Hello everyone, SleepyTime here. Some of you might recognize this novel from Wook’s Teahouse before the whole site was taken down, and yes, I’m the original translator who uploaded this novel there. At first, I’m just going to let this novel gather dust in my drive since I don’t have the time to upload 90++ chapters, but due to some of my readers that still wanted to read this novel, I decided to post it in SoR. Hope you all enjoy it, thank you.
Chapter 67
by SleepyTime“Did it work?”
After a moment, Director Han stepped back. Haon, his face tense, waited anxiously. He couldn’t tell if the guiding had worked or not, and the silence made him more nervous. Director Han’s expression was unreadable, and he didn’t say anything.
“Director Han…?”
“We’re moving now.”
“Alright…”
He didn’t respond to whether the guiding had worked, just stating they would move. The saying “no news is good news” came to mind. If the guiding had failed, he would have said so. Haon tried to calm his anxious heart.
“Wait, even if we reach the docks, how will we find Cha Yugeon? We don’t have enough people to search everywhere.”
Siyun voiced a valid concern. Haon had been worrying about the same thing. They needed an efficient way to find Cha Yugeon.
‘How can we find him…?’
Lost in thought, a brilliant idea suddenly struck Haon. His eyes lit up, and Siyun looked at him, puzzled.
“Director Han, what about the electronic pulse bracelets? We can use those.”
Director Han furrowed his brow briefly before nodding. Haon remembered using the electronic pulse bracelet to find matching espers before. When Cha Yugeon had appeared at the hospital, the proximity had caused a strong electric current, nearly making him pass out. Despite the pain, it would help them avoid wandering aimlessly near the docks.
“First, let’s move to the hospital to get the electronic pulse bracelets. The rest of you, please wait here.”
“Understood.”
“Okay.”
“Got it.”
As soon as the others agreed, Director Han grabbed Haon’s arm, and they vanished, reappearing inside the hospital.
“Gah!!!”
The sudden appearance startled the medical staff, who stepped back in surprise. Haon quickly approached them and got straight to the point.
“Can we borrow an electronic pulse bracelet?”
“Those are internal equipment, and we don’t lend them out…”
“We need it. Please, lend it to us.”
Director Han spoke politely but firmly. The medical staff hesitated, looking between Haon and Director Han.
“I’ll vouch for it.”
“…It’s against the rules, but I’ll make an exception for Director Han.”
After a brief hesitation, the medical staff agreed. Director Han’s reputation seemed impressive. While Haon pondered this, the medical staff brought out the electronic pulse bracelets.
“You press this button to activate it…”
“Just put it on me, and show me how to take it off.”
“Oh, right. Press this button to remove it.”
The medical staff secured the electronic pulse bracelets on Haon’s wrists. Haon nodded in thanks.
“Thank you.”
Director Han gave a brief thanks and then grabbed Haon’s arm, teleporting them back to where the others were waiting.
“Everyone, please hold hands.”
As soon as they arrived, Director Han instructed the group. They all joined hands. Director Han placed his hand on Won Jaehyuk’s shoulder. Haon swallowed nervously, waiting for the teleportation.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay, …Whoa.”
Before Kim Jeongwon could finish, they felt a sensation like being sucked through a drain and then found themselves standing at the docks.
“Oh my!”
A dockworker, startled by their sudden appearance, ran away. They didn’t have time to explain or worry about scaring someone. Haon had more urgent matters to attend to.
“Mr. Haon and I will move together to find Cha Yugeon. Everyone else, please help search.”
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
“Got it.”
After Won Jaehyuk, Siyun, and Kim Jeongwon each replied, they scattered in different directions. Director Han, with his hand on Haon’s shoulder, teleported around the docks. It was far more efficient than Haon running around to check each area.
It didn’t take long for them to cover about half of the docks. Their next stop was in front of an old warehouse. At that moment, Haon felt a tingling sensation on his wrist.
“Wait a moment!”
Haon stopped Director Han just as he was about to teleport again. Director Han paused and looked at Haon.
“Is this the place?”
“I felt a slight pulse. I think he’s in there.”
“I’ll go get the others. Please wait here.”
“Understood.”
Haon wanted to rush into the warehouse immediately, but he knew it would be reckless to go in alone without knowing how many enemies might be inside. He suppressed his impulsive urge and tried to stay rational.
“I’ll stay hidden in case I’m spotted.”
“Understood. I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”
With that, Director Han disappeared. Haon pressed the topmost button on his uniform jacket, which transformed his uniform to look like ordinary civilian clothes. Up close, someone might still recognize it as a center uniform, but it wouldn’t attract attention from a distance.
Despite knowing about this feature of his uniform, Haon had never used it before. His ability to turn invisible usually sufficed for staying hidden. But now, he had to make do with what was available.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the warehouse. Startled, Haon turned towards it. The noise had come from inside. Something significant was happening. He couldn’t just stand by any longer. Breaking his promise to Director Han, he pushed the massive iron door open.
The door opened with a grating screech. Haon didn’t hesitate to rush inside. The warehouse was enormous, packed with various cargo. Haon navigated through the stacks, following the increasingly strong pulses from the electronic pulse bracelets.
The pulses grew stronger as he moved deeper into the warehouse. He maneuvered between crates and containers, feeling the electrical pulses intensify. He finally reached an area where the pulses were so strong that his arms trembled from the current. Gritting his teeth, he endured the pain.
However, despite the strong pulses, Cha Yugeon was nowhere to be seen. There were only massive wooden crates, no sign of anyone else. Haon started to doubt if the electronic pulse bracelet was malfunctioning.
“Damn it… Where are you?”
Frustrated, Haon muttered to himself. In his desperation, he punched a stack of crates. The space around him shimmered like a mirage.
Haon rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things. When he looked again, the space was back to normal. Sensing something was off, he kicked the crates with all his might. The space shimmered again.
He realized the space was manipulated. Although he had never met an esper with such an ability, he had heard of it.
Haon started hitting and kicking various spots, looking for the weakest point. His knuckles bled from the effort, but he didn’t give up.
“Where the hell are you!”
He shouted in frustration as his desperation grew. Just then, someone approached him from behind. Haon, focused on finding the weak point, didn’t notice the presence.