DB Vol 3 Part 11

‘Who exactly are you, aunt?’ Won-woo had asked her a few times. Perhaps annoyed, she answered like this: ‘I’m just an ordinary Guide.’

Her nonchalant explanation seemed to become the correct answer later. So he thought the person she brought would just be ordinary too. But he seemed special to her. He was the only past she revealed, when she wouldn’t tell a single thing about her own identity.

‘Is he your son?’

He had asked directly once, but she shook her head with a bitter smile.

‘No.’

But Won-woo believed he must be like a son to her. After all, it’s common for Guides to take care of young Espers. Since she was a C-rank Guide, he guessed he might be a C-rank or D-rank Esper.

She had a wide range of wavelengths she could cover, like Won-woo, so the identity of the guest was even more of a mystery. Well, he didn’t particularly want to know either.

Anyway, all Espers were now enemies to be killed, and since the guest was injured and couldn’t use his powers, he couldn’t even be considered an Esper. The only thing Won-woo was curious about was hearing about her past from him.

But even as he began to express himself with his fingertips that could move a little, he didn’t mention a single word about her. After asking about her every time, Won-woo eventually changed tactics and asked about him. Where did you live, what food did you often eat, which school did you go to… and so on.

Of course, he didn’t get any answers. He only received cold stares. He learned a little about his circumstances one dawn. It must have been after she gave him a painkiller injection when he was writhing in phantom pain. Won-woo stopped in his tracks at the soft voice flowing through the door crack.

‘If your reason for wanting to die is simply to avoid your reality, I can’t help you. Yes, you must be suffering because you feel your revenge has failed. And with your body now, there’s nothing more you can do. But that’s not true.’

There was determination in her voice. Won-woo held his breath and focused on her next words.

‘It may seem like you’ve achieved nothing, but the seeds you’ve sown could eventually grow into a massive tree that will devour them. I believe the seeds I’ve sown will grow like that. No one knows how our efforts will return to us in the future. That’s why I want you to live a little longer. Trust me and try living just a bit more.’

Won-woo sat in front of the dark door and buried his face in his knees. He just felt envious that there was someone beside him who wanted him to live like that. He felt like crying from envy of him, who couldn’t even move and only wanted to die, because she was saying such things beside him.

‘Let’s try living.’

***

‘I called you because I need to go out for a bit. Don’t wake him up no matter what! Don’t wake him up no matter what!’

Even without Sang-cheon’s earnest request, Gye Yoon had no intention of waking Won-woo, who was curled up like a child sleeping on the sofa. He was just a bit annoyed. No, perhaps it would be more accurate to describe it as jealousy. He didn’t know what Won-woo had been doing all night, but the fact that Sang-cheon’s side was a place where he could sleep so comfortably…

Of course, it would be strange for him to sleep next to Gye Yoon too, since they hadn’t known each other long, but hadn’t he only just met that old man too? What was so great about that old man? Gye Yoon disliked himself for being unable to suppress his jealousy even towards Sang-cheon.

He looked down at Won-woo as if questioning him. What exactly do I need to do to be on your side? But Won-woo, deep in sleep, didn’t move an inch. Sang-cheon was worried enough about him sleeping without eating since morning that Gye Yoon briefly suspected he might be sick.

Fortunately, his heartbeat and breathing sounded fine. Gye Yoon sat in the equally worn-out chair opposite the sofa and checked his phone. Chief Jung had sent a long message detailing the chaotic situation that had unfolded in just one day at the Center, the Ji family, and the Women Association. He seemed excited about the Ji family’s misfortune and was voluntarily reporting things he normally wouldn’t.

―Rumors have spread nationwide that a direct descendant of the Ji family, an esper, took advantage of a teammate’s injury to assault them, and deliberately ignored their berserk state, leading to death. There were already suspicions that Ji Won-woo let a teammate die from going berserk in the contamination removal room, so these rumors are becoming accepted as fact.

