BP 30

A black figure darted out. It was at a speed that would have been undetectable if not for an agile Esper. At this speed, it didn’t matter if it took a human form. The figure crouching precariously on the railing was definitely a Gon. And the appearance of a Gon here meant the staff member in the duty room had already been swallowed.

The woman with short hair looked truly human, but she lacked the most important thing: an expression. As the Espers fired simultaneously, she tilted her chin as if she had been waiting and created distance with a light jump.

[Gah! There’s one behind us too!]

Panic-stricken gunshots rang out in succession because they hadn’t sensed the presence. There were already two Gon on one floor. Thinking that this was not a normal situation, a curse finally escaped Jae-il’s lips.

It was no easy feat to track the movements of Gon—not even Oni—with limited vision. Swallowing hard, Jae-il calmed his breathing. Following the lead, his eyes suddenly narrowed. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the trigger, and a single shot rang out.

Kieee—!

A Gon, hit precisely in the forehead, tumbled to the floor. It was quite large. As it struggled in pain, blood pouring from the back of its head splattered everywhere. Bang, ba-bang, bang! The surroundings were filled with gunfire.

The female Gon was difficult to catch, perhaps because her body was light and her hit-box was small. The lead gave a hand signal to Jae-il and the Esper behind him.

[You and the five behind. Go up. The rest handle the Gon.]

It was a decision made because rescuing survivors was the top priority. Nodding at the lead’s instruction, Jae-il turned around without delay.

Gon appeared on the 3rd floor without fail. Since there hadn’t been a single instance of an OniCube appearing in nearly ten years, everyone must have been off guard. There was a high probability they were taken down without even being able to resist. Would there even be survivors? A wave of skepticism washed over Jae-il, but he quickly brushed it away.

His decisiveness in firing as soon as an Oni or Gon entered his sight was relentless. In fact, being in the lead was better for Jae-il than being behind, where they were more passive. He had [stolen contentclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelsto use his abilities excessively to catch those that defied gravity, leaping between walls and ceilings, but he had to kill them as quickly as possible.

Jae-il’s bullet embedded itself in the chest of a Gon lunging with grotesque movements. The movement of the muzzle was as sharp as it was static. Not missing the moment it collapsed forward in a shudder, he pulled the trigger sharply, and the bullet pierced exactly through the center of the Gon’s forehead.

While swapping magazines, he suddenly wrinkled his nose. Jae-il swallowed a curse. His philtrum felt hot; it seemed blood was flowing.

It’s troublesome if this happens already.

Pressing the back of his hand against his mask, he gripped the trigger again.

* * *

Since Ji Seung-hyun had come forward with such a humble attitude, Park Young-seok, who had run out of things to say, huffed but could no longer throw a tantrum. Beside him, Lee Jae-jin whispered in his ear. Frowning deeply, Park Young-seok completely ignored Ji Seung-hyun.

After hearing the full story from Joy and Seung-hyun, Team Leader Lee Ju-yeong pondered for a moment and decided to make the final call after seeing Ha Jae-il’s Amplification Hazard Level. This was because he judged that if channel recognition was possible—and thus, if even a small amount of guiding became possible—it would be far better than Park Young-seok.

Seung-hyun, who had brought a glass of lukewarm water, spoke in a lowered voice.

“I suppose it’s very dangerous for a low-ranking Guide to guide a high-ranking one.”

Joy, receiving the paper cup with trembling hands, barely took a sip and answered.

“It’s true that Sergeant Park is exaggerating, but it’s not that I don’t understand his behavior. We don’t know how the situation will turn out.”

“…….”

“And it’s because Jae-il is a bit special. If the matching rate is high, the rank is low; if the rank is the same, the matching rate isn’t high. He’s always been a glitchy guy…”

Joy, who had been speaking like a machine in response to Seung-hyun’s question, suddenly looked like she was about to cry. Rowan had come to mind. Seung-hyun immediately patted her back.

He did not tell her, ‘It will be okay.’ That was a dangerous consolation. Who knew how things would turn out? He couldn’t plant a hollow seed of hope.

The sound of artillery and dull gunshots from afar vibrated through the walls. It was scratching at them to an irritating degree. As the purely violent sounds stimulated his hearing, the thoughts he had tried to suppress kept bristling. Seung-hyun was desperate in his own way to intentionally ignore them, but to others, he would only seem calm and rational.

