Chapter 386: Shutdown (1)

I strode straight toward my senior.

“Let’s go to the hospital wing. Get on my back.”

“Don’t make a fuss. I can walk on my own.”

Yun slowly straightened his waist.

He stood still for a full minute, staring ahead, then walked toward me at a sluggish pace.

When he reached my side, he let out a short sigh.

“I’m going straight to the isolation ward. You go do your job.”

“No.”

I answered with wide eyes.

At my impudent reply, Yun shot me a look of disbelief.

I smiled brightly.

“I already did [N O V E L I G H T] my job.”

“Then go get some sleep. Do I look like I can’t even make it to the isolation ward?”

“There’s no one around here with more stamina than me right now.”

I replied with a grin.

It was the truth.

After hitting rock bottom and recovering, my physical condition was better than it had ever been.

It’d be nice to put on more muscle, sure, but still.

Yun snorted and walked out of the restroom.

“You’ve gotten even more cocky since you got your strength back.”

“Please call it regained confidence.”

“What confidence—”

His words cut off halfway.

Yun bowed his head and coughed. It wasn’t a light cough—deep and heavy, the kind that made anyone listening uncomfortable.

My face hardened as I moved closer.

“Senior.”

The man waited for the coughing to subside, then ignored me completely.

He straightened and walked out into the corridor. His steps were slow, his face exhausted, until he stopped in front of the stairs.

A body frozen in place, brow faintly furrowed.

I’d been there myself enough times to know—he didn’t even have the strength left to walk.

I didn’t want to see him like that....

Without showing my unease, I stepped up beside him.

“May I carry you?”

“Make it smooth. I get motion sickness.”

“I’ll do my best.”

I smiled, then moved in front of him and lowered myself.

“Hop on.”

Yun slept while I carried him to the isolation ward.

I couldn’t tell whether it was actual sleep or him briefly losing consciousness from exhaustion. Either way, it hurt to see.

His temperature’s higher than usual too.

But the moment we arrived at the isolation ward, he opened his eyes like a ghost.

His voice came out hoarse.

“Bring my laptop from the lab.”

“Stop researching and rest.”

“If you don’t bring it, I’ll go get it myself.”

“Seriously.”

“Then I’ll just take Yehyeon’s laptop instead.”

I let out a long sigh.

After coaxing him with a promise to bring it, I handed him over to the medical staff. I waited as he was examined and received a positive result, then helped push his bed into a corner of the isolation ward.

Rows of white tents lined up neatly.

Naturally, he was assigned to the same tent as Yehyeon.

Who else would ever want to share a tent with Yehyeon, besides Yun, Ami, or me?

Yehyeon, who had been staring at his laptop with an IV in his hand, widened his eyes the moment we came in.

“Yun?”

He jumped down from the bed in alarm.

“You tested positive too?”

“Get ready for a shutdown.”

Yun grumbled dully, staring up at the ceiling.

He ignored everything Yehyeon said—questions about his symptoms, complaints about why he hadn’t gone home like he was told.

Only after the medical staff left did Yun speak again.

“We should probably expand the ward.”

Yehyeon stared down at him.

And so it happened. Another isolation ward was added, and a shutdown announcement was prepared. It was only a matter of time before the organization became nonfunctional.

In the middle of all that, I went to deal with the reporters.

Since civilians hadn’t been infected, journalists had swarmed the isolation ward like hornets. They were so loud that Badgers who still had the energy were snapping at them outright.

Thankfully, when I approached those firing off flashes and told them, “If a mutation occurs, civilians could be infected too,” many of them paled and scattered.

Some scoffed.

“We know you’re just making things up to drive us away.”

“Yun said it.”

I replied with a blink, and the smile drained from the reporter’s face.

“I’m just relaying what I heard. There are deaths even among Badgers with exceptional recovery. If this starts spreading to civilians, the situation will deteriorate much faster. Mutations are entirely possible. You remember COVID variants, right?”

When I finished, the remaining reporters dispersed.

They’d probably be back later with masks.

Relieved to have chased them off, even briefly, I returned to the lounge.

***

By morning, there were even more patients.

I picked up Ska Owen, who had fallen asleep sprawled across the conference table, and tossed him into Lounge No. 1.

Then I pulled the blanket up over his nose as he scrubbed his dry face.

“If you don’t sleep now, the command structure is really going to be empty.”

“Can you go check on Rick for me?”

Ska didn’t resist.

Instead, he set an alarm on his phone and gave me instructions.

“I called him briefly yesterday. He didn’t sound good.”

Ah.

It had been weighing on my mind too. Even with a mask on, he’d been in contact with Jonathan. There was a high chance he was infected as well.

When I said I’d go right away, Ska told me Rick’s patrol area.

“He’ll be covering Jonathan’s zone too.”

I didn’t wait to hear more and ran out of the room.

For once, I didn’t head to the portal zone, but to the underground parking lot. The area Ricardo covered didn’t have nearby portals. It wasn’t far from headquarters, though—faster by motorcycle.

After sending a message to say I was coming, I grabbed a helmet.

That was when a call came in.

“Now?”

I let out a small sigh.

I need to check on Ricardo.

[Hilde! C Zone! Sixth-class! Sixth-class!]

“I’m on my way.”

I’ll finish and be back within an hour at the latest.

