DB Vol 4 Part 6
The subordinate who had called him approached and began to ask something, but then froze. He wasn’t the only one. Those watching their captain also stopped in their tracks, stunned. Veins bulged as if they were about to burst, and skin turned a vivid crimson, like a monster from a horror movie. Eyeballs protruded, looking as though they might pop out at any second. If one were to describe a person looking like they were about to burst like a balloon, this was exactly it.
Burst? The question that flashed through everyone’s mind soon converged into a single answer: rampage. But why so suddenly?! Everyone widened their eyes, letting out incoherent sounds as they scrambled backward. In those few seconds, the captain’s face swelled to the point where his features were barely recognizable.
It truly looked as if his skin would tear and explode at any moment. The veins in his neck writhed. Blood flowed from his open mouth, and his red tongue trembled violently as if he were screaming.
‘Kuek… ugh…!’
It was strange. The mercenary captain seemed to be screaming his lungs out, yet the eerie silence—the fact that nothing could be heard—sent shivers down their spines.
“Cap… Captain… gasp!”
One subordinate stepped forward to help, but was stopped by a hand grabbing him from behind. The person who stopped him shouted urgently.
“Get back!”
Even without the shout, the Espers, having already sensed the danger, were leaping away. Simultaneously, the tent exploded as if hit by a bomb.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, the debris of the torn and shattered tent flew in all directions, carried by a wind as strong as a typhoon. Silence fell as the dust settled, but no one dared to speak.
They simply stared at the exploded tent, some lying flat on the ground, others tossed aside by the shockwave. Of the human who had burst inside, not a single piece of flesh remained. How on earth did…
“No wonder they put a special clause in the contract.”
An indifferent voice rang out. As if possessed, the people turned toward the owner of the voice. Someone was walking out from among them. With his tall stature and broad shoulders, he exuded an intimidating presence, as if a massive door were blocking the way. He wore a black hood that obscured most of his face, but one could guess he was a young man in his early twenties.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
One of the mercenaries, having lost his captain in an instant, shouted in a fit of rage. The man glanced over at him. The moment their eyes met, the mercenary trembled from an inexplicable chill.
“What do you mean? I mean that you’re all very good at rampaging, just as you bragged.”
“But that wasn’t a rampage!”
Someone denied it with a desperate voice. A mercenary who had barely managed to push himself up from the ground shouted with shaking eyes as the attention shifted to him.
“The Captain’s suppression piercing [unauthorized visit our sitecopy]was still intact! If it were a rampage, that should have burst first!”
“Your observational skills are unnecessarily good.”
“Wha- what?”
“You’re going to rampage too.”
The moment those incomprehensible words left his mouth, the face of the mercenary who mentioned the suppression piercing began to swell, just like the captain’s had. The Espers crouching on the ground recoiled all at once, like popping popcorn.
“Gasp! What on earth…!”
Before anyone could let out a shocked cry, the explosion repeated.
Pop!
This time, the sound was different. The sound of a human exploding without a tent was similar to a balloon popping. Then, the remnants fell upon the people like rain.
“Ugh…”
The sobbing fear escaping one mercenary’s lips represented everyone’s feelings. Once again, [Read on Read BL Novels]everyone was knocked to the ground by the impact of the explosion, but one person was different. Standing leisurely as if existing in a different world, the man in the black hood turned his gaze toward the other mercenaries. Those his gaze touched felt their breath hitch in an unknown terror.
I have to run. Instinct screamed, but it was already too late to move. Their breath stopped. Suddenly, sound vanished, and they heard nothing. A sensation of blood boiling and swelling internally occupied their bodies in an instant, like a wave of goosebumps. And they realized: I’m dying. The man with the indifferent eyes muttered something, but it did not reach their ears.
“As per the contract, there is no compensation for deaths caused by rampage.”
Only after every single mercenary before him had exploded did the hooded man turn around. Team Leader Choi, as well as the other employees who had rushed over, flinched and trembled simultaneously. They feared he might use his powers on them, but the words that came from his mouth were different.
