The Returner
chapter-124

Chapter 124

“Commence firing!!”

An order was issued, and countless bullets were fired . So many were fired that the arcs they drew in the air were visible to the naked eyes like dark raindrops .

“Fire!! Keep firing! Don’t hold back!”

Unfortunately, their target was utterly unmoved . Never mind bullets, not even artillery fire could not damage their target nor slow it down; the monster continued on its destructive march forward .

The monster’s march started from Los Angeles, then went to Phoenix, before it went past Utah and now, it was headed towards the city of San Francisco . (TL: This entirely strange “map” is from the raw . I didn’t make this one up… . )

The Americans had attempted the last-ditch all-out attack to halt the creature at the Nevada desert, but it still proved to be inadequate to stop its relentless advancement .

“Just what are the ability users doing?”

RUMBLE!!

Suddenly, the monster’s body began emitting a suspicious, bright light .

“Get dooooooown!!”

*SFX for a very loud and prolonged shockwave*

Accompanied by a shockwave that sounded as if the air was being torn apart, a humongous beam of light was fired to literally slice the world in half .

KWABOOMMM!!

The Private of the Tenth Gate Suppression Division, John Berry lay flat on the ground as his entire being trembled in fear .

He had to stop that thing?

That monster?

Just with what, exactly?

The shockwave died down and John Berry cautiously raised his head back up . And he saw a mountain range in the distance, cleanly bisected in half .

What did anyone expect of him when facing a creature that could destroy a mountain that far away with ease?!

“Resume the attack!”

John heard the despairing voice bark out an order coming from behind him, and soon enough, loud mechanical whines came from the sky .

Kaboom!! Kwabooom! Kaboom!!

Bombers continued to drop countless bombs on top of the monster, but it continued on without any visible damage to its body, only a white light barrier flickering around it .

“No, it can’t be… . ”

The place the monster was headed off to… .

There were still too many people yet to evacuate from San Francisco .

“Do something!! Anything!!”

The moment John Berry got up and roared out desperately… .

RUMBLE!!

The blinding beam of light descended on the world once more .

*

“I can’t figure out whether this is actually a good thing or a bad thing . ” (Kim Jae-Beom)

Kim Jae-Beom roughly scratched his head while staring at the monitor .

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Gates currently opening up in the Korean peninsula were the worst it had been in recorded history .

The main type of Gates appearing in Korea used to be around level 1; the frequency had definitely decreased, but now, higher leveled Gates were opening up one after the other, instead . Which meant it was even more dangerous than ever before .

However, strangely enough, there hadn’t been any notable issues so far .

In the past, a single level 3 Gate would’ve caused all sorts of chaos, but nowadays, taking care of a Gate like that was almost like going to a local bank to do some transaction during one’s lunch break .

It was something like, boringly waiting for the Gate to open up felt infinitely longer than actually dealing with the Gate itself . Kinda like that .

Kim Jae-Beom sneaked a glance around him .

He saw others sitting at their designated spots, doing their own things to while away the time .

Seo Ah-Young, sitting on her throne and busy maintaining her nails .

There were others who looked sleepy and bored out of their skulls, but two people among them were emitting a dazzling brilliance at the moment .

The man who was moving between not two, but four monitors and two keyboards like a streak of lightning, Choi Jung-Hoon!!

One couldn’t help but appreciate the blindingly-quick hand movements he was displaying right now .

Not only that, one would shed a silent tear of sympathy after seeing him still find the time to chug a certain yellow liquid swirling in his tumbler .

What a pitiful man he was .

As for the other person, it was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk .

“Jungleeeeeeer!!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

‘Please shut your d*mn mouth and stop playing your game in the office!!’ (Kim Jae-Beom)

Just him playing that stupid game in the office was irritating Kim Jae-Beom to no end, yet did he have to go around shouting at everyone “I’m playing a game here” too?!

“Hah… . ”

What scared Kim Jae-Beom the most was the fact that not one person tried to get in Yi Ji-Hyuk’s face about this matter . Everyone was treating him as air – no, it was actually closer to them treating him as if he didn’t even exist in the first place .

Of course, that would make it easier for everyone to deal with this headache . Even Kim Jae-Beom himself was doing his utmost best to ignore Yi Ji-Hyuk’s presence .

Just thinking about that youth was enough to cause his stress level to spike up .

It was then, an alarm appeared on Kim Jae-Beom’s monitor and his phone issued shrill beeping noises . Kim Jae-Beom confirmed the alarm and made a report to Seo Ah-Young .

“The level 3 Gate in Mokpo is at 95% . ” (Kim Jae-Beom)

“Oh, is it?” (Seo Ah-Young)

Seo Ah-Young lightly blew on her nails and looked at them from here and there, before leaning against her chair and speaking up .

“Hae-Min-ah?” (Seo Ah-Young)

“You, wanna have a go?!” (Jeong Hae-Min)

A white rabbit plush toy flew in her direction .

Seo Ah-Young easily deflected the doll away with her hand and continued to speak to Jeong Hae-Min .

