Chapter 68

“Park… Jung-woo? Why?”

‘He knows something.’

The mention of the name Park Jung-woo caused a clear change in Sang-ah’s expression.

From a smiling face to one with a hint of wariness.

“Yes. I am…”

“No way!”

Sang-ah’s expression changed abruptly, as if she was about to leave immediately.

She crossed her arms in an X shape, refusing, and Si-woo looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“It’s about arresting a criminal. If you cooperate…”

“I don’t know anyone like that!”

A fierce refusal.

‘Why?’

Si-woo hit a snag right from the start.

As a rookie, he was at a loss on how to proceed. As he looked at Sang-ah with a troubled face, she shook her head firmly.

“Look for someone else!”

“He’s… a criminal who fled after attempting terrorism.”

“I don’t even know where he is!”

“But…”

“If you ask anyone to take you to Park Jung-woo, no one will guide you. No one wants to cut off their livelihood.”

Si-woo’s face grew more troubled.

‘Why on earth?’

News from inside the Maze Shopping Mall rarely surfaces online.

The Maze Shopping Mall itself boasts a closed-off environment that requires a guide, and its vast size, swallowing an entire district, means few people reach the center.

It’s one of the few places in Seoul where public authority struggles to exert its power.

“It’s just not possible!”

“Why… are you protecting him?”

“It’s not about protecting… I don’t even know where he is, and even if I did, they wouldn’t let an outsider contact him! How did Park Sang-cheol get in?”

“…”

At the mention of ‘Park Sang-cheol,’ Si-woo fell into thought.

It was a somewhat unfamiliar name… but not one he hadn’t heard before.

It was the name of the man who created the Maze Shopping Mall.

Stories about him were easy to find.

A criminal who occupied Yongsan and built the Maze Shopping Mall, causing friction with the government.

Eventually, he was arrested by an informant inside the Maze Shopping Mall and executed.

Recalling this, Si-woo felt a chill.

There was even a memorial for Park Sang-cheol inside the Maze Shopping Mall, so he realized what it meant to bring up his name while protecting Park Jung-woo.

‘In that case, I have no choice but to go in alone.’

A crossroads of choices.

He might not be able to get out, but if he keeps going deeper, he might find a clue.

It was a dangerous choice, but as a hero, he couldn’t back down.

“…Then there’s no other way. I’ll find someone else-”

“No other guide will take you either. Unless it’s a guide from the underworld…”

“I have no intention of doing that.”

‘Collaborate with criminals? I’d rather go in alone.’

He was a hero, a boy overflowing with a sense of justice.

Without hesitation, Si-woo turned his back and walked towards the entrance of the Maze Shopping Mall.

Sang-ah, watching his retreating figure with a worried expression, hurried after him and spoke up again.

“You can’t go in alone! If you get lost, you might never get out!”

“But I have a mission. And… I want to meet him and talk.”

Even without a guide, the mission couldn’t be stopped.

As he walked into the Maze Shopping Mall without stopping, Sang-ah looked at him with a complicated expression.

‘If a first-timer goes in, it’ll be hard to get out…’

It’s easy to say “get out,” but if you accidentally go too deep, the chances of getting lost are high.

Wandering without a guide… it’s synonymous with becoming a target for the criminals hiding in the Maze Shopping Mall.

There’s an unspoken rule not to touch guests with guides, but what happens to a bold solo visitor…

‘Oh, come on! This is going to ruin my day!’

Even though kindness isn’t necessary to survive in this world, she couldn’t just watch someone recklessly enter the Maze Shopping Mall.

Leaving him like this left a bad taste in her mouth.

She was the kind of person who would carry her younger sibling on her back and raise them, even in a world where family is discarded if useless.

Reluctantly, Sang-ah followed Si-woo into the Maze Shopping Mall.

———————–

‘He sent someone to call me… Is he going to give a new order?’

The center of the Maze Shopping Mall.

Park Jung-woo, who had been quietly hiding in his hideout, emerged after receiving a message from the village chief.

He had joined Quaker, received training, and was given a mission to terrorize a government agency, but failed and went into hiding.

Fortunately, thanks to his status, he received help from the residents of the Maze Shopping Mall to hide… but now, that was no longer necessary.

If a new order came, he would have to leave this place.

But there were still some doubts, so he scanned the quiet midnight square with wary eyes.

‘It’s certain that the order came with a code only the organization knows. But… the timing is too coincidental.’

It hadn’t even been two weeks since the outside world was in an uproar over a failed terrorist attack.

Starting another terrorist attack in this state would be difficult.

Their vigilance would be at its peak.

He thought he would have to hide for at least three months, so this situation made him tilt his head in confusion.

‘But only those involved know that code, so if he’s giving a secret order…’

His boss was a capable man.

In this era, he built a plausible secret base, trained terrorists, and meticulously planned operations.

His failure was due to his own lack of ability.

‘I fled using the escape route Quaker told me about and hid… but how did Quaker know about the government’s secret passage?’

A sudden question.

But he brushed it off, thinking Quaker must know, and walked to the meeting place.

How long had he walked?

As the meeting place approached, he noticed someone sitting on a bench with their back to him.

And that figure,

“Qu, Quaker…?”

Resembled the leader he trusted and followed so closely.

The resemblance was so striking it was unsettling.

Isaac turned at the sound of his voice and looked at him.

“You’re here. Come this way.”

A strange atmosphere, a creeping sense of pressure.

Park Jung-woo approached him as if he were a puppet.

And when he saw the face hidden in the shadows, he couldn’t help but be even more surprised.

‘How can he look so much like…?’

The back view was one thing.

But the face… a man who looked like a rejuvenated Quaker… was both familiar and unfamiliar.

“Sit down. This will take a while.”

“Yes, yep.”

Jung-woo sat down, keeping a slight distance, his face tense.

The square was quiet, with a few people scattered around.

Jung-woo kept his mouth shut and watched for cues.

He looked curious about what the man who resembled his boss would say.

After some time, the man who had called him spoke.

“You failed the mission.”

“I, I’m sorry. It’s my lack of ability.”

“The operation had a high chance of failure from the start. Drawing public attention was enough. Don’t worry.”

“I see…”

‘As expected, Quaker is always several steps ahead!’

Instead of the scolding he expected, he received unexpected comfort, so Jung-woo’s face filled with emotion.

“Park Jung-woo. You need to stay hidden here and buy time. The more attention is on you, the sooner we can achieve our great cause.”

“I’ll keep that in mind…!”

“And, do you remember the location of the hideout we designated earlier?”

“Yes, yes…”

“Your answer is lacking. Do you really remember?”

He felt as if a giant snake was staring down at him and unconsciously brushed his arm.

Goosebumps all over his body.

And… a killing intent that made his mind hazy.

So, even though his eyes stung, he didn’t notice.

“I, I really do.”

“And I’ve received intelligence that a hero has entered the Maze Shopping Mall. Be careful.”

“Is there a hero who can come this far? This place is…”

“Don’t underestimate heroes.”

“I, I’m sorry.”

“Good. If you encounter a hero, stall for time. Until your presence is highlighted.”

“Yes, yes… Thank you. Take care…”

The lion disappeared from his sight as if sliding away.

Alone on the bench, Jung-woo muttered with a face full of determination.

“I will dedicate myself to the great cause…”

Absolutely.