SOG Ch 150

As he asked, Jae-chan recalled past events. District 5, which had become a death zone due to a reactor explosion. According to official government announcements, the death toll from that incident was thirty-seven, but foreign media estimated that casualties from radiation exposure could range from thousands to tens of thousands. It was a horrific event.

If the reactor had exploded as it had in the past, they would already be in the midst of radiation exposure. Seon Jae-chan’s chest tightened with anxiety. He had to appear calm in front of Go Woo-jin.

“Can you explain what kind of explosion you saw? Your lips are trembling, and you’re breathing heavily.”

Jae-chan held Yu-ram’s shoulders and described her condition while making eye contact. Yu-ram met Seon Jae-chan’s clear dark brown eyes and, being the brilliant talent she was, immediately understood what he was asking and answered.

“I heard a loud explosion sound from the direction of the nuclear plant.”

“I heard it too. And then?”

By now, everyone in the room was listening to their conversation. Jung Hana whispered “please” while cradling her belly with both hands, and Gu Ji-young tightly wrapped her injured arm.

“Black smoke was billowing up. It was covering the… something like a chimney and all of Reactor 3, which is closest to the center.”

“Gray smoke?”

Jae-chan’s face brightened.

“Was there no pillar of fire? Like a beam of light. Shooting up hundreds of meters into the sky.”

“No… there was nothing like that. It just looked like a large factory fire. Smoke was rising uncontrollably.”

If that was the case, there was a high possibility that the reactor had not yet exploded. If the reactor had exploded, a pillar of fire should have shot up hundreds of meters into the sky. He remembered this because there were countless records and eyewitness accounts of this phenomenon.

“Then the reactor is still holding,” Jae-chan explained to the group. He said that although it was unclear when it might explode, it was still safe for now. If it had exploded, there should have been a loud explosion and vibration.

“Was the building intact?”

He asked Yu-ram for more details.

“Yeah, smoke rose instantly after the explosion sound. The building was intact.”

This was different from the past. In the previous incident, not only had the reactor lid blown off, but the steam equipment had also been destroyed.

The military had claimed an earthquake was the cause, but unlike the building vibrations felt in the past, there was none of that this time.

‘Well, there wasn’t a shootout back then either.’

Jae-chan’s expression hardened. Given that there was a difference of several years, it was unclear whether the current incident was similar to the past explosion incident or a separate event.

For now, Jae-chan took out his phone and switched it to silent mode. Seeing him, Yu-ram, his mother, and Jung Hana also checked their own phones.

“It’s okay to call for help, but never reveal our location,” Jae-chan explained.

“These guys are meticulously prepared. There might even be accomplices among the police.  Also, everyone check if you have any injuries.”

That’s when Jae-chan noticed his mother couldn’t move her right arm at all. He had thought she was just holding it with her left hand, but upon closer inspection, the wound on her upper arm was deep.

She should have said something. Seon Jae-chan immediately searched the guiding room. Every guiding room was supposed to be equipped with a first aid kit.

However, Seon Jae-chan almost threw the discolored plastic box. Inside were only dried-up ointment, empty bandage wrappers, and rusted clamps.

“Where are you going?” Gu Ji-young asked as Jae-chan finally stood up.

“To get a first aid kit,” Jae-chan answered, and Yu-ram also stood up.

“Let’s get guiding on the way out. You don’t look good.”

Jae-chan agreed. Unlike when he only used concealment occasionally when needed, today he had used his ability continuously for over 10 minutes, and his head was definitely ringing. It was truly a miserable efficiency compared to high-class Espers who could last for months without guiding.

However, it was also the only means that could save the four of their lives. Guiding was essential to maintain stable use of his ability going forward.

“Don’t close the door, keep it open. You must never close it,” he instructed his mother and Jung Hana before heading back into the corridor with Yu-ram. As they passed a window, he glanced outside but couldn’t see the reactor because the main building of the Guide Bureau blocked the view from this angle.

“Yu-ram. Storage room,” Seon Jae-chan whispered, mouthing the words.

The two tried to ignore the corpses as they went behind the station. They began searching the storage room where guiding supplies were kept, but frustratingly, the most necessary items were missing.

‘Why is there no portable amplifier?’

It was a situation that made him want to swear. Like the first aid kit in the guiding room, District 5 wasn’t just outdated in terms of facilities, it was like an empty shell. It was astonishing that it was still maintained in this state.

Meanwhile, Yu-ram emptied a tarpaulin bag that had contained reusable bands and filled it with useful items like gauze, antibiotics, and first aid supplies.

Not having found a portable amplifier, the two of them eventually selected a suitable regular amplifier. They selected a device farthest from the emergency center entrance and closest to the guiding rooms and pressed the power button.

