FLIA 157

A blinding light flooded the dim isolation room, revealing its wretched interior. Inside the room where Jeong Siyoung had stayed for so long were only a bed and chair that looked worn, a single desk, and a broken fluorescent light. It hardly seemed like a space fit for human habitation.

A swarm of light poured into the isolation room.

 It sparkled, enveloping the surroundings in brilliant light. Jeong Siyoung, thrown into confusion, thrashed once more. Unlike in Gwacheon, it took some time to wash away Jeong Siyoung’s accumulated corruption. Her left arm, long and massive like a giant organism, flailed in all directions. Yet, not a single thing came anywhere near Yohan. Jeong Siyoung gasped for breath. 

Her left arm melted and dripped away. Shrinking, shrinking… shrinking until finally, her eyes regained their luster. Now, Jeong Siyoung no longer resisted, merely staring blankly at the light seeping into her body. Beneath her disheveled hair, emotion stirred on her previously expressionless face.

“Haah, ha… As expected…”

Watching the corruption that had swollen her left arm melt and flow away, Jeong Siyoung laughed aloud for the first time in ages. The blotchy boils and spots on her face vanished too. Plop, plop. As it melted away like falling flesh, her shrinking left arm balanced with his right. Once his opponent had fully regained his senses, Lee Hyunmook released Jeong Siyoung. The Special Suppression Unit Captain raised her now-intact left arm, clenching and unclenching her fist.

“I didn’t think it was him. My hunch… was right.”

Seeing Jeong Siyoung restored, the squad leader gasped for breath, trembling, then rushed over. He quickly severed the chains binding Jeong Siyoung’s body and examined her.

“Captain, are you truly alright?”

“Yeah. I’m in top condition for the first time in ages. You look good too, Woobin.”

Only then did the squad leader realize his own body had also been completely purified. Jeong Siyoung bowed respectfully to Yohan, who was smiling with a satisfied expression.

“Thank you, Awakener Yang Yohan. Thanks to you, we can keep fighting. If there’s anything you want, just ask.”

“No, it’s fine! I just did it because I wanted to.”

Yohan answered with a bright smile, and the squad leader’s eyes filled with emotion. He was worlds apart from Park Seungmin. If only he’d joined the Special Suppression Unit… Though he thought it, he kept it to himself, knowing it was an unconscionable thought. He understood perfectly well why the Taeyang Guild had hidden Yang Yohan’s identity until now.

“In that case, if Yohan ever needs help in the future, I’ll ask him for it.”

Lee Hyunmook took the price Yang Yohan had refused. Jeong Siyoung also nodded readily. Not knowing how to act appropriately in this awkward situation, Yohan, who was at a loss, suddenly remembered something.

“Ah! Then, um… Should I purify the other Special Suppression Unit members too? I still have some power left.”

The squad leader’s eyes welled up with emotion once more. He quickly bowed his head and said to Yohan.

“I know it’s presumptuous, but I’d appreciate it.  I truly appreciate it. I won’t forget this kindness.“

”It’s nothing! You’re the ones protecting the country.“

Yohan, thrilled to have accomplished something he’d long wanted to do, quickly followed the squad leader. As Lee Hyunmook smiled and started to follow behind, Jeong Siyoung, who had roughly tidied her disheveled hair, called out to him.

”Awakener Lee Hyunmook.”

When Lee Hyunmook turned around, Jeong Siyoung was staring at him with a stern expression.

“You… What exactly is going on?”

Though her rationality had nearly vanished, Jeong Siyoung clearly remembered the situation she had seen in her future vision. Endlessly black and dark. Nothing could be seen, nothing existed. It was terrifyingly creepy. It was the first time she had ever experienced that while using her abilities. That’s why, even in the midst of battle, she couldn’t do anything.

What on earth happened to them in the abyss? He felt more dangerous than any monster. He seemed like some ominous thing, merely wearing the shell of a human… Lee Hyunmook gave Jeong Siyoung, whose nerves were stretched taut, a gentle smile.

“Well. Someone still calls me human, at least…“

He trailed off briefly, then glanced at Yohan, who was chattering excitedly to his teammates, before answering.

”It’s probably exactly what Awakener Jeong Siyoung saw.”

Lee Hyunmook immediately moved closer to Yohan. His gaze was gentle, as if treating him like a rare and precious treasure that couldn’t be left alone for even a moment. Jeong Siyoung squinted her eyes and looked down at his left palm. 

