Chapter 34
What does it matter…
Reputation is incredibly important for an Esper. To determine if you can trust someone to watch your back in a dungeon, they analyze not only training attitude but also reputation before deciding on subjugation teams and attack teams.
No one would want to team up with Chahun, who was not only unskilled with his ability but was also being taught by a C-class. How can I fix this ordinary person’s way of thinking?
“First, I’ll speak with the training director, so until then let’s train separately. I’m going to the reference room—want to come along?”
Before Yeonwoo could finish speaking, Chahun nodded and took the lead, saying he knew where it was.
“If it’s hard to train together, can we at least eat together? You’re literally the only person I talk to.”
“Oh my. What about those people who were pretending to be friendly back then?”
“I don’t even want to exchange words with those kinds of people.”
Still, to get various information, it would be better to mingle with others. Chahun, who had gone ahead to open the reference room door, grabbed Yeonwoo with an “oops” expression.
“Hyung. What about dinner?”
Yeonwoo also made an “oops” face as he was entering the reference room. He had gotten used to having dinner together at Chahun’s training ground. He considered going to the cafeteria now, but it was the time when Zone B Espers would be flocking back from the dangerous area.
“Are you hungry?”
“Not yet.”
“Then it’s okay if we eat a little later, right? Let’s look around at the materials while we’re here.”
Despite being told to sit down, Chahun followed behind and carried the books Yeonwoo selected. Seems like I’ve gathered most of the materials related to offensive types… Looking around the bookshelf, Yeonwoo stopped a passing mental-type.
“Are there any more materials that compile information on offensive-type abilities?”
“Hmm. There’s an archive of strategy compilations, but that requires separate permission. Should I issue you an authorization slip?”
Strategy compilations are a bit… Replying that it was fine, Yeonwoo settled down with Chahun. Opening from the last page, Yeonwoo traced with his finger through the types of abilities, just in case he had missed something.
Since most offensive types had elemental properties, there were no time-related abilities. If he went further back in time, there might be someone, but it wouldn’t be related to Yeonwoo who had recently returned from the past.
After checking more thoroughly, the result was the same. Should I look at auxiliary types now? Sighing lightly, Yeonwoo showed Chahun the page summarizing the characteristics of ice freezing types.
As he watched Chahun reading the book, he naturally recalled the book detailing Chahun’s life. And Yeonhwa, who had lied saying there was no such book.
Yeonhwa had no reason to lie, but…
However, there were too many questionable aspects to accept Yeonhwa’s lie as truth. First, he definitely had read the book. Otherwise, there was no way he could know information about Chahun, whom he had never seen or heard of before. There was even physical evidence, not just circumstantial. Although the text had all disappeared. Recalling the diary he had packed in his bag, Yeonwoo pressed his forehead firmly.
At least it’s certain that he had returned to the past, and he had confirmed that no one in offensive or mental types had time-related abilities.
That’s enough for today.
“Are you done reading?”
Chahun asked, flipping through the pages with an expression of clear disinterest. Yeonwoo nodded, returned the materials, and moved to the cafeteria with Chahun.
“Can’t we just practice in your zone like before?”
After devouring his udon as an appetizer and reaching for the pork cutlet, Chahun suddenly asked. Yeonwoo, who was taking small bites of his injeolmi, shook his head, saying it wasn’t possible, which immediately made Chahun dejected.
“As I said before, unlike Zone A, Zone C has a communal training ground, so entry is restricted for Espers from other zones. It’s rare, actually non-existent, for Espers from other zones to come for observation.”
Back then, everyone had lost interest in mana ball training and headed home as soon as training ended, but now that proper training had begun, people were voluntarily staying for more training. If Espers made sensitive by training were to meet Chahun, they would feel a strong aversion, which would naturally connect to Chahun’s reputation.
The next day, Yeonwoo had tried to broach the subject with the training director. If only the ability user who had set a trap after hearing about an Esper who was expelled for losing a weapon hadn’t been discovered by the training director, who let out a roaring shout, Yeonwoo would have asked if he could go to another zone after training.
“Esper Lee Subin.”
Called by the training director, Lee Subin ran over and felt around the trap before letting out a small whistle. The dense yellow mana that flowed from Lee Subin’s lips soon became a yellow dog. After shaking its body, the dog sniffed at the trap and then barked loudly at Lee Subin.
Watching the dog leading the way as if saying follow me, the training director ordered Lee Subin to continue training and followed the dog.
“What is that?”
At Choi Dongwon’s question as he approached clutching his shield tightly, Yeonwoo, who had been sensing the space, let out a sigh. It was an ability commonly called a space pocket. Unlike Yeonwoo, who needed to touch objects to use his ability, this ability could hide or move objects using an ability spread like a curtain.
The person had probably planned to hide weapons there and then brazenly claim they had found them if a commotion arose.
“That… crossed the line.”
Muttering, Seo Yujin gathered the magical beast beads and mana balls and gestured to her team members. Seeing this, Choi Dongwon whispered in Yeonwoo’s ear that the communal zone Espers must be crazy about training. Seeing Bae Jaeyoung already confronting a hologram magical beast and Lee Subin summoning a familiar, Yeonwoo nodded in agreement.
