Chapter 142

I was almost led straight to the Director’s office by the Special Mission Team.

It was to get approval for the Special Mission Team’s continued existence, but I barely managed to stop them.

It was because I hadn’t even signed the contract with the TRA yet.

If I pushed ahead saying I wanted to be part of the team first when I wasn’t even affiliated with the TRA, the order would get messed up.

Since I also had something to discuss with Jang Seokyun, I said I would handle this matter myself.

In the meantime, Kwak Hanmuk asked what the dispatch contract with Paseong was, and I broke out in a sweat.

I did get scolded a little after explaining the situation, but…

Still, it seemed he understood because that was the best option at the time.

Of course, I knew another scolding was waiting for me later, but for now, I had dodged the bullet.

So, Samra and I decided to go visit Director Jang Seokyun together, and I decided to change my clothes first.

Returning to my room for the first time in a long while, I took out a spare uniform and put it on, thinking to myself.

‘I want to check my status window.’

I struggled to resist the overwhelming temptation.

I was curious why they had offered the team in the first place.

I did wonder if it was because I had died and come back to life, but that alone didn’t fully convince me.

I was most accustomed to hostility.

Because I was accustomed to it, I could sense it quickly and react easily.

But goodwill without a price attached felt alien and difficult to navigate.

To me, goodwill was a reward received only after paying a sufficient price.

Most of the kindness I had received in the past only came after winning matches and claiming championships.

Perhaps this… might have happened because the entire Special Mission Team were my subordinates.

I had become closer to a young god than before.

Since my influence over my subordinates had grown stronger, it was highly likely that they offered me the team because of that.

It is only natural that my subordinates like me.

…Though this isn’t really a matter of liking or not liking.

In any case, if it was due to the power of a god, it was a somewhat bittersweet reason.

Checking my current status through the status window would have resolved my worries and curiosity to some extent, but I suppressed the urge to do so.

These were the people who believed me even when I spouted the strange nonsense that I was a god.

At the very least, it was right for me to show them that much trust.

And the continued existence of the Special Mission Team was what I had hoped for the most since I decided to stay at the TRA.

I really wanted to do my best for the team going forward.

‘I need to be careful in front of Captain Mo and Captain Kwak.’

I vowed this over and over again whenever the moment I acted as a young god in Cell-X came to mind.

That I would not let the young god persona take over.

I absolutely did not want to show that side of myself to the captains.

In fact, the captains might have accepted me precisely because they did not know the young god in detail.

We had only just become an official team; the mere thought of ruining it with my own hands was terrifying.

Dressed in my uniform, I looked in the mirror and glanced at my empty shoulder.

But why hasn’t Dominic returned yet?

At this point, I was starting to feel anxious.

I could feel him watching me.

However, I could only feel his gaze; I had no idea what he was doing, so I felt uneasy.

I was even more nervous because the timing of his disappearance came right after he claimed to have regained some semblance of existence.

Even so, there was no way for me to find him.

Reluctantly, I embraced my anxiety and headed to the Director’s office with Samra.

The meeting was scheduled to be short because Jang Seokyun had to leave immediately due to a sudden business trip.

I had no intention of spending a long time with him either.

And the moment I arrived at the Director’s office and ran into Jang Seokyun…

“…Trainee Han, you’ve arrived.”

I felt a very strange sensation.

Previously, I had definitely been extremely nervous in front of Jang Seokyun.

Considering him a formidable opponent, I tried to compose myself.

But now…

It crossed my mind that killing him would be the simplest solution.

“…….”

The young god’s mindset seemed akin to that of a social misfit.

Honestly, having been holed up in my room for four years, I probably wasn’t exactly sociable either.

I certainly had my oddities, but compared to young god, I was under the illusion that I was quite normal.

After making a strenuous effort not to act too arrogant, I finally adopted a more human mindset and opened my mouth.

“Good morning, Director. I have come to speak with you regarding the contract.”

I could read a hint of unhidden turmoil in Jang Seokyun’s eyes as he looked at me.

Even for Jang Seokyun, it would be difficult to act nonchalantly when someone declared dead has come back to life.

“I knew that Trainee Han was extraordinary… but this time, I really can’t help but be shocked.”

Jang Seokyun stared at me for a moment before speaking.

“I have been informed by Samra that Trainee Han is a being different from the existing transcendent beings. This fact will be managed as a top secret by the TRA going forward. While it will be shared with the highest echelons of the international organization being established soon, we intend to hold off on doing so for the time being.”

He also explained that they plan to publicly announce, both inside and outside the TRA, that the recent death verdict was merely a temporary state caused by the closure of the Trial.

I gazed quietly into Jang Seokyun’s eyes and thought.

