SWNOVELXO Chapter 9
Chapter 9: A Familiar Face?
“The Poison King…?”
Despite being the one scouted, Hyeon-yul remained unbothered.
If anything, he responded as though he didn’t even know who that was.
“You don’t know who the Poison King is…?”
Hae-ryeon was taken aback.
“I don’t. Even if I worked at that company, I wouldn’t know. I was just an employee.”
He used to kill villains for a living.
If his boss told him to kill someone, he checked if they were a civilian or not—then just did it.
The dead never talked, and some of them may have been the ones who experimented on him.
Maybe that’s why he’d cared even less.
‘Is she going to see me as incompetent for not knowing the Poison King?’
Hyeon-yul looked at Hae-ryeon.
In this line of work, ignorance could be as bad as incompetence.
“Ah, well, I guess that makes sense. Not like the Poison King would go around saying, ‘Hi, I’m the Poison King,’ right?”
Hae-ryeon let out a laugh, brushing it off like it was no big deal.
Now that she thought about it, it was actually kind of funny.
“If you tell me, I’ll make sure to remember next time.”
Hyeon-yul lowered his head, presenting his face as if inviting a slap.
Hae-ryeon’s laughter froze in place.
“…You got hit for not knowing?”
“Yes.”
“You did?”
“If I wanted to keep my job, I had to be willing to take that much.”
“The same Hyeon-yul who brought in Shin Dae-ho’s head?”
“Shin Dae-ho crossed a line I couldn’t tolerate. That’s why.”
Hae-ryeon ran a hand through her hair.
She didn’t know how to match his rhythm.
“I hope that never happens again. If you don’t know something, just ask. Even if it doesn’t make sense, ask. No one on our team is such a lunatic that they’d hit you for not knowing something.”
“…Understood.”
Hyeon-yul lifted his head as he replied.
Strangely, he felt his sense of judgment dulling.
“The Poison King is one of the most dangerous villains out there. He’s killed countless people with poison.”
“Does he enjoy using poisoned business cards?”
Was that how she figured it out?
Hyeon-yul asked.
“Exactly. He became infamous after killing off an entire corporate family with just those. No one knows his real name. You might’ve even met him yourself.”
“Then… What kind of rank does Shin Dae-ho hold?”
The Poison King’s subordinate had called Shin Dae-ho trash.
Yet Shin Dae-ho had been the CEO of a company.
He was even on the most wanted list.
“Shin Dae-ho’s a big shot too.”
“That guy’s a big shot?”
“I know it doesn’t feel that way since he didn’t have any special powers, but he had great connections, didn’t he?”
“Yes. I saw plenty of villains. Way too many.”
“The only reason we consider Shin Dae-ho a big deal is because of the sheer number of high-level villains he was connected to. That’s why he never had a nickname. Just Shin Dae-ho.”
They couldn’t exactly nickname him the ‘Connection King’—that would’ve sounded too much like praise.
“Even with a bounty on his head, he always managed to escape. Probably thanks to those connections. He’d even change his company’s branding overnight.”
Listening to Hae-ryeon, Hyeon-yul finally grasped the situation.
Like a lizard dropping its tail, Shin Dae-ho had repeatedly escaped capture.
And he’d been the one to finally bring his head in.
‘So I actually did something pretty major, huh?’
Only now did Hyeon-yul begin to understand why he’d been specially recruited despite working for a villain-run company.
“Ah, we’ve been talking a while, but we’re still investigating the company Shin Dae-ho was running. I should’ve told you that earlier. You brought in a major lead, after all.”
Hae-ryeon chuckled, clearly pleased that the floodgates had opened thanks to Hyeon-yul.
“Team Leader.”
“Yeah?”
“I have a proposal.”
“…Don’t tell me.”
Hae-ryeon’s eyes narrowed.
She’d assumed he would naturally reject the Poison King’s scouting offer.
But based on his tone, she already knew what he was about to say.
“You guessed it.”
“Mr. Hyeon-yul. This is Black Eagle. We don’t take on that kind of mission. If an investigation is needed, managers handle it—not you. The two organizations are kept separate for a reason. I want you to remember that.”
