# Chapter 128
The fierce and irritating voice was full of thorns. The sullen face glared at Iyeon as if scolding him. The strangely petulant tone of voice burrowed deep into his ears.
“Well, that…”
He didn’t know what to say. Vaguely recalling, he did seem to have made such a promise in the past. But he never thought it would be brought up now. No, in fact, he didn’t even think it would be remembered… Some unknown sensation made his chest tingle. His fingertips suddenly twitched.
“Well, we’re both hunters now anyway.”
He mumbled while needlessly wiping the back of his neck that was threatening to heat up, but Sano didn’t respond. He seemed to feel it wasn’t worth answering.
It was good that Sano still considered him a friend like in the past, but reality was very different from back then. Je Sano must know that well enough too. Iyeon added with an awkward smile.
“Yeah, it is different. Because you’re a hero.”
In his eyes, no one fit that word better than Sano. An unbreakable back, the will to save others, overwhelming ability. It felt as if he had been born inherently different from Iyeon.
But Sano slightly frowned. Before his expression could fully turn fierce, his phone rang in his pocket with perfect timing.
“Hey, just a second.”
Iyeon took out his phone and checked the caller. It was D.S.
“Uh…”
There was nothing particularly strange about getting a call from D.S since she was Iyeon’s engineer, but perhaps because he had just been thinking about Mirae, he had an oddly ominous feeling. Just as he was about to answer while staring at the screen, the call disconnected. Instead, a message notification quickly appeared.
D.S: Come to the workshop as soon as you finish your work
D.S: Let me give you just one request
“…What is this?”
As Iyeon muttered in confusion, Sano also slightly lowered his head to check the screen. Iyeon was in the middle of typing a response saying I can’t come right now. I’m being held at the Superpower Management Office… when:
D.S: (Photo)
Iyeon, who had stopped typing to examine the photo D.S had sent, fixed his gaze on something. His eyes widened instantly and shook with confusion.
“Oh.”
Inside a prettily decorated room. Skin slightly covering the camera from hugging a doll. It was a scene similar to what he had seen earlier. There was just one difference.
Beyond that, through the slightly open door of Mirae’s room, Semi was passing by in the corridor.
“…Is this real? Why…”
Iyeon murmured as if groaning. To be precise, he couldn’t tell if it was Semi or Seeun. But it was clearly one of them, and even if it was Seeun, since she had helped Semi escape, she was clearly an accomplice too.
Whoever it was, they were someone who shouldn’t be in that place. D.S had recognized the twins even from a noisy surveillance camera footage. There was no way she could mistake the figure captured on a high-quality camera. To Iyeon as well, it looked like Semi—perhaps Seeun—and.
An unexpected answer came from beside him.
“Those sisters don’t move independently.”
Sano’s low voice was the same as usual. Rather, that helped him regain his senses.
Iyeon’s brain started working. Neither the materials nor the technology for the superpower bracelets were entirely developed by those sisters. Though Iyeon had met Dr. Kim again after he had put Semi away, Dr. Kim hadn’t said a word about that incident. If so, the scope narrowed down to the remaining person who was his former research colleague and who had stolen Dr. Kim’s jewels and run away.
“As soon as they found freedom, they would have run to the person behind them.”
Someone who could have given jewels to Seeun and Semi. Someone who could have taught Semi the technique to handle gi-ryeok, however clumsily.
Morpho.
“…Morpho is in that house?”
Iyeon’s voice was blank, as if his soul had left his body. His voice, which seemed to be squeezed out, was panting as if about to fade.
If Sano’s words were true, the conclusion was that Morpho, Seeun, and Semi were all together in Mirae’s house. Moreover, Mirae’s family was full of superhuman supremacists.
None of this could be a coincidence. The vague clues created an ominous atmosphere even without revealing the substance.
“I need to get out, get out of here for a bit.”
Iyeon stammered as he jumped to his feet. The first person he called was Hyegang.
[Oh, hyung. What’s up? Did things at the Superpower Management Office go well?]
“No, I’m still at the Superpower Management Office. I’m in some kind of interrogation room.”
[What?]
“I think I need to step away for a bit. Can you help me?”
Hyegang seemed surprised at the sudden request but soon regained his composure.
[Just wait a moment.]
Only the sound of typing continued in silence. Iyeon anxiously fidgeted with his phone. Even though he knew Hyegang was handling the matter as quickly as he could, he felt impatient. Fortunately, Hyegang’s voice came through before Iyeon’s patience ran out.
[Since the Superpower Management Office deals with superhumans, their surveillance technology is more rigorous than other places. I can cover the surveillance camera screen briefly, but can you do something during that time?]
“Briefly? How long?”
[About 3 minutes. Any longer and they’ll notice.]
That was more than enough time. Iyeon spoke decisively.
“Let me know when you cover it.”
Hyegang immediately carried out Iyeon’s instructions. Along with the sound of typing came a quiet countdown.
[3, 2, 1… Done.]
As soon as Hyegang finished speaking, white sand gathered in front of Iyeon. The elongated clump of sand soon transformed into two figures. One was a tall, well-built man and the other a thin, pale man.
They were Sano and Iyeon.
After instantly creating doubles of the two, Iyeon turned to look at Sano. The doubles were already sitting in the places where the two had been sitting moments ago.
“Let’s go to the workshop.”
Sano silently took a step closer. Soon, the wall opened in a circular shape, creating enough space for the two to enter. Iyeon stood close to Sano without hesitation.
Soon, only the two well-behaved doubles remained in the room.
[What’s going on that you need to do this?]
As the two emerged from the building, Hyegang asked. Iyeon briefly told him about D.S and asked Hyegang to come to the workshop as well. Hyegang replied that he would gather his equipment and head to the workshop soon. As soon as he ended the call, Iyeon immediately sent a reply to D.S.
Coming now
It didn’t take long to reach the workshop. Sano kindly took him directly into the interior of the workshop. As a result, D.S nearly fainted in surprise when she witnessed two men suddenly emerging from the floor.
“What are you guys? Did you teleport or something?”
“We have Je Sano here.”
Iyeon dismissed her shortly and urged D.S with a nod. Understanding his intent to have her quickly explain what was going on, D.S played a video without any preamble.
It was almost the same angle as in the photo. The child’s thin arm was briefly visible on the screen. It seemed Mirae couldn’t wait and had made her 183rd call.
“At first, I thought she was just calling for her mom briefly before going to sleep.”
D.S fast-forwarded the video. Mirae, chattering about her plans for tomorrow to the doll in her prettily decorated room, was a scene similar to what they had seen earlier.
“But here.”
The video, which had been playing for quite some time, stopped at a scene that didn’t seem particularly special. But it was also a familiar scene.
It was exactly like the photo D.S had sent. What was passing through the corridor in front of Mirae’s room was one of the twins. While they stared wide-eyed at the monitor, unable to believe what they were seeing even now, D.S continued her rapid briefing.
“I analyzed it by replaying it several times. I’m sure.”
Her calm voice hesitated slightly before continuing.
“…I think it’s Lee Semi.”
“No, what on earth…”
Iyeon trailed off in bewilderment. What should we do? Now that he knew the connection to Morpho, that household was like a time bomb. We need to get Mirae out of there first… Is Mirae okay right now? Should I contact the Director? Or…
What stopped his thoughts, which couldn’t find direction, was a quiet murmur.
“It’s because of me.”