Beep. The amplifier made a small sound. A noise that they normally wouldn’t have even noticed now sounded like thunder pounding in their chests. Instinctively, they turned to each other at the same time.

At the same time, a faint whistle was heard from outside.

Thump, thump, a long shadow approached the glass door stained with blood outside. Seon Jae-chan and Yu-ram quickly ducked down and pressed themselves against the back of the large amplifier device.

Shortly after Jae-chan activated his ability, two of the previous terrorists, including the one with red hair, entered the room. They were armed with Y22 rifles and were openly wearing ammunition around their necks, flaunting their identity as terrorists.

“This is fvcking thrilling…”

The red-haired man chuckled, saying that he was so excited he could hardly hold his bladder. Listening to these bastards talk about murder like it was a game, Seon Jae-chan concluded that they didn’t seem to have heard the amplifier’s sound.

So why did they come back? The question was soon answered.

“Shit, where did she go?”

They were overturning the bed where the pregnant woman had been lying.

“She couldn’t have gone far.”

More vulgar words followed that he didn’t want to hear. Watching them unnecessarily check even the corpses, Jae-chan was filled with disgust. Was the reason for massacring and chasing fleeing victims simply for fun?

Isn’t this counterproductive even as terrorists? Shouldn’t they take hostages and negotiate with authorities?

What on earth was their purpose?

‘Should I subdue them?’

Jae-chan’s mind raced. But ambushing armed Espers in a situation where their intentions, manpower, everything was unknown was an emotional choice.

Dealing with these subhuman idiots, murderers emboldened by firearms, was giving him a headache. Just as he was about to give up his solo standoff and quietly move to the guiding room with Yu-ram:

“…That was off earlier.”

The redhead pointed at the amplifier.

Goosebumps ran up Yu-ram’s neck, who was standing next to Seon Jae-chan. The redhead was striding in their direction, which happened to be the path Jae-chan and Yu-ram were taking.

She gripped the tarpaulin bag tightly. Yu-ram could see the spider tattoo creeping grotesquely on his neck and the bloodshot whites of his eyes with irritating clarity.

“What’s this? Is there an Esper?”

The next moment, Yu-ram was slightly surprised. Jae-chan’s invisible hand carefully pulled her. They began to move slowly at the same time. It was a considerate pace, but Yu-ram had to concentrate all her focus on walking in an invisible state, unfamiliar with the act.

Meanwhile, Jae-chan was thinking of returning to his mother and Jung Hana. Since he had told them to keep the door open, they should be able to slip inside silently.

Just as the two were passing right by the terrorists, holding their breath:

Bang-! Bang bang!

Gunshots rang out. Fortunately for Seon Jae-chan and Park Yu-ram, the source was outside.

The terrorists’ heads also turned sharply. At the same time, a radio transmission came through.

-You bastards, where are you!

Get over here now! It was the leader’s voice.

It was the leader’s voice, ordering them to come immediately. The redhead and his group cursed under their breath. ‘Just say it’s constipation. You’re the one with constipation.’ As the two terrorists muttered and moved on, they were so close that Park Yu-ram almost burst into tears.

She wondered why Jae-chan, who had been moving, suddenly froze. After the terrorists completely disappeared outside, Yu-ram almost hit Jae-chan.

If it weren’t for the pistol in Jae-chan’s hand when he deactivated his concealment, she definitely would have.

“You… you, have a gun…!”

Unlike the shocked Yu-ram, Jae-chan checked the pistol’s magazine with an indifferent face.

It was a Storm96, a very common pistol carried by most police officers in the American Union would carry. It seemed it had already been fired here and there, with only three 9mm bullets remaining.

He had quietly taken it from the redhead among the terrorists. From the moment they got close, he had focused on the auxiliary weapon mounted on the leg holster. However, since it was difficult to take it without being noticed, he was about to give up when the shootout erupted. He took the chance to quietly rip off the Velcro.

“We need to protect our lives too. Let’s quickly get guiding and go back,” Jae-chan said.

Since he didn’t have a holster, Jae-chan separated the magazine and put the pistol in his inner jacket pocket as he spoke.

In preparation for their return, the two decided to lie down and get guiding. Throughout the guiding, Seon Jae-chan kept shifting his gaze, watching for any signs at the entrance and back door through the gap under the emergency bed.

They adjusted the stability of his wavelength stability to 60% before moving to the guiding room where Gu Ji-young and Jung Hana were waiting.

“Send a message to your families.” 

Jae-chan said as he locked the door. If the terrorists were as well-prepared as the Black Swan, they might use a GPS jammer.