Chapter 123 – Headhunter (Part Three)

“Are you sure we can order something this expensive?”

“Don’t worry about it. Eat as much as you like.”

Il-hyeon replied to Lee Dong-won, who asked with some hesitation.

The place they had moved to for their conversation was, surprisingly, a barbecue restaurant.

He had intended for a quiet talk, but this was at Lee Dong-won’s request, who had no interest in just sipping coffee.

While Il-hyeon picked up the tongs and started grilling the meat, Lee Dong-won held the core Il-hyeon had given him in one hand.

It was a request from Il-hyeon to check various things related to the manifestation of his special power.

But there was no change at all—the core didn’t crack, nor did it absorb any Ether.

“I don’t feel anything…”

‘Hmm, it seems the way I manifested my power won’t work for him.’

Seeing that neither Seo Jeong-hwa nor Lee Dong-won had shown any changes, it seemed the method of manifesting abilities differed from person to person.

Il-hyeon clicked his tongue and took the core back from him.

Then, as he slipped the core into his coat’s inner pocket, the mouse already inside began to crunch on it with an audible chewing sound.

If a mouse of this size were to appear in a barbecue restaurant, the entire establishment would be in an uproar, so he had no choice but to keep it hidden to avoid causing a scene.

“That mouse is a summon or something, right?”

“That’s right. You know more than I expected.”

“Believe it or not, I’m very interested in what goes on in your world. Anyway, to see a friend I’ve only seen on the news this close… It doesn’t even feel real.”

Lee Dong-won said, staring intently at Il-hyeon.

It was understandable that he’d be fascinated, seeing the high-ranking rookie Awakened who had been at the center of the biggest recent headlines grilling meat right in front of him.

The few people at the next table didn’t seem to recognize Il-hyeon, who was only wearing a simple cap instead of sunglasses, likely not expecting to run into him in a place like this.

Lee Dong-won had heard that he’d gone abroad after being disciplined, but it seemed he had returned at some point.

“So, what brings a man of your stature to see someone like me?”

Lee Dong-won asked, picking up a perfectly cooked piece of meat and mumbling as he chewed.

Il-hyeon didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

“I’d like to recruit you for our team, Mr. Lee.”

“Huh…? But I’m not an Awakened. And does Aegis really have a need for someone like me?”

Lee Dong-won stammered, his surprise evident.

Kang Il-hyeon himself had come to him with an offer he’d never even considered. It was the kind of thing that, even if it happened in a dream, would have him bolting upright in disbelief.

But of course, it was impossible for Il-hyeon, who wasn’t even a team leader, to get him into the Alpha Team. Il-hyeon continued nonchalantly.

“To be precise, it’s not for Aegis. I’m planning to create a separate team. In your previous ability test, you received an unusually high-ranked ability, didn’t you?”

“Right, how did you know that?”

“Didn’t you go around telling everyone about it, calling it your most embarrassing moment?”

“Ah… right, now that you mention it.”

Lee Dong-won scratched his head awkwardly.

He wanted to erase the humiliating disaster of that time from his memory, but he had often recounted it whenever he needed a story to tell, whether over drinks or otherwise.

He had even mentioned it during interviews in his athlete days, so it was something anyone could find out if they looked into it.

“An SS-rank ability, ‘Pulverize.’ Back then, I believed it without a doubt. I was sure I was going to become an Awakened. I was always a bit stronger than others, you see.”

Lee Dong-won said with a raise of his eyebrows, then let out an embarrassed, hearty laugh.

But to Il-hyeon, it was no laughing matter.

“But what if that’s the ability you truly possess?”

“Come on, I even got retested and was ultimately deemed a non-Awakened. And an ability like that has never manifested.”

“No, it makes sense.”

“On what grounds?”

“Because the same thing happened to me.”

“Huh…?”

Thud.

Lee Dong-won’s face went blank, and the piece of meat he was holding slipped from his chopsticks and fell onto the table.

***

The test results, the error, and the manifestation of the ability.

Il-hyeon calmly explained, using his and Seo Jeong-hwa’s cases as examples.

He didn’t mention the SSS-rank of his abilities, their nature, or their number, but he was able to convey that an undeniable commonality had been found among those who had experienced measurement errors.

Above all, Il-hyeon’s own case—where the “ridiculous ability” that appeared as an error had actually manifested, allowing him to work as an Awakened—was tantamount to proving the hypothesis himself.

Il-hyeon’s blank ability test sheet, with his name on it, was now in Lee Dong-won’s hands.

It showed that Il-hyeon, who was currently using his abilities just fine, had been judged as having no abilities.

“So, you’re saying the error… or maybe the real ability, only shows up on the first test, and from the second test onwards, you’re marked as a non-possessor?”

“That’s correct.”

As Il-hyeon nodded in reply, Lee Dong-won, who had been listening with rapt attention, stopped his leg from bouncing nervously and spoke.

“Hah… if that’s true, that’s incredible.”

Lee Dong-won picked up the soju bottle and filled Il-hyeon’s empty glass.

As a high-ranking Awakened, Il-hyeon wouldn’t feel the slightest bit tipsy from drinking soju, but with his years of work experience, he could easily play along with the atmosphere.

“So you’re planning to gather people like that and form a separate team?”

“It would be difficult to get them into Aegis, but a private team should have no problem operating. As for the necessary funds, I can cover them.”

“But why go to the trouble of gathering everyone in one place?”

