“No. It didn’t open. Could it be related to Team 3 that went beyond the Guimun?”
“There were times before when it didn’t open, so it’s too early to judge. Isn’t it 80 percent by ratio?”
“Precisely, with an 82 percent probability, the Guimun opened every time we experimented on Test Subject A.”
“Test Subject B is.”
“6 percent. We should see it as having no correlation.”
Data was always accurate, and Test Subject A was special. The Research Director had known that fact from the moment he first saw her. Test Subject A was a mysterious being who had been sleeping in the ground without dying for over 100 years.
“When was the most recent time we opened the Guimun?”
“Excluding the one Team Leader Yeon opened, it was a week ago. The project we put our heart and soul into.”
A week ago, it was the Research Director and Chief Lee who opened the Guimun to summon several semi-humans and additionally released one pregnant semi-human into the world. That day, the Research Director sent away one precious test subject. He heavily administered the mucus inside capsule eggs to the pregnant semi-human and sent her to Team 3. It was a small sacrifice for the greater good. If he hadn’t done so, he wouldn’t have been able to send Team Leader Yeon and Park Gyujin beyond the Guimun. Though he knew it couldn’t be helped, the Research Director felt regretful about losing one pregnant test subject.
“Do you think Park Gyujin-ssi will do well?”
Chief Lee asked while keeping her gaze on the monitor. The Research Director nodded while pushing up his glasses. Two months ago, the Research Director dug up his ancestor’s grave. Inside it was one map of beyond the Guimun and one thin book. Both were half rotten. There were traces of being eaten by bugs, and there were quite a few sections where the writing couldn’t be read because it had smeared in water. Still, he was able to find out one important piece of information. Grass. To tame semi-humans, brown grass was absolutely necessary. That was Park Gyujin’s mission. To return alive with the grass.
“It would be troublesome if he fails. It’s an opportunity we created with such effort.”
“What are you planning to do if Team 3 becomes suspicious?”
No one knew about the grass’s existence except the Research Director, Chief Lee, and Park Gyujin. Though they had disguised Park Gyujin’s mission as being Team Leader Yeon’s guide and fruit collector, he could be caught gathering grass and draw Team 3’s suspicion. Chief Lee’s worry was valid. However, the Research Director’s mouth opened smoothly.
“Why would I have deliberately chosen Team 3 out of 19 teams? Team 3 is people who won’t care even if Park Gyujin shows ulterior motives, as long as it doesn’t harm them.”
Team 3 was simple. That’s why he deliberately chose them. Team 3 was a thoughtless team that occasionally caused accidents over personal matters but anyway did well at the work they were assigned. But that Team 3’s team leader opened the Guimun without help. That point still bothered him a bit. If they returned safely alive, he planned to hear the facts from Park Gyujin and then interrogate Yeon Dogyeong.
“You said the Guimun was opened a week ago?”
“Yes.”
The Research Director drew a calendar in his mind. It shouldn’t be too frequent, nor should it be too sparse. It shouldn’t be regular, but there shouldn’t be no pattern at all. The Guimun always had to be opened cautiously.
“Five days from now, have it open in E-2 District. Do we have enough eggs?”
“Test Subject D’s pregnancy recently succeeded. We shouldn’t be short.”
It was good news. The Research Director pat, pat tapped the shoulder of the reliable Chief Lee. Chief Lee, who pulled up the corners of her lips slightly, filled out the chart while examining the data displayed on the screen.
* * *
Inside the cave was darker and colder than the forest under the dark blue sky. Tree roots protruded here and there, and water of unknown origin had pooled in places. Fortunately, there were no traces of semi-humans. However, it was also wide and deep enough that the end couldn’t be known, so Yeon Dogyeong and Joo Seonghan didn’t go far and settled down near a pointed rock a bit away from the entrance.
While Joo Seonghan took out snacks from his backpack to prepare, Yeon Dogyeong picked up dry branches and leaves from somewhere. They lit a small campfire on the dirt ground and sat down to eat. After simply filling their stomachs, Joo Seonghan dried his wet body while warming himself by the fire. After spending time quietly and collecting his body and mind, fatigue rushed in sharply. At the same time, the events from a few hours ago came to mind one by one. It was a miracle to be alive.
“How long have you been doing this?”
At Joo Seonghan’s question, Yeon Dogyeong, who had been checking his gun, raised his head. He turned his eyes as if recalling the past, then answered right away.
“It’s been 10 years this year.”
