# Chapter 47
“This area is dangerous. Please step back.”
Fortunately, people backed away at the police officers’ instructions who had already set up barricades. This showed good civic awareness, but strangely, there was no sign of fear about the monsters. For people who had just witnessed a monster appearing through a partially opened gate, everyone seemed too calm.
Something was wrong. Jaeyoon worried that his efforts might have been misdirected, but he focused on the gate for now.
“It shouldn’t be opening this early. That’s strange,” Jaeyoon said, finally able to speak what he couldn’t say in the car because of the guard.
“Is it dangerous?”
“This is a gate you should clear later, after more time has passed.”
“That’s good news. With two of us now, it should be easier.”
“No, we should be seeing large spiders and insects according to the original plan.”
Contrary to Jaeyoon’s information, what appeared through the crack was a giant eyeball that seemed to belong to a reptile.
“But that’s…”
“A double gate has opened.”
A gate within a gate had opened. What came out of it would be a reptile-type monster. Clearly, a new gate had formed so close that it could push through the closed door. This meant they would have to face more than twice the number of monsters.
“Mr. Seo Jaeyoon, is there anything we need to be careful about?”
“Let’s avoid anything lizard-like and just destroy the gate stone. If we close the spider gate, the double gate inside won’t be able to release anything else.”
“Understood.”
As Haeil tried to enter, Jaeyoon grabbed him and showed a bitter smile.
“We still need to put on a performance. Right now, we need to increase awareness even if we have to act like clowns.”
Jaeyoon was uncomfortable with this situation. He didn’t like standing in front of others and showing off his impressive abilities. All of this was for one single goal.
Understanding Jaeyoon’s feelings, Haeil smiled faintly and created fire in his hand. The flames rose brilliantly, causing the eager onlookers to step back.
“I also want to protect Jaeha. So I’ll use and be used for whatever is necessary.”
Haeil smiled sincerely, saying he wanted Jaeyoon to use him for Jaeha’s sake. He truly had the face of someone who could have been a great actor.
“So ask me for anything. The future you envision is the same as mine.”
Aware of the cameras and phones pointing at them from all directions, Jaeyoon put on his now-familiar public smile.
“Just be yourself, Kwon Haeil.”
Jaeyoon lightly swung his arm, cutting off the slimy tongue that had wrapped around Kang Gwang’s shin.
KRAAAK!
The sound was bizarre, like mud boiling. While everyone covered their ears, Jaeyoon reached the front of the gate with just a light running start, seeming to fly through the air.
While everyone marveled at the telekinetic user’s skill, Jaeyoon tore open the empty crack where the monster had disappeared, and entered with Haeil. Haeil set the widened entrance ablaze so anyone could see it burning.
“So… so cool…”
Kang Gwang’s channel, which captured all of this closer than anyone else, was exploding with activity.
The situation inside the gate was better than expected.
The monsters they expected to be swarming were nowhere in sight. Following drops of green blood on the floor, they found a gate opened nearby.
“It really was a double gate.”
“I’ll take temporary measures.”
Without hesitation, Haeil set fire around the gate. Most living creatures feared fire. Seeing the heat and flames, anything trying to cross over from the other side of the gate would likely turn back.
“Good. Thanks to you, this gate will be easy.”
The gate’s difficulty was low as expected.
According to the original timeline, a giant spider like a tarantula would have crawled out of this gate months later. On the Han River bridge, frozen by spider webs, Kwon Haeil would have rushed forward, burning away flying spider webs.
Kwon Haeil, who burned both the spider webs that stuck to anyone who stepped on them and the monsters, looked spectacular, as if enhanced by CG effects. Some Espers who had been acting as villains sought out the Association just because of Kwon Haeil.
Haeil’s heroic image broadcast over the airwaves was perfect from his abilities to his appearance, creating a new inspiration for immature Espers.
‘The image shown so far is good, but the one outside the gate is good too.’
It would be hard to match that footage for a while. Everything happening inside the gates didn’t make for good video opportunities.
But they couldn’t act like villains and drive giant tarantulas outside. However, watching Haeil instantly burn several spiders ahead of him, Jaeyoon’s thoughts shifted.
“…Should I do it?”
As long as he and Haeil moved together, there wouldn’t be any casualties. The spider webs only trapped people. If someone got stabbed by venomous fangs, they could die, but he could cut those off with his ability.
After thinking this through, a bitter smile crossed Jaeyoon’s face.
‘Having power makes me think I can do whatever I want.’
He was somewhat disappointed in himself for thinking like a villain.
There was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect his brother, but he was disturbed by how easily his thoughts turned to putting people in danger just to improve efficiency.
