DB Vol 2 Part 6
“My goodness, the Head Director, who is the general manager of the field department, came in person.”
Who is that? As Won-woo looked up with a disinterested gaze, Jang-seon delivered news that he thought would be even more exciting.
“The important thing is that the Head Director and Team Leader Hong had a huge fight over Esper Han Seo-na.”
“Team Leader Hong?”
“I mean Team Leader Hong Seung-wook.”
Ah, that man. Why him? While Won-woo wondered and swallowed some hot broth, Jang-seon immediately continued the explanation.
“He informed the Head Director that there was an unfair personnel transfer, but the Head Director told him to stop worrying about some mixed-blood and just do his own job, speaking quite harshly.”
Mixed-blood. It was a term Won-woo had heard in his own world as well. A derogatory slang for Espers born into families with no Esper lineage at all. Won-woo was surprised anew, as it was the kind of word only a few extreme-dominant individuals obsessed with Esper supremacy would use. In his own world, everyone would have frowned if such a word were used. However, even Jang-seon, who was delivering the news, spoke the word ‘mixed-blood’ without any hesitation.
“Honestly, where else can you find someone who does their job as well as Team Leader Hong? Yet the Head Director belittled him, saying he didn’t handle this matter properly. Wow, it was brutal. Still, since Team Leader Hong is from a collateral line, he must have seen the Head Director often, because he didn’t even blink.”
If he’s from a collateral line, are the two of them family? Won-woo stopped using his chopsticks and asked.
“What is their relationship?”
“Ah, the Head Director is Team Leader Hong’s fifth cousin. Team Leader Hong’s paternal side is the family that dominates [visit our site]the East, and the Head Director is from the direct line of that main house. She’s [class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]capable, but… she’s also a cold-blooded person who only cares about ability. Ah, her name is…”
“Hong Eun-tae.”
Jang-seon’s eyes widened slightly.
“That’s right. Do you remember Head Director Hong?”
“Yes, a little.”
She was a perfectionist with sociopathic tendencies. She was originally a target for another team, an Esper who caused a lot of headaches because every attempt to capture her failed. The information team couldn’t even properly locate her, so that said it all. The government had tried to avoid handing her over to Won-woo if possible. Won-woo already had too much work, and the government didn’t want him exposed to danger while searching for an enemy whose location was uncertain. Well, in the end, she fell into Won-woo’s hands anyway.
“Anyway, Team Leader Hong must have snapped for a moment, because he said that with Han Seo-na-ssi’s abilities, she could be plenty active in the Head or support teams. The Head Director said there were no openings, so Team Leader Hong immediately replied that there was a spot—specifically in Head Team 3.”
Honestly, Won-woo didn’t care whether Hong Seung-wook mentioned Head Team 3 or the ‘Sole of the Foot’ Team 3, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Jang-seon’s face as he told the story. Why is he so excited? Despite Won-woo’s bewildered gaze, Jang-seon couldn’t hide his joy and added,
“I just thought Ji Won-woo-ssi would be happy if Esper Han Seo-na came to our team.”
No, I think you’re the one who’s happy.
“But there’s no way Head Director Hong Eun-tae would put an Esper who isn’t a pure-blood into a field team. As much as she cares about performance, she cares a lot about appearances. She says that purebred Espers are the ones who lead and save society.”
Won-woo clicked his tongue inwardly, raising a realistic point. Of all people, Hong Eun-tae had to be the Center’s Head Director.
“But Team Leader Hong was quite aggressive. He declared that if there was discrimination in personnel, he would make it a public wm: stolen content -->aria-label="visit our site">visit our siteissue. It was practically a declaration of war. He looked so cool.”
Even so, Hong Eun-tae wouldn’t bat an eye. If anything, because Seung-wook stepped forward like that, she might oppose it even more strongly. To move her, he had to change his method. And there was only one method Won-woo knew. Just get rid of her. Reaching a casual conclusion internally, Won-woo slowly slurped the remaining noodles.