“What about the farm?”
“Huh? Ah, th-the farm… there are trees currently blooming, so we’re handling it now…”
As soon as he heard that, he began walking toward the farm. He didn’t seem to be walking fast, yet with his long legs, he was already far off in the distance. Who on earth is he? Did that man really blow up all the mercenaries? I have to check.
Team Leader Choi snapped back to his senses and ran into the farm. When he arrived at his destination, panting for breath, he saw his subordinates, exhausted from blocking the monsters, standing with vacant eyes. Their gazes were all fixed on one person standing in the middle of a pile of monster corpses. It was the man in the black hood.
“What in the world is this…”
What had happened? Before Team Leader Choi could finish his question, one employee, noticing him, explained with a stutter.
“He suddenly appeared… and then, just in an instant…”
Though the employee’s explanation was incomplete, Team Leader Choi understood. He looked at the man in the black hood with the same eyes as the employees. If a god descended to earth to showcase their power, would it be like this? He couldn’t stop trembling from awe and fear.
However, the god of Espers seemed dissatisfied with something as he looked down at his own hand. Team Leader Choi swallowed hard and moved his shaking legs.
“M-may I ask who you are?”
The black hood turned his head. In the gaze that met him, Team Leader Choi glimpsed irritation. Why is he in a bad mood?
“You requested support.”
“Yes. From the Gye Family… Did you happen to come from the main house?”
As if too bothered to answer, the black hood walked past Team Leader Choi. Team Leader Choi didn’t dare stop him, but he could hear the complaint the man uttered.
“Fuck, just how well did they do the guiding?”
People acknowledged the Head of the Gye Family’s love for her child, as she scrambled to find a Guide for Hwan-i, but they generally believed she wasn’t affectionate or tender toward the child. Since the family always came first even after giving birth, the task of caring for the child mostly fell to the husband, which contributed to that perception. However, there was something people didn’t know. If Jae-hak cared for the child during the day, Min always guarded the child’s bedroom at night.
“Head of the Family.”
As Min quietly entered the child’s room, Supervisor Lee, who had woken up, approached. She was one of the few who knew that Min spent every night in the child’s bedroom. How is she? Min asked with her eyes, and Supervisor Lee explained in a whisper.
“She flinches when the door opens, but once she confirms it’s not a stranger, she doesn’t hide in the corner anymore. And she did a great job using the baby potty by herself.”
Supervisor Lee’s face was filled with admiration, as if she were incredibly proud.
“My goodness, she didn’t forget her potty training and did it so well.”
She also reported that although the child didn’t speak yet and still rejected human touch, she diligently ate the cheese rice balls she liked. Of course, Min already knew everything from the CCTV even without her telling her, but she wanted to hear it directly from Supervisor Lee’s voice. Because it allowed her to reach this conclusion.
“I guess she’s not in pain anymore.”
Min remained expressionless, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the child sleeping in the bed.
“She still rejects people, but she needs time to get used to the feeling of not being in pain.”
Min nodded, understanding Supervisor Lee’s words. Waiting didn’t matter. Even if she hadn’t heard that cute voice with imprecise pronunciation yet, even if that small body didn’t snuggle into her arms, as long as the child wasn’t in pain, it was enough.
“Since Won-woo-ssi comes every day, Hwan-i [visit our site]style="position:relative;display:inline;">[visit our site]must be used to him. I think it might be a good idea for Won-woo-ssi to attempt guiding Hwan-i tomorrow.”
“Isn’t it too early?”
Supervisor Lee shook her head at Min’s suggestion to do it while Hwan-i was asleep.
“Hwan-i seems to like Won-woo-ssi quite a bit, so I think it’ll be fine.”
Likes him. If her husband, Jae-hak, heard this, he would probably burst into tears of sorrow again, but Min was troubled for a different reason. To think she had received salvation from a member of the Ji family. Behind her greed to hold onto Ji Won-woo no matter what lay an anxiety that had not yet vanished. Even after speaking with Won-woo, this anxiety remained. Because he had given a truly irrational reason: that he liked it here.
