# Chapter 39
“A dungeon has appeared in Origin and hasn’t been cleared. I think your Center is already aware of this, but it’s been almost 2 weeks without being cleared.”
“2 weeks? Almost 2 weeks? What have they been doing all this time? Couldn’t the dungeon open at this rate?”
At the mention of a dungeon opening, everyone’s gaze turned to the Center Director.
Stories circulated like legends about how when dungeons that haven’t been cleared for a long time open, the monsters inside come out and countless people die, literally creating hell on earth, but no one had actually seen this happen.
Even in the novel, it was only mentioned in passing once, and nothing similar happened by the end of the story, so why was this suddenly happening?
“What’s going on here? What have those guys been doing instead of clearing it? They say monsters become much stronger when dungeons open.”
The situation was serious enough for Shim Woo-jin, who rarely speaks up, to raise his voice.
“They seem to be just trying to check us. I think it’s because the high-ranked Espers aren’t moving as expected. They probably think that if the dungeon opens, we’ll have no choice but to step in since we would also be affected by a dungeon opening in that area.”
“What is this? Aren’t they blocking our access to that area?”
When Byun Tae-young asked irritably, the Center Director nodded.
“It’s certainly a ridiculous situation. Many political figures have moved there. People who want to enjoy privileges.”
“What happens if we go there? What measures do they take if we go to where the dungeon has appeared?”
When I asked, the Center Director let out a small sigh and said,
“That place has gained autonomy. All areas of their Central are their territory.”
“Please speak clearly. So what happens if we go there?”
When Kyun In asked again, the Center Director’s sigh grew longer.
We wouldn’t have any problems.
They would welcome us with open arms.
But he didn’t want to say that.
“Those guys absolutely cannot handle an opened dungeon. They probably left it alone until now because they couldn’t handle it even before it opened. Isn’t that right?”
When Byun Tae-young asked the researcher, he lowered his head.
Then he raised his head again and glanced at the Center Director.
His face seemed to be asking if he could tell us.
The Center Director nodded, and the researcher began to explain.
“Several Espers have already died in Origin. They’re keeping it quiet, but this has been cross-verified. They want to attract Espers from our Center with good conditions, but I think over time, more people who went there will want to return to our Central. The more time passes, the more their instability will grow.”
“Did Espers die because the dungeon monsters are strong?”
When Lee Ha-min asked, the researcher nodded.
“That would be one reason, and another major reason would be that they didn’t receive proper Guiding. Several Guides also went there, but they don’t seem to be Guiding effectively.”
“This is ridiculous. They want to create a new Central to enjoy power, but they can’t handle dungeons. If things go on like this, the dungeon will open and who knows where those monsters will go.”
Annoyance filled Byun Tae-young’s face.
“We have no choice. It’s not a difficult task for us anyway. And since we were planning to train, wouldn’t it be better for us to go to an uncleared dungeon?”
Kyun In said and looked around at us.
Lee Ha-min was the first to nod.
He became anxious and worried just hearing that people were dying.
“Please tell us the location of the dungeon.”
When Lee Ha-min spoke, the researcher looked at the Center Director.
The Center Director might have been worried that we wouldn’t return.
But in the end, he nodded at the researcher, and the researcher told us the location of the dungeon.
We all stood up almost simultaneously as if that was all we had been waiting for, and left the place.
“Those idiots. I wonder if we should burn down the entire Central while we’re there.”
When Byun Tae-young said this, Kyun In nodded and said it was a good idea, and even Shim Woo-jin agreed.
“We shouldn’t forgive such people. They can’t even handle one dungeon, yet they’re fanning the flames to maintain a new Central?”
They spoke so seriously that I thought they might actually do it.
Should I stop them at times like this?
But if I did, they might tease me, saying, “Did you think we were serious?”
“Lee Ha-min. What do you think? Do they seem serious?”
But Lee Ha-min didn’t seem to be focusing on what I was saying.