Now all that remained was when to make his move. Hong Eun-tae’s ability made everything within her sight freeze like a statue. Perhaps because her power was concentrated in her eyes, she usually suspected everything and watched keenly. Therefore, he had to capture the right timing so as not to be suspected. Come to think of it, Hong Eun-tae had a nickname because of her ability. What was it?
“Medusa went directly to the Farm?”
At the employee’s report, Chief Jung squeezed his eyes shut. Why of all people that person. Why of all places, where the brute is.
“Since this Farm incident is so large, it seems Hong Eun-tae has moved.”
“The prediction system for monster egg incubation is Hong Eun-tae’s business. That’s one of her primary sources of income.”
Why hadn’t he thought of that? Chief Jung quickly brushed aside his self-reproach and asked the employee sharply.
“And the Vice Head?”
“He continues to keep his communication off.”
Damn it, this brute. If he meets Medusa, he definitely won’t stay still. Why wouldn’t he? Medusa was an Esper who contributed to the tragedy of the Gye Family. At the time, many Esper families supported Ji Geun-oh or ignored the situation entirely, hoping for the fall of the Gye Family, but Hong Eun-tae stepped forward directly.
Because Hong Eun-tae was one of the people present at the moment the Head of the Gye Family and his spouse died. Based on the testimony Ji Geun-oh gave regarding that horrific accident, the Gye Family bore the brunt of everyone’s criticism. Hong Eun-tae supported that testimony and helped Ji Geun-oh. After that, it goes without saying that Hong Eun-tae, who had been far from the succession, rose rapidly with the help of the Guide Center.
Thus, in that she defended Ji Geun-oh, Hong Eun-tae was already practically an enemy of the Gye Family. Could the brute turn away with that enemy right before his eyes? No, the meeting with Hong Eun-tae unauthorized copywasn’t the only problem. Medusa was an A-class Esper in her own right, and to eliminate her, the brute would have to exert a lot of power. It was the perfect condition for a rampage.
“Tell the employee we planted in the Center to go directly to the Farm. And have a Guide on standby.”
“…There is only one Guide who can somewhat cover the Vice Head’s Wave. The Guide for the young lady sent from the Ji family.”
“Then prepare any Guide who is even a 1% match.”
He couldn’t let the brute die from a rampage. Such a tragedy must not happen to the Gye Family again. Chief Jung thought for a moment and prepared one more countermeasure. He might get scolded severely if the Head found out later, but he had to put out the immediate fire.
“Wasn’t there a case related to Hong Eun-tae among the Hong family secrets we collected?”
The employee quickly searched the data and nodded.
“There is an instance where Hong Eun-tae interfered with the business of her younger brother, who is a rival for succession. The brother’s side doesn’t know yet.”
“Throw that out now.”
But… the employee frowned.
“This is the only weakness Hong Eun-tae has. As you know, she leaves almost no traces. If the Head finds out we used a hard-won weakness like this…”
“I’ll take responsibility, so just leak it well to the younger brother’s side.”
That was the only way to lure Hong Eun-tae out of the Farm. If he couldn’t call the brute, he had to get Hong Eun-tae out quickly. However, visit our siteeven [stolen content]after making the bold decision, Chief Jung felt regretful and checked the brute’s communication again. It was still off. Damn it, where on earth is he and what is he doing?
The dust-covered, slanted roof was by no means a cozy place to sleep, but for the brute, it wasn’t bad. The area next to the large ventilation shaft of the roof was out of sight, shaded, and good for catching a cool breeze. Moreover, it was the perfect spot to monitor Ji Won-woo’s room.
Additionally, since the building he was lying on was a warehouse, there were food supplies, and the wrappers of eaten energy bars were piled up beside him. It seemed Ji Won-woo had gone to eat, but he didn’t follow. As Won-woo’s face was revealed under the bright sunlight, his lips were the first thing visible. The brute momentarily cursed inwardly. Fuck, why do those lips look so soft?
Of course, the lips were a problem, but the biggest reason he couldn’t follow was that the stopped Ji Won-woo looked exactly toward where the brute was. How on earth did he know? He hadn’t made a sound. Not just sound, he had hidden his energy as much as possible. Yet, Ji Won-woo stared intently at the place where the brute was hiding for a long time before disappearing.