“What do you think of Ji Won-woo? Do you think he’s acting on purpose?”
“I’m not sure. He’s never shown enough emotion for me to mistake it for acting. But he seemed comfortable.”
Comfortable. Why? The current state of the Gye Family wasn’t exactly a great environment. People had left, and those remaining were barely holding on due to the lack of Guides.
“That’s why I think he might have been able to cry.”
Ah, right. Ji Won-woo cried. He cried out of nowhere in the child’s room, and thanks to that, they got to hear Hwan-i’s voice. She still didn’t understand why he cried. But because he was comfortable?
“At least, unlike the other Guides who have come, he doesn’t seem to be lying.”
Min remained silent without a particular response, then asked as if changing the subject.
“Why does Hwan-i like Ji Won-woo?”
“He’s handsome.”
Min looked at her with disbelief, but Supervisor Lee simply shrugged.
“Children naturally like pretty people.”
To think her daughter cares about looks. While Min was momentarily speechless from the shock, Supervisor Lee gently added.
“Besides, Won-woo-ssi is very kind.”
Supervisor Lee then mentioned another trait that was unlike the Ji family.
“And he seems like a humble person. If he had guided the Vice Head and Hwan-i, he could have bragged about it, but he has no complaints even in this confined situation. Moreover, we’re all refraining from thanking him, right? Since he’s a member of the Ji family… yet he accepts that as natural. I almost wonder if we’re treating him poorly because of our prejudice against the Ji family. He’s an incredible benefactor.”
“The Ji family is the one that created the prejudice.”
Min replied coldly, but she couldn’t entirely ignore Supervisor Lee’s words. She was realizing anew how solid and thick her own prejudice against the Ji family was.
“Yes, but the one who must overcome and discard the prejudice is the one who holds it.”
Min started to respond to Supervisor Lee’s words but closed her mouth. Instead, she lay down beside the bed where the child slept. Then, she listened to the soft, rhythmic sound of the child’s breathing.
Just the sound of the child’s comfortable breathing brought a surge of hot emotion. She’s really not in pain. No matter how many times she confirmed it, the magnitude of this emotion did not diminish. Min gently patted the small body with her hand, watching the child’s face. The reason Won-woo gave kept coming back to her.
‘I like it here.’
Why? In Ji Won-woo’s eyes when he said those words, there was a certain flickering emotion.
Even at the moment he was called back to the Head of the Gye Family, Won-woo believed she would still need time to accept him. When he entered her room, a meeting was already in progress. She was with Chief Jung and the general secretary.
Won-woo hesitated, wondering if he had mistaken the time, but Chief Jung, noticing him, gestured for him to sit beside him. As Won-woo sat down with a bewildered expression, he heard the general secretary’s report.
“The total number of Esper casualties over the past three days is forty-six. All were the problematic mercenaries, and they have been processed as occupational accidents.”
Won-woo looked at the general secretary, shocked by the number of casualties. Had there been a battle in the North? But there had been no movement suggesting a major incident inside for three [visit [unauthorized [Read on Read BL Novels]copy]our site]days. As Won-woo wondered, he heard Min’s low voice.
“So, what about that damn bastard? He stirred up the North like this and is still wandering around?”
Unlike the monotonous tone, the content was savage. Won-woo wondered who could have made her this angry and scanned the atmosphere, but he couldn’t detect any tension or bloodlust from the others. How could no one be worried when there were so many casualties?
“The pursuit team is chasing him, but he’s so elusive…”
“Are you proud that the Gye Family’s skill is only at that level?”
“I apologize.”
The general secretary bowed in apology, but there was no particular sign of remorse on his face. It looked as if he were apologizing out of habit to the reprimands he heard from his boss every day. That made Won-woo worry more about the North. How many attacks must they have faced for this level of assault to be treated as a daily occurrence? He felt sorry for the situation in the North.
“Catch him immediately before he makes more of a mess.”