Hae-ryeon realized from those words that Hyeon-yul had always been treated as a tool—never as a person.
And that made it even more important not to treat him as one.
“Then are you planning to just let the Poison King go?”
“I don’t know what you’re misunderstanding, but Mr. Hyeon-yul, I’m saying I don’t see you as a tool. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on the Poison King.”
Hae-ryeon was firm.
But Hyeon-yul didn’t believe her.
It was something he’d heard over and over at his previous job.
He just didn’t get it.
Why was it okay to investigate corruption inside Black Eagle, but not the Poison King?
‘Whether it’s that or this, they’re both just using me, aren’t they?’
He’d made the offer knowing full well that Black Eagle couldn’t afford to ignore the Poison King.
But seeing Hae-ryeon’s determined expression—what else could he do?
‘I guess I’ll back off this time.’
No one ever wanted to be the villain.
Only villains themselves did it without hesitation.
And Hae-ryeon… was a team leader for Black Eagle.
“I understand your position.”
“Mr. Hyeon-yul. This isn’t about understanding. It’s dangerous.”
“I know. But if I approach the Poison King, it’ll be easier to tell whether there’s villain interference inside Black Eagle. And if I catch him, we could save a lot of lives, couldn’t we?”
What did his old job put him through to make him so dead serious about eliminating villains…?
Hae-ryeon couldn’t help but hesitate.
He’d only been with them for two days.
Still in his probationary period.
“There’s already a lot of internal opposition. Enough to trigger a re-vote. If word gets out that you’re contacting the Poison King, people won’t take it well.”
“I’m aware they might think I’m a spy. If I get caught, that is.”
Hyeon-yul’s lips curved slightly.
Hah.
Hae-ryeon let out a dry laugh.
So, he meant as long as I don’t get caught, it’s fine?
“You want me to keep quiet?”
“Anyway, I’m sure the people trying to kick me out will make their move soon. I’m in a pretty urgent situation too. I don’t want to get fired from here.”
He may not have a tail, but he’s slippery as hell.
Hae-ryeon held back her laughter.
Was this confidence or something else?
Bzzzzzzzt.
The smartwatches on both their wrists buzzed at the same time.
Hae-ryeon exhaled slowly.
She’d been meaning to tell him—they’d discovered a second location from the guy they caught last time.
“What’s happening?”
Hae-ryeon answered the call.
“Toxic gas is spreading…?”
Hyeon-yul looked oddly pleased.
Is this good timing… or bad?
Hae-ryeon couldn’t tell.
Who even had poison resistance?
Na-yoon, maybe?
Na-yoon was a sniper.
It was a role made possible by her rare eyes.
Since she could provide long-range support, she had a bit more freedom when it came to dealing with poison.
“Please send me a sample of the poison. I’ll start making the antidote right away.”
“Understood.”
Hae-ryeon furrowed her brow.
Now it was her turn.
She was an alchemist, after all.
“All signs point to this being the Poison King’s doing.”
“No kidding. What perfect timing.”
As Hae-ryeon shrugged, Hyeon-yul added calmly.
“Poison doesn’t affect me.”
“Wait, Mr. Hyeon-yul. Don’t be too hasty.”
Hae-ryeon tapped through her smartwatch.
She had to check with the other teams.
“Yes, it’s me. Do we have any team members with poison resistance… Ah, they’re on another mission? Right, got it.”
Hae-ryeon pressed her lips together and contacted a different team.
But no matter who she called, she kept getting the same response.
Damn it. Why are we always so short-staffed?
She exhaled deeply.
“Mr. Hyeon-yul.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“Before we reach any conclusions, you are not to confront the Poison King. And no reckless behavior, either. Don’t forget—you’re still in your probationary period.”
Seeing the look of confusion on Hyeon-yul’s face, Hae-ryeon clarified gently.
“I mean the missions are important, yes, but you need to take care of yourself too. Got it?”
“……”
Something in Hyeon-yul’s expression shifted.
He seemed unsure how to respond.
Noticing that the conversation was drifting in the wrong direction, Hae-ryeon offered the most effective reassurance.