Only after he vanished did the brute realize he had been holding his breath, and he let out a ridiculous laugh. Laughing foolishly, he decided to just stay on the roof since there was no rush. He had things to do here anyway. The brute lay there like a loafer, glaring at the window. Come quickly, you pervert.
As a D-class Guide, Won-woo had nothing to do at the Center, but he was surprisingly useful at the Farm. This was because there were many D and C-class Espers among the Farm staff who needed guiding. He had come to help as soon as he finished breakfast, and rumors quickly spread that Won-woo’s guiding was fast and very refreshing.
Thanks to that, a long line formed in front of him. Only late in the afternoon was he finally able to finish his work, after one of the Farm managers rushed over to stop him upon belatedly realizing that Won-woo was a member of the Ji family.
“I am sorry. I made a mistake, not knowing you were from the Ji family.”
“No. It was something I volunteered for.”
Won-woo stood up, spoke nonchalantly, and stepped out of the temporary tent. However, the manager followed him out and spoke with a troubled expression.
“The Head Director has come down from the Center, and it seems the Guide must go to her immediately.”
As soon as Won-woo stepped out, the Espers who had received guiding from him bowed and greeted him. While Won-woo bowed back to them, the manager continued.
“The Head Director said there are things she unauthorized copyneeds to verify, and she asked to bring the person [Read on Read BL Novels][visit our site]who had the most contact with the Farm Espers. However, the Head Director is currently in a bad mood. Um, will you be alright?”
Unlike the worried manager, Won-woo’s lips curled into a wide grin.
“Of course.”
The opportunity to approach Hong Eun-tae had come to him on its own, so of course he was fine. Won-woo asked the manager, who was staring blankly at his smiling face.
“Where should I go?”
“Ah, please go this way. Thank you for your help today; we are indebted to you.”
The manager bowed politely and turned away, but only later did a question occur to him. Come to think of it, isn’t Ji Won-woo curious about what the Head Director wants to verify?
Back when Won-woo was in his original world, as more teams failed to eliminate Hong Eun-tae, the information about her piled up. The data Won-woo later received on Hong Eun-tae was more extensive than that of any other Esper he had encountered; in fact, it would be correct to call him a semi-expert on Hong Eun-tae. Therefore, he knew very well that there was only one way to distract her and make her let her guard down.
To that end, Won-woo spread a rumor. If the Hong Eun-tae here was the same as the one in his world, it would certainly work. Spreading the rumor was easy. He dropped hints here and there while guiding the low-rank Espers who came for treatment.
‘The Hong family discriminates against Espers.’
Of course, he didn’t say it directly, but everyone understood perfectly. Moreover, when guiding is performed without pain, an Esper enters a half-dazed state and believes the Guide’s words with the blind faith one has for a religious leader. As expected, by the afternoon, the rumor seemed to have spread throughout the Farm Espers.
Since human words tend to be exaggerated as they pass from mouth to mouth, it is said that by the end, people were saying it was better to go to the North Center to seize an opportunity.
Hong Eun-tae was known to have considerable pride in her family and purebred Espers, but that was only because it was [class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">visit our site]a strategy that benefited her. And in this world where Espers held power, she would have to protect that pride.
Won-woo hoped that even a single word of that rumor would reach Hong Eun-tae’s ears. Seeing that she had called him, she must have heard it properly. What was surprising was the location where Hong Eun-tae was currently staying. Why is Hong Eun-tae in the Esper dormitory where I’m staying?
The Vice Head of the Gye Family was often misunderstood because of his nickname. People wondered if he was called ‘the brute’ because he ran wild like a dog.
However, his nickname was solely due to his cruel blade-work, so those who actually knew him thought of a different animal. A snake.
This was especially true when he spat out venomous words with an expressionless face. The brute himself had no disagreement with the assessment that he was like a snake. Because he could move silently like a snake, stand among people, and watch his enemy closely. That’s why he wanted to sink his fangs into her the moment he first noticed her.
