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Kwak Seokjin ran alone through the darkness.
“Hgh, ugh… *cough*.”
Even though he was only running, his body had reached its limit. With each step, his ruptured internal organs threatened to push up through his throat.
Despite this, he didn’t stop. This was a life gained by throwing his loyal subordinate to the predator as bait. He couldn’t end it like this.
[L-Leader!]
Ho-il’s final voice rang in Seokjin’s muffled ears.
When Ho-il lit the flame with his lighter, it was just for an instant, but Seokjin saw it too—the horrific form of the monster hidden in darkness.
Seokjin had thrown Ho-il toward the monster and fled alone. He ran straight ahead, ignoring the voice of his subordinate calling after him.
His blurry vision was filled with pitch-black darkness. It felt like running toward a wall.
“Gah!”
Seokjin tripped on a creature’s shed skin on the ground and fell forward. Having fallen face-first, his nose bone was crushed.
His body, already at its limit, thrashed while pinned to the ground. The numbness faded, and pain began to constrict his breathing.
“G-get away…”
He couldn’t die like this.
Blood tears welled up in Seokjin’s eyes, which were covered with burst capillaries. Having lost the strength to stand, he pounded the ground and cursed at his approaching death.
“You think I’ll die like this?! Me, who protected this country! Me, Kwak Seokjin!”
His cracked voice spread on the cool breeze. The presence in the darkness that inhaled that breeze approached Seokjin.
“I! I protected everyone! Me, the leader of Seowol!”
His body trembled like an aspen tree as he repeated the same words. The more Seokjin sensed the dark energy approaching him, the louder he shouted.
“I am Kwak Seokjin! The leader of Seowol!”
His face, soaked with sweat and blood, was stained with terror. The space between his powerless legs became wet, and his head, having lost much blood, grew cold.
“I am the one who saved this country! Seowol’s…”
His eyes were about to close. They had lost focus long ago. His exhausted body was finally heading toward death.
“Seowol’s leader.”
Just as his consciousness was fading, a voice from the darkness made his eyes snap open.
“Lea… der…”
It was clearly a human voice. Seokjin, doubting his ears, widened his eyes.
“L-leader…”
Seokjin inhaled sharply at the monster’s voice, which had become more distinct.
The monster was speaking human language. Just as he wondered if it was merely mimicking his voice, the monster continued.
“Leader, must… pro…tect.”
The halting voice awakened Seokjin’s consciousness. A light of excitement appeared on his face, which had been immersed in despair.
“You… are you human?”
Seokjin detected a distinct esper wave amid the putrid smell. This was clearly the wave of an exceptional high-level esper.
The being hidden in darkness wasn’t a monster but a person. Not an ordinary person, but a high-level esper.
Suddenly, hot blood began to flow through Seokjin’s body. His stiff mind became excited and started working rapidly.
A smile formed on the lips of Seokjin, who had been on the verge of death. It was the smile of someone who had found an answer.
“You’re the one causing the beastkin seizures, aren’t you?”
The esper’s wave squirmed at the word ‘beastkin.’ Detecting this, Seokjin smiled like a snake.
“Are you causing beastkin espers to rampage in here? Is that it?”
The wave that responded to the word beastkin gradually became rougher. The more it did, the wider Seokjin’s hideous smile grew.
“Tell me that method too.”
Seokjin knelt before the esper disguised as a monster. He extended both hands as if praying to a god, asking to be shown how to kill those creatures.
“Dan…gerous…”
Then a slow, inarticulate voice echoed.
“Beast…kin, dan…gerous…”
“Yes! They are dangerous beings!”
Seokjin rapidly spewed words even while coughing blood. His eyes, filled with hope, glistened as if he had truly met a god.
“Let’s kill the beastkin together! I’m on your side! The disgusting beastkin who pretend to be human must all die! They don’t deserve to live!”
Seokjin’s voice, which had been pouring down like heavy rain, abruptly cut off. Instead, the sound of his severed tongue dropping to the ground echoed.
“Huk…”
Seokjin’s pupils shook violently as his tongue was cut off. When he instinctively felt the ground looking for his fallen tongue, one of his remaining arms was cut off next.
Kugugung.
The esper’s wave, engulfed in anger, caused an earthquake. Unintelligible mumbling continued like a god’s curse.
“Dan…gerous. Must, die…”
Seokjin, with his tongue and both arms cut off, was sucked into the splitting ground below. A suppressed groan sounded from his bright red neck with thick veins, but it was all swallowed by the ground’s vibration.
Bang! Boom! Boom—!
Once started, the earthquake didn’t stop. Among the sounds of splitting earth and collapsing walls, a beast’s howl intermingled. It was a cry filled with resentment.
Then suddenly, all sound ceased.
The monster that had stopped crying raised its head in the darkness. As if sensing something, there was a sign of it taking a deep breath.
There was a scent. The scent of a strong beastkin esper.
* * *
Boom!
Geonho, unable to contain his excitement, struck the stone wall. He couldn’t stay still for a moment, like someone suffering from severe anxiety.
He muttered that he needed to find his brother and was extremely anxious. The reason for his brother’s disappearance was all too clear.
“Geonho, calm down first.”
