“Sunbae-nim!”
Kim Yong-ha rushed over with a bright expression and came to a stop right in front of me, scanning my body up and down with visible concern.
“Are you okay, Sunbae-nim? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. But… what are you doing here, Kim Yong-ha?”
“When I came to, you were gone. I looked around everywhere, and just as I was searching, I saw you heading into this cave. So I followed you.”
So he saw me enter.
I figured he must’ve fallen nearby, but I didn’t expect to run into him this quickly—or this easily.
Still… why is he alone?
“…I’m glad we found each other. But what about Yoon Yi-hyeon? Didn’t the two of you fall together?”
“We did, but… we ended up splitting. We didn’t exactly see eye to eye.”
“Ah… I see.”
Kim Yong-ha looked away with an awkward expression. I didn’t need to ask to know what happened—Yoon Yi-hyeon had probably blown up again. Honestly, the idea of the two of them sticking together was strange in the first place. They were already at each other’s throats before we even fell into the dungeon.
As I nodded to myself, trying to get a grasp of the situation, Kim Yong-ha called out to me again.
“By the way, Sunbae-nim…”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been meaning to ask—what’s that book you’re holding?”
“…Ah, this?”
His gaze fell on the book in my hands. I hesitated, unsure what to say. My lips wouldn’t move.
What should I tell him? Saying I had it before we fell wouldn’t work—he’d seen me falling without it. But I couldn’t exactly say it was the Book of Wishes, either.
If word got out that I was collecting these, things could get messy fast.
“This book is, well… it’s…”
Rustle—
Just as I was buying time, a sound came from somewhere nearby. I instantly grabbed Kim Yong-ha’s wrist and pulled him behind me.
Holding my breath, I scanned our surroundings. Kim Yong-ha must’ve sensed something too, because he stayed quiet and watched from behind me without a word.
Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps and a low growl echoed from close by. I clenched the stone axe I’d made earlier, just in case. Kim Yong-ha’s face stiffened.
…It’s the same monster from before.
The one I saw before entering the cave. It must’ve left, only to come back again.
Was it already done hunting? Its footsteps grew louder as it approached, and the smell of blood thickened in the air.
And then—
“KUAHHHH!”
‘Damn it.’
The monster stepped into the cave, and the moment it sensed us, it let out a feral roar and charged in our direction. I immediately bolted, trying to put as much distance between us and it as possible.
Driven by panic, Kim Yong-ha grabbed onto my arm and ran alongside me. He was a bit slower, but I couldn’t help that. Right now, we had to go deeper—find somewhere to hide.
But then—
“What do we do?! There’s nowhere left to run!”
His panicked scream rang through the cave. We’d hit a dead end.
“KUAHH!”
As if sensing its prey was cornered, the monster roared again and started advancing, slower now—deliberate. It was savoring the kill.
I looked down at the crude stone axe in my hand, then back at the monster. Could I really take it down with this thing? Not a chance. If I could, I’d be an Esper—not a Guide.
I glanced at Kim Yong-ha. He was frozen in place, staring at the monster, his face pale with fear.
“…Kim Yong-ha.”
“S-Sunbae-nim…”
“When I give you the signal, hug the right wall and run. Head for the exit.”
“…What?”
“Don’t worry about me. Just keep running. You can do that, right?”
“What about you?!”
“I’ll be right behind you once you’re out.”
“That’s way too dangerous!”
His voice rose sharply, and the monster, agitated by the noise, picked up speed. We didn’t have time to argue. I shoved Kim Yong-ha to the side and shouted,
“Go! Now! Get out!”
Kim Yong-ha’s expression twisted with hesitation, but in the end, he did as I said and took off toward the exit. The monster turned its head, ready to snatch him as he ran past.
Thwack!
The stone axe I threw with everything I had struck the monster square in its right eye and clattered to the ground.
“KUAAARRGH!”
Letting out a pained roar, the monster halted its advance, clutching its eye and thrashing in agony.
Now’s my chance.
I didn’t hesitate. While it was reeling from the hit, I turned and sprinted toward the cave entrance.
“KUAAARRGH!”
The monster regained its senses fast and came barreling after me.
There was no time to glance back. The murderous intent radiating from behind made my entire body tense, but stopping wasn’t an option. I pushed forward with everything I had, eyes locked on the path ahead. If I hesitated for even a second, I was dead.
Just as I was about to reach the entrance—
“Sunbae-nim!”
“…Kim Yong-ha?”
There he was—right outside the cave, pacing nervously. I wanted to yell at him for not getting farther away, but there wasn’t time. I grabbed his wrist and took off running again.
Then—
“Ugh…!”
“Kim Yong-ha!”
He tripped on a rock and went down hard. I skidded to a stop and turned back—only to see the monster right on top of him, its massive arms crashing down toward his defenseless body.
No—!
Without thinking, I threw myself over him, shielding him with my own body. There was no time to weigh the risk—my instincts moved faster than my thoughts.
Thud! Thud!
So this is it, huh…?
