Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 159

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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 159

 

BOND Product Development Team Research Lab.

 

They had gathered here in the dead of night due to a phone call from Section Chief Lee Won-woo to Na Hwi-yeon’s cell phone.

 

Despite the late evening hour, they had to conduct their conversation in hushed tones in an empty conference room due to the researchers working overtime.

 

While listening to Section Chief Lee Won-woo’s explanation, Yu Jin-chae and Kwon Hae-seong’s expressions were grim.

 

Of course, Section Chief Lee Won-woo, who had heard about Na Hwi-yeon’s condition through the earlier phone call, felt the same way.

 

“So, what do we do now? You said that Section Chief Kwak Cheol-man is also currently missing.”

 

Finally, these words came from Yu Jin-chae’s mouth after hearing the entire story.

 

Trace radio.

 

One of the discarded products that Section Chief Lee Won-woo had given to Na Hwi-yeon on the day Ocean Kindergarten went to BOND for their field trip.

 

Since Yu Jin-chae and Kwon Hae-seong were also present at the scene, they had no difficulty understanding the full details of the incident.

 

However, questions still remained about what circumstances would have led Na Hwi-yeon to use that item…

 

‘Well, that’s not what’s important right now.’

 

After everyone here had shared information with each other, they all recognized the severity of the situation.

 

Yu Jin-chae knew that, like all missing person cases, time was life.

 

‘We need to find them as quickly as possible.’

 

Therefore, she quickly dismissed the peripheral matters and went straight to the ultimate question. And to Yu Jin-chae’s inquiry, Section Chief Lee Won-woo showed signs of hesitation before finally opening his mouth.

 

“There’s only one method. We have no choice but to use the trace radio to approach them in the same way as the missing persons…”

 

“So you’re saying we should ultimately reverse-engineer the side effects of the trace radio to find them.”

 

“Yes… I’m sorry.”

 

Considering that the previous missing person investigation for Section Chief Kwak Cheol-man, which BOND had conducted by deploying hunters, had also ended in failure, this seemed to be the only method available at the moment.

 

‘In that case…’

 

Since even the related employees at the time couldn’t connect Section Chief Kwak Cheol-man’s disappearance with the side effects of the trace radio, this type of approach would be essentially the first of its kind.

 

“However, since it’s a side effect, there’s the risk that it might manifest differently than before…”

 

“I’ll do it.”

 

It was Kwon Hae-seong, who had maintained silence throughout.

 

“Hae-seong.”

 

“I let my guard down and missed it. I want to do this.”

 

Yu Jin-chae confirmed his unwavering, resolute gaze.

 

‘This kid really…’

 

Then, instead of grabbing him by the collar to stop him as she normally would… she simply smacked his back with her palm and added her words.

 

“You do it. But if it gets dangerous, you know what I’ll do, right?”

 

“Yes…”

 

They had figured out the method and decided what to do. However, there was an unexpected problem.

 

Section Chief Lee Won-woo placed a file folder he had been carrying onto the conference room table and spoke.

 

“The trace radio isn’t an officially manufactured product… There were only two prototypes, one was taken by Section Chief Kwak Cheol-man and the remaining one was taken by Teacher Na Hwi-yeon, so we currently don’t have any in our possession.”

 

The fact that there were no more trace radios left.

 

Yu Jin-chae and Kwon Hae-seong felt their blood run cold for a moment. However, they were able to regain their composure thanks to Section Chief Lee Won-woo’s calm voice that followed.

 

“But this document contains the manufacturing method for the trace radio. Of course, all the materials are available at the company too. We just need to make it exactly as written, but…”

 

But?

 

“The biggest problem is that we received help from another hunter during the trace radio’s manufacturing process. Without that person’s help, we can’t make it exactly the same as the previous trace radio.”

 

“Who is it?”

 

If it was a hunter within BOND, she was confident she could somehow use her connections to request help.

 

However.

 

“That… Hunter Yeong Won-ha.”

 

“Oh, damn.”

 

“…Does it have to be that person?”

 

Even Kwon Hae-seong questioned it – that’s the kind of person who had come up.

 

Hunter Yeong Won-ha.

 

Special Operations member, manufacturing-type Awakener.

 

At the same time, one of only 4 S-rank hunters in the Republic of Korea, with only 2 at BOND.

 

For a moment, Yu Jin-chae and Kwon Hae-seong exchanged wordless glances.

 

Later, at the Special Operations office inside the main building.

 

The elevator door connected to a hallway somewhere between the underground dungeon and the 1st floor opens with a cheerful sound.

 

As befitting a place where only free-spirited people gather, it’s often completely empty.

 

However, from behind the tightly closed door at the very end of the hallway… mechanical noise continues without cease.

 

Yu Jin-chae stood in front of the door where that problematic noise was coming from. Then she knocked lightly.

 

Soon after, the door opened, and what appeared through the gap was a doll-like pretty woman… and an electric drill in her hand.

 

“…It’s been a while, Won-ha.”

 

“…Sister. It’s been a while.”

 

The woman brushes off her free hand that wasn’t holding the electric drill and smiles gently.

 

-Splat.

 

When she reflexively looked down at something that fell off with a wet sound… pale white hands blocked Yu Jin-chae’s view.

 

“What brings you here? Usually you say being here gives you a headache and don’t come.”

 

“Well, I have a favor to ask.”

 

“Ah, a favor… But sister, you only come to see me when you have a favor to ask? Even though you know I hate that bear and you bring him along?”

