F-Class Destiny Hunter

Chapter 80:

Chapter 80

Even at this moment, Geohae's Shackle was still active. Thanks to his late arrival, Seo Gangrim had some leeway. He stood up from where he had been watching over Jang Taeheon and Yoon Bom.

"You guys rest here for a bit. I'll check the next rooms."

"No, Master. It's not a big deal..."

"That's right. Let's go, hyungnim."

Despite their injuries, both of them immediately stood up. Blood stained their bodies in various places.

"Both of you look terrible. Don't push yourselves too hard and just rest for now."

The stern voice made them hesitate, and eventually, they nodded.

Seo Gangrim glanced at Linnie. "Linnie, you rest here too."

"Woong? Woong woong!"

"Don't be stubborn."

While he had thought about letting Linnie rest, his intention to protect the two of them was stronger. As he moved on to the next room alone, the gods began chattering among themselves.

【Ah, he's such a tsundere.】

【That's right. You should rest too while you have the chance.】

【Gangrim, you're sleeping almost not at all lately, right?】

"I don't have time."

There was no time for rest or relaxation. Every minute counted for the Geohae's Shackle. Seo Gangrim quickened his pace.

- Creak!

As he entered the next room, there were shadows waiting for him. Their belt positions varied - ears, fingers, and so on. These shadows hadn't accumulated many karma.

- Swoosh!

Seo Gangrim advanced, swiftly defeating the shadows. When the shadows were split in half, black ink-like liquid splashed out, and they soon lost their form. Seo Gangrim handled the shadows like a maniac, surprising the gods as a result.

【Wow, Seo Gangrim has gotten much stronger.】

【He's going around cutting them all by himself. How scary! I wonder how strong his shadow will be.】

Seo Gangrim was also cautious of his own shadow. Fortunately, he hadn't encountered it yet, but he didn't know when that might happen.

'I have to clear this as quickly as possible.'

As he continued to eliminate the shadows, he suddenly noticed something between the bookshelves. There, he found a plaque.

【Huh? Hey, there's a plaque between the bookshelves!】

【Is that Shin Sooah's?!】

【It's about time for it to be found!】

- Swoosh!

Hurriedly defeating the last shadow, Seo Gangrim approached the bookshelves. When he flipped the plaque and saw the name written on it, he smiled bitterly.

[You have obtained the plaque of 'Seo Gangrim'!]

[The conditions for clearing the mission have been met!]

[If you bring the plaque back to the lobby, the training will end.]

Finding his own plaque was a stroke of luck, whether for better or worse. But he had wanted to find Shin Sooah's plaque if possible.

'Even though I usually have no luck, it seems like I'm lucky at times like these.'

Nevertheless, finding his plaque was better than nothing. After securing his plaque, he looked around the room but didn't see any other plaques.

'It's a shame, but there's nothing I can do. With this, I've found everyone's plaques, including myself.'

Except for Shin Sooah, the rest could now escape at any time. As he was about to move on to the next room, he felt a presence in the room on the right.

'Someone's on the opposite side.'

Thanks to his 'Senses,' he could faintly hear their voices. Seo Gangrim opened the door and entered, and found a place that seemed to be a soldiers' resting area. Several people who had been lying on beds suddenly sat up.

"Who are you?"

A sharp voice echoed, and soon the person widened their eyes and asked, "Who are you?"

"Gangrim-ssi, is that you? Gangrim-ssi?"

"Gangrim-ssi came, too! He arrived the latest, so I wasn't sure if he'd come..."

"It's so nice to see you!"

Their voices carried a sense of joy and relief. The people in the room were members of Zone Two. Seo Gangrim had initially confirmed their affiliation by their voices before entering.

'Other zones might not be so welcoming, but at least in Zone Two, there's a good chance of getting information.'

Most of the members from Zone Two were favorably inclined toward Seo Gangrim, although there were some who disliked him, like Choe Sangwon.

One of the Zone Two members breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "I was worried someone from another zone was attacking us."

"True. If it were another zone, we might have been wiped out."

Everyone in the room appeared battered and bruised. Despite the injuries, however, they welcomed Seo Gangrim warmly. Unfortunately, Seo Gangrim had little time to spare and immediately got to the point. "Has anyone among you found Shin Sooah-ssi's plaque?"

It was a question he asked more out of hope than expectation. Even if he didn't get any information, it wouldn't be a significant disappointment.

Fortunately, one person raised their hand enthusiastically. "Oh, I heard from someone that they saw Shin Sooah's plaque!"

"Who found it?"

Seo Gangrim approached the person who had raised their hand. His demeanor carried a hint of intimidation, causing the person to startle.

