I’m a New Recruit (2) 5: Chapter 5.
I’m a New Recruit (2) * * * * * * “…Little brother?
Your complexion and your expression both look pretty awful.” Shinwoo patted Hyeon-yul on the back.
All the man had done was ride a Black Eagle, yet he looked like he was dying.
Hyeon-yul had suddenly started dry-heaving the moment they arrived, which had caught Shinwoo badly off guard.
‘…Right, she gave me that.’ —Shinwoo, if Hyeon-yul looks sick after riding the eagle, give him this.
Haeryeon had given Shinwoo a small medicine bottle and told him to look after Hyeon-yul.
He had wondered why she bothered, but now he finally understood.
“When we get back, I’ll ask them to adjust an eagle to match your physical condition.” At Shinwoo’s sudden remark, Hyeon-yul paused halfway through taking the bottle and wondered what he meant.
Then the reason occurred to him.
‘…Ah.
If they want me to work, they need me in normal condition, right?’ How many workplaces would never even do that much?
At least this place was saying it would.
‘This really is a dream job.’ What incredible employee welfare was this?
When Hyeon-yul worked for villains, countless people had died on the job because they could not take even a single day of sick leave.
Had he not personally argued countless times over one sick day before finally killing his superior?
They showed concern, and they had even given him field clothes that looked like a uniform but were far more comfortable than expected.
Once again, Hyeon-yul resolved that he would gladly spend the rest of his career here.
“Are you nervous because it’s your first time?” Shinwoo kept talking to help ease Hyeon-yul’s tension.
Only after drinking the liquid from the bottle did Hyeon-yul answer.
“No.
I already handled a bomb disposal mission with the Team Leader.” “The Team Leader did…?
That doesn’t sound like her.” Hyeon-yul did not understand why Shinwoo’s expression stiffened, but he continued immediately.
“I volunteered.
I brought Shin Daeho’s head, but for all they knew, it could have been fake.” “Ah.
So you must be pretty strong?” Shinwoo’s smile widened, his face full of curiosity.
Just how strong was this rookie?
“I’m strong enough not to be killed by other people.” “Good.
That’s really good.” Shinwoo looked thoroughly satisfied.
Most people possessed some kind of power, whether magic or a supernatural ability, but far fewer could use those powers properly in real combat.
Even among people described as possessing magical power, many could do little more than produce a bright glow.
With things like that, it was no mystery why Black Eagle constantly suffered from a manpower shortage.
He would already have been grateful for any new recruit, but this one was strong too.
If a god existed, it felt as though someone had finally answered his prayers.
“Little brother, anything you want to ask before we reach the mission site?” Shinwoo asked with a broad smile.
He had already explained how to operate the smartwatch.
“Who was the man who spoke to me before we rode the eagle?” Hyeon-yul remembered the severe-looking man from earlier.
—So you’re the one.
The cold gaze and displeased expression had looked as though he were staring at an unwelcome guest.
“He’s the leader of Team 5.
Don’t worry about him.
He has a cold side to him, but that’s just how he normally is.” Shinwoo approached Hyeon-yul as though he intended to throw an arm around his shoulders, but Hyeon-yul stepped backward.
Seeing the guarded look in Hyeon-yul’s eyes, Shinwoo became awkward.
Maybe he had gotten too close too quickly.
“This smartwatch says ‘On Mission.’ Can another assignment come in while it shows that?” After establishing a safe distance between them, Hyeon-yul asked.
He wanted to know whether work could simply keep piling up without end.
“No.
Missions are assigned randomly only when you aren’t already on one.
We don’t have enough people to choose which missions we take.” “Do we work alone?” “Most of the time.
If you don’t want to die, you have no choice but to be strong.” After finishing his answer, Shinwoo turned away.
He walked ahead as if telling Hyeon-yul to follow, then glanced back.
“When an incident occurs, the police request our help and a Manager is dispatched to conduct the initial investigation and inspect the surroundings.
Their role usually stops at investigation, so it’s quite rare for a Manager to die like one did today.” That was useful information.
Hyeon-yul followed without saying anything.
‘That’ll probably make them hate me even more.’ The White Sparrows worked this hard for Black Eagle, only for someone like Hyeon-yul, who had worked for villains, to suddenly appear.