“You’re not going to get fired over this. Absolutely not.”
“Understood. I’ll handle it accordingly.”
Was he really taking it in?
Hyeon-yul responded with a bright smile, but something about it unsettled her.
It was too bright for the situation.
***
She had said as long as he didn’t do anything reckless, he wouldn’t get fired.
That one condition made him genuinely happy.
That’s something I’m confident in.
He always worked efficiently—never recklessly.
It was a necessary trait if you wanted to live a long life.
Now I just need to adjust to this place…
To be honest, this place felt completely different from his past workplaces.
Even considering he’d only been here two days, there were quite a few hurdles.
Things that could’ve been handled efficiently were often made more complicated, and he didn’t understand why people stuck together so much when they were essentially strangers.
This whole probation policy was new to him, too.
…No, wait. I probably would’ve known—once.
He remembered that he had once held some kind of position.
But because of everything he endured as a test subject, most of his memories were lost to drugs.
Even his thinking patterns had become twisted.
He was still undergoing rehabilitation at the hospital, and some things were being suppressed with medication.
Yesterday, in an attempt to bridge that gap, he even bought a book:
“101 Tips for a Smooth Workplace Life.”
Hyeon-yul checked the time.
12:32 PM.
Na-yoon had taken a while to get everything ready before departure.
“…Are you even listening?”
Her voice pierced through his thoughts.
Hyeon-yul snapped back to reality and nodded.
“I’m good at close-range shooting too, but I’m great at long-range.”
Na-yoon was carrying a backpack larger than she was.
It looked heavier than Hyeon-yul’s bag since it was packed full of weapons and ammo.
But thanks to lightweight magic, it was apparently no problem.
“If it weren’t for the poison, I’d be able to show off a bit. Such a shame!”
“Then show me next time.”
“You really will go on a mission with me next time? I do sometimes work with other teams, but people don’t usually want to pair up with me. I wonder why.”
Hyeon-yul already knew the answer.
Na-yoon talked too much.
Even after boarding the Eagle and starting the mission, her chatter hadn’t stopped.
He’d never seen her lips rest.
By the time they passed a convenience store, Hyeon-yul came to a halt.
“Put it on.”
“Huh? We’re not in the contamination zone yet.”
Na-yoon checked her smartwatch.
They were still outside the affected area.
“It’s already spread.”
At that, Na-yoon immediately put on her gas mask.
Hyeon-yul followed suit.
Even if the poison didn’t affect him, Shin-woo had suggested it would be better to blend in.
A good suggestion.
“Okay, I’ll head up to that rooftop over there.”
Now that they’d reached the contaminated area, the mission was officially starting.
Na-yoon pointed to a tall nearby building.
“There probably aren’t any survivors, but if you do find someone alive, let me know. I’ll join right away.”
“Got it.”
With that, Hyeon-yul turned and walked deeper into the city.
“…Haa.”
He let out a long breath.
He felt almost free.
He hadn’t even done anything yet, but he already felt drained.
He steadied his gaze, determined not to let his vision blur.
While most poisons were colorless and odorless, this one was thick like fog.
He checked the map on his smartwatch.
It projected like a holographic beam, making it easy to scan.
He couldn’t even count how many corpses he passed—faces blackened from the toxin.
A baby in a stroller.
Parents holding the child tightly.
All of them blackened, lifeless.
It was the poison that had done this.
Hyeon-yul calmly listened to his surroundings as he walked.
How far had he gone?
There was something up ahead—like a barricade.
He didn’t touch it.
Instead, he carefully observed it with his eyes.
There was someone inside.
Someone moving around inside the poison cloud.
He didn’t know what they were doing there.
The mission summary had been full of question marks, so he hadn’t bothered looking too deeply.
Among the many people, one in particular looked familiar.
…Where have I seen him before?
Hyeon-yul thought for a moment.
—Ah, good work. You can leave now. I need to speak with the guest.
He remembered the man who had looked at him while Shin Dae-ho said those words.
Ah.
Hyeon-yul suppressed a smile.
I remember now.