CHAPTER 193: TO BE ABANDONED

[GUIDE CHU WONHEE, HUNTER LEE SEODAM NEEDS YOUR GUIDING!]

Hmm?

Wonhee was already on the rooftop of the hospital when her Status Window popped up.

[Taeil Oppa said that harmful miasma might leak out, so it’s better to stay in an open space than get stuck in the basement. We also didn’t have to wear the gas mask as soon as we’re out.]

Wonhee wasn’t alone on the rooftop.

Fortunately, Lee Seojin was already fine without the apparatus attached to him earlier.

Kim Taeil then helped Lee Seojin get in a wheelchair and moved him to the rooftop with Lee Seorin and Lee Sook-ja.

[Jin’s mother and sister returned just in time for the evacuation.]

Aside from them, the doctors, nurses, and other staff stationed on the VIP floor of the hospital were also evacuated there. Apparently, the people on the other floors didn’t need to be evacuated because the situation was already under control.

[Taeil Oppa said Yejun is the one taking care of the problem.]

And the ’problem’ was Lee Seodam.

[The Virus is acting up again, huh?]

"Jin-ah, tell me if you’re feeling unwell," Wonhee said worriedly. "We’ll bring you back to your room if you feel sick."

"I’m alright, Noona," Seojin assured her. "I feel better now that you’re here."

It was probably because Wonhee was a Guide and her positive feelings towards Lee Seojin were affecting him in a good way.

[I’m starting to get conscious of how I treat people.]

"Wony Noona!"

Oh.

Wonhee smiled and waved at Ahyeon who came running to her. "You’re here, Ahyeonnie."

"Noona, I was so worried when Semi-nim said you were gone when I got home," Ahyeon said worriedly. "You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"I’m fine, Ahyeonnie," Wonhee assured him. "How did you get here?"

"Semi-nim, uhm, gave me a ride."

Ah.

[Unnie probably teleported with Ahyeonnie here.]

"Where’s my sister now?"

"Semi-nim is with Vice President Yeon and Hwang Frost-nim," Ahyeon said. "Semi-nim asked me to bring you to Vice President Yeon’s office. They said they’ll be there after their job is finished here."

"Oh, I see," Wonhee said, and then she glanced at Lee Seojin. "But I can’t leave Jin here in this situation."

"We’ll also bring Lee Seojin-ssi to Vice President Yeon’s office later," Taeil chimed in politely. "Since Lee Seojin-ssi awakened as a Hunter, he needs to be registered as one. Vice President Yeon said he’ll take care of the process personally."

Hmm?

It was rare for Soobin to get involved with Hunters who didn’t have the ability or potential to become a blacksmith.

[But Yejun also said Jin is interesting, so maybe Oppa also noticed it?]

"I’ll go, too," Sook-ja, Lee Seojin’s mother, said firmly. "I’m his mother."

"That’s right," Seorin added firmly. "We are his family, so we have to be there."

"No, not necessarily," Taeil said bluntly. "Lee Seojin-ssi may be in high school, but he’s already an adult. He doesn’t need his parents or guardians’ permission to register as a Hunter."

Sook-ja and Seorin looked offended, but Taeil wasn’t done talking yet.

"However, Vice President Yeon also instructed us to bring Hunter Lee Seodam-ssi’s family to his office," Taeil said, still indifferent yet polite. "We will explain Hunter Lee Seodam-ssi’s situation to you, ma’am."

Now Sook-ja and Seorin looked confused.

Lee Seojin, too.

Wonhee had an idea why the Lees were being summoned, though.

[Oppa probably decided to tell Lee Seodam-ssi’s predicament to his family.]

***

"WHAT?" Kwon Jiwoong asked in disbelief after hearing what Yeon Soobin said on the other side of the phone. "The Virus tried to take over Hunter Lee Seodam again?"

"Yes, you heard that right. Fortunately, Hwang Frost was able to apprehend Lee Seodam. We’ll bring him to my office."

"Why your office? You should bring Hunter Lee Seodam to me. I’m the president!"

"Well, I’m more competent than you."

"You basta—"

"Relax, it was just a joke. Your office is in the Blue House, and I don’t trust that place anymore. Moreover, a harmful miasma is coming out of Lee Seodam’s body. My office has a perfect place to contain such harmful chemicals. Moreover, Semi Noona is here with me. We’ll do something about the miasma. But if you insist that we bring Lee Seodam to your office..."

"No, you can take care of Hunter Lee Seodam," Jiwoong said firmly. "But don’t do anything else until I get there."

"Whatever."

And then Yeon Soobin ended the call.

"This bastard...!"

"What happened?" Kunwoo, who was eating a banana while sitting on the windowsill, asked curiously. "Did Lee Seodam get taken over the Virus again?"