Even when asked vaguely, he immediately understood the intent of the question. Joo Seonghan looked down at the rising flames and hugged his knees as he pulled them up.
“You fight incredibly well.”
He didn’t have the leisure to watch with appreciation, so all he saw was in passing, but when Yeon Dogyeong had a brawl with the semi-humans earlier, he literally flew around. Shooting guns to blow off heads was natural, and he grabbed and tore the throats of semi-humans who came close without difficulty, and easily cut off their limbs with a knife. They were movements that didn’t seem human.
“Appearances aside, I am a team leader. A position that deploys to the scene first when it’s said a semi-human has appeared. If I can’t fight, I shouldn’t sit in this position.”
Yeon Dogyeong, who spoke with a smile, neatly organized the firearms and took out a small medical bag. Without telling him to come over, he got up and sat next to Joo Seonghan. Joo Seonghan looked down at his bandaged hand and then untied the knot himself.
“Who reports when a semi-human appears?”
“The Semi-Human Department Management Team informs us. When the Guimun opens, the wavelength or whatever changes, and with a machine that detects that, they find out where the Guimun opened and send us there.”
As if frustrated by the slow hand movements, Yeon Dogyeong grabbed Joo Seonghan’s wrist and unwrapped the bandage himself. The end of the bandage stretched long.
“…That’s smart.”
“Yes. That’s why he sits in the Research Director position. The person who made that machine is the 2nd Generation Semi-Human Research Director.”
The skin on his palm was exposed to the air. It was the first time seeing it since Yeon Dogyeong had cared for it a few days ago, and the wound had noticeably healed. The effect of that incredibly painful ointment must have been amazing.
“But didn’t the guys tell you about this kind of thing?”
Yeon Dogyeong asked while applying white ointment instead of pink on the wound. This medicine didn’t hurt.
“I didn’t ask.”
“Then what did you ask?”
“Just… what semi-humans are, who knows about semi-humans, what happens to people who witness semi-humans, why their eyesight is good….”
“You heard the explanation from Jaejun.”
He seemed to have caught on from the eyesight talk. Joo Seonghan nodded while looking down at the wound that had disappeared under the clean bandage. The bandage was thinner than what he had wrapped last time, so his hand felt less stuffy.
“You said earlier that I fight well.”
“…Yes.”
He didn’t know why they had returned to that topic again, so his answer came a bit late. Joo Seonghan looked at the dark shadow created by Yeon Dogyeong’s nose bridge and waited for what would follow.
“I’m strong. Incredibly so. I became like this after drinking a potion.”
“……”
“Among ourselves, we call the drugs that increase ability stats potions.”
Aah. At the bland reaction, Yeon Dogyeong, who smiled with a pik, put down Joo Seonghan’s bandaged hand on the ground. Then he stretched out his arm and lifted up Joo Seonghan’s t-shirt. He instinctively grabbed his hand to stop him. The corners of his lips, who raised his eyes, curled up.
“I’ll look at your side.”
“…Thank you.”
He greeted in a shallowly cracked voice and lifted up the t-shirt himself. It was bruised so bluish-black that it looked painful just to see. Yeon Dogyeong caressed near the affected area with his large hand. The hand that came up to his ribs firmly pressed on his bones and near his navel.
“Does it hurt?”
“Just… I think it’s okay.”
He, who nodded, took out flat ointment and gently applied it on the bruise. He didn’t wrap a bandage or attach gauze but withdrew his hand.
“It doesn’t seem like your organs are damaged. Tell me right away if it hurts.”
“…Yes.”
He answered quietly and straightened his t-shirt. Yeon Dogyeong, who roughly wiped the medicine on his fingers on his pants, looked down at his wristwatch.
“Let’s sleep now. We’ll move in five hours.”
He, who simply organized the surroundings, threw more branches into the campfire. The sound of burning wood could be heard irregularly. Joo Seonghan, who had been sitting for a while, laid down his backpack near the campfire and patted it. When he laid down using it as a pillow after making it flat, the cave ceiling came into view. The orange campfire drew pictures here and there. How long has it been since he came to this place? He felt distant.
“Team Leader Yeon.”
He called him while looking up at the ceiling swaying quietly. Yeon Dogyeong was looking at the map with the campfire beside him.
“Yes.”
“Do you not sleep, Team Leader Yeon?”
He, who showed no reaction for a while to Joo Seonghan’s question, rustle, pressed the ground with the hand holding the map and looked back. He could feel the gaze touching his profile.
“You’re making people self-conscious.”
“……”