“Please take Mister Kim Dah-Hyun to Mokpo . ” (Seo Ah-Young)

“Call me unni, will you?!” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Ng, okay . Unni? Please take him there . ” (Seo Ah-Young)

“Wuwuwu!!”

Jeong Hae-Min puffed up her cheeks before grandly sighing out, and walked to Kim Dah-Hyun .

“It’s me again?” (Kim Dah-Hyun)

Kim Dah-Hyun was half asleep until then, and raised his irritated voice . Seo Ah-Young’s eyebrow arched up in annoyance .

“What did you say?!” (Seo Ah-Young)

“I shall be back after resolving the situation thoroughly . ” (Kim Dah-Hyun)

“That’s right . ” (Seo Ah-Young)

… . You dang witch .

That’s why you haven’t found a boyfriend yet . (Kim Dah-Hyun’s inner monologue)

“Wait… . Why do I suddenly feel really angry right now?” (Seo Ah-Young)

Seo Ah-Young began frowning deeply, prompting Kim Dah-Hyun to quickly avert his gaze .

“I’m going now . Let’s go!” (Kim Dah-Hyun)

“Hmm . ”

Jeong Hae-Min shook her head in disapproval, ignored Kim Dah-Hyun’s offered hand, and very, very lightly placed her palm on his shoulder, before activating her teleport ability .

Poof .

“Hmm…”

“Huh . ”

Gazes of people were now focused on the remaining Kim Dah-Hyun, left behind by Jeong Hae-Min .

“W, what the hell?!” (Kim Dah-Hyun)

Poof .

Jeong Hae-Min reappeared on the same spot and poked her tongue out .

“I guess I touched you too lightly, right?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“… . What is this? This reaction where it’s like you’re touching a cockroach or something?!” (Kim Dah-Hyun)

Kim Dah-Hyun glared in dissatisfaction at Jeong Hae-Min .

To be treated like a cockroach!!

A guy like Kim Dah-Hyun would have a throng of female admirers chasing after him wherever he went to, yet to be treated like a bug!!

“That unni doesn’t like touching guys, so please, try to be more understanding . ” (Seo Ah-Young)

What?!

But, I saw her grabbing Yi Ji-Hyuk’s hand no problem while teleporting around!!

What’s the difference between him and I?!(Kim Dah-Hyun’s inner monologue)

“… . Ah . ”

Kim Dah-Hyun suddenly realised something . The difference was probably between a human man and someone who wasn’t what one would call a normal man .

Well, a human would become shy and the like when talking to a member of opposite s*x they liked, wouldn’t they?

‘… . Still, why is she looking at me like I’m a disgusting bug or something?!’ (Kim Dah-Hyun)

Was he mistaken?

This wouldn’t be his first time being looked at like that, but he still felt a bit unhappy and depressed as well .

Jeong Hae-Min placed her hand ever-so-carefully on Kim Dah-Hyun’s shoulder and they both disappeared from the office . Only a few seconds later, though, she returned all alone .

“What about Mister Kim Dah-Hyun?” (Seo Ah-Young)

“I left him there . I’m sure he can look after himself . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Seo Ah-Young spat out a groan .

Jeong Hae-Min might be called the queen of fan interactions, but when it came to dealing with those who she perceived to be not her fans, especially males, her treatment would become harsh and cruel .

She acted as if she’d even donate her kidneys if it were for her fans… .

‘Hmm?’

Now that Seo Ah-Young thought about it, she saw plenty of times Jeong Hae-Min endlessly chatting to her fans, showering them with gifts, or take a ton of selfies together, but not once did she recall the short-statured idol actuallytouchsomeone .

Seo Ah-Young quickly accessed the internet and g**gled ‘Jeong Hae-Min crazy fan interaction’ and a short while later, she began frowning .

She confirmed that Jeong Hae-Min actually maintained a certain distance from male fans at all times . With that in mind, the way she treated Kim Dah-Hyun wasn’t strange at all .

‘Yep, it’s just with Yi Ji-Hyuk that’s strange . ’ (Seo Ah-Young)

The man who treated a top idol like utter trash .

The man who disparaged that pretty Jeong Hae-Min by repeatedly calling her a shorty .

So, she should… .

“Whatcha doing?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Jeong Hae-Min sidled up close to Yi Ji-Hyuk .

She should distance herself as far away from a rotten human being like him!!

Seo Ah-Young breathed out roughly as she tried very hard to quell her inner flames from raging out of control .

“Argh, what now?!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

Yi Ji-Hyuk’s expression crumpled after his gaming time got interrupted .

“Aren’t we going to eat lunch now?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“I’m not going!! Nope! Imma continue playing this game!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“But, looks like it’ll end pretty soon, though?” (Jeong Hae-Min)

According to how Yi Ji-Hyuk operated until now, if he had that sort of an expression on his face, he’d very soon shoot right up from his chair while screaming out, “Uwaaaah!!!! D**n all my rotten teammates!!”

“Uwaaahhh!! Just why?! How come!! Why am I losing?!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

It was a bit different today?

