Trash of the Count's Family (Web Novel)

“But it’s hard for me to believe it.”

Lee Soo Hyuk and Cale both looked toward the speaker.

‘The Busan Precinct Leader.’

Cale made eye contact with the middle-aged woman who would become the Busan Precinct Leader in the future.

She was one of the people who had stopped Cale’s group at the northern gate.

Heo Sook Ja.

She tapped on the table with her skinny finger as she continued to speak.

“I've seen a lot of ability users with special abilities until now, but something like foresight is extremely difficult to believe. You would agree with me, wouldn’t you, Mr. Kim Rok Soo?”

“Yes, ma’am. I do.”

Heo Sook Ja pushed her glasses up after seeing Cale responding calmly.

"There are three things to consider based on what you just told us, Mr. Kim Rok Soo.”

She explained the three things one by one.

“First. November 6th. That is the day the unranked monster appears in Seomyeon.”

The people in the meeting room could all hear her voice.

“Second. Unlike the other monsters, the unranked monsters are capable of destroying the new central shelters.”

Heo Sook Ja slowly looked around at Cale’s group before continuing to speak.

Not all of Cale's group was in the meeting room. Only a few of them were there while the three monsters and the others were resting in a different area.

“Third. That is why we need to prepare to defeat or kill the unranked monster.”

Heo Sook Ja mentioned all three things before looking back toward Cale.

Cale started to speak.

“To be more specific, it will not appear in Seomyeon, Busan. Instead, it will appear in Gwangalli before heading to Busan.”

Heo Sook Ja's eyes scrunched together after hearing about Gwangalli.

“If it is Gwangalli, is it coming out from the ocean?”

“That is correct. It comes out of the ocean and heads for Seomyeon.”

“…There are many routes it could take to get here then.”

Heo Sook Ja started to frown.

Heo Sook Ja and Lee Soo Hyuk.

Based on Cale’s memories, these two were two of the three core people at this central shelter in Seomyeon, Busan.

“We will need to chat on our own for a bit.”

Heo Sook Ja said that before turning toward Lee Soo Hyuk who was sitting down while holding his scabbard as if it was a cane.

“Hey, Soo Hyuk. I want to believe him because he is your close dongsaeng, but we hefta question these things, don't ya think?”

Someone else responded in Lee Soo Hyuk's place.

“Noonim, of course we have to question it.”

It was the man who had been at the northern gate with Heo Sook Ja earlier.

It was the man who would go on to become the guild leader for the strongest guild in Daejeon. His name was Ma Seung Jin.

Lee Soo Hyuk turned to look at Ma Seung Jin. Ma Seung Jin flinched at his gaze before he started to smile.

It was a smile to ask for his understanding.

Lee Soo Hyuk then tried to look away from Ma Seung Jin and look elsewhere.

It was at that moment.

The other three people who were in this meeting room with Lee Soo Hyuk, Heo Sook Ja, Doctor Kang, and Ma Seung Jin…

One of them started to speak.

“Ma Seung Jin is right. We do need to question it.”

In addition to Heo Sook Ja and Lee Soo Hyuk…

This person was the third core of this Seomyeon central shelter.

His name was Kim Woo.

Cale started to recall information about this man.

‘Kim Woo. He competed with Heo Sook Ja to become the Precinct Leader for the Seomyeon, Busan central center before leaving for somewhere else.’

The two people next to Kim Woo were probably the people who were with him in the future as well.

Kim Woo quietly looked at Cale up and down before starting to smirk.

A slightly laughing voice came out of his mouth.

“How can we trust anybody right away in this world? There are so many scammers out there. Even a punk who looks so skinny that he would fall down with a single hit could have a completely black heart.”

Park Jin Tae started to frown at that moment.

“Ha!”

A scoff-like laugh came bursting out of his mouth.

Kim Woo scrunched his eyebrows a bit after hearing the noise.

“What the hell?”

Kim Woo turned toward Park Jin Tae.

The bulky Kim Woo looking at him while frowning gave off quite a bit of pressure.

But Park Jin Tae looked at Kim Woo with an expression that showed he didn't like Kim Woo at all as he responded.

" ‘What the hell,’ my ass. None of your business.”

“…Such a young punk speaking so informally-”

“You were speaking informally so I did the same. Is there a problem?”

“Ha!”

This time, it was Kim Woo's turn to scoff in disbelief.

Park Jin Tae didn't care and turned toward Heo Sook Ja.

“I understand that it is difficult to believe what people have to say since the world became like this, however…”

Kim Woo looked toward Park Jin Tae who seemed to be ignoring him and started to frown.

“Hey, who the hell do you think you are?”

But Park Jin Tae just ignored him.

There was no need to be scared of someone who wasn't as scary as Lee Soo Hyuk or as inhuman as Kim Rok Soo.

“All of your doubts will disappear if you consider just one thing. You will be able to see the truth.”

“And what is that?”

Heo Sook Ja also ignored Kim Woo and responded to Park Jin Tae.

Kim Woo and Heo Sook Ja. An odd tension was flowing between the two of them.

