"In terms of plans, there's nothing grand to speak of. Given the sparse information we have, all we can do is roam the territorial waters of South Korea for about three months, considering the prophecy targets Korea."
The plan sounded underwhelming given the grave warning that preceded it. However, as he said, with the current lack of specific information on Titan's whereabouts, wandering the seas was the only option. Diving headfirst into the ocean without any leads was not feasible.
With no better alternatives, Kang Sihyun nodded in agreement, prompting Kwon Taeju to pull out a lollipop from his pocket and pop it into his mouth.
"Want one?"
This unexpected offer during a meeting wrinkled the kids' faces. Wondering why candy was being offered all of a sudden made them frown, but the man, claiming it was tasty as if to excuse his odd behavior, pulled out a map from his bosom.
The map depicted the familiar Korean peninsula.
"Considering we don't know whether Titan will appear along the East, West, or South Sea, we need to communicate our routes, but last night, your guild master made an interesting remark."
"…?"
"He said, 'It doesn't matter where we wander on the sea. Titan will eventually appear before us.'"
Iha Hyuk said that?
He wasn't someone to speak lightly. Not one to boast without basis or utter uncertainties without conviction.
Knowing his character, Kang Sihyun, along with the others, watched the man who, even now, sipped his tea amidst this conversation, leisurely smiling at them.
"Indeed, he said so."
"And when I asked why he thought so, he said he'd tell me if we met tomorrow. I've been waiting ever since. Might we finally hear the reason?"
Crunch.
The sound of the candy being crushed resonated. The man had aggressively bitten into the still-hard candy, then tossed the white stick onto the table.
Tick, tick.
The stick bounced twice before rolling away. As this sound echoed in the silent room, Iha Hyuk, who had remained quiet, finally set his teacup down after enduring the persistent gaze.
"Indeed, I did say that. But to tell you the truth, that opinion wasn't mine."
"Not yours?"
"Yes. To be precise, it was the opinion of the IRS guild master. He called me last night. Said he had heard an interesting story and…."
"…."
"Kang Sihyun."
Why me now?
Out of the blue, his name popped up in a conversation that seemed utterly unrelated to him. Surprised, Kang Sihyun blinked in response, wearing a puzzled expression.
Catching his bewildered gaze, Iha Hyuk slowly began to speak.
"The IRS guild master said the prophecy's savior is Kang Sihyun. What do you think about that?"
"…!"
Startled, the boy opposite him shot up from his seat. It wasn't the place for rash reactions, especially not in front of Kwon Taeju, but Lee Hamin couldn't contain his surprise.
It was a mistake to provide fodder for someone like Kwon Taeju to mock. As Kang Sihyun scolded him with his eyes, Haru grasped Hamin's arm.
"Sit down."
His voice was soft yet firm, effectively restraining the boy. Unexpectedly chastised by Haru, Hamin appeared flustered.
His pride seemingly wounded, Hamin soon bit his lip and sat back down. Fortunately, he still had enough sense to realize the gravity of the situation.
"I apologize."
Hamin softly apologized to Kwon Taeju and then scowled at Kang Sihyun. As if the stray sparks had now ignited a fire under him, Kang Sihyun processed what Iha Hyuk had just divulged.
"Did the IRS guild master say anything else?"
"When I asked why he thought so, he said Kang Sihyun would explain and then hung up."
Strange. Despite the calm tone, Kang Sihyun sensed an underlying fury in Iha Hyuk's words. Swallowing the name "Ruth" like a curse, Kang Sihyun sighed.
What a hassle.
If he couldn't help, he should've at least stayed quiet instead of causing trouble.
Kang Sihyun planned to confront him about this incident the next time they communicated. After a deep breath, he smoothed his neck, watched intently by Iha Hyuk, who then slightly smiled.
"Seeing Kang Sihyun's reaction now, I guess he wasn't wrong."
He wished that exceptional intuition wasn't applied here. Faced with Iha Hyuk's convinced look, Kang Sihyun rolled his eyes.
How should he respond?
He had shared information about Gula and informed both the association and the Global Awakened Union, but one fact remained hidden: the Irregulars were targeting him.
An agreement with Ruth not to disclose this. To avoid rash decisions by the reckless, he kept silent.
