DB Vol 6 Part 5

In the middle of the night, Seung-wook rushed to the Hong family’s main house after hearing urgent news from his friend.

‘Damn it, the Yang family betrayed us!’

At first, he didn’t understand Geon-young’s words. Was there any reason for the Yang family to betray? Then he soon remembered that Geon-young’s family was supposed to join the Yang family’s investigation team under the guise of surveillance. To investigate the research facility that Guide One had secretly created.

At that time, he had laughed with Geon-young. Saying that since the Yang family’s vice head was at odds with Yang Cheon-hyo, they would investigate properly. But something completely unexpected happened.

‘Ha, shit, I got a call from my father. Whatever orders came down from the Yang family, they’re kicking out all outsiders and killing anyone who protests on the spot. Shit, my father was being chased and the call got cut off. Seung-wook, I need to go save my father right now. You know where that secret laboratory is, right? Can you find out for me? Got it?’

He thought it was fortunate that Geon-young didn’t know the location of the secret laboratory. As far as Seung-wook knew, that laboratory was on Yang family land, so if the Yang family had really betrayed them, they wouldn’t easily let go of those who entered their territory.

But why on earth did the Yang family do that? It didn’t make sense. Why would the Yang family’s vice head side with Yang Cheon-hyo? They were competing for power. The moment he entered the main house, this question was covered by another. The inside was in disarray.

Espers were gathered at the entrance, and Chief Cheon, who usually didn’t step forward, was directing them. The strange thing was that there were many onlookers, but most of them were people from the elder faction opposing the family head.

“Aren’t you Esper Hong Seung-wook?”

Perhaps due to his recently increased popularity, a stranger approached, acting familiar. Normally, he would have just nodded and avoided them since this was the main house, but now he needed information. He bowed his head and asked casually.

“Is something happening?”

Ah, well. The other person looked around and lowered their voice considerably.

“It seems there’s a problem with the Yang family agreeing to help us investigate Guide One’s secret laboratory.”

So the main house is also moving because of that incident. As Seung-wook was inwardly feeling relieved, he heard unexpected words.

“So the Family Head has moved.”

“…In person?”

Seung-wook frowned, recalling the family head he had seen at a recent meeting. Wasn’t he the person who didn’t even offer a word of comfort even when so many Espers were killed by monsters?

In Seung-wook’s memory, the family head sitting in the center of the meeting room was quite an authoritative figure, unlike the rumors. But he stepped up for this matter? Why? He ignored problems happening on Hong family land, but jumped in for a problem on Yang family land?

“You mean he went to Yang family territory?”

“Yes. And he moved alone, they say.”

The person delivering the news seemed to find this just curious, but not Seung-wook. The Family Head Hong himself, of all people? If a problem arose on Yang family land, that would be… tantamount to war between the two families.

“So now they’re sending support in case something happens, they say.”

That support seemed to be entering Yang family territory. That means in case of war, they would be isolated in the middle of enemy territory. Seung-wook finally understood why figures from the elder faction were just watching. And he lamented inwardly. Even in a crisis where a big fight could break out between families, the Hong family was just divided, calculating their own interests.

“Call A-rank Espers, now!”

Chief Cheon’s urgent voice was heard from afar. Seung-wook quickly moved to approach Chief Cheon. As he revealed himself in the center, everyone’s attention focused on him, but ignoring it, he was about to offer his support to Chief Cheon. It was to help his friend Geon-young. But before he could speak, someone sharply called his name.

“Esper Hong Seung-wook. Have you come to send off like a hero of the Hong family?”

Because the person calling his name was one of the direct line of the Hong family, he couldn’t ignore it.

“No, I…”

“Surely you’re not saying you’ll follow the Family Head to Yang family land? How dare you, a collateral branch.”

Seung-wook’s expression hardened at once. As his popularity had increased recently, the direct line members were openly wary of him and trying to exclude him from important matters. It wasn’t something to get newly angry about, but he couldn’t help but flare up at the following words.

“Your father sold the Hong family name to start all sorts of businesses and ruined them, and now the son is even greedier. Seeing how you don’t miss a chance to look good to the Family Head.”

“Watch your words.”

Seung-wook warned, stepping forward, but the direct line members just sneered and looked at him. Seung-wook then realized he had fallen for their provocation and lost the chance to follow. If he joined the support troops now, rumors would spread that he was trying to impress the family head, as they said.

Seung-wook didn’t think he was someone who cared about rumors, but seeing the many eyes looking at him in this place, he simply couldn’t offer support. Falling for such a low-level trick. As he gritted his teeth and stepped back, Chief Cheon, who had been watching, lowered his eyes as if sighing.

What the elder faction who stopped Seung-wook wanted most was probably for the Family Head Hong to return without any significant achievements. In their minds, the worst situation for the Family Head Hong would be getting seriously injured at most. Of course, Chief Cheon expected the same. No matter how long it had been since the Family Head Hong had been in actual combat, he was S-rank. No one dared to suppress him. Yet he couldn’t suppress his foreboding.