But now, even with her right before his eyes, he was keeping his hands still. It wasn’t because of remaining family or other revenge he had to carry out. It was because of a truly trivial, insignificant desire. He wanted to see Ji Won-woo up close and hear his voice. He didn’t want to cause a problem by moving recklessly before that. It was a greed that was incomprehensible for someone who was the child of his enemy, but the brute didn’t think deeply about it.
Instead, he didn’t move, blending into the crowd as if covering himself with camouflage. And he simply watched for a moment the woman in her 50s with grey, short-cut hair swept back without a single strand out of place. In front of her was the person Ji Won-woo was interested in.
Han Seo-na stood before Hong Eun-tae with her hair still wet, as if she had just washed. Given Hong Eun-tae’s position, she was in a posture full of tension. Hong Eun-tae spent a long time just observing her after calling her, then spoke in a low tone.
“A mixed-blood, with a unique wave, and suppression piercings dangling from the ears.”
Hong Eun-tae flicked her finger, pointing at Seo-na’s ear.
“You got lucky and caught a few monsters, so you want to join the main team? Hmm?”
It was a toneless voice and an emotionless gaze, but everyone could sense the disgust she naturally radiated.
“Speak, Han Seo-na-ssi.”
The gazes of many people gathered in the center of the first floor all turned toward Seo-na. As if suppressing her emotions, she tightened her jaw and shook her head.
“No, Head Director.”
“Can I take that as meaning you’ll refuse if an offer comes?”
“…”
“Beggars really have so much greed.”
At Hong Eun-tae’s mutter, Seo-na grit her teeth before opening her lips.
“No. I have no intention of being greedy.”
“Right. A mixed-blood should act like a mixed-blood.”
Hong Eun-tae gave Seo-na’s arm a light pat and turned toward Seung-wook, who was standing nearby.
“Now, she refused herself. So there’s no further problem, right?”
Seung-wook stepped forward with a stiff expression as if he had something to say, but Idan and Geon-young grabbed his arms from both sides simultaneously. Hong Eun-tae looked at the two on either side with pathetic eyes and nodded, saying, “Ah.”
“You’ve always had many friends around you because you barge in where you’re not wa[Read on Read BL our site">visit our siteNovels]nted, haven’t you?”
“Head Director, please refrain from personal attacks on your employees.”
When Seung-wook managed to grit his teeth and respond, Hong Eun-tae replied with an expressionless face.
“Then learn to distinguish where to barge in and where not to. If you ever… regarding personnel again…”
As she spoke, she suddenly turned her head, looked around, and shouted sharply.
“Who is it?!”
But as soon as the sharp shout ended, she gasped and collapsed on the spot.
“Gasp!”
What’s happening suddenly? Everyone was bewildered, watching her without even blinking.
“Head Director!”
“Head Director, are you alright?!”
Her subordinates shouted and rushed toward her a beat later, but she raised a trembling hand.
“D-don’t come! Ugh!”
She practically fell, leaning her upper body toward the floor and bracing herself with her hands. It was rare for an A-class Esper to suddenly collapse, so some suspected she was acting. Because A-class Espers hardly ever get sick. Then why did she suddenly collapse and fail to breathe properly?
While everyone was flustered and didn’t know what to do, only the brute standing at the entrance reacted differently. Wearing a black hood, the brute looked at Hong Eun-tae with cold eyes and tilted his head. He, too, harbored the same question as the others. Why is she acting like that?
“Excuse me.”
A pause. At that moment, a calm voice was heard right behind the brute’s back. As soon as he heard that sound, the brute unconsciously held his breath. And slowly, very slowly, he lowered his gaze to the side.
There was someone trying to step forward, passing by his side. It was Ji Won-woo. His face was visible clearly and largely from a very close distance.
“I’m passing through.”
Won-woo, focusing only on the situation ahead, lightly pushed his arm and stepped forward. Even as he stepped aside, the brute couldn’t take his eyes off Won-woo’s face. Won-woo was expressionless, but his eyes were shining fiercely. As if he were about to crush Hong Eun-tae.
