DB Vol 3 Part 3

Fortunately, Chief Jung was quick-witted enough to understand the ‘cleaning’ Gye Yoon was talking about. Although he didn’t know exactly what was going on, Gye Yoon was now using his power normally. It seemed he had used the tremendous ability that only S-ranks could handle to put this huge mansion, no different from a small village, into his domain and listened to the sounds. Who was spreading rumors about him and secretly leaking information outside. He must have found the spies that way.

He could bet his entire salary that those spies were no longer breathing. A chill like a cold wave ran through Chief Jung. How on earth can he use his ability? His voice trembled with shock at the end.

“What rumor should I spread?”

“Say that the Gye family’s vice head came out of prison and caused casualties while raging to the brink of going rampage.”

Both Chief Jung and Jae-hak looked up at Gye Yoon. The two’s hopeful gazes reached Gye Yoon’s ears again. The Suppression Piercings were still showing normal colors. Unlike Jae-hak, who couldn’t say anything, Chief Jung quickly nodded.

“Yes, I’ll inform everyone that the Vice Head is currently in a dangerous situation on the verge of going rampage.”

He bowed his head and quickly turned his body. Chief Jung’s face was hardened as he walked, almost running down the corridor, but his mind was a storm of confusion and shock.

What on earth happened when he met Hwang Sang-cheon? How did his energy stabilize? Whatever it was, it was clearly good news. A sane Vice Head, it was unbelievable yet his heart was pounding.

For the past few days, it was Han Seona, who became a team member, who relayed news of the world to Won-woo. Although the Espers in the team hadn’t recovered yet and couldn’t participate in operations, Seona came to the Center for individual training. Thanks to Seona’s diligence, no one found it strange that Won-woo came to work every day.

Originally, he was someone who had nothing to do and had a faint presence, so whatever he did at the Center didn’t stand out much. So for the past few days, Won-woo had been trying to find the aunt using the hacking program Sang-cheon had given him. However, there wasn’t much information about the aunt to begin with, and what little there was only contained information about Guides who were currently affiliated with or had previously worked here.

“The place that has all the information about Guides is the Guide Center.”

Seona, who had vaguely heard that Won-woo was looking for someone, wanting to help even a little, suggested,

“I can visit the Guide Center under the pretext of looking for a Guide. Should I go and secretly search for information?”

“No. I’ll go myself.”

When Won-woo declined with a smile, Seona looked at him for a moment before urging again.

“Let me know if you need help. There are some relationships where it’s easier not to meet, even if they’re family.”

Seona rarely smiled and her tone was blunt, but there were times like this when she was considerate of others. As if she had noticed something about Won-woo’s family even though he hadn’t said much.

“Help me later.”

When Won-woo didn’t reject her help, joy showed in Seona’s eyes. However, as if trying not to show it, she cleared her throat and deliberately changed the subject.

“From now on, I’m the one who needs help. I heard all the team members are returning to the Center today.”

“Everyone?”

When Won-woo asked sharply, Seona nodded.

“Yes. It seems Yoo Geon-young was bothered by my presence and sent out a notice that everyone must come in today no matter what. All the Espers from other teams have already returned. They were in the hospital for a long time though. It’s like they went on vacation rather than being hospitalized. …Why are you smiling?”

Won-woo shook his head as if it was nothing, but couldn’t erase his smile. It was because he hadn’t received a visit from the pervert stalker while the team Espers were stuck in the hospital. It seems the pervert must be one of the Espers in the team. This time, he must catch them red-handed. As he was dreaming of a pleasant return home, Seona’s lowered voice was heard.

“By the way, have you heard about Head Director Hong?”

“No.”

Seona looked around and lowered her voice.

“It seems she’s woken up. But…”

“Has she gone blind?”

Seona’s eyes widened in surprise. How did you know? At her questioning gaze, Won-woo smiled bitterly. When an Esper’s core breaks, the body part related to their ability is affected and damaged first. Hong Eun-tae’s ability was to solidify things she could see with her eyes. That’s why she got the nickname Medusa.