Park Jin Tae took a quick look at Cale, Choi Han, Kim Min Joon, Lee Jin Joo and the others before he started to speak again.

“In a world where people are scared to move even from shelter to shelter because of the monsters… Why would we have come all this way without resting?”

In this world…

Traveling from their central shelter to this place was not a short distance.

Especially when it made them leave their warm and safe shelter.

“I think that is all you need to consider.”

Park Jin Tae then stopped talking and leaned back on the chair.

Cale was looking at him, but Park Jin Tae avoided his gaze and looked down.

Heo Sook Ja took a look at the Seomyeon shelter’s people before starting to speak.

“Then please let us discuss amongst ourselves for a bit.”

Cale got up and started to speak.

“Then we will head outside for a bit.”

Screech.

He then turned forward after hearing someone pushing their chair.

Lee Soo Hyuk was also getting up from his chair.

“Hey, Soo Hyuk. You need to be here.”

“One moment please.”

Lee Soo Hyuk motioned with his hand and opened the door to the meeting room as Heo Sook Ja called out to him.

He then smiled at Cale, Park Jin Tae, and the others.

The group all exited through the door one by one.

Park Jin Tae was also walking past before he stopped while looking at Lee Soo Hyuk.

“…Why are you the only one who looks so terrible?”

Everybody else at the Seomyeon shelter looked fine. In fact, the punk who was grumbling and tried to provoke Park Jin Tae just now looked extremely healthy.

Lee Soo Hyuk had an awkward expression and could not respond to Park Jin Tae's question when Cale, who was standing behind Park Jin Tae, started to speak.

“It’s because he's out and about to save people. He's the rescue team leader.”

“…The rescue team?”

The reason he looked like this was because of the rescue team?

Park Jin Tae started to frown again while Lee Soo Hyuk, who was actually shocked this time, turned toward Cale.

“You know about things like that too?”

“Of course I do. Rescuing people who are scattered around and safely escorting them to the shelter. Isn’t that what the rescue team is doing?”

“Ho. There’s nothing you don't know. Is that because of your foresight?”

“Just have your meeting and call me when you’re done.”

Cale stopped there and looked toward Park Jin Tae.

"Are you not going?”

“…I'm going, I'm going.”

Park Jin Tae sighed after looking at Cale’s brusque gaze and Choi Han's vicious gaze over Cale’s shoulder before walking out.

Tap!

The meeting room door was closed and Cale headed toward the terrace in the hallway.

He stood on the terrace and looked around.

Seomyeon, Busan’s central shelter.

This was Seomyeon station. This new central shelter was created with this station where Subway Lines 1 and 2 crossed each other at the center.

The castle was located at the exact center of the station.

This castle also had the Korean-styled tile roof and Cale was currently looking out from the middle floor terrace.

Lee Jin Joo and Kim Min Joon walked up to Cale. Lee Jin Joo started to speak.

“Looks like everything is surrounding this castle which is at the center.”

Kim Min Joon added on.

"And they’re all connected underground. That makes it unique.”

Cale nodded his head.

“It does. That is the unique nature of the Seomyeon central shelter.”

There were many buildings surrounding this castle.

This area was quite wide.

“Not all of the buildings are connected, but any building with this Korean-styled tile roof is connected to each other underground.”

Kim Min Joon nodded his head at Cale’s explanation.

There were multiple buildings with the Korean-style tile roof, unlike the central shelter Kim Min Joon came from.

Cale’s voice reached everybody who had just walked out of the meeting room.

“After we safely take care of the unranked monster, we will start with Seomyeon station here and restore the subway tunnels.”

Although the battle with this first unranked monster ended terribly in the past, the future Busan had still managed to use the subway paths to restore the city.

“Then Busan will be able to quickly set up a society again.”

He heard someone speak in a low voice behind him.

“…Wow. Are you able to know about all of that because of your foresight?”

Kim Min Joon and Lee Jin Joo flinched and turned around but Cale just nonchalantly turned.

Ma Seung Jin was looking at Cale.

Cale answered back as if it wasn’t much.

“I am able to tell.”

He then walked over to Ma Seung Jin.

“Is the meeting over?”

“…My goodness.”

Ma Seung Jin scratched his head.

“I still can't believe it.”

Choi Han and Park Jin Tae looked at him almost instantly.

Ma Seung Jin quickly waved his hands around.

“No, I'm not trying to start anything. It’s been difficult for me to trust anybody since the world became like this.”

He then continued to speak with a serious expression.

"But I trust Lee Soo Hyuk.”

Click.

Ma Seung Jin opened the door and Cale walked in.

Heo Sook Ja started to speak after seeing that all of Cale’s group had come in and sat back down.

“We decided to trust Mr. Kim Rok Soo's foresight for now.”

A gentle smile appeared on her face.

Doctor Kang, who had been quiet, started to speak.

“The information you gave us is extremely precious if it is the truth, and even if it isn’t, we don't think it would be bad because we would be making the shelter stronger.”

“Of course, it is bad if it isn’t the truth.”

Cale turned toward Kim Woo who made that comment.

He heard Lee Soo Hyuk's voice at that moment.

“…Mr. Kim Woo.”

