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Rare screams erupted from all directions in C-sector. Usually, C-sector was a low-risk area where even low-ranking Espers used it as a training ground.
The Espers in C-sector, who were used to dealing with small fry, panicked at the sudden opening of a large-scale gate. Inexperienced newcomers couldn’t keep up with the speed at which the gate was opening.
“It’s, it’s Esper Kang Geonho!”
The pale-faced Espers cheered as they saw Geonho appear in the sky. Even as they bled profusely, unable to avoid the monsters’ sudden attacks, they waved their hands at Geonho. Begging to be saved.
Geonho frowned at the sight of far more injured people than he expected. While removing the gate was straightforward, moving the injured was problematic. Using telekinesis to avoid affecting those unable to evacuate was also quite tiring.
Boom―!
As Geonho was crushing the rampaging monsters, the ground shook.
New monsters crawled out from the suddenly split earth. Geonho, who had been staring at them with a bored expression, suddenly narrowed his eyes.
He descended to the ground and twisted a monster’s neck while closely examining the crevice. He bent down as if to confirm something and even wrinkled his nose.
Meanwhile, the gate continued to open endlessly. The Espers who had been relying solely on Geonho were shocked to see him suddenly stop attacking and start sniffing. Some even began crying, begging to be saved.
“Esper Kang Geonho!”
Despite calls from all directions, Geonho didn’t respond. He just walked along the split ground, focusing on his sense of smell as if searching for something.
Monsters’ corpses piled up wherever he passed. The monsters that sensed danger tried to target the weaker Espers instead of Geonho.
The moment the monsters, bristling like pufferfish, changed direction, the terrified Espers’ eyes all widened at once.
“What… is that…?”
Geonho pushed his arm into the crevice in the ground and pulled out a bizarrely shaped plant.
For a moment, the Espers thought what he had pulled out was a monster. A plant-type monster.
Its appearance was certainly misleading enough. Above the roots Geonho was gripping were ordinary-looking leaves, but the roots below resembled the shape of a newborn baby. At first glance, it could be mistaken for a baby monster.
Roar!
At that moment, all the monsters rushed towards Geonho holding the bizarre plant. In response, Geonho tilted his head slightly and suddenly threw the plant far away.
The monsters then leaped high, trying to claim the plant. Even the monsters pouring out of the new gate targeted the group surrounding the plant rather than the people.
The Espers stared blankly at the monsters fighting over the plant, as if entranced. They wondered what on earth was going on.
“You two high-rankers there. Come here.”
They snapped back to attention at Geonho’s voice. Geonho called the only two high-ranking Espers who had come to support C-sector.
“You called, sir!”
They quickly ran to Geonho.
“Can’t you smell this?”
Geonho held out a withered leaf to them. It was one he had plucked beforehand before throwing the plant.
The high-ranking Espers put their noses to the leaf and sniffed hard. They smelled it until the leaf was almost inside their nostrils, but all they could detect was the fishy smell of monsters.
“We’re sorry. We can’t tell.”
Both showed similar reactions. No matter how much they strained their sense of smell, it seemed like an odorless plant.
They offered to take it and ask other Espers as well. However, Geonho took the leaf back. If these two high-ranking Espers couldn’t smell it, it was obvious that lower-ranked ones wouldn’t be able to detect it either.
Geonho glared at the leaf that gave off a strong, pungent grass scent that stung his nose. Why couldn’t they smell this? As he pondered, someone approached.
“Um… I can sense it.”
An Esper cautiously approached. Seeing his sparkling eyes, he was a beastkin Esper. Despite his dedicated guide’s attempts to hold him back, he stepped forward courageously.
“I was puzzled because it’s a grass scent I’ve never smelled before. I thought I might be smelling it wrong.”
“Low-rank?”
The beastkin Esper nodded quickly at Geonho’s brief question and introduced himself.
Geonho rolled his eyes silently and suddenly snapped the leaf in half.
“Gather the beastkin and find all of these.”
He threw half of the leaf to the beastkin Esper and flew back into the sky. The quick-witted beastkin Esper asked what to do once they found the leaves.
Instead of answering, Geonho showed him directly.
* * *
Siwoo’s hair fluttered with Jihan’s exhaled sigh. He tried to smile as he lightly closed and opened his eyes.
“Guide, I’m sorry but I don’t have time right now.”
He tried to take Siwoo’s hand again, saying the youngest would come on his own. Siwoo avoided this and stepped back.
“What’s wrong?”
Jihan looked perplexed seeing Siwoo wary of him.
“Go help Ha Seojun first. I’ll stay here.”
