Five doctors.
In the span of two days, five doctors were murdered in different ways and in different places.
What they have in common is probably the fact that they work in the same guild and the same department.
When this news spread, it caused concerns to the doctors working in Aegis guild. Their colleagues are dying one by one without a reason. So complaints are inevitable.
Shin In Soo suddenly became very busy on every side. He had to do clean up and now the additional investigation of doctors being murdered under his guild. He had not left his office since then, piling up workloads that he didn't expect to come.
.
Lin Young-Jae had no idea what just happened.
He was just eating strawberry cake with Lin Ji-Young in his ward when all of the sudden, the door was opened and there stood the guild master of Legion holding a large bouquet of blue and white peonies.
The light of the golden hour shined upon his very direction making a fresh perspective.
Lin Young-Jae was surprised, he froze mid bit of the strawberry fruit in his mouth. He never thought that the Peonies in Park Do Hyun's hand would actually match perfectly. Maybe it's because he always wore black that it didn't give the young man the impression that other colors suited him too.
"Hyung!" He acknowledged him with a welcoming smile, not noticing the grimace in his sister's face.
"Good day. How do you feel?" Park Do Hyun stepped inside the room, coming closer despite Lin Ji-Young's killing intent towards him. He simply gave her a glance and handed the flowers to the young man who was curiously looking at him.
"I'm okay. They said it's normal." The boy responded, unconsciously accepting the bouquet.
"Normal?" Park Do Hyun knew what normal meant. He had heard it from Lin Ji-Young and Shin In Soo. It meant that he's gotten weak again. "I see, congratulations on your recovery—"
"Young-Jae, you should eat more. Also, let's put that flower aside first, I'll buy you a vase." Lin Ji-Young blocked her brother's sight of Park Do Hyun in a hurry. Like an overprotective mother bird.
"Yes, noona." The boy responded. "Hyung, you've come all the way here, have a seat!" The boy happily offered the side bed since his older sister was using the lone chair in the room.
"No, no, guild master Park can take my seat." Lin Ji-Young immediately chimed in, while looking at Park Do Hyun with a smile yet at the same time not a smile. As if warning him to keep distance.
Lin Young-Jae was still reluctant to give up the chair for his sister. He looked at her with a bit of hesitation, but as soon as she put the flowers on the side table, she sat on the bedside.
"I'd rather sit closer to my baby brother." She said with a smile.
Lin Young-Jae was caught by an unexpected familiar attack by his older sister. His face immediately turning red from embarrassment as he gobbled his cake.
"So cute!" Lin Ji-Young rubbed her brother's cheeks. But then a flash of memory about that bastard Park Do Hyun reminded her a disdainful memory. "I-I mean, my brother is so pretty."
"Indeed." Unexpectedly, the repulsive guy in her eyes agreed, making her angrier.
"He will be very handsome when he grows up!"
"I agree."
"And then he'll. Date. Someone." Who is not you.
"It would be nice."
"And. Get. Married." Not to you, never.
"Yes, then he wouldn't be lonely."
"Ugh." Lin Ji-Young wanted to punch Park Do Hyun so bad. How dare he covet his brother?!
"Umm..." Lin Young-Jae awkwardly tried to clear his throat. "But I don't want to get married yet, I want to stay with noona longer." He murmured. In his past life, he didn't have someone to call family. Now that he's given a sister, he wanted the experience of family to last a bit longer. At least before Lin Ji-Young gets married and decides to live somewhere far.
The ravenette looked at her younger brother softly. Her heart felt ticklish and happy just knowing that her younger brother still loves her very much.
"I see, but that matter aside. I'd like to discuss something with you, Lin Young-Jae." Park Do Hyun finally went straight to the point.
The young man, who was under his sister's loving embrace, peeked through her shoulder and met Park Do Hyun's grey eyes. "Yes hyung?" He asked.
"I'd like to take you back with me in the Legion guild." He said, as if he didn't hear the boy say that he wanted to stay with his sister longer.
"Pardon?"
"Young-Jae." Lin Ji-Young suddenly became serious, letting her brother go and then holding on to his hand. "This is absolutely your choice if you want to or not. I hate to admit it, but Aegis is currently unsafe. Some bastards had gotten their foolish hands within the guild. You even fell victim because of this, that's why I'm also considering it for days. We spoke with guild master Park Do Hyun and came to a conclusion... It is that you go to Legion first."
"But of course!" She added quickly. "Only if you want to. I and guild master Shin In Soo will make sure to protect you too if you ever wish to stay."
At First, Lin Ji-Young absolutely disapproves. But when she calmed down, she started to consider his point since this is about Lin Young-Jae's life being at risk. She had gone a few sleepless nights weighing the facts. Legion is the strongest guild in the country. At least 20% to 30% of their people are A to S ranked and there had not been many scandals regarding the guild. Guild members have a lot of benefits and the strongest man in the world is there and he even offered protection for her brother.
She had thought about it for nights, guarded the door of the laboratory where his brother lay dormant until he was able to open his eyes again.
When she saw him in such a vulnerable state and in pain, and the news of doctors dying inside and outside the guild premise, she knew she have to relent to Park Do Hyun's offer.
But of course, it is only if Lin Young-Jae wishes to go too. If he doesn't want to, then she'll do everything in her power to protect him. Shield him from harm.
