# Chapter 72
The feeling was so unfamiliar and terrible that I unconsciously gripped Ha-min’s hand tightly, and he held mine in return.
“Does this have anything to do with the monster?”
Though I knew Ha-min wouldn’t have the answer, I still wanted him to respond. Perhaps I wasn’t asking because I thought he would know, but because I wanted him to reassure me with some comforting words.
He simply continued holding my hand.
In times like these, that was the only comfort we could offer each other. Maybe that false reassurance was all we could hope for from one another.
Looking at Ha-min, I told him everything would be alright. It suddenly occurred to me that he might be just as scared and anxious as I was. I wanted to shield his back from the descending darkness and tell him that it was still bright with light, so he wouldn’t tremble.
The guy smiled as if he understood why I said those words.
That day, we spent a long time staring at Central shrouded in blue fog. Though we thought we were observing the fog from outside, we were actually standing within it, exposed to its effects.
While the fog enveloped Central, nothing about Central itself seemed to change. It was the same massive planned city as always—nothing more, nothing less. Central was extremely peaceful, so much so that it made me think this was what a city at dawn should look like. The scene was so tranquil that I even rested my head on Ha-min’s shoulder, feeling a momentary sense of comfort. He wrapped his arm around mine, and we stayed that way for a while.
When we returned, we couldn’t properly report to the S-class Espers because we hadn’t learned anything. The S-class Espers seemed to understand, as if they hadn’t really expected us to discover anything significant.
The research team, which had been focused on creating stabilizers for a while, now turned their attention to studying the blue fog. They left their labs and headed to Central, adjusting their work hours to coincide with the fog’s appearance.
Though no one said it aloud, everyone probably wondered if the newly appeared blue fog had some connection to the dungeons. Before we could find answers ourselves, a dungeon appeared. While we couldn’t confirm whether it was related to the blue fog, there was enough reason for suspicion.
The S-class Espers said they should go first, but Ha-min and I stopped them. I thought it would be better for me to go, while Ha-min insisted on going himself. The S-class Espers were equally determined, so in the end, all five of us went together.
I clearly remember that five of us were supposed to go, but when we got in the car, there were six of us including Cha Yoon. Claiming he couldn’t miss what might be a historic moment, Cha Yoon seemed intent on deflecting everyone’s attention from himself.
“But is it okay for all the S-class Espers to move together like this? Haven’t you heard about not putting all your eggs in one basket?”
Cha Yoon spoke as if looking at rookies, and we looked at him the same way.
“What’s more precious than me? If I die, it’s all over. Do I have a family or anything else?”
When Kyun In said that, Cha Yoon looked dumbfounded.
“Is that the attitude of a Center Director who’s supposed to protect Central?”
“Cha Yoon, I don’t think I’m someone who needs to be lectured by you.”
Kyun In spoke as if hearing those words from Cha Yoon was unbearably shameful, his body even trembling.
The other S-class Espers didn’t even bother engaging with Cha Yoon. They shook their heads, seemingly unable to understand why Kyun In was responding to Cha Yoon at all.
I had similar thoughts too. I quietly said to Ha-min, “I wonder if they’re actually growing fond of each other,” and somehow both of them heard it and exploded in protest at the same time.
They sure have sharp ears.
On our way, I shared a spontaneous thought with Kyun In.
“I think it would be good to form a scout team to check the dungeon first. I feel like the dungeons appearing from now on might be different from what we’ve seen so far. If we send Espers in randomly as before, I think casualties will increase.”
When I spoke, the S-class Espers nodded thoughtfully.
“I’ll go,” Ha-min volunteered once again.
I don’t understand why this guy always wants to be the first to step forward. It upset me when Ha-min did this. Doesn’t this jerk realize how I’d feel if he didn’t return?
Kyun In might not care because he doesn’t have a family waiting for him, but Ha-min shouldn’t be like that.
But then he looked at me and continued, “You’ll come with me, right, Eunwoo?”
Ah, so that’s what he meant? Going together?
I nodded without hesitation.
The S-class Espers seemed to think it wasn’t a bad idea.
“For now, let’s all move together and check as many dungeons as possible. That way, we can get some idea of the level of the dungeons appearing this time.”
“Besides, if Seo Eunwoo and Lee Ha-min go together, they can probably conquer almost any dungeon, no matter how strong it is.”
While Kyun In and Byun Tae-young were speaking, Shim Woo-jin looked somewhat cautious.
“I’m sorry I probably won’t be much help.”
Shim Woo-jin, despite his significant contributions in training Espers with his abilities, felt apologetic that he couldn’t help in situations like this.
It was a stark contrast to Cha Yoon, who had a similar position but always complained as if he alone handled all the Center’s work.
Every time I saw Cha Yoon, I marveled at how incredibly different people could be.
When our vehicle finally arrived at the nearest dungeon, we realized that the energy surrounding the dungeon felt different from before.
We looked at each other without speaking, but there was something palpable in the air. Everyone seemed to share the same feeling, and even Cha Yoon couldn’t hide his expression at that moment.
I never wanted to see S-class Espers tense up. I had always hoped they would stand strong like powerful acids or massive walls, but at that moment, I could sense anxiety on their faces.
After observing the dungeon for a while, Kyun In turned to us.
“Let’s go. This is our job, after all.”
The S-class Espers nodded briefly.
When I first came here and met the S-class Espers, I didn’t sense this feeling from them, but they had changed significantly since then. And it hadn’t even been that long.
I took time to absorb their appearances. Each one of them had become dear to me.
Shim Woo-jin, who was walking ahead, seemed to sense this and turned to look at me. It was awkward, but since our eyes had already met, it would have been equally awkward to suddenly turn away, so I just stared at him blankly. He smiled, his face suggesting there was nothing to worry about. I nodded in response.
I wanted nothing bad to happen to them. I wanted to create a tomorrow just like today. I wanted to tell them everything was fine, that they could sleep a little longer, tuck them in, and pat their chests reassuringly. I wanted them to be at peace.
I found myself thinking such thoughts.
Could I have possibly imagined what would happen?
As we walked, we all stopped in our tracks simultaneously.
There was no need to ask if anyone else had seen it. From everyone’s reaction, I knew they had all witnessed what I had seen.
The color of the dungeon was gradually fading.
At first, I suspected Cha Yoon. I wondered if he was doing something to make it appear that way.
But Cha Yoon looked as tense as everyone else, which only made me more anxious.
I looked at the dungeon again.
The dungeon seemed to be becoming increasingly transparent.
Watching it change slowly over time made us feel impatient. We wondered what outcome awaited us after this transformation.
“I don’t think we should just wait,” I said, already running, and the S-class Espers moved with me.
This might be our last chance, and it didn’t seem right to just stand there in a daze.
Once inside the dungeon, we discovered a monster roaring and rampaging. It seemed stronger than the monsters that had appeared in previous dungeons, but monsters weren’t the only things that had grown stronger. We had changed and become stronger too.
We attacked the monster without time to form a strategy. There wasn’t even a clear intention to kill it thoroughly.
Conquering the dungeon—that was our only thought. To finish quickly and accurately, then leave.
This wasn’t our only target. Other dungeons had appeared simultaneously and remained unattended. If we didn’t go to them, other Espers would have to be deployed, and we couldn’t confidently expect them to conquer the dungeons without casualties.
Thinking we needed to conquer as many as possible, each of us exerted our maximum abilities. Yet we moved with extreme efficiency.
If it seemed like one person’s attack could kill the monster, we waited. Everyone understood the importance of conserving energy and taking rest.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
