Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 158

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 158

 

Kwon Hae-seong and Yu Jin-chae stood facing each other.

 

This was a dark room inside the museum, created for exhibition purposes.

 

‘The problem is, this museum seems to have been abandoned for at least 10 years.’

 

Yu Jin-chae took out her mobile phone from her pocket and turned on the flashlight.

 

“Are you sure about what you saw? Hae-seong, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but you look… not well right now.”

 

She shone the flashlight diagonally across Kwon Hae-seong’s torso, carefully observing his condition.

 

‘He’s too tense.’

 

The movement of his facial muscles and his gaze were stiff, unlike usual.

 

As if he had seen a ghost.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“…”

 

He didn’t look fine at all.

 

However, continuing the conversation on this topic would be inefficient, so Yu Jin-chae swallowed the words she was about to say.

 

Eventually, Yu Jin-chae lightly swept her hair back and asked with a sigh.

 

“So, Teacher Hwiyeon disappeared. Through that wall too…”

 

Honestly, she was still half-doubtful even now.

 

‘Someone who was perfectly fine until just before leaving work today suddenly disappeared.’

 

Besides, doesn’t he have to come to work tomorrow?

 

Na Hwi-yeon, who acts like his life depends on coming to work, disappeared at this timing of all times.

 

If it hadn’t been Kwon Hae-seong who said it, she wouldn’t have listened and would be sleeping soundly by now.

 

The only reason she bothered to drive here in the middle of the night to hear the situation was just that one thing.

 

“Yes… He looked unwell today, so I followed him.”

 

Following a colleague teacher because he looked strange – is that really something someone in good condition would do…

 

Yu Jin-chae’s eyes narrowed for a moment.

 

The mobile phone flashlight moved quickly, illuminating Kwon Hae-seong’s clenched fist.

 

“Hae-seong, what are you holding in your hand right now?”

 

“…This is.”

 

Then, Kwon Hae-seong opened his tightly clenched fist.

 

Inside were Na Hwi-yeon’s mobile phone and… the Baekgu doll he carried around every day.

 

“You picked these up here?”

 

“Yes, as he went inside there… He must have dropped them.”

 

‘So that’s why he wasn’t answering calls.’

 

While driving here, Yu Jin-chae had contacted Na Hwi-yeon and other teachers, thinking of the slim possibility.

 

‘But Teacher didn’t answer the phone.’

 

Sa-gwa and Teacher I-deun didn’t know about the situation at all.

 

Now instead of sighs, groaning sounds came out.

 

Because the circumstances and evidence all pointed to one truth.

 

That this ridiculous situation was all real…

 

‘What should I do about this?’

 

No, before that, how did Na Hwi-yeon disappear again?

 

“You said Teacher passed through this wall? Was there nothing unusual before that?”

 

Once she realized she had properly grasped the situation, her brain started working.

 

Yu Jin-chae shone her mobile phone flashlight while walking around the dark room in a circle.

 

She touched the wall surfaces with her hands, concentrating all her attention on finding anything unusual.

 

“He looked dazed. His words and actions didn’t match each other… Should we file a missing person report?”

 

At Kwon Hae-seong’s question, Yu Jin-chae answered without looking in his direction.

 

“It would be useless. He’s an adult male who’s only been missing for an hour now. There’s a high chance the police won’t even accept the report.”

 

She continued to feel only flat wall surfaces.

 

Normally, shouldn’t there be at least a hidden passage leading outside?

 

“Besides, would ordinary people immediately believe the statement you made? I don’t think so.”

 

I couldn’t believe it right away either.

 

“This can’t be helped. We have to search by ourselves. First, let’s try everything we can. If that doesn’t work either… we’ll have no choice but to file a report.”

 

Her eyes, now adapted to the darkness, quickly scanned the interior of the dark room.

 

Is that the beam projector Hae-seong mentioned?

 

‘There was mention of a beam projector in what I heard during the phone call.’

 

-It’s turned off now, but the beam projector was on. It was on until just before Teacher Hwiyeon disappeared…

 

‘Should I have it examined?’

 

If I pass it to an employee with connections in the BOND research team, I should be able to find out whether it’s a suspicious object or not.