"What’s wrong? Did I say anything that wasn't true?”

Kim Woo and Lee Soo Hyuk looked at each other.

Doctor Kang started to fan his face with his hand as if he was suffocating because of their vicious glares toward each other.

Kim Woo started to speak first.

“I am still against this.”

His gaze turned toward Cale.

He looked quite serious.

"And Kim Rok Soo. Even if what you said is the truth… According to you, that unranked monster is difficult to take down even if everybody here works together? You said that that is why you came to help?

Pfft.

The serious expression disappeared and Kim Woo started to chuckle.

His eyes seemed to be sneering as he looked at Cale, Choi Han, and Park Jin Tae.

"Well, you guys don't look very strong for people who came to help.”

Park Jin Tae started to frown.

“This son of a bitch-”

“Mr. Kim Woo.”

Park Jin Tae looked toward Cale who had cut him off and started to speak.

Cale asked while looking at Kim Woo.

“What if we are strong?”

Kim Woo flinched.

“…What?”

“Let me make a prophecy. No, let me tell you something that is true right now.”

Lee Soo Hyuk's eyes clouded over as he looked at Cale.

Cale slowly looked around the Seomyeon shelter’s people before continuing to speak.

“Miss Heo Sook Ja. Mr. Kim Woo. And…”

Cale debated for a moment before starting to speak again.

“Even Lee Soo Hyuk hyung.”

Lee Soo Hyuk's eyes opened wide. Park Jin Tae had the same reaction.

But Cale had not finished speaking yet.

“The three of you attacking together will still lose.”

Cale then pointed somewhere with his finger.

“To me.”

Silence filled the meeting room at that moment.

Lee Soo Hyuk quietly stared at Cale.

But Kim Woo jumped up to break the silence.

“What unbelievable nonsense-!”

It was at that moment.

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing- Wiiiiiiiiiiiiing-

An alarm echoed through the castle.

Doctor Kang turned toward Lee Soo Hyuk.

Heo Sook Ja looked toward Cale and started to speak.

“…It is a level 3 alarm.”

From level 8 to level 1… And the special alarm.

A level 3 alarm meant that it was a pretty dangerous situation.

The level 3 alarm also had a different meaning.

Boom. Boom. Boom!

“I'm coming in!”

A messenger shouted and banged on the door loudly before coming in.

“Hang-nim!”

The messenger looked toward Lee Soo Hyuk and started to speak as soon as he came in.

Screech.

Lee Soo Hyuk stood up from the chair.

Heo Sook Ja looked toward Cale’s group and started to speak.

“The level 3 alarm is set off by the messengers inside the castle when the rescue team ends up in a dangerous situation outside.”

The messenger then started to speak.

“The rescue team that went out toward Yeonsan-dong reported that they found a large number of people but are now being attacked by monsters! They’ve asked for reinforcements to come quickly and they said that it is at a level where leader Lee Soo Hyuk needs to come!”

Heo Sook Ja, Kim Woo, and all of the Seomyeon shelter’s people looked concerned.

Their asking for Lee Soo Hyuk meant that it was a pretty dangerous situation.

It was at that moment.

Screech.

They heard someone push a chair.

Cale stood up.

Park Jin Tae’s eyes clouded over for a moment before he stood up as well.

Screech. Screech.

Park Jin Tae could see Choi Han standing up while grabbing his scabbard at the same time.

His silent gaze looked extremely vicious.

Smirk.

The corners of Park Jin Tae’s lips twisted up.

He heard Lee Soo Hyuk's voice at that moment.

“Good. Very good.”

Lee Soo Hyuk looked at Heo Sook Ja and Kim Woo before focusing on Kim Woo.

“Me. Kim Rok Soo, Park Jin Tae. And did you say your name was Choi Han?”

“Yes, sir.”

Lee Soo Hyuk nodded his head at Choi Han's response before continuing to speak.

"Then, Choi Han.”

He then turned toward Cale.

“Kim Rok Soo, who else do you think should go on this rescue?”

Cale answered without any hesitation.

He felt as if he had become rookie employee Kim Rok Soo again.

But he was team leader Kim Rok Soo now.

“Mr. Kim Woo. We will just need one more person as well to go rescue them.”

Wiiiiiiiiing- Wiiiiiiing-

Cale recalled a memory in his mind through the sounding alarm.

The Seomyeon shelter’s rescue team.

This group would be recorded by many guilds and public institutions in the future for their work.

The fact that he was the leader of such a group would be the reason many people would trust Lee Soo Hyuk and invest in his company even though he was just a team leader.

‘But their end was not pretty.’

This rescue team did not have a happy ending.

Cale recalled one of the many reasons he had rushed down here.

The annihilation of the entire Yeonsan-dong rescue team.

It was an incident where everybody except Lee Soo Hyuk and one other person on the rescue team were annihilated.

Lee Soo Hyuk never talked about this incident.

But Cale knew what had happened because of the records he read in the future.

Cale started to speak.

“We will show you our abilities right away.”

Lee Soo Hyuk chuckled and looked toward the Seomyeon shelter’s people.

“That’s what Rok Soo is saying.”