“Currently, there are no capable individuals in the North who can do that.”
At these words, Won-woo’s eyes widened. Had attackers come who were so powerful that they couldn’t even use an S-rank like Gye Yoon? …No, that couldn’t be. Won-woo shook his head inwardly. Gye Yoon must be unable to step forward because he’s handling other matters. Just how lacking are the Espers in the North… Won-woo couldn’t help but pity the North as if it were a frail, terminally ill noble lady. At that moment, Min, who had nothing but health, gnashed her teeth.
“Then create a lure. I’m sick and tired of looking at reports of mercenaries [Read on Read BL Novelsclass="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]dying because of that bastard.”
He saw the general secretary nod with a grim expression at her command. Won-woo barely suppressed the urge to ask who the attacker was. Since he knew the weaknesses of most Espers. However, he hadn’t yet earned the trust of the Head of the Gye Family, so he couldn’t step forward rashly. In fact, he doubted whether he should even be hearing this report. So, he lowered his gaze to the desk, pretending to be uninterested, when he heard his name.
“Ji Won-woo.”
When he looked up, he met cold eyes. Min looked at Won-woo for a moment and then asked calmly.
“That revenge—how do you plan to start it?”
Revenge. To some, it might be an infinitely heavy word containing indescribable deep emotions, but for Won-woo, it was a bit different. Since he came from a world where he had already achieved victory once, the weight of revenge was light. This was also thanks to the people who hadn’t changed. Among them, the Espers who enjoyed privileges were not much different from those in his world. Thus, Won-woo made this request to the Head of the Gye Family.
“I would like to see a list of the enemies who are still alive. It would be even better if I could know the power structure of those families.”
“If you mean enemies…”
As Chief Jung trailed off, as if asking for the scope of the enemies, Won-woo answered simply.
“The Ji family, the Yang family, and the Hong family.”
He listed them as easily as if he were calling out dog names, but those three were Read on Read BL NovelsRead on Read BL Novels-->the actual power holders who dominated everything except the North. Chief Jung and the general secretary frowned slightly. He wants revenge on all three? Not just the Ji family?
“What grudge do you have against the Yang and Hong families?”
A sharp question came from Min. For a moment, Won-woo thought of the Aunt, but he soon answered impassively.
“Not much.”
“Then why do you want revenge on the Yang and Hong families as well?”
“Because to bring down the Ji family, I have to hit those two as well.”
Again, it was a light answer, as if he were talking about the weather. Min looked at Won-woo for a moment and then signaled the general secretary, who instructed a staff member over the phone to bring the materials Won-woo requested. Meanwhile, the three of them looked at Won-woo with similar eyes. Did he develop a problem in his head after gaining great power?
“Is the information you possess so immense that you can bring down two families at once?”
When Min asked sharply, Won-woo honestly shook his head, saying, “No.” As expected, there’s a problem in his head… While the three were thinking this, Won-woo added calmly.
“But I know a way to bring them down eventually, even if it takes time.”
“And what is that?”
“Hmm, I’ll check the materials first.”
Was it important who was alive? Beside him, Chief Jung looked at him curiously and then locked eyes with Min. Then he remembered that he had something to tell Won-woo today. There was a reason he had called him here.
“By the way, Ji Won-woo-ssi, the original video of you assaulting an Esper has been released.”
Ah, that. Won-woo nodded and thanked him. However, Chief Jung immediately turned serious and waved his hand.
“There is nothing to be thanked for. Even if it was revealed that Ji Won-woo-ssi was being stalked by an Esper, public opinion hasn’t completely flipped.”
“That’s fine. You can’t be full with the first spoonful. Even if public opinion hasn’t flipped, the inside of the Ji family must be overturned.”
Would they be overturned by just this much? As the others wondered, Won-woo gave a small smile.
“Those people are petty. They tremble over the smallest things.”
They wound others easily, but if they get even a tiny scratch, they scream and jump around. Maintaining his smile, Won-woo asked.
