Chapter 41: Bombs Are Not Art (3)
Grind.
The man clenched his teeth.
Informant.
That word made his head spin.
He went out to et them when he heard support was coming.
The mont he was about to greet them, his stomach churned as soon as he saw they were Team 3.
As far as he knew, there was no one in Team 3 capable of disarming bombs.
As the possibility of it being the newbie grew, resentnt surged.
Wasn't it all because of that guy?
Even if the informant had been there before, nothing had happened until that guy showed up.
Even if it was bound to happen eventually, why now of all tis?
Why did such a problem occur in his team?
Did he even know how horribly everyone looked at him, at his team?
"If you have nothing more to say, let's move on to the mission. Are there any other bombs besides the ones shown on the map?"
Despite my question, the man didn't answer, rely staring while swallowing his rising anger.
"Answer ."
As I pressed, the man squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them.
First, he had to focus on the mission.
"...There aren't any."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Check again. There might be additional bombs."
"We already checked several tis before you arrived."
"Who checked?"
"My team mber checked."
"Was it a magician?"
At my words and gaze, the man clenched his fists tightly.
He felt like he'd been looked down upon since earlier.
"Why? Is it so surprising that a magician who can't even defuse bombs is a team mber?"
At the sarcastic remark, I felt a scoff wanting to escape.
I already knew there were additional magic bombs, so saying there weren't any sounded like an admission of incompetence.
"We are currently on a mission. You should put aside your personal feelings."
I pointed out the basics.
No emotion, no fact, could take precedence over the mission.
If the mission failed, wouldn't that be admitting his own incompetence?
That man might be okay with it, but I wasn't.
"I told you repeatedly that we checked for bombs and there weren't any, yet you still asked."
The man's words left dumbfounded.
What kind of childish remark was this?
"We must ask repeatedly. Bomb disposal is the core of this mission. Not a single one can be left behind."
"Are you a magician?"
"I am not."
"Seeing as you ca even though you're not, I suppose you learn things like that over there?"
Over there.
Did you learn it when you were a villain?
It was full of sarcasm.
"Yes. We do."
I answered without hesitation.
It was the man who was flustered.
To admit it so readily.
"If you understand, contact your team mber again and confirm. Don't neglect the mission, blinded by petty pride."
I turned away just like that.
The ntion of a Bomb Disposal Team inside ant there was likely a part of them outside as well.
Team 5 might have magicians, but they weren't as specialized as the Bomb Disposal Team.
It was much better to go to them and request cooperation.
‘Team 5 was only sent to protect the Bomb Disposal Team.’
I quickly finished assessing the situation.
The important ones were the Bomb Disposal Team.
‘At least they'll be easier to talk to than that guy.’
"...Petty, pride? Our team instantly beca branded as informants... Is that petty?"
The man's voice was heard.
But I didn't retort and looked straight ahead.
—No matter what that team asks you to do, Hyeon-yul, don't do it. Just remove the bombs.
It was ti to follow Hae-ryeon's words.
Whatever I said would be useless anyway.
"Why... do we have to end up like this? All we did was catch villains for the sake of the people. Why... Why is our team leader an informant?"
People were coming towards .
They looked quite rushed.
‘Is there a ti limit, unlike what was stated in the mission details?’
I guessed, watching their actions.
That perhaps they weren't just bombs, but ti bombs.
"If only you, no, if only you hadn't shown up, this wouldn't have happened! A villain... Do you think becoming a Black Eagle now absolves your sins? How many people died because of scum like you! How many people shed tears because of you...!"
Yes.
It was all because of that guy.
Ever since the team leader was revealed as an informant, he had given up his days off and worked longer than usual to clear up misunderstandings.
The stares beca terrifying, and he couldn't sleep properly.
Could there be a day more dreadful than this?
Waking up tomorrow couldn't be more painful, more frightening.
"Hey!"
The man grabbed by the collar.
"Why are you ignoring ? Can't you hear ......"
At my chilling gaze, the man shut his mouth.
Death.
As that thought flashed through his mind, his entire body froze.
Was he even human?
Was he really human?
His breath hitched from the overwhelming fear.
What on earth was that?
"What do you think you're doing right now!"
Hearing the voice, the Team 5 man flinched in surprise.
People ca running.
As soon as they saw , the word 'Team 3' on allowed them to imdiately understand the situation.
The Team 5 leader was an informant, and the catalyst and reason for that fact being revealed was none other than the Team 3 newbie.
That man was probably the rumored Team 3 newbie.
Team 5 could understandably be sensitive.
But this was not acceptable.
"Are you crazy?"
The arrows of reproach and criticism were aid at the Team 5 man.
In a situation where a bomb could explode at any mont, was this the ti to fight?
"What is this behavior towards soone who ca to provide support?"
People imdiately pulled and the man apart.
"Are you okay?"
Hearing the question, I saw 'Bomb Disposal Team' written on their clothes.
They belonged to the Black Eagle, but they were different.
I raised my gaze and t their eyes.
Unlike others, no particular emotion could be glimpsed.
"Thank you."
Only then did I greet them and bow my head.
"We... know this isn't a problem we should intervene in, but we will intervene this ti. We'll apologize later."
A woman from the Bomb Disposal Team spoke up.
Before I could even ask what that ant, the woman approached the Team 5 man.
"Team 5 mber, could you please move towards the outer periter?"
