TG Ch 1 Part 2

Walking behind the neatly handsome man, Sijin felt like he was constantly attracting attention from those around him. It felt unfamiliar and awkward, but Sijin meticulously examined the geography of the place where he would be working.

While doing so, Sijin spotted a familiar sign on the outskirts of the Center.

“Oh? There’s a convenience store at the Center?”

“The dormitory usage rate is high, and there are many civilian staff members here as well.”

The staff member answered skillfully. Sijin felt surprised. He had come with the image of a rigid and special military unit in mind.

However, upon further thought, it made sense to have such conveniences. The Ability Center was not just a simple military facility; it was a systematic institution dedicated to nurturing and managing Ability Users.

“There’s also a cafeteria inside. Just make sure to carry your access card with you. You’ll need it even for using the facilities.”

“Do I need it at the convenience store as well?”

“Yes. Oh, just in case, I should mention that we don’t sell alcohol.”

The staff member joked before handing Sijin an ID card with his face photo printed on it. Sijin thought it was expected. Needing an ID card even for using the convenience store seemed unusual, for security reasons, but still.

“Strolling around the campus would feel good, but be careful at night. Sometimes sea monsters come down from the mountains. Espers or Guides may play with them like toys, but for civilians like us… you know?”

The man chuckled mysteriously, leaning in closer. Sijin hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. He understood what he meant, but being so close to the handsome face made him feel strangely flustered.

“Since the dormitory is nearby, let me show you there first.”

“Ah… Yes, sure.”

Sijin replied belatedly. The man’s words sounded like a whisper in his ear, making his ears feel warm. Sijin pondered when did he become so weak to handsome men.

Soon, the man guided Sijin to a building next door. The dormitory building where Sijin would stay was neatly constructed.

“Dr. Baek will be staying in dormitory building C… Here it is. You’ve been assigned room 308.”

The staff explained as they entered the building. On the first floor, there was a lounge and a spacious gym for physical training. All the facilities were modern. It seemed like the welfare of civilian staff members was well taken care of. Sijin was particularly impressed by the lounge resembling a book cafe.

Then, as if realizing a mistake, the staff spoke up, “This building C is a dormitory for active Ability Users.”

“Pardon? Ability Users?”

“Yes!”

Despite the cheerful response, Sijin stiffened from shock.

Why was he, a regular civilian, placed in a dormitory specifically for aggressive Ability Users?

Meanwhile, the staff showed the pad and continued with a straightforward explanation.

“Furthermore, all the rooms surrounding Dr. Baek’s room is occupied by Ability Users.”

“Why, why am I here…” Sijin said bewilderedly. 

The pad showed Sijin’s room 308 marked in red, along with indications of which Ability User occupied the neighboring rooms on the same and adjacent floors. Sijin’s expression turned serious. This situation was more extreme than being thrown into the Nakdong River rapids.

How was he supposed to endure the loud guiding noises every night?

Espers and Guides, born with powerful abilities, had to stabilize each other through guiding. These abilities were too overwhelming for the human body to handle alone.

The guiding method involved ‘skinship.’ The closer and deeper the physical contact during guiding, the more effective it was. Naturally, Ability Users could not help but create noise at night due to the sexual acts involved in guiding.

There was a reason why Sijin’s room was located here.

“The diagnostic examiner who worked here until two weeks ago was kidnapped. It was a special directive from the Director to ensure Dr. Baek’s safety, so please understand.”

“So, the incident happened here…”

Sijin silently swallowed his dissatisfaction at the explanation.

Diagnostic Examiners of Ability Users were often targets of retaliatory crimes, usually by anti-Ability groups or religious organizations.

But to have a kidnapping incident happen right here…

Sijin reluctantly accepted his dormitory assignment. Yes, noise could be an issue, but safety came first.

The staff then continued to show him around the dormitory and explained the rules one by one. Still, Sijin found the dormitory, meticulously clean like a hotel, to his liking. The walls seemed thicker than expected, so the noise levels would likely be low.

The next place the staff guided him to was the research examination building where Sijin would be working.

“Dr. Baek’s workplace is here, the diagnostic room. Would you like to see the examination laboratory first?”

“Yes, please.”

The examination laboratory was empty, perhaps due to lunchtime, and filled with various machinery and equipment. As Sijin looked around the examination laboratory, his eyes began to sparkle.

“Wow… all the equipment is state-of-the-art, even the compatibility testing machine. There are separate meeting rooms and recovery rooms too? Oh? A diagnostic room?”

Sijin glanced at the separately partitioned diagnostic room with hopeful eyes, then turned to the staff.

“Am I going to use this place all by myself?”

“Yes, of course.”

The staff encouraged him to take a closer look from behind. Excited, Sijin examined the high-quality wooden table and various diagnostic tools.

The diagnostic examination team had often been mistreated compared to Ability Users. Sijin didn’t expect the facilities to be this good. He looked around happily, and then smiled awkwardly, feeling embarrassed that he had kept the staff waiting.

“Um, will you guide me to other places now?”

“You can see more if you’d like.”

“No, this is enough.”

“In that case, let me show you the training facility.”

The staff smiled brightly at Sijin’s response and kindly guided him once again.

Then, Sijin hesitated. The mention of the training facility being located underground crossed his mind.

“But, um…”

“Yes?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Please continue with the tour.”

Sijin had an aversion to underground spaces. It was due to a past incident, which had caused him to develop claustrophobia.

However, upon seeing the spacious training facility resembling a soccer field, those thoughts faded away. Although he felt a slight tightness in his chest, he had received treatment for it before, so he believed he could handle it.

“The training facility is much larger than the main building.”

“Ability Users need extensive training. Today, you can only see up to the underground 1st floor due to training. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

As he replied, Sijin looked around. Despite being underground, the facility was brightly lit, giving off an indoor stadium-like feel. This made the stuffy atmosphere more bearable, and the clean, steel surroundings made it feel like he was in a secret laboratory.

At that moment, several Guides passed by Sijin. They could be identified by the guide mark on their combat uniforms and the sleek, black gloves they all wore, which were equipment to assist in guiding.

As Sijin watched them with fascination, he casually remarked, “The attire seems quite casual.”

“Here, Ability Users also undertake espionage missions.”

The staff smiled and gestured towards the Guides they were looking at together. The Guides were wearing black t-shirts or training suits with the Center’s mark, or military uniforms, in a casual manner. Some had dyed their hair freely and there was even a Guide with a piercing.

“Unless specific instructions are given, they don’t bother much about attire.”

“It’s quite different.”

Sijin’s previous workplace had strict regulations regarding attire. Seeing the lack of discipline in the place that was the most active in Korea felt new to him.

The staff explained from the side, “You know this is considered the most dangerous Center in Korea, right?”

“Yes, I’ve heard about their significant achievements in monster extermination.”

Sijin spoke with a slightly tense expression. The F12 Center was already notorious as the most dangerous place.

The F12 Center had the highest rate of monster extermination in Korea. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, Korea was overflowing with sea monsters, especially during the summer when the water temperature rose, causing sea monsters in the West Sea to breed and rampage.

The staff showed Sijin a graph on a pad.

“And so, this is where the most active Ability Users are located. There are a total of 98 active Ability Users here, with 59 Espers and 39 Guides. There are 4 A-Rank Ability Users, but one of them is currently on long-term care due to an injury.”

“There really are a lot of Ability Users…”

Sijin thought that this place would have the highest density of Ability Users in Korea. He felt that it was both the most dangerous and the safest place. From the A-Rank, which usually consists of one or two per Center, up to four members.