“Okay, let’s go eat now . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Argh!! Go away!! I’m going to play some more!!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

“You can play after lunch . Now there’s a good boy . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“Hah…… . ”

Yi Ji-Hyuk’s shoulders slumped in defeat and despair .

“It’s okay, you know? People can lose sometimes . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

“I lost every single match I played today . ” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)

*SFX for tears falling down*

When tears began welling up on Yi Ji-Hyuk’s eyes, Jeong Hae-Min began gently patting him on the head .

“Winning or losing in games isn’t everything, you know . ” (Jeong Hae-Min)

Seo Ah-Young continued to watch this ‘spectacle’ from the side as her expression crumpled further and further .

Just what was that girl doing now, considering the fact that she didn’t even want to touch Kim Dah-Hyun only a few minutes ago?

“Hello?” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

It was then, Seo Ah-Young heard Choi Jung-Hoon answer a phone call .

“No, no . Listen . ” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

Then, his expression became rather arrogant all of a sudden .

“Didn’t I say that, you telling me that now is completely useless, sir? Don’t you understand that, sir?” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

He was speaking in a strange combination of polite speech reserved for one’s superior officers, and a curt, rude tone usually used for someone below him in the office hierarchy .

Was that the infamous ‘power trip’ tone of voice?

“What can I do? I don’t possess some kind of an amazing ability after all . Well, that ‘gentleman’ isn’t interested, so… . Hah? What would you do if the ‘gentleman’ gets angry at you? Excuse me? You want me to find you an opportunity for a face time with him? What the… . You’re asking for a big trouble there, sir . ” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

Seo Ah-Young’s eyes gradually narrowed to a slit .

That man, why did he look like he was really,reallyenjoying himself right now?

Choi Jung-Hoon took a gulp from his now-trademark energy tonic, spat out a refreshedKyah, and continued on with the phone call .

“Well, that is why you should just wait for now . And please don’t complicate the matters by you triggering him unnecessarily, just because you’re desperate . I mean, that’s how it’s been like so far . Pardon? Ahh, that . Well, I’ll think about that . In that case, I’ll give you a call at a later time . ” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

Choi Jung-Hoon hung up the phone and leaned against his chair, his expression one of a contentment like a puppy with a full belly . He even began humming softly to himself .

“Who was that?” (Seo Ah-Young)

“Oh, no one important, ma’am . ” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

“Okay, fine . So, who was it?” (Seo Ah-Young)

“The Vice Minister . ” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

“……… . . ”

This crazy guy?! Just how far is he planning to go here?!(Seo Ah-Young’s inner monologue)

“He wasn’t even the Minister, so it’s fine . ” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

And, what’s your rank, then?

Do you even have any freaking idea how long you must roll around in this field in order to climb up to the position of a Vice Minister?!(Seo Ah-Young’s inner monologue)

Seo Ah-Young stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with a dumbfounded expression, before shutting her mouth close .

Then, who was that ‘gentleman’?

Seo Ah-Young shifted her gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk, currently being consoled by Jeong Hae-Min . At this rate, they might start embracing each other pretty soon .

The guy who was despairing because he lost in some stupid game, or the “unni” consoling thekidbecause he looked so pitiful… .

What a crazy mess this was .

A sheer, unbridled crazy mess .

And then, another guy who was calling such a weirdo a “gentleman” while busy enjoying a toxic power trip over his superior officers… .

“Just what has happened to this place… . . ” (Seo Ah-Young)

“Pardon?” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

“… . Don’t mind me . ” (Seo Ah-Young)

She definitely didn’t establish this agency for it to end up like this!!

“Hah . Just when will things normalise around here, I wonder?” (Seo Ah-Young)

It was here that Kim Jae-Beom butted in .

“But, actually, aren’t the things working out pretty great nowadays, ma’am?” (Kim Jae-Beom)

“Mm?”

Now that she heard him speak, didn’t he have a point there?

The truth was, ever since the establishment of the NDF, one big crisis after the other kept unfolding . But, they were all resolved one way or the other without too many casualties . Considering that, one wouldn’t be able to say that there was no meaning to the NDF’s existence… .

Yet, when Seo Ah-Young swept her gaze around the office, she could only helplessly perform a splendid double facepalm .

“This is all wrong . ” (Seo Ah-Young)

With a pair of dagger-like eyes, she glared at the cause of this situation .

Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk still being consoled by Jeong Hae-Min, resignation and irritation rushed into Seo Ah-Young’s mind at the same time .

Just how could a man like that be… .

Wait a minute .

“Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?” (Seo Ah-Young)

Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head .

“Yup?”

“I didn’t get to finish asking you this before, but just where did yougetyour abilities from?” (Seo Ah-Young)

“Ng?”

Why was this chick asking him that now?

“I’m curious as well, actually . ” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

Choi Jung-Hoon provided some timely fire support as well .

He put the tumbler down as his eyes began emitting a dangerous light .

“Please, end this mystery once and for all . ” (Choi Jung-Hoon)

< 124 . A guy who’s not blessed can’t achieve anything (4) > Fin .