Waking Of A World Chapter 16: Chapter 16: NO! My casino!

Read chapter 16 of Waking Of A World by Victor_WIlliam on NovelPedia.

Back in the present day. Marie and Seo Jun stepped into the Sierra S.E.C.T. Station. Inside, the station opened into a large lobby with a reception desk near the center. A glass partition separated the desk from the rest of the room, with a small opening for speaking through. Behind it, a female officer worked through paperwork, occasionally looking up when someone approached. Then she noticed Marie and Seo Jun. To the left sat a plain waiting area with rows of chairs. A few people waited in silence, some glued to their phones, others staring blankly ahead. Several glass display cases lined the walls, showcasing a number of objects under harsh lighting. Beyond the desk, a long hallway stretched deeper into the building, lined with offices where officers worked at desks and computers. Marie turned to Seo Jun, keeping her voice low. “I’ll handle the reception desk. In the meantime, why don’t you look around the station for a bit?” Seo Jun gave a small nod. As Marie walked away, he drifted toward the nearest glass display case. Inside, an old revolver floated silently, suspended by an unseen force. What had once been metal had partially mutated into dark red, flesh-like tissue. Even after years of inactivity, the fleshy portions twitched ever so slightly as Seo Jun focused his gaze on them, as if they were still alive. “Interesting, isn’t it?” a calm voice spoke from beside him. “To think that there are living beings capable of corroding existing matter and changing it into something else entirely.” Seo Jun turned his head slowly. A young man with long gray hair stood there, wearing a slightly different uniform from the regular officers. His posture seemed relaxed, but his eyes were sharp and observant. He turned away from the glass case for a moment and looked at Seo Jun with a friendly smile. “And you are?” Seo Jun asked, tilting his head with mild curiosity while carefully studying the young man. “Ah, my apologies,” the man said, extending his hand. “I’m Liam Greyson, a member of the Anomalies Enforcement Unit. You can just call me Liam. Nice to meet you, Mr. Seo Jun.” Seo Jun paused for a moment, analyzing the offered hand, before finally reaching out to take it. “Nice to meet you too, Liam. So… you’ve already heard of me? How considerate.” A faint, dangerous smile touched his lips. “Should I take note of you as well?” Liam chuckled softly and released his hand, shaking his head. “You don’t have to worry. Our unit’s mission is to deal with various anomalies across the city, and while you technically fall into that category, I bear no ill will toward you or your Office.” Liam smoothly shifted the conversation, turning back toward the glass case. “So, what do you think of this?” Seo Jun’s gaze returned to the twisted revolver. Liam continued casually, “This is a gun that was recovered from the Oasis Casino many years ago. During the investigation, we found that the internal sections of the casino were completely covered, or rather, converted into living flesh.” He glanced sideways at Seo Jun. “I assume you’re well aware of this, yes?” “What are you trying to say exactly?” Seo Jun replied flatly, refusing to give him any ground. Liam’s tone remained light, but his eyes sharpened. “Right. Let me cut to the chase. What are you exactly, Mr. Seo Jun?” Seo Jun kept his face completely neutral. He now understood what the gray-haired man was trying to do. He wanted to gauge how much of a threat Seo Jun truly was. Instead of answering, he did what Liang Shen would do. He remained perfectly silent, his eyes locked on the corrupted gun, letting the tension stretch uncomfortably between them. Just as Liam opened his mouth to speak again, a small white paper crane fluttered down and landed gently on his head. “Hm?” Liam blinked in surprise. He reached up and carefully brought his hand to the crane in his hair. Before he could process what was happening, a gloved finger poked his cheek, causing him to stagger back a step. “It seems you’re ha