The final director of the famous magazine “Whose soul is the best?”
He had even received a no-entry warning from Haeun, and his attempts at random interviews with the squad members had failed.
His relationship with the captain of Haeun High, whom he thought of as a friend, had also grown awkward, and it seemed like he had to neatly fold away his affection for Park Jinsung.
“Ah! Nothing goes right!”
He hadn’t expected that interviewing a mere student would be this difficult.
Having fought in successive brigade battles, Park Jinsung had become a figure so significant that even major media outlets clung to him.
He tried to salvage some pride and subtly blend into the major media, but alas!
It seemed that various media outlets couldn’t get close to Haeun High either. It seemed difficult to dig up any significant information.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? It’s tough to cover the Haeun High team. Is someone as influential as Lee Shin backing them up?”
Even though he had generously given the nickname F Killer, the response he got was too dismissive.
“I’m really clinging to just one kid.”
As he sifted through various exclusive stories, work naturally decreased. The title of final director had sadly cost him much of his credibility in the industry.
All that had increased was his skill in talking to himself. He felt confident he wouldn’t be lonely even if stranded on a deserted island.
“Heheh. Still, it wasn’t all for naught.”
There had been progress regarding Park Jinsung’s family situation.
The director sat on a park bench, carefully organizing the notes he had scribbled randomly.
“A robbery at home resulted in the death of both parents.”
“Failed to manifest his Edeya at age eight. The cause is unknown, presumed to be shock from his parents’ death.”
“Suffered abuse while living with his uncle.”
“In the year he turned ten, another robbery severely affected his uncle and aunt mentally.”
“Afterward, Park Jinsung awakened a grade-F Edeya and shuffled between orphanages before living on his own.”
“This is where it gets important.”
“A bear-shaped summoned Edeya attacked Incheon International Airport, holding three ribs in its mouth and using language.”
“Who would have thought Park Jinsung’s uncle and aunt were at Incheon Psychiatric Hospital.”
“The bear-shaped Edeya demolished Incheon Psychiatric Hospital.”
“Among numerous casualties, the identities of the uncle and aunt were confirmed.”
“No bodies were recovered.”
“But Park Jinsung has not once come near Incheon, even now as the incident is settling down. Ah, of course, he probably hated the sight of them after the abuse.”
Upon organizing everything, there was no pleasant revelation.
Just that his uncle’s family got caught up in a terror attack by chance?
“Tsk. Was it nothing? I feel like there’s something, though.”
His motivation sharply declined.
The director looked up at the sky.
The sky was spotlessly clear, and the column for achievements was just as devoid of anything noteworthy.
“Ah, maybe it’s time to give up.”
Just as the director was about to rise from the bench,
“Young man.”
An elderly lady with a hunched back approached the director.
“Ah, I don’t want any religion, newspapers, or products.”
“Young man, young man, don’t be like that. Please read this.”
At a glance, it was obvious that the grandmother had some intellectual challenges.
It seemed someone had tasked her with solicitation work, taking advantage of her cognitive difficulties. Regardless of the director’s disinterest, the grandmother continued to smile and push the book towards him.
“What’s with this book cover? It’s so dark. Granny! Isn’t this some kind of cult thing?!”
“Hehe. What’s a cult?”
“It’s the end of the world, truly. Using disabled people for this kind of thing?”
At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary Bible with a black cover and a cross drawn on it.
However, its old parchment-like feel gave it an antique appearance, screaming, ‘This is a textbook for a cult designed just for you.’
“Hehehe. Actually, I found it in the garbage can near Old Kim’s place.”
“Ugh. So it’s not a cult solicitation but something you found in the trash? But why give me garbage!”
“I can’t read. You look smart, young man, so read a lot, a lot. Hehe. And this is a gift.”
As the grandmother forcefully handed him the Bible, she also added a freshly plucked flower and a broken tree branch.
“Yuck! What is this! Take it back, now! Wait…? Granny…? Hey, granny? Grannyyyy!!”