“Didn’t the Ji family release [stolen visit our sitecontent]Read on Read BL Novels-->a rebuttal article immediately? The content probably pushed the narrative that I am mentally unstable.”
It was exactly as Ji Won-woo had predicted. Less than an hour after Won-woo’s video was uploaded, articles began appearing claiming that Won-woo had gone mad and was spreading falsehoods. Consequently, people believed the video was fabricated.
“Correct. We responded immediately.”
“Please put out another article tomorrow.”
“With what content?”
“That Ji Won-woo is a victim who was used in his family’s horrific human experiments.”
A heavy silence fell over the room. Shock was written across the faces of the three people looking at Won-woo. Min, acting as the representative, asked seriously.
“Did Ji Geun-oh experiment on your body?”
“I suppose so.”
What? As the three of them reacted in surprise, Won-woo finally realized: they actually believed him.
“It might not have gone as far as ‘experiments.’ visit our siteBut since I received the Alpha seed injection, I was certainly subjected to testing.”
The fact that Ji Won-woo had received an Alpha seed injection was a well-known story, but hearing it directly from his own mouth made it difficult to simply brush off.
“Did it hurt a lot?”
Min asked bluntly. Won-woo hid his surprise internally. Ah, they’re so naive; this is why they kept getting played.
“I don’t remember, so I’m not sure.”
“The loss of memory… could it be that you lost the memories of being experimented on?”
“Yes.”
Seeing him answer so readily despite claiming to have lost his memory, the expressions of the three grew grave again. He really was experimented on. That wicked Ji Geun-oh, doing such terrible things even to his own child. The gaze of the three now shifted to pity. While Won-woo and the Gye Family were mutually pitying one another, Won-woo explained why he wanted the article published.
“I may not have been experimented on, but I don’t know about other Guides. If he did it to his own child, there’s a high probability he did it to other Guides as well.”
In Won-woo’s estimation, that probability was 99%. Fortunately, the quick-witted three understood immediately.
“You want to put out the article to see how the [visit our site]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[Read on Read BL Novels]Ji Family reacts,” Chief Jung asked, and Won-woo nodded.
“Yes. Since the Guide Center has the support of the Guides, I want to find a weakness that can break that support. If they experimented on Guides, it would be perfect.”
“Not bad.”
As Min nodded in approval, an employee entered the room and handed over the requested documents. It was a report containing a brief description of the members of the three families and their internal power structures. Won-woo scanned the list slowly, occasionally tilting his head in curiosity or wearing a subtle smile.
After reviewing the pages of names, he picked up a pen and began checking off several names without hesitation. His decisive movements were so swift that Chief Jung, standing beside him, wondered if he was just picking people at random. However, the words Won-woo spoke as he handed over the list were different.
“These people must be eliminated first.”
“What is the reason?”
As Min took the list and asked, Won-woo gave a mysterious smile.
“Because that is how our victory becomes certain.”
Victory. It was a simple word. It felt as if they could win just by removing a few wicked individuals currently tormenting the Gye Family. However, the names Min had expected were not checked. She frowned as she scanned the list. Noticing Min’s strange expression, the other two looked on in confusion, and Min tossed the list to them.
They soon realized why Min was scowling. If the priority was elimination, they should have been the most malicious or high-ranking individuals who were difficult to on Read BL Novels">Read on Read BL Novelsremove, but the checked names were far from that. In fact, some were people considered decent talents, even if they were enemies.
“What on earth is your criteria?”
When Min asked sharply, Won-woo spoke slowly. Upon hearing the reason, the eyes of the three shook with horror.
‘A guest has arrived.’
Won-woo, who had been quietly staying in his room since he hadn’t yet been granted permission to act by the Head of the Gye Family, received a message. A guest for me? Wondering, he entered a large room that looked like a drawing room and widened his eyes.
“Seo-na!”
As Won-woo approached with a smile of delight, Seo-na, who was awkwardly standing up, blushed slightly. She was also happy and worried to see him after so long, but since she wasn’t the type to show such emotions, she had been sitting there maintaining a neutral expression.
