Chapter 66
After thoroughly ransacking criminal organizations, Dowoon was able to obtain information.
The one who had arranged to receive Seoyul was Han Sejun’s organization. The Association had made several attempts to capture him, but each time he slipped away like a loach, and they hadn’t caught him yet.
‘Of all people, it had to be Han Sejun.’
Another S-class Esper like Dowoon. His exact abilities hadn’t been revealed, making him someone to be especially cautious of.
The Association meticulously planned their operation. They stayed up all night developing what they claimed was the most perfect strategy possible.
But Han Sejun escaped easily this time too. The transaction time they had discovered turned out to be incorrect information. The Association moved quickly once they realized, but they were a step too late.
With the plan in ruins, Dowoon had no choice but to storm the enemy territory alone.
When he arrived, he found a solid barrier surrounding the abandoned factory. A barrier like this in a place like this.
It was practically announcing that Seoyul was there, so Dowoon unhesitatingly drew up his power and began pressing down on the building.
The barrier started to crack little by little, and with a popping sound, the walls of the building began to collapse.
‘Seoyul…!’
Dowoon quickly entered and searched for Seoyul. He was being held by Han Sejun, with his eyes, mouth, and hands bound.
“Get your filthy hands off him.”
A feeling like blood rushing in reverse consumed his entire body. The anger he had been suppressing invaded his whole body, sending out sharp energy.
But Dowoon’s energy was blocked by something before it could reach Han Sejun, scattering uselessly.
He immediately realized this was Han Sejun’s ability. The powerful barrier surrounding the building must have also been his work.
An ability that could instantly isolate any area he wanted from the outside world.
‘Damn it. It’s the worst possible match against my ability.’
Dowoon bit his lip hard and poured out his energy. But the barrier was too strong, and there was a limit to how much he could press down with his energy.
“Seoyul!!!”
In the distance, he could see Han Sejun handing Seoyul over to his subordinates. Growing desperate, Dowoon drew up even more energy and struck down.
‘Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!’
He couldn’t let him slip away like this. Dowoon gritted his teeth, summoning stronger energy to break the barrier.
As he pressed down with tremendous gravity, the barrier began to crack little by little.
‘Just a bit more… just a bit more…’
His vision blurred from pouring out so much energy so quickly. Dowoon gritted his teeth and endured. Soon, with a sound like something bursting, the barrier shattered.
“Seoyul!!!!!”
But Seoyul had already been handed over to the subordinates. His body was collapsing helplessly.
Dowoon quickly lunged forward, but another barrier appeared before his eyes as Han Sejun emerged.
He deliberately erected a solid wall to block Dowoon.
“Han Sejun!!!”
Dowoon shouted loudly in an enraged voice. But the barrier perfectly blocked Dowoon’s power and held firm.
Barrier abilities were weaker against physical strikes than invisible forces, which meant Dowoon’s gravity-based power wasn’t very effective.
For his attack to be effective, he needed to press down with even greater energy, which meant Dowoon had to draw up more power than Han Sejun.
But Dowoon didn’t have that much strength left. He had poured too much energy into breaking the barrier surrounding the building.
Han Sejun knew this too. He sneered at Dowoon and muttered quietly.
“That’s what you get… for coming alone.”
A confident smile and assured tone.
This was the composure that only someone who had evaded government surveillance for a long time could possess.
Dowoon could only grit his teeth and watch as Seoyul was kidnapped again.
* * *
What Dowoon and the Association had overlooked was Han Sejun’s ability, which had remained a mystery.
His ability was to create barriers.
An incredible power that could render not only physical objects but also communication and scientific equipment useless.
With this ability, he had managed to avoid capture until now and could obtain information more easily than others.
After all, if you could make all machines useless, it would be easy to infiltrate anywhere.
‘Damn it…’
Dowoon was devastated and frustrated. The image of Seoyul being kidnapped right before his eyes wouldn’t leave him.
Han Sejun had someone with teleportation abilities with him. They slowly moved everyone one by one, starting with Seoyul, mocking Dowoon.
He had never felt so powerless before. He couldn’t do anything and could only… watch.
‘Am I this…’
Weak.
For the first time, he felt like he had hit an immense wall. Even considering their abilities were mismatched, he’d never been this ineffective before.
Dowoon realized he had put too much faith in his own power.
‘Seoyul…’
Sprawled out powerlessly, Dowoon sank into deep thought. Having drawn up too much energy, he experienced ringing in his ears and a headache for the first time in a while. But the pain in his heart was greater.
He should have been more careful.
He should have been more level-headed.