“But she should still be able to speak, so the sound of her cursing must have spread even outside the house.”

His words were so accurate that Seona didn’t need to explain further. Because of that, even the workers noticed that Hong Eun-tae had woken up, and the news spread quickly.

“But it seems her physical strength has weakened a lot. There’s talk that she collapsed again after waking up.”

What do you mean weakened? She probably overexerted herself trying to use the dust-like power remaining in her body. Out of a hundred Espers with broken cores, a hundred fail to accept reality and try to revive their abilities with their remaining strength. Won-woo could guess why Hong Eun-tae had collapsed again, but didn’t say anything.

“She’ll open her eyes again. The Hong family needs to find a reason, so they’ll wake her up somehow. Whether by using drugs or torture.”

Seona stared at Won-woo as if she had something to say. Is she worried that I’ll be caught as the culprit? As Won-woo was suspecting alone, Seona made an unexpected request.

“If you can no longer Guide me in the future, can you make me like Hong Eun-tae?”

“…You want me to remove your ability?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not just the ability that disappears. Your body will also get damaged.”

“My mind would be fine, right?”

Seona added as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“And I’m not that attached to my ability. I don’t consider it great enough to endure the pain for.”

It was something he had never heard from an Esper before. Won-woo had never really cared much about Espers who couldn’t receive guiding. Since Espers were enemies that had to be killed anyway, there was no need to understand their pain. Although Seona was a colleague, she wasn’t the type to talk much about her own pain, so this was the first time hearing such a story.

So he didn’t know how hard it was for her not being able to receive guiding. But now she says she’d rather lose her ability. Won-woo suddenly thought of Sang-cheon’s adopted son. Someone who must have experienced even worse pain than Seona. At first, he was surprised by the terribly rampaging energy, and then by its vast amount.

Thinking about it now, what’s most surprising is that he was able to have a normal conversation while in that state. How good must his patience be? Or maybe he’s been exposed to pain for so long that he’s just used to hiding his condition. Is that why? He hasn’t shown himself for almost a week since receiving guiding.

Won-woo was a bit surprised, as he had expected him to come looking after not being able to endure for more than a week. When he asked Sang-cheon, he expressed worry about his adopted son’s disappearance in words, but his face was full of smiles.

‘Oh my, that’s right. Where could he have gone? Hahaha, I’m worried, but he’s an adult, he’ll live well on his own. Even if he never shows up again, well, that’s life, isn’t it? Hahaha!’

But didn’t he say it’s difficult for the Gye family to find a guide because of Ji Geun-oh’s interference? No, it’s not something I should worry about. Just as Won-woo was about to erase thoughts of him, he heard Seona muttering as if to herself.

“Well, there are Espers who endure even while suffering more severely than me. I’m nothing.”

“Is it because of the unusual wavelength?”

“There’s someone who’s S-ranks with an unusual wavelength. The Gye family’s vice head.”

Pause. Won-woo raised his eyes in surprise, but Seona, busy relaying the hot news she had just heard the other day, didn’t notice.

“It seems he got out of prison because the Guide sent by the Ji family died in an accident. And as soon as he got out, he went to the brink of a rampage, and many people were injured and died. Well, for him, not going on a rampage despite not receiving guiding must have been his best effort.”

A rampage? That can’t be. As Won-woo tilted his head, Seona’s warning was heard.

“You probably won’t meet him, but you should absolutely not get involved with that guy.”

I’m already involved. But before Won-woo could confess, Seona repeated in a serious tone.

“If that brute knows of your existence, he might do something terrible with his eyes rolled back.”

That guy was surprisingly calm at their first meeting. If anything, he was the one who flared up with jealousy. Remembering his relationship with Sang-cheon made him feel sick again. Won-woo, not wanting to worry Seona unnecessarily, asked lightly.

