Chapter 88:
Chapter 88:
Chapter 88:
Chapter 88
Entering the Destiny Protection Bureau. Becoming the top trainee was unexpected, but the job offer itself wasn't particularly surprising. Seo Gangrim knew they wanted excellent trainees, and there's no way they'd turn away a mere murderer. If they had wanted to avoid murderers, they wouldn't have assigned such demons in the last stage. How many among the selected candidates had clean hands when it came to bloodshed?
"Seo Gangrim-ssi?" Gong Joo urged for a response. He was still extending his hand for a handshake.
Seo Gangrim, however, lowered his hand for a moment and then spoke. "I'm sorry, but I have no intention of joining."
His response made Ju Seongtae react emotionally. "You, do you know what kind of opportunity this is, and you dare to refuse...!"
"Ju Seongtae, don't make him repeat myself." Gong Joo's voice was so sharp that it was hard to believe it was directed towards his subordinate.
Ju Seongtae seemed to have a strong resentment towards Seo Gangrim. Earlier, he had opposed him joining, and now he was angry that Seo Gangrim refused.
"It seems that we were too hasty with someone who just recovered," Gong Joo said, as he smoothly withdrew his hand. His withdrawn hand went into his jacket, and he pulled out a business card.
"Take a few days to rest and contact us. Spend time with your family and enjoy the fresh air outside."
"I have no intention of taking the job..."
"If you are discharged, please visit the training facility before leaving. There are some things to be explained before your release."
He continued explaining as if he would not accept Seo Gangrim's rejection. Reluctantly, Seo Gangrim took the business card from him, and only then did Team Leader Gong Joo stand up from his seat.
"Well then, I'll go first. See you again."
Gong Joo left the room with Ju Seongtae. Even at the moment of departure, Ju Seongtae continued to glare at me.
Seo Gangrim looked at the business card left in his hand. He had clearly refused the job, but Gong Joo had smoothly rejected his refusal. Seo Gangrim knew that the Destiny Protection Bureau was persistent. If they found out he had the ability to read Destiny, they would be even more troublesome.
On another note, he needed to go find Shin Sooah. He changed into some fresh clothes and walked out. A nurse standing in the hallway noticed him and hurriedly approached.
"Are you okay? You should rest a bit more..."
"I can move without any problems."
"Awakened individuals are certainly strong. Do you want to be discharged?"
"Yes. But before that, I want to know the room number of the patient Shin Sooah."
The nurse kindly guided him to Shin Sooah's room. He stood in front of the door for a moment, took a deep breath, and knocked. There was no response. It was impolite, but Seo Gangrim quietly opened the door and entered.
The room was similar to the single room he had been staying in. He slowly walked over to the bed. There he saw Shin Sooah, still asleep. Her peaceful sleeping face was a stark contrast to the horrifying image of her missing limbs. But his gaze was fixated on the empty space where her arm used to be. He knew this already; her arm had been severed by the Geohae's shackle.
As he stared at the empty space, his breath became tight. Her arm was gone because of him. Shin Sooah was someone who used a sword. He had inadvertently put her in danger again.
Unable to say anything, Seo Gangrim could only look at the spot where her arm should have been. Then, a strange energy emanated from Shin Sooah.
[Sensing the aura of death in Shin Sooah's fate.]
The aura of death? Seo Gangrim was taken aback. He carefully examined her destiny once more, and indeed, he could feel a strong sense of aura of death. Something was wrong. In his past life, her death aura wasn't this strong. Something had changed. When, where, and how would she die? Seo Gangrim couldn't discern any specific details. It was just a vague but unmistakable sense mortality.
At that moment, another notification window appeared before my eyes.
[The item 'Fate Guide' has been activated!]
The special item obtained in the Tongue Removal stage, the Fate Guide. It guided the owner when their destiny was wandering. But why was it activating now? Another notification appeared before Seo Gangrim could grasp the situation.
[The item 'Fate Guide' has gained the power of the Boundary, enhancing its effects!]
In front of Seo Gangrim, everything turned blindingly white, and it felt like lightning was striking inside his head. No, it wasn't lightning; it was a scene unfolding. Countless pieces of information flowed into his mind, changing every second like scenes in a movie. His consciousness, his brain, his head felt like they were about to shatter. Amid the overwhelming flood of information, familiar and unfamiliar scenes passed by. And then, the screen froze.
"Cough, cough..."
Someone's voice, accompanied by agonizing screams, echoed from somewhere. A shadow with one arm severed lay on the ground. Shin Sooah was sprawled on the floor, seemingly in agonizing pain, blood spurting out.
"Seo Gangrim won't come."
Someone standing in front of Shin Sooah spoke. The speaker's face wasn't visible due to interference, but Seo Gangrim could tell the person was an enemy of Shin Sooah.
"Seo Gangrim doesn't even know you're here."
That someone looked silently at Shin Sooah, the voice tinged with puzzlement.
"You don't understand. Seo Gangrim left you as soon as he left the training facility. Why are you trying to die for him?"
"... ..."
"Even if you insist, Seo Gangrim is going to die."
"Ugh... don't touch... don't... hurt... Seo Gangrim..."
Shin Sooah said in a rough, windy voice. Even as she was dying, she didn't beg for her life. She just glared at her opponent as if she could kill the person with her gaze alone.
The opponent slowly raised their hand. "Well then, goodbye."
- Splat!