Would it not feel to them as though they were now working for the benefit of a villain?
‘That aside, the Managers’ attitude still bothers me.’ Hyeon-yul was already considering how he might deal with it.
“If information a Manager brings you feels suspicious, you’re allowed to verify it yourself.
That part is up to you.” “But if they do all of that, what exactly do Black Eagles do?” Were the Black Eagles simply ordering Managers around?
No matter how many times he thought about it, Hyeon-yul could not deny that the White Sparrows seemed structurally subordinate to Black Eagle.
“We do the most dangerous part, don’t we?
We’re the ones who confront villains directly.” The smile faded slightly from Shinwoo’s face.
He had no intention of looking down on the Managers’ work, but investigating a crime scene and directly confronting the criminal were very different things.
“Check the mission details now.” At those words, Hyeon-yul lowered his gaze and operated the smartwatch.
He had been told that the detailed briefing for a mission was usually delivered while they were riding the eagle to the site.
A large screen appeared like a holographic projector.
Only the person wearing the smartwatch could see it.
‘They said this was magic, right?’ Even knowing that, seeing a map appear automatically was fascinating.
The map showed a massive apartment complex packed with buildings.
One specific area was colored deep red, while the surrounding zone was shaded a lighter red.
“Don’t forget, the redder an area is on the map, the higher the estimated probability that villains are present there.” Shinwoo casually reminded him of the detail.
“I haven’t forgotten.” Hyeon-yul answered while reading the mission summary.
「*Incident Start —The criminal group disguised themselves as delivery workers, spread throughout the apartment complex, and began murdering residents from the top floors downward at the same time.
*Incident Progress —A security guard noticed suspicious behavior and reported it.
The guard is currently under protection.
—Managers responding to the report were dispatched and began surveying the area.
—While issuing evacuation orders nearby, the Managers entered direct combat with the criminal group.
One Manager was killed.
A standoff is currently ongoing.
*Points of Caution —Large numbers of criminals are positioned throughout the apartment complex.
—Hostages are present.
—Some hostages have been abducted and are currently being transported away.
Tracking is in progress.」 “What do you normally do about hostages?
Are we supposed to capture the villains first, or rescue the hostages first?” Hyeon-yul asked just in case.
He needed to know the correct procedure before he acted.
Shinwoo, who had been walking ahead, stopped in place.
Was that not an incredibly obvious question?
Yet Hyeon-yul truly seemed not to know, as though even his most basic common sense had been twisted out of shape.
“The lives and safety of hostages and civilians always come first.
Black Eagle was created to protect civilians from villains.” “Understood.” Rescue the hostages and kill the villains.
It was very simple.
Hyeon-yul put on a motorcycle helmet to hide his face.
Even when Shinwoo looked at him as though wondering why he had needed to ask something so obvious, Hyeon-yul did not explain.
He remembered his previous life, but more than a decade of experimentation had mangled his memories, emotions, and common sense.
What reason did he have to tell anyone that?
“Let’s go.” He was simply leaving to complete the mission.
* * * “…That’s a store, though?” Shinwoo spoke carefully when Hyeon-yul suddenly headed not toward the apartment buildings, but toward a shop attached to the complex.
“We need to check this side first.
Mr.
Baek Shinwoo, you should…” “You can call me big brother.” “How old are you that I should be calling you that?” Shinwoo pulled out his phone and proudly displayed his identification.
“Show yours.” He waved the ID with obvious pride.
Hyeon-yul knew he was being dragged into something pointless, but the exchange still irritated him.
He displayed his own identification on his phone.
“My registration was delayed, so the age on my ID isn’t accurate.” “I still look older than you, don’t I?” “That isn’t exactly a good thing.” “So what?
Being called big brother feels better than you’d think.” Shinwoo merely chuckled at the response.
“I only glanced, but your birthday is in April…
right?” “Yes.” Hyeon-yul’s answer sounded sullen enough that Shinwoo covered his mouth.
He could not laugh loudly because a noise had come from the convenience store ahead.
‘So that’s why he came this way.
They were hiding in there.’ Shinwoo’s lips curved upward.
This rookie had particularly sharp instincts.
Shinwoo made a motion as though drawing something, and a sword appeared.
“Can I hold that in my hand too?” When Hyeon-yul asked, Shinwoo extended one hand.