It was in the North that Won-woo awakened as a Purifier. It was the time when the Aunt who saved him—like all foreigners gathered in the North, she also didn’t reveal her real name—had left to find someone else. While he was alone then, unfortunately, he contracted Guide disease.
If he had gone to the hospital sooner, he could have been treated quickly, but because it was discovered late, his condition deteriorated rapidly. Not only did he hover between life and death for several days, but they said his heart had even stopped for a moment. However, Won-woo had no memory of it other than waking up in an unfamiliar hospital.
At the time, Purifiers were gathering to avoid the attacks of Espers, and Purifiers were relatively well-known. Their commonality was that they had all returned from the brink of death. Of course, not every Guide who had been pushed to the edge of death awakened as a Purifier.
Later, another important condition for awakening as a Purifier was revealed, but at the time, Won-woo also believed that the reason he became a Purifier was because of his near-death experience. Thus, he wasn’t particularly surprised to awaken after being discharged from the hospital. The only thing he hadn’t expected was that his ability was too exceptional.
A Purifier’s ability is determined by the range of Waves they can cover, and [class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">stolen content]Won-woo was able to cover all Waves. Furthermore, since there had been no precedent for awakening at such a young age, Aunt suggested hiding the fact of his awakening until Won-woo grew up.
‘If the weak possess great power, they are immediately exploited.’
Because of this, Aunt personally helped Won-woo with his training. Fortunately, there were opponents to practice on: monsters. Like Espers, monsters with great power have a core that generates energy inside them. The energy used in daily operations refills over time even if it’s completely depleted, but the core is different. If the energy is pulled out of that core, the monster’s abilities vanish completely.
They become nothing more than large, slow-moving insects that even an ordinary person can kill. The problem was that energy has a habit of trying to return to its original place. In particular, the cohesion of the core’s energy was so strong that most Purifiers could not easily touch it. Therefore, it took Won-woo several years just to learn how to control the energy of the core.
And this worked the same way for Espers as it did for monsters. At the tip of Won-woo’s fingers, an Esper could either rampage and explode to death, or become a hollow husk with a completely empty core. It was far too easy. A government official who saw Won-woo’s ability expressed this concern:
‘You must not let yourself be intoxicated by that power or fall into a sense of superiority. If you do, you’ll be no different from an Esper. Those who hold the power of life and death over others must always be cautious. I worry about you jumping into a war. You would be a more exceptional warrior than anyone, but that is absolutely not a good thing. Once you become accustomed to killing people, it will be hard to return to daily life after the war ends. In your eyes, everyone will look like animals to be hunted rather than beings with personality.’
Be wary of yourself; always remember the preciousness of life. Won-woo knew the advice was correct, but to his young self, it was a bit tedious. On the other hand, Aunt didn’t say much to Won-woo, so he had actually asked her once if she wasn’t worried that he might recklessly harm people. While eating, she answered bluntly.
“Do you think you’re something special?”
“No.”
“Then that’s fine.”
“Is that all?”
She glanced up while chewing her food.
“What do you want to hear?”
“Just, like, how I should use my power.”
She looked at Won-woo for a moment and gave a simple answer.
“Create your own standards. Moral or humanitarian reasons instilled by others are bound to waver.”
“What if my standards are selfish?”
“Nothing can be done. You’ll just have to shoulder the consequences of that selfishness.”
That was all.
It was difficult to put Aunt’s advice into practice immediately. Won-woo still didn’t have a proper standard for who to kill and who not to kill. He simply used the fact that they were human, or the government official’s words that he shouldn’t become a monster like an Esper, as his criteria. For a while, he relied on these obvious things. However, those moral reasons were forgotten far too easily the moment his heart was shattered by despair.
Through the war, Won-woo created his own selfish standards. To Won-woo, who had lost everything, good and evil were determined solely by whether someone touched his people or not. Therefore, even if he knew how terrible Hong Eun-tae was, it didn’t matter as long as she didn’t touch his people.
