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The man’s gaze, fixed on the ground, sank deeper and deeper. If he stayed any longer, he looked like he might sink into the earth.
Everyone fell silent as the man’s expression seemed to be reminiscing about a distant past. A rather long silence built up.
Just as Geonho, the least patient, was starting to lose focus, the man finally spoke.
“Anyway, that’s what happened.”
He waved his hand, concluding the conversation. The eyes of the Baekya members who had been focused on him widened greatly. Except for Taebeom, whose expression remained unchanged.
“Is this old bastard joking?”
“I’m sorry, but Esper, it seems you only finished the explanation in your thoughts.”
Geonho cursed out loud, while Jihan laughed cunningly. Siwoo didn’t stay quiet either.
“You haven’t told us anything yet! What conflict are you talking about?”
“Could he have dementia?”
Siwoo, influenced by Seojun’s suspicious gaze, thought, “Ah, could that be it?”
However, fortunately, the man’s mind was sound. At least it wasn’t dementia.
“I need to sleep now. I’ve used too much power after a long time.”
“What’s so tiring about teleporting a few times? Are you a low-rank?”
The man glared at the sneering Geonho and put his hands on his hips.
“You think I only did teleportation?”
He stood up and struck the solid stone wall with a thud.
“You’re all catching your breath now thanks to me, you know?”
A transparent membrane vibrated where his hand touched the stone wall. It was a thick protective barrier that even ability users could detect.
“I’m hiding all your presences with my ability. Don’t talk about things you don’t understand properly.”
His words were true. The man explained his specialty in concealment, shutting Geonho up.
If it weren’t for him, monsters would have attacked this cave long ago. It could have been an even worse situation.
“If you don’t make a fuss, you could live here for a lifetime, so stay quiet.”
“We’re not here to live for a lifetime.”
Even Taebeom spoke up. His already deep and low voice resonated in the cave. Despite speaking the least, his presence was the strongest.
The man looked at Taebeom for a moment and then crossed his arms.
“That’s just a figure of speech. I don’t intend to live here with you guys forever either.”
His eyelids grew a bit heavy as he retorted with a snort. It seemed that his need to sleep wasn’t just an excuse. However, Baekya still had a lot of information to get from him.
Taebeom gestured with his eyes towards the metal chair he was sitting on. When the man had given him the chair, he had said it would be a long story.
The man shrugged shamelessly at Taebeom’s look that seemed to ask why he was changing his attitude now.
“I gave it to you because you looked so tired. What can I do?”
The man blurted out and walked past Taebeom. He no longer seemed interested in talking.
“Are the plant and beastkin seizures related?”
Taebeom asked the man one last question as he headed towards the small cave. The man shook his head with a shallow sigh.
“That’s just like bait. It’s not dangerous in itself.”
The man rubbed his eyes and glanced sideways at Geonho, who was glaring at him disapprovingly.
“Don’t worry about the ones outside, just worry about yourselves. The stronger ones are more dangerous.”
He left another meaningful statement. Then he took out firewood and an old lighter from his backpack. When he applied force to his hand, the firewood multiplied. Still, he cautioned them to use it sparingly.
“It’s safe here. You all look in bad shape, so rest while you can.”
“Hey, wait.”
Geonho called out to stop the man.
“Just how many abilities do you have?”
He had directly seen more than five. Could he be a replication ability user like Jihan?
He seemed to be quite high-ranked, yet he was a multi-ability user. Even if he was active in the distant past, someone with this level of skill should have been a well-known figure.
“I’ve never counted.”
The man casually said another incredible thing. It meant he had so many abilities that he couldn’t count them. Jihan, also a multi-ability user, smiled with admiration.
“Don’t talk to me anymore. And don’t come in until I come out.”
He created a large door at the passage leading to the small cave. His voice slowed down, filled with drowsiness, as if he really was going to sleep.
“Me too.”
At that moment, Siwoo suddenly approached the man. He stopped Geonho and Seojun, who were naturally trying to follow, and stood alone behind the man.
“I’m the same as you.”
His voice was faint, as if he had spoken after some deliberation. The man didn’t ask what he meant. He just opened the door he had created.
“…I’m a cat beastkin too.”
Siwoo added before the man entered the cave. It was the first time he had properly conversed with someone of the same race. He had never even seen one this close before.
