Chapter 87
There was no specific business, and I should have looked away first, but Song Tae-hyeok stood firm. In the end, I was about to avert my gaze, overwhelmed by his intensity, but before I could, Song Ji-hyeok blocked my view with his body.
“Why are you looking at that jerk? You’ll ruin your eyes.”
Just then, team assembly orders were issued. We had received information yesterday about the pre-assigned Esper alliance team compositions and base camp details, and I had already memorized it all. Song Ji-hyeok belonged to Team 1, which, as the name suggests, was an elite team composed of five top Espers from each guild. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the fate of this battle depended on Team 1’s performance.
Everyone was moving busily, and Song Ji-hyeok was about to step forward too. At that moment, I unconsciously reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Ji-hyeok.”
His gaze moved from our joined hands to my face.
“Be careful.”
I attempted guiding even though I knew it was useless right now. As expected, since he was already fully charged, none of my energy flowed into him, and I felt an inexplicable sadness.
But perhaps just from my attempt, Song Ji-hyeok seemed to sense my feelings and playfully messed up my hair.
“You be careful too, senior. Don’t interact with anyone except our guild members, don’t even think about going outside the base camp, and hide in the safest place possible.”
“I was planning to do that anyway.”
“I’ll be back.”
Song Ji-hyeok let go of my hand and walked away. Almost simultaneously, someone poked my arm, and when I turned around, Han Song-i was standing there. Her sly smile suggested she had caught something good.
“Better than the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, I see. How are those of us without pairs supposed to live~”
As expected, she immediately started teasing me, and I awkwardly cleared my throat and changed the subject.
“Aren’t you going?”
“My team hasn’t been called yet… Oh, there it is. I’ll be off too.”
“Take care.”
“Yes.”
Han Song-i gave me a bright smile and went to find her team. Watching her back quickly disappear, only one thought filled my mind: I hope everyone meets again in the evening, safe and sound, even if it means enduring three days and nights of teasing and pranks.
—
The surroundings instantly became desolate after the Espers, who formed the majority, entered first. Still, there seemed to be about thirty people left, and the tension in the air remained palpable.
The first day’s base camp was set up not far from the gate. The reason I say “first day” is because due to the dungeon’s vast size, the base camp would have to move deeper inside, following the Espers as they advanced. It would be better for the Guides’ safety if the base camp stayed close to the gate, but that would mean Espers would take forever to return for guiding, so this was an unavoidable choice.
Some Espers remained here in combat gear. Among them were those I knew well—Espers with blocking skills. They seemed to have stayed behind to protect the Guides who had zero combat ability, and there were about a dozen more Espers besides them.
‘Are they specialized in defense?’
Though it might be complacent to think so, there was nothing to do right now, so I discreetly observed their movements. Having spent much longer as an Esper before meeting Song Ji-hyeok, I still retained some Esper-like curiosity and interest that I hadn’t completely shed.
Jeon Hyeon-wook was among the remaining Espers. He was nodding earnestly while listening to someone who was clearly a leader, and as soon as that person left, he began looking around.
Our eyes met immediately. I must have been the person he was looking for, as Jeon Hyeon-wook promptly approached me with a bright expression. With so many unfamiliar people around, I was quite glad to see someone from the same guild.
“Ah, hello.”
“Yes, hello.”
I greeted him warmly in return. Before an awkward silence could set in, I continued with a neutral topic.
“You’re in charge of the barrier, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m counting on you. Please let me know if there’s anything I can help with.”
It was a common courtesy. I couldn’t take turns maintaining the barrier in his place, and there didn’t seem to be much I could do to help him here.
But hearing my words, Jeon Hyeon-wook’s eyes lit up. That gleam was so visible through his shaggy hair that I almost instinctively stepped back. His next words were even more perplexing.
“Th-then, could I ask for s-some guiding?”
“Pardon?”
Jeon Hyeon-wook seemed to misinterpret my surprised response as asking for a reason.
“I j-just used a lot of energy putting up the b-barrier. If you g-guide me, I think I’ll recover q-quickly.”
