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The basement level of Building C, known as the exclusive training room of the Baekya Guild, has strict security measures. Only those with Taebeom’s permission could pass through the entrance to the basement. The same applied to leaving.
“Ha Seojun.”
The vast space called the training room didn’t even have common exercise equipment. There were no windows, but the ceiling was high, and the floor space was wide enough to accommodate several guilds. The lack of objects on the floor made the space appear even larger.
“Yes… Leader.”
Seojun, sprawled in the center of the training room, answered while suppressing his labored breathing. He was sweating so much that the floor was wet. The redness around his eyes seemed to be from tears, not sweat.
“Get up.”
A sharp command pierced Seojun, who was struggling to move even a finger. Seojun took a deep breath and groped the floor. After biting his tender flesh hard enough to draw blood from his tongue to regain his senses, he barely managed to get up.
Sweat droplets from his wet hair and chin fell to the floor with a patter. He gasped for air, leaning on his knees. He looked like he might collapse at any moment.
“Stand straight.”
Nevertheless, Taebeom issued the next command without mercy. Seojun’s eyes became even more tearful as he gritted his teeth.
Seojun staggered for a moment but then clenched his fists and straightened his upper body. Blood was also forming and flowing from his palms where his nails had dug in.
“Cough!”
The moment Seojun regained his balance, his head was thrown back. It was due to Taebeom’s ability striking his brain.
Simultaneously, the scenery of the training room completely changed. Seojun, bound by the psychic ability, was standing in the middle of a gate site.
Gates were opening all around, and the roars of monsters were incessant. The liquid pooling on the muddy ground was not monster blood, but human blood. Taebeom was showing Seojun the horrific scene from the gate saturation period.
“Maintain your wavelength.”
Taebeom’s voice was heard from the air amidst the screams of espers and the sound of bones breaking. Seojun, who had been looking at his blood-stained surroundings, took a deep breath and suppressed his rising wavelength. If the wavelength rose above a certain level, the Leader would punish him.
“Ugh…”
A terrible pain of flesh tearing and bones shattering erupted from Seojun’s shoulders. His hands and feet were the same. Still, Seojun maintained his wavelength and ignored the pain. He felt like he might crumble the moment he acknowledged the pain.
At that moment, a hot fire arrow flew towards Seojun. It was an arrow shot by a fire-type esper. Following that, all sorts of attacks came flying from the surroundings.
Seojun never counterattacked them, only dodged. While enduring the pain surging through his body and maintaining his wavelength level stably.
Someone pointed at Seojun and shouted to catch him. To catch that monster.
Seojun, his head soaked in sweat and blood, shook it and pleaded with his hands clasped, saying he wasn’t a monster. No one listened to his pitiful pleas to stop the attacks. Instead, the attacks only intensified.
“No…”
Taebeom watched with a cold expression as Seojun crawled on the training room floor. He was checking the wavelength level on a pad while keeping Seojun’s brain bound with his ability. And the time as well.
“I am… Ha Seojun…”
Seojun, who had started to get a nosebleed, knelt down and writhed. His wavelength level remained consistently stable. When the attacks were intensified a bit more, it seemed to rise slightly but soon returned to its original state.
Eventually, he burst into tears and started begging to be saved. Seojun, having lost his reason, cried like a child. Soon after, he even vomited and screamed. Even in that state, he maintained his wavelength until the end. This should be enough.
Taebeom withdrew his ability and approached the unconscious Seojun. When he first came here, he couldn’t even last a minute before his wavelength level shot up to dangerous levels. When Seojun returned to his main body, he would lose his mind and go berserk, quickly reaching a state of rampage. But now he could endure for even an hour.
Taebeom picked up Seojun, who had fainted while curled up, and laid him on a bed in the corner of the training room. Then he took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat-soaked face.
“Leader, may I come in?”
At that moment, a secretary appeared with a knock and carefully peeked inside. Instead of answering, Taebeom went out to the entrance first.
It was time to go straight to the site. The secretary, aware of Taebeom’s schedule, followed him and gave a report.
“The Hwayeon Guild Leader’s condition has improved significantly. He’s now able to converse a little.”
The Hwayeon Guild Leader, a black panther esper who had his first seizure. He had recovered his burnt vocal cords and could now make sounds. Despite it being good news after a long time, Taebeom showed no particular reaction.
“He said he wanted to send a message to the Leader.”
Only then did Taebeom’s gaze, which had been fixed straight ahead, turn to the secretary.
“He thinks his seizure was caused by someone else.”
As soon as his body recovered, the Hwayeon Guild Leader said he had been trying hard to recall the events of that day. He had replayed the moment right before the seizure thousands of times, pondering the cause.
“The reason.”
Taebeom’s low voice was laced with coldness. The secretary relayed the message with a serious face and calm tone.
“He says he felt anger. He said that just before losing consciousness, for a very brief moment, he detected an aura enveloped in anger.”
After much contemplation, the Hwayeon Guild Leader finally recalled a memory he had forgotten. An emotion steeped in anger. It was clearly not his own.
