Chapter 45
“Park Haru, Nora, and Yu Sol don’t know either, so absolutely don’t let it show. The fewer people who know, the better. Ah…… and please understand even if the kids upset you. I had you stay with Yu Sol so that Nora and Haru wouldn’t be suspicious, but it seems they couldn’t completely let their guard down. It’ll take time.”
“…….”
“So if you have any difficulties, talk to me. This might sound burdensome, but I. No, we really need you, Yoon Seo Won…… Truly.”
Seo Won took a step back. Han Seong Hyeon’s desperation felt too heavy. He too had painfully felt how important the safe zone was.
Creatures and Turncoats had been watching the safe zone from outside, and as soon as the protective aura disappeared, they instantly attacked the shelter. If the aura hadn’t returned, he wouldn’t be wandering around the shelter like this. He would have felt the limits of hiding places, and would have constantly been on guard even during the day.
The Guardian’s ability was that powerful.
But something was strange. Right now, Yeongdeungpo Station Shelter was clearly surrounded by a protective aura. Although it had suddenly disappeared and reappeared, it was still intact. That meant there was a Guardian.
“Then…… who’s the Guardian protecting this place now? Why did the protective aura suddenly disappear?”
“Ah…… that’s.”
Han Seong Hyeon rubbed his temples as if just thinking about it gave him a headache. Then he opened his mouth with a gloomy expression.
“……Dead.”
“Huh……?”
“Died three months ago. Not from injury or illness. People naturally go that way if they live long enough. It was predetermined.”
“Ah…… sorry.”
“It’s fine. Why do you keep apologizing for things like this?”
Because he was honest with his emotions and didn’t try to be clever, Seo Won didn’t hesitate to apologize. Did he know that this was both his strength and weakness?
Han Seong Hyeon sighed and continued.
“Thanks to all the preparations that person made before dying, we’re holding on.”
“What preparations?”
“They made energy cubes so the safe zone could be maintained even without them.”
“…….”
“They must have known they didn’t have much time left. They were busy putting their own energy into cubes during their remaining time. They worked hard to make them. According to that person, one cube should last about 6 months……. In reality, three months was the limit.”
“Three months? If it’s three months……”
“The day the protective aura suddenly disappeared was exactly three months after we started using the cube. The energy was consumed faster than expected, so we couldn’t prepare.”
Learning the truth, Seo Won urgently asked.
“Then, how many of those cubes are left now?”
Han Seong Hyeon held up his fingers and said.
“Two. At most…… 6 months left.”
“…….”
“Now you’re all we can rely on.”
Han Seong Hyeon looked at Seo Won desperately with a dejected face. He was apologizing for burdening him, but pleading for understanding since there really was no other way.
Seo Won was confused. His heart, which had begun to drift away due to subtle rejection and pressure that crushed his hopes, felt suddenly caught. But that seemed strangely comforting too, so he didn’t know how to define this current emotion.
Someone once said their life goal was to become a useful person.
From one perspective, it might seem altruistic, and from another perspective, it could be seen as a manifestation of the desire for recognition to prove one’s worth.
In fact, it was impossible to explain it with just one of those reasons. The desire to help others was genuine, and the desire to prove one’s worth was also genuine.
So his heart couldn’t help but soften at the words that his existence was desperately needed.
We need you, only you can do it. Please help us.
In this world where it was difficult to mix with other people, these were magical words that made him, who had been drifting aimlessly without feeling a sense of belonging, plant his feet on the ground. Just those few words.
“It’ll take time, but Haru and Nora will open their hearts someday too. Yu Sol seemed to have already become close with you, seeing how she looked for you as soon as she woke up. Right?”
“…….”
“No matter what we do, we probably can’t satisfy your longing. But…… we can become new friends. It’s out of necessity, but wouldn’t that make it more trustworthy? Your heart will feel more at ease too.”
“……Out of necessity.”
“We’re helping each other. Not a relationship where only one side gives unconditionally, but a relationship where we protect each other and coexist.”
Seo Won unconsciously looked at Baek Rak. Each of Han Seong Hyeon’s words seemed to target Baek Rak. Please stop tormenting Yoon Seo Won now.
Sensing it himself, Baek Rak glared at Han Seong Hyeon with a cold gaze. However, Han Seong Hyeon was steadfast.
“So, Baek Rak. Be nicer to him. He’s a precious person.”
“That’s enough.”
“How long are you going to stay tied to the past? Accept reality now.”
“I told you to stop.”
“Baek Rak.”