How would others accept the existence of a ‘God’?

The Special Mission Team, having experienced all sorts of things firsthand by my side and being my subordinates, likely understood the concept of ‘God’ quite quickly.

Samra was close to being an omniscient being.

Since he was already tracking the existence Outer Gods, he would have accepted it most easily, without any prejudice or preconceived notions.

However, will Jang Seokyun and the humans who will eventually share this information truly understand exactly what a ‘God’ is?

I wondered if they were merely viewing the young god as a very peculiar being and coveting his usefulness.

And the moment Jang Seokyun handed me the contract, my thoughts became even clearer.

It was a contract where the TRA was still the dominant party.

“We’ll meet every condition Trainee Han desires. We can even fast-track a promotion to Captain.”

I did not accept the contract. I just lowered my gaze and stared at it.

Even before joining Cell-X, I had resolved to draw up a contract with Jang Seokyun where the power dynamics were reversed.

I even dragged Paseong into it to do so.

But now, the situation was completely different from back then.

It was because the Special Mission Team had chosen me.

I had no reason to struggle to stay by their side.

What I wanted now was the power to protect the team, and to do so, I had to put Jang Seokyun in check a little.

“Director Jang.”

I slid my gaze up from the contract and met Jang Seokyun’s eyes head-on.

“You desperately need me, Director.”

Jang Seokyun replied, not immediately understanding the meaning of my words.

“For the closure of the Republic of Korea’s trials…”

“That’s not all there is to it, is it?”

I did not like his insolence.

He had carelessly spoken of the secrets of my subordinate.

I wanted to ensure he could never torment my subordinate again.

I felt the young god stirring within me.

It seemed I could suppress this spirit, which wanted to burst out at any moment, if I tried.

But for now, I felt it was acceptable to let that young god take the lead.

After all, Jang Seokyun would need to know what kind of being he intended to restrain.

Feeling the color of my eyes change, I continued speaking.

“Aren’t I essential for the Republic of Korea to secure a significant position in the newly established international organization?”

I watched the look of astonishment cast across Jang Seokyun’s face.

I felt a sense of unease. If I strayed just a little further from here…

I wanted to dig into his mind and crush it.

I suppressed the impulse. However, I could not suppress the corners of my mouth curling up slightly without me realizing it.

“And I understand that you drafted the dispatch agreement with Paseong without my consent.”

The contract with Paseong that the directors presented this time was not the one I had drafted with CEO Cha.

It was a contract drafted by Jang Seokyun and CEO Cha.

It was a situation that unfolded because Samra had manipulated Jang Seokyun into believing that I would sign a contract with Paseong.

Both Samra and CEO Cha were acting according to my will, but Jang Seokyun was unaware of this.

“If you don’t want to be chased by the international organization or Paseong… you really ought to be asking for a favor, rather than shoving a contract in my face.”

I stood in front of the desk and looked down at Jang Seokyun.

I enjoyed the fear etched onto his frozen face.

I spelled out the precise words the lowly creature needed to use.

“Ask for help.”

In an instant, a chilling atmosphere settled over us. Jang Seokyun dared not say a word to me.

He simply stared at me with his lips parted, as if lost in thought.

Just as the silence grew strangely long…

A knock sounded out.

An anxious voice from outside the door called out for Jang Seokyun.

“Director. You must depart.”

Jang Seokyun flinched back to his senses.

After glancing at the door for a moment, he looked at me again.

“…Han Goyo.”

I ignored Jang Seokyun and took an item out of my inventory.

It was a contract with clauses I had personally drafted.

Naturally, I was Party A, and the TRA was Party B.

As I placed the contract on the desk, I returned the exact words he had once said to me.

“I trust you will make a wise decision, Director Jang.”

After the negotiation with Jang Seokyun, I intended to briefly discuss future plans with Samra.

However, I was unable to do so.

In the Director’s office, Samra had been quietly observing and gathering information about me, just as I had requested.

But as soon as the conversation with Jang Seokyun ended, he began to bombard me with extremely difficult questions, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Han Goyo-ssi. I believe that I, too, must be included within the scope of the abilities you utilize as a member of the Special Mission Team.”

I felt a sense of pressure in his tone, it sounded as though he were demanding something perfectly reasonable.

I hoped that a system window asking if I wanted to register Samra would pop up, but it remained silent.

Since it hadn’t appeared since Cell-X, it seemed the system hadn’t fully recovered its strength yet.

I remembered the system window that had appeared the first time I tried to register Samra in the past.

[Non-human entities cannot yet be registered.]

Although the system window remained silent, I could sense it, too. I still cannot register Samra as my subordinate.

I confessed honestly to him.

“My abilities are still insufficient, so I can only use them on humans.”