“Ah… I see you’ve already put up the barrier. But I thought there were designated Guides for Espers without pairs…”
“Yes. I-I know that too. But my m-matching rate is highest with you, Lee Su-hyeon. It’s an emergency, so p-please help me out.”
There was definitely such a clause in the guidelines. Guides who have pair Espers but are not currently engaged should care for Espers in emergency situations regardless of guild or team affiliations, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their paired Esper’s needs—something along those lines.
But while this seemed clear, there was room for subjective interpretation. Jeon Hyeon-wook wasn’t in immediate danger, but broadly speaking, the entire current situation was an emergency.
The assault team would return to base camp in at least half a day, so there was plenty of time to recover even if energy was used now. Above all, I understood an Esper’s mindset all too well. In such a situation, it was only natural, not even greedy, to want guiding from someone with a higher matching rate. Sensing my hesitation, Jeon Hyeon-wook added a few more words.
“I-I asked the t-team leader too, and they said it was f-fine.”
Whether he meant our team leader, Team 6’s leader, or the leader of the barrier team was unclear, but that wasn’t the important part. Feeling it would be inappropriate to refuse after he had gone this far, I finally nodded and accepted his request.
“Alright. I’ll guide you.”
“Th-thank you!”
We soon moved to a quiet spot behind the barracks. When I took Jeon Hyeon-wook’s hand, I could feel that he had indeed expended considerable energy, just as he’d said. While carefully regulating the flow of energy, I asked him:
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yes. This feels great. But, um…”
“Yes?”
“Well… N-no. It’s nothing.”
I could see his exposed ears gradually turning red. Not wanting to make things awkward, I pretended not to notice and focused solely on guiding, but Jeon Hyeon-wook spoke again.
“I-is it hard for you?”
“I’m fine. I think this will take about 20 minutes.”
“No. I-I’m not talking about myself.”
I suddenly felt strength enter Jeon Hyeon-wook’s voice. Wondering what he meant, I looked up, and unusually, he stared directly into my eyes.
“If it w-weren’t for Esper Song Ji-hyeok, you wouldn’t h-have had to come to this d-dangerous place.”
I could feel his energy surging within him. His raw hostility was so evident that I unconsciously hesitated.
‘From Jeon Hyeon-wook’s perspective, I suppose he can’t help feeling that way…’
But from my position, it wasn’t a welcome atmosphere. While I was considering how to respond, Jeon Hyeon-wook continued.
“I… I’ll definitely protect you.”
As if a spell had been broken, his gaze slowly turned to the ground. I looked at him for a moment, then smiled awkwardly as my lips moved. By protection, he must mean he’d be responsible for maintaining the barrier.
“That’s reassuring to hear. I hope everyone returns safely.”
Jeon Hyeon-wook just nodded without saying anything more. With nothing left to say and no particular desire to continue the conversation, I just wished for time to pass quickly.
—
About two hours later, I realized my prediction that the assault team would return to base camp in the evening or middle of the night was completely off the mark.
Beyond the invisible but solidly functioning barrier, a figure suddenly appeared in the distance. The commotion quickly spread throughout the base camp, and I also stood up abruptly, on high alert.
‘Has a monster already appeared?’
The appearance of a monster here, in the safest zone near the gate, would mean the assault team had already been breached. I was shocked at this unbelievable fact, but fortunately, it wasn’t a monster.
No, I quickly realized that “fortunately” was not the right word to use. The figure emerging in the distance was a blood-covered Esper.
“K-Kyungho!”
A Guide who recognized him let out a scream mixed with wailing. There was a Guide trying to rush through the barrier, others holding him back, and cries of distress all mixing together, transforming the base camp into a scene of chaos in an instant.
“Bring him in quickly!”
“Yes!”
An Esper who received the order ran through the split in the barrier. Eventually, he returned with two people, and when I saw the Esper being carried on his back, I involuntarily squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head away. But the image already imprinted on my retina was all too clear. The right arm that should have been there was missing.