“Something terrible? You mean he might r4pe me?”

“R4pe might have been better.”

“…What?”

“You can just kill the guys who do bad things. But there are bad guys who deliberately approach in a friendly manner and induce guiding sex. It’s like a drug for Espers, but it’s similar for Guides too. Many people crumble to pleasure and can’t escape. Especially when the rank is high, the pleasure increases for both parties, to the point where A-rank can drive you insane. So how much more intense would guiding sex with the S-rank brute be? What do you think it would be like?”

…Do I have to answer that? As Won-woo was at a loss for words, his mouth half-open, Seona pressed him seriously.

“It would be mind-blowing to the point where your soul goes back and forth!”

Emphasizing information that could be either a warning or encouragement, Seona stressed,

“That’s how incredibly dangerous it is. If you don’t want to become a slave to lust, be alert and on guard! Do you understand?”

***

“What are you going to do?”

The sharp voice of Gye Min, the head of the Gye family, echoed in the conference room. Sitting across the long table, Gye Yoon faced her with indifferent eyes. However, the others present were frozen with tension, watching the Gye family head’s reaction.

This was the place where important matters of the Gye family were discussed and decided together, so the Gye family’s branch members and retainers should have been gathered in heated discussion.

But the bloody purge that had taken place in the Gye family over the past week had wiped out about half of them. The remaining ones were just bowing their heads, trembling from the shock of betrayal and the vice head’s cruelty. Firmly resolving never to betray. The only person who could properly get angry at Gye Yoon was the Gye family head.

“Did this bastard’s brain turn to stone while locked up on that stone mountain?”

Gye Min spat out an irritated mutter and glared at her brother with a fierce gaze.

“You’re going to vote on the side of the Ji family in the People’s Committee vote? Are you crazy? Don’t you know how disadvantageous it will be for us if Ji Geun-oh gains power in the People’s Committee?!”

“Isn’t it you, the family head, who doesn’t know?”

At his insolent tone, those watching crossed off one of the many rumors that had been circulating for a week. The absurd rumor that the vice head had received guiding and his power had stabilized. If he had stabilized, he wouldn’t be acting so prickly like before.

“Thanks to the family head going around on her knees to save a brat, the house is crawling with rats. How much do you think they all looked down on you? Rather than that, you might as well join hands with the Ji family. Don’t dirty the Gye family name with such pathetic acts.”

“F*ck, this bastard.”

The moment Gye Min muttered lowly and stood up, everyone in the conference room jumped up to try and stop her.

“You can’t, Family Head!”

“If you two clash here, we’ll all die!!”

Even as people blocked her way and shouted, Gye Min, who had been glaring only at her brother, finally lowered the hand she had raised. There was frost on her hand. If she, an A-rank upper ability user of the natural system, clashed with her brother, this area could disappear from the face of the earth.

As she withdrew her power, everyone except the expressionless Gye Yoon let out a collective sigh of relief. However, their faces quickly turned to shock again.

“It would be better if we all died. Rather than living like cowards like this.”

At Gye Yoon’s nonchalant words, the same cry rose in everyone’s eyes. Shut that mouth!

“Get out.”

Gye Min ordered coldly, but Gye Yoon just stared at his sister shamelessly without getting up from his chair. Fearing that the Gye family head might explode again, one of her close aides carefully called out to her.

“Family Head, perhaps it would be better if you left first…”

“All of you get out.”

Ah, us? The retainers hesitated in surprise, but when Gye Min’s cold voice flowed once more, they had no choice but to go outside. Leaving just the two of them, what if something happens? With worried glances, the door closed, and Gye Min sat down. Then she frowned at Gye Yoon.

“Are you satisfied now?”

Though mixed with irritation, it was a normal tone devoid of the frosty anger from before. Gye Yoon nodded halfheartedly.

“It was clumsy, but it should be enough to fool the spies.”

