DB Vol 1 Part 1
What is the most regrettable thing when facing death? An unfulfilled dream? The foolishness of not being able to avoid death? A longing that couldn’t be conveyed to a loved one?
“I should have… I should have just died sooner. It’s so peaceful. Why did I think enduring was the way to win? I thought that even if everyone hated and tormented me, if I just held on, I would win…”
The man was smiling as he spoke these words. Won-woo, looking at him, could not smile. This man was severely injured, his entire body drenched in blood. His face was pale, devoid of color, and his breathing was so weak that it was certain he would die shortly if he didn’t receive immediate treatment. However, in the middle of a contaminated land swarming with monsters, proper treatment was a pipe dream.
And that wasn’t the only problem. Won-woo was also bleeding from his side due to an unexpected monster attack. But amidst all this absurd situation, there was something else that was truly maddening and surreal.
The man before him had the same face as his own. No, he was exactly him.
The man who said he was hated by everyone was eerily identical to him. He reached out a hand toward Won-woo’s face.
“Strange. I can see me.”
I must be close to death, he murmured. Ah, right. To your stolen contentclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelseyes, I look exactly like you too, don’t I?
“But you look strong.”
“Because I am.”
“Espers are the strong ones. But you’re a Guide. And… a bottom-tier D-rank, powerless one at that.”
“What does rank matter? I awakened as a Purifier, so it doesn’t matter.”
“What is that? Is it strong?”
What do you mean ‘what is a Purifier’?
Won-woo didn’t know how to explain something so obvious, so he simply nodded.
“It’s the strongest.”
“More than an Esper?”
Even in this absurd situation, Won-woo almost let out a laugh. How long had it been since the long war against the Espers ended in victory? Why compare himself to Espers who were all dead and gone?
“Yeah, more than an Esper.”
He answered half-heartedly and looked around. Monster carcasses were strewn all around them. Why on earth were there so many monsters, which had been completely wiped off the face of the earth? Where was this place?
About ten minutes ago, he had stopped because the fog obscuring his vision seemed strange, and he had cautiously stepped into it. And in just a few steps, he had encountered a completely different world. A place that felt like another world where monsters still remained.
And the man in that world, who looked just like him, breathed out an admiration toward Won-woo.
“I am quite impressive.”
I am not you. The firm words couldn’t bring themselves to come out. No matter how he looked at it, this person who looked exactly like him seemed to be on the verge of death. So, he intended to [visit our siteclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]go along with whatever delusion the man had. However, the next words were difficult to ignore.
“I’m glad. Though it’s a life I ruined, you’ll be able to endure well.”
“I’m not you, so I have nothing to do with your life.”
Won-woo firmly pointed out the dying man’s delusion, but the man smiled as if he couldn’t hear, continuing to list his wishes.
“Still, I did my best. Truly.”
“…”
“So I have no regrets. Even if everyone wanted me to die, it’s okay now.”
The pale version of his own face smiled faintly. Even though it was a familiar face he saw in the mirror every day, that smile was foreign.
“If you can, hold on a bit longer. Live and let everyone know that you’re okay.”
“The one who wanted my death the most was me.”
A smile returned to the pale face. This time, Won-woo couldn’t tell him to live. That smile in the face of death looked far too happy. And the man whispered to Won-woo, as if offering comfort.
“It’s okay.”
What’s okay? Won-woo swallowed the words that had reached the tip of his tongue. He was captivated by those eyes where life was fading and could do nothing. A voice identical to his own reached Won-woo’s ears. That faint voice was soothing him.
“If it’s too hard, you can just let go. You don’t have to try so hard. You don’t have to suffer while fighting loneliness. If you want to cry, you can cry, and you can just run to the person your heart desires. It’s all okay, Ji Won-woo.”
His name, which he had never told the man, flowed from his lips. Ji Won-woo. But he realized the man was simply saying his own name. Thus, the comfort offered by one who wished to die wrapped around his heart like a chill. The man with the same face and the same name gazed at Won-woo and slowly closed his eyes.