The back and palm of her hand, damp with cold sweat, bore a deep black bruise, the exact imprint of Lee Hyunmook’s grip. It was a bruise so intense that even the regenerative powers of a high-level awakener wouldn’t make it disappear immediately.

* * *

-…Regarding the recent cult incident in Gwacheon, Professor Choi Jooyeon, we’d like to hear your thoughts.

-After the Sunrise Team returned, including Awakener Lee Hyunmook, this issue of ‘Reawakening’ became a hot topic. However, you must bear in mind that this ‘Reawakening’ has not been properly proven; it remains solely the personal experience of Awakener Lee Hyunmook….

-Come to think of it, didn’t the Taeyang Guild announce something recently? It was about their response to so-called re-awakened cult-infected individuals….

The news was abuzz. It was due to the recent string of incidents. While Hwang Yeongcheol, who collapsed overnight after evidence videos of his murder contract were exposed, was one thing, the Gwacheon incident footage, captured by citizens and numerous journalists, garnered explosive attention. The biggest topic of all, however, was Park Seungmin’s fraud case. 

While high-level awakeners always attract attention, Park Seungmin was particularly prone to controversy. From the most recent school bullying incident to abuse of power within the guild and biased use of purification abilities… On top of that, he was closely cooperating with the cult, and it turned out he wasn’t even a high-level awakener, just a fraud.

Everyone was furious at this grand deception perpetrated against the public. Articles analyzing the immense preferential treatment Park Seungmin had received from the government and the amount of tax money wasted on it garnered thousands of comments each.

– Hahahaha, claiming he mistakenly thought he was high-level because he was the first awakened? That makes no sense. You can’t possibly not know if you’re mid-level or low-level when you awaken.

– Even back when he was underage, he was already shady, he totally planned this scam. What a scumbag.

– He probably planned to make one big score and leave, but got caught because of the cult. What a mess, haha.

-Fucking piece of shit. National disgrace. Should be sentenced to life in prison immediately.

An interview with someone who worked as Park Seungmin’s secretary also caused a huge stir.

-He was truly a horrible person. I tried to overlook the menial tasks like fetching coffee or washing cars. But the hardest part was the constant verbal abuse and violence. He’d nitpick and make me repeat the same task over and over, even forcing me to do push-ups. No matter how important making a living is, does it have to be this bad? Sometimes I felt like I wanted to die.

He then released recordings of the verbal abuse he’d collected, along with medical certificates and photos of his badly bruised body. He also declared he would file a complaint for assault.

Consequently, Park Seungmin plummeted from being a proud purifier to a public enemy. After the Gwacheon incident, he vanished without a trace and refused all media interview requests. The government filed a fraud charge against him. As one low-level purifier became the nation’s public enemy, the existence of others drew proportional attention.

So, is Yang Yohan truly a high-level awakener?

People who had their corruption cleansed in Gwacheon thanks to Yang Yohan were particularly curious about this question. Jeong Eunjae, who had witnessed the Gwacheon cult incident up close and, by sheer luck, had his severely corrupted lower body purified, was one of them. The answer to that question was revealed in the official interview video uploaded by the Taeyang Guild the very next day.

Upon hearing that Lee Hyunmook’s interview video had been uploaded, Jeong Eunjae quickly logged in. Though only the magazine’s logo was displayed, the chat window was already overheating. Moments later, the video began with a brief recap of the Gwacheon Cult Incident before shifting to a shot of Lee Hyunmook. The Taeyang Guild leader, comfortably seated in his chair, gave a warm smile.

Despite his white hair, it suited him perfectly, as if he’d simply dyed it in a trendy color, without any sense of incongruity. His unique aura and handsome face played a significant part in this. Most comments noted that he seemed more mature since emerging from the Abyss. The interviewer from the magazine, which had always published favorable articles about the Taeyang Guild, spoke up.

-Hello, Awakener Lee Hyunmook. It’s been a while.

-Yes, has it been three years? It’s good to see you again.

After brief greetings and small talk, the interviewer got straight to the point.

-The Taeyang Team’s performance during the Gwacheon incident was remarkable. Among them, didn’t Awakener One Yang Yohan show truly dazzling prowess? Many people are curious about this, so I’ll ask directly: Is Awakener Yang Yohan a high-level purifier?

The moment that question was posed, the number of viewers began skyrocketing endlessly. Lee Hyunmook paused briefly, then nodded without hesitation. The chat window exploded, scrolling down so rapidly it became unreadable.