At the word ‘spies’, Gye Min turned a sharp gaze towards the door. Although Gye Yoon had been swinging his sword to eliminate spies for a week, there might still be some left. As siblings with painful memories of betrayal, it was difficult to fully trust even the retainers who had served the Gye family for a long time.

And Gye Yoon suspected that one of the people gathered today was still a spy. There was no evidence for this suspicion, but Min trusted her brother’s instinct.

Usually, she treated her brother’s abilities, which everyone revered and feared, like dog shit, but there was one exception. She considered his ability to detect lies worth using.

In fact, her brother wasn’t originally this sensitive to detecting people’s lies. Their parents had even prevented him from using his power for such things.

But when tragedy struck the Gye family due to a traitor, the young boy changed completely. He became suspicious of everyone, trying to detect lies by examining every heartbeat, breath, and sound of sweat. Even then, he couldn’t do it properly because he couldn’t receive guiding. But as soon as he could use his full power, he clearly found all the spies like this.

“Our discord will soon spread to our enemies. No one will suspect even if I disappear from the Gye family.”

“Don’t underestimate our enemies. You’re always under suspicion, so be careful with your behavior.”

Disliking the nagging, Gye Yoon brought up his business instead of answering.

“Is everything prepared?”

“We’ll execute according to your plan starting this evening. I’ve told Chief Jung to prepare what’s needed. Now that we’ve swept away all the spies over the past week, it’s all up to you.”

Min swallowed a sigh and brought up a name.

“Let me ask one last time. Do you really think Ji Won-woo is the only option?”

“He’s not an option. He’s the only answer.”

“…”

Gye Yoon stared at his sister who had closed her mouth, then asked.

“Did you look into Ji Won-woo?”

“Yes.”

“How is he?”

“Not good. I still don’t like it.”

No matter how helpful he might be, he was still from the Ji family. But if he was the key to salvation now, she could bow her head even to someone with the Ji surname. No, if she could obtain it, she could even kneel.

“He’s different from Ji Geun-oh.”

“That’s something to judge after seeing him in person.”

Gye Min stared at her brother with strong eyes, then sighed.

“You’re going to persuade Hwang Sang-cheon?”

Gye Yoon nodded and shrugged lightly.

“What parent can win against their child?”

Unlike his tone, his fierce gaze looked ready to not just defeat his adoptive father but bury him in a grave. Min nodded again with another sigh.

“Be good to your father.”

“You say ‘father’ so easily.”

Even though Gye Yoon spoke as if it was ridiculous, Min replied seriously instead of getting angry.

“If I could do anything to save Hwan, I could even call Hwang Sang-cheon ‘mother’.”

“What nonsense.”

“Would it be more nonsensical than Hwang Sang-cheon being called ‘father’ by you?”

Irritation mixed in Gye Yoon’s eyes, but his sister didn’t care even if dirt mixed in his eyes.

“Above all, Ji Won-woo is from the Ji family. No matter how bad his relationship with his family is, he won’t side with the Gye family. Are you really confident?”

“Well…”

“Don’t talk nonsense, answer seriously. Are you really confident you can persuade Ji Won-woo?”

Gye Yoon lowered his gaze to the table, then spoke in a low but powerful voice.

“I have to, no matter what.”

But even at her brother’s words, Min looked at him with distrusting eyes. Noticing this, Gye Yoon showed deeper irritation in his eyes.

“If you can’t trust me, just wait and see the results.”

Was it her intuition? Gye Min couldn’t understand why she felt more uneasy about the stronger will her brute brother showed. As if he might be persuaded instead while trying to persuade.

Could this bastard fall for Ji Won-woo while following him around and end up becoming a son-in-law to the Ji family? As Gye Min thought of the worst case, she soon shook her head. No, he’s not that much of an idiot.

“Do well.”

Gye Min said to her brother as if coaxing him, and added,

“Whether you kneel again or put on a ridiculous act, I’ll help with everything, so bring Ji Won-woo even if it costs you your life.”