Translator’s Ramblings:
Hey folks,
we have now made our Patreon Page. There is a button for it on the sidebar. I used to think Patreon wasn’t that common but considering we already have our first patreon (thank you, First Last) it seems I was wrong.
Another thing is we have some goals there. If we meet them we will release more chapters. Check them out.
Happy reading!
Comment on the Forums and help us get more readers!
HSManager – LCD Thread
Does Red Also Runs Through A Blue Heart?
(3)
[I will chase after BlueHeart. Please tell all these facts to Brad, and help Union investigate about this incident. Although I could contact them directly… I am sorry for asking for favors over and over.]
After putting his cellphone in his pocket, Kang-Joon walked to the van and opened the door. Inside, the tired Choi Gina was asleep, while Seo Aran stared at Kang-Joon with alert eyes.
“This, it seems we might be able to catch it.”
“Yes?”
“Yeash?”
Choi Gina also raised her head hearing the sudden noise. Saliva was already dropping from her chin. Kang-Joon set the car moving, heading somewhere else.
“Where are we going?”
“Suwon’s Monitoring Station[Map].”
***
Core, Dungeons, as well as spacial anomalies were basically all emitting different wavelengths, and monitoring stations were responsible for measuring the intensity and type of those waves, informing others should any abnormality be detected. Each region’s monitoring station was a very important national facility and were not a place any person could enter.
In the past, due to a broken detector Jecheon was subject of a catastrophe. Just from that, the monitoring stations’ importance didn’t need to be emphasized twice.
As such, it wasn’t surprising to be blocked on the entrance.
“This is a military facility. Civilian vehicles can not enter.”
The soldier watching over the entrance knocked on the window of the van Kang-Joon had parked while speaking. And Kang-Joon took out his ID and employee card, speaking.
“I have come to get a little cooperation from the facility in relation to the search operation happening in Hwaseong at the moment. I am from Hero Management, and the two behind are Hunters.”
“Ah… Yes, can you wait just a moment?”
The soldier went to guard post for a moment to call his superior before returning again.
“My superiors received no notifications of such matters.”
Kang-Joon worried for a moment. He expected they would have opened once they heard of the operation, however, it seemed the monitoring station wouldn’t open their doors so easily. What should he do… After hesitating for a moment Kang-Joon opened his mouth once again.
“There is a method capable of locating the runaway Mutant.”
Naturally, this had become a serious problem now, so everyone knew the news regarding the runaway Mutant. At that words the guard complexion hardened.
“And that method has to make use of the monitoring station’s equipment. I can not tell you the details. Besides that, I also know a method to capture it. If we were to be delayed here and civilian casualties occurs I will have to ask Suwon’s Monitoring Station to shoulder the responsibility later on.”
“What, that…”
“Please convey this to the one responsible swiftly.”
Although it was no different from half a threat the terrified guard complexion paled and returned to his sentry post, once again hitting the phone repeatedly. Then he kept muttering as if he was apprehensive. Gina watched the scene of Kang-Joon persuading the guard using reasonable words with her mouth wide open.
Soon, the figure of a single soldier sporting a badge of Lieutenant Colonel[1] rank rushing from the front gate appeared. The guard made a powerful salute, and Kang-joon watched that person without getting off the car, just poking his head out stealthily.
“You, did you say ‘management official’?
“Yes.”
“This is a zone where all civilian access is prohibited. A place where, if things go out of control, an order of releasing fire against a civilian can be issued. I would have know if this was the town playground!”
Although he had spoken nicely upon arriving the Lieutenant Colonel’s anger was boiling yelling with a shriek. It was clear to see that a management official talking this and that about responsibility had ignited his anger. As those words stopped, rather than Kang-Joon, it was Gina and Aran on the back seat that were tense.
“Then we can’t go in?”
“Not unless you bring the official document for cooperation! Get the officials instructions in the operation headquarters and pick up a piece of paper! Nowadays, managements are thinking they are cops and soldiers!”
“In that case I will have to go to Ansan’s Monitoring Station[Map].”
The Monitoring Station in Suwon’s wasn’t the only who could also cover Hwaseong, Ansan’s Monitoring Station could too. Kang-Joon had only came here because it was closer.
“Whether you go or n-”
“And if any person is harmed while we are heading to Ansan it will be Mr. General responsibility.”
