Chapter 34
Should I open the door? How far can I trust them?
When Jaeha walked to the front door but hesitated without opening it, Dojoon tried to step forward.
“Since they’re looking for me, I’ll open it.”
“No. Since they came to our house, I should deal with them.”
Dojoon was already helping him enough. When Jaeha reached out his hand, he felt the density of the air changing. Although invisible, the protective barrier surrounding the house moved outward following Jaeha’s movement. With this, he could feel safe no matter who came, but Jaeha asked once more before opening the door.
“What brings you here?”
“We’ve come to protect the awakened individual.”
“Do you have proof?”
“Pardon? Proof?”
“Yes, a bunch of strangers have shown up, and you don’t expect me to just trust you, do you?”
“Ah… please wait a moment.”
The sound of people discussing and moving around outside could be heard clearly even through the door.
Everything from suggestions to show ID cards or center access cards to complaints about not bringing anyone who could use abilities. Just listening to them made it clear they weren’t very organized yet, which helped ease Jaeha’s tension.
As Jaeha just held the doorknob and waited, Dojoon stepped forward.
“Huh? Are you going out?”
“Yeah, I thought we should talk to them at least.”
Dojoon needed to head home soon, and they needed to talk with these people to send them away. When Dojoon opened the door and went outside, a friendly-looking man at the front of the group stepped forward.
“Hello, Esper Joo Dojoon.”
“I see you know my face too.”
“Haha, I hope you don’t misunderstand. We’ve only memorized your face to protect potential awakeners.”
The man held out both his center access card and ID card, which he had already prepared. When they almost crumpled against the transparent barrier, Dojoon partially removed the barrier and took them.
“Let me introduce myself properly. I am Esper Koo Kicheol, assigned as the guard for Esper Joo Dojoon.”
“You’re an Esper? What’s your ability?”
“Ah, embarrassingly, I’m F-rank so I don’t have any special abilities. But I am stronger than regular people and can see the flow of mana and rifts.”
It seemed he had found Dojoon here not only through surveillance but by following the distinctive mana flow of an Esper.
Only then did Dojoon examine the ID and access cards. They could be fake, but while pretending to check them thoroughly, Dojoon observed the other person’s reaction. The man who introduced himself as Esper Koo Kicheol showed friendly eyes toward Dojoon but didn’t appear nervous or anxious. Moreover, Dojoon could also feel it. He could sense a faint energy from most of the Espers standing at the entrance. If this was mana, he could believe they were Espers.
“I’ve seen them.”
“Then we’ll escort you safely to the center.”
“No, I’m not going.”
“Excuse me? But you need to go to the center with proper security facilities…”
“The safest place is wherever I am.”
Dojoon’s confidence was real. But the guards knew there was a trap here. Kicheol began to persuade carefully, trying not to hurt Dojoon’s pride.
“Using your power outside the gate has major side effects. Please stop using your power, Esper Joo Dojoon.”
“Well, I don’t find it difficult at all.”
Kicheol’s eyes widened at Dojoon’s answer.
This was new information. The guards’ faces lit up as if seeing a new hope. However, Kicheol remained cautious and expressed concern about Dojoon’s condition.
“Perhaps Esper Joo Dojoon’s mana is significantly greater than other Espers or more efficient. But if you overuse your power, eventually your mana will be depleted or changed. It’s fine to use it in dungeons, but outside it’s rapidly consumed, so caution is needed.”
Kicheol enthusiastically explained the precautions out of concern for Dojoon. Both Dojoon and Jaeha, encountering this information for the first time, opened their ears and focused. Seeing both of them being so attentive and sincere, Kicheol became even more passionate.
“Esper Joo Dojoon, you can receive all examinations at the center. We also have sturdy accommodations prepared that can withstand the power of strong Espers without being affected.”
Kicheol’s gaze shifted to Jaeha, who was carefully watching from behind Dojoon.
“We’re also sorry that your friend got caught up in this. We’ll escort you and your family.”
He mentioned that Espers and their families are under protection, and that they had already prepared everything.
Dojoon was curious about the power that had suddenly developed. The influence of the Daesung Group, which seemed to have taken over the media as if they had been waiting for this day, looked substantial even to the two who were ordinary people. If it was a safe place prepared by such a powerful Daesung, wouldn’t it truly be safe?
When Dojoon looked back, Jaeha’s eyes shone as if he had made up his mind while holding Dorim.
“Let’s just go and see.”
If Jaeha was going, Dojoon had no reason to hesitate either.
“Alright. It’s better than here where that bastard knows about.”
* * *
The place they arrived at was a resort Jaeha had visited once before. To be precise, it was an examination center that looked like a resort. Unlike before, they headed deeper inside, perhaps through a different entrance.
When Dojoon’s expression hardened at seeing the resort, Jaeha tapped his arm and spoke.
“I came here before with Jaeyoon.”
“Here? Why?”
“He said we were going for some awakening test or something, and suddenly we went to this hotel-like place. But it’s all a disguise, and there are no other guests inside.”
“Jaeha, you’ve already been here.”
“Yeah. Back then I couldn’t believe this was a center.”