 

But if I carelessly touch it, I might create unexpected variables.

 

Especially in situations that defy common sense like this.

 

‘The only thing that stands out here is that beam projector.’

 

It was a moment when her contemplation was getting longer.

 

-Ring ring.

 

A mobile phone rang.

 

Yu Jin-chae stared at the mobile phone light seeping from Kwon Hae-seong’s hands and nodded.

 

“Answer it.”

 

Na Hwi-yeon’s mobile phone.

 

She quietly remained silent while watching Kwon Hae-seong tactfully switch to speakerphone and answer the call.

 

After a moment, a voice came through the connected phone call.

 

-Teacher, I’m sorry for calling so late! I kept trying to contact you but couldn’t reach you, so I was worried…

 

Wait, why does this voice sound familiar?

 

-Please listen first and then make your judgment. There’s something about the side effects of the trace radio that I didn’t tell you.

 

Yu Jin-chae reached toward the mobile phone at the ominous phone conversation content.

 

-Among the side effects is ‘disappearance’. More precisely, we cannot guarantee the whereabouts of the radio holder…

 

However, this time Kwon Hae-seong was faster.

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

***

 

『 Target Subject detected in the vicinity. 』

 

『 aka. Seat of Discernment 』

 

Seat of Discernment.

 

Who is he?

 

He’s the dungeon boss I encountered in the Dungeon of Wugang that I unintentionally entered while searching for Noah…

 

And at the same time, he’s the guy who was doing mana business under the name ‘Sang-jwa’.

 

Back then, I desperately talked my way out against that bastard and barely escaped from the dungeon…

 

‘But why are you appearing here?’

 

His appearance is even distinctly different from before.

 

In the dungeon, he appeared barefoot with a golden veil on his head, sweeping the floor…

 

Now he has white gloves and pruning shears? His attire was also close to modern clothing.

 

If he was a vagrant before, now he’s like… a noble young master from some class-based society.

 

Of course, the golden hair reaching his waist and those arrogant-looking Golden Eyes remain the same…

 

“So it was today. It’s been a while, foolish mortal.”

 

I answered without hiding my confusion.

 

“Uh… Why are you here?”

 

“Have you already forgotten? The way I bestowed Compassion.”

 

Ah.

 

Hearing that annoying way of speaking, I think I’m starting to remember.

 

‘Come to think of it…’

 

-“Please let us all out of this dungeon.”

 

-“…I deliberately removed the exit. Then there’s only one way. I have to leave this place myself.”

 

He had definitely said that.

 

Then, from that day on, he came out of the dungeon that was in Mugang… Does that mean this place is that Sang-jwa bastard’s new territory?

 

‘Why of all places?’

 

While we were having this standoff that wasn’t quite a standoff, various desserts and teacups were set up on the living room table.

 

The bespectacled man slipped between me and Sang-jwa, who were engaged in something like a staring contest, raising his hand subtly to intervene.

 

“It seems you know each other. But first, let’s have some tea and talk leisurely. We have plenty of time.”

 

I turned my head to look at the man.

 

“….”

 

A somewhat crazy human… and a very crazy non-human.

 

‘It’s not like he’s asking us to play some balance game.’

 

However, unlike me who was dumbfounded, Sang-jwa nodded at the man’s words and sat down on the opposite sofa.

 

Nod.

 

‘Is he telling me to sit?’

 

I glanced at both the man and Sang-jwa before sitting down on the sofa. Then, the man smiled with satisfaction and spoke.

 

“Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m called Gwak Cheol-man. I used to belong to BOND’s Research Department Product Development Team.”

 

“It seems you’ve quit now.”

 

Since he said he was unemployed now, did he come here after quitting?

 

“Well… I was probably processed as missing and automatically terminated, so it’s the same thing. Haha!”

 

Damn it.

 

‘Why are you saying such things while laughing!’

 

I held back my urge to scream and grab him by the collar, barely managing to speak.

 

“I’m called Na Hwi-yeon… I’m a teacher at Ocean Kindergarten under BOND.”

 

“Oh. Don’t tell me, Dolphin Class?”

 

How did he know that.

 

“That class changed teachers frequently. You must have come after I went missing. I know because a close employee in the potion production team is a parent of a Dolphin Class student.”

