Boy Monster Chapter 5

The other person disappeared from the chatroom without even waiting for Eunho’s reply. Just in case, he checked and the winking emoticon remained in the comment section, and the profile was the same as before. Jae Eunho deleted the blandly concluded chat window.

Seoul citizens were accustomed to helicopters crossing the sky. Unaware that the national secret special forces team leader aboard the helicopter flying over the high-rise buildings would soon implant hallucinations in their minds, or perhaps just accepting it as a matter of course, they focused on their respective tasks. The helicopter, having crossed the Han River, soon arrived on the rooftop of the COEX Center.

:･⚜️⊹.️

Choi Jungkyung was busy flying around the exits of Samsung Station. As a first-grade Wind Hwelju, he could use the ability to fly in addition to telekinesis. He busily flew around, snatching up cartel members to catch as many as possible, and then slammed them to the ground.

When he landed at Exit 8, two cartel members tumbled down the stairs. A taser floated in the air on the empty staircase.

“Is that Jaewoong?”

“Yap!”

Hyeon Jaewoong, a second-grade Water Hwelju capable of transforming into an invisible person, had come this far. Hyeon Jaewoong slowly revealed himself next to the collapsed cartel members. He was so dedicated to bulking up that even in a hoodie and messenger bag, the thickness of his body couldn’t be hidden.

“Only small fry here too?”

“Yes. It looks like the boss has already left the station. Any news from Captain Jae Eunho yet?”

“It’s been like this since a while ago!”

Choi Jungkyung shoved a miniature radio into Hyeon Jaewoong’s ear. An automated response recording by Eunho played.

“Why are you giving me a hard time again? Every time you do this, Captain… I’m going to fall for you!”

Choi Jungkyung looked at Hyeon Jaewoong pathetically. The guy had even closed his eyes and was listening intently to Jae Eunho’s voice. Choi Jungkyung hurried Hyeon Jaewoong towards the COEX mall.

“We haven’t caught any executives yet, but the Fire Hwelju has already gone berserk. For now…”

—Right, we have to catch them.

It wasn’t just Hyeon Jaewoong who was surprised by Jae Eunho’s sudden appearance on the radio. All the S.E.T.U. agents scattered at the scene each let out a mix of curses and greetings. Jae Eunho, after making everyone anxious, was just being sly.

—Were you all waiting for me? I’m sorry…? Let’s have something delicious at the team dinner later?

“You know forcing team dinners is really boomer-like, right?”

—Ah, I am a boomer grandpa, what can I do? Everyone’s required to attend.

Jae Eunho, abruptly changing his tone to a cold one, gave instructions.

—Take care of the Fire Hwelju and go to the library. Choi Jungkyung, Hyeon Jaewoong, both of you come there. Keep an eye out while I’m resonating.

“Yes!!”

Watching Hyeon Jaewoong run down the subway station corridor at lightning speed, Choi Jungkyung sighed. The guy was a naive twenty-year-old who wanted to look good to Jae Eunho by any means and become his Hwelju. When the Army Chief of Staff sneered,

‘You want to engrave your Hwelju mark on the Captain’s body? With your little thing that gets hard at night?’ 

Hyeon Jaewoong’s reaction was…

Jae Eunho should have seen the expression on the big guy’s face as he teared up, asking why he would say such a thing, and if his feelings seemed that frivolous.

Anyway, Jae Eunho, a younger guy killer.

Muttering, Choi Jungkyung flew past Hyeon Jaewoong.

The police and special forces were struggling on two fronts, arresting the cartel members scattered around the subway station exits and blocking citizens from poking around the access control lines. The COEX Mall team was unable to properly search the building due to the Fire Hwelju’s rampage. A man in a suit squeezed through the police special forces.

“Good work, everyone. From now on, I’ll take care of the situation on the first floor and search for the suspects.”

The police officer who had been stopping the man lowered his baton at the order of the person in charge.

“He’s a special agent. Let him through.”

The man, who presented his identification card to the site manager, quickly moved inside the mall. The police officers’ eyes were filled with distrust as they watched the man, who had entered the scene alone without any explanation. The man was alone, wearing glasses, and limping on one leg.

“Isn’t he going to get stabbed…? Is it okay to send him in alone?”

It was a question disguised as concern, but it contained an underlying tone of looking down on the man. The police officers shook their heads and chuckled. The site manager, who knew of the existence of the S.E.T.U. special forces team, gave them a short rebuke.

“You should worry about yourselves.”

Loud crashing sounds and fire alarms rang out in the smoky darkness. The first floor of Starfield Mall, where the fire had been partially extinguished, was even more dangerous. They didn’t know where or when the cartel members would pop out in the vast space. The man who entered the smoke put a miniature radio in his ear.

“Requesting Control Release Level 1.”

—Approved. Death Yeonri No. 38, Jae Eunho. Releasing circuit level 1.

The police had no idea what the conversation he was having remotely meant. It meant temporarily releasing the control over Yeonri’s resonating ability, which was controlled by the system, but the front-line police officers, unaware of this fact, were uneasy about the man who had entered the mall without any weapons.