The next day, he again failed to get permission from the training director. After hearing that the training ground access cards had been reset and returning from registering his mana, the training director was gone, leaving only the virtual dungeon training consent form.
After signing the consent form, Park Seohyun, seemingly anxious, came carrying an armful of mana balls. Park Seohyun caught Jo Heeseo, who was trying to leave saying she would look around, and seated the team members in a circle. It was at that moment when Yeonwoo used his ability to receive the mana ball thrown by Choi Dongwon.
Ability surged from his fingertips. When the mana ball heading toward Seo Yujin’s hands dropped abruptly in midair, Jo Heeseo snorted loud enough for everyone to hear. He tried a few more times, but each time his ability fluctuated even more severely.
“Are you okay?”
At Park Seohyun’s gesture, Seo Yujin, who had caught the jumping mana ball, backed away a little. Judging by the absence of seizure symptoms, his ability was fluctuating due to lack of guiding. Park Seohyun, looking down at Yeonwoo who was massaging his fingertips, gestured to Jo Heeseo who was pretending not to notice.
“Guide Jo Heeseo.”
Seo Yujin, who had called Jo Heeseo’s name before Park Seohyun, pointed to Yeonwoo, who had turned pale. Jo Heeseo, who had been looking at Yeonwoo with displeasure, reached out with an expression of disgust.
The guiding felt from his wrist was only nauseating. If she didn’t want to do it, she shouldn’t. Feeling sick rising up, Yeonwoo withdrew his hand and tucked his head between his knees.
“No, he doesn’t want to receive it!”
There must have been a silent argument, as Yeonwoo covered his ears at the sharp voice with an upturned end and collapsed sideways.
“Esper Han Yeonwoo, how’s your body aside from your ability? You look like someone who hasn’t slept at all.”
Not “like” — he literally hadn’t slept at all. Since last Friday, or rather, the day when the Center Director had suddenly summoned him, he hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep. Today was Wednesday, so… 5 days. He’d had nightmares for five straight nights.
Every time he fell asleep, he had to wake up screaming. After that, he would tremble in bed until sunrise before going to work, so it was impossible for his physical condition to be normal.
“Is it because you’re anxious?”
When there was no reply, Choi Dongwon, who had laid Yeonwoo down comfortably, glared at Jo Heeseo, who was desperately trying to hide her hands. Being on the same team as such a guide, it was naturally only anxiety-inducing to think about entering the virtual dungeon.
“I’m anxious too. But let’s not think too much and just receive the training comfortably. If we fail, that’s it.”
At the words telling him to rest a bit, Yeonwoo blinked slowly. It seemed like he had heard someone tell him not to think recently, but who? As he tried to trace his memory, Yeonwoo sighed deeply. Though he didn’t have poor memory, lately there had been many instances where his memories disappeared sporadically.
His mind was foggy, as if he had dozed off briefly. Stumbling at the training director’s call, Yeonwoo went and selected a weapon before returning to his spot. With Park Seohyun’s warning to be careful not to lose his weapon, smoke rose from the magical beast bead.
“Reptiles again.”
Previously, it had been crustaceans the whole time, but now it was consistently reptilian magical beasts. Seeing the yellow eyes crawling out from under the smoke, Yeonwoo slowly steadied his breathing. After wiping away the cold sweat pooled in his palm, Yeonwoo ran to avoid the Abont Anaconda that lunged forward with a hissing sound.
Since his ability was fluctuating, he had to deal with it physically. Yeonwoo used Choi Dongwon’s outstretched hand as a foothold to jump up, then rode the wind sent by Park Seohyun. Landing lightly after launching himself, Yeonwoo stepped on the anaconda’s tail. He stabbed down with a dagger to pin it in place, but this anaconda wasn’t going to be easily subdued.
The tail of the Abont Anaconda, which was struggling and writhing, flew toward Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo tried to use his ability, but he couldn’t even properly draw coordinates. Taking the tail hit directly, Yeonwoo flew and hit a soft defensive wall.
Tumbling to the ground, Yeonwoo groaned. While you couldn’t be injured by hologram magical beasts, that didn’t mean there was no pain. After struggling for a while, Yeonwoo slowly got up, bracing against the floor.
“Are you okay?”
Grabbing the outstretched hand to stand up, Yeonwoo saw that Park Seohyun was also limping, as if she had been hit as well. Thinking that her situation was better than Yeonwoo’s, Park Seohyun didn’t let go of his hand and supported him while pointing to one side.
“If this were a real situation, we’d all be dead, right?”
Park Seohyun said it like a joke, but the situation was quite serious. Seeing Seo Yujin and the Abont Anaconda facing off, Yeonwoo hurriedly retrieved his mana. As Park Seohyun also retrieved her mana, the Abont Anaconda, which had been hissing at Seo Yujin, crawled back into the magical beast bead. While watching the spines on its tail shrink in size, Seo Yujin approached.
“Are you okay?”
Looking Yeonwoo over, Seo Yujin turned her body and pointed to Choi Dongwon who had collapsed.
“We need to rest for a bit. Esper Choi Dongwon seems to be injured.”
At those words, Yeonwoo looked once at Seo Yujin, once at Park Seohyun who was holding his hand, and finally at Choi Dongwon, before slowly raising his hand to press his forehead.
I feel like I’ve seen this situation somewhere before.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