 

“Ah, could it be… Noah’s Mother?”

 

“That’s right, that’s right! How is that friend doing? I’ve been here for quite a while so I don’t know the situation well.”

 

“Yes… She seems to be doing well.”

 

From what I saw during drop-off and pick-up times, her face looked bright so she’s probably doing quite well… This isn’t the point!

 

“Where exactly is this place? No, more than that, why was I lying here? And what do you mean about that person being the caretaker here?!”

 

At my rapid-fire questions, Manager Gwak Cheol-man’s eyes widened, and the Seat of Discernment sneered as if amused.

 

Then Manager Gwak Cheol-man answered with a benevolent smile.

 

“This place is inside an item.”

 

“What? Inside an item?”

 

“Yes, to be precise, we’re trapped in a restraining item. Haha.”

 

Wait a minute. This doesn’t seem like something to discuss while laughing.

 

“Is being transported here a side effect of the trace radio?”

 

“No. Originally, when rules aren’t followed, the radio bearer is supposed to be transported to different places each time. Of course, at the radio’s whim. That’s what side effects are like. Sometimes they’re predictable, sometimes they’re not.”

 

Watching Manager Gwak Cheol-man explain while wagging his index finger left and right, I swallowed my curses.

 

“However, I, no, we were lucky. Originally, we could have fallen off a mountain cliff or something and died without even realizing it… but we came to such a wonderful place.”

 

Okay, I get it.

 

This person seems to have a head problem.

 

‘Let me filter what I hear…’

 

“You said Teacher Hwiyeon, right? I’ll just call you Hwiyeon. Hwiyeon, I found you in the forest outside this manor and carried you here. You were sprawled out on the ground, so I brought you along.”

 

“Thank you…”

 

No matter how crazy someone seems, I should still express gratitude.

 

Manager Gwak Cheol-man continues while picking up a cookie.

 

“The fact that this place is inside a restraining item is something I actually didn’t know for quite a long time. Until the new caretaker came here, I just ate and slept here. That’s the fate of the unemployed.”

 

At Manager Gwak Cheol-man’s words, I turned my head to stare at Sang-jwa.

 

Sang-jwa, who had been watching me like a monkey with his legs crossed, shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth.

 

“This is a place my friend told me about. Originally, ordinary humans can’t enter this place… but some strange object became a passage connected to this place.”

 

Wait, wait… If I assume what he’s saying is true.

 

In other words, the trace radio with side effects acted as navigation guiding me here…

 

Does that mean I was unluckily trapped in a restraining item that happened to be at the navigation’s destination?

 

And inside that item, that Sang-jwa bastard happened to be residing on his friend’s recommendation?

 

What kind of trick of fate is this?

 

My head was spinning.

 

“Forcing a special-class Awakener’s frequency into a trace radio was wrong to begin with… but well, such worries are all unnecessary now, right?”

 

Ah, yes… No, that’s not it!

 

“Isn’t there a way to get out of here? I… I have to go to work tomorrow.”

 

At my almost pleading words, Manager Gwak Cheol-man lowered the corners of his eyes pitifully.

 

However.

 

“Oh, of course there is. But I don’t really recommend it. Work is suffering, after all.”

 

Don’t you think that enduring that suffering is what brings the joy of a salary!

 

However, I desperately clung on to get any hint.

 

“It’s fine. I just need to get out of here right away. What’s the method?”

 

At those words, Manager Gwak Cheol-man politely opened his palm and pointed at someone.

 

“From what I heard, you need the caretaker’s permission to leave. Of course, I don’t want to leave, Caretaker!”

 

What.

 

The golden eyes that met mine looked at me and prettily curved at the corners.

 

Then he slightly brushed back his long hair and asked.

 

“Do you want to leave?”

 

“Of course…”

 

“What to do, I never let go of sentient beings I’ve taken in.”

 

You crazy bastard.

 

“Perfect timing, your friend only came halfway so there’s no energy at all. It seems we’ll be able to have a fun time.”

 

“….”

 

“How about you try to survive again with that flashy mouth of yours?”

 

Shit… This seems like I’m seriously in trouble.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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