[Ji Geun-oh and his sons are urgently contacting members of the Women Association. They’re saying this is a malicious rumor unrelated to the Ji family, but when our side leaked part of the video to the committee members this afternoon, there’s been no contact since. Now they’ve apparently deployed people to find Ji Won-woo.]

[The Center has formed an emergency response team to confirm this situation, and ‘Hong Seung-wook’ has volunteered as the person in charge. It seems the Center hasn’t approved it yet.]

Reading up to this point, Gye Yoon immediately frowned at the name ‘Hong Seung-wook’. Why is this little swallow suddenly getting involved? Gye Yoon quickly tapped out orders.

[Contact OO Bank that we invested in and tell them to pressure Hong Seung-wook’s father. Isn’t that bastard’s father using Hong Seung-wook like a pretty face to attract investment? Make him disappear for a few days.]

Chief Jung must have confirmed immediately, as a reply came:

[As it happens, the bank president’s daughter is a fan of Hong Seung-wook. But why Hong Seung-wook?]

“Why, what do you mean why…”

Gye Yoon was about to unconsciously swear when he casually looked up and stopped speaking. His eyes met with Won-woo’s, who was lying on the sofa.

His deep gaze always reminded one of an unfathomable abyss, but now it felt like facing an even deeper unknown. Beautiful, but once you fall in, you might become a sacrifice. Of course, Gye Yoon wasn’t afraid at all, no matter how deep that sea was. Rather, he was excited.

“You are awake?”

Gye Yoon asked lightly. For reasons unknown, Ji Won-woo liked Nani, so he had made a plan to approach him in a friendly manner like Nani. Won-woo stared at him warily for a while, as if not fully awake, before opening his mouth.

“Mr. Gye.”

His voice was hoarse from not speaking for a long time, and it was stimulating enough to make one tingle. Gye Yoon resisted the urge to lick his lips and nodded.

“Say it.”

“Are you perhaps Chick?”

The smile slowly disappeared from Gye Yoon’s lips. Chick? He had a vague sense of déjà vu, but shook his head.

“If ‘Chick’ doesn’t have any other meaning, then no, I’m not.”

“…Ah.”

Won-woo nodded as if understanding, then suddenly got up from his seat. As he brushed off his wrinkled clothes and headed for the door, Gye Yoon raised one eyebrow. Is that all? What’s Chick?

“It’s dangerous to go out now. Your family is looking for you, grinding their teeth.”

“I’m confident I won’t get caught.”

Ah, how very confident of you.

“Even if they find me, they won’t be able to do anything until the Women’s Association votes. The Gye family is handling it well, right?”

Gye Yoon silently twisted his lips into a smile. He was puzzled why Ji Won-woo, who was so perceptive, had been living like he was dead in the Ji family all this time. Forgetting his intention to make a good impression, he smiled crookedly, and Won-woo stared at him intently. As Gye Yoon was about to erase his smile in confusion, he heard a serious request.

“If you happen to remember about ‘Chick’, please let me know.”

“Is it that important?”

“Yes. Very.”

Gye Yoon, who hadn’t taken it seriously, now tried to recall this word carefully. But Won-woo moved again, and he stopped thinking.

“Where are you trying to go?”

“Somewhere you can’t enter, Mr. Gye.”

But it was a place Ji Won-woo could easily enter with his status. Won-woo pictured in his mind the Ji family members he would have to face.

Ji Geun-oh and his eldest daughter Ji Yoon-im, and his two sons Ji Dong-hyeon and Ji Seong-hyeon. The most difficult to deal with would be Ji Yoon-im, but she stayed with another family after marriage, so there was no need to worry about her.

The most problematic now was the suspicious Ji Dong-hyeon. So he needed to be dealt with first. As Won-woo was making his decision, he heard a question.

“Who says I can’t enter the Guide Center?”

“How did you know I was trying to go to the Guide Center?”

“Isn’t it because you think this is your chance, since it’ll be harder to enter once your ties with the Ji family are cut? You have a Guide you’re looking for, right?”

Did he hear from Director Hwang?

“That’s right. This is my only chance.”

Because if the Ji family knew he was an enemy, he wouldn’t even be able to approach.

