# Chapter 73
It was my responsibility to rush at the staggering monster, deliver a final blow, and eliminate it. I drew my sword against the completely fallen monster, cut off its head, and carved out its heart.
From that moment until we conquered six dungeons, we didn’t rest for a moment. The Center’s control room continuously informed us of new dungeon locations. No new dungeons appeared during that time. If dungeons had reappeared as we conquered them, I thought the situation would have been truly difficult.
Four remained. If they were similar to the level of those we’d conquered so far, it seemed we could complete the conquests and return without casualties. I observed the S-class Espers.
Kyun In was particularly exhausted. The wavelengths weren’t fluctuating wildly, but that was likely because of me. Kyun In said so himself first.
“If it weren’t for Esper Seo Eunwoo, I would’ve gone berserk already. To be honest, I’m starting to feel the strain now.”
He had every right to say that. He had truly given his all.
When I looked at Byun Tae-young and Shim Woo-jin, they said they could still endure. Cha Yoon looked fresh.
“Have you actually been doing anything?” I asked Cha Yoon in the car as we moved. He looked genuinely shocked, and from his huffing, it seemed he had indeed been doing something.
The person I was most worried about was Lee Ha-min. While we attacked the monsters, he not only amplified our abilities but also constantly looked for opportunities to attack himself. Without Ha-min, conquering so many dungeons in a single day would have been impossible.
Though unconquered dungeons remained, we decided to withdraw. Instead, we called Espers from the Center to standby around the dungeons and report on the situation. The dungeons definitely showed different behavior than before, and we needed to prepare for new situations.
“Can other Espers conquer the dungeons we’ve conquered?” Cha Yoon asked in the car heading back to the Center.
No one would have expected those words to come from Cha Yoon. Even Cha Yoon himself seemed surprised by what he had just said. It was a strange scene, like someone earnestly studying a script suddenly delivering someone else’s lines.
However, the S-class Espers looked at each other, apparently feeling they should answer. They seemed to be thinking about their answers, but I was optimistic.
“I think even just five A-class physical enhancement Espers could do it without much difficulty.”
“Even about seven high-rank telekinesis Espers could do it, I think.”
“With five high-rank flame type… No. Five might be a bit risky? But with seven or eight, we should get decent results.”
After I spoke first, Kyun In and Byun Tae-young continued.
“Mixing them would increase the chances of success significantly. Since there aren’t many dungeons left, let’s deploy other Espers to the remaining ones. It would be good if Seo Eunwoo and Lee Ha-min checked the internal situation of the dungeons before deployment and informed the Espers. Even better if they could advise on conquest strategies.”
It was fortunate we found some answers on the way back. While the others were talking, Ha-min remained silent.
I quietly took his hand. His wavelength was unstable.
Seeing this, I corrected what I had said to Kyun In.
“I need to correct what I said earlier. What I suggested was possible only assuming Ha-min would be there. Without Ha-min, even twenty A-class physical enhancement Espers might not be enough.”
All the S-class Espers nodded.
“That’s right. To replace the combination of an S-class Esper and Ha-min, at least twenty A-class Espers would need to enter simultaneously.”
Byun Tae-young said with a serious expression, and we decided to conquer each of the remaining dungeons at a rate of one per day. We judged that even though we would step in again if a dungeon showed signs of opening, for now, it was good to deploy other Espers to give them an opportunity to adapt to the new dungeons while directly conquering them.
“Wouldn’t it be good to deploy people who trained together as a team, Eunwoo-ssi?” Shim Woo-jin suggested.
When I agreed that would be good, Cha Yoon also stepped forward.
“Then shall I form a team from the people I’ve trained?”
That was truly a good idea, and he recited the names of Espers he had been keeping an eye on.
His alternative was quite attractive, to the point of being surprised that Cha Yoon had such ability. Even Ha-min praised it as a really good composition.
Cha Yoon, who had always been defensive against people’s criticism and pointing, seemed uncomfortable with the atmosphere. Even then, he appeared to be preparing to push back, only to be bewildered by our reactions.