As Dojoon’s wariness eased a bit, Jaeha went inside with him, and the atmosphere was completely different from before. The luxurious decorations that gave the impression of a hotel lobby had been removed, and weapons and armor were prominently displayed in their place. On one wall, a large screen was rebroadcasting Jaeyoon tearing apart the helicopter and Haeil’s interview.
The staff’s clothing had also changed from soft uniforms to sharp, formal uniforms.
Staff members greeted Kicheol, who was walking ahead of Jaeha and Dojoon, who had slowed down as they looked around.
“Welcome. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Esper Joo Dojoon has arrived. Please assign accommodations and schedule tests.”
“What level of accommodations should we prepare?”
“Please proceed with the highest grade.”
“Excuse me? That’s only available for A-rank Espers and above…”
Kicheol frowned with a smile for the first time at the confused employee.
“I said Esper Joo Dojoon. Even if it’s before testing, his potential rank should be registered.”
“I-I’ll check.”
In response to Kicheol’s confident answer, the employee quickly headed to the counter. Another employee approached and extended a hand to Dojoon and Jaeha.
“Let me carry your lugga… Ugh!”
The employee who tried to take the backpack Jaeha was carrying stepped back in surprise as his hand was blocked.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s better if you don’t come closer.”
Unlike Jaeha who was worried about the startled employee, Dojoon didn’t lower his guard.
Throughout their journey here, Dojoon had maintained the protective barrier around Jaeha and Dorim. He had no intention of letting his guard down in an unfamiliar place.
“E-Esper Joo Dojoon. Estimated rank A or higher. Your accommodations have been assigned immediately.”
Everyone focused on the employee’s trembling voice. It was evident that the staff were tense even at Dojoon’s ordinary action of putting his arm around Jaeha’s back while surveying the surroundings. Amid the lingering tension, Jaeha asked a nearby employee as if something had just occurred to him.
“You don’t happen to have CCTV in those accommodations, do you?”
“Of course we do. We are doing our best for the safety of Espers.”
Jaeha was dumbfounded by the answer that came out as if it were obvious.
“Wait, what about human rights?”
“Tsk, this is why ordinary people don’t work.”
When Jaeha turned his head toward the rough voice that had rudely burst out, there stood a large man wearing tattered clothes. The person with the intimidating physique and fierce face, enough to make one step back just from seeing him, was Kim Byungtae, the Esper guard team leader.
“Hey, Team Leader Kim. How can you come here looking like that?”
“Why? What does appearance matter when an Esper comes to an Esper center?”
In response to Kim Byungtae’s snarky response, which even showed signs of injury, his colleague Kicheol scratched his chin and changed the subject.
“No, I’m saying you’ve had a hard time, so go rest. Go to the hospital, not the center.”
“Never mind that, how can I, the guard team leader, be absent when a new Esper has arrived?”
Kim Byungtae, who had been boastful about being Lee Youngwoo’s dedicated guard, rushed to grab another line immediately after returning from losing his Esper. Fortunately, he found Joo Dojoon still in the lobby and clung to him, looking disheveled after being caught in an explosion.
“Sorry for the late introduction. I’m Kim Byungtae, Esper dedicated guard team leader. If you look for Team Leader Kim, I’ll come running with top priority anytime.”
It was a cheap line like a nightclub promoter, but his appearance was so scruffy it was almost pitiful. Jaeha spoke first to Kim Byungtae, who was trying to fulfill his responsibilities despite his appearance.
“Thank you. Is it possible to turn off the CCTV in the accommodations?”
“No, it isn’t.”
“At least in the bedroom or bathroom…”
“Protection comes first. And you… you don’t seem to be an awakened person, so you could die at any moment.”
Kim Byungtae’s behavior, with his cheap expressions and sneering, was enough to blow away Jaeha’s small sympathy.
“This is why we shouldn’t bring clueless ordinary people to the center.”
Jaeha was bewildered by the guard’s harsh attitude just for mentioning one CCTV.
“But you guys came to get us.”
“You people…”
“Ah, don’t worry. As Esper Joo Dojoon’s companions, we’ll do our best to accommodate you.”
When Dojoon was about to step in at the sight of Kim Byungtae looking down on Jaeha, he immediately lowered his tail and showed a respectful attitude. Before the two could express their dissatisfaction, Kicheol tactfully intervened and guided Dojoon and Jaeha inside.
“You must have had a tiring day, so let’s rest first. I’ll escort you to your accommodations.”
“Let’s rest for now, Jaeha. I’ll carry Dorim.”
“Yeah. Our princess seems a bit heavy today.”
Jaeha whispered quietly so the sleeping Dorim wouldn’t hear as he handed her to Dojoon. He vigorously shook his arms that were unusually tired today, perhaps because he had been carrying her continuously instead of Dojoon, worried it might interfere with the barrier.
As they were about to go in, staff members began to move busily, receiving calls from somewhere. It was a similar commotion to the tension they had shown after learning that Joo Dojoon was an A-rank Esper.
“Esper Kwon Haeil has arrived!”
Shortly after, the doors were opened by the staff, and Haeil entered.
The handsome face seen in the videos, which could rival any actor’s, was now glowing as if he had received makeup. Even in a situation where everyone’s attention was drawn to him, Jaeha impulsively called out to Haeil with a welcoming heart.
“Gilma Hyung!”
“Jaeha?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