Looking at Baek Rak who turned away with a rigidly hardened face, Han Seong Hyeon finally shook his head. It seemed more time was needed to gather his resolve.
“Then I won’t ask for anything else, so don’t torment Yoon Seo Won. You’re being too harsh to someone who’s already having a hard time adapting.”
“…….”
“You need to sort out your own problems yourself. Right? Please don’t drag innocent people into it.”
“Han Seong Hyeon.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll stop talking.”
Seeing Baek Rak’s eyes begin to glow bluish, Han Seong Hyeon waved his hands telling him to calm down. Then he secretly sent Seo Won a look that said ‘I did well, right?’
Only then did Seo Won relax and nod. He felt a bit more at ease thanks to Han Seong Hyeon’s efforts.
“But how are abilities transferred? This time you need to receive Sol’s healing ability.”
“Ah, that.”
Han Seong Hyeon suddenly approached Baek Rak and grabbed his hand. When Seo Won stared blankly wondering what he was doing, Baek Rak frowned and swatted Han Seong Hyeon’s hand away.
Shaking his hand as if it hurt quite a bit, he said.
“Baek Rak just needs to touch Yu Sol. Then the ability gets copied automatically. Just give it to you and it’s done.”
“……Copy an ability?”
“Ah, it’s temporary and Baek Rak can’t use it anyway. He can only transfer it. The time is also limited. If he doesn’t transfer it within 30 minutes, it disappears and he has to touch the target to copy again.”
“So it’s useless unless it’s for awakening a Guardian?”
“Right. That’s why at Gangnam Station Shelter, they call it a guide, or navigator.”
Seo Won understood the general function and nodded. However, there was another problem.
“Then let’s say Sol has healing, where do we find the rest? Aren’t there only physical enhancement types here?”
“……That’s the problem.”
Han Seong Hyeon fell into serious contemplation.
“Actually, fire and telekinesis are hard to meet but I know where they are. The problem is water. I haven’t heard of it being discovered anywhere yet……. It’s needed for your awakening, but personally, I’d want nothing more than to have that Hunter on our side. Then we wouldn’t have to go around getting water.”
Seo Won laughed awkwardly. Human greed really seemed endless. Though it was understandable enough.
After hearing everything he was curious about from Han Seong Hyeon, what remained was the fundamental problem.
He needed to become a Guardian as soon as possible, but the path was too treacherous. Not only could he not forget that pain, but he couldn’t ignore the pressure of having to do that with Baek Rak.
But he couldn’t give up on becoming a Hunter either.
It was even more so because this could no longer be dismissed as a personal problem.
If he didn’t awaken as a Hunter, not only would he be in danger, but everyone in the shelter would be at risk. How could he turn away knowing all this? He couldn’t become someone who would abandon these people and act selfishly.
But he couldn’t help but feel instinctive fear. It was inevitable that he kept becoming timid.
What should he do?
“Anyway, let’s start with what we can do now. Yoon Seo Won, you’re okay with this, right?”
“…….”
Seo Won couldn’t bring himself to answer and averted his gaze. He wasn’t mentally prepared yet……
As he hesitated and couldn’t get his bearings, Baek Rak suddenly extended his hand. Soon, with an “ah,” his wrist was caught and he began being dragged by Baek Rak.
“Hey. W-wait!”
When he shouted loudly from surprise, Baek Rak stopped walking and looked back.
“Why.”
“What’s with dragging me around however you want?”
“You looked like you’d worry about it for days if left alone.”
“Still!”
“Unless you have a hobby of self-torture, it’s better to finish quickly. Worrying and agonizing over it won’t create other solutions.”
Again, fact violence is still violence. Anyone in his position would have wanted to delay it as much as possible.
He tried to pull his wrist free from annoyance, but the guy held on firmly as if there was no chance. He glared at Baek Rak telling him to let go immediately. Then suddenly this situation, and this atmosphere, felt strange.
‘But isn’t he being too nonchalant about this? Doesn’t he know the atmosphere was weird the last time we talked, or does he know but pretend not to?’
Making his worries seem meaningless, Baek Rak was the same as usual.
Because of that, it felt like he had been struggling meaninglessly all this time. He had run hard to get away from the guy, but it felt like he had gone in a circle and returned to the original spot. That was no different from inertia. Like an elastic rubber band stretching and then returning to its original state.
While quietly staring at Baek Rak, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
The guy’s gaze when looking at him didn’t seem as sharp as when looking at Han Seong Hyeon.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
