Chapter 97: Fire Wheel (1)

The weather was unusually pleasant.

A slightly chilly breeze blowing in from the sea, mixed with the scent of salt.

The summer evening sky was tinged with a mysterious blue color, neither bright nor dark, causing those walking around to fall into a subtle reverie.

However, this fine weather held little significance for those gathering here now.

The first to arrive in Ulsan was Parang.

Of course, strictly speaking, the very first to arrive would have been the advance team dispatched by Silo.

Parang was wearing a bodysuit as a precaution, with a neat suit over it.

The fact that Parang was dressed like this meant she was attending an incredibly important event.

Like meeting with high-ranking executives from Silo.

Swimming dozens of kilometers every day had made her body incredibly fit, making her look like an actress on set.

One might think that such a striking appearance would disqualify her as an assassin, but this wasn’t an outfit she had chosen herself; it was requested.

After all, today Parang was officially meeting with Natsuko to discuss the grading system for underwater hunters.

While people around her were sneaking glances, unable to approach her, Parang arrived at a building.

It was the Warp Station of Ulsan Metropolitan City.

This was a very familiar place for her. Whenever she needed to take a warp home after going far away, she always came here.

To have the strangest experience of her life in such a familiar place, the situation couldn’t be more peculiar.

And yet, the Warp Station she finally arrived at, carrying such mixed emotions, was surprisingly identical to how it usually was.

People rushing about in a hurry, others sitting in chairs using their phones, and tired-faced individuals arriving through the warp.

It was exactly the same scene Parang usually saw. It almost made her wonder if she had mistaken the location.

“We’ll fill 90% of the people in the building with our people.”

Silo’s groundwork would have been completed long before Parang arrived, so nine out of ten people Parang saw now were Silo’s people.

‘It doesn’t look like that at all.’

There’s no way she could have really mistaken the place, so this must all be an act.

‘This is no joke, really…’

Staring blankly ahead, she suddenly realized this wasn’t the time to be zoning out.

‘Get it together, Yu Parang.’

She hurriedly ran to the elevator and went up to the 5th floor, to the conference room.

If you’re wondering why there’s a conference room in a Warp Station, it’s because it was converted from what used to be a Hunter Association branch office.

Most early Warp Stations were like this. Warp rooms that were originally attached as additional functions to important buildings gradually grew in size as warps became more common, until they took up a significant portion of the building and were converted into stations.

This phenomenon occurred because warp devices are difficult to move once installed, and installing them costs more than moving them.

In that sense, the portable warp device Parang used to kidnap a former World Government official could be seen as the very embodiment of an incredible technological achievement.

Anyway, Parang entered the conference room.

“You’ve arrived. This way.”

A burly man in a suit guided Parang to her seat.

Perhaps as a consideration from Silo’s side, Parang’s seat had a view of the sea through the window. While not as close as Parang’s home, this building was also quite near the sea.

The conference room was simply structured with a single table where people from both sides sat facing each other, but the intimidating atmosphere was palpable with formidable-looking individuals standing around the table.

“We’ve also filled all the security personnel from the Association’s side with our people. You don’t need to worry about that part.”

While it was certainly reassuring that all these people were on her side, the security guards’ lack of expression made even Parang uncertain.

Although Parang tried her best to remain calm, her chronic condition of becoming socially awkward outside of water made it difficult.

‘I wonder if I’m supposed to just keep sitting here like this.’

Parang felt slightly puzzled by the lack of any final briefing or instructions.

Not that she had experience with this kind of operation. While Silo’s side had given very detailed explanations about the plan, they hadn’t explained this part.

Parang’s uneasiness had also led her to leave a bit early.

Anyway, in this rather awkward atmosphere, Parang sat quietly in her chair and waited.

‘Think of something else, something else, something else…’

She desperately tried to erase the negative thoughts.

With nothing else to do, she mostly went over the details of the operation in her mind.

“After the meeting ends, there will be a time for the two of you to shake hands for a photo. At that moment, a fire alarm will go off to distract Natsuko, and you should quickly activate the departure and then inject the memory into Natsuko.”

“Out of all the possible methods, why a fire alarm?”

“…There are various reasons.”

‘He looked a bit depressed then. I wonder why?’

It was beyond Parang’s understanding.

And after some time had passed.

Clunk-

The door opened, and finally, she appeared.

With jet-black hair as if cut with a ruler, and blood-red eyes that looked as if they might burst into a fountain of blood at any moment.

It was the Association President, Igarashi Natsuko.

At first, Parang felt slightly intimidated by her appearance.

For one, she was an incredibly powerful individual, and her aura alone was imposing.

Moreover, knowing what she had done, it wasn’t surprising.

‘Just now, there was something about that gaze…’

Parang unconsciously clutched the ‘evidence’ hanging around her neck.

It was an object that had been slightly crafted to appear as a simple protective artifact.

But what really surprised her was the appearance of Seo Sunwoo, who entered right after.