So, Hong Eun-tae might have been lucky today. If she played her cards right, she could have survived the day. Provided she didn’t mock a mixed-blood Esper with a unique wave. She probably didn’t know how unlucky today was until she arrived at the Farm. Born as an A-class Esper from a prestigious family, her life had been a smooth road; the only misfortune she had ever known was likely not having an umbrella on a rainy day.
Thus, the current symptoms were a disaster that struck far too suddenly. Abruptly, she felt suffocated, and the strength drained out of her entire body. It wasn’t just strength. Before she could do anything, it felt as if something more fundamental—her life force—was disappearing. The pain was so severe it felt as if all her internal organs were being sliced and dragged out with a knife.
“Ugh!”
Hong Eun-tae clutched her chest and collapsed flat on the floor. Won-woo stared [unauthorized copy]expressionlessly at Hong Eun-tae, who was visible through the crowd, and spread his hand wide. He had just touched Hong Eun-tae’s core. The familiar energy of the core completely exited Hong Eun-tae’s body according to Won-woo’s will. He had done this thousands of times; it was as easy as eating.
As if in a final struggle, Hong Eun-tae’s prone body writhed and twisted. The energy that had left the core tried to return into her body, but Won-woo blocked it.
Some believe that more power is required to stop the extracted energy from returning, but that wasn’t the case at all. All energy is moving, whether slowly or quickly. All Won-woo does is change the flow of that energy. He simply needs to open a path in a completely different new direction. This is possible even by creating a gap as small as a needle’s eye. He could create multiple holes so that the energy would scatter into the air like mist. Then, no one would feel the energy leaving. However, Won-woo intended to use Hong Eun-tae’s energy differently. So, he intentionally created only one path, making the energy wrap around Hong Eun-tae like a dome and spin in circles.
“Ugh!”
Another painful groan escaped Hong Eun-tae’s mouth.
“Head Director!”
Hong Eun-tae’s secretary tried to rush over, but this time Seung-wook grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
“Why, why are you doing this? The Head Director is in such pain!”
“You can’t go near her. Right now, around the Head Director…”
Seung-wook trailed off, sounding incredulous. It was strange. He could feel a tremendous power shimmering around Hong Eun-tae. It was rotating rapidly around her, like flowing water. What on earth was that? Where did it come from? Moreover, the flow seemed to be getting faster and faster.
“Huh? What is this power around the Head Director…?”
The secretary’s voice trailed [[stolen content]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">stolen content]off. The surrounding atmosphere had begun to shake to the point that he, too, noticed it.
In an instant, the speed of the swirling energy increased to a terrifying degree. Those nearby began to step back one by one.
Huh? What? What is this? Questions popped into the minds of the startled people, but no one could open their mouth due to the tension. Their sixth sense was sending a sharp warning. If the speed continues to increase like that, what happens next?
“Get down!”
As Seung-wook shouted loudly, people instinctively pressed their bodies to the floor. Simultaneously, the energy that had been circling Hong Eun-tae like a vortex exploded and spread in all directions. An incredibly strong wind surged rapidly and swept outward in an instant. However, the moment the powerful energy scattered like an explosion, the building shook as if there were an earthquake.
Crash! Clatter!
“Agh!”
“Kyaaa!”
Objects inside the building fell, and some were blown away by the wind, rolling across the floor. The sound of breaking windows mixed with the screams of people. While most lay flat on the floor with their heads bowed, there were some who remained standing and motionless. Two of them, in fact. One of them was Won-woo.
Won-woo was the one who had destroyed the core, but it would have been safer for him to avoid it too. However, there was no need to lie flat. He had already checked everything beforehand, as a habit, before using his ability. There were no obstacles that would fall on his head, and no objects that would fly in his direction. He only had to watch.
At first, he looked at Seung-wook with curiosity. As expected, an A-class high-rank Esper is different. To notice something and warn others to get down. He chose to stand and watch Seung-wook, but soon his attention shifted elsewhere. The time it took for the core’s energy to scatter was only one or two seconds.