“I am enough of the one who wants death.”
No more words came out. The motionless face looked peaceful, as if he had finally laid down a heavy burden. [Read [Read on Read BL Novels]on Read BL Novels[visit our site]style="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]Won-woo simply inhaled and looked around again. The ground trembled, sending out vibrations. The monsters were swarming again.
In a monster Farm, unexpected accidents were bound to happen. No matter how many safety devices were installed or warning systems put in place, monsters would pop out of fruits that had grown unexpectedly. Only Espers could deal with monsters, and for this operation, Espers from the Eastern Center had been dispatched.
The problem was that one Guide had fallen into the middle of the Farm due to an error with the mobile portal device. This was clearly a serious matter that should have triggered a Level 3 alert, but none of the officials at the operation camp seemed urgent.
“It’s been half a day since he disappeared. He’s probably croaked by now.”
To someone’s nonchalant remark, another voice replied in the same manner.
“It’s just a headache if he hasn’t croaked. He’s from the Ji family, and they have a tight grip on all the Guides.”
“Ha, what does being from the Ji family matter? He’s just a useless loser of a deficient D-rank.”
“True, since his family members are all B-rank Guides or higher. If someone with no ability came to the Center just riding on the back of their family, they should at least stay out of the way. Fuck, he’s ruining the whole operation on his own. Even in death, he’s acting like trash. How annoying.”
“Ah, total trash,” another voice chimed in with a sneer.
“That’s probably why he dared to chase after the best of the A-ranks, relying only on the Ji surname.”
“Right, didn’t he act like a stalker too?”
Because the operation had been suspended for the rescue, there were about a dozen people inside the tent installed at the Farm entrance. Most of them listened to this slander with a laugh. Only Deputy Team Leader Han Seo-na of Support Team 2 couldn’t stand it and stepped out of the tent. Whether the target of their mockery was Ji Won-woo or not, she hated the behavior of trampling on the weak like cigarette butts.
That said, she had no intention of stopping them. In an Esper society where rank was divided by power, mocking the weak was a natural occurrence. Seo-na was an Esper herself and was well-acquainted with this culture, yet the ridicule directed at Ji Won-woo was particularly unpleasant. It was even more so because the target was a Guide.
Espers obsess over Guides and act as if they would give up their liver and gallbladder when needed, but once someone is branded as useless, they chew on them like gum. They could at least just ignore him. She had come outside because she didn’t want to hear the mockery of Ji Won-woo, but it seemed today was Ji Won-woo’s day.
“The rescue team is probably just looking for Ji Won-woo’s corpse anyway, so there’s no need for us to waste time. Let’s just resume the operation and finish this, shall we?”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds. Ah, wait. Deputy Team Leader Han, over here.”
Seo-na nodded and approached the man in his 40s who [[stolen content]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">stolen content]was calling her. He was the person in charge of overseeing this operation.
“Meet him. This is Team Leader Yoo Geon-young of Head Team 3. Team Leader Yoo, this is Han Seo-na-ssi, who has become the Deputy Team Leader of Support Team 2.”
Yoo Geon-young, in his late 20s, gave Seo-na a brief scan and asked.
“Are you A-rank?”
“…No, I am B-rank.”
Pfft. Geon-young twisted his lips silently and immediately looked away. Then, he made a suggestion to the person in charge as if annoyed.
“The work has been delayed too much. How long are we just going to hold back the monsters? Please deploy all the removal teams immediately.”
At his request, the person in charge looked troubled. Even Seo-na, listening from the side, found it absurd. Head Team 3 was the very team Ji Won-woo belonged to, wasn’t it? Yet the man who was the Team Leader, instead of searching for his missing team member, wanted to leave him be and just proceed with the monster removal. In that process, the missing person could accidentally be swept up and killed.