“Alright.”

Alright, what? As Won-woo looked puzzled, Gye Yoon walked towards him.

“Let’s go together.”

Won-woo swallowed a laugh and shook his head.

“I’m not a child, I don’t need it. And you really can’t enter, right? If you could, you would have gone in long ago to extract guide information.”

“I can enter anytime. The question was whether I’d be detected or not.”

“And now you’re confident you won’t be detected?”

An air of puzzlement, as if to say ‘of course’, settled in Gye Yoon’s eyes.

“Because my power is complete now. There’s nowhere in this world I can’t go.”

Gye Yoon grabbed Won-woo’s arm and pulled him close. Won-woo resisted warily, but he couldn’t stop Gye Yoon’s low murmur as he leaned towards his ear.

“Just say the word. I’ll take you anywhere.”

Simultaneously, Won-woo’s ears became muffled. And a familiar dizziness overcame him. It was the same sensation he had felt when teleporting from the lodging to the mountain yesterday.

***

“Ji Won-woo didn’t come to the Center today. He’s not answering calls either. With his lodging burned down, no one knows where he is. We tried to find out through his acquaintances, but apparently, he doesn’t regularly contact anyone. His phone is turned off too, so Ji Won-woo has literally disappeared.”

Director Shin, Ji Dong-hyeon’s right-hand man, reported in a tense voice, quickly glancing at him. He had just come from being summoned by Ji Geun-oh and had his forehead stitched after being hit with a golf club. Unlike Ji Geun-oh, who turns everything into chaos when angry, Ji Dong-hyeon was calm on the surface.

Of course, that was just outwardly; his face revealed the explosive anger through his eyes and expression. Gritting his teeth, he ran his hand through his neatly combed hair as if pushing it back.

“Mobilize all Espers to find him. Before the voting day, we must find that bastard and make him kneel in front of everyone. Understood?”

“I’ll mobilize the entire security team.”

“What about the video? Did you secure the original?”

What angered Ji Geun-oh more was the short video that was deliberately leaked to the Women Association members in the afternoon. It showed someone repeatedly punching the Esper who died this time.

Ji Geun-oh was in an uproar, insisting they explain it as a manipulated video, but Ji Dong-hyeon disagreed. If a video showing the face clearly came out later, the explanation would only backfire.

“The original was a video that briefly appeared and disappeared in one place after the incident. It was deleted before anyone could see it, so almost no one has seen it. We’re trying to find who uploaded it, but since it was posted anonymously from an internet cafe, it might take time to trace.”

“Find it no matter what before the voting day.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“What use is your best effort? Are you trying to make an excuse if you fail? Don’t be ridiculous. I need both Ji Won-woo and the video in front of my eyes before the voting day. Otherwise, the only thing that should be there is your severed head, understand?”

At Ji Dong-hyeon’s threat, Director Shin left the office quickly with a stiff face. As soon as the door slammed shut, Ji Dong-hyeon let out a stream of curses he had been holding back. Fuck, fuck. No matter how much he swore, his anger wouldn’t subside.

Why did it have to be Ji Won-woo of all people? Ji Dong-hyeon loosened his tie as if tearing it off, then, as if remembering something, checked the video again. The screen was dark, and the attacker had his body half-turned, so his face wasn’t clearly visible.

However, the glimpse of the face was indeed familiar to his younger brother. That’s why Ji Dong-hyeon was more perplexed. It doesn’t make sense. How could that bastard Ji Won-woo hit someone with such familiar hand movements? That puppet who couldn’t do anything while high on drugs?

If the video really showed Ji Won-woo, it meant he had deceived everyone. Had he been pretending to be docile while waiting for a chance to interfere with Ji Geun-oh’s work?

“It’s nonsense.”

Right, it’s nonsense. Ji Won-woo couldn’t do that. How many years had they spent trying to tame that ill-mannered bastard? Ji Won-woo had always been different, as if he hadn’t inherited Ji Geun-oh’s blood. He’d been like that since childhood. He liked people and was willing to help others because of it.

