Under orders from the Bureau Chief, Hyun Tae-oh had crossed into Zone B with Min Yu-hyun.
As he expected, Zone B was a civilian sector where teleportation was sealed off. A pristine area—no mutant beast habitats nearby, and not once in the past had a Gate ever opened there.
To prevent reckless Espers from abusing their abilities and harassing civilians, most of Zone B was covered by a defensive barrier suppressing supernatural powers.
Yet, despite the impossibility, Tae-oh and Yu-hyun had been instructed in secret: a mutant beast had appeared here. They were to find it, quietly.
“Teleport accessory ready?”
“Charging.”
“Then you head straight for the lab.”
“And you?”
“I need to show my face around here. The real point is for people to notice whether I’m here or not.”
Yu-hyun nodded.
“Alright. I’ll check out Building N at the lab.”
“Make sure you don’t get caught. Got it?”
“You think I’m stupid? Thanks to this ‘classified mission,’ I’ve even ditched the cameras. I’ll dig up as much as I can.”
Tae-oh gave him a brief nod.
As soon as Yu-hyun vanished using his teleport necklace, Tae-oh tapped his earpiece and contacted Yoon Do-jae while walking deeper into the village.
“How’s Chi-yu?”
– He’s in the Guide safe zone with Guide Lee Jun-hyung.
“Anything off?”
– Not really. With dozens of cameras, no one’s going to risk kidnapping Guide Kang Chi-yu. Plus, because of Catdog, he’s practically surrounded by Guides right now…
“Keep eyes on him. Tell Lee Jun-hyung to stick as close as possible.”
– Got it. What about you two?
“Min Yu-hyun’s at the lab. I’m here to make an appearance with the residents.”
– And after that?
“I’ll head to Chi-yu.”
– I’ll leave you the coordinates. Hey, wait—you have your teleport accessory, right?
“Why would I need it?”
– Because this is Zone B. Abilities are blocked here.
Tae-oh let out a low laugh.
“They can’t block mine.”
That was the weight of an SS-rank Esper.
He’d assumed teleportation wouldn’t work here either. But technology wasn’t that advanced yet.
Barriers might contain S-rank Espers, but SS-rank? No one had the means to suppress powers on that scale.
Not just because of technology—extracting an SS-rank’s ability to design such a barrier was practically impossible.
For Tae-oh, it was a stroke of luck.
Teleport accessories were convenient but clumsy. They couldn’t land you precisely where you wanted.
And for someone like him, relying on gadgets instead of his own ability felt beneath the pride of an SS-rank Esper.
***
Because the Emergency Assembly had summoned not just the Central Bureau but all Esper Associations, Sung Ji-yeol was also present in the Guide safe zone.
The moment he saw Kang Chi-yu, Ji-yeol was certain: this is my chance to get close to him.
But Chi-yu, thanks to the winged catlike beast at his side, was the center of attention. Every Guide had their eyes on him.
And somewhere in the crowd, Ji-yeol knew, were members of his own Anti Club. Acting too familiar was risky.
So he stood back, watching Chi-yu being peppered with questions, and carefully considered the best way to approach.
The drills began in earnest.
At the head of the Espers, Yoon Do-jae commanded the units, occasionally glancing toward the safe zone.
Beom Do-il was also tied to his post, which left only Jun-hyung at Chi-yu’s side—a fact that made Do-il uneasy.
Still, Do-jae was a true FM, committed to his duty. No mistakes, no distractions.
But because of that focus, his watch over Chi-yu wavered. When Espers were engaged in eliminating a summoned beast, he neglected, for just a few minutes, to confirm Chi-yu’s safety.
Only five minutes. But that was all Sung Ji-yeol needed.
He slipped in, cast Sleep on Catdog, and discreetly whisked it away.
In the chaos of the crowd, it went unnoticed.
When Chi-yu realized Catdog was gone, he broke from his position to search—throwing everything off-balance.
At that exact moment, Do-jae and Do-il were locked in combat, while Jun-hyung was guiding.