“What kind of rubbish you are talking about…”
“If we had to head for Ansan to receive cooperation, and the runaway Mutant was to cause people harm in the meantime, wouldn’t that be because Suwon’s Monitoring Station refused to cooperate? Tell me. Now, Mr. General is aware of how much damage your lack of cooperation can bring during that time…”
Soldiers were vulnerable to responsibility. And Kang-Joon knew it well. Kang-Joon slowly recited the two magic words.
“Will you take responsibility?”
At that words the Lieutenant colonel chief froze. Because of a single responsibility a soldier would receive punishment and would have to take off their uniform. It was always better to never create a situation one had to take responsiblity for. Those were two magic words that captivated all soldiers.
Kang-Joon spoke one more time.
“Are you willing to take responsibility?”
“Ah, no… Why would that be my… responsibility?”
The lieutenant Colonel finally realized something on that situation was strange and began to use evasive words. Kang-Joon hardened his expression, and spoke with a very serious face.
“It should be evident that with the operation headquarters being troubled with so many matters at the moment I would be delayed by a very long time, therefore, I headed here directly. I was already aware this violates the proper procedures. However, we must make it clear where the responsibility lies.”
Kang-Joon words seemed intimidating and were not completely unreasonable. It was a simple situation where one had to make a choice and receive responsibility for it. However, the initiative in this war of nerves had already passed over to Kang-Joon. As the Lieutenant General had said, a management was a business run by civilians and, as such, had no obligation to the citizens. However, to protect the people was a soldier’s duty.
Kang-Joon was free of that obligation, while his counterpart wasn’t. After hesitating for a moment, the Lieutenant Colonel spoke with a hard expression. As the person in charge of the area letting a few civilians in wasn’t a big problem for him.
“You have a method able to locate it, are you certain of that?”
“Yes.”
“If you cannot execute it you will surely have to account for this disturbance.”
“We will be responsible for that.”
“You will take responsibility?”
“Eh? Why would I take responsibility?”
Kang-Joon shook his employee Card.
“Every responsibility is on Hero Management.”
Kang-Joon, regardless of the reason, had no intention of being the one responsible. Gina and Aran looked at that Kang-Joon and thought the same.
‘Our manager seems to have a few personality problems…’
Nevertheless the monitoring station gates opened, and the three people aboard the van slowly went inside.
***
Translation’s Notes:
Army Ranks:
Here is a list of the ranks in the military for those who, like me, are completely unaware of anything beyond soldier, captain, and general.
***
Although the Lieutenant Colonel was no different from a god to the soldiers, to Kang-Joon he was nothing but a middle-aged old man. Full cooperation was requested in the first place, so Kang-Joon explained why this operation was needed and how he planned to locate the Mutant.
The four had gotten off the cars and were now slowly making their way to the monitoring station’s key area, the control room.
“The Mutant who is running away now is a very unique Mutant known as BlueHeart.”
“BlueHeart?”
“Yes, you know how Cores are obtained from monsters in a Core outbreak situation?”
“Isn’t that common sense?”
“That Cores, in simple terms, are the monsters’ heart.”
Core Energy is the generic term used for all the extracted and crystalized energy obtained from those. The blue Core held a considerable amount of very dense and simultaneously harmless energy.
“BlueHeart means a Mutant who had that heart — whose Core energy had yet to be extracted — transplanted in a human after their own heart was removed.”
At that words the accompanying Lieutenant Colonel and Gina were shocked, while Aran, who had went through that cruel Mutant operation, had a placid expression.
“Transplanting a monster’s heart in a person? Something crazy like that…”
“Numerous attempts at enhancing the Human species itself have always been continuously made. This, too, is just a single one among them.”
Acula was group of scientist who researched Mutant procedures, and had actually produced multiple results. Their ultimate goal, however, was combining the heart of a monster and a human’s, changing a human in a complete different existence.
Although during an Mutant procedure Core solutions were injected in a human and the body was remodeled, combining monsters and humans was a completely unknown territory. That was Acula’s group goal, and in that process a great amount of people were illegally sacrificed.
Kang-Joon, who had experienced dealing with that group, knew that laboratory was remainder from Acula, and, knowing what their goal was, knew what he had to search for to capture their target.
In front of the control room a huge screen was displaying Suwon’s monitoring station’s jurisdiction area. At present, one D-Class Core and one F-Class Dungeon were active, while the dots indicating the deployed personnel was displayed together with a ‘in action’ label.