Blood splattered everywhere, and the world before Seo Gangrim's vission turned red. He tried to rush towards Shin Sooah, but his body wouldn't move. What on earth was this situation? Was this information about the future? Was Shin Sooah going to die like this? He couldn't comprehend it. Why was she dying so miserably? Why was she sacrificing herself for him in this life as well? He needed to know more, gather as much information as possible.
Desperately, he tried to manipulate the Fate Guide, trying to control its path. And then, the screen began to change again.
"Gangrim, run away!"
The rapidly changing scenes stopped once more. This was a memory Seo Gangrim knew well.
"Gangrim, it's okay. Mom and Dad are okay. Run away quickly!"
Seo Gangrim's mother and father were speaking to him as they lay crushed under an overturned car. Young him could only cry. This was a memory from the past. It was the memory of the accident that happened when they were returning after meeting a shaman, the memory of his parents passing away.
Young Seo Gangrim cried and tried to lift the car by himself, but it was impossible. It was then that his mother weakly pushed him and said, "Gangrim, you can't do it alone. There must be adults nearby. Go and call for help. Can you do that?"
Even in her dying moments, Seo Gangrim's mother was tender. Seo Gangrim, with tears in his eyes, started moving hesitantly.
"Mom, Dad, just wait a little. I'll bring people here!"
He said that and started running. Unaware that the car would explode soon, he truly believed he could save his parents. Running wildly along the dark mountain path, young Seo Gangrim ran as if possessed, barefoot. Foolish. And there was someone watching him. White hair fluttered in the darkness. It was Baek Yeong. She was gazing at his dying parents in the darkness.
[The item 'Fate Guide' has ended!]
Baek Yeong disappeared in an instant, leaving only the sight of the hospital room before his eyes. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat. What was that just now? His head was throbbing from the overload of information. Shin Sooah dying again, Baek Yeong at the scene of his parents' death, the confrontation with the Flying Tiger Sect.
When these memories merged, one conclusion emerged. Was Baek Yeong going to kill Shin Sooah again in the future? And could it be that Baek Yeong was responsible for his parents' deaths as well? The accident with his parents was indeed strange. They were driving perfectly fine, but the car suddenly veered off the road, as if struck by lightning. But what if it was due to Baek Yeong's attack?
"Ugh..."
At that moment, a faint groan escaped from Shin Sooah's lips, and Seo Gangrim immediately snapped back to reality. Shin Sooah, lying on the bed, was tossing and turning, but she didn't seem to have awakened.
"..."
Seo Gangrim took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure as he gazed at Shin Sooah's sleeping face. Unlike the future he had just witnessed, she was peacefully asleep now.
"...ha."
Sighing, he decided to leave the room, as his presence might disturb her. He also needed to clear his head and organize the information he had just received.
The revelations from the Fate Guide were overwhelming. Baek Yeong had been intertwined with his life since a long time ago, even when he was a child. She had been there during his most unfortunate moments, including his parents' deaths. Could it be that many of the misfortunes in his life were somehow connected to her?
Moreover, it seemed that in the future, someone would attempt to kill Shin Sooah, even though he had distanced myself from her. He had believed that keeping his distance was the way to keep her safe, but what if he was wrong? What if not being there for her put her even more in danger? What if he couldn't react in time when she faced that danger?
Just as Seo Gangrim was lost in his thoughts, a voice and a fragrance of flowers suddenly filled the air. "Hello, Gangrim-ssi."
Seo Gangrim turned toward the source of the voice and saw a familiar woman standing there with a large bouquet of roses.
"Team Leader Seomun Yongneo?"
"Oh my, you remembered me."
It was Team Leader Seomun Yongneo, whom Seo Gangrim had met in Chamber of Poisonous Snakes last time. She was standing there with a bouquet so massive it could easily contain over a hundred roses.
"I came to visit you, but the room was empty. I was wondering if we would meet, and luckily we did." Seomun Yongneo smiled warmly and handed him the bouquet. The fragrance of the flowers was so overwhelming that Seo Gangrim couldn't help but scrunch up his face in discomfort. She glanced towards the hospital room, oblivious to Seo Gangrim's reaction.
"It's very sweet of you to come and find Sooah-ssi as soon as you woke up."
"…"
"Well, Sooah-ssi seemed to be very devoted to Gangrim-ssi too."
She hadn't come to congratulate Seo Gangrim on his recovery. Her visit was not welcome, as he was still in the midst of processing the information he gained from the Fate Guide. He remained silent, and Seomun Yongneo smiled brightly and continued speaking, "I was truly surprised when Sooah-ssi woke up at that place. With one arm missing and her body in such a state, she still managed to come out with you."
Seo Gangrim also couldn't even begin to imagine how that must have been. Truly, she was an extraordinary person to crawl out on her own, even in such a condition.
"Gangrim-ssi, you were in danger, but Sooah-ssi was also in a quite precarious state. In fact, she woke up not too long ago."
"...If that is so, please leave now."
"Oh dear, I'm sorry. I kept talking unnecessarily in front of the patient."
Seomun Yongneo said in a slightly exaggerated tone. It was obviously an act. She raised the corners of her eyes and gave a playful smile.
"Then I'll just say what I have to and leave quickly. I want to offer you something, Gangrim-ssi. It's something that could be helpful to you."
What was she trying to say?
As Seo Gangrim quietly stared at Seomun Yongneo, she spoke in a cheerful voice. "I'm sure Team Leader Gong Joo has probably already mentioned it, but I want to offer you a job. Not in Team 2, but in Team 1. In return..."
Seomun Yongneo's eyes shone ominously like a dragon's.
"I will help restore Sooah-ssi's arm."
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