“Mentor. Please tell me how to open the channel.”

“…….”

Facing Seung-hyun, who was calmly preparing for the next step, Joy sniffled and racked her brain. Her mind went blank thinking about how to teach someone who had just recognized a channel. Why had an OniCube occurred at the Center? Out of all the Guides, why was Rowan trapped? Why had Ha Jae-il been deployed into the operation without a single protest? Everything was a mess. Wiping her tears with her fingertips, Joy tried to speak but soon swallowed a sorrowful sob.

She was too afraid to think of anything. She had never lost someone precious. Due to the nature of being a Guide, she was accustomed to a protected life and hadn’t even considered that she could be exposed to danger. It was useless to regret that she had lived with such complacent and dangerous thoughts. The fact that her flesh and blood was in a life-or-death situation remained unchanged. Thinking that something that had been familiarly entwined could be torn away made her feel as if her heart were being ripped to shreds.

“Mentor.”

A scarred hand gently covered her small, cold hand. He was silently conveying warmth through his hand without a word. She wiped her eyelids with her sleeve.

“If you can catch the… fishing line… you have to pull it now.”

“It wouldn’t pull.”

At Seung-hyun’s innocent response, Joy burst into tears again.

“Hic. That’s why you have to pull it for it to open…”

It was hard to explain. If Rowan were here, something like this would be nothing. Joy was about to collapse again. Seung-hyun gripped her hand tightly.

Her emotions were being transmitted to him exactly as they were. Anxiety, nervousness, and in some sense, even despair. Wondering if it would help even a little, Seung-hyun, who had been ruminating on what it felt like when he recognized the channel, quietly spoke up.

“The sound of a heartbeat…”

“…….”

She slowly lifted her gaze.

“I felt Esper Ha Jae-il’s heartbeat.”

“Haa…”

Joy let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping.

‘I guess it’s not meant to be the end.’

As if trying to pull herself together, [Read on Read BL Novels]wm: Read on Read BL Novels -->she quickly wiped her tears and cleared her throat. Her bloodshot eyes looked straight at Seung-hyun.

“It’s not a sound, right?”

“No.”

“Think of pulling that sensation—the whole thing—into yourself.”

“Yes.”

Is he even understanding this? Even as she explained, a sense of futility washed over her. Joy covered her face in despair. There was no way it would work the first time. There was no way he could succeed after hearing such a clumsy explanation when she herself had succeeded on the third try…

She wanted to let everything go and cry, but she couldn’t when she looked into Seung-hyun’s eyes. The gaze, which reflected a calm and firm interior, was effortlessly supporting her fragile self. Gathering her resolve once more, Joy continued the explanation in a strained voice.

“Don’t forget. You mustn’t let go of that thread. Pull with all your might.”

“Yes.”

“…It might hurt at first. Once the channel opens, since your matching rate is high, it will just come flooding in.”

Nodding, Seung-hyun’s gaze swiveled toward Joy.

“If it doesn’t work, can we just have sex?”

“…Ah.”

She, who had been wiping her tears, froze. She was flabbergasted by him asking that without a single change in expression. Should she call him naive? Or brave? Regardless, his motivation was top-notch.

“That was just Sergeant Park venting. If you can’t open the channel, sexual intercourse is useless. It’ll just be sex, literally.”

Joy, who had been rambling whatever came to mind, suddenly shut her mouth.

‘Besides, Ha Jae-il is…’

She couldn’t finish her sentence and began to sniffle again.

* * *

Between the gunshots and vibrations from the Oni being eliminated outside, nothing was peaceful. As the walls trembled, Rowan curled up and covered his ears. It was both fascinating and horrifying that Oni and Gon could find humans despite such noise.

Would he have been less scared if he had at least a self-defense pistol? Rowan was appalled by his own wretched state, without a single weapon. No one would have expected Haon, the most advanced city in Neo, to fall like this. Even he felt a lack of reality. Would the people inside the building be safe? Ominous thoughts kept branching out.

His mind raced. What if Jae-il was assigned to a team? That stingy Park Young-seok would surely refuse. Of course, I understand. He wouldn’t want to risk his life for a guy who finds it hard to guide even fellow Backsplashes. But at a point where an OniCube has occurred, there’s no way the higher-ups wouldn’t use Ha Jae-il. And Jae-il isn’t the type to hesitate. Rowan let out a natural sigh.