And yet, Won-woo was so genuinely glad to see her. An awkward smile tried to leak onto her face, but she suppressed it by habit. Even seeing the blunt Seo-na, Won-woo smiled even more brightly.
“I feel relieved seeing you, Seo-na. I was worried if you could make it to the North Center safely. I was afraid you might pass the point where you needed guiding.”
His concern made her feel unexpectedly good, as if a warm spring breeze was fluttering through her heart. However, revealing such feelings was still awkward.
“My guiding is still fine.”
“What do you mean fine? So much time has passed.”
“I was always in this state when you weren’t around, Won-woo-nim.”
“Yes. But now I’m here.”
Won-woo spoke seriously as he sat opposite her and reached out his hand. In truth, since it was time for guiding, Seo-na wanted to grab that hand immediately, but because he seemed like someone whose sole purpose was guiding, she found it difficult to do so readily.
As Seo-na hesitated, Won-woo took her hand and pulled her toward him. The moment they touched, the energy that had been raging and scratching inside her body vanished instantly, and Seo-na barely managed to suppress a satisfied sigh.
Yes, this feeling. Her body, knowing from experience that she would soon be okay, began to flood with endorphins. At the same time, she was somewhat touched that he worried about her guiding the moment he saw her. While she didn’t regret her decision to come North, she had been anxious. It was because she had heard so many bad rumors about the North. But seeing Won-woo, she felt she had made the right choice.
Anyway, this body is one that could die from a rampage at any time. For the sake of the person who allows me to use my abilities to my heart’s content, I can throw my body away. Her conviction returned. Thus, as soon as the guiding ended, she brought up her concerns. When she mentioned what Seung-wook had told her, Won-woo raised an eyebrow.
“That it’s dangerous to be in the North and that I should leave immediately?”
Seo-na nodded and asked seriously.
“Have you not heard of any strange incidents or Read on Read BL Novels]aria-label="unauthorized copy">unauthorized copyaccidents in the North that were unprecedented?”
Not heard? Such a thing had happened just recently.
“I heard a monster tree appeared that grows rapidly within a few hours.”
Won-woo’s explanation was brief, but the content was shocking. Growing in a few hours? That meant monsters would be appearing and popping out just as quickly.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. It seems it appeared a few months ago as well. But they say it appeared in the North again a few days ago.”
“Why do those mutants only appear in the North?”
“I wonder. Why only the North? It’s not as if someone intentionally planted Mutant Seeds.”
In an instant, Seo-na’s expression froze. Weren’t there many people down south desperate to bring down the North?
“Then you’re saying it’s a mutant created on purpose?”
Won-woo gazed out the window for a moment as if thinking, then murmured as if to himself.
“The Alpha seed. Could it only increase an Esper’s ability? What if it could also increase the power of the same kind of seed?”
There was no answer, but Won-woo understood the complex shock Seo-na felt by looking into her wavering eyes. For an Esper fighting monsters on the front lines, it was a difficult truth to accept. That someone would intentionally commit such a cruel act.
In truth, Won-woo was also surprised when he thought of this possibility. In his original world, even if Espers had fought wars against ordinary people, they had never created such Mutant Seeds. After a long while, Seo-na asked in a calm voice.
“Does the Gye Family have any information regarding this?”
“Since Alpha seeds are rare, it will be difficult to find where they are being researched.”
“But they might have succeeded and are preparing to use it in the North.”
Only then did Seo-na understand Seung-wook’s warning. If it were a mutant monster tree that grew rapidly, monsters would pour out without time to prepare, and the North would be devastated. She grit her teeth and spat out.
“That bastard Hong Seung-wook, he’s an Esper too…”
“He probably doesn’t know the exact circumstances. It’s more likely he only knew that a problem would arise in the North.”
As Won-woo spoke in his defense, Seo-na openly showed her displeasure. Won-woo grinned our site">visit our siteas if telling her not to misunderstand.
“He’s a fastidious person who keeps his boundaries. If he had known the detailed inside story, he probably… might have left his family.”