Jaeyoon’s steps slowed as he walked toward the gate stone.
“I miss my brother.”
His arms and legs felt heavy, and his head hurt. The fatigue that had persisted for days hadn’t lessened much despite staying in the guiding room all night.
The continuous pain dulled Jaeyoon’s emotions and senses. He felt he wasn’t far from reaching a dangerous level himself.
‘After finishing this gate, I need to see my brother.’
He wouldn’t do any guiding, but seeing his brother’s face would put his mind at ease. Just thinking about it lightened his heart, and Jaeyoon continued walking following the flames.
* * *
“Everyone step back. You need to get as far away as possible.”
“Monsters might appear when the gate opens!”
“Can’t you hear the evacuation order?”
The personnel sent by the Association and police officers tried to disperse the gathered crowd, but they wouldn’t budge.
After two famous Espers entered the gate, the crowd actually grew larger. People who came to see after watching the news caused traffic jams.
Less than ten days after rifts exploded nationwide, people easily accepted the changed world, drawn to the charming Espers. Seeing people gathering around gates to watch made it seem like they’d lost touch with reality.
The assumption that crowds would diminish over time proved wrong as more people gathered after work hours. When the bridge access was finally restricted, people walked from nearby areas to get there.
“You want to see the fire again? No, no. It’s so hot it might melt your phone.”
Having secured the best spot, Kang Gwang nervously kept reporting on the quiet gate situation, worried about losing viewers. But despite the unchanged situation, his viewer count grew exponentially.
⤷ Kang Gwang, fire!
“Come on, enough about the fire. Look at me instead, my fans.”
⤷ No, the fire went out!
At the viewers’ cries, Kang Gwang turned around with his phone to check the gate. Indeed, the blazing flames had disappeared without a trace. All that remained was the gate entrance, now much larger than before because the surroundings had burned away.
“Haha, why did the fire go out? Wow, isn’t this too big now? If something large comes out…”
Before Kang Gwang could finish, a black shadow shot out from the gate.
Filming the situation with his phone, Kang Gwang couldn’t speak when he saw Haeil collapsed on the ground. He had always seen him looking immaculate like an actor through screens, and the last time he entered the gate, he had created impressive flames. Seeing such a perfect man now sweating and struggling for breath was so out of character it was frightening.
For the first time since becoming a streamer, Kang Gwang put his phone down on the ground.
“Are you, are you okay?”
“Jae… Jaeha.”
“What? I can’t hear you clearly, one more time… ugh!”
Kang Gwang fell to the ground, pushed down by something heavy pressing on his back. Thanks to this, he could see through his tilted phone the rapidly scrolling chat.
⤷ Did that just appear from thin air?
⤷ Who’s that handsome guy?
⤷ Espers are all gorgeous!!
Only then did Kang Gwang notice that two new men had appeared at the gate entrance, where previously only he and Kwon Haeil had been. He hadn’t seen them running or jumping down. One of the men who suddenly appeared was the kind of pretty boy type Kang Gwang disliked, while the other was completely ordinary.
“Gilma hyung!”
“Jae…ha.”
“Gasp!”
⤷ Gasp
⤷ Gasp
⤷ Gasp
The chat was flooded with gasps, matching Kang Gwang’s real-life reaction.
The ordinary-looking man approached Kwon Haeil almost desperately, and Haeil, who had been collapsed on the ground, opened his arms to welcome him. There seemed to be a slight hesitation at first, but soon they were embracing so tightly their clothes wrinkled.
To Kang Gwang, it looked like lovers reuniting after years of separation.
This needs to be captured. Kang Gwang picked up his phone from the ground. Others were probably zooming in and recording from different angles, but being closest to them, he could occasionally hear their whispers.
“Gilma hyung, are you okay?”
“Jaeha, a little more.”
“Ugh, w-wait…”
Kang Gwang never imagined that Kwon Haeil, who had always appeared so gentlemanly, could show such passionate emotion. The chat was flooded with emoticons.
As Kang Gwang hesitated to say something, the handsome man took his phone with the gimbal. Before Kang Gwang could say anything, mesmerized by his smiling face, the man spoke first.
“Is this a personal broadcast? Hello everyone.”
⤷ My eyes are blessed!!!
⤷ I love you though we’ve just met…
⤷ Your name please! Your name! Your name!
“Wow, the chat is moving so fast. Let me mute this first. We might get age-restricted if dangerous sounds are recorded.”
The man even winked as he warned them, causing the chat to flood even more. Cleverly, his body blocked the view of Haeil and the man embracing him from appearing on screen.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
