FLIA 138

“Awakener Park Seungmin, you have worked hard. You may return home now.”

Even after he got into the ceremonial vehicle heading back to Sunrise Guild, it took some time before Park Seungmin finally pulled himself together. His pride was hurt, and he lashed out. The disappointed looks that Jeong Siyoung and the Special Suppression Unit members had given him cut to the bone.

“Damn it, so what, are you some high-level awakener or something? What’s so great about being just a common dealer that you look at me with that kind of contempt in your eyes…!”

It was an insult that applied to himself as well.

Park Seungmin cursed and bit his lips. To heal Jeong Siyoung, he had scraped up every last bit of purification power, so for now he could not purify anyone else. Yet after all that effort, what he got was that kind of look. Even though it was the first time he had used his purification power to the point his strength was drained completely. He was growing anxious as he seethed in anger.

‘…Why does it feel like my ability is getting weaker and weaker?’

The purification power that had been overflowing at first, for some reason, did not return no matter how much he rested. The more he used it, the more it decreased little by little, and it made him more anxious each time. Maybe it was because of the vivid nightmares he had been having every single night recently.

In those dreams, Park Seungmin had almost completely lost his purification power and could not recover it. Then the whole world mocked him as a fraud….

“No. I am a high-level awakener. It’s a ridiculous dream. Just a dream, damn it!”

Park Seungmin shook his head so roughly that his neatly styled hair became messy. And he repeated it over and over. If even a high-level awakener like him recovered this slowly, then surely other purifiers also struggled a lot with purification. He comforted himself with the thought that purification ability was always this meager anyway.

***

Yohan, who had been staring intently at the screen, sighed in frustration.

“Ah! I lost again…”

On the screen, Yohan’s character had fallen flat with eyes in the shape of (x_x). Ju Hoyoung, who was still on a winning streak, looked regretful for him and said,

“Should I use only one finger next time?”

“No!”

Yohan got a little defensive. Ju Hoyoung was already playing with several handicaps: not using one hand, letting the others interrupt him, getting tickled, and so on. Determined to win against even one hand next time, Yohan stood up, and Seo Yakrin quickly joined in.

“Hey, play with me too.”

“No, you get angry when you lose.”

“Like I would lose to one hand?”

Seo Yakrin ended up being defeated miserably. Ju Hoyoung, when playing against the much younger youngest member, had played carelessly, almost letting him win to make it exciting. But against teammates, he showed no mercy. Seo Yakrin stared blankly at her defeated character. Yohan had a realization.

‘Even against just one finger I would have lost…’

Yoon Seungryong, who had been watching with interest, also challenged him, but this time Ju Hoyoung completely toyed with him. Yoon Seungryong, upset, shouted,

“Play again, again!”

With the lively game BGM, the Taeyang Team’s lounge became noisy.

Yohan was not officially a member, but whenever he had spare time, he often hung out with them like this. Even when Taeyang Team members often came to pick him up, the young ones from his own team did not mind because they had ties from the Abyss. They even nudged Yohan in the side, saying it was better for him to get along more with them. Each time he came, they gave him snacks, called the new recruits by name warmly, chatted with them, and even shared useful advice.

While the three of them messed around, the team leader and the deputy leader looked at documents, made phone calls, or typed away. They acted like this was always normal, but Yohan alone felt unnecessarily guilty and watched their reactions. Lee Hyunmook, who made eye contact with Yohan, gave him a smile and then spoke to Lee Chanha.

“I thought the Rift Management Bureau would ask for help around now.”

“They just don’t want to bow their heads to us. By now Captain Jeong Siyoung must be at her limit, right? I worry about how long she can last with only a little purification.”

Jeong Siyoung… The name was so familiar that Yohan thought of the Special Suppression Unit captain from the Rift Bureau, the woman whose left arm had been severely corrupted. His body itched with the urge to treat her as soon as possible.

‘But they said the construction is almost finished.’

The construction of the treatment ward for severely corrupted patients was nearly done. That was the reason Yohan was still hiding the fact that he was a purifier. Once they started transferring the severely corrupted into his care, the government would finally have justification to demand duties and responsibilities from him as a high-level purifier. Until then, Yohan was waiting.

