Chapter 8: The One Who Must Die (2)

“That’s the monster escape alarm!”

Kim Minjun slammed the red button under the desk. A heavy iron door inside the office slid open.

Modern buildings were equipped with evacuation shelters on every floor to prepare for dungeon overflows. That door likely led to one.

“Hey! Why are you standing there? Hide! Keep low!”

Kim Minjun, who had started running, turned back and grabbed Ion’s arm. Ion followed as he was pulled.

“Stay low and hide here!”

Kim Minjun shoved Ion under the desk and darted out.

“Hunters! Get to the evacuation shelter now!”

Ion was dumbfounded. Even if some staff were non-awakened, all the visitors were awakened—active Hunters, not desk jockeys like him. Did he really think they’d hide?

“Wait, monsters escaped?”

“It seems so. There’ll be an announcement soon. The agency guards will handle it, so please evacuate—”

“What’s their rank?”

“Where are they?”

“What kind?”

As Kim Minjun stammered, a broadcast came on.

[This is an agency-wide announcement. Three monsters have escaped from the containment facility on B4. Guards are currently handling it, so please follow staff instructions and evacuate. Repeating: three monsters have escaped from the B4 containment facility.]

“B4, they said!”

“Let’s go now!”

[All three are B-rank. B-rank. Please evacuate quickly as per staff instructions!]

“B-rank…?”

“Wait… B-rank’s tough.”

“Are they insane? Why keep B-rank monsters here?”

The Hunters, ready to charge, hesitated. They seemed to be lower-ranked.

“Our agency guards are all A- and B-rank Hunters. Please trust them and evacuate to the shelters.”

“How many guards?”

“Three A-ranks and eight or nine B-ranks, I think.”

“That’s not enough to protect civilians and take down three B-rank monsters…”

“The containment is on B4, with thick protective walls. Civilians are restricted to the lobby and outside. Don’t worry, let’s evacuate.”

Another broadcast interrupted.

[Emergency announcement. Two B-rank Galsiens have escaped to the ground floor. Hunters in the agency, please provide support in the lobby!]

The urgent tone hardened the Hunters’ faces.

“Galsiens? Even if they’re common training monsters, keeping them where civilians come and go? Is the government crazy?”

“It’s re-assessment day, so tons of civilians are here to watch Hunters. I saw kids on a field trip earlier. This could cause serious casualties.”

“…I’m heading to the lobby. I’m only D-rank, but I have to help somehow!”

“I’m in too. They say Ason’s coming today, so we just need to hold out until then!”

“Alright, let’s hold the line!”

The Hunters rallied and rushed downstairs.

Only a handful of staff, including non-awakened, and Ion remained. Kim Minjun trudged back and grabbed Ion’s arm.

“Don’t even think about going. Stay in the shelter.”

“Yeah, no way I’m fighting two B-rank monsters. Gotta hide.”

Ion joined the staff in the evacuation shelter. They closed the iron door, huddled together, and checked news on their phones.

“There’s an article already. That was fast.”

“No casualties yet, it seems. Ugh, just let the guards handle it. I’m worried about those Hunters who rushed off.”

“They just want to look like heroes to civilians. What’s more important than their lives? Bunch of flower-brained idiots.”

The last speaker was a non-awakened staff member. The mood turned icy, and Ion muttered:

“Flower-brained…?”

The staff member froze at Ion’s chilling tone.

“No, I meant… I’m just frustrated and worried…”

“Why use ‘flower-brained’ negatively?”

“Huh?”

“Are you as useful to the world as a flower garden? Not beautiful, not fragrant, not producing oxygen, not purifying pollution, not calming minds. What makes you better than a flower garden to use it as a slur?”

His anger was slightly off-target, but the staff, wary of a complaint, mumbled an apology.

“Uh, sorry about that.”

“Apologize formally to a flower garden later.”

“What?”

“Flowers understand everything.”

“Uh… okay…”

The staff gave a ‘this guy’s nuts’ look.

Another staff member, scrolling on their phone, raised a hand.

“Just got news—Ason’s entered the lobby. He’s taking down the monsters.”

“Really? That was fast. Thank goodness.”

“He kept delaying re-assessment, but came today to save us. Maybe his foresight skill predicted this…?”

“If he foresaw it, he’d have warned us before the escape.”

“Right? Kinda suspicious.”

D-NATE’s guildmasters might lack likability, but their skills were trusted.

Unlike the relieved staff, Ion’s expression grew complicated.

‘Then the novel’s casualties won’t happen.’

In the novel, eight awakened died: seven guards and one administrative Hunter.

Ion considered how these characters surviving might affect the story.

The first incident itself wasn’t a big deal. The second incident later spurred the agency to train combat Hunters seriously, recruiting Lee Dojin then.

The second incident was the critical one.

