Chapter 130
Before I could even respond, Kim Taekjin spoke.
“I heard about it back then. What kind of wit you demonstrated, Mr. Nam Muyeong, and what you managed to figure out in such a short amount of time.”
Kim Woohyun probably didn’t go into that much detail.
—
[He might have told everything in detail.]
[Trusting people too much is also a problem.]
—
“In the end, everything comes down to value. Wouldn’t you agree? Even now, you’re probably wondering why I would abandon what I have based on such limited circumstances and try to go with you. And that’s exactly what I value.”
He spoke calmly.
“Someone who doubts, is perceptive, judges situations quickly, yet doesn’t try to unnecessarily make enemies with others. Someone with a basic sense of morality. With that, doesn’t my reason for wanting to join you make sense?”
“…Do you value morality?”
That was new.
When I raised an eyebrow, Kim Taekjin gave a small smile.
“You seem like someone who prefers honesty, so I’ll be honest. I like morality because it benefits me. If someone has decisiveness while maintaining morality, then at the very least, they won’t cut off my head without reason, right?”
Logical, in a way.
I wanted to ask more… but there was no time.
From afar, the flickering beam of a flashlight appeared.
Only Kim Taekjin remained relaxed as he asked:
“What will you do? Shall I go back? Ah, for reference… I haven’t told Mr. Do Yoseol what Mr. Kim Woohyun told me.”
A threat, dressed up nicely.
Do Yoseol was already clinging to me… if he heard that…
“…What are we going to do?”
“Ha… for now, we move.”
He wouldn’t stab us in the back immediately.
Kim Taekjin always stayed a step ahead. Always.
So he’d probably be useful.
Especially in negotiations.
And if he looked like he’d betray us… we could just betray him first or discard him.
If you never give trust from the start, you won’t get stabbed in the back either.
Right now, the priority was getting out of here… before we got shot.
“You okay with this?”
I was about to move ahead, then suddenly asked Lee Hoin.
That “1” he had was still bothering me.
More than it should.
It’d be better if I didn’t think about it at all… but once I started thinking about it…
“Me? I mean… wasn’t that just the glasses guy from before? I can handle someone like that.”
“I can hear all of that, you know.”
Lee Hoin nodded, confident in his ability to subdue him.
In the end, we moved.
We got into the car, started it before anyone could properly assess the situation… and immediately drove off.
***
“Hey, I told you, I don’t have anything on me.”
Lee Hoin, who got in the back with Kim Taekjin, immediately searched his body.
Despite Kim Taekjin’s complaints, Lee Hoin checked thoroughly before saying there was nothing.
“Put your seatbelt on.”
There was no time to drive slowly.
The engine was loud, and I had to constantly avoid the broken roads.
From beyond the dawn, the screams of mutants could be heard.
Kim Taekjin stayed quiet.
Lee Hoin stayed quiet, watching him.
In that strange silence… we drove all night toward Dream Forest in North Seoul.
Normally, it would take about 20–30 minutes.
But with blocked roads forcing detours after detours… it took several hours.
After driving for a long time, I spoke to Lee Hoin.
“Lee Hoin.”
I called out briefly.
He had his eyes closed, but immediately opened them.
He hadn’t been sleeping… just sharpening all his senses.
Seeing him like that… honestly, I wasn’t sure bringing Kim Taekjin was the right choice.
No one could even rest.
One wrong person could ruin everything.
Which is why we had to reach Shin Giyeon faster.
“Contact Shin Giyeon. Ask exactly where they are.”
At my words, Lee Hoin immediately took out his phone and called her.
Is she asleep?
I glanced at the time, hesitating.
Lee Hoin spoke quickly.
“Kangbuk Information Library. She says they’re in a building in front of it. She’ll come out.”
I nodded.
We were almost there.
Driving straight down the road, past parking lots and apartment buildings…
I soon saw a few people waiting in the distance.
I stopped the car and got out.