“Team Leader Yoo, there is still a missing person inside. Come to think of it, Deputy Team Leader Han, please take your team [stolen [visit our site]content]members and support the search party.”
“Support the search? We should clear the monsters first.”
Geon-young interrupted irritably. The person in charge swallowed a sigh while looking at him.
“If we do that, Guide Ji Won-woo might even die…”
“Fuck, he’s probably already been torn to pieces by monsters, so what are you worrying about?”
Seo-na turned away, not wanting to hear any more, but Geon-young didn’t give a damn about a Deputy Team Leader from a support department.
“Let’s just push through everything in the time we have. Do you know how expensive we are? Isn’t wasting time like this a bigger loss?”
The person in charge agreed with his words, but the Ji family was involved in this matter. No matter how much Ji Won-woo was a child cast out by his family, they couldn’t announce his death without a body.
“If there is a financial loss, we will provide compensation later…”
The words the person in charge spoke soothingly were cut off by someone’s shout.
“Huh?! Ji, Ji Won-woo?”
At the sound of the name that caught their ears, the person in charge and Geon-young turned their heads simultaneously. What was it? Did they find a body? They weren’t the only ones interested, as people were quickly gathering at the Farm entrance. However, none of those gathering had high expectations. They probably just found some belongings. Even if they found him, it would be mere fragments of a corpse.
However, when the Farm entrance came into view, the people stopped as if they had made a pact. Their gazes, frozen as if even the sound of breathing had vanished, were concentrated on one spot. One person was slowly trudging out through the entrance. He was covered in blood, pressing his injured side with his hand. It was Ji Won-woo, whom everyone had assumed was dead.
Despite the pain, Won-woo gathered his reason as much as possible and made a few assumptions.
First, since the extreme pain—enough to make one curse—was too realistic, he excluded 1 and 2. Where in the world is there a hallucination this painful? That means the world has gone crazy. Won-woo stopped his steps, which he had been taking through gritted teeth, and reached a conclusion. The world was indeed crazy. Otherwise, there was no way to explain the situation before his eyes.
The interior of the Farm where monster trees were grown had good signage, so it wasn’t hard to find the exit. So, even if he fainted, he wanted to see the face of whatever fearless bastard had created a monster Farm. He had gritted his teeth and come out, but that determination vanished upon seeing the gathered crowd.
It was swarming with Espers. He almost lunged at them with a body that felt like it was about to [stolen content]collapse. In fact, as soon as he saw them, he almost unleashed his power before barely stopping himself. It was because their faces had entered his sight.
As he confirmed the faces of the Espers surrounding the Farm entrance, an absurd laugh filled his interior. Because most of them were familiar faces. Won-woo thought again. Crazy, the world is crazy. If not, how could the Espers he had killed with his own hands be alive and well before him like this?
How on earth did Ji Won-woo survive? As if confirming for the Espers who couldn’t believe it even while seeing him, Ji Won-woo stopped his steps. Then, he lifted his head and slowly looked around at the gathered people. The moment their eyes met, a few people flinched. An inexplicable chill ran down their spines. It was similar to the fear felt when surrounded by dozens of monsters. But why, looking at Ji Won-woo?
Fortunately, the strange chill lasted only a few short seconds. Before they could realize the reason, Ji Won-woo collapsed with a thud. Simultaneously, as if a spell had been broken, the Espers all snapped back to their senses. Thus, no one paid much attention to the chilly feeling from a moment ago.
Compared to that, the fact that Ji Won-woo had returned alive from the middle of a monster den was more shocking. Although he was bleeding and seemed severely injured, hadn’t he survived? A Guide, who was practically a civilian. This was something that would make the news. While everyone was gaping in astonishment, Seo-na, who had arrived late, froze for a different reason.
Because Ji Won-woo collapsed a few seconds after she arrived, he didn’t see her, but Seo-na did. She saw him through the gaps of the people blocking her way. And unlike the others who were seized by a chill, she could see clearly. There was a strange smile in Ji Won-woo’s eyes as he looked over the Espers. It was like a sated predator encountering its prey.
