters did the same.
"Phew... Hoo..." The team leader took a deep breath and reported to Kim Ki-Rok, "We have subdued them all."
"Well done. Proceed to their headquarters as planned. Ah, please leave two Hunters to protect and guard the children. And..."
"Yes."
Kim Ki-Rok stared coldly at the ordinary criminals. The team leader nodded immediately, understanding the unspoken words behind that gaze.
"Then, Miss Ji-Yeon."
"Yes, Guildmaster."
"Please take Ji-Hee to the bathhouse."
"What?"
Kim Ki-Rok handed Kim Ji-Hee over to Ji-Yeon. "The bathhouse. Make sure she gets cleaned up properly. Oh, and please ask Ine to protect me. Also, make sure her elemental power is full, and allow her to use elemental magic at her own will."
"Understood."
As Lee Ji-Yeon summoned Ine as he had requested, Kim Ji-Hee, who was in her arms, turned her head at him.
"What about... mister?"
"I have some things to do."
"Things... to do?"
"Yes. So stay with unnie, okay? She will buy you delicious things and pretty clothes."
Kim Ji-Hee asked as she unconsciously clutched her stuffed rabbit. "Mister has things to do... So he can't... come?"
"Yes. I can't go because I have stuff to take care of. It's a shame."
"When... will you come?"
"Hmm. I'll come before Ji-Hee wakes up."
"Before... Ji-Hee wakes up."
"Yes. Before Ji-Hee wakes up." Kim Ki-Rok waved his hand at the duo. "Well then, I'll be off."
"Quickly..." the little girl pleaded.
"Yes. I'll be there in a jiffy." With an exaggerated smile to reassure her, Kim Ki-Rok waved his hand again and turned toward the team leader. "Let's go."
"Right."
1. Korean for number one, or subject number one ☜
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