"Among the high-ranking cowards, some will claim this situation is all because of you and suggest throwing you as bait might solve everything. Sounds ridiculous, but in any group of five, there's always one idiot like that. So, keep this to yourself until I sort things out with the association. When the time comes, I'll let you disclose it."
That was what Ruth had said. Whether now was the right time or if this was just another of Ruth's whims, Kang Sihyun couldn't tell.
Did he tell them because he thought they could be trusted?
Whatever the case, the important thing was that Ruth had given the okay. Kang Sihyun wasn't sure if it was alright to tell everyone, but at least it meant he could disclose it to those present. Trusting in that decision, he was about to speak when he hesitated, noticing the intense gazes from Haru and Hamin in front of him.
Oh right, the kids are here too.
"...Looks like we're going to have to meet again."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
It seemed inevitable that after this was over, Kang Sihyun would be dragged by the Class A kids again to listen to their endless nagging.
"...I agree with Mr. Ruth's words. Wherever we go, as long as we're above the sea, we'll encounter Titan. If you take me with you."
"So, Kang Sihyun also believes he's the savior mentioned in the prophecy."
"Yes."
"Why?"
The gazes of Hyuk, Taeju, Hamin, Haru, and Seowoo were all fixed on him. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Kang Sihyun took a sip from his teacup to moisten his dry throat and swallowed.
The weight that had been pressing down on him since Gula's reappearance spilled out.
"Because I'm the Quadruple."
"The Quadruple that Gula fears. That's me."
Being the Quadruple makes him the savior. A simple yet not so simple statement. The perplexed expressions around him confirmed this was not an easy story to digest. After surveying everyone's reactions, Kang Sihyun let out a small sigh.
Damn Ruth.
If he had something to say, he should have said it himself, instead of pushing everything onto Kang Sihyun.
"I don't even know where to start."
"Just start anywhere. We're all curious."
"Well... You've heard about the apocalypse, right? You're S-Class, so you should."
Hyuk and Taeju nodded, while the non-S-Class kids looked puzzled. Since they had to know eventually, Kang Sihyun gave them a glance and continued.
"There was one fact I didn't tell the association or the Gula Response Unit. Not about the identity of the Irregulars or the apocalypse that appeared in the sky that day. Talking about it would put me in danger."
"...Hmm? Wait a minute. What do you mean by information you didn't disclose?"
Kwon Taeju asked, displaying confusion for the first time. Feeling somewhat vindicated by his reaction, Kang Sihyun shrugged lightly.
"Exactly what I said. The giant eye in the sky was named Gula, and all Irregulars stemmed from it, and that Gula was a sealed entity. Do you think all this information just fell from the sky into the association's lap? Someone had to provide it to them.
"...So."
"That informant was me."
"..."
"I requested confidentiality regarding my identity as a condition for sharing the information."
The world was full of madmen.
Some would rejoice rather than fear at the prospect of the world's end, and even with the apocalypse looming, some harbored feelings of inferiority.
Not fully armed yet, revealing all his cards would make him an easy target.
Thus, he asked for protection. While he needed fame to gain power, timing was essential for everything.
To that response, Kwon Taeju's mouth dropped open. Hyuk, having previously conversed with Kang Sihyun, appeared less surprised.
"Anyway, back to the point. The fact I hadn't shared with the association was that Gula was targeting me. I don't know why, but it seems to view the Awakener with the most cores as a threat. Either I'm a clue to preventing its revival or a key to resealing it."
"..."
"So, it ordered the Irregulars to eliminate the Awakener with the most cores, and those orders set the Irregulars in motion. That's why there have been so many rifts in Seoul and the U.S., why Titan appeared six months ago, and why Venom emerged last fall. It's all because of that."
"So, you're saying…"
"It wasn't my intention, but that's the conclusion."
"..."
"I guess I'm some kind of savior."
He spoke in a flat tone, having felt the weight of being labeled a savior over the past few months. Now
, the word held no new surprise for him.
He felt nothing, but it seemed others did. Everyone's mouth was agape, prompting Kang Sihyun to blink in confusion.
Is this really such a shock?
He tilted his head slightly, puzzled.
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