Central had completely overhauled its security systems. Even the President—who normally stayed out of matters involving the Awakened Centers—stepped in, demanding a swift resolution and escalating the urgency. There was no way this could be made public. If the truth got out, the fallout would be catastrophic.
For Jung Jae-heon, the incident forced him to reevaluate Molt. There were plenty of anti-government groups and terrorist cells out there, but he hadn’t realized just how radical Molt truly was. In a situation like this, most groups would’ve attempted to escape. Molt chose death—or murder.
Evidence of this lay in the behavior of spies from other organizations. Most were caught trying to flee. Not that any of them were high-ranking. They were just small fry.
In this country, no group was more secretive or dangerous than Molt. It now seemed likely they’d been extremists from the very beginning. Even high-level operatives like the Deputy Director and Dr. Han had bombs implanted in their brains. They’d all been prepared to die from the moment they entered the Center.
But having a chip in your brain didn’t mean everyone was on the same side. While the Deputy Director and Dr. Han had taken their own lives, the majority had been executed. There was a clear difference between those who pressed the detonation switch themselves—and those who didn’t.
Shockingly, Dr. Han’s bomb switch had been disguised as a mobile app on his smartphone. On the surface, it looked like a simple note-taking app, and it was one he often used to jot things down in a hurry. When he was found dead, the phone was still in his hand, the detonation page open on the screen.
The trigger? A “Delete Account” button.
Dr. Han’s death had been synchronized with the deaths of the others, suggesting the system had been programmed to kill them all at once. The fact that the Guides died a few minutes after him suggested someone else had triggered a separate detonation elsewhere.
The same held true for the Deputy Director. He too had pressed the switch himself, and the moment he died, the other spies embedded in Central were killed alongside him.
As Central continued its investigation, they discovered a chilling commonality among those who had possessed detonation switches.
They had all lost someone to the Gates. Family, lovers, close friends—without exception, every one of them had suffered because of a Gate. From the very first Gate opening 42 years ago, to the era before the current barriers had been established, and even afterward, they had all been affected in some way.
This led to a new hypothesis: perhaps Molt had been formed by such victims. That would explain their extremism—and their radical ideology.
People consumed by a thirst for vengeance against the Gates.
If that hypothesis were true, then Molt was even more dangerous than anyone had feared. Eventually, Central issued an order to all districts: find and destroy Molt with everything they had.
In District 1, Kwon Hae-beom, leader of the Esper investigation team, volunteered to head the operation. When they finally uncovered the Guide spies, they realized none of them knew anything. They hadn’t even known each other were spies. In the end, they’d learned nothing about Choi Jiwoon. Kwon Hae-beom’s fury hadn’t cooled in the slightest.
Investigators across various departments also mobilized. To the general public, news of a crackdown on anti-government groups just seemed like business as usual. The deeper truth had been completely hidden. After all, eliminating terrorist organizations was a familiar campaign promise politicians rolled out every election season. Fortunately, this kept citizens from panicking.
“This is no longer just our country’s problem. District 1 has already proven that they can manipulate the Gates. We’re long past the point of denial, aren’t we?”
“Still… informing other nations about our internal affairs—”
“You’re right. We don’t know how this could be used. It would be reckless to act without caution.”
“So what, we wait until Gates start exploding worldwide before we say anything?!”
“No, that’s not what I meant—”
If this had been limited to District 1, the government might’ve kept it under wraps. But it wasn’t just other Centers—Molt’s spies had infiltrated Central itself. Despite fierce opposition, they had no choice but to act. Molt was an international terrorist group. The chances that other countries were in the same situation were high.
And sure enough, their fears were confirmed. Once the truth was shared, other nations launched rapid investigations. Spies hidden within their leadership ranks were flushed out—and killed. Global security began to shake. The situation had reached a tipping point. There was no room left for complacency.
And when they factored in the machine Seon Juho had discovered, it was clear that Molt had crossed into truly terrifying territory.
Now, the global objective was clear: locate Molt’s headquarters. Capture the one leading them. The days of scrambling to strengthen defensive barriers were over. Humanity had entered a relatively stable era.