Jiwoong let out a sigh and nodded. "That seems to be the case."

"Lucky you. Now Lee Seodam won’t have the luxury to think about what happened during our last mission."

Right.

That mission was a failure, but Lee Seodam seemed to be feeling guilty because Song Sunho ended up dead.

[I need to make sure Lee Seodam will keep his mouth shut.]

"Hunter Kunwoo, are you sure that it was the Anti-System Faction who ended up killing the target?"

Kunwoo laughed. "Well, you can say that."

"Why are you being vague?"

"Because I’m not sure either what that thing that killed Song Sunho was. All you have to know is that I didn’t get to kill the target. We just had the honor of watching the entire thing happen."

"You said Lee Seodam fainted, right?"

Kunwoo shrugged. "I’m not sure if he remembers."

[Why is this bastard being so confusing?]

"Don’t worry about Song Moonho retaliating," Kunwoo assured him. "He’d know that it wasn’t my handiwork. Plus, I already proved my innocence by surrendering the Holy Sword to Yeon Soobin."

Haaah.

[It’s scary since Song Moonho’s side is still being quiet after he disappeared, but I have no time to worry about that.]

"I think Hunter Lee Seodam is starting to become a liability now."

Kunwoo raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to abandon your new dog?"

"Who told him to be vulnerable enough to get possessed by the Virus?"

"Wow. You’re so cruel, President."

"Shut up."

"Did you already find someone to replace your new dog?"

"I heard Hunter Lee Seodam’s little brother awakened as a powerful Hunter," Jiwoong said, grinning. "According to the report I received, Lee Seojin awakened as an A-Class."

Kunwoo whistled, amazed. "The younger brother is more talented than his hyung, huh?"

***

"HYUNG, you have a terrarium on your rooftop?" Yejun asked in disbelief. "Crazy."

Soobin’s temporary office was the penthouse in Sarang-hee Hotel (Wonhee’s hotel!).

And ever since he occupied the penthouse, he closed the rooftop to the guests.

[I can see why he would do that.]

There was a gigantic terrarium in the middle of the rooftop garden. The dome that covered the terrarium was made of glass. It looked pretty, and it even had a treehouse. Apparently, the treehouse was liveable since it had a bedroom, a mini living room, a mini kitchen, and a bathroom.

[In short, the treehouse was like a studio apartment.]

"It’s a prison, isn’t it?" Semi asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "It’s beautiful, but it’s still a prison."

Yes, that was right.

It was a prison.

And the unconscious Lee Seodam was inside the beautiful terrarium.

"Hyung, it’s creepy," Yejun complained lightly. "You’re scary."

"Shut it," Soobin said, scoffing. "That’s the perfect place to imprison Lee Seodam. There’s a hidden device inside the terrarium that nullifies a Hunter’s skills. That device interferes with the System’s connection to the Hunter inside the terrarium. Hence, he won’t be able to use his skills to escape."

"If your device is good enough to mess with the System, then maybe it will also stop the Virus from taking over Lee Seodam," Semi said, nodding approvingly. "After all, the System and the Virus work similarly."

Soobin nodded in agreement. "However, the device I made is still in the trial stage. I’m not sure how long it will work, so we still have to keep an eye on him."

"I’ll do it," Yejun said casually— causing Soobin and Semi to turn to him and look at him as if he had said something crazy. "What? I’m just doing my job as a part of the Big 4. Now that my position has been returned to me, I need to do my job."

"But I was so sure you’d want nothing to do with Lee Seodam’s case," Soobin said, looking at Yejun suspiciously. "What happened? Spit it out."

Semi nodded. "You can’t lie to us, Hwang Yejun."

"I have no intention of lying anyway," Yejun said, laughing— and then he suddenly turned serious. "The Virus remembers the previous world, too."

***

LEE SEOJIN felt uncomfortable.

He was in one of the rooms in Vice President Yeon Soobin’s office, but the vice president himself wasn’t there.

[Wonhee Noona and Ahyeon Hyung are in the next room, too.]

His mother and sister were busy talking to President Kwon Jiwoong who came to visit.

So, the only person who was there to talk to him was a strange Hunter called ’Kunwoo.’

"I saw the result of your test," Hunter Kunwoo said, grinning at him. "Congratulations on waking up as an A-Class Hunter."

"Thank you, sir."

"Join us— I’ll take you under my wing."

Oh.

[I’m being recruited.]

He kind of expected that already since his hyung, Lee Seodam, worked directly under President Kwon Jiwoong.

However...

"No, thank you," Seojin said bluntly. "I want to work as a Hunter in charge of Wonhee Noona’s protection."

***

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