Several swords floated up around his palm.
“Of course.
Need one?
Or do you mean this?” All but two of the swords vanished, leaving one in each of Shinwoo’s hands.
He hurled both toward the convenience store.
WHOOSH.
The speed was unbelievable for something he claimed to have thrown without much force.
A violent gust of wind followed behind them.
‘…They passed through the glass?’ Hyeon-yul was slightly surprised.
The window he expected to shatter remained completely intact.
What kind of power was that?
“Good enough that I won’t hold you back, right?” Shinwoo shrugged as he asked, while Hyeon-yul walked into the convenience store.
When he opened the door, he found two unconscious people pinned against the wall.
“You didn’t kill them?” “That’s how I do things.
Unless killing is necessary, I don’t plan to do it.” “Then can I hold one of those swords too?” “You want one that badly?” At Shinwoo’s question, Hyeon-yul nodded.
The weapon looked extremely well maintained.
“You have a good eye.
Wait here while I clean this up.” Shinwoo looked around and pointed toward the counter.
“I can handle that…” “It’s fine.
The rookie stays put.” ‘…How is a rookie supposed to just sit still?’ Hyeon-yul sat down for the moment, but he was troubled.
Was this some new form of harassment?
‘Could it be?’ While Shinwoo took the two enemies down from the wall one by one and bound them, Hyeon-yul covered both ears with his hands.
As his ears melted into the darkness, every sound disappeared for a moment.
Hyeon-yul gently closed his eyes.
His ears alone were not enough to judge positions accurately, so his eyes moved together with them.
Countless sounds flowed from the apartment buildings.
He did not need the ordinary conversations.
Among the overlapping voices, one conversation caught Hyeon-yul’s attention.
“…Those Eagle bastards should be arriving soon, so get ready to run.” He could not hear the person on the other end.
The speaker was probably on the phone.
“What?
Kill them?
Are you insane?
You think we can take Black Eagles?
I’m telling you, running is better!
Ah!
Fine!
Then you can go kill the Eagle bastards and contribute to bringing down the Empire!
I’m getting the hell out of here!” ‘He’ll die if he does that.’ Hyeon-yul knew how villains operated.
Desertion during a mission meant only death.
The man was probably a new recruit.
“A way out?
Of course I have one.
If we take over an apartment complex like this, they’ll assume we have a bunch of hostages, right?
Then what are those idiots going to do?
They’ll try every trick they can to save the hostages.
We run while they waste their time doing that.
Fucking morons…!
There aren’t any hostages left now!” Loud laughter followed from the distant speaker.
Hyeon-yul’s own lips rose at the same time.
He removed his hands and looked toward Shinwoo.
“Do your ears hurt?” Shinwoo asked while taping the enemy’s hands and feet together.
“There are no hostages.” “What did you say?” “Then I’ll go deal with the enemies.
Mr.
Baek Shinwoo, you should move too.” If both of them worked, they could bring quitting time forward.
Hyeon-yul checked the time on his watch.
It was 1:26 p.m., still early even after they had already eaten lunch.
“Wait a second.” Hyeon-yul stopped at Shinwoo’s words.
Perhaps he had rushed ahead too quickly.
He looked directly toward Shinwoo beside him.
“I told you to call me big brother.” That again.
If Hyeon-yul refused, Shinwoo would probably trail after him like a tail until he gave in.
“Big brother.” Hyeon-yul made his annoyance obvious as he said it.
“Good.
Now tell me why you said there are no hostages.” “I confirmed it.” “When?
…When you covered your ears?
You can tell with that?” “I can.” Shinwoo accepted the answer surprisingly seriously and nodded several times.
“That’s a useful ability.
All right, sit here and wait.” There were no hostages.
The information made Shinwoo feel noticeably lighter.
In other words, they had been given permission to cut loose.
But the corner of Hyeon-yul’s eye twitched.
Shinwoo had heard that Hyeon-yul was a special recruit, yet he was still telling him to do nothing.
Did this not obviously lead to [Excluded from Work -> Judged Incompetent -> Fired]?
Hyeon-yul felt dizzy at the implication.
“Why do I have to wait?” “Because you’re still on probation.
You’ll miss this moment later.
There’s no reason to push yourself hard from the very beginning.” “…So you’re telling me to get paid for doing nothing?” “Well, basically.