 

Yu Jin-chae and Kwon Hae-seong simultaneously squeezed their eyes shut.

 

Even they, who had lived bumping into quite peculiar people, found some people overwhelming.

 

Yeong Won-ha was a human in a different league even among them.

 

***

 

At the time when Yu Jin-chae and Kwon Hae-seong visited the Special Operations office to find Na Hwi-yeon.

 

“Why don’t you try running that flashy mouth of yours to survive this time too?”

 

I had just heard these words from the Seat of Discernment.

 

“Is there something specific you’re curious about from me?”

 

“Finding that out is what foolish mortals should do. To ask about such things one by one, your training is lacking.”

 

What am I, some sage?? Am I supposed to read your mind and get it right instantly?

 

However, contrary to my burning heart, I raised the corners of my mouth without showing it.

 

Damn, I need to get out of here. Endure it… Just endure.

 

“By the way, you mentioned a friend earlier, right? I didn’t come here with a friend…”

 

-“Coincidentally, your friend also came only halfway, so they must be quite powerless. It seems we’ll be able to have an enjoyable time.”

 

From the topic I brought up trying to somehow continue a meaningful conversation, I experienced chills running down the back of my neck.

 

‘Wait… why is Nabi so quiet?’

 

It didn’t make sense that Nabi, who would always say what she wanted to say regardless of who I was talking to, had been quiet all this time.

 

I frantically searched through every pocket of my clothes.

 

And I realized.

 

“It’s gone…”

 

Gone. Nabi is gone.

 

The Baekgu doll was nowhere to be found.

 

I felt a chill from my toes.

 

‘Damn, where did I drop it?’

 

No matter how much I tried to remember, my memories were fragmented and I couldn’t even be sure of those.

 

‘I was definitely in child form at the kindergarten, and on the bus… I think I was alone!’

 

I became serious by myself and stopped talking, lost in thought.

 

Stay calm… calm… No! Don’t tell me she’s wandering around outside alone right now? That can’t happen!

 

When I stopped talking mid-sentence, the Seat of Discernment broke my reverie with a displeased voice.

 

“What, did you just now realize? That your friend has been abandoned outside.”

 

“…!”

 

…Just like before, who exactly is this bastard referring to as my friend?

 

In the dungeon where I encountered Sang-jwa, Nabi wasn’t there. I had left her at the kindergarten when I went to Mugang… So this bastard has never directly encountered Nabi, right?

 

-“It would be good to have a brief conversation with your friend.”

 

‘So back then, I thought that the friend he was claiming might vaguely be the Status Window.’

 

But now he’s saying my friend was thrown outside, or only half came, so the feeling I was starting to grasp becomes blurry again.

 

I found myself frowning as I asked.

 

“Who exactly is this friend of mine that you’re talking about?”

 

Sang-jwa twisted up the corner of his lips. The look in his eyes as he stared at me was quite… irritating.

 

“This is why humans are… truly foolish. You only believe what you can see, tsk.”

 

What, are you trying to play twenty questions with me right now?

 

Anyway, I suddenly became more anxious than before due to my realization of Nabi’s absence.

 

So, I would have made a different choice than usual.

 

A quick change of course.

 

‘I need the Caretaker’s permission to leave here?’

 

No… If I wait around asking that guy for permission, I might be trapped here until I die of old age.

 

‘Rather than waiting for that, it’s better to come up with another method.’

 

“The mouth that chattered so well in the Dungeon has clamped shut. Do you have nothing to say now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What?”

 

I stood up abruptly from my seat.

 

The gazes of the person and the non-person sitting on the sofa focused on me.

 

“First, I need to rest a bit. This place seems to have many rooms, so please show me around. Section Chief Kwak Cheol-man.”

 

“Uh… what about your conversation with the Caretaker?”

 

“Later. It seems the other party isn’t quite ready for dialogue yet.”

 

I could see Sang-jwa frowning with displeasure, but I turned my back as if I didn’t care.

 

“Then, let’s go upstairs for now… There are many empty rooms. Take your time looking and choose.”

 

From now on, I’m going with Plan B.

 

The moderate approach of Plan A, which was ‘Let’s try to solve this through dialogue!’, was quickly discarded.

 

‘Just wait and see.’

 

After organizing my thoughts in the room that Section Chief Kwak Cheol-man had shown me, I finally came back out of the room after quite some time had passed.

 

Inside the Manor with all the indoor lights turned off, it was dark.

 

I leisurely walked through the wooden-tiled 2nd Floor Corridor and arrived at my destination.

 

I took a deep breath and gave a clean knock.

 

After a moment, I carefully entered through the opened door. Then I calmly closed the door.

 

-Click.

 

In the silence that naturally followed, I gently turned my body and smiled.

 

“I know very well that making this kind of decision is really difficult.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

I clasped my hands together as if in Prayer and took a step toward the other person.

 

I could see the other person hesitate, but soon they nodded as if they had made a firm decision.

 

“You don’t need to feel burdened by this. I’ve been hearing the concerns and worries of not just Children but Parents from time to time.”

 

“…I’m happy right now.”

 

“Yes, I know. Section Chief, you look happy to me too. But… I’ve seen what’s inside.”

 

“What do you…”

 

“Unlike your smiling face, I’ve seen that charred black interior.”

 

That’s right, the first step of my Plan B strategy is to persuade Section Chief Kwak Cheol-man.

 

‘To do that, I’ll need to reshape this person’s thinking first.’

 

And this is my specialty.

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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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