“Hmm...”
Rubbing his mask in thought, Eun Woojeong shrugged lightly.
“Well, fine. Hard to believe, but I’ll let it go for now.”
“...I’m telling you, I really don’t care.”
“I checked out the lab like you asked.”
Eun Woojeong changed the topic as smoothly as a snake slipping over a wall. With a flick of his hand, docunts materialized in midair.
“I managed to dig up a few things, but unfortunately, this ‘Director’ person doesn’t show up.”
“I didn’t expect her to be easy to find.”
Through Hyun Dowoon, Seohu already knew just how thoroughly the woman known as the Director had hidden herself.
Of course, Spiderweb was far more professional and well-resourced than Dowoon, so there was still a good chance they’d eventually track her down. But clearly, that wouldn’t happen anyti soon.
“That stings my pride a little.”
“What, you planning to use that pride on or sothing?”
I chuckled and took the docunts he handed over, flipping through them. The first few pages listed the personal data of people who had worked at the lab.
Apparently, the rumors about Spiderweb’s competence weren’t unfounded. The report was far more detailed and thorough than the info Hyun Dowoon had scraped together. I studied it carefully, noting that these employees were still detained by the Bureau.
‘Is there a way ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) I could et them directly?’
It might be possible to get into the Bureau with Kwon Taehyuk’s help, but getting access to detainees—especially those under interrogation—seed like a long shot.
And sneaking in? I didn’t have the gear or the skills. It’s not like a governnt facility would be lax with its security. One false move, and I’d end up in handcuffs.
‘No way in...’
Sighing deeply in frustration, I flipped to the next page—only to blink in surprise at what I found.
“A church?”
The attached photo clearly showed a church building. The location... wasn’t far from here.
Why a church, all of a sudden? I glanced back at Eun Woojeong, who had been silently observing with his chin resting on his hand. He finally opened his mouth.
“Do you know a guy nad Kim Sangmin? Skinny, bowl-cut hair.”
“Never heard of him.”
I shook my head without hesitation. The na didn’t ring any bells. Eun Woojeong tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, as if amused.
“Guess not everyone in the lab got to know each other. Makes sense. There were a lot of you.”
“Everyone had their own cell. We only left for experints. So? Was Kim Sangmin one of the Awakeners imprisoned in the lab too?”
“Yeah. After he was rescued, he got scouted by a guild called ‘Lumia.’ Looked like he was settling into a normal life... until two days ago. He went to Zone B-37 by himself. Suspicious, right? So I followed him.”
“What? Hold on.”
As I listened, sothing struck as off, and I cut in.
“How the hell did you know that? There were over a hundred Awakeners locked up in that lab. Don’t tell you’re tracking all of them?”
“Of course I am. It’s not that hard. Just having a phone is enough to trace soone’s movents.”
“...Wow. Impressive.”
The fact that he was surveilling that many people was disturbing in itself. Then again, a criminal organization probably didn’t care about things like that.
“You wound . I even went myself instead of sending my people—since you’re a special client and all.”
“This church in the docunt—is that the place you followed him to?”
“Yep. I sensed other Awakeners besides Kim Sangmin, so I didn’t go inside. Rough estimate, around six people total.”
“And you have no idea what they’re doing in there?”
“Not yet. That’s where we co in. Everyone but Kim Sangmin is still holed up in that church.”
“So in other words, you’re planning to make your client do the dirty work.”
“Wouldn’t that be more satisfying for you? You never fully believe the info I bring anyway.”
He wasn’t wrong. I sighed, frustrated by yet another sudden developnt.
‘Guess going back right away is off the table.’
Hopefully, Cha Sahyeon wasn’t throwing a tantrum or anything. I’d have liked to at least call and let her know I’d be late, but she didn’t have a phone.
I should’ve just gotten her a second line under my na. Regretfully, I tucked the docunts into my inventory.
“Lead the way. Let’s go now.”
I jerked my chin toward the entrance. Eun Woojeong stood up with a leisurely stretch and smirked.