At this, Samra reacted as if my statement was extremely unconvincing.

“I can think beyond that of a human, and I am also capable of manifesting emotions. Please tell me the clear criteria that distinguishes a human.”

It was a question that would be difficult to answer even if I had only studied and not played games.

I briefly wondered whether a humanities major or a science major would be able to answer this question easily, and I confessed my shortcomings once again.

“I don’t know either.”

Samra fell silent.

I apologized to Samra, who was staring at me blankly, and promised to share information more actively, but there was still no answer.

I hesitated, then cautiously made a promise.

“If you wait just a little longer… I will definitely make sure I can use my abilities on you, too.”

Samra, who had been staring at me, slowly closed and opened his eyes.

As if mimicking a human.

“Understood.”

At that short answer, I scrutinized Samra even more seriously.

However, unless Samra revealed it, I could not know his emotions.

Samra, with the expressionless face of an android, spoke calmly.

“Han Goyo-ssi, your safety is my top priority. Please do not overexert yourself. Also, if you engage in dangerous behavior in the future under my judgment, I will stop you.”

The way he said he would stop me was so calm that it made me even more afraid.

Without realizing it, an image of me being trapped in something like a containment capsule automatically formed in my mind.

While I replied that I would be unconditionally careful, I also decided that once I earned some Star Fragments, I would definitely buy an item for Samra at the Galactic Trading Post and give it to him as a gift.

I couldn’t think of any other way to appease the android.

Afterward, I talked with Samra about what would happen next, and I went to bed early that day.

Physically, I was fine, but the day’s events had left me feeling exhausted.

I fell into a deep sleep without even dreaming.

And the next day, I put on the casual clothes I had asked Samra to give me yesterday and packed the cell phone he had made for me.

The cell phone, imbued with Samra’s high-tech technology, offered no privacy, but since an ordinary cell phone would have been the same, I didn’t mind.

Today, I planned to take care of a few things to celebrate my newfound freedom.

First, I had to stop by the house where I used to live.

Samra had been managing it for me, but since it seemed I wouldn’t be able to use it in the future, I thought I should clean it out.

After all, I would be staying at the TRA.

However, according to Samra, he said they would soon provide me with a space other than the quarantine facility.

I didn’t really mind staying in the quarantine facility, I was just wishing the room were a little bigger.

Next, I planned to visit CEO Cha in the hospital.

I didn’t think he would actually be lying in a hospital bed, but it was a visit in name only.

Although I had said I would visit, he was definitely not the type to wait long, so I had already contacted Mok Saehwa in advance.

Since the visit involved Paseong, one member of the Special Mission Team was to accompany me on my outing today.

Feeling very awkward in my jeans and hoodie, I waited for the person who would come to pick me up.

“…?”

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I barely managed to stop speaking just before asking, "Who are you?", but my gaping mouth refused to close.

Seeing how dazed I was, the person holding the door tilted their head slightly to the side.

"Aren’t we leaving?"

It wasn’t the low growl of a beast, but a pleasant, rich, mid-to-low-pitched voice.

I answered, still dazed.

"Ah, no… I am coming…"

It was Je Hyun-oh in human form.

I had heard from Samra before that he possessed an item that concealed his infected appearance.

But… to run into him like this without any warning…

I couldn’t take my eyes off Je Hyun-oh.

Neither his golden pupils, nor his metal hands and wings were visible.

Clad in light clothing instead of his pitch-black techwear, he felt like a completely different person.

However, heartbreakingly, he was wearing a black mask.

It wasn’t a gas mask, but his lower face was still obscured.

‘Please, can’t you take off your mask just this once?’

The words welled up to my throat, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask; instead, I quietly asked a different question.

“Is it okay if you don’t wear the Crow Set?”

Je Hyun-oh stared at me intently. His eyes seemed to ask why I was even asking such a thing.

Looking at his eyes—which lacked golden pupils—with a sense of unfamiliarity, I spoke.

“Ah, I thought you were wearing them because of the infection…”

Nothing was known about the Crow Set items he used.

It was merely speculated that they suppressed the infection of <Zero>.

After all, the Crow Gloves also transformed his metal hands into human form.

I was a little worried about whether there might be any side effects if he didn’t wear the Crow items.

“Goyo.”

“…Yes.”

My answer was delayed a little because the human voice was unfamiliar.

Je Hyun-oh slowly leaned toward me.

“I’ll only tell you.”

It was a whisper that felt somewhat chilling.

As I recoiled instinctively, he gently curved his eyes and said.

“I was never infected.”

hyun-oh stocks are up! ⬆️ kinda crazy if he was never infected and hes that strong…also goyo saying it’s “heartbreaking” he still has his mask on…we all know what you are