His darkness-like consciousness split, and light entered. The first thing he felt when his reason awakened was pain. However, waking up with pain was not an unfamiliar feeling to Won-woo, who had fought a long war. However, it was truly appalling that the world he woke up to was still crazy.
“There was a lot of bleeding, but fortunately, the wounds weren’t deep. Still, it will be difficult to move for a while, so please receive inpatient treatment for at least five days…”
Won-woo let the doctor’s mechanical explanation flow in one ear and out the other, keeping his gaze only on the window. He was told this was a hospital affiliated with the Center. Perhaps that was why, among those resting in patient gowns in the garden outside the window, there were several Espers. P[stolen content]erhaps because he had fought a war against Espers for so long, he twitched his fingers as if he should fight out of habit.
“Ji Won-woo-ssi.”
At the sharp call, he turned his head to see a nurse left alone. The nurse ordered Won-woo to roll up his sleeve, intending to give an injection. But instead of listening, Won-woo pointed to the syringe with his chin.
“What is that?”
Do you think you’ll know what it is if I tell you? A look of pity appeared in the nurse’s eyes.
“Give me your arm.”
As Won-woo remained still, the nurse roughly grabbed Won-woo’s arm. He was just a D-rank Guide anyway. He had been nervous when he heard the patient in charge was a Ji, but he soon heard the patient’s circumstances from others. A useless Guide abandoned by the Ji family. That’s why no one had come to see him during the two days he was unconscious.
Therefore, the nurse had no intention of accepting Won-woo’s refusal. He was confident he could subdue him even if he resisted. However, the moment he grabbed the arm, his irritated face froze. Huh? What? The nurse was half a head taller than Won-woo and had a good build. But why was there no strength at all…
“You’re an Esper.”
At the flat-sounding voice, the nurse flinched and let go of the hand. Then, he unconsciously clenched and unclenched his own hand. Strength returned to his hand and it moved as desired, but the bewilderment had not yet faded. Why did that happen just now?
“Yeah. I’m an Esper. Give me your arm if you don’t want to get hurt.”
The nurse spoke deliberately oppressively, putting strength into his eyes. He was a physical-type Esper, but his ability was so weak that he didn’t even need a Guide. Still, he had entered this hospital because he wanted to be affiliated with the Center somehow, but no one had ever noticed he was an Esper first. But how did this D-rank know? Did he hear it from someone? While he looked on with suspicious eyes, Won-woo’s gaze was directed only at the syringe.
“That makes you feel groggy when you get it.”
The nurse frowned and glanced down at the syringe. He didn’t know the contents of the syringe either. He just followed the orders from above and didn’t care. When he asked the doctor what it was, the doctor had simply replied with annoyance:
‘It’s the medication the patient was previously receiving.’
“It’s the injection you originally used to get.”
Won-woo lifted his gaze. His movements were slow, but it didn’t seem to be because he was a patient, but rather like an original habit. It felt like he was moving quietly and soundlessly, so the nurse watching him also fell silent. But soon, as if regaining his senses, he put strength into his eyes.
“Roll up your sleeve.”
“I got that often?”
“Yes, you did. So give me your arm…”
“Ah, that’s why he was a bit dazed. Not because he was about to die.”
Won-woo murmured and stood up from his seat, naturally walking toward the door.
“Where are you going? I told you that you need the injection!”
“The injection isn’t the problem right now.”
“Then what is the problem?”
“Everything except me. Why are there so many Espers in this world?”
What is he talking about? The nurse frowned deeply.
“What do you mean ‘so many’? There are fewer than ten thousand Espers affiliated with the Eastern Center.”
“Are all ten thousand of them alive?”
“…”
“Wow, I guess they are alive.”
“Look here, do you call that talking?”
As Won-woo murmured in disbelief, the nurse looked at him with even more disbelief. He heard he [stolen [stolen content]content]escaped from a monster den; did something happen to his mind?