The grandmother staggered away and disappeared into the crowd. People stared strangely at the director, so he stopped chasing her.
“Well… I’ll just throw it away. Sigh. As if I didn’t have enough problems, now I’m getting garbage as gifts.”
The director tossed the flowers and branches to the ground as he spoke.
“Maybe I’ll just tear off this cover and use it on another notebook?”
The black Bible looked quite stylish from the outside.
Hoping the Bible was empty, the director opened it.
“What’s with these unnecessarily high-quality illustrations. Monsters?”
The book was closer to a monster manual than a Bible.
It had drawings of various monsters, each extensively described in Hebrew.
“Gasp.”
The director, who had no idea the script was Hebrew, was startled by a particular entry.
It seemed to be the second monster in the table of contents.
Holding three ribs in its mouth,
With a majesty greater than a mountain,
“The very one that attacked Incheon International Airport…!”
Thump!
The director’s eyes widened, and he quickly closed the Bible. But the bizarre shock was far from over.
“Ah…?”
Initially, it had clearly been an ordinary cross on the cover,
“A, reversed… cross…?”
Now, he realized that the cross was inverted.
The black background was confusing, but indeed, when the book was held upright, the cover showed an inverted cross.
“Wow. I don’t know what this is, but I’ve stumbled onto something….”
Crack!
Unfortunately, the director’s joy did not last to the end.
“Ugh, this, this is.”
“Grrr.”
A shadow that jumped out of the Bible crushed the director like squashing a bug.
* * *
Park Jinsung and Kim Seyun were assigned to patrol the streets every day from eight in the evening for three hours.
Since the White Goblin Kim clan had no particular expectations, there was no specific patrol route assigned.
They just wandered around aimlessly and returned home when they were done.
It was odd that even the family members, and even Fecht, did not interfere, but, well, no news was good news, they decided.
[Hey, show-off. Wanna hold hands and walk with me? There’s nothing else to do.]
[No, thank you. And why is there nothing to do?]
[Sigh. Really, Jinsung, you absolutely can’t get married without me.]
Jinsung dodged Seyun’s attempts to hold hands under the guise of a date, repeating the pattern of occasionally subduing drunkards they encountered.
[But why are you walking so weird today?]
[Sergeant Ahn Sungho gave me a task since I can’t come out for a while.]
[Ahh! What are those metal things! Are you crazy?! Are you really going to walk around with that?!]
[Don’t curse so much. It’s a gift personally given to me by the sergeant.]
[Why are you standing on your head now! Ugh! I really can’t take this!!]
Because many people recognized Seyun, they mainly moved through secluded areas.
It also started becoming a hassle for Jinsung, as some people asked him for photos and autographs during their patrol.
As about ten days sneakily passed by.
“What, what’s this. Where did Jinsung go, and why are you here….”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Seyun. Today, you will be patrolling with me.”
Today, instead of Jinsung, Fecht was waiting at the rendezvous point. Seyun darkened her expression at the mention of Sejin.
“Did Aunt Sejin ask you to do this?”
“No, no. Don’t be so disheartened.”
“Then what?”
“I asked Jinsung. I have something to say to Miss Seyun, I bowed my head countless times.”
“Hmph. Confessions are rejected.”
Seyun made a pushing gesture with her palm as she spoke.
“Wow… Rejected before I even started? I didn’t intend to today, but even I feel hurt by this.”
“Anyway, I heard you came to Korea to absorb my Edeya. Here, take them now and go back to your country.”
“I have no intentions of returning to Slovakia. At least not for a while.”
“Why not?”
“Well.”
Fecht closed the distance between himself and Seyun in an instant.
“……”
“That’s because, despite being influenced by people, I liked Miss Seyun enough to be okay with it.”
“…We haven’t even met before.”
“Yes. I have merely fallen for you unilaterally from watching your fight videos.”
Fecht had reflected on quite a few things since his fight with Jinsung.
The reason he was frightened by Jinsung.