That’s why I came with you.” Shinwoo laughed, and Hyeon-yul was shocked.
Shinwoo was completely serious about the offer.
It was almost as shocking as discovering that he had reincarnated into another world.
How could something like this make sense?
Getting paid while resting sounded impossible.
‘If that were possible, why would everyone complain about having to work?’ Hyeon-yul’s gaze toward Shinwoo quickly deepened.
‘…I almost fell for it.’ How could a world where people earned money while resting possibly exist?
‘Does he want me to get fired?’ What would happen if Shinwoo reported to Haeryeon that Hyeon-yul had done absolutely nothing during his first mission?
He would become the new employee who slacked off on his very first day.
There was no possible outcome except being fired.
‘Dangerous bastard…’ How had Hyeon-yul forgotten that smiling people were the ones he needed to be most wary of?
Had he not been tricked that way countless times already?
“I’ll leave you my card.
Get yourself something good to eat.” Shinwoo actually set down a card.
That was bait.
Hyeon-yul was certain of it.
‘Is he the biggest obstacle to me doing my job?’ Anyone who interfered with his work could simply be removed.
“You don’t need to stare at me like that.
I’ve got enough money to buy out this whole convenience store.” Perhaps thinking Hyeon-yul felt burdened, Shinwoo spoke with even more confidence, waved, and left the store.
Hyeon-yul followed him outside as well.
“Yes, thank you.
Be careful out there.” ‘He’s already acting like such a good rookie.’ Shinwoo felt pointlessly pleased and ran forward in a good mood.
‘Fast, and light on his feet.’ Watching Shinwoo’s back, Hyeon-yul considered how he would need to fight the man if it ever came to that.
If he tried to kill Shinwoo, there was a real possibility his attacks would be blocked.
This was someone he would have to observe carefully, step by step.
‘Then should I get moving too?’ It would be troublesome if Shinwoo reported to Haeryeon that Hyeon-yul had been slacking off.
He needed to do something, and there was another matter he particularly wanted to investigate.
—Some hostages have been abducted and are currently being transported away.
Tracking is in progress.
One line from the mission briefing had been bothering him.
Anyone could see that it was perfect material for creating overtime.
‘I need to eliminate problems like this in advance.’ Hyeon-yul covered one eye and one ear.
He followed the voice of the man who had been speaking on the phone earlier.
“…Anyway, stay alert.
Yeah, good luck.” At last, he found the exact voice.
Hyeon-yul moved his detached eye rapidly through the area.
He counted three people together, then one more nearby, making four in total.
Hyeon-yul lowered his hand and looked at a pair of scissors that had caught his attention earlier.
‘Those will do.’ He picked them up and smoothly melted into shadow.
The instant his vision changed, he drove the scissors into one man’s eye.
As blood sprayed, Hyeon-yul immediately pulled his hand away and threw the scissors toward the approaching footsteps.
STAB!
The sound of penetration rang out clearly.
Hyeon-yul vanished from the spot and reappeared behind the man now impaled by the scissors.
He pulled them free and spread the blades apart, then used them like a dagger to slash the man’s throat.
“…Ghhhh.” The wet bubbling of blood filled the air.
Hyeon-yul shoved the dying man forward as a shield.
When he saw a hand reaching from behind, he cut straight through it with the scissors.
SLICE.
A scream erupted along with the severed flesh.
“Aaaaargh!” “Shh.” Hyeon-yul approached, covered the screaming man’s mouth, and stabbed him through the neck.
He started sinking toward the ground together with the corpse, then suddenly swung a hand behind him.
“…Ghk!” He stabbed through the throat of the man approaching while clutching his injured eye.
Hyeon-yul rose again, looked at his target, and held up three fingers.
“…You fucking monster.” There was no other expression the man could think of.
The target’s hands trembled violently.
As Hyeon-yul approached without a sound, the man staggered backward.
“D-don’t come closer!
Stay away!” He shouted and dropped his phone.
The target recoiled in horror.
When he glanced down toward the phone, he saw the scissors coated in thick blood.
His gaze followed the scissors upward.
“You worked very hard killing people.
Since you’ve already gone through all that trouble, would you mind telling me where you sent the hostages?” Hyeon-yul asked with an easy smile.