Shin Giyeon waved happily.
Since it was dark, we couldn’t make noise… so there were no words.
Before other mutants gathered, we quickly entered the building.
Second floor.
It seemed they had been using it as a base for quite some time… it was warm.
It smelled like people lived here.
Only after sealing the entrance carefully did Shin Giyeon speak.
“Woohyun is asleep. He’ll probably wake up soon… It’s morning. You must’ve had a hard time getting here. Did something happen? Who is that?”
More questions than expected.
Lee Hoin just shrugged, found a place to sit, and stared at Kim Taekjin.
Kim Taekjin quietly moved to a corner and sat down as well.
In the end…
I was the one answering.
“…Just someone I happened to meet. He said he wanted to come along. Sorry, I didn’t ask first.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I figured you might end up with others anyway. It’s tough for just two people to keep going like that. Though… I didn’t expect it to be exactly one more person.”
Shin Giyeon smiled and asked if we needed anything.
“If you want to wash… the water’s cold, but you can use that bathroom. If you want food, I can make something. When the sun comes up, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
I nodded.
The people who came out to meet us had already gone back to sleep, except for the ones on watch.
A quiet, comfortable space.
A place filled with the reassurance of familial bonds.
‘In a situation like this, blood ties are more reliable than newly met people.’
I walked over and sat in a corner.
I was so tired I felt like I’d die.
Kim Taekjin was off in another corner.
Lee Hoin was murmuring something to Shin Giyeon nearby.
Probably telling her to be careful of that guy.
I let out a long sigh and closed my eyes.
I’d rather run around inside an event.
‘Than deal with people.’
***
After sleeping briefly, I woke up around breakfast time and greeted everyone.
They were all gentle.
“How did you kids manage? It’s impressive you survived this long.”
Among them, we were completely a children.
Turns out Shin Giyeon was the youngest in her family.
There were a few younger ones… but they were actual children.
“You’ve worked hard, yeah?”
Lee Hoin awkwardly nodded as someone patted his back.
I was treated the same.
They patted my back and ruffled my hair.
Meanwhile…
Kim Taekjin blended in naturally.
“They really are impressive. They’re only 20 years old, after all.”
“What did you used to do, Mr. Taekjin?”
At that sudden question, he smiled briefly before answering.
“I was just a salesman.”
A safe, ordinary answer.
I didn’t know exactly what he used to do… but probably something in sales.
Or maybe a scammer.
Either way, we continued eating.
Then I quietly spoke to Shin Giyeon so only she could hear.
“You know what I asked you over chat last time?”
“Ah, yeah.”
“That person… is he still there?”
I gestured toward the forest.
She nodded.
“But… he only shows up briefly in the evening. Before that, I don’t know where he is.”
“You’re sure where he is once the sun sets?”
She nodded again.
“He’s in the herb garden in North Seoul Forest. He’s always there.”
So I could only go after sunset.
Not easy.
I frowned slightly.
Shin Giyeon hesitated, then spoke.
“…Do you really have to meet him?”
I looked at her.
She slowly added:
“Lately… stranger monsters have started appearing. I don’t think it’s safe to go at night. There’s a reason we came out to meet you yesterday.”
“What do you mean?”
Lee Hoin asked.
She paused, then continued.
“Ah, weird monsters have started appearing around North Seoul Forest.”
“Weird monsters? You mean mutants?”
Kim Taekjin joined in.
“Mm… I’m not sure what to call them. Their necks are really long, and it’s like only their heads are floating around… anyway, something like that. So it’s probably better to avoid moving around at night.”
From the description, I had a rough idea.
‘It’s about time enhanced mutants started appearing.’
A hearing-enhanced humanoid mutant.
Like the light-eaters that follow light sources… this one didn’t rely much on vision.
This was similar.
I think we used to call it a giraffe…
Its body stretches endlessly, following sounds.
Its head… just the head.
Yeah.
Just the head.
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