An esper’s emotions were also reflected in their wavelength. When overwhelmed by extreme happiness or anger, their emotional state would often manifest in their wavelength. The Hwayeon Guild Leader was convinced that someone had intentionally attacked him. With great anger, at that.
“Is that all?”
The monotone voice echoed again in the long corridor. The secretary nodded, unfazed by Taebeom’s dry response. He wasn’t surprised, knowing that Taebeom wasn’t one to show emotions.
The Leader surely didn’t know either. Even special psychic abilities had their limits. There were certainly missed parts or unread information. Even if one could trace past memories, the probability of not being able to read the emotions within that situation was high.
“Ah, and this is a different matter.”
The secretary also widened his stride, following Taebeom who had started walking again. Although he seemed unchanged at first glance, Taebeom had a thoughtful look. Maybe I should tell him this later.
“Speak.”
“Yes, the Hwayeon Guild Leader’s partner said to let her know if there’s anything she can help with.”
The Hwayeon Guild Leader’s partner, Guide Yoon Soha, was a strong woman. She had undoubtedly made a great contribution to the Hwayeon Guild Leader’s rapid recovery.
“She’s very grateful, saying that without Baekya’s help, their guild would have collapsed.”
The Hwayeon Guild was now preparing to return to the field. Thanks to quickly appointing a new leader as per Taebeom’s orders, they were able to gather their wits faster. Above all, because Taebeom had filled all the gaps left by the Hwayeon Guild, their assigned areas hadn’t even decreased. He had kept their place for them to return to.
“She says anything is fine, just let her know. She’s willing to take on even some of the minor tasks we’re currently responsible for.”
“Not necessary.”
Taebeom flatly refused. The secretary seemed to have expected this answer and immediately said he understood. With a new leader and the unsettled atmosphere at the site, it was clear that they would have their hands full just with their existing assigned areas.
“Then I’ll convey that we appreciate the sentiment but must decline.”
The secretary continued to follow Taebeom silently, then checked his phone. There were notifications coming in with small vibrations.
“No, what is this…”
The secretary’s expression, which had been stiff, brightened as soon as he checked the notification. The phone screen contained information about Geonho’s wavelength level, which had dropped unbelievably low.
After doubting his eyes and repeatedly checking the wavelength graph, he immediately reported the situation to Taebeom. It was such clear good news that there was no reason not to share it.
“Please look at Esper Geonho’s wavelength. It seems he’s been with the guide until now.”
Even now, the wavelength was gradually decreasing in real-time. Could it be that they’ve been guiding all night?
“…”
The secretary paused, looking at Taebeom with a flushed face. The expression that flashed across Taebeom’s face for a moment was something he had never seen before.
“I’ll go check on the guide right away to see if she’s alright.”
The secretary tried to head to the dormitory immediately, hiding his surprised feelings. He thought he should quickly check on the condition of Guide Han Siwoo, who must have been guiding all night, and report back. Blinded by the drastically lowered wavelength level, he hadn’t thought of it earlier.
Taebeom stopped the secretary again.
“Tell the Hwayeon Guild Leader’s partner.”
And he uttered unexpected words. The secretary’s head tilted in confusion upon hearing this.
* * *
Geonho’s sharply dropped wavelength continued unchanged until the next day. Secretary Nam Dongkwon looked at the wavelength graphs of the guild members on his pad with a smile of relief.
“Wow, if it stays like this, I couldn’t ask for more.”
He blew kisses at the stable graph that was admirable no matter how many times he looked at it, and boarded the moving elevator. Today was the day of an early morning guild meeting. Due to repeated busy schedules, it had been quite a while since the last guild meeting.
Moreover, since the Leader emphasized full attendance, all guild members were expected to attend the meeting. Although they hadn’t yet found a solution to the seizure incident, he couldn’t help but smile as all the guild members’ wavelengths were uniformly stable.
“There’s no greater blessing than this. I wonder why she didn’t come sooner.”
The secretary was nothing but grateful to Siwoo, who had even decided to guide in the field. Since her arrival, everyone had been gradually becoming brighter. Even the Leader seemed to be… changing a bit.
“Knock knock, I’m coming in!”
The secretary opened the door to Taebeom’s office wide with a happy heart, verbally knocking. Believing that everyone would be in good condition as their wavelength levels had lowered, he entered with a bright smile.
“Have you all…”
But to his surprise.
“…had breakfast?”
The secretary’s smile shrank as he saw Geonho and Jihan already seated. He was taken aback by the heavy atmosphere in the office, which was completely different from what he had expected, and even took a step back.
Geonho and Jihan were sitting far apart at the conference table. They were facing each other but not exchanging a single word. Geonho’s expression was fierce as usual, and although Jihan was smiling, his smile was strangely sharp. The two just glared at each other, even when the secretary arrived.
“Well, I’m still on an empty stomach, so I’ll be going out.”
Unable to bear the uncomfortable atmosphere, the secretary hastily left the office. He immediately understood why they were creating such an atmosphere. The situation was clearly imaginable without even having to ask.
“Sigh… Please.”
That very situation that always occurs when there are multiple espers and only one outstanding guide. To think that it would appear in our guild too. The secretary’s sigh deepened even more today as he held his forehead.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