He had already left once. In his world, there were different reasons, but many Espers felt disillusioned by the war between Espers and ordinary people. Even if the Purifier was on the side of the ordinary people, they didn’t feel right killing powerless civilians for that reason.
“That’s why Hong Seung-wook said those things.”
As if remembering, Seo-na explained to Won-woo.
“He told me not to dig deeper, saying that anyone who finds out this information is killed.”
“He acts like he knows something, but he’s just annoying.”
“Exactly!”
Seo-na agreed strongly, adding with a frown.
“It’s not like he knows the details himself. Besides, I don’t know why he’s so concerned about you, Won-woo-nim. It’s not like you two dated.”
Won-woo paused. They hadn’t dated, but it seemed the original Ji Won-woo aria-label="visit our site">[unauthorized copy]style="opacity:0;font-size:0;">visit our sitehad seen her briefly. Misinterpreting Won-woo’s reaction, Seo-na widened her eyes.
“Don’t tell me you have lingering feelings for Hong Seung-wook?”
No—before Won-woo could answer, a strong force suddenly gripped his shoulder. Startled, he looked up to see someone wearing a black hood gripping his shoulder. He was wearing clothes stained with dust and blood, showing how much he had suffered over the past few days.
“Gye Mang… Gye Yoon?”
Seo-na called his name as she recognized him, but he stared intently only at Won-woo. Won-woo wanted to ask if the business he had gone to attend to was resolved well, but he couldn’t open his mouth under that intense gaze. Although his energy was unstable, he didn’t seem to be in a state so urgent that he needed immediate guiding. Then, a low voice was heard.
“You don’t.”
What doesn’t? While he was wondering, Gye Yoon pushed back his hood, revealing a expressionless face. He had said something, but Won-woo and Seo-na were too shocked by his face to hear properly. Dried, dark red blood was smeared on his face and teeth.
Only then did the two realize that his clothes were also covered in those stains. It was eerie. Because monster blood was not red. Therefore, that vast amount of blood had to be from an animal or a human. Then, a cold voice repeated low toward Won-woo.
“You have no lingering feelings.”
Min did not leave her office until evening, and even while working, her eyes kept drifting to the list she had been forced to keep beside her. To stop caring, she could have just thrown the paper away, but a part of her was tempted by the idea that this death list might be the correct answer.
Eventually, she called the general secretary and Chief Jung back. The two had grim expressions, as if they understood why the Head of the Family had summoned them. However, Min brought up Ji Won-woo first, rather than the list.
“Ji Won-woo denies it, but the sudden increase in his abilities is definitely due to the human experiments conducted by his family.”
The two nodded deeply in agreement.
“It certainly seems necessary to investigate.”
Min tapped the desk with her pen and ordered.
“Use the Shadows if necessary.”
The Shadow team, composed of those excellent in camouflage and stealth, were people Min cherished to the point where she rarely moved them. Originally, she had intended to use them to find the source of the Mutant Seeds that had suddenly appeared in the North.
“Then how do you intend to find the mastermind behind the Mutant Seeds?”
“Mastermind? Is there a need to find them? It’s obvious anyway.”
Min spoke coldly and pulled Won-woo’s death list toward her. Then she recalled what Won-woo had said.
‘What on earth is your criteria?’
Min had asked when Won-woo suggested that the checked people on the list should be eliminated first. He had answered like this:
‘Loyalty. These are people with enough faith to fight for a collapsing family until the final moment when defeat is certain. Because they truly care for the family, persuasion, threats, and bribes won’t work. These people are the pillars silently supporting the family. Therefore, they must be eliminated first. Then, those full of greed will rot the family from within on their own. That will make it easier to annihilate them all.’
Since that strange guiding he experienced for the first time, Won-woo had worried if he could look Gye Yoon in the face. Thus, he flinched at Gye Yoon’s intense gaze currently fixed on him. He couldn’t even remember the words Gye Yoon had spoken demanding an answer.
‘You have no lingering feelings.’
