TTOA Chapter 114

“Understood.”

Jae-jin first drank some water, then chewed on a cube of simplified rations. He must have been starving, because his stomach screamed with joy as the food entered his mouth.

Even though the rations were dry and cold, they tasted delicious. The crumbling cornstarch was sweet in his mouth.

‘Yeah… I feel a little better after eating.’

He had been on edge, but the hunger subsided, and he miraculously calmed down.

‘As expected… a person needs to sleep well and eat well…’

Seo Eui-woo smiled as he watched Kwon Jae-jin engrossed in his meal. His long, monolid eyes curved beautifully.

“Want more? I have a lot.”

Two more packs of simplified rations flew towards Kwon Jae-jin, the packaging opening automatically. Jae-jin picked out the most perfectly shaped cube and held it to Seo Eui-woo’s lips.

“Ah.”

Seo Eui-woo opened his mouth and accepted it without hesitation. Like a puppy receiving a treat, he bit down on Jae-jin’s finger and sucked on it. A warm, soft tongue wrapped around his fingertip.

Seo Eui-woo smiled again, sweetly.

He had slept and eaten his fill. Kwon Jae-jin was satisfied with that. But Seo Eui-woo…

Suddenly, he remembered that the mansion had hot water.

Seo Eui-woo and he locked eyes again.

*

This time, both of them properly put on their coats and shoes before leaving the house. A bright, white light scattered brilliantly, and as the light faded, they could feel the changed temperature.

Feeling a slight chill, he looked around and realized they were in front of the central gate of the barrier surrounding the Center.

The tall gate was firmly closed, showing no signs of opening. It wasn’t opening hours, and Kwon Jae-jin didn’t have an Identification Tag. Neither did Seo Eui-woo.

Instead, a guide was waiting for them in front of the gate.

“…You’ve arrived.”

The man who had been waiting frowned slightly at the sudden appearance of the two men. Using teleportation when it wasn’t a Sterile Transfer Room. Seo Eui-woo’s ability, which defied common sense, couldn’t help but make his expression serious.

“Lieutenant Colonel Seo. And Kwon Jae-jin.”

“Lieutenant Colonel.”

Seo Eui-woo seemed to recognize the guide immediately. But Kwon Jae-jin was unfamiliar with the face.

He felt like he had seen him somewhere, but he couldn’t remember clearly. He didn’t seem to be a high-ranking official important enough to be on the news.

He looked to be in his late thirties or forties, and he was wearing combat fatigues, not the formal combat uniform. He had tanned, bronze skin and serious, experienced eyes, and a muscular body as hard as rock, as big as a bear.

Just from his first impression, he seemed like a perfect warrior, a general.

If he had been born in ancient times, he would have passed the military examination.

“I am Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san, commander of the 1st Special Task Force.”

Only after hearing the introduction was he able to recognize who he was. Seo Eui-woo’s direct superior.

‘…Ah. The one who told him to bring my corpse.’

Jae-jin responded briefly.

“Nice to meet you. I am Kwon Jae-jin.”

Then, for some unknown reason, Lieutenant Colonel Jang’s eyes became strange. Seo Eui-woo, standing beside him, kindly explained the reason.

“It’s not the first time, is it? You must have seen him, back then.”

“Excuse me? Ah…”

“Lieutenant Colonel Jang, you happened to be next to Ma Tae-o. Your recovery is quite fast.”

Only then did Kwon Jae-jin realize why he felt like he had seen Lieutenant Colonel Jang somewhere. The image of Lieutenant Colonel Jang kneeling down, blood flowing from his eyes, nose, and mouth, belatedly came to mind.

“Ma Tae-o? That’s unlike you, Lieutenant Colonel Seo, to use such disrespectful language. And that look in your eyes.”

Lieutenant Colonel Jang muttered slowly. He carefully examined Seo Eui-woo, who was creating a powerful shield around Kwon Jae-jin, then handed over something he was holding, as if now wasn’t the time for this.

“Did you hear the news that Major Ma was demoted? He’s Captain Ma now. Here, take this and wear it.”

“Was there such a fact? I don’t know.”

What Lieutenant Colonel Jang handed over was a bracelet-shaped access pass. It was a temporary identification card issued when Espers who had lost or damaged their Identification Tag for some reason were unable to enter the Center.

Seo Eui-woo took the access pass and carefully put it on Jae-jin’s wrist. He didn’t just put it on; he carefully wiped the bracelet with his sleeve before carefully and sincerely fastening it.

