Chapter 25.1

Chapter 25.1

“Y-Yes, speak.”

Seoryeong’s held breath exploded, blurring her vision. She needed to speak quickly, and her breath became excessively rapid, leading to dizziness.

“He’s dead…he’s dead.”

―…

There was a moment of silence from the other end. For Seoryeong, that moment of silence felt eternal.

“-…Han Seoryeong?” he repeated, as if to confirm, as if he didn’t understand why he could hear her.

“Yes… it’s Han Seoryeong.”

Their mind was in chaos, unable to decide what to say first. Seoryeong took deep breaths, gripping her hair tightly in frustration. She had to pull herself together somehow.

“The staff… the staff is died.”

―… What?

“They’re all dead.”

Seoryeong looked around the chillingly cold room.

“But Channa is missing, not in the room. She’s gone.”

―…

She had been cleaning the employees’ rooms for days, so if there was anything strange, it would surely catch her eye. Seoryeong thoroughly inspected the room for any anomalies.

“There’s no blood, no signs of resistance. Her bed sheets are just rolled up as if she just slipped out, and there’s no other smell. The dead staff’s rooms had a strong scent of perfume…”

As she continued speaking, she paused abruptly.

“The communal kitchen…”

Just as I woke up thirsty, maybe Channa, who ate ramen with me, woke up to get a drink of water.

The intruder might be looking for Channa by now. As the thought dawned on her, her heart sank. There was no time.

“And… it seems like there’s still an intruder in the inn.” She said in horror.

―Then Channa is highly likely to be killed.

Said Lee Wooshin on the other end of the line.

―…!

“What, now, what…?” Seoryeong, who had been listening with a blank expression, furrowed her brow in disbelief.

―To put it more bluntly, Seoryeong will soon be killed too.

―…!

―Witnesses are not kept alive.

Her heart grew cold. What am I hearing right now…?

―You still haven’t grasped the situation? How are you going to evade a trained assassin?

―So listen carefully from now on.

Wooshin’s voice suddenly became menacing, sending a shiver down her spine.

―There’s a gun under my bed. The door is locked, but if you hit the doorknob with a heavy object, it’ll open quickly. However, making a loud noise will reveal your position.

“Sorry, but you have to do it.”

Seoryeong’s mouth was dry, and her pupils were trembling. Nevertheless, Eusin commanded calmly.

“The first thing you need to do is get the gun. Are you listening?”

Seoryeong nodded quickly, but still couldn’t speak.

“Pull yourself together. We are too far right now. The best we can do is recover your bodies. If you want to survive, then run fast now!”

As he urged her on forcefully, Seoryeong dashed out as if his words were a signal.

Upon seeing his door standing like a wall, she kicked it with her foot. Thud, thud―! With just two kicks, the doorknob broke, and the door swung open.

She reached under the bed and groped around the frame. There, her fingertips touched something solid. It was the cold barrel of a gun.

“I found it…!”

With those words, she rose swiftly and headed towards the communal kitchen.

Before following the instructions.

―Then abandon Channa and get out of there.

The man murmured calmly.

―That’s the only way Seoryeong can survive.

Her attempt to flee the room froze in its tracks. Seoryeong, gripped by terror, wiped all expression from her face for a moment and clenched her fists tightly.

Surprisingly, she completely understood Wooshin’s words. There was a sincere urging to follow the command coldly, and she found herself in agreement.

Perhaps she wouldn’t make it out alive…. It could really happen…. Just seeing the two bodies shook Seoryeong to the core.

―Weak people who stubbornly cling to their principles usually end up dead. I call it dying needlessly.

“….”

―There’s no time for hesitation. Don’t indulge in such luxury in this situation.

His every word guided her. Since everything was his command, simply following it seemed to ease her mind.

―I’m the head of the Special Security Team, and I oversee the operation. So, Seoryeong, you have to follow my orders. I’ll say it one last time. Leave Channa behind and get out of that inn as soon as possible.