“Is it… okay?”
“Yes. I think it would be good to have about two barrier ability users as well? To prepare for unexpected attacks from monsters.”
I shared the names of barrier ability users I had in mind, and Cha Yoon nodded. It was a very good combination.
With new dungeons appearing, and the vague anxiety that had started with the blue fog before that, was considerably dispelled.
“It shouldn’t be difficult. We can do it.”
When Kyun In spoke, the other S-class Espers also nodded.
“When we get back, I think it would be good to gather people and at least brief them about today’s events.”
The person who brought this up was Shim Woo-jin, and Kyun In and Byun Tae-young exchanged meaningful glances.
“…Why?”
When Shim Woo-jin asked, the two smiled like villains.
“You know the person who brings it up has to do it, right?”
Byun Tae-young spoke as if he had been waiting for someone to mention it first.
Shim Woo-jin made a wronged expression, but didn’t look like he really hated it.
That was also a changed aspect. Shim Woo-jin, and Byun Tae-young too. Not to mention Kyun In. All the S-class Espers were gradually changing, into forms I couldn’t have imagined when I first met them.
I suddenly looked back at Cha Yoon and found him busily operating his device.
A little later, Cha Yoon’s training team assembly notice appeared on my device. It seemed he was trying to gather those who would participate in the dungeon conquest for at least a brief strategy meeting.
The atmosphere here was so firmly established that there seemed no room for other thoughts.
I smiled slightly, finding it surprising that Cha Yoon was doing this, then quietly took Ha-min’s hand. His wavelength was fluctuating even more than before.
I held his hand and slowly rubbed the inside of his wrist with my finger. It wasn’t with the thought of starting Guiding, but with the hope that he would feel more comfortable, but from that moment, his wavelength seemed to stabilize a bit.
Was this the effect of an insane matching rate? Or was Ha-min responding to my wish for him not to struggle?
When I looked up, he was looking at me. How could I find his face mysterious every time I see it, even when I’m sick of looking at it?
Huh? Is there gray in Ha-min’s eyes? No? They’re brown? They’re incredibly colorful?
Before I knew it, I was staring at him with such thoughts, but he just smiled back at me without asking why.
I’ll look closely during Guiding. What color are this guy’s eyes, anyway?
***
As soon as we got out of the car, the S-class Espers each went to do their assigned tasks, and we would normally have been busy moving as well.
But Kyun In told us to stabilize the wavelength first, so we returned to our quarters.
“Was it hard, Ha-min?” I asked as I took off my outer clothes and hung them on the rack.
Ha-min shrugged his shoulders.
“I think I might have been too forward.”
“Yes, a bit. It’s necessary to try trusting others too. Actually, that also requires training.”
“That’s really true.”
“On days like today, conquering with overwhelming power is necessary. Everyone would have been anxious. Actually, they would have been reassured by you doing what you did. Thinking, ‘Oh, this isn’t such a big deal after all.'”
I was bustling about, putting down my device, putting on slippers, but there was no response from Ha-min.
Wondering why, I turned around to find him tilting his head to the side, looking at me.
“What?”
“Eunwoo-ya. How do you know these things so well?”
“What things?”
“Things like this. What you just said seems really right. But I don’t think someone else could say that. It seems like something you couldn’t say without experiencing it, but you say it as if it’s so obvious.”
“Ah…”
Did he notice?
That can’t be, right?
I’m probably just being paranoid.
“Well, I’m just that amazing.”
“Yes, you really seem that way. During training too. You make the unimaginable possible. Esper Shim Woo-jin was talking about it. He said being next to you makes his imagination grow endlessly. What you told him keeps coming to mind, and starting from there, he feels like he can accomplish anything. And I think so too.”
Looks like my followers are multiplying tremendously.
“Come here. Let’s calm your wavelength.”
When I reached out my hand saying that, he smiled.
He approached, wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and gently kissed me.
With my eyes closed, I surrendered to his warmth.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