Siwoo firmly distanced himself from Jihan. For some reason, he felt he shouldn’t go with him right now.
The reason wasn’t clear. It was just his intuition insisting so. That he shouldn’t follow Yoo Jihan now.
Piercing gazes gathered around. Along with murmuring voices.
Jihan closed his eyes tightly and ran his hand through his sweat-soaked hair. A bitter air swirled around his previously bewildered face.
“I’m not in a state to help anyone right now.”
When he opened his eyes again, red veins had burst in the whites of his eyes. It looked like cracks in white porcelain. Cold sweat beaded on his pale forehead and ran down his cheeks. Jihan looked to be in great pain.
“I need guiding.”
It was the first time Siwoo had seen Jihan suffer like this. The onlookers also glanced at Jihan with shocked expressions. Some began to cast blaming looks at Siwoo, who was just standing and watching.
“Please, Guide.”
Jihan reached out to Siwoo, panting faintly. The waves emanating from him also desperately needed guiding.
“Hm? Please.”
Jihan waited for Siwoo to take his hand first. With an expression pleading for him to listen. He stretched out his trembling hand while suppressing painful groans.
“We can’t do it here, can we?”
A playful smile, seemingly forced, appeared on his lips. Siwoo fell into deep thought, forgetting even to breathe. His heart was about to waver at the sight of Jihan looking like he might collapse at any moment.
“…Ha Seojun said he’ll be here soon.”
Still, he stubbornly persisted to the end. He took another step back, indicating he wouldn’t go until Ha Seojun arrived.
“You’re too much, really.”
Jihan, who had been hanging his head, suddenly stepped forward towards Siwoo without warning. Caught off guard, Siwoo’s wrist was firmly grabbed. It was a fierce grip strong enough to make his legs go weak. But the strength soon loosened.
“Jihan hyung.”
Seojun, who had returned to the safe zone, twisted Jihan’s arm while simultaneously pushing him against the wall. He watched the staggering Jihan while shielding Siwoo behind his back.
“The Guide doesn’t like it.”
Seojun was wary of Jihan, sensing something suspicious. Forcibly grabbing the guide’s hand wasn’t something he would do. Even in a state desperately craving guiding, Jihan was someone with the mental strength to control himself. Seojun knew this better than anyone.
“Seojun, why are you like this too?”
Jihan leaned against the wall and let out a deep sigh. Sweat droplets gathered on his chin fell to the floor one by one. He looked extremely tired.
“The situation isn’t good right now. We don’t have time to be doing this among ourselves.”
“But does that mean you use force on the Guide?”
It was clear just from his posture. How strongly he had grabbed that delicate arm.
“Ha Seojun.”
His voice was sharp, coming out with a deep sigh. Jihan faced Seojun with a lowered gaze and ordered him.
“Listen to hyung.”
He reached out as if asking for Siwoo.
“Let’s move the Guide to a safe place first. You stay and deal with the gate.”
Jihan, who had been saying he would join soon too, burst into coughing. As people watched his unstable condition, they started to intervene one by one.
“It seems like you need to receive guiding first right now.”
“That’s right. You don’t look well. You might collapse at this rate.”
The group of guides, including barrier makers, raised their voices.
“He should be allowed to receive guiding. Aren’t you worried when he’s sweating so much?”
“Hey Guide over there, you’re Baekya’s dedicated guide, aren’t you? Are you just going to stand and watch?”
More people began to openly criticize Siwoo. Barrier makers, much older and more experienced than Seojun, tried to persuade him in a tone of teaching a young Esper. Everyone said it was right to send Jihan and Siwoo together for now.
At that moment, Siwoo leaned closely against Seojun’s back. Resting his cheek on the tense back muscles, he slightly extended his arm.
Seojun looked down with coldly settled eyes at the wrist Siwoo had held out.
“No, fuck…”
Clear handprints remained on the snow-white wrist. The moment he saw the slender wrist already starting to bruise, Seojun’s eyes rolled.
“Hyung, are you crazy?”
He rushed at Jihan before anyone around could stop him. Stunned by Seojun’s unfamiliar behavior, people forgot to react and blankly watched as Seojun threw punches at Jihan.
Siwoo also didn’t stop Seojun. Rather, he was the one who had instigated the fight.
“That’s not Yoo Jihan.”
A small voice rang out with certainty. Siwoo was sure as he watched Jihan slump from one of Seojun’s punches. That guy was definitely someone impersonating Yoo Jihan.
The Jihan Siwoo knew wasn’t that weak. He wouldn’t hurt him either.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