Choi Gina, who was entering a monitoring station for the first time, looked at the place preoccupiedly. Many personnel on duty were sitting in front of computers busy watching the screen, writing, or recording something.
Here ‘slacking-off’ was a forbidden word. And, naturally, the personnel on duty here were not common soldiers but non-commissioned officers and officers[2]. If one was caught sleeping here there would be no disciplinary action, they would be sent to military trial immediately.
“Wow…”
Choi Gina looked at that well-ordered scene and felt a different kind of awe. While, despite also being her first time seeing such scene, Aran maintained a calm expression.
“I have no idea what you will do but feel free to start.”
“We must use an energy scanner. Not a wavelength sensor.”
When sensing anomalies what was detected wasn’t the energy itself but the special wavelength that spread when the incident occurred. When searching for energy many problems would arise.
“Wouldn’t there be too many variables?”
The Lieutenant Colonel’s reaction was something Kang-Joon expected. An Energy Scanner was able to detect Cubes, Aether, and Cores. However, that is to say all Cubes, Aether and Cores in a given Area. It was able to pick up the already crystalized energy, detecting Hunters, which frequently carried Aether as well as Cube devices, or stored Cores. Of course, underground laboratories couldn’t be detected because of their wave isolating outer walls.
“Like I said before BlueHeart possesses the heart of a monster.”
The Lieutenant Colonel could understand what that meant. If they used the Energy scanner they could track the mutant possessing a blue heart.
“However, wouldn’t Hunters also be detected at the same time? Core energy waves are also detected in Mutants.”
Mutants were those who had, basically, assimilated a Core, and as such the Core energy present in them could also detected.
“There are many Hunters dispatched to the operation area. And Mutants too are present among them, if too many objects are detected there will be no meaning. Furthermore, if a wavelength filter isn’t applied Cubes storages as well as Aether and Cubes safes will be marked…”
“It is easy to get rid of that.”
It was a very simple method.
“Hunters are basically wearing Aether swords and Armour Coat all the time, right?”
“That is indeed… Ah!”
Lieutenant Colonel grasped, at last, what they were supposed to do.
“First you have to locate all energy waves, then all you have to do is erase all variables emitting Aether and Core waves together. The runaway Mutant is escaping, it shouldn’t have already obtained an Ether Sword neither an Armor Coat.”
It was a simple method. The escapee wasn’t a professional Hunter but a runaway specimen. As such, all they had to do was discover an object moving while also emitting pure Core energy waves. Lieutenant Colonel nodded his head with a serious expression, calling out for an official in duty.
“Energy Scanner operating.”
The Energy Scanner was originally used during unsupressed disasters, something almost useless at ordinary times. Used to track the rampaging monsters’ position. The personnel on duty wondered what matter could be suddenly happening while obediently operating the scanner as the Lieutenant General’s words commanded.
Soon, all detected Core, Aether, and Cube energy waves were on Screen.
The numerous light blue points emerging on top of the map in the screen signified each of those energy waves.
“Eliminate the areas including powerplants’ and Cube storages’ locations, as well as all readings below the S Rank from here.”
Kang-Joon spoke, and Lieutenant Colonel ordered an official in duty to do as it was said. Soon the number of points displayed on the screen diminished to thousands in a flash.
“And eliminate all values emitting Aether and Cube Energy waves together.”
The order was carried a short time later and the majority of the blue points marked in the map disappeared. Despite removing all the Core storages’ locations, including the Core powerplants’, some light blue points still remained. There were always people who stored Cores in their private safes as a method of investment . However, it was extremely uncommon for an individual to store Cores of such high-grade capable of emitting S Rank level energy waves, and even then all were fixed in place unmoving.
There was more than a single S Rank Core energy wave, however, just one among them was moving. Kang-Joon observed the energy wave moving in the scanner and grasped its position. On contrary, the Lieutenant Colonel, the one in charge of operating the scanner, was staring at that scene with his mouth wide open.
Kang-Joon only said a few words briefly.
“It already crossed the defensive line.”
The runaway Mutant was already near Byeong-Jeom Station[Map].
Read Chapter 29’s Teaser and see what is coming next!
Translation’s Notes:
Army Ranks (Part2):
Here is the list of the ranks in the military one more time if you want to know what this officers thing is about.
TLDR:
Non-Commisioned officers are those between Corporal and Sergeant Major of The Army.
And officers are those from Warrant Officer and General Of The Army.