Chapter 269: Investigation
The sensation on his skin was prickly— a sharp malice. Mackerel exhaled a sigh for all to hear and tucked his glasses into the chest pocket of his sleeveless shirt. Then he took out a cigarette and lit it. 3
"So… did the Seowon Guild fall? Or did Jung Bin die? Can't think of any other reason you'd show up here."
"Too bad, but both are still fine."
Lee Sa-young answered for him. Mackerel glanced once at Lee Sa-young, then at Cha Eui-jae, and chuckled.
"Then, maybe…"
"…"
"J must be on the verge of dying if Lee Sa-young's tagging along."
Cha Eui-jae's eyes widened. What? That guy knew too? Flicking his hand holding the cigarette, Mackerel turned around.
"Anyway, I've got nothing more to say. You went through trouble coming out to this desolate place, so go on, get ho safely."
"Your older brother."
Mackerel's ash-covered foot halted at Lee Sa-young's words.
"If there was a way to save him… what would you say?"
Ah, so this was the younger brother after all. I'd been confused because of the glasses and hair. 1
'Then are the glasses his older brother's…?'
Mackerel slowly turned his head. Through the hair that had fallen back over his face, bloodshot eyes glared at Lee Sa-young.
"That last part."
An eerie blue aura flickered behind him as he spoke, gritting his teeth.
"You'd better think carefully before you speak."
Lee Sa-young uncrossed his legs, stood up, and slowly walked over to look down at Mackerel.
"Even if it's not in this world, if there's a way in another one."
"…"
"Would you tell us?"
The wind, mixed with white ash, blew gently. Mackerel stared silently at Lee Sa-young.
"How strange…"
He squinted his eyes.
"You're not the Lee Sa-young I know. Since when did you get so mild?"
This was bad. Cha Eui-jae quickly got up and positioned himself between them.
"This kid's been having mory issues."
"Issues? What issues?"
"His condition is a bit strange. Doesn't he seem unusually nice today?" 5
"Yeah, kind of does."
With a smirk, Mackerel briefly looked up at the sky. White ash was scattering little by little. In the anti, Lee Sa-young looked down at Cha Eui-jae with eyes full of things he wanted to say but held back. Mackerel gestured for them to follow him.
"Well, let's hear what you've got."
The seaside village was quiet. White ash was sparsely piled on the road, with not a single wildflower in sight. There were hardly any people, and empty houses outnumbered the occupied ones. Mackerel's place was supposedly one of the empty houses.
"The original owner?"
Mackerel didn't answer. They were probably dead. Or… maybe turned into a monster.
As they walked down the path, Mackerel asked.
"How's your situation? Getting by okay?"
"Not really."
"Figured. No more strict Director to keep things in check, huh?"
He was curious. About the Director's death in this world, about his aunt's death. But part of him was also scared. Could he ask? What if he'd be shut down for asking weird questions again? Was it okay to confirm their deaths? Just then, Lee Sa-young, who had been following with his hands in his coat pockets, spoke up.
"How did the Director die?"
"…What's this? mory problems and suddenly a fool too?"
Mackerel looked at Cha Eui-jae with a look of disbelief. Cha Eui-jae simply shrugged. He gave Lee Sa-young's back a small tap, a gesture of thanks. Scratching his head, Mackerel responded.
"Died trying to defend the Bureau during the Monster Wave. You could call it a defensive battle…"
"…"
"A lot of Hunters from the Awakened Managent Bureau died back then. The civil servant's team was blocking another area at the ti, he's lucky enough to survive."
"Did your older brother die back then too?"
"…"
Mackerel didn't answer. Instead, he walked toward the white sandy beach at the end of the path. Cha Eui-jae and Lee Sa-young followed him. As they walked on the sand mixed with ash, each step felt strange underfoot. Near the gently lapping waves, Mackerel asked.
"Did Jung Bin tell you about this place?"
"Yeah."
"Said he'd keep it a secret for life. Can't trust a single person, can you?"
The ocean covered in white ash— there wasn't a hint of blue to be found. Every boat docked along the pier was coated in ash, tied up and seemingly long unused. The fishing nets were a ss, tangled beyond use.
Cha Eui-jae crouched down and dipped his hand into the white sea. Instead of water, his hand ca back covered in white ash. The cold sea felt devoid of life. It simply existed.
Mackerel spoke.
"Be careful. You could get dragged in."
"Dragged in? What do you an?"
"You've never seen a Whitening Sea before, have you? Well, with J collapsing frequently, I guess you haven't been sent far off."
Blowing out a puff of smoke, Mackerel gestured at the white waves.
"A place touched by the Whitening turns into a wasteland. So if the sea turns white… what do you think happens?"
"…"
"No fish, no life. It stops being a sea of life and turns into stagnant water. Not a fish in sight, only strange monsters erging."
"How do people survive? Most of them make a living off the sea, don't they?"
"Occasional rations co in, but they're irregular. Not knowing when they'll co, or when they'll stop."
"…"
"So I go out to find food. I'm the only awakened one here, after all."
Mackerel crossed his arms, his face showing no emotion.
"My mother's hotown is around here, so I ca down, but… didn't think it'd be like this."
Does he an Jang Mi-sook? A soft rustling sounded as ash-laden waves brushed the shore. Cha Eui-jae quietly observed the silent sea. Oddly enough, he sensed a presence coming from it. From the sea? Or… could "presence" even describe it accurately? This… sea?
Reviews
All reviews (0)