Chapter 68

Haon, having sensed the presence behind him, instinctively drew the dagger from the sheath on his thigh and turned to face the intruder. The sharp blade was pointed at the man’s neck.

“Whoa, sorry.”

The man was Won Jaehyuk. Fortunately, he had stepped back just in time to avoid the dagger. Haon, realizing his mistake, quickly apologized, and Won Jaehyuk shook his head slightly, indicating it was alright.

“No problem. It’s okay.”

“Did you meet with Director Han?”

“No. I was nearby and heard the noise, so I came to check. Where did Director Han go?”

“He went to find the others.”

Won Jaehyuk nodded at Haon’s answer. Though Haon felt guilty for wasting time, he knew he had to find Cha Yugeon as soon as possible. Haon clenched his fists again.

“Is it around here?”

“Yes, it is.”

Won Jaehyuk noticed Haon’s arm trembling from the electrical pulses and moved closer.

“It seems to be space manipulation.”

Won Jaehyuk was an experienced esper with many missions under his belt. Without needing an explanation, he quickly understood the situation. He stepped in front of Haon.

“Step back.”

Though Haon was reluctant to leave, he knew Won Jaehyuk had a plan. He stepped back as Won Jaehyuk clenched his fist.

Haon knew his own limitations. Compared to him, Won Jaehyuk was an A-class esper with enhanced physical abilities. Whatever Won Jaehyuk planned to do would be more effective than anything Haon could manage.

“Be careful.”

With a brief warning, Won Jaehyuk leapt high into the air, bringing his fist down with the force of gravity and acceleration on the stacked crates. The crates, which had only cracked under Haon’s repeated punches, shattered with one powerful blow.

“It’s done!”

Immediately, the space shimmered and transformed. The warehouse, once filled with crates, now revealed a new area. Won Jaehyuk had broken the spatial manipulation with sheer physical force, saving time and effort.

Aside from scattered LPG gas tanks, the area was clear, making it easier to search.

Cha Yugeon was not on the floor where Haon stood. He ran towards the stairs, feeling the pulses from the bracelet grow stronger. Unsure whether to go up or down, he hesitated until he heard footsteps from below.

“Cha Yugeon…!”

Haon instinctively called out, but the person who appeared was not Cha Yugeon. Two men he had never seen before approached. Sensing danger, Haon adjusted his grip on the dagger.

“Haon, I’ll handle these two. You go find Cha Yugeon.”

“But…”

“Director Han will be here soon. I’ll be fine. Please.”

Won Jaehyuk’s insistence made Haon hesitate, but he finally nodded and ran down the stairs.

One of the men tried to stop Haon, but Won Jaehyuk moved first. With his enhanced physical abilities, he not only possessed great strength but also incredible speed, allowing Haon to dodge the attack.

However, the other man reached out towards Haon, causing the space around him to shimmer, as if trying to manipulate it. Haon realized this was the same ability that had altered the warehouse space earlier.

If the space was manipulated again, it would delay him further. The man’s goal was clearly to buy time. While space manipulation wasn’t a direct offensive ability, it was perfect for stalling.

Haon quickly moved away from the manipulated space and threw his dagger at the shimmering spot. The impact disrupted the space, returning it to normal.

“Damn it!”

The man cursed in frustration and tried to manipulate the space again. Haon drew another dagger, but before he could throw it, Director Han appeared and disrupted the manipulation.

“You’re too slow.”

Director Han’s sudden arrival caught the man off guard. With the spatial manipulation neutralized, Haon continued his search, determined to find Cha Yugeon.

Looking around, Haon saw Si-yun and Kim Jung-won. Director Han had indeed brought them as promised.

“We’ll handle things here!”

Haon didn’t respond verbally; he simply sprinted down the stairs at full speed. As per Won Jaehyuk and Si-yun’s suggestion, he focused solely on finding Cha Yugeon.

“Cha Yugeon…?”

Upon reaching the lower floor, Haon was taken aback. Instead of seeing Cha Yugeon in a dire situation, he found him standing there, seemingly unscathed. The chains that had previously bound him lay broken on the ground.

“Cha Yugeon, are you alright?”

“…”

“Cha Yugeon, you…”

Haon quickly sensed that something was off. Even without concrete evidence, he knew Cha Yugeon would have reacted upon seeing him. The lack of response was concerning.

Fearing that Cha Yugeon might be in a comatose state, Haon thought of the LPG gas tanks upstairs. If Cha Yugeon lost control and used his pyrokinetic abilities, a massive explosion could occur.

However, Haon’s fears were soon proven incorrect.

* * *

“Just so you know, this isn’t a place where you can freely use your abilities. The area above is filled with LPG gas tanks. If you use fire, there’ll be a huge explosion.”

“Is that so? Well, I guess I have no choice then.”

Yugeon’s eyes turned red, and the chains binding him broke effortlessly. He had used telekinesis to snap them.

“What the…?”

“Didn’t know that, did you?”

K, who seemed taken aback, watched as Yugeon smirked. It appeared they hadn’t realized Yugeon could use telekinesis. Given the gas tanks nearby, using fire was out of the question. Instead, he used his telekinesis.

Yugeon formed a telekinetic blade, similar to what he had used against the kraken. If it could slice through a massive kraken, dealing with these men would be easy.

“Using telekinesis too? You’re even more desirable.”

Despite the initial surprise, K seemed pleased. Instead of being scared, he looked excited, which puzzled Yugeon. He swung his telekinetic blade at them without hesitation.

Crash!

The wall was sliced open. The men narrowly avoided the attack. Though the barrier limited Yugeon’s abilities, it was only a minor hindrance. Preparing for another strike, Yugeon focused on his next move.

At that moment, K snapped his fingers. Yugeon couldn’t discern the intent behind the gesture but instinctively heightened his guard.

“Relax.”

Miraculously, Yugeon’s tense body started to relax. No matter how hard he tried, his body wouldn’t respond and kept feeling heavy.

“Surprised?”

Yugeon realized too late that K had used hypnosis. He was in trouble. His mind knew he needed to act, but his body was unresponsive.

“Just stay quiet and still, Cha Yugeon.”

The hypnosis was powerful. Yugeon could only stand there, unable to do anything. Time passed, and noises from upstairs indicated a commotion.

“Looks like your precious guide has arrived. Go greet him properly. He’s a valuable guest.”

Following K’s command, the two men headed upstairs. Despite knowing Park Haon was in danger, Yugeon’s immobile body felt like a curse.

Not long after, Park Haon appeared. Yugeon could neither respond to Haon’s calls nor reach out to him. Haon, sensing something was wrong, looked at Yugeon with concern and caution.

Staring at Haon, unable to do anything, was driving Yugeon insane. But being unable to move was only the beginning of the nightmare.

“Cha Yugeon, from now on, you will attack your guide. You cannot use fire, and you must not kill him.”