Lieutenant Colonel Jang’s eyes became even stranger than before as he witnessed the scene. Just then, Seo Eui-woo turned to look at Lieutenant Colonel Jang.

“Is there only one access pass? I don’t have an Identification Tag either.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just. I threw it away. Don’t you have an access pass?”

“……?”

Fortunately, Lieutenant Colonel Jang had brought an extra access pass. He communicated with the Center through his Goggles and linked Lieutenant Colonel Seo’s information, then issued an additional access pass on the spot. This process took a little more time.

Seo Eui-woo put the processed access pass on his wrist. Lieutenant Colonel Jang frowned as he watched him do so. Deep lines formed on his hard forehead.

For a long time, Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san had felt that something was twisted and wrong whenever he dealt with Seo Eui-woo. He felt a strange suspicion in Seo Eui-woo’s words and actions, so he deliberately took the time to pay attention to his actions. However, the suspicion always ended in suspicion, and he never found any definite physical evidence or circumstances.

As far as Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san knew, Seo Eui-woo was very good at hiding his true feelings and deceiving others. That’s why he was able to commit the audacious crime of spiriting away the S-rank Mutant Kwon Jae-jin and still act so nonchalantly.

But the Seo Eui-woo in front of him now seemed like a completely different person.

The appearance of someone who was difficult to understand had disappeared, and just by looking at the back of him guarding Kwon Jae-jin, one could feel an open and heinous warning. He seemed to be exuding murderous intent, telling them not to approach him carelessly. On the other hand, his attitude toward Kwon Jae-jin was completely opposite.

“Jae-jin-ssi, now that you’ve worn the access pass, the gate will open. How about it, are you ready to go in? Or do you want to look around a bit?”

Seo Eui-woo’s tone was strangely gentle.

Moreover, his eyes were softly relaxed, melting away.

He didn’t know if that was really Seo Eui-woo, or someone else wearing Seo Eui-woo’s mask.

“It’s fine as it is. I’m ready, so let’s go in.”

Kwon Jae-jin glanced down at the access pass on his arm and gave Seo Eui-woo a signal to go. Seo Eui-woo replied, “Yes, Jae-jin-ssi,” and gave a bright smile that Lieutenant Colonel Jang had never seen before. Kwon Jae-jin, not surprised at all, followed him casually and indifferently, as if Seo Eui-woo’s expression was natural.

“Huh…”

Lieutenant Colonel Jang also accompanied them with a frown on his face.

As the three approached the recognition device in front of the entrance gate, the information on their Identification Tags and access passes was automatically identified. The identities and affiliations of the three appeared on the screen, and were even read out loud in a mechanical voice.

-Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san, 1st Special Task Force. Lieutenant Colonel Seo Eui-woo, 1st Special Task Force. Unranked Kwon Jae-jin, unaffiliated.

After that, the gate opened. It was structured to open left and right like an elevator door.

When they infiltrated the base with Seo Eui-woo’s teleportation, they were able to easily enter the headquarters, but now that they were trying to follow the official procedure, they were finally able to take their first step inside.

Kwon Jae-jin raised his head and looked around.

The Center, which he had found again, was the same as ever.

No, in fact, it was more majestic than when he looked down from the sky. When viewed from below, the barrier surrounding the site was so high that he had to bend his head back, and the walls and buildings, divided into sections and surrounded in layers, were truly a fortress.

Also, when viewed from below, he could see that in addition to the Central Building, the Education and Training Building, and the Research and Development Building, there were small buildings clustered together to form a complex. They seemed to be buildings used for various purposes, such as armories or logistics warehouses.

“Let’s go by military vehicle.”

The vehicle that Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san had taken out was waiting inside the barrier. A young-looking Esper who appeared to be a driver was sitting in the driver’s seat.

Lieutenant Colonel Jang rode in the front, and Seo Eui-woo and Kwon Jae-jin rode in the back to the Center’s Central Building. Jae-jin looked out the car window at the passing scenery and the flag of the New Government fluttering in the distance. Seo Eui-woo didn’t let his guard down, wary of any possible ambush.

In that way, they arrived at the end of the straight road, in front of the Central Building. There was a recognition device here as well, and as soon as they went up the stairs and entered inside, the three people’s information was identified. Fortunately, it didn’t read it out loud in a mechanical voice this time. The modern architecture without any frills and the internal facilities showed that it was state-of-the-art.

Just looking at the first floor hall, it was impressively wide, and the ceiling was very high. The entire hall was cylindrical, with a structure that was open all the way to the top. And beyond that, he could see a closed ceiling.