#12
They penetrated the barrier and entered more easily than expected. Unlike the plan they had meticulously developed for barrier removal, the barrier collapsed with just one gesture from Taejun.
Seung-oh sent a warning signal to the espers positioned at the front as they hesitated slightly. The agents who felt the short wavelength alerting them to concentrate readjusted their stance. The City might already be aware of our intrusion. The gravel-like dust on the gray floor was crushed beneath the firm soles of their combat boots.
“C-01. Entry complete. Beginning search.”
They had entered through the back entrance of The City’s research facility. A storage warehouse for equipment and an emergency engine room were visible at a glance. Though smaller than expected, the main research lab built in the center boasted the largest size among them. Experiments on guides likely took place there. The agents quickly scanned the surroundings, lowered their waists, and moved forward.
“Something’s strange.”
Taejun, at the front, adjusted the side of his helmet and spoke. Seung-oh, who fully empathized with that statement, nodded slightly.
It was strangely quiet. If they had anticipated the intrusion, attacks should have come by now, but there was no response whatsoever. Those forming a team with Seung-oh and heading toward the main research lab also sighed with an inexplicable sense of deflation.
“Someone must have leaked the operation. Otherwise, how can there not be even a single ant in sight?”
The youngest agent spoke with apparent certainty. The security-disabled door automatically moved aside as soon as it recognized people. At the end of the long corridor, a sign for an anesthesia room was blinking irregularly. It could be a trap, but there was no alternative. The lack of any human presence made it feel like it would be better to encounter enemies.
“C-01. Central main research lab anesthesia room discovered.”
“Still, don’t let your guard down just in case.”
Everything remained deathly quiet as they crossed the long corridor to reach the anesthesia room. The agents walking with loaded special revolvers in hand entered the open room. In the emptied space, only a coldly chilled bed and a syringe, certainly used for anesthesia, lay lonely on top of it.
Seung-oh picked up the syringe on the bed and examined it. It clearly wasn’t something that would be used for experiments. Because this was…
“Isn’t this a toy syringe?”
The grumbling youngest agent chimed in. He was right. It was a common toy that children play with. A chubby-bodied toy that couldn’t even inject medicine, merely for pretending. The blood-like objects scattered here and there were made of a gel-like viscosity that would squash if stepped on.
“These bastards are playing with us.”
Taejun nearby cursed as he squashed it repeatedly with his combat boots. Despite risking their lives to come here, it was nothing more than a well-researched children’s hospital exploration.
“……”
It was blatant mockery. The plastic syringe with its needle removed seemed to say they already knew about our operation. Seung-oh clenched his fist with gritted teeth. They had been played like puppets.
Someone had agonized so much to come here. Seung-oh threw the syringe he was holding. The toy syringe crashed into the floor with a thud and shattered into pieces.
“Look at this. It’s certain they conducted experiments on guides here.”
One agent discovered several experiment reports from a tower of stacked boxes. Even this could have been intentionally left behind. Seung-oh took the papers and read the contents.
Reporter: Dr. Kim
X month X day. Suncheon Center B-class guide XXX. Energy moving along blood vessels disappears simultaneously with laparotomy. Direct scent capture failed. New technology seems necessary to materialize guide energy.
X month X day. Muju Center A-class guide XXX. As expected of a high-level guide, generates energy even with just fear. Attempted relationship with A-class esper. Performed laparotomy at climax, but energy disappeared. Judged that physical damage may not be necessary.
It was an experiment of unparalleled cruelty. Cutting open the abdomen of a living person and severing blood vessels. Feeling nauseous, Seung-oh scanned the report and shook his head. Taejun, who was reading the report beside him, didn’t look too pleased either.
“This is C-01. C-01. Confirmed all missing guides were kidnapped here. Sending data now.”
Seung-oh finished his radio transmission and removed his hand from the receiver.
“Ah, teacher…! Hnngh!”
“Haa, Ui-jin-ssi, lift your head.”
Seung-oh quickly looked around at the strange sounds reaching his ears. It was a voice that couldn’t have come from either the agent frustratedly banging the bed or Taejun searching for useful information.
“Mmm, I’m… I’m embarrassed… Too much…”
“Don’t think like that. Right now, you’re too pretty.”
“Yes! Ahhh…!”
The owners of the voices were Ui-jin and Do-hoon. At the delicate voice approaching climax, Seung-oh immediately left the anesthesia room and headed toward the source of the sound. Even knowing they weren’t here, his feet moved on their own.
“Ju Seung-oh! No individual action!”