Despite the threatening aura—as if Gye Yoon were waiting for a reaction, or rather, hoping for an immediate affirmation—that guiding came to Won-woo’s mind first. No, rather than guiding, it was a movement that felt like a pseudo-sexual act.
The sensation of their genitals being held and shaken together came back to him with startling vividness. So he hesitated for a moment. The words he should have readily agreed to—that he had no lingering feelings—did not come easily. However, he hadn’t realized that those few seconds would cause the other’s eyes to turn ice-cold.
Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn’t have the mental capacity to gauge the other’s mood. There was a faint, very faint smell of blood. The scent coming from Gye Yoon’s body, which was practically drenched in blood, was as weak as an air freshener whose fragrance had all evaporated, yet Won-woo instinctively covered his mouth with his hand.
“Ugh.”
As he gagged, he felt the grip on his shoulder tighten. He caught a glimpse of a startled Seo-na jumping up in front of him, but he couldn’t pay attention as he rushed toward the bathroom. Fortunately, there was a bathroom nearby. With a loud bang as the door closed, Won-woo disappeared, leaving the remaining two to frown. As Gye Yoon attempted to follow Won-woo into the bathroom, Seo-na blocked him.
“Where do you think you’re going? In… that…”
In that state? The criticism didn’t fully come out. Literally, she couldn’t open her mouth. No sound could be heard. It was different from simply not hearing external noises. Even the sound of her own breathing, which should have come from her body, vanished. She got goosebumps at the sound being erased so completely and eerily. It felt as if she couldn’t be sure if she was even alive.
But the goosebumps were soon pushed aside by a pain that felt like her lungs were being squeezed. She instinctively tried to inhale, but no air entered. Only then did she realize she was in a state where she couldn’t even move a finger. To the point where she couldn’t even breathe. Her only functioning organ, the brain, realized the cause of this state.
Right in front of her, an expressionless face was turning emotionless eyes toward Seo-na. Just a moment ago, when he looked at Won-woo, his gaze had been so full of overflowing emotion that it was almost burdensome. Now, he seemed like a completely different person, which was terrifying. It was as if he were simply pushing her aside, like clearing away troublesome trash, for trying to stop him.
She realized that the words she had boldly spoken before, complaining that she didn’t like Gye Yoon, were only possible because she was in front of Won-woo. Since Seo-na prided herself on being a fairly capable Esper, she was appalled by this overwhelming difference in skill. However, there was someone more important than herself right now. Resisting the force constricting her, Seo-na barely, just barely managed to move her lips. No sound came out, but it was okay.
‘Where do you think you’re going in that state.’
The other person read the words Seo-na uttered with her lips. His gaze remained emotionless, but Seo-na’s blocked airway opened.
“Gasp!”
As she suddenly inhaled, her waist instinctively bent, but Seo-na did not take her wide eyes off the other person. She didn’t know when that madman might choke her again. Her mouth opened quickly.
“Won-woo-nim is, haah, suffering because of you right now, so where do you think you’re following him?”
“Because of me?”
Gye Yoon tilted his head to the side as if he didn’t understand. That look seemed somewhat innocent, but Seo-na wasn’t fooled. She was certain that the blood covering his entire body was human.
“Then who else would it be? He talks to me perfectly fine and gives me guiding perfectly fine…”
Ugh. Seo-na strained her whole body as her breath was blocked again. Because she was struggling to push away the force pressing down on her, she had no room to find the oddity in the other’s question.
“You, received guiding?”
“Yes. I’m lucky that Won-woo-nim guides me.”
“How?”
What do you mean how? Seo-na frowned, barely suppressing the breath she wanted to pant.
“Ugh, by holding hands.”
“And?”
His voice was still dry, making her suspect that Gye Yoon was simply Read [Read on Read BL Novels]on Read BL Novelstormenting her with meaningless questions.
“Don’t you know how guiding works? Through the hands, ugh, he organized my energy with his hands.”
“Is that all?”
“Is that all? Then what else is there?!”
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