He felt pathetic for simply pouring out energy recklessly, unable to control his boiling anger. If he had used his head a little more, he might have been able to land a more effective blow.
Although it happened due to a lack of information, Dowoon blamed himself and closed his eyes.
‘Damn it.’
The image of Seoyul struggling and calling for Dowoon echoed and replayed in his mind.
How long had he waited for him, how much did he resent him?
He kept thinking that none of this would have happened if he hadn’t confessed. At least if he had noticed Seoyul’s feelings earlier, if he hadn’t left him alone, this wouldn’t have happened. Then Seoyul wouldn’t have gone out alone.
‘Being this pathetic…’
Will he… still like me?
Biting his lip hard, he lashed himself with a sharp whip for having such foolish thoughts.
‘Get it together.’
It was okay if Seoyul didn’t like him anymore. It was okay if he resented him. Just… just hoping he was safe…
“Here, take this.”
Munjin handed a familiar object to Dowoon, who was sprawled out like a corpse. Absently taking it, Dowoon slowly lifted his eyelids to check the object.
It was the Guiding drug made by Seoyul.
“I wasn’t giving it to you since it didn’t seem necessary anymore…”
Munjin sighed slightly at Dowoon, who wasn’t saying anything, and continued.
“Your Guide. We need to find him again.”
Munjin was saying they should recover quickly and rescue Seoyul.
“There aren’t many left… but drink that and recover quickly. The Guild is already moving, and the Association is doing its best to find him, so we should be able to locate him soon.”
With things having gone this way, the Association had no choice but to ask for help from the Guild where S-class Espers were.
Munjin apologized once more for his misjudgment. But Dowoon didn’t think it was his fault.
‘It’s my fault.’
It was all his own fault. Even if Munjin had made that judgment, Dowoon should have asked for help first.
‘I was stupid.’
Dowoon had been arrogant, thinking he could rescue Seoyul with his own hands. That petty arrogance had ruined everything.
‘Seoyul…’
Dowoon held the Guiding drug and quietly closed his eyes. The image of Seoyul struggling still played endlessly before his eyes.
‘This time for sure…’
Dowoon steeled himself. No matter how much he regretted it, nothing would change. He faced his own shortcomings. He clearly understood what to give up and what to prioritize.
“Put Shin Yujin… on the team.”
Dowoon slowly opened his eyes and quietly muttered. Munjin replied as if it was obvious.
“Team Leader Shin will participate, of course. There’s no one as capable as him.”
Yujin was one of the ability users who could perform Guiding even on partners with low compatibility.
He often said he experienced less resistance and pain than others, but Dowoon knew the truth. He was just tough enough to grit his teeth and endure it.
Regardless of the truth, an A-class Guide who could Guide many people without complaint—it was only natural that he had risen quickly to a high position.
But that wasn’t what Dowoon wanted.
“No. I want Shin Yujin assigned to me.”
“To you?”
Munjin narrowed his brow, still not understanding the intention. Then Dowoon slowly sat up and continued.
“The only person who doesn’t pass out when Guiding me… that’s only Shin Yujin, right?”
Dowoon’s voice was utterly calm. Only then did Munjin realize the intention behind his words and was greatly surprised.
“You…”
Wasn’t Dowoon the one who had committed all sorts of mischief while paired with Shin Yujin?
Now that same person was saying he would willingly accept Guiding from Yujin. But…
“You… Team Leader Shin’s Guiding didn’t work on you.”
Yes. The fact that Yujin’s Guiding wasn’t effective had already been proven.
But Dowoon seemed to think differently, as he tightly gripped the Guiding potion and said.
“We have to… try something.”
“…”
The Dowoon who spoke like this had changed somehow. It was unclear what effect this change would bring, but it seemed better than him lying around like a corpse.
“Alright. I’ll contact him right away.”
Dowoon carefully opened his hand and looked at Seoyul’s Guiding drug. His heart stirred as much as the liquid swirled.
‘Seoyul…’
But again steadying his resolve, Dowoon opened the lid and swallowed the liquid in one gulp.
Seoyul’s unique warm and soft Guiding energy began to seep into Dowoon’s body. Despite being the faint energy of a C-class, Dowoon’s body trembled with joy.
He felt his body being temporarily invaded by Seoyul and slowly opened his eyes. Then, tightly clutching the empty bottle, he thought.
‘This time for sure…’
Without arrogance, without greed, he would do whatever it took to rescue Seoyul.
‘Wait just a little longer.’
Hoping that his inaudible thoughts would reach Seoyul, Dowoon called out once more.
‘I’m coming to save you.’
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