Jihan tried to calm Geonho by giving Siwoo to the relatively composed youngest member. But Geonho, unable to control himself, covered his face and even gasped for breath.
His brother’s absence caused him uncontrollable anxiety. It wasn’t something he could suppress with willpower.
Geonho went to a corner and frantically scratched the stone wall until his breathing calmed. He looked like a dog that had lost its owner, who was everything to him.
Nyaang!
Siwoo shouted loudly toward Geonho.
Siwoo was also shocked and in despair, but seeing Geonho breaking down much more severely than himself made his mind clear. He thought he should pull himself together, if only for Geonho’s sake.
Nya! Nyaong!
Siwoo jumped out of the youngest member’s arms and leaped onto Geonho.
‘It’s okay! Calm down! I’ll find that Kang Taebeom kid for you!’
He climbed onto the knees of the seated Geonho and bumped his body against Geonho’s face. Geonho’s face was already wet with cold sweat.
He was like this just because Kang Taebeom had disappeared and left him. It was irritatingly understandable why that guy hid his illness.
It couldn’t be helped. Kang Geonho had only his brother.
‘Kang Geonho, it’s okay. Don’t worry about anything!’
Siwoo earnestly comforted Geonho. He wiped Geonho’s sweat with his whole body until his fur became completely damp.
Nyaang! Nyaoong!
‘Let’s catch that damn leader bastard! Let’s catch him and beat him up!’
Gradually, his comfort turned into anger. His insides boiled as he thought of Kang Taebeom.
‘Let’s tie him up so he can never disappear again! So that bastard Kang Taebeom can never do dangerous things!’
Siwoo cried at the top of his lungs. He cried so loudly that Geonho, whose face was against his, felt pain in his ears.
Nyaaakaaong—!
Even though they had agreed to receive guiding… He took everything upon himself and disappeared again. Bad guy. Liar.
He had been so affectionate that Siwoo thought he had finally opened his heart. Siwoo had been so happy, thinking Taebeom was finally relying on him.
Nyak! Nya! Nyaakaong!
“Okay, okay. I’m calm now. Han Siwoo, I’ve calmed down.”
Thanks to Siwoo, who was crying like a possessed cat, Geonho’s focus sharpened. Now their positions were reversed, with Geonho holding and comforting Siwoo.
Siwoo, exhausted from crying, buried his face deep in Geonho’s arms. But as if he still had more to pour out, he continued to meow.
“Don’t guide. It’s okay. I’m fine now.”
Geonho, who had regained his senses, stopped Siwoo from sending out his guiding. Jihan came over with the coat Taebeom had left behind and covered Siwoo with it.
“Guide, wear this.”
He put the jacket on Siwoo like a cape, tying the sleeves and placing barrier stones and acorns in the side pockets. Though he was as surprised as everyone else, he acted with the most composure.
The priority was to calm the children and find their leader. Jihan gently stroked Siwoo’s white hair while checking on Geonho and Seojun.
Fortunately, both were now more concerned about Siwoo than their disappeared leader.
“Open your mouth. Did you tear your throat?”
“I’ll go see if there’s any water.”
While Geonho and Seojun took care of Siwoo, Jihan tried to think of a way to find Taebeom.
His ability was still blocked. He couldn’t create clones randomly to search for their leader. Teleportation was also impossible.
But he couldn’t sit idly. Jihan knew Taebeom better than anyone. He was a guy ingrained with self-sacrifice. Especially for his younger brother, he would do anything.
“You guys stay here for now.”
Jihan decided to leave the cave alone. It would be dangerous for Geonho, the enemy’s target, and the youngest to move.
“I’ll find the leader. You stay and protect the guide.”
Nyaak!
Siwoo, who was leaning heavily on Geonho, barked at Jihan. Geonho, who was patting him, immediately translated.
“He says shut up.”
“Geonho, did you speak cat language before?”
“Jihan hyung, if you’re going to say such things, just shut up.”
Seojun, who had been rummaging through the man’s worn backpack, threw a water bottle at Jihan.
Jihan responded calmly to the youngest’s rough words. Now was the time for him, as the eldest, to act as the leader.
“Kids.”
Nyaaaak!
The angry Siwoo even kicked towards Jihan. Geonho made Jihan close his mouth, saying, “Do you want to see the kid’s throat burst?”
“Drink some water.”
Siwoo moistened his throat first. He lapped up the water Geonho had poured into the bottle cap and tried to calm himself.
There was no time to just be angry and depressed. They needed to do something quickly. Before Kang Taebeom did something rash.
Siwoo suddenly raised his head and stared at the stone walls surrounding them. Then he looked at Geonho and Seojun in turn and took a deep breath.
His deliberation wasn’t long. With an expression of having made a decision, Siwoo left Geonho’s arms and headed toward the wall.
Nyaong.
Standing on two legs, Siwoo touched the wall. He tapped the solid stone wall and eagerly communicated his plan.
Nyaang. Nyaong. Nyaa, niyaong. Nyaang? Nyaong!
Jihan and Seojun naturally looked at Geonho. Siwoo also looked up at Geonho as if asking if he understood. He even flicked his tail as if to say “hurry up and translate.”
But how could he possibly know?
“I’m… a dog.”
Dogs and cats are completely different animals.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