“Then are all the Purifiers dead?”
“What is that?”
Won-woo was not unfamiliar with the reaction. The person who had died in his own form had asked back just like that. Won-woo couldn’t understand this bizarre situation, but one thing seemed certain. In this world, Purifiers simply do not exist. Otherwise, there would be no way to explain the sheer number of Espers.
It was as if this single difference had created a parallel world where Espers still ruled the earth. …Parallel world? A flash of light flickered before his eyes, as if he had been struck hard on the head. Suddenly, it felt as though all the problems were solved at once. Then, he thought of the person with the same face and the same name as himself.
Ji Won-woo.
He had to find out.
Whether everything else about him was identical to his own, aside from the fact that he wasn’t a Purifier. Or rather, whether he was another version of himself.
“Stop talking nonsense and give me your arm.”
The nurse tried to grab his arm again, but Won-woo snatched her wrist first.
“Let’s just say you were right.”
It was an absurd statement, but the nurse couldn’t voice her dissatisfaction. She didn’t have the luxury. She couldn’t move the arm Won-woo was holding. She strained her entire face trying to pull her arm away, but it didn’t budge an inch. What on earth is this? I’m being overpowered by a mere Guide?
“Look, how on earth…”
“You’re quite weak.”
The nurse’s eyes widened at his mutter. Won-woo let her go and disappeared shortly after, but she remained frozen in confusion and humiliation, unable to chase him. By the time she regained her senses, the patient was already gone.
How could he find out about Ji Won-woo? Surprisingly, there weren’t many ways. Especially in a situation where he had no personal belongings at all. Fortunately, this was a large hospital affiliated with the Center. Thanks to the various convenience facilities provided for sick Espers, there was a computer room. However, Won-woo stood for a long time in front of the computer the hospital staff had directed him to use.
“You can use that one.”
The staff member spoke again, but Won-woo continued to stare at the monitor with a look of disbelief. It was thick. It looked like an old model used more than ten years ago—perhaps during the Esper era before the war.
“Does the hospital have no money?”
“Excuse me? This is the latest model. We only recently replaced the devices here.”
“Ah… the latest model.”
The staff member turned away with a look of disbelief.
“I wonder what kind of grand task he’s trying to accomplish to act like that.”
He heard the grumbling, but Won-woo let it go in one ear, his attention captured by the “latest model” device. After a tedious booting process, the screen turned on. He accessed the internet, as there were many things to search for. First, he intended to look up the Ji family.
If this truly was a parallel world, they would be here too, and he could gauge how this world operated content">stolen contentbased on visit our sitetheir status. But he didn’t even need to search hard. Upon seeing the article on the portal site’s main page, he let his hand drop.
‘Representative Ji Geun-oh of Guide Center, making a bold statement during a speech at the People’s Committee.’
The photo in the article showed a man in a suit standing in a place that looked like a national assembly, shouting something. Ji Geun-oh—Won-woo’s biological father. So this man was alive too. Even in this absurd situation, Won-woo almost let out a ridiculous laugh seeing the photo, which looked as polished as a movie poster.
If it was the Ji Geun-oh he knew, the man would have probably taken thousands of photos to find the best one, selected it himself, and distributed it to the press. That was why, despite being in his early sixties, his handsome appearance caught the eye first. However, to Won-woo’s eyes, he looked like a well-groomed pet dog that had just come out of a haircut. Only after searching for a vast amount of information until the high sun began to set did Won-woo reach a conclusion. Everyone in the world is crazy except for me.
Because Espers also used it, the Center hospital had facilities as good as a hotel. In particular, the outdoor garden was wide and well-maintained, like a park. No, “well-maintained” was an understatement; it was lavish. It was like a miniature version of a European royal palace, with a fountain surrounded by marble decorations in the center. Consequently, the faces of the patients strolling here looked relaxed.