“Hmm, I guess it’s about time we leave.”

Lee Chanha, who had finished his report swiftly and skillfully, glanced at the clock as he spoke. There was a reason Yohan had come to the Taeyang Team lounge so early today. There was an event he had to attend in the afternoon.

“What a bother, do we really need to attend something like this?”

“The name of the event itself is for us to attend, so even if it is bothersome, we have to. If we skip it, it will only become more bothersome.”

When Yoon Seungryong muttered irritably, Lee Chanha replied. The event they had to attend today was hosted by the Rift Management Bureau, and the title was “Abyss Survivors’ Return Commemoration Ceremony.” Of course, that meant Yohan, one of the survivors, was also invited.

“Yohan-gun, if attending feels burdensome, should I use illusion for you?”

Lee Chanha asked politely in his always courteous tone. Ever since they escaped from the Abyss–no, to be exact, ever since he had received purification from Yohan–he was always excessively polite, almost too much, and that made Yohan feel pressured. Because of that, Yohan always answered more politely to him in particular.

“No, it’s fine! My identity has already been revealed anyway.”

After Park Seungmin’s remark last time, Yohan’s face and name spread everywhere in the media. Following Ju Hoyoung’s advice, he tried to ignore it, but he got so many interview requests from reporters and calls from old acquaintances that he eventually had to change his phone.

“Well, it would be weird to leave Yohan here alone too.”

Seo Yakrin nodded seriously. Even after they came to the relatively safe Earth, they always stayed by Yohan’s side. Purification was not the only reason. They worried about his safety. Honestly, it was a bit overprotective, but Yohan could not say he did not understand, so he just accepted it.

After all, public opinion about the Taeyang Guild after their return from the Abyss was noisy every day. Rather than skipping and stirring up trouble, it was better to attend. However, they declined the government’s offer of an official car. They thought there would surely be a bug installed in it.

“Why would they install a bug?”

On the way to the event, Yohan asked in confusion. What use was there in listening to casual team chatter?

“They probably think we are hiding something related to the Abyss. But even if not, they would have installed it. All over the world, not only in our country, awakeners of mid-level and above, especially high-level awakener, are subjects of government surveillance. They say it is because we hold power that threatens national security.”

Ju Hoyoung explained and Yohan nodded in understanding. There were indeed many things from the Abyss they were hiding, and he could also understand the caution against the strong. Of course, that did not mean being under surveillance felt good.

The venue was a hotel about an hour’s drive from the Taeyang Guild. Reporters were swarming from the hotel entrance, taking countless photos of the vehicle even though its windows were tinted black so nothing could be seen. The car, showered in flashes, stopped in front of the hotel annex.

When they got out of the van, there were many people in suits. Yohan glanced down at his own clothes. The Taeyang Guild members all wore their guild uniforms. Yohan was worried about looking awkward in a suit, he felt relieved.

Since it was an official government event, there were many reporters dispatched from other countries too. The first return from the Abyss was a matter of interest not only in Korea but around the world. They were guided by hotel staff to the annex. A stage and countless chairs were set up in the wide open space in front of the annex and a huge banner fluttered above.

[Rift Management Bureau Abyss Survivors’ Return Commemoration Ceremony]

“They made it look like our escape was their achievement.”

Ju Hoyoung said in a bored voice and pulled out his game console from his pocket. His attitude showed he had no interest in such an event. Then Seo Yakrin, who was looking around, suddenly frowned.

“They are here too.”

His gaze landed on Go Jaewon, Park Seungmin, and several other awakeners. They were the members of the Sunrise Team formed two and a half years ago, who continued to use the name Sunrise Team even after Lee Hyunmook and the original members had returned.

“Oh, you all came? Welcome.”

Rift Bureau Director Kim Jongseok, whom they had seen before, ran over with a delighted face. Beneath his smiling face was a probing gaze. When Lee Hyunmook stepped forward to shake his hand as their representative, flashes from reporters exploded in a storm.