After everything—after struggling so hard to survive—I was going to die like this? Just like that?
I braced for the impact and shut my eyes tight—
CLANG!
CLANG! CLANG!
“…?”
Instead of pain, all I heard was the loud crash of something slamming against a barrier.
I opened my eyes.
A translucent dome surrounded us, and the monster was outside, slamming its fists against it in fury, its jaws wide open.
“Wh-What is this…?”
Still stunned, I stared at the monster pounding away—until I noticed a faint glow from inside my pocket. Something in there was shining.
…The ring. The one Kim Seong-gyeong gave me.
The Protective Shield Ring. I’d stashed it in my pocket, thinking it might come in handy.
Turns out it just saved our lives.
“Hah… haha…”
Laughter slipped out before I could stop it. Who would’ve thought that ring would actually come through? Kim Yong-ha was still clinging to me, looking just as shell-shocked.
“H-How did this happen…? What is this?”
“…No idea how long this thing’ll last. We need to move—now. As far as we can.”
I pulled him to his feet. Thankfully, aside from a few scrapes, he seemed okay.
Even as we ran, the monster didn’t give up. It kept chasing us, kept attacking. But every time it slammed into the shield, it was blocked. Again and again, it lunged, and again it was repelled. The pattern repeated until eventually—even the monster had enough. It stopped chasing altogether.
***
“Huff… Huff…”
“…It’s gone. Finally.”
We collapsed into a thicket, gasping for breath. After making sure the monster wasn’t nearby, I noticed the protective dome had completely vanished.
Kim Yong-ha was panting so hard he could barely stay upright. He looked so wrecked I couldn’t help but reach out and pat his back.
“…What was that thing just now?”
Now that he’d caught his breath, he finally asked about the barrier.
“It was a gift. Didn’t expect it to come in so clutch, honestly.”
“…I seriously thought we were gonna die.”
Looking at his pale, exhausted face, I let out a sigh.
“That’s why I told you to run. We nearly got killed back there.”
“How could I just leave you behind?!”
“I knew I could handle it. If anything, having you there made it harder.”
“W-What do you mean, I’m a burden?!”
Kim Yong-ha’s voice cracked, his emotions spilling over before he could finish the sentence. Maybe I’d been too blunt—but in a place like this, where danger could strike at any moment, it had to be said clearly.
“I appreciate your concern, but I can handle myself. In situations like this, don’t worry about me—just focus on getting yourself to safety.”
It felt like I’d stepped back into my old life. I used to speak like this to my subordinates all the time, and their answers were always the same—firm, respectful, full of trust and admiration.
But now, Kim Yong-ha was staring at me with tears welling up in his eyes, glaring at me like I’d just betrayed him.
His expression was raw, flooded with hurt.
And suddenly, I realized I’d said the wrong thing.
“…That’s too cruel, Sunbae-nim.”
“No, I didn’t mean it like that—everything I said was for your sake—”
“Don’t you care if you die?! Don’t you get it? You matter more to me than anything else!”
His voice broke as he shouted, face flushing red. The emotion pouring off him was intense. For someone who always looked a little out of it, seeing Kim Yong-ha crying and yelling like this caught me completely off guard. I instinctively took a step back.
Still, I couldn’t help feeling a little bitter.
…That’s just what Special Agents do.
Back then, I was trained to put others first. Saving hostages, protecting civilians—my life was always second. That instinct had never left me.
Of course, Kim Yong-ha didn’t know about my past, so I couldn’t expect him to understand. But still, did he really have to react like this? Crying and screaming?
While I fumbled for words, Kim Yong-ha wiped his tears roughly, then stood and walked over to me. He stopped right in front of me, gently clutching the hem of my jacket.
“Sunbae-nim… you saved my life. And…”
“I found him!”
Just before he could finish, a voice called out from a distance.
“We found Guide Kim Yong-ha!”
“There he is! We’ve finally got him!”
I turned my head to see a group of Espers sprinting toward us. At the front of the group, with golden hair and sharp blue eyes, was Kim Seong-gyeong—his face filled with visible concern.
“Mr. Seol-bin! Are you alright?”
…We’re saved.
Only when I saw Kim Seong-gyeong did a true sense of relief wash over me.
And then—I felt a sudden, firm tug on my jacket.
“Kim Yong-ha…?”
I looked down to see him still gripping my jacket, but now his expression had completely changed.
His face was set in a stiff, unreadable scowl. He wasn’t even looking at Kim Seong-gyeong—instead, he stared straight ahead, lips pressed into a hard line. It was obvious. He didn’t like what he saw.
I looked back and forth between the two.
Kim Seong-gyeong’s eyes were locked on me, filled with genuine worry. Meanwhile, Kim Yong-ha didn’t even acknowledge him—just held tighter onto my jacket, as if trying to claim me for himself.
If this were a normal situation, the two would be exchanging polite greetings, maybe even a few kind words of concern. That would’ve been the natural thing.
But instead… this weird tension.
All I could do was tilt my head in confusion.
…What’s with these two?