Although she hadn’t met him many times, the image of Seo Sunwoo in Parang’s mind was that of a cold, ice-like man.

An impression that suggested not a drop of blood would come out even if you stabbed him.

But the Seo Sunwoo who appeared before her today was completely different from before.

His stiff, expressionless face remained the same, but his eyes.

In those pupils that had always seemed cold, a fierce fire that looked as if it could burn everything was now blazing.

‘Ugh…’

Seeing someone she knew somewhat well in such a state, Parang’s tension skyrocketed.

Moreover, officially, Seo Sunwoo and Natsuko were Association personnel, while Parang was an invited expert.

The seating arrangement had Parang facing Natsuko and Seo Sunwoo.

‘This is driving me crazy, really…’

Sitting face to face with the two most intimidating people in the room, she felt cold sweat trickling down.

Again, Parang was in her socially awkward state right now. She was trying her best in her own way.

Parang’s head felt like it was about to explode.

The tension and anxiety about what was about to unfold, the pressure and burden from the space itself.

On top of that, all the negative emotions and thoughts arising from the fact that her assassination target was right in front of her.

It wasn’t a state that could be described as comfortable, even jokingly.

The fact that she was maintaining a poker face in this situation, while sober, was remarkable in itself.

But her state seemed to be quickly read, as the Association President spoke first.

“Don’t be too nervous. It’s not such a heavy occasion.”

Hearing that clear voice like rolling jade beads, the realization that the person sitting in front of her was indeed a living human made Parang even more tense.

Natsuko, perhaps mistakenly thinking that Parang was nervous because of the surrounding guards, looked around and continued speaking nonchalantly.

“Ah, you really don’t need to mind these people. It’s just that when such high-ranking individuals gather, we have to do this whether we like it or not. Especially in times like these.”

“Ah, yes…”

Parang responded in a dazed voice.

“While being too relaxed is a problem, excessive tension can also ruin the work.”

Seo Sunwoo also addressed Parang.

‘Phew…’

Making eye contact and talking with Seo Sunwoo was much better. If she had to keep making eye contact with Natsuko, Parang might have shed a tear.

“Well then. Let’s get straight to the point. So, if you look here now…”

And with that, the meeting began.

The meeting was, indeed, a meeting.

Truly substantial conversations that would affect practical work were exchanged, and the atmosphere reflected that.

It was to the extent that Parang could easily imagine just finishing this meeting and going straight home.

In other words, it was such an ordinary meeting that it was hard to believe it was set up for an assassination.

In a way, this was natural. After all, Seo Sunwoo had built up to this moment.

‘All that struggle that day wasn’t for nothing after all.’

Parang recalled her first meeting with Seo Sunwoo and the mind-splitting double conversation they had.

“Well then, we’ll wrap it up here. Thank you for your hard work.”

Finally, with Seo Sunwoo’s words, the meeting came to an end.

Outside, it had already become a dusky night.

Parang let out an excited breath, trying not to show it.

From the middle of the meeting, she had even slightly interjected from the perspective of the long-neglected underwater hunters, and found herself genuinely engaged in the discussion without realizing it.

Parang noticed the reporter, who had been crouched in a chair in the corner of the room, stand up and come towards her.

“We’ll now have a commemorative photo session. Please shake hands with each other and look at this camera. Thank you.”

The reporter, with a strangely nasal voice, skillfully aimed the press camera at Parang.

Natsuko rose from her seat with smooth and elegant movements and headed towards the center of the room, while Parang also awkwardly moved in that direction.

Up close, Natsuko was a much more intimidating figure than Parang had imagined. For one thing, she was tall.

Parang’s tension reached its peak. She was trembling so much she could barely speak.

“You’re so tense until the end. I’m almost feeling hurt.”

Natsuko, whether aware of Parang’s inner turmoil or not, extended her hand with a bright smile.

Parang looked at that hand for a moment, then finally grasped it.

“Alright, I’m taking the photo. One, two…”

And right at that moment.

Waaaaaaaaail-!!

“A fire has broken out in the building. A fire has broken out in the building. Those inside, please quickly follow the instructions to evacuate…”

As planned beforehand, the fire alarm went off, and in that split second when Natsuko’s gaze turned elsewhere.

All the lights in the room went out, and simultaneously, Parang activated her artifact.

“Departure!!”

More precisely, she tried to activate it.

‘Huh…?’

She boldly shouted “Departure,” but the water that should have burst forth was nowhere to be seen.

‘What, what’s going on. Is it broken?!’

At such a crucial moment?

With no other choice, Parang reached for the necklace around her neck, intending to use the ‘evidence’ without departing.

To be precise, she tried to reach for it this time too.

“Oh.”

In that instant, despite being in darkness where she couldn’t see an inch in front of her, Parang felt her vision flip.

By the time she thought something had touched her neck, she was already being lifted off the ground, held by something.