However, Won-woo, sitting on a bench in the corner observing them, was the exact opposite. To him, this world felt like hell. This was a world where, because there were no Purifiers, Espers still ruled the world, and the assumption that he had failed to escape the Ji family had become reality.
If this really was a parallel world, how on earth did he get here? It wasn’t that he had no guesses. The place where he had met the Ji Won-woo of this world was the monster Farm. And the power of the mobile portal device, which folds space instantly to teleport, is derived from the monster Farm.
So, he wondered if some unknown power from the monster Farm had opened a dimensional gate. Of course, he had never heard of such a thing, but it was the only reason that came to mind. Whatever the exact cause, it wasn’t particularly important right now.
Even if he knew a way back, there was no need to fight desperately to return. In his own world, it was peaceful because Espers no longer existed, but that visit our sitedidn’t make him happy or joyful. For Won-woo, who had become alone, everywhere [unauthorized copy]was the same. It was simply that the original world was less irritating because there were no Espers.
That was why the Espers walking back and forth before him were quite bothersome. The habit of unconditionally eliminating any Esper he saw during the long war remained, and he couldn’t adjust to simply leaving perfectly healthy Espers alone. Should I just get rid of them all? Just then, a long shadow cast over Won-woo.
“Ji Won-woo-ssi.”
Because he was unfamiliar with the surname ‘Ji,’ which he had discarded long ago in his original world, Won-woo’s reaction was a beat slow. He looked up and sighed inwardly upon seeing the Esper standing before him. Ah, again. One of the Espers he had killed was alive and well, looking down at him.
Il-hae was a B-class Esper, but because he was a rare psychic-type, he was able to be assigned to Head Team 3 of the Eastern Center. Since he used illusions among psychic abilities, his power was quite useful when fighting monsters. Still, it seemed the B-class label was unavoidable.
‘I heard Ji Won-woo woke up, so go to the hospital and find out how he survived the monster Farm.’
Geon-young, the Team leader, had given him this sudden order in the morning. For a moment, Il-hae almost asked back. Why me? Geon-young frowned, perhaps reading the dissatisfaction on Il-hae’s face.
‘You were the one who got along with him the best.’
What are you talking about? I’ve never spoken a word to Ji Won-woo. But he soon realized the Team leader’s words were true for that very reason. When other team members spoke to Ji Won-woo, it was all just picking fights or insults. Not saying a word seemed the kindest option. But even so, why did he, an Esper, have to move just to get a signature on a document?
‘Ah, get a signature on the long-term leave of absence form too.’
As soon as Geon-young gave that instruction, he turned around without waiting for an answer. Il-hae had no choice but to make his reluctant way to the hospital. He was curious about how the man, who must have been chased by monsters, had managed to survive. But it was merely a light curiosity. Why did he, a field Esper, have to meet him in person to hear it? However, when he finally found him in a corner of the hospital’s well-kept garden, his curiosity turned into bewilderment. Why is he staring at me like that?
“You must have encountered monsters inside the Farm, right? I’m asking how you survived.”
But again, there was only one reaction. He just stared up at him. He said he barely survived; is he still out of it? However, the eyes staring straight at him were different from the blurred feeling of before. Should he call it vivid? It was almost burdensome.
“Ji Won-woo-ssi, can’t you hear me?”
When Il-hae asked with irritation, Won-woo’s mouth opened slowly.
“I can hear you. I was just contemplating life and death.”
Won-woo was truly conflicted between life and death. Of course, regarding the Esper in front of him. Should I kill him, or not? Unaware that he was hovering on the edge [Read on Read BL NovelsRead on Read BL Novelsize:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]of life and death, Il-hae asked with irritation.
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
Nonsense. Won-woo looked around. Could there be another world that seemed more like nonsense than this one? Won-woo decided to check once more if this was indeed a parallel world.
“What is your name?”
“Me? Ha, seriously. I’m Kim Il-hae. We’re on the same team, and you don’t even know my name?”
“Ah, are we on the same team?”