"...Do you know what you're saying right now?"
The Team 5 man reacted with disbelief at the pouring gazes and the woman's words.
Wasn't she saying he was being excluded from the mission?
"I know very well. Let be more direct. You are hindering the mission."
"......"
The Team 5 man was about to say sothing but even unclasped his clenched fist.
As the number of chilling gazes increased one by one, he snapped back to his senses.
‘......I made a mistake.’
He soon lowered his gaze.
"...I apologize."
The Team 5 man apologized.
"If you don't want to see this place explode, could you please leave far away?"
The woman spoke again, and the Team 5 man hesitated before looking at .
"...Yes. I will co to apologize later."
The Team 5 man bowed his head and left the place.
As I watched, the woman approached and spoke.
"I apologize if my ddling was unpleasant."
"Not at all. Thank you."
"...Hmm, that person seed out of his mind earlier. I should have told him to stop and go back sooner, but I was too late again."
"It's alright."
"I hope you don't take it to heart. We are just grateful that you ca to help us like this."
The woman smiled.
Having soone with knowledge related to bombs here felt incredibly reassuring.
"You all seed rushed, are they perhaps ti bombs?"
When I asked, the woman shook her head.
"No. That's not it. However, as ti got delayed, we beca worried about the students trapped inside, and we were also glad for the support, so we ran over. Support isn't common, you see."
"Then, have you checked for additional bombs?"
"We've finished the secondary check. We were checking carefully because we didn't know what might be a bomb."
"If I were to tell you there are additional bombs, would you beli—"
"Where are they?"
The woman's eyes were filled only with boundless seriousness.
"Please tell us the location of the additional bombs. Right now!"
Her voice gradually rose.
At the ntion of bombs, other Bomb Disposal Team mbers approached.
"Is that really true?"
"Where is it? We won't ask how you know, just please tell us."
"You're a Black Eagle, everyone has so kind of amazing power, right? You must know through sothing like that, so please, just tell us!"
My eyes widened at the pleading words.
Sothing was different from what I expected.
I thought they wouldn't believe , but instead, their eyes were intensely focused.
At their actions, gradually closing in on , I stepped back.
"Everyone, just a mont."
A man from the Bomb Disposal Team spoke up.
At his words, everyone, as if familiar with it, covered their mouths and stepped back.
"You can speak now."
The man spoke with a good-natured face.
It felt like he might even offer sothing like, 'Shall I bring out so tea?'
"...Do you believe what I'm saying?"
I asked, finding it hard to believe.
"We have to believe you. Our fields may be different, but we're both Black Eagle, aren't we?"
"We can't get a handle on it inside. We've already failed twice. The formulas are too complex. We have to succeed next ti, so the pressure is really getting to us."
Among them, so laughed, while others seriously confessed their inner thoughts.
It was strange.
The reaction the Team 5 man showed earlier should have been the typical one.
I temporarily put aside my thoughts, took out the map, noted them down one by one, and shared it.
"The locations I've found are here."
As soon as they received the locations, the Bomb Disposal Team imdiately touched their wireless earphones and mouthed words.
Watching them move in perfect order, I thought about what ca next.
The bomber might also be watching this way.
Having played a prank, it was natural for them to be curious about how things were unfolding.
"Just a mont, I'll go check other places too."
"Alright."
Hearing the reply, I quickly moved away.
Entering the space between buildings where people couldn't see , I covered one eye.
There were several buildings.
It took ti to check.
Moving my sight through the darkness, I checked each one and marked it on the map.
Kkeudeuk kkeudeuk.
Just then, laughter was heard.
Just as I was drawing my dagger, sothing was thrown out from inside.
Before swinging the dagger, I stopped and caught it.
It was a person.
Team 5.
It was the man from earlier.
He was asleep without any signs of a fight, with bombs wrapped around his body.
For this to happen in such a short ti.
‘They were watching? From where?’
I moved my eyes.
It was terribly quiet.
I put the Team 5 man down and looked towards the direction he had fallen from.
‘...It's a psychic power.’
Faint traces were visible, like a long scratch mark.
The power whose presence was hardest to sense was precisely psychic power.
‘Looks like they're hiding nearby.’
Could it be a power that makes the body transparent like a chaleon?
I walked quietly.
My pupils gradually darkened.
As the wind blew, a shimr appeared in the empty air.
‘There it is.’
I didn't miss that fleeting mont.
I took a step forward.
In that spot, I disappeared, enveloped in black smoke, and my dagger erged from the empty air first.
Kwaak!
"......Aaaaaargh!"
A scream erupted.
The villain revealed himself.
His shoulder was pierced.
As light flickered in the guy's eyes, I ruthlessly slashed his neck.
I looked at the fallen enemy.
He was probably just a disposable card anyway.
‘How many more of them are there?’
I thought for a mont.
A voice ca from the limp corpse.
As soon as the words ended, the thick sll of gunpowder arose.
Black smoke spread out from my body.
Peoeoeoeoeong!
The corpse exploded, letting out a harsh sound.
As I walked out through the dense smoke, even the smoke seeped into the darkness.
‘……It stings.’
I covered my mouth.
Just because the darkness swallowed everything didn't an I was fine.
My insides felt hot.
Looking at my hand, it was stained with blood.
‘I'm going to get an earful from the doctor.’
But what could I do?
This was a way to get hurt less than the pain of my body exploding.
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