Just like when the Center Director was talking about Guides, Lee Ha-min seemed lost in other thoughts the whole time.
It was like a switch had been turned on inside him.
“Lee Ha-min.”
When I took his hand, he looked at me as if startled.
“Are you okay?”
“I hate this, Eunwoo. Really. I hate it so much.”
I told him,
“Then change it, Lee Ha-min. You change it. You can do that now. With me.”
With me.
I shouldn’t have said that.
After saying it, I realized it was too cheesy.
I hoped the S-class Espers hadn’t heard what I said, but I somehow felt I shouldn’t expect that.
When I glanced around, all three of them were looking at me.
Byun Tae-young had an approving face, Kyun In rubbed his arm as if he got goosebumps, and Shim Woo-jin said with a moved face,
“I’ll join you too, Eunwoo.”
Please don’t.
Shim Woo-jin made it even more embarrassing.
***
We all moved to the site in Byun Tae-young’s car.
It was an excessively luxurious car for going to clear a dungeon.
What was Byun Tae-young thinking when he chose that car?
If we couldn’t return, that car would be stolen.
“We have to show those guys properly that we’ve come.”
“So we’re going like this. I thought I’d never have a reason to go there.”
Hearing Kyun In’s mutter, I recalled when he had asked me to go to the new city.
What would have happened if Kyun In had left the Center then?
If that had happened, it would have caused much bigger ripples than just one S-class Esper leaving.
Kyun In, Byun Tae-young, and Shim Woo-jin didn’t just have the significance of being individual S-class Espers.
Each of them had enormous influence, and their decisions affected many people.
You could see this just from the fact that the new city was named “Origin” even though they hadn’t left this place.
Many administrative bodies and key government agencies seemed to have already moved there, and famous companies that had maintained this Central had also relocated.
In this situation, the fact that the current Central hadn’t completely collapsed and continued to maintain its foundation was purely due to the power of the S-class Espers.
There were also rumors that people who left didn’t sell their mansions, as if leaving room to return anytime.
“Maybe it’s better to just wait? The monsters won’t come to our Center anyway. They might come to our Center, but they’ll go to their Center first. With people gathered nearby, there’s no reason for them to ignore those people and come here.”
When Kyun In spoke in a tone that showed his anger hadn’t subsided, Lee Ha-min said that wouldn’t be right.
Lee Ha-min seemed like he would never change, no matter how much time passed.
Worried about people, and likely to step forward and take risks whenever possible…
I approached him, fully aware of what he was like.
So now I was just taking responsibility for my decision.
Byun Tae-young drove himself, and we headed to the area where the dungeon was located.
On the way, we hardly spoke.
I couldn’t tell what each person was thinking.
Too many things had happened in a short time, which made it worse.
If we had left the Center Director’s office before the researcher came in, my mind wouldn’t be so tangled.
I would have been feeling the aftereffects of becoming an S-class Esper.
No, before that, we had been talking about improving the treatment of Guides, so I might have been thinking about that.
“Lee Ha-min. I’m looking forward to the effect of your amplification ability.”
Kyun In said, but Lee Ha-min didn’t answer.
“What? You won’t do it?”
Kyun In spoke as if he felt hurt, and I found it funny.
It was because of his tone that sounded like he was purely asking about Lee Ha-min’s plans, rather than scolding him for not answering.
“I don’t know what will happen either. For now, I want to try on my own.”
“I see. That makes sense. Okay. But if we get a chance, let’s try together.”
“I’ll try if possible.”
“Okay.”
Kyun In nodded as if that answer was enough.
Shim Woo-jin took out his violin from its case.
He left the case in the car and we headed to the dungeon.
From the time we reached Central, we received attention from many people.
To say we received “attention” is putting it mildly; we endured persistent suspicious glances wondering why we had appeared here.
This reached its peak in the area where the dungeon had appeared.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