What, is he really out of it? Or did he develop a problem in his head after being attacked by monsters? Il-hae asked in disbelief.
“Do you perhaps not remember who I am?”
Why wouldn’t I remember? After all, you’re someone I killed with my own hands. Espers are capable people, so if you fail [visit our site]to kill them, the next time becomes even harder. That’s why he had collected and thoroughly memorized every tiny piece of [unauthorized copy]information about the Espers he had to eliminate before going on a mission. To the point where no one knew him better than he did.
However, he couldn’t tell the Il-hae of this world, “I know you very well.” Won-woo didn’t answer and turned his gaze away. Even if it weren’t this person, his mind was too cluttered right now to deal with anyone. Only Il-hae, who wanted to finish his business and leave quickly, felt his frustration boil over at Won-woo’s silence.
Normally, he would have turned around regardless of the Team leader’s orders, but there was something bothersome about the Ji Won-woo before him. He had always been quiet, but the feeling was different now. If the previous him seemed like someone who didn’t know how to speak, the current him seemed like someone who kept his mouth shut because he was bothered. Did he always have this vibe? Strangely, he didn’t look like an easy target anymore.
“Hey, Ji Won-woo-ssi.”
“The Farm where I encountered monsters is a place where they intentionally grow monster trees, right? Just to get seeds.”
“It’s not ‘just’ seeds. The seeds that grow from monster trees are a more powerful energy source than anything else on Earth.”
“But the risk is too high just to collect seeds. The monsters.”
Who doesn’t know that? Il-hae looked at Ji Won-woo with pitying eyes.
“That’s why we have Espers.”
“What about the casualties among civilians?”
So what? Il-hae looked down at him, suppressing his irritation. Why was a Guide spouting the kind of bullshit that only safety-first activists who oppose seeds would say?
“They’ll manage to live on their own. Does an Esper have to save every single person?”
Espers were already contributing enough to the world by allowing seeds to be used as fuel. The monster trees that appeared one day were a disaster. Those trees, which appeared suddenly from nowhere, were hard and rough like stone, unlike normal trees.
They looked like towers haphazardly piled with stones, but because they rooted in the ground and grew toward the sky to bear fruit, they were called trees. In just a few days, the trees grew over two stories high, and giant fruit pouches bloomed. The fruits, hanging in clusters from branches that stretched out grotesquely without leaves, looked like placentas enveloping a fetus. Of course, there was a terrible monster inside.
The world had paid too great a price because of those monsters. However, the seeds filling the fruit of these terrible and strong monsters made the world prosperous again. If the conditions were right, a single seed the size of a thumb would emit immense heat and burn for over a year.
A single seed was enough to keep a car running for a whole month without stopping. Once this fact was revealed, monster trees changed from targets for removal to targets for utilization. If you want to enjoy the benefits, it’s only natural to accept the inevitable sacrifices.
“Espers should save everyone.”
“Ha, so why should we?”
“You’re the ones who can’t give up on the monsters.”
“…”
A pause. Il-hae couldn’t refute immediately. Half of it was because he was appalled, and half was because he was surprised. A Guide actually dared to state his own opinion openly to an Esper. And while looking him straight in the eye. Moreover, the way he spoke was somehow unfamiliar.
“Look, you seem to be an opponent of Esper privileges, but I have no intention of accepting that kind of flawed logic, so shut your mouth.”
Il-hae gave a strong warning on purpose, but Won-woo turned his gaze away as if bored. Il-hae’s eyebrow twitched at the dismissive behavior.
“Ha, why am I getting worked up over something useless.”
He muttered it to himself, but Won-woo murmured back as if responding.
“Right. It’s useless now.”
He had worked so hard to end the long war, but suddenly falling into a parallel world made everything vanish into thin air. Looking at the Espers before him, he felt as if the life he had lived was being denied. His heart, which had already sunk endlessly after the war ended, plummeted further with nowhere left to fall.
“Do you not remember how you survived when you were chased by monsters?”