However, the sound produced by a force as strong as a typhoon should have clearly rung in Won-woo’s ears. Yet, there wasn’t even a breeze brushing past him. It felt as if he had entered a vacuum, with even the noise perfectly blocked. Not only that, a large hand had appeared and was blocking right in front of Won-woo’s face as if protecting him.
Won-woo looked at the wide-open palm and slowly turned his head. The owner of the hand had extended one arm to visit our sitevisit our siteEND: visit our site -->block the way in front of Won-woo.
That was all. He was simply standing there defenseless, looking forward. It was clear he had helped him, but wariness arose before gratitude. He was an Esper. And a very strong one at that.
Because he wore his hood deep and had a mask on, his face wasn’t visible, but one thing was certain: he was an Esper Won-woo had never encountered in his previous world. Who on earth was he? If such a large-framed and powerful ability user existed, Won-woo should have at least come across some information.
Tensing his whole body, Won-woo took a step back. Then, the man shifted his head slightly and looked down at Won-woo. Cold black eyes followed Won-woo. The moment he saw those eyes, Won-woo flinched and stopped the foot he was withdrawing.
…Huh?!
Confusion filled his mind. Those eyes were familiar somehow. Simultaneously, a person came to mind, and goosebumps covered his entire body.
Perhaps noticing Won-woo’s pupils shaking, the man raised one eyebrow inquisitively. While their gazes remained locked, Won-woo was about to ask who he was. But before he could, another voice intervened.
“Who are you?”
At Seung-wook’s sharp voice, Won-woo gasped as if returning to reality. He turned his head toward Seung-wook. Seung-wook was just standing up, glaring fiercely at the man in black.
“You’re an Esper, aren’t you? Which affiliation are you with?”
Despite Seung-wook’s question, the man in black did not take his eyes off Won-woo, then raised his hand and lightly—very lightly—touched Won-woo’s cheek. Won-woo, who had been looking at Seung-wook, was startled and looked back at him. And looking into his eyes for the second time, he realized he was slightly different from the person he knew.
The look in his eyes was different. Unlike the man who was always calm, the eyes he saw now seemed to hide red embers that could ignite at any moment. But the shape of the eyes really seemed similar. So was I mistaken? As Won-woo stared intently, the man seemed satisfied, a smile lingering in his eyes as he turned around. And in just a few strides, he vanished through the door.
“Hey! Wait!”
Seung-wook tried to approach, but another voice caught his ankle.
“Head Director!!”
As the secretary shouted like a scream, Seung-wook turned back. But before that, he cast a glancing look at Won-woo. There was a hint of disapproval in his gaze, making Won-woo almost ask aloud: Why are you looking at me like that?
“Please call a doctor immediately!”
At the secretary’s shout, Won-woo belatedly scanned his surroundings. Everyone was gathered around the collapsed Hong Eun-tae, looking at her. In the midst of that, it was surprising that Seung-wook had even noticed Won-woo and the man in black. Although that man had saved him, he had used his power for only a brief moment, so Seung-wook shouldn’t have felt it. Then why the hell did he look at me?
“A doctor is useless. There is no doctor here who can examine an Esper.”
At someone’s words, the secretary, who was holding Hong Eun-tae’s body, looked anxiously at Seung-wook, who sat down beside her. Since the secretary also served as Hong Eun-tae’s Guide, Seung-wook asked quickly.
“What is her condition?”
“Her energy… it’s so weak, as if the Head Director’s power has completely vanished.”
Weak. It was a word that didn’t suit an A-class Esper at all. Most reactions were of disbelief, and some people’s eyes widened. Only one person, as if realizing something, slowly looked toward one spot. Seo-na’s gaze shifted toward Won-woo.
Noticing her wavering eyes, Won-woo barely suppressed a smile. Seo-na was likely suspecting that Won-woo had done it. Well, it didn’t matter. When Won-woo gave her a silent smile belatedly, Seo-na’s eyes widened further. She swallowed hard and bowed her head again. He felt sorry for revealing his ability this way, but he figured the fearless Seo-na would accept it.