The reason he used the family head as an excuse.
The reason he came to like Kim Seyun.
Only after meeting alone today could he be certain of the most important thing.
‘…Thank goodness.’
Indeed, Fecht himself liked Kim Seyun. He liked her passionately enough to want to support everything about her.
Fecht, who had been intently watching only Kim Seyun, slowly continued speaking.
“Ha ha. Do you know how much I was scolded by the family head and Lady Sejin because Jinsung told them I lost?”
“Hmph. Go complain to that show-off.”
“Miss Seyun, the reason I joined the patrol today is.”
Vrrr, vrrrrr!
Their smartphones interrupted Fecht’s sentence.
“…Fecht. Did you get a message too?”
“Yes, Miss Seyun. This is.”
<All Call Alert for the White Goblin Kim Family>
Terror outbreak in the city center.
All household members are urged to gather at the specified location immediately.
“Ha ha. We will have to resolve our grievances later.”
“Hmph. What grievances can there be when we see each other every day?”
“Let’s go right away.”
Kim Seyun and Fetch rushed towards the location indicated on their smartphones.
* * *
Park Jinsung, who had given up his turn for patrol duty today, remained at HT and was training.
“Ha! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Captain! Are you enjoying your dates these days?!”
“I’m also glad to see you after a while, Sparrow Eyes. But if you tease me about dating one more time, I’ll add 10 reps per set.”
Sparrow Eyes and the zombie squad members were surrounding Park Jinsung in a circle, doing push-ups.
The eyes of the zombie squad members were bloodshot, whether from training or something else.
“Captain! Captain! Isn’t it nice to go around with the top idol of the battalion all by yourself?! What exactly do you do late at night!”
“We patrol around and around every day. Add 20 more reps for that.”
“Captain! Captain! What do you think is the charming point of the madam? Her stunning beauty? Her long limbs? Or perhaps surprisingly her…!”
“Hey, that’s a 100 more reps for you.”
The zombie squad bombarded him with questions, not caring whether Park Jinsung increased the number of reps. The speed of their push-ups increased to a slightly bizarre extent each time the count went up.
“Haaaaaap! I’m going too!!”
Sparrow Eyes also followed his seniors diligently in preparation for the next entrance test. Of course, he was a complete copy of them, his eyes and ears red as he kept a vigilant watch on Park Jinsung.
“Heh.”
Ahn Sungho continued his training while watching the zombie squad unintentionally heat up. It was just about the time when his warm-up was nearly ending, with sweat barely starting to appear.
“Captain! Captain!”
“Add 30 reps!”
For several minutes, the zombie squad asked questions and Park Jinsung increased the number of reps, in a repeating cycle.
Eventually, Sparrow Eyes, the first to run out of stamina, collapsed onto the floor.
“Pant, pant. It’s tough. Huh?”
– Wooong, wooong. New message, new message. Cuckoo, click!
From a pile of gym bags, a flurry of notification sounds rang out.
Sparrow Eyes, representing his distracted senior squad members, crawled towards the pile of bags.
“Huh?! What’s this! Se, seniors!! Sennnniors!!”
“Huff, huff. What? We were just teasing the captain, why call?”
“Yeah. That ends now. Add 100 squats immediately.”
“…Park Jinsung, unfortunately, that’s it for today’s training.”
Ahn Sungho, who had come down from the pull-up bar, said this while looking at his smartphone.
“Oh. Does the fighter NPC also use a phone? I thought the sergeant would be using something like an owl or an eagle.”
“Stop the nonsense and check the message, Park Jinsung.”
Both the zombie squad and Sparrow Eyes had notably grim expressions as they picked up their phones.
‘Huh? What’s this?’
Feeling a sudden anxiety, Park Jinsung pressed on his yet unchecked message.
<All Message for Haeun Special Training Battalion>
This is a real situation.
As of 20:15, ‘Jindo Dog 1’ alert issued.
All battalion members must gather at their respective company parade grounds by 20:40.
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