Of course, he was terrified of and hated the malicious pranks Ji Dong-hyeon and Ji Seong-hyeon played. No matter how much they beat him, that defiant look in his eyes never disappeared. Moreover, he fearlessly tried to run away several times. How dare he try to cause trouble elsewhere while bearing the Ji family name? He was already a laughingstock of the Ji family for being a useless D-rank Guide.

So they caught him when he ran away, locked him up, and beat him repeatedly, eventually resorting to drugs. Just when they thought they had finally turned him into an obedient puppet, this bastard caused such an incident.

Ji Dong-hyeon turned his gaze to the dark window outside. The view from his third-floor office was of grounds as vast as a park, but the greenery was suppressed by darkness, revealing only black shapes.

It was unpleasant to think that the darkness resembled the uncertain future of the Ji family. Ji Dong-hyeon gritted his teeth and turned away from the window. Where the hell are you, Ji Won-woo?

***

‘Guide Center’

The wide expanse like a park was surrounded by a wire fence. But there was only one entrance. Won-woo arrived there in an instant and slowly surveyed the unfamiliar scenery. Low buildings were sparsely situated inside the park-like area.

Won-woo could immediately tell which one was the most important building housing the records. Unlike the other modern designed buildings, this one was built like an old castle, with large stones piled up for the outer walls. There was a place built like this in Won-woo’s world too. Those stones had properties that suppressed Esper powers.

But an ordinary amount wouldn’t be nearly enough. To suppress Esper powers, they had to pile those stones several stories high and surround the entire building with them to barely see an effect. The problem was that these stones were rare.

Even when the Free Government tried to build a small building to protect against Esper attacks, it took over 5 years just to procure the materials. Yet the Ji family had built a three-story building with those stones. It showed how formidable the Ji family’s influence was.

But right now, Won-woo was more concerned about the person standing next to him than the power of the Ji family. It hadn’t been easy to face him since he started doubting his identity. Won-woo forced himself to step forward, not forgetting to thank Gye Yoon.

“Thank you for bringing me this far.”

“Why do you think it’s just this far?”

“Because I’m going in there alone.”

“I’m not in your plan?”

The askew stance, expressionless face, and indifferent tone. Everyone who had experienced Won-woo’s guiding had tried to make a good impression and make eye contact at all costs. So Gye Yoon’s demeanor was refreshing. If he didn’t know the situation Gye Yoon was in, he would have thought it was just because of his strong pride.

But he was someone who sustained a painful life using revenge as a strong support. He seemed unskilled at expressing emotions other than hatred and anger, so this brusque way of speaking seemed to be his best effort. Well, it was better than begging or pleading. Won-woo shook his head at him.

“No, you’re not. Just wait for me here.”

Gye Yoon was about to speak, looking displeased, but Won-woo stopped him.

“There’s no need to borrow someone else’s hand for such an easy task.”

“Easy, you say?”

The Gye family had never once succeeded in this supposedly easy task. The building with important documents had the same structure as the cave where Gye Yoon had been imprisoned. Because of the stones that suppressed Esper energy, powers couldn’t be used properly. But if one’s ability was exceptionally strong like Gye Yoon’s, they could still move inside and do the necessary work even with reduced power.

The problem was all the sensors. Heat, wind, sound, movement, sensors detecting everything caught intruders. So the methods were either to extract information in advance and quietly move while bypassing all security, or to use abilities liberally and obtain what was wanted as quickly as possible. Of course, with Gye Yoon’s current power, the latter method was quite feasible. But for Won-woo, who was practically a normal person, to say it was easy when even espers found it difficult…

“Yes, it’s easy.”

Won-woo nodded, emphasizing again, and added a caveat.

“But it’s a method I can only use once.”

That’s why he had planned to gather as much information about the lady outside as possible and then make a final confirmation at the Guide Center. Now he lacked information, but there was no choice.

As Won-woo turned towards the main gate, he asked Gye Yoon,

“That earthquake that shook the lodging, can you cause it again?”

“As much as you want.”