Taejun approached and grabbed him, but Seung-oh shook off his hand and walked quickly. It felt like the anxiety that had sprouted since the operation began had become reality. He had thought about it throughout every moment of closing and opening his eyes. About possible misfortune. About Ui-jin being happy without him.
“Ah, ah, teacher, yes! Fa-faster… haaah!”
“Haah, Ui-jin-ssi…”
“Fuck!”
Like noise distorted by mismatched frequencies, Ui-jin and Do-hoon’s voices circled around Seung-oh. They clearly shouldn’t be visible, shouldn’t be here. Red veins stood out around Seung-oh’s eyes as he walked toward the source of the sound.
The source of the sound was the warehouse they had discovered when they first entered. As he reached the warehouse, the gasping moans intensified toward climax. Ugh, ah, ang! Yes! The intermittent cries of pleasure were indeed Ui-jin’s. Seung-oh opened the firmly closed warehouse door without hesitation.
“……”
Cheonum, who was leaning against the warehouse wall directly in front of Seung-oh, frowned at the pouring shadow.
“I wonder if you found anything helpful.”
Seung-oh didn’t yet fully know of Cheonum’s existence. As he was a veiled figure, even the government had extremely limited information. But he could tell from the aura emanating from him. That he wasn’t an opponent to be taken lightly. That this person was the one who had touched his precarious anxiety.
“Who are you?”
“Do you know why I hate the government?”
As befitting an esper who controlled sound, his words not only pierced the ears but resonated in the skull. When Seung-oh momentarily frowned, a scornful laugh erupted.
“Those incompetent beings only seek glory.”
“……”
“Pathetically.”
Cheonum, who had been leaning against the wall, slowly approached Seung-oh. His appearance was too alien to be human. Cheonum’s hand, dressed in a black suit, brushed against Seung-oh’s thick combat uniform.
“Bringing someone immersed in love play here. Are you underestimating me?”
“I asked who you are.”
“Who am I? Coming here without even knowing that. How insulting.”
Cheonum scratched his pale skin with his fingernail and laughed self-deprecatingly.
“Cheonum. The head of this city.”
He removed Seung-oh’s helmet with a single finger and stroked his sweat-stained face with the back of his hand. Seung-oh immediately struck away the touch with disgust, but Cheonum paid no heed.
“The person who will crush the arrogant government and become the ruler of the world. Remember it well.”
“…Is that sound an auditory hallucination you created?”
If it became known that Seung-oh had met Cheonum, countless questions would pour in. What he looked like, if he was an esper previously affiliated with the government, what his abilities were… But for Seung-oh, that wasn’t important right now.
Cheonum’s sharp gaze turned toward Seung-oh.
“What if it’s real?”
“……”
“I’m an esper who transfers sound. I can bring even distant sounds right in front of me. In other words, everything you heard is happening right now. Unfortunately.”
“…You’re lying.”
Seung-oh’s hand holding the revolver trembled. Even while hating himself for trying to believe the words of someone he shouldn’t trust, part of him thought it could be true. Yes, such doubt and anxiety had been present since the day Ui-jin refused to accompany him. Seung-oh glared at Cheonum murderously.
“Don’t you not want to believe it?”
Cheonum smiled slightly and shook his head.
“Ah, ahh, yes! Ah! Ang! Do-hoon, mmmmm!”
“Stop it!”
“Ha, Ui-jin-ssi, ungh!”
Seung-oh fell to his knees in agony. Not only the moans, but even the squeaking sounds of conjunction swallowed his eardrums. Cheonum looked down amusedly at Seung-oh, who was covering his ears. Soon it would be time for the bomb set up in the warehouse to explode. For a spectacular firework display, people needed to burst for it to be worth watching.
“Haah, ungh! Mm… teacher, ah! I love you.”
“More than Seung-oh-ssi?”
“Yes, ungh, yes… hah! Really. Ah, more, please come in more, okay?”
As Seung-oh’s back curved, Cheonum gradually disappeared. The bomb that Seung-oh didn’t notice had only 10 seconds left.
“…That can’t be true.”
Beep, beep, beep-
His mind was filled with confusion. It felt like a sticky big bang had occurred in his brain. The electronic sound mixed with Ui-jin’s weak moans continued to blink in the same rhythm as if to wake Seung-oh.
Beep, beep, beep-
Seung-oh, shaking his head, opened his eyes wide to discover the bomb with little time left.
[ 0:05 ]
Numbers that even a child’s finger could easily recognize. What brought back his dissociated rationality was the timer with only 5 seconds left right before his eyes.
-BOOM!!
Along with a massive explosion, black smoke and building fragments erupted. Starting with the warehouse explosion, a series of explosions—bang, bang!—went off simultaneously.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