“Two of us will go in as support.”

“No, that agent’s operation area is classified.”

“But still…”

“Wait and see. We’ll get a radio call soon.”

Despite the firm explanation, the police officers’ eyes were still full of suspicion. It was only a few seconds after the man in the suit had entered. Just as the person in charge had said, a radio call arrived.

—I’ve laid down three cartel members in front of the sportswear store here. Come and arrest them.

It was the man’s voice. It was hard to believe how he had apprehended the thugs armed with weapons in less than a minute. There was no sound of screams or fighting from inside.

“He already caught them?”

A few police officers, half-doubting, ran to the spot he had indicated. A cell phone flashlight beam moved in the acrid smoke. The man with glasses was pointing to a corner. In the corner of the hallway, cartel members, soaked in blood, were indeed lying huddled together. They were all quietly unconscious, as if they had fallen asleep.

The man suddenly shone his cell phone light further down the hallway and said,

“Oh, there’s one more.”

A sharp sashimi knife flashed in the dust motes illuminated by the cell phone light. The man didn’t dodge. He whispered a single word.

“Sleep.”

As soon as the soft voice drifted out, the cartel member wielding the knife stopped attacking. The cartel member suddenly placed the knife gently on the floor and lay down himself. The sound of snoring could be heard. The police officer looked at Jae Eunho with wide, surprised eyes. Jae Eunho smiled kindly.

“Handcuff them and take them away. Is it easier to wake them up than to put them to sleep?”

“No, it’s easier if they’re asleep.”

“Okay, then transport them carefully. I have something to discuss with the Fire Hwelju.”

The dumbfounded police officers handcuffed the sleeping cartel members and dragged them out.

Jae Eunho first went to the clothing store where the Fire Hwelju was. The flames and smoke were quite intense. Sparks flew from the internal map screen.

Yeonri is complaining of mental stress! How dare they replace the person in charge as they please! We have no politician to trust and rely on other than Venerable Cho-gwang, who shares the long history and the soul of the guardian deity! Our Hwelju and Yeonri souls reject this personnel change that disregards a thousand years of history. Minister 00 is unacceptable!

This was the reason why Yeonri and Hwelju had been complaining of mental distress, going berserk, and becoming uncontrollable in recent operations. Of course, it was all a collaborative scheme.

Jae Eunho immediately resonated with the Fire Hwelju.

「Stop it now. The minister is quitting. The operation was a success.」

The second-grade Fire Hwelju immediately stopped their rampage at Eunho’s telepathic message. It was only natural since they hadn’t lost control in the first place, but had done it on purpose. The two exchanged victory signs in front of the sparking screen.

“Now, shall we put out the fire and finish our mission?”

“Yes, Captain.”

The Fire Hwelju, their eyes returned to normal, extinguished the flames they had started one by one. Then they sat down and regenerated the stabbed areas on the collapsed police officer.

Jae Eunho hurried to the rendezvous point. His limping left leg was frustrating. When he arrived, Choi Jungkyung and Hyeon Jaewoong were waiting for him in front of a tall bookshelf. Hyeon Jaewoong jumped up and down, waving both hands.

“I’ll signal when I’m done resonating. Protect me while I’m defenseless as a lamb.”

“Yes, Captain! Trust Jaewoong!”

“Ugh…”

They had to find the cartel executive before he escaped far away. As Eunho quickly put his hands together and closed his eyes, the other two also took up defensive positions. Hyeon Jaewoong turned his body invisible again, and Choi Jungkyung looked around, preparing to use his telekinesis.

The prayer beads, two on each of Eunho’s wrists, emitted a halo. With Control Release Level 1, Jae Eunho could connect to the minds of everyone within the Seoul metropolitan area.

He began by quickly scanning the thoughts of countless people, starting with the Gangnam area of the COEX Mall. Under Eunho’s closed eyelids, his eyeballs moved with uncanny speed.

「Escape… airport… passport… murder… contact… taxi….」

He rummaged through countless consciousnesses, reciting several possible keywords as if searching simultaneously. Finally, one keyword hit, not a few kilometers away.

「When I arrive at the airport, the passport…」

Before figuring out whose mind it was, he scanned the connected thoughts. He read along the thoughts that were connected like vines.

「Airport—I’ll contact the others later—the police will be everywhere—I have to change the ticket to Manila….」

This is him. Eunho focused on a single target. As he focused his resonance solely on him, awareness of the target’s current location was also transmitted. Eunho reported the information and images transmitted into his mind directly over the radio.

“A suspect, believed to be a drug cartel executive, is currently in a taxi heading to Incheon Airport. He is carrying a firearm and US dollars. He escaped from Bongeunsa Station disguised as a Chinese restaurant employee. The taxi’s location is… What I can see outside is… Seonyudo, passing Seonyudo on the right. Seongsan Bridge is ahead. I can see the sign. Traffic is jammed in front and behind, and on both sides.”