“30 minutes. If I don’t send a signal within that time, please do it.”

Gye Yoon’s face was expressionless, but dissatisfaction clouded his eyes. Aside from going alone, just 30 minutes? He planned to break through the impenetrable security, access the server, and find the desired information in that time? Sensing his thoughts, Won-woo continued his explanation.

“If it takes too long, the guards will get suspicious.”

“…”

“It’s 30 minutes from now. Check your watch for the signal.”

“What signal?”

“You’ll know when you see it.”

Won-woo turned without a proper explanation. If Gye Yoon followed, there was nothing he could do, but he knew he wouldn’t. Because Gye Yoon would be curious about what method Won-woo would use.

As Won-woo had expected, no footsteps followed as he trudged towards the main gate. Instead, seeing Won-woo approach, a guard came out of the security post with noisy footsteps.

“Stop! You can’t enter here.”

“Well, I think you’ll let me in. There’s someone waiting for me inside.”

At those words, the guard shone a light on Won-woo’s face.

“Waiting? Who? Who are you?”

Won-woo shielded his eyes from the bright light with his hand and calmly announced:

“Tell Ji Dong-hyeon. His younger brother, Ji Won-woo, has come to see him.”

***

Jae-hak stood with a devastated face in front of his daughter’s tightly closed room. He had barely managed to bring a Guide by giving away two precious seeds, but as soon as that Guide held the child’s hand, they screamed that they couldn’t do it and just trembled.

While Guides do suffer if their wavelengths don’t overlap much, they don’t usually make such a fuss. Was the problem that this Guide was already terrified beforehand? Their reaction was more extreme. It seemed the main reason was probably fear of being expelled from the Guide Center if discovered guiding the Gye family.

But Jae-hak intended to persuade this gGuide somehow. Fortunately, the Gye family had more than enough money, so he believed they would eventually give in. However, the Guide, unable to overcome their fear, harmed themselves. Then they begged prostrate.

‘Please, please let me go. My, my friend died of Guide disease. I don’t want to die like that. I’d rather die now than not receive medicine from the Guide Center.’

He barely managed to soothe the terrified person, but it seemed it would take a lot of time to persuade them. Time. Time was urgent right now.

But where could he get that time from? His daughter had no time left.

When the Guide screamed, treating themselves like a monster, the young daughter’s expression finally disappeared. Now, the only emotion this young child showed was screams of pain.

The child, always in pain, just stared blankly even when Jae-hak approached. He barely held back his tears. His wife, the Gye family matriarch, had rushed out again to find another Guide. She must be suffering the most right now.

Losing their first child like that, and now this child too. Jae-hak felt pathetic and miserable for being so powerless. That’s why he absolutely couldn’t cry. He composed his expression and quietly left the front of the child’s room, heading towards the dark corridor. But he stopped after just a few steps. He heard the whispering voices of working people from beyond the corner.

“My God, they say the Guide tried to die. Isn’t this really a curse? It’s so scary.”

Jae-hak lowered his head again in despair. Curse. A word he had initially scoffed at as nonsense had clung to the Gye family for years, becoming a serious word no one could laugh at anymore. Now even Jae-hak wished it were a curse. Then he could at least try to offer himself as a human sacrifice.

Jae-hak forcibly lifted his head and took another step. He thought of another family member who would be working for his child right now. How did it go? Though he felt sorry for seeming to rush, his hand moved on its own. Jae-hak found Gye Yoon’s number on his phone and pressed it.

Ji Dong-hyeon could only look at his younger brother standing before him with incredulous eyes. Had this bastard gone crazy and had a death wish? Otherwise, there was no way he would appear before him on his own feet. Yet Won-woo’s face, dragged in like a prisoner with both arms held by two sturdy guards, showed no fear at all.

Rather, he slowly looked around the room as if sightseeing, belatedly meeting Ji Dong-hyeon’s eyes. Ji Dong-hyeon didn’t miss the brief flash of amusement in those eyes. Only then did his blocked words burst out.

“Hey, kneel.”