He heard Il-hae’s question, but Won-woo didn’t answer this time either. He was tired. He didn’t even know what he should do here. The Won-woo he met at the Farm told him to live, but what a joke. That man had let everything go and found peace in death, so why tell me to live? What do I have left? Emptiness filled Won-woo’s eyes as he stared into the void.
A gentle breeze blew, further scattering Won-woo’s disheveled hair. But Won-woo didn’t move an inch, like a statue that couldn’t even feel the wind. The atmosphere was strange. Feeling as if he shouldn’t disturb him, Il-hae was momentarily captivated by his gaze. But he soon remembered who the other person was. It’s just the troublemaker Ji Won-woo. What am I spacing out for? Il-hae thrust the documents he had brought from the Team leader right in front of his nose.
“This is the long-term leave of absence form. Sign it.”
“…”
“You probably wanted to leave anyway because it was hard to adjust to the team.”
“…”
“This is driving me crazy. What’s the point of surviving if you’ve become a moron?”
When he openly expressed his irritation, a reaction finally came.
“Am I alive? Is this really reality?”
Won-woo’s voice as he asked was serious. Il-hae knew he could write one sentence in the report for sure: Ji Won-woo appears to have problems with memory and intelligence due to the shock of the accident. Having reached a conclusion, he no longer wanted to spend energy on this crazy person.
“Yes, it’s reality.”
Il-hae answered half-heartedly and happened to look at him, meeting Won-woo’s eyes. They were clearly black pupils, but for a moment, he felt as if he were looking at a blue sea. He felt as if his mind went blank, captivated by a deep blue sea of unknown depth. Of course, he snapped out of it immediately and looked away. He was just a parasite who did nothing but eat; what on earth was I thinking?
“You’re alive, and we’re all alive. It’s [stolen contentstolen contentition:absolute;left:-9999px;">]all reality, so just sign it quickly.”
He shook the documents again, but Ji Won-woo’s reaction was strange. His eyes seemed to widen gradually, and then he froze. He looked like someone who had realized something and was shocked.
“Hey, are you oka—”
Before he could call him, Won-woo bolted upright from his seat.
“Right. Everyone, everyone is alive!”
After spouting such strange nonsense that everyone stared, he suddenly started running somewhere. Il-hae chased him for a few steps, saying “Uh, hey,” but stopped out of annoyance. Instead, he summarized what to write in the report into a short sentence: Ji Won-woo seems to have gone mad.
Why hadn’t he thought of it? He had been so devastated by the fact that this was a terrible parallel world where all the Espers were alive that he failed to realize the most important thing. Won-woo had noticed it from Il-hae’s words just now.
‘Everyone is alive.’
If so, it meant that the people most precious to Won-woo might all be alive here. The comrades who visit our site[stolen content]END: visit our site -->had gone first. Perhaps, perhaps even that person. Him too.
In Won-woo’s world, they had won the fight against the Espers, but at too great a sacrifice. The tattered victory was instead a deep, dark abyss for those who survived. It was the same for Won-woo. Everyone around him had died. Only he had survived.
At first, he despaired and wailed, but gradually he sank endlessly, like a pebble dropped in water. Most of that weight was resignation. Because he was alive, he was tossed around by life, but there was no life in the worn-down stone. He breathed, but that was all.
For the past few years, being alive had been a punishment. He didn’t know how or with what state of mind he had left the hospital. Still wearing his patient clothes, he ran frantically, and ran again. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, but he didn’t care. Several hours passed like a fleeting moment of breath.
The street Won-woo was running through was where the government army had been stationed in his original world. So, even though it was now covered in the unfamiliar scenery of a new world, familiar buildings and roads remained within it. Among them, Won-woo spotted a familiar building and dashed up. In an instant, he reached a certain sign. The very end of the 4th floor of an old commercial building with no elevator. A name hanging above an old iron door.
‘Hwang Sang-cheon Research Institute – All Kinds of Electronic Device Repair’
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