“It’s a dangerous time, what with the monsters and terrorists. It wouldn’t be strange for talents who might possess such gifts to meet an untimely end somewhere. It would be better to gather and manage them. Plus, I figured being on-site at Gates would be more conducive to manifesting hidden abilities than just sitting around.”

“Hmm, I see. Alright, I understand your intentions. But honestly, I find it hard to believe that I possess such an ability… And I have no desire to play hero by becoming an Awakened at an age when other Awakened are thinking about retirement.”

Lee Dong-won said, leaning back indifferently.

He didn’t seem particularly interested in Il-hyeon’s words, and it looked as though the persuasion might fail.

But the conversation wasn’t over yet. He leaned forward, closing the distance.

“However! If you can meet my conditions, I’ll gladly cooperate.”

“I’m not sure what you have in mind, but please, go ahead.”

Il-hyeon asked, a little taken aback by his words.

It was good that there was still a chance, but he was worried Dong-won was about to demand an outrageous sum of money.

Since the team wasn’t affiliated with any organization and would be funded entirely by Il-hyeon’s personal finances, an exorbitant amount would be problematic.

But the condition he wanted was completely different from what Il-hyeon had expected.

“Could you fight me a little more, continuing from our earlier scuffle? It’s not that I don’t accept the result… but I was careless at the start, so I have some regrets. And I’d also like to spar with the other Awakened in Aegis.”

“…Why a spar all of a sudden?”

“Fighting strong guys is my only pleasure these days. The high-ranking Awakened won’t even give me the time of day. They probably look down on me since I’m a non-Awakened with no abilities. But I want to fight strong opponents.”

“Is that all? What about salary or other conditions?”

“You can just take care of that appropriately. I’ve earned enough during my athletic career to get by, so I don’t need much. But is this too much to ask?”

“No, well… that much is fine.”

“Really? Hahaha! Thanks!”

At Il-hyeon’s reply, Lee Dong-won emptied his glass, genuinely pleased.

“Come to think of it, those guys you were beating up just now didn’t seem that weak… What level of opponents have you faced?”

“I’ve beaten a few C-rank Awakened. I don’t know about anything higher since they won’t fight me.”

“What?”

Il-hyeon asked in surprise.

All he knew about Lee Dong-won was that he possessed ‘physical abilities beyond the scope of an ordinary person’; he hadn’t heard any specific figures.

At best, he had thought Dong-won might be able to hold his own against a D-rank Awakened.

But to have defeated C-rank Awakened multiple times…

He had sensed something unusual during their brief fight earlier, but if that was true, Dong-won’s skills were top-tier even among the Awakened.

“With that kind of strength, you could have continued as a professional athlete in any sport…”

“Nah, I couldn’t stand holding back against weaklings. It was too frustrating. And I’m not interested in that stuff anymore.”

Lee Dong-won chuckled and waved his arm dismissively, while Il-hyeon stared at him, dumbfounded.

He was a peculiar man in many ways, with no apparent greed for money.

‘At any rate, I won’t need to erase his memory.’

Il-hyeon thought as he downed a shot of soju.

If Lee Dong-won had refused the offer, he had planned to erase his memory right then and there before leaving.

No matter how strong Lee Dong-won was—strong enough to be considered beyond human—he was still technically a non-Awakened, meaning he had virtually no resistance to special powers.

Erasing his memory with his ability would have been simple.

“Well then, this should make forming the team much easier. The Seo Jeong-hwa I mentioned earlier is also a C-rank Awakened. So, do you use any particular weapon…”

“A man fights with his bare fists!”

“Ah, yes… I understand.”

***

“Phew, I only meant to grab a bite, but look at the time.”

Il-hyeon muttered as he stepped out into an alley, checking the watch on his left wrist.

After sending a thoroughly drunk Lee Dong-won home—they had finished seven bottles of soju between them—the sky had already grown dark.

And that was only possible because he had made a reasonable excuse to postpone their fight until another day.

‘Still, there’s plenty of time before the next operation. Since I’m back in Korea, I should stop by home. I can see my parents before I go.’

Il-hyeon started walking toward the main street to catch a taxi.

As he walked, pondering what gifts to bring his parents, he heard a squeaking sound from inside his coat.

A different thought suddenly struck him, and he stopped in his tracks.

“Alright, you can come out now.”

“Squeak squeak!”

As Il-hyeon spoke, tapping his coat with his finger, the mouse in his inner pocket poked its head out.

“Sorry, was it stuffy? Shall we go for a flight together after all this time?”

“Squeak?”

“Get on.”

Il-hyeon gestured with a nod of his head toward his shoulder.

The mouse glanced around to see if anyone was nearby, and only after confirming the alley was empty did it scurry up onto Il-hyeon’s shoulder.

“Let’s go!”

Snap!

With a flick of Il-hyeon’s fingers, a powerful gust of wind gathered beneath him.

The wind coalesced under his feet, rapidly taking shape, and a massive bird appeared, effortlessly lifting them onto its back and soaring into the sky.

Whoosh!

As the bird banked sharply to gain altitude, Il-hyeon held onto its feathers to steady himself. Soon, they had climbed high enough, and the bird leveled out.

High in the sky, the cold, rushing wind made the mouse’s whiskers flutter as it squinted.

But the little creature seemed excited, shaking its head with glee, and Il-hyeon, watching from the side, couldn’t help but laugh.

Towering skyscrapers and brilliant lights, with people walking far below.

The night view of Seoul, which he hadn’t seen in a while, was as beautiful as ever.

It was a sight that made him momentarily forget the terrorism and Gate incidents happening all over the world.

“What a killer view.”