Lin Young-Jae was quiet for a while. His gaze turning from Lin Ji-Young to Park Do Hyun. Just when he thought he wanted to spend more time with his sister, seems like another trouble was brewing.
Is it about the news? Young-Jae had seen it too. The doctors were killed separately one by one in different ways. It's like one is worse than the other making it seem that the perpetrator is a person who killed them with deep hatred or personal grudge.
It never occurred to him that he wasn't the only victim of these doctors from the lab department.
"Young-Jae. I know it's going to be difficult to have a sudden change of environment, so I'll grant permission so that Hunter Lin Ji-Young can visit you anytime." Park Do Hyun also started his negotiation.
The young man was still confused. He didn't know what was happening and why would Park Do Hyun suddenly want him to join his guild for protection. Since he's been kidnapped once, wouldn't it just be enough to have a security watch over him?
"Is this about the doctors?" He asked.
"Well, it's also part of it—" Lin Ji-Young, unable to finish her words, suddenly had her phone buzzing. She excused herself and went out.
Meanwhile, Park Do Hyun and Lin Young-Jae were left in the room alone. The younger looked at him seriously. "Hyung, what's going on?" He asked.
The Legion's guild master paused for a while, his eyes scanning him from head to toe. "Five doctors, three nurses, and seven awakened hunters." He started, startling the young man. "If we sum it up, they all died in a span of six days."
Seven days ago, Lin Young-Jae was taken back to the guild lab in a coma.
According to Park Do Hyun's investigation. The day after that seven awakened hunters of different ranks were killed in their homes outside the guild. No one was aware of their deaths when three nurses followed. One was murdered at the guild's parking lot while the other two died in their shared apartment.
On the first three days, they were just deemed absent. But on the fourth day, doctors were getting killed one by one. Only then did everything started to come out. The murdered doctors and nurses were indeed from Aegis, but the hunters came from other guilds yet it is possible that the murders are closely related.
What's even more odd is the fact that three of these doctors and the nurses have connection with Lin Young-Jae. They were his attending doctors and the nurses were responsible for his well being in shifts.
The connection with the five doctors is because they are all part of the laboratory. What connects the five doctors and three nurses is the fact that they're all from Aegis guild. But the connection of the seven awakened hunters still remains in question.
"Woah..." Lin Young-Jae was astonished by the events. In just six days, more than ten people who perhaps have connections to one another are actually killed. "This is indeed dangerous. Is guild master Shin okay?" That guy will be questioned because of this.
"He will be fine. Legion and Arachnid is helping with the investigation." It involves fifteen lives so they had to see to it.
"I see, that's good." He breathed a sigh of relief. With the top three guild working together, then this wouldn't be a toll on Aegis only and his noona will be able to get some rest.
Actually, he didn't care that those people from Aegis died. The three nurses held him down in the cold metal bed, and the doctors kept experimenting and extracting blood from him.
Others say that the longers you are acquainted, the closer you are. But for 'Lin Young-Jae', the years spent with these people are nothing but torture. His memories proved that it's not worth being sad about.
"Hyung..." The young man removed his glove and held out a hand at him. "Can I use my ability on you again?" He asked.
Upon observation, Lin Young-Jae's complexion had turned pale again and his hair went back to it's original white color. It must mean that he has the ability to cleanse his own mana.
"Did you get permission to your sister?" Park Do Hyun asked.
"Umm yes. But she said it should be observed first before fully letting me absorb too much." He explained. "So my limit is at 5%."
"I see, alright." Stretching his hand to take the young man's, the blue pop up immediately notified the two of them that the absorption started.
[Malicious Mana Absorption ability activated]
The refreshing feeling ran through their veins with entwined fingers. The miniscule of percentage that was being deducted and added to their ability cores.
For Park Do Hyun who had been carrying the heavy contamination, the sleepless nights and the sensitivity of his five senses. He never thought that he'd feel this kind of relief as if he was being blessed by an angel.
For Lin Young-Jae who had given up on getting better. He lived his life in a limited space, having to stay out of everyone's way the best he could because he knew, he'll never get better. But because of this touch, his heart trembled with hope. The feeling of being able to stand and walk. As if the word healthy is no longer a word far from reach. It made him happy.
Gripping his hand that entwined with Do Hyun, Young-Jae carefully put the hand closer and kissed the back of the latter's hand.
The young man's eyes glanced up and saw that Park Do Hyun seemed to be surprised by the sudden backhand kiss. "I just tried if kissing is more effective than skinship... Oh, look! It's now .02%!" The young man happily checked his status window and the percentage immediately rose by another point zero one instantly when he kissed the hand.
Park Do Hyun remembered that there was a point that it reached .05% immediately when the young man had kissed the side of his lips.
"Kiss?"
Lin Young-Jae and Park Do Hyun both heard the person who spoke at the door. Lin Ji-Young had a cold glint in her icy eyes, glaring at the Legion's guild master. The room, suddenly becoming chilly.
Her eyes scanned the two, and immediately saw the entwined hands.
"Park. Do. Hyun." All politeness went down the drain.
"Noona~ your hand." Lin Young-Jae still didn't understand what's wrong. He just smiled and reached out a hand to her sister, melting his sister's heart.
Her eyes softened, then turned cold again. She didn't know what to feel right now. Why is no one trying to explain about the kiss? Why did her sweet Young-Jae brush it off and why is this bastard not saying anything?