“You seem really eager to get this over with. Nervous? It’s showing.”
“The world’s too damn dangerous lately.”
Why did this guy always have so many unnecessary questions?
I gave a half-hearted reply and started toward the exit. He trailed after , still chatting.
“Mind if I ask you just one thing?”
“No.”
“It’s really simple. I an, I’m guiding you to the church and everything—can’t you answer one little question?”
“If you’re gonna try extortion, do it after you walk.”
“Haha. Co on, Cover-ssi. Have you never been blackmailed before? This doesn’t even count.”
Now he’s just calling whatever he wants.
Honestly, the whole setup felt like a trap. Woojeong probably used Kim Sangmin’s movents as bait to lure here from the start.
‘This guy’s a pain in the ass.’
On the surface, this was a fair trade—information for my identity. But in truth, I was the one at a disadvantage.
I needed information to protect Cha Sahyeon, and the only one who could reliably provide it was Spiderweb.
I half-considered abandoning the church mission entirely and just throwing hands with Woojeong, but I suppressed the impulse and said:
“If you’re gonna yap the whole way there, ask now and get it over with.”
“Should I?”
Grinning slyly, Eun Woojeong stepped closer, lowering his voice.
“To be honest, I wasn’t gonna ask anything until I saw your face. I figured once I saw you, I’d be able to tell everything anyway.”
“Then why not stay quiet?”
“After watching the Rift incident, I just couldn’t hold back anymore. I had to know.”
Rift incident?
I looked up and t his gaze.
“It struck as odd. Why would a Hunter like you go out of your way to protect a B-rank support—especially one dragging around a kid?”
“......”
“But then it turns out the kid’s an S-rank supporter with an area healing skill... That really shocked . So that’s why you’re protecting them? Because they heal you?”
I’d expected Eun Woojeong to have seen healing the Yesung Guild mbers. After all, he’d gone there pretending to be an actor just to et . He’d probably seen using the skill and even fighting off the second Rift on my own.
“Was that also why you handled the second Rift solo? Because leaving it alone would’ve put your supporter in danger? But then you could’ve just killed a few monsters nearby—you didn’t have to close the Rift itself... Hmm.”
Woojeong kept speculating wildly, and I could see it escalating. Before it got out of hand, I cut in reluctantly.
“I just happened to be passing by when the second Rift appeared. And I knew Yesung Guild was nearby handling the first one.”
“So you figured if you held out long enough, Kwon Taehyuk would show up and back you up? You sure put a lot of faith in others when your life’s on the line.”
“Kwon Taehyuk’s a hell of a lot more trustworthy than you.”
He could’ve taken offense at that, but he just kept on in his usual calm voice.
“This might be a weird question, but...”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you and Cha Seohu... like that?”
“...What?”
The words caught so off guard that I froze. I stared blankly, unable to respond, and Woojeong clarified.
“You didn’t get it? I’m asking if you two are sleeping together.”
“The fuck...?!”
How the hell does soone co up with such an outrageous, revolting misunderstanding?
Disgusted, I rubbed at my arms as a chill ran down them. Woojeong tilted his head, apparently surprised by my reaction.
“No? Really? I was sure you were. Oh, if it’s just because you’re both guys and hiding it—don’t worry. I’ve seen way worse thanks to my acting gigs. Doesn’t faze .”
“What are you even saying? Cut the disgusting crap. My ears are bleeding.”
“Really not? Then I’m even more curious. You go that far to protect soone who isn’t even your lover? Maybe he’s your half-brother?”
“Not brothers, not lovers. So mind your damn business before I drop this deal altogether.”
“Hmmm...”
Seeing how genuinely horrified I was, even Woojeong seed to realize I wasn’t lying. He looked openly disappointed. No doubt he’d planned to use any dirt on my relationship with Seohu as leverage.
This guy was dangerous. I couldn’t let my guard down for a second.
I sighed—and a new worry crept in.
‘Wait... Do other people think that too...?’
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