“Is there anyone with teleportation abilities?”
When Seung-wook asked the crowd, two people stepped forward. Seung-wook ordered them to take the Head Director to the mobile portal device and then looked at the secretary.
“Go to the Center hospital in charge of Espers right now. I will contact the Center immediately.”
The secretary nodded with a trembling face and lifted Hong Eun-tae. Soon, Hong Eun-tae’s limp body disappeared from everyone’s sight. The chaotic interior became quiet once she left. But that was only for a moment; soon, it became even noisier than before as people began to murmur.
“Wasn’t she attacked?”
“By whom? With so many Espers here, who could attack her without anyone knowing?”
There was no one to answer the rebuttal.
“But what about that tremendous energy from before? It was strong enough to shake the building.”
Yes, wouldn’t that be a sign of an attack? As people whispered, another rebuttal came from elsewhere.
“The Head Director collapsed before that. And the range was too wide for it to be an attack. It was more like… a rampage.”
There was no further explanation, but everyone agreed with the word ‘rampage.’ They wondered if the power had come from the Esper herself, like a rampage. But how on earth? Questions continued to arise one after another. Won-woo let their chatter go in one ear and out the other and shifted his gaze.
He was curious about the man in black who had left a moment ago. It might have been a mistake because it happened so quickly, but it was definitely the energy of a strong Esper. But if such a strong Esper had come to the Farm, rumors would have spread already.
Lost in thought, Won-woo didn’t notice Seo-na observing him with tense eyes. Nor did he notice her decide to [unauthorized copy]speak [visit our site]to stolen contentthe people who were in the middle of a heated debate.
“No matter how powerful an Esper is, there is one way to take them down instantly.”
Everyone turned to Seo-na at once. Even Won-woo, who was thinking of something else, looked at her with a ‘Huh?’. Seo-na continued expressionlessly under the gaze of the people.
“I heard that if you use an Alpha seed incorrectly, you’ll collapse because you can’t handle the power.”
About twenty people were gathered here, but in an instant, it became as silent as if no one were there. Seo-na slowly looked around and shrugged her shoulders.
“I just heard some rumors.”
That was the start. Rumors about Alpha seeds burst out from everyone’s mouths. I’ve heard that too, if you use an Alpha seed wrong, the center of power collapses, and so on.
Looking around the interior that had turned into a marketplace, Won-woo barely held back a laugh. It was clear that Seo-na had said this to hide him, fearing he might be suspected as the culprit. She really is such a kind person. Though she would never admit it herself.
“Everyone, be quiet!”
Seung-wook silenced the commotion with a voice that was unusually angry and turned around sharply.
“If anyone spreads false rumors about what happened today, I will punish them personally.”
At his warning, people shut their mouths and quickly dispersed. However, Won-woo predicted that rumors of the Alpha seed would spread throughout the world today. Why wouldn’t they? Hong Eun-tae had collapsed. Moreover, in the future, she…
“What will happen to the Head Director from now on?”
He heard Geon-young ask while grabbing Seung-wook’s arm. At the mention that an Alpha seed might be the cause, his face had turned pale. Seung-wook was about to answer, but noticing Won-woo, he brushed Geon-young’s hand away.
“Later. Ji Won-woo-ssi.”
Ah, I should have left sooner. Won-woo regretted it as he looked at the approaching Seung-wook.
“Who was that person earlier?”
“Who?”
“The man in black who covered his face with a mask. The one who touched you.”
Touched? Won-woo tilted his head at the incomprehensible word, then remembered that the man had touched his face slightly—very slightly.
“He didn’t really touch me. And he’s a stranger.”
“Why would a stranger…”
Seung-wook spoke quickly and then inhaled as if to calm himself.
“Is he really a stranger? Have you never seen him before?”
“No.”
“…”
“May I go?”
“…Go.”
Won-woo intended to pass by Seung-wook and go up to his room on the second floor. However, his steps slowed at the sound of a voice behind him. Geon-young was asking Seung-wook something with a puzzled look.
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