"Well, it's... The person who found the plaque has already escaped."

"Do you know the location?"

"They mentioned a garden not too far from here."

"I want the exact location."

"That person was with Choe Sangwon's group... Sangwon-ssi, do you have a map?"

Choe Sangwon, who had been leaning against a wall and resting, turned his gaze toward Seo Gangrim. He seemed reluctant, as he had been avoiding Seo Gangrim ever since they settled his debt. However, he eventually pulled out a map. "Here. Take it and check it out."

Though the map was rudimentary, it could still help determine the location. The garden was reachable by passing through several rooms from their current location.

【Wow, you did well by coming here!】

【Now we just need to bring Shin Sooah and go!】

It was the first lead he had obtained since arriving here. Seo Gangrim checked the map once again and asked the people in the room, "By the way, you all seem to be heavily injured. What happened? Did you encounter members from other zones?"

There was a possibility that danger still lurked in the vicinity, and avoiding any rooms with demons would be the wise choice.

One person hesitated before replying, "It wasn't members from other zones... we encountered a shadow."

As soon as the word 'shadow' was mentioned, the faces of those present darkened. Someone even trembled in fear.

Seo Gangrim examined their expressions and asked, "How many shadows did you encounter?"

"It was just one. However, that shadow was incredibly strong. It was a shadow that steals other people's abilities."

"Stole them?"

It felt as though something cold touched the back of Seo Gangrim's neck. A foreboding feeling washed over him.

The person continued, "Yes. When one person died, the shadow approached them and... after a while, the abilities of the person who died were being used by the shadow."

"It was different from the other shadows. It was definitely something else."

"It attacked us but would switch to the direction the corpse was in, as if it had found prey."

"Looking at it made us sick. Strangely, red shackles were drawn around its neck and limbs."

The witnesses' accounts continued, leaving Seo Gangrim at a loss for words. Their faces were filled with anger, hatred, and fear.

At that moment, Choe Sangwon spoke up, his eyes shining unusually. "That shadow... it wasn't there a few days ago. It started appearing about two or three days ago. When we encountered it, it was extremely strong."

Choe Sangwon's gaze held an ominous gleam. He glared at Seo Gangrim and asked, "Seo Gangrim, when did you come here?"

Upon hearing that question, confusion flashed across the faces of the Zone Two trainees. One person anxiously exclaimed, "Sangwon-ssi, what are you talking about? Why are you asking that?"

"It means, is Seo Gangrim connected to the shadow we encountered? At least the wristbands match."

While the neck and ankles could be hidden, the wristband had a noticeable size that couldn't be concealed. Choe Sangwon glanced at Seo Gangrim's wrist and continued, "You're covering your neck with your clothes, but who knows if there's a shackle there too?"

Some of the people only realized the implications of Choe Sangwon's words belatedly. Their voices filled with unease. "N-No way, right? It can't be...!"

"But considering the timing and its strength... It's possible that it could be Gangrim."

"Then does Seo Gangrim have that ability too? The ability to steal abilities...?"

Uncertainty began to spread among the people. Choe Sangwon stood at the center, glaring at Seo Gangrim.

"That thing, it's your shadow, right? Show me your neck."

Seo Gangrim was silently staring at Choe Sangwon. Several people urgently spoke up.

"Gangrim-ssi, do you really have a shackle on your neck?"

"There probably isn't one... but just in case, can you please let us check, Gangrim-ssi?"

It was as if their eyes were asking for proof of innocence. In the silence, a multitude of thoughts exchanged through their eyes.

"Even if I have similar cuffs, there's no guarantee it's my shadow. It could belong to someone else."

"Just shut up and show it! We'll make the judgment." Choe Sangwon raised his voice sharply.

He now looked at Seo Gangrim with a face as if he were seeing a heinous murderer. The others also wore perplexed expressions.

"If it's not in your neck, why aren't you saying anything?"

Several people, including Choe Sangwon, raised their weapons and stood up. An uneasy feeling filled the room.

Seo Gangrim glanced at the people around him in silence. 'Some sided with Choe Sangwon, and some... remained silent.'

There were a few people who were skeptical of Choe Sangwon's words, but no one was actively opposing him.

Seo Gangrim checked the distance to the exit and spoke up, "Even if I show my shackles, it won't prove that the shadow belongs to me."

"Yeah, it will." Choe Sangwon said, and there was no sign of him giving up. Hatred against Seo Gangrim was growing in the gazes cast upon him. The room had become charged with hostility.

"Then prove that it's not your shadow."

"How should I do that?"

"Cooperate with us quietly. And if we happen to encounter that shadow again, break one of your arms or legs. If your shadow is real, it should be affected as well, right?"

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