Swearing it to myself, I threw the helmet aside and sprinted for the portal zone.

***

I finished the job and came back in fifty-five minutes.

After carving the Creature apart in three swings, people tried to talk to me as I ran for the portal.

There were thank-yous, maybe questions too.

I didn’t have time. The moment the extermination ended, I shouted “Sorry!” at the civilians outside and dove into the portal.

After bursting out, I didn’t stop, heading straight for the underground parking lot.

Vrooooom!

He probably hadn’t gone home yet.

One good thing about riding a Black Badger motorcycle was that people cleared out of the way. Like a fire truck or ambulance, traffic stopped for me, letting me reach Ricardo’s patrol area quickly.

Arriving didn’t mean I saw him right away.

I stopped briefly and checked whether he’d replied to the message I sent an hour ago.

Unread.

My phone was full of messages from others instead. I skimmed only the ones from people worth checking—this was an emergency, and anything non-urgent had to be cut.

After confirming there were no additional calls, I started the motorcycle again.

I followed the usual patrol routes Badgers took.

The roads weren’t crowded—thankfully, it wasn’t rush hour.

And thank god no high-grade Creatures had appeared in this area....

“Rick!”

I spotted him.

The man in black Black Badger gear turned toward me.

A senior whose expression was hidden behind a black quarantine mask.

I parked nearby, pulled off my helmet, and ran to him.

“Rick. I’m here on Aide Ska’s orders.”

I hurried over to the green-eyed man as he turned fully toward me.

“I heard you weren’t feeling well—”

“Hilde.”

He said my name.

Just that one word carried weight.

As I took a step closer, fear prickling through me, Ricardo’s body pitched forward.

I was so shocked I couldn’t even shout. I caught him reflexively as he collapsed into me, staring down at him in disbelief.

Hair soaked in cold sweat. Eyes squeezed tightly shut in pain.

My heart dropped.

“Rick.”

I scooped him up hastily, calling his name.

“Ricardo?”

No answer.

It was exactly like Jonathan. Collapsed, unable to open his eyes or respond. His wheezing breaths stabbed at my ears.

The hospital.

Clutching him, I ran frantically to the motorcycle.

The hospital. Right now.

I should’ve come sooner.

What was he planning to do if I hadn’t shown up? How long was he going to endure this?

Worry swelled into anger.

But raging now was pointless—he couldn’t hear me. I bound Ricardo to myself with wire, seated him on the back, and let him lean against my back.

After confirming he wouldn’t fall off, I started the bike.

“When you recover, I’m going to nag you endlessly.”

Even knowing he couldn’t hear, I grumbled, unable to calm down.

“What were you planning to do if I hadn’t come?”

No reply.

I bit my lip and drove even faster.

***

Black Badger shut down.

The official announcement went out. The spokesperson delivered it. Reporters who had vanished briefly returned wearing masks, crowding the isolation ward again. They tried to force their way in until general staff came out wielding batons.

A chaotic ward.

Flashes popping everywhere despite the irritation of medical staff and clerks.

Whenever arguments got too heated, Yehyeon would sometimes step in himself to calm the reporters.

Meanwhile, the declaration of Black Badger’s operational suspension spread rapidly. Not only Yehyeon’s phone, but mine started blowing up as well. Reporters who had somehow gotten my number after the amusement park incident flooded me with messages again. The calls rang so constantly I had to mute the phone.

Citizens could no longer rely on Black Badger’s help.

I heard the military and police were mobilizing, taking over security of Center Core with guns.

Other Cores were still untouched by the epidemic. Yehyeon and Ska didn’t call in Badgers from elsewhere. Bringing them in wouldn’t change much anyway.

Yehyeon stayed on the phone nonstop with the president and military leadership.

Center Core’s atmosphere transformed overnight. Tension froze the air, and people refused to leave their homes. From the gathered reporters, I heard various stories—panic buying of food, stockpiling weapons, security companies’ prices skyrocketing.

The wealthy were buying small Cores at eye-watering prices.

That was why Aitek was busier than ever.

Naturally, pharmaceutical companies had all jumped into antibiotic development.

And the Badgers who still hadn’t been infected....

“Senior Walker?”

I widened my eyes when I saw him at the portal zone.

“Are you all right?”

William Walker turned toward me.

The strongest Black Badger alive.

Honestly, I thought he might be the strongest man on Earth.

Who else could tear apart a black mage’s formation with sheer strength?

A talent the Personnel Director had specially recruited, earning Yehyeon’s eventual forgiveness.

Sharp black eyes gleamed within his deeply sunken sockets.

“I’m fine.”

“No symptoms at all?”

“None.”

Ah.

I’d heard William Walker was the one who’d carried Richard Green and Sylvia Kip back yesterday.

Two days ago, Lucia Kwon too.

After countless close contacts with confirmed cases, he still looked perfectly fine.

Is he really not mixed-blood?

I stared blankly at the Badger’s back as he walked out of the portal zone.

It could be exceptional immunity, like Ska’s or Ami’s, or Kai’s.

But mixed blood seemed more likely.

If I could provide his biological data to people like Heath, maybe we’d find a breakthrough.

With no improvement in the seniors’ conditions, I was desperate enough to grasp at a dragon’s whiskers.

“Senior!”

So I didn’t hesitate and chased after him.

“Senior Walker!”