As Rampage Recovery was his only duty, Chi-yu had freedom of movement. Ji-yeol seized the chance to lure him away.
“Strange… I could’ve sworn I saw it over here.”
Claiming he’d spotted Catdog, Ji-yeol led him out of the safe zone.
“Catdog! Catdog!”
Chi-yu trusted him without question, scanning anxiously as he called out.
“So how did you end up with this Catdog, anyway?”
Pretending to help search, Ji-yeol asked.
His Sleep only lasted five minutes—he had to use them to build trust.
Completely unaware, Chi-yu recounted how he’d met Catdog, still darting glances around in search.
With no cameras nearby, he had no reason to hold back.
And since the Bureau and Associations would find out sooner or later, he saw no harm in sharing with Ji-yeol, who was kindly helping him search.
Five minutes passed.
Ji-yeol calculated he had maybe one minute left before Catdog returned. He was about to steer toward exchanging contacts when—
Catdog, already Marked to Chi-yu, woke and teleported back instantly.
Ji-yeol froze, startled, but quickly masked it, casually asking where it had gone.
Catdog hissed sharply, ears flat, teeth bared.
This wasn’t the wary hissing it gave Tae-oh. This was outright aggression.
Chi-yu hurried to soothe it.
“Sorry—it must’ve gotten nervous when it lost me for a moment. It’s not usually this fierce.”
“Ah… I see.”
Ji-yeol smiled faintly, nodding as if unconcerned. But his eyes never left Catdog—sharp, calculating.
Like Yu-hyun, Ji-yeol had a keen intuition.
He could sense when something was off. And Catdog’s behavior—teleporting straight to Chi-yu upon waking—was impossible for a mutant beast.
Suspicion hardened into certainty.
Then, a faint beep echoed.
Catdog suddenly tore from Chi-yu’s arms and shot into the distance.
“Catdog!!”
Chi-yu bolted after it, Ji-yeol instinctively following.
The beeping never grew louder, never softer—steady, faint.
Still, Chi-yu instinctively knew Catdog was chasing it.
The two drew farther and farther from the Assembly.
That sound, audible even to them, had been deliberately crafted by a Central Bureau executive.
Its purpose: to provoke Catdog and lure both it and Chi-yu into a separate space.
Ji-yeol’s presence was unexpected, but they’d already factored in the chance one of Chi-yu’s companions might tag along.
The space had been created for one reason: to test whether Catdog—the thirty-ninth experiment—could fulfill its intended purpose with Kang Chi-yu.
If not, termination was inevitable. For both the Bureau and the research institute, confirmation was essential.
The instant Chi-yu and Ji-yeol entered, their ears were assaulted by a piercing shrill beep. Both clutched their ears in pain.
“Catdog!!”
Catdog flew straight toward the center of the clearing, wings beating furiously, ignoring Chi-yu’s desperate calls.
When it stopped in the middle—
[KWAAAAAAAHHHH!!]
A deafening roar tore from its throat as it writhed in agony.
Chi-yu started toward it, but Ji-yeol grabbed his arm.
“It’s dangerous!”
His instincts were dead on.
Convulsing, Catdog’s body swelled, morphing into the monstrous form Chi-yu had seen once before.
Its snowy fur flushed crimson, aura flaring as if Rampage were imminent.
It writhed in torment.
Chi-yu didn’t hesitate. He tore free of Ji-yeol’s grip and dashed forward.
“Guide Kang Chi-yu!”
Ji-yeol’s desperate call went ignored. Chi-yu rushed straight to Catdog, reaching out his hand.
As Rampage Recovery began, the searing crimson aura gradually dimmed.
Ji-yeol’s fear—that Chi-yu would be crushed—was unfounded.
From the moment its agony began, Catdog hadn’t moved a single step.
As if it knew moving would cause disaster, it stayed rooted in place, enduring.
Even as Chi-yu used his ability right beneath its feet, Catdog held firm.
And as stability slowly returned, it almost seemed like Catdog was consciously trying not to harm him at all.