While the rest of the world was focused on advancing technology and protecting its people, Molt had been pouring everything into research—specifically, into eradicating the Gates. They’d used any means necessary. Brutally.
If their work had genuinely benefited humanity, they might have come forward openly. But it hadn’t. And so, they’d hidden in the shadows. Their ideology was far too extreme, far too dangerous.
The worst-case scenario the world feared was complete human extinction. Molt didn’t care about people—they only cared about destroying the Gates. And since Gates emerged because of human presence, they might try to trigger a massive eruption to wipe out humanity entirely. No humans, no more Gates.
Even if they’d lost loved ones to the Gates, their ideology was far too dangerous. The only option was to stop them before they made their move.
Jung Jae-heon let out a sigh as he read Kwon Hae-beom’s report again. District 1 had finally uncovered a facility linked to Molt. It wasn’t a major site, but it was a location where Awakened individuals—meant to become test subjects—had been gathered.
They’d been found beneath a well-known club. All of them were unregistered Awakened. Assuming nothing problematic emerged, they would be processed and brought into the Center through the proper channels.
Most of the unregistered Awakened they had captured were, as the saying goes, children from wealthy families. There were exceptions, of course, but they were in the minority.
What shocked them even more was the drug they found alongside them—a drug capable of turning an Awakened into a non-Awakened, if only temporarily.
Anyone who awakened was legally required to register with the state and join a Center. But there had always been those who resisted. And now, someone had gone so far as to create a drug that granted their wish.
The Centers now served a role similar to the long-defunct military. Even back then, few people had wanted to enlist. So it wasn’t surprising that some didn’t want to join the Center either. At least in the military, if you didn’t want to be there, you could eventually leave. But for the Awakened, it was different. Unless you were incapacitated or injured to the point of being unfit for combat, you had no choice but to serve and protect the country until retirement age.
Jung Jae-heon sighed. Honestly, he didn’t like taking in people who clearly wanted nothing to do with the system. But the law was the law. Orders were orders.
They realized these people were tied to Molt when a mental-type Esper attempted to interrogate the club staff. Suddenly, several employees collapsed on the spot, blood pouring from every hole in their faces. It was unmistakably Molt’s work.
The dead turned out to be the ones managing the abductions. The club owner claimed he thought they were simply trafficking unregistered Awakened for profit. Since most of the victims were from affluent backgrounds, that explanation hadn’t seemed too implausible.
He admitted to turning a blind eye because the money was just too good. He claimed he didn’t know any of the details beyond that.
The same went for the drug. The owner and staff all believed it was just a recreational narcotic. And technically, they weren’t wrong—the drug did contain hallucinogens.
Ordinary narcotics don’t work on Espers. But a drug that did? That was an irresistible temptation for thrill-seeking young Awakened.
The formula was a dangerous blend—a substance that temporarily stripped someone of their powers, paired with a narcotic. While under its influence, an Awakened’s body reverted to that of a non-Awakened, allowing the drug to take full effect. It had become wildly popular among unregistered Awakened.
And that’s exactly when the kidnappers struck. Snatching someone while they were powerless and high was easy. Once they were subdued, all it took was dragging them underground and slapping on power-suppressing cuffs. Quick and clean.
Unfortunately, every single person involved in the operation was now dead, making it impossible to uncover the transportation routes. But they had managed to locate at least one of the processing sites. And now that one of their bases had been compromised, Molt would be scrambling to shut down the rest before they were discovered.
The police launched a full-scale investigation into the drug’s distribution channels, tracking every possible lead and raiding all suspicious sites.
Meanwhile, Kwon Hae-beom stationed himself along the highways connecting the districts, backed by clairvoyant-type Espers. City streets were under checkpoint surveillance by local police, but so far, nothing had turned up.
Even amid this avalanche of ongoing incidents, Kwon Hae-beom never stopped searching for Choi Jiwoon. He had loved him that deeply. And now, his desperation had become all-consuming.