“I know.”
Siwoo flinched at the utterly indifferent tone.
“Of course I can tell by looking at your face. What’s so special about it?”
The man shot a look at Siwoo’s pale white face and entered the cave, firmly closing the door.
Well, it wasn’t a rare species. The difficulty in seeing cat beastkin was simply because they preferred to be alone.
Still, Siwoo was very surprised and fascinated because it was his first encounter. The man, apparently, was not.
It felt strange to think that a man who was also a cat beastkin like himself had been trapped inside the gate for a long time. That’s why he had brought it up.
“Want me to teach him a lesson?”
Geonho approached Siwoo and took his hand, pretending to kick down the door. Seojun, who had taken Siwoo’s other hand, had a similar expression to Geonho.
“What lesson?”
Siwoo lightly hit Geonho’s thick forearm with his forehead and just shook Seojun’s hand that he was holding.
Jihan crossed his legs and slouched in the metal chair, watching the backs of the three standing close together.
“Why don’t you just read him?”
He discreetly suggested to Taebeom, pointing at his own head. It would be quickly resolved if he read the man’s thoughts with his mental ability.
But for some reason, Taebeom had let the man go without resistance. It was uncharacteristic of him.
“We don’t have time to relax. What if we lose our memories while we’re here?”
“We can’t fight right now anyway.”
Jihan looked at Taebeom’s bruised face for a moment. Well, that’s true. As the man said, everyone was tired. The youngest looked like he didn’t even have the strength to stand for long.
Jihan had received guiding, but he still needed rest. The same would be true for Geonho, who had used his ability the most.
Still, wouldn’t it be better to at least read his thoughts? Jihan, wanting to quickly know the information in the man’s mind, let out a dry sigh.
“Ah, the leader’s ability must be blocked too.”
Then he suddenly had a look of realization. Even Geonho’s ability was blocked, so of course, the leader wouldn’t be able to use his power either, just like himself.
“Geonho’s is coming back little by little, but mine isn’t yet. Is it the same for you, leader?”
Jihan clenched and unclenched his hand that couldn’t create anything. Seeing Geonho push Seojun with psychokinesis, it seemed his power was slowly returning.
To think that the leader’s precious mental ability was blocked. It might be okay for himself, but not being able to use the leader’s ability was a big loss.
“Kang Geonho, Ha Seojun. Step away.”
At that moment, Taebeom spoke in a sharp voice.
Geonho and Seojun, who had been in a battle of nerves with Siwoo between them, forcibly distanced themselves at the leader’s single word. Siwoo rubbed his forehead with a tired face.
“Move the sleeping bags.”
Taebeom ordered Geonho and Seojun to move the sleeping bags and blankets piled in the corner to the small cave. They moved immediately.
“Han Siwoo, go inside.”
He directed Siwoo without even looking at him. He had stared intently when talking to the man, but now. He didn’t even glance at Siwoo, even though he knew Siwoo was staring at him.
Siwoo’s eyes gradually sharpened as he stared at the back of Taebeom’s head.
“What should I do inside?”
Instead of going in right away, Siwoo asked Taebeom back.
“Rest.”
“Alone?”
Taebeom finally looked at Siwoo. But his gaze quickly drifted away.
“Take Ha Seojun with you.”
Taebeom nodded towards the small cave and turned his back again. He was always brusque, but he seemed particularly cold now.
Or was he? Was he always like this?
Siwoo, with mixed feelings, couldn’t readily move his feet. The more he looked at Taebeom, the more disappointed he felt.
He was even polite when talking to that man. Why to me…
“Ha Seojun, let’s go.”
Siwoo, pressing his lips tightly, took the hand of Seojun, who had just finished moving the sleeping bags, and led him. He had done enough guiding for Geonho and Jihan, so now it was the youngest and the leader’s turn.
However, he decided to take care of only the youngest, leaving the uninterested leader alone. After all, that’s what he said to do. To take only Ha Seojun inside. Even with all those bruises and wounds on his face…
Siwoo, who was heading to the small cave with Seojun, stopped abruptly.
As he suppressed the rising disappointment in his heart, his thoughts expanded.
Kang Taebeom is not someone who disregards others without reason. There was always a reason he created for his cold attitude.
Siwoo blinked slowly and turned back towards Taebeom.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