How dare you look at me straight with those eyes? It was an angry command, but the younger brother who hadn’t shown any rebellion for years just stood there blankly at his words.

Instead, as if ignoring him, he just looked around Ji Dong-hyeon’s room. The space filled with protruding decorations on the walls and matching furniture was antique. A random question popped out of Won-woo’s mouth as he leisurely looked around.

“Where is it?”

“What?”

“The secret passage.”

A pause. Ji Dong-hyeon’s expression hardened, but Won-woo didn’t care and continued to examine the interior of the spacious office.

“There’s a secret passage in Father’s room at the main house too. It was made to escape like a rabbit hole, but here it must have been made to go to an important records room or safe, right? Because you copy everything Father does.”

Surprising words flowed from Won-woo’s mouth, but Ji Dong-hyeon had another question first. Why is this bastard so normal? He twisted his head and looked Won-woo up and down. The younger brother he remembered always had hazy eyes as if a screw was loose, just closing his mouth like a doll.

So his current coherent speech was quite awkward. Then suddenly, he vaguely remembered. Before taming him with drugs using his weakness, he used to blurt out such fearless words.

So did he return to his old self because he stopped taking the drugs? But when he asked Yoo Geon-yeong, he said Won-woo was no different from before. Ji Dong-hyeon gritted his teeth, recalling his conversation with Yoo Geon-yeong. You dare give false information to the Ji family?

“You managed to quit the drugs, huh.”

Only when he spat this out fiercely did Won-woo’s gaze turn to his older brother. Those eyes that didn’t fear him at all were irritating. Ji Dong-hyeon approached Won-woo, gripping a golf club like his father had hit him with earlier today.

“Well, whether you’re soaked in drugs or not, you have to pay the price today.”

“Price? Ah, it seems you’ve paid a price. Judging by your head.”

Won-woo gestured with his chin towards the bandage wrapped around Ji Dong-hyeon’s head. An uncontrollable laugh burst from Ji Dong-hyeon’s mouth.

“Ha, little brother. You really want to die, don’t you?”

With these words, Ji Dong-hyeon took a big step forward without warning. And without hesitation, he swung the golf club towards his younger brother’s head. The target was close, and swinging a golf club at a person like this was a familiar act. What should have followed was a heavy impact felt in his hand and the scream of his opponent. But this time was different.

Whoosh―

The golf club stopped before reaching its target, accompanied by the sound of wind cutting through the air. The reason it stopped was because Won-woo had instantly dodged and grabbed Ji Dong-hyeon’s arm. What? As Ji Dong-hyeon raised this question, he heard Won-woo’s whisper.

“I don’t have time.”

What’s that? With another question arising, Ji Dong-hyeon tried to push his younger brother away with his free hand. But something blocked his vision. He only realized it was his younger brother’s fist when he felt the pain of it striking his face.

Thud.

With a dull sound, Ji Dong-hyeon staggered backward after taking a direct hit to the jaw. Aside from the dizzying impact that made his mouth gape, he was so disoriented he could barely see straight. As he stepped back, an arm from behind wrapped around his neck. Huh? Just as Ji Dong-hyeon felt bewildered without even forming a proper question, Won-woo’s thumb pressed on his carotid artery with familiarity, while his other hand gripped his head and twisted it quickly.

Crack. With the sound of twisted joints in his neck, Dong-hyeon’s body soon went limp. Leaving him on the floor, Won-woo approached the wall he had been eyeing and tapped it. As soon as he confirmed it was hollow by the sound, he carefully examined the area around the wall.

Ji Dong-hyeon, the eldest of the three sons, had originally struggled to be recognized by his father in the original world and had followed him exactly. Won-woo assumed the secret passage and the method to open it would be similar. Sure enough, the opening mechanism for the passage was in the same position as it had been in the main house.

When Won-woo pushed a certain part of the decorative molding, a small sound was heard and a gap opened. Inside was just a narrow, dark corridor, but Won-woo disappeared into it without hesitation, carrying his older brother over his shoulder.