But if one extra’s survival in this first incident created a butterfly effect, hindering the protagonists from defeating the Demon King…

‘Is Saeon here today to save those meant to die, to ruin the story? If so, I should go out now and kill those Hunters…’

For the protagonists, Ion was willing to kill any character.

But he wasn’t heartless enough to kill without certainty they’d interfere.

Ion wasn’t a psychopath; he just wanted the novel’s swift conclusion.

‘If they become a problem later, I’ll deal with them then.’

With the orphans’ interventions already altering the original story, Ion had no intention of obsessively clinging to its consistency.

‘But why did Kim Minjun die? He was safely hiding in the shelter.’

Kim Minjun was definitely on the death list.

Why would an administrative Hunter who didn’t go to the lobby die? The question was soon answered.

Grrrr…

A purple liquid seeped through the iron door’s cracks.

Hiss. The iron corroded instantly where the liquid touched. Ion wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“What’s that?”

“What… a monster!?”

“It’s a Galligy… a liquid monster!”

‘Ah, the third monster shows up here.’

While Ion felt satisfied having his curiosity resolved, the others paled.

Kim Minjun stepped forward.

“Everyone, behind me!”

He spread his arms, and gray energy burst out, forming a hemispherical shield. It was low and narrow, barely fitting six people squeezed together. Even for a C-rank, it was small—likely due to his lack of experience from desk work.

“Team Leader, you had a skill like that?”

“It’s a C-rank shield skill, so it won’t last long. Call the guard center for help!”

“Yes, sir!”

A staff member tried their phone and grimaced.

“No signal!”

“Oh, right. Damn it. Signals don’t work inside the shield.”

“What do we do?”

“I’ll go out and call, or we wait. Once Ason handles the lobby monsters, he’ll come for the third. I’ll hold out as long as I can.”

“Please! My skill’s useless in combat—just pretty handwriting…”

“Mine’s just clean paper-cutting…”

“Mine’s gluing paper without glue…”

As the staff rambled useless info, the Galligy, having melted the door, approached the shield. The purple liquid monster sloshed and climbed the shield. Everyone, including Ion, looked up.

Hiss.

“Eek! Team Leader, the shield’s melting! It’s melting!”

“Ugh, give me the phone.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’ll go out and call. The shield holds even if I leave.”

“But… do you have other skills? What if the monster attacks?”

“It’s fine. I’m fast. Ran 100 meters in seven seconds.”

Considering awakened had twice the physical ability of non-awakened, seven seconds was average.

‘If he shrank the shield to just himself, it’d be thicker and hold until help arrives.’

Kim Minjun skipped that detail and took the phone from a staff member. The plan was to slip out and call for help while the others distracted the monster.

‘Such a meddler.’

Ion understood why Kim Minjun died.

“Oh, Ion Hunter!”

Ion thought, Here it comes. He must’ve just realized there was an active mercenary here.

He’d either hand over the phone or ask to go together.

“Give me your weapon. That flaming dagger. I’ll take it out.”

“…You’re taking it?”

“Yeah! I’ve got no weapon. I need something to defend myself.”

“Why…”

Why not ask me to go with you?

Why not ask for my help?

You saw I’m B-rank with an active mercenary record.

As Ion stared suspiciously, Kim Minjun frowned.

“I know what you’re thinking, but I’m saying this like you’re my brother. I had a younger brother, much younger… he’s gone now. He was B-rank, awakened. Like you, he had a weapon-summoning skill. B-rank’s high, so I didn’t stop him. I hid behind him. Behind that small back…”

His rambling made sense. He’d watched his B-rank brother die, relying on him.

“Hurry, give it to me. No time.”

Looking at the outstretched palm, Ion smiled.

“No need.”

“What?”

“Your shield’s sturdy enough.”

“Huh…?”

Kim Minjun and the staff blinked and looked up.

The shield, melting moments ago from the monster’s fluid, was now pristine, fully restored.

Despite the monster spewing more fluid, it didn’t corrode the shield—it evaporated.

“What’s this…?”

Kim Minjun’s face screamed, My shield didn’t have this feature.

Of course.

It was Ion’s magic.

Plant leaves have a cuticle layer, a tough outer coating protecting inner tissues.

Inspired by this, a protective spell.

Shield Outer Wall.

A single, durable layer over Kim Minjun’s shield.

“Self-regenerating shield? Team Leader, that’s amazing!”

“We’re saved! Thanks to you, Team Leader!”

“I didn’t believe in skill growth potential, but you’ve proven it. Incredible!”

“Uh, yeah…”

Kim Minjun stared at his hands, dazed.

“I had this hidden ability…? Who am I…!”

He was wildly misunderstanding.

…

…

About thirty minutes later, Hunters arrived, subdued the Galligy, and rescued them.

Leading the group was Ason.