‘What’s, how, happening…!’

She tried to struggle, but couldn’t move at all. She was starting to suffocate.

Her left ear felt particularly cool yet muffled.

A moment later, the lights in the room came back on.

Parang could now see the situation she was in.

She was being held up in the air by her neck, gripped in one of Natsuko’s hands.

The ‘evidence’ had already been taken, clutched in Natsuko’s other hand, and everyone in the room except Seo Sunwoo was sprawled out as if dead, each with one or two red spears piercing their bodies.

Finally, Parang understood why she couldn’t activate her departure.

Her left ear had been completely cut off.

‘How…?’

Natsuko, as if finding the current situation extremely amusing, looked straight into Parang’s eyes and whispered.

“To kill a person, that level of determination isn’t enough, you poor little fish.”

But such words didn’t register in Parang’s ears. She was far too confused right now.

‘How did she know? Did she notice there was evidence? No, but even if she knew that, the plan to use it for murder…’

Thousands of possibilities flashed through her mind, appearing and disappearing repeatedly.

She just couldn’t keep up with the situation.

And in the midst of all this, Parang’s gaze landed on one spot.

On Seo Sunwoo, who hadn’t sustained a single injury while everyone else in the room had fallen miserably.

Parang’s pupils immediately dilated and began to shake violently.

‘No, this, this can’t be.’

Parang had considered the possibility of Seo Sunwoo’s betrayal to be almost non-existent.

She had confirmed multiple times during their meetings that Seo Sunwoo’s anger towards Natsuko was genuine.

But the current situation was telling Parang that she was wrong.

Natsuko, noticing the change in Parang’s gaze, started to cackle even louder.

“What’s wrong? Can’t believe the current situation? How naive.”

The grip of Natsuko’s hand around Parang’s neck tightened even more.

“Didn’t you know? The one you trusted and followed has been my friend since childhood. From the beginning, you handed your leash to the enemy.”

She seemed to be genuinely enjoying this situation. Her eyes scanned every inch of Parang’s body. Like a predator contemplating which part to devour first.

“Smile. According to the plan my ‘friend’ devised, we need to take a picture too.”

As she gently moved her other hand, the camera the reporter had been holding floated up and fixed itself in mid-air. Unlike the reporter who was a bloody mess, the camera appeared undamaged.

Having her neck strangled for so long, Parang was struggling to maintain consciousness. The expression was fading from her face.

“I said, smile.”

Natsuko, unconcerned, grabbed Parang’s mouth and forcibly twisted it into a smile, then brought it in front of the lens.

Then, turning to Seo Sunwoo, she said:

“Sunwoo, come here. We need to take a picture together. Ahahahaha!!”

She was now stomping her feet on the blood-soaked floor like a child.

Her expression was just like that of a child smiling at the sight of candy.

Through her fading vision, Parang watched Seo Sunwoo walking towards Natsuko.

Without making eye contact with Parang, he walked to Natsuko’s side and affectionately linked arms with her.

“Sunwoo. Don’t you want to say a final word to this poor little fish?”

‘How… could… you…’

Parang’s words couldn’t leave her mouth.

Instead, only Seo Sunwoo’s voice echoed in the quiet room.

“Right. I should say something. Hmm… Hunter Yu Parang.”

Suddenly, Seo Sunwoo rummaged through his pocket.

“I’m sorry for putting you through this. I want to apologize. Sincerely.”

“See, my dear friend is apologizing. Forgive him a little, okay?”

In Natsuko’s blind spot, distracted by observing Parang’s expression, Seo Sunwoo pulled out a small white mechanical device.

‘That… is…’

In her fading memory, Parang barely managed to recall the identity of that object.

It was the portable warp device that Parang had used when infiltrating a government secret base in the past.

With it, Parang had successfully reversed the situation, taking a government official who was trying to torture her as a hostage instead.

For some reason, that device was now appearing in Seo Sunwoo’s hand.

And then.

Whoosh!!

“What, what!!”

In a split second, Seo Sunwoo rushed in like lightning, embraced Natsuko from behind, and pressed the button on the warp device.

Simultaneously, as Natsuko’s hand released Parang in an attempt to stop Seo Sunwoo, she was freed from her restraint.

As her fading consciousness returned, Parang could finally understand the current situation.

Seo Sunwoo was trying to take Natsuko somewhere.

Using the very method she had used.

“Hunter Yu Parang.”

The figures of Seo Sunwoo and Natsuko began to disappear, turning into light.

“I’ll see you at the promised place.”

And then, poof.

Their forms vanished.

Parang soon realized what this situation meant.

Seo Sunwoo had taken Natsuko to the coordinates he had received.

And those coordinates were.

‘The East Sea…!’

Which means.

Natsuko is now underwater.

And in very nearby waters at that.

Parang’s judgment was quick.

She immediately tore off her suit and rushed out of the building.

“You’re dead, bitch…”

Her eyes blazed with fury.