21 minutes. With only 9 minutes left, Gye Yoon could tell the time by the ticking of the second hand without looking at the watch, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the round screen since Won-woo disappeared. Although expressionless, his gaze on the watch was so sharp that if someone were beside him, they wouldn’t dare disturb him.

However, his phone vibrated tactlessly. Gye Yoon was about to turn off the phone when he saw the name on the screen and quietly looked down at it. It wasn’t someone who would normally call him. As he slowly pressed the answer button, he heard Jae-hak’s familiar voice.

[Yoon-ah, are you busy?]

“Why?”

[Just wondering if you’re busy.]

If someone else had answered like this, he would have cursed at them for talking nonsense and hung up, but when Jae-hak beat around the bush like this, it meant he was deliberately hiding something.

“How’s Hwan?”

[Our princess… just the same.]

The word “just” came up again, but this time too, Gye Yoon wasn’t fooled.

“How’s the Guide you brought?”

[Ah, um, it seems it’ll take some time for them to adjust.]

So the Guide is the problem. They barely managed to get a Guide with the seeds, but in the end, it was still an issue with the Guide.

“Hwan?”

When Gye Yoon asked the same question again, this time the answer didn’t come easily. Instead, he heard a question that seemed suppressed.

[Yoon-ah, do you really have a way?]

“Yes.”

Haah, a sigh that could have been relief or despair was heard. As Gye Yoon was about to hang up, Jae-hak’s muttering stopped him.

[Right… Right, thanks to you, our Hwan should go to school and hear the sound of ‘piiyak(chick)’ too.]

“What?”

[Huh? Ah, I’m just saying we should benefit from you.]

“Not that. Chick? What’s that about?”

As Gye Yoon’s voice turned fierce, Jae-hak was puzzled.

[Huh? Don’t you remember? Why, because your surname is Gye, kids used to tease you about being an egg when you were young. You beat them all up and got scolded terribly by the family head. I still remember. After that, the kids called you ‘chick’ behind your back, right? You knew about it but didn’t hit the kids, not because you were afraid of getting scolded again, but the reason was probably…]

“…Because it’s not food.”

[Right. You were less angry because while eggs are food, ‘chick’ isn’t. But when it grows up, it becomes food, you know.]

Jae-hak seemed to recall that time and chuckled softly, but Gye Yoon didn’t register it as he turned his gaze to the Guide Center building in the darkness. Only 7 minutes left. Gye Yoon shot a sharp glance towards someone who might be inside. How did Ji Won-woo bring up a nickname from long ago that even he barely remembered? Why was that important?

Beep, click.

As soon as he passed through the security requiring fingerprint and iris recognition, Won-woo threw his brother’s limp body onto the floor. His body rolled on the floor with a thud, but despite the considerable impact, Ji Dong-hyeon couldn’t wake up. But he wouldn’t be lonely with the archives manager collapsed beside him.

Won-woo went to the computer where the manager had been and quickly moved the mouse. He easily found where to search for Guides, but had to enter a password. Usually, passwords for high-security places were likely to change monthly or weekly. But that made them easier to find.

The more frequently passwords change and the more complex their combinations, the more likely there are staff members who find it annoying to memorize them. Then they always write it down somewhere. Won-woo searched various parts of the monitor and computer as if familiar with this. Then he flipped over the mousepad and found what he wanted.

As soon as he entered the password on the screen, the security was unlocked and a window to search for Guides popped up. Won-woo only knew one piece of information about the aunt he knew. C-rank Guide. In the North, there was no need to guide Espers, so he didn’t know her exact wavelength range. But Won-woo entered the conditions without hesitation.

‘Rank: C-rank

Matching Esper: Gye Yoon’

As soon as he entered the name, Guides with matching wavelengths appeared. If the person the aunt had brought in the original world was Gye Yoon, he could find the aunt through him. But among the Guides that appeared on the screen, the aunt wasn’t there. There were six Guides in total. Among them, there was one of a similar age, but it was a man. Won-woo gritted his teeth while looking at the monitor for a moment, then seemed to make a decision and added one more condition.

‘Include deceased’