The uneasiness from not properly verifying the source and accuracy of the information churned inside him like unsettled muddy water. They didn’t even know exactly who or how many of the Yang family’s Espers had come. Though unlikely, what if the Yang vice family head and all his close associates had moved?

No, even so, they couldn’t defeat the S-rank Family Head Hong. Nevertheless, Chief Cheon felt as if there was a huge conspiracy he didn’t know about, looming like dark clouds. Without realizing it, he looked up at the night sky. The indifferent sky revealed nothing, simply covering everything in the world with a black veil, making it invisible.

*

When the Yang vice family head arrived at the destination, a chase was already in full swing. The advance team that arrived first refused the inspection, and the Yoo family members who came with them protested, leading to a clash.

“We received orders to capture the Yoo family Espers, even if it meant using force. But because they resisted so strongly, there were casualties on both sides. We’re currently pursuing the Yoo family head…”

The leader of the advance team, who was reporting, asked the vice family head curiously,

“May I ask why the orders suddenly changed?”

Normally, they wouldn’t dare ask the vice family head such a thing. But now, the advance team was bewildered by the suddenly changed orders. Why couldn’t they enter when the secret laboratory was right in front of them, and why did they have to detain the Yoo family members who were practically colleagues? However, the words that came out of the vice family head’s mouth only increased their doubts rather than resolving them.

“Because we need to protect Guide One. That’s how we can punish our enemy, the Gye family.”

What? Wasn’t this whole thing Guide One’s fault? The advance team leader couldn’t understand at all. Had the truth been turned upside down without his knowledge?

Otherwise, he couldn’t explain the reinforcements before him. They were A-rank Espers numbering over thirty. Anyone looking would mistake it for a war, composed only of high-ranking Espers.

“Are you saying the Gye family is attacking this place?”

The advance team leader asked back in confusion. However, a high-ranking Esper who accompanied the vice family head blocked him.

“You just need to follow orders.”

The advance team leader had more to say, but he retreated with his head bowed. And he was about to chase after the Yoo family head and his group who originally came to investigate the laboratory with them. Their destination was obvious to anyone. The teleportation portal that could take them out of Yang family territory. However, contact with those who gave chase was suddenly cut off.

“Contact was cut off?”

“There’s no response from anyone. It’s strange. The Yoo family side only had three people, so there’s no way our tracking team of eight could have been defeated.”

“Are you sure? I know the Yoo family head is quite skilled.”

“Yes, but the Yoo family head is the only A-rank Esper. The other two were B-rank Espers…”

The Esper explaining trailed off, looking somewhere. The high-ranking Esper who was about to ask why also turned his head before voicing his question.

Clack, clack, clack.

Someone’s footsteps were heard in the remote open space with almost no lights. But the Espers all tensed up, gathering strength at their fingertips. A suffocating energy suddenly enveloped the entire open space. Being Espers, they instinctively realized. This was energy that would never be revealed if the intent was friendly. At first, they just felt pressured, but soon one by one, they collapsed to the ground, unable to breathe.

“Heuk!”

“Ukk, heuk!”

Those who fell were all clutching their throats. And their throats were abnormally swollen.

“Who are you?!”

As the Yang family vice head stepped forward and asked, a low laugh was heard.

“They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. How did a fool like you and a coward like your brother come from under that fierce Yang family head?”

Although the other person’s figure was still hidden in darkness, the vice family head immediately recognized their identity.

“…Family Head Hong, what brings you here?”

His voice, trying to sound calm, was filled with undisguised shock. At the identity revealed by the vice family head’s words, the Yang family members all gasped in surprise. And they questioned. Why is the Family Head Hong attacking us?

“Wasn’t it you who made such a fuss, telling me to come in person?”

“Family Head Hong, I don’t understand what you’re saying. More importantly, please release your power. If you continue like this, we’ll have no choice but to respond as if you’re attacking us.”

Clack, clack, clack.

As the Family Head Hong’s footsteps drew closer, more people collapsed with swollen throats and difficulty breathing.

“Family Head Hong!”

The Yang vice family head shouted, but it didn’t work on the Family Head Hong. Some of the Yang family Espers rolling on the ground suddenly stopped like robots with their power cut off. They helplessly met death right before their eyes. What on earth is this… Everyone looked at the Family Head Hong with bewildered eyes, but he only asked an incomprehensible question.

“Are the Alpha seeds inside there?”

Alpha seeds? The Yang vice family head frowned, forgetting he needed to respond. Why are Alpha seeds being mentioned here?

“You seem to have misunderstood something. There are no Alpha seeds here.”

The vice family head answered while quietly signaling behind him to prepare for an attack. It seemed the Family Head Hong had come intending to see blood.

“Vice Head Yang.”

A low voice was heard, as if an adult calling a child. However, the following words were full of irritation and anger.

“I knew you were stupid, but to think all you can do is lie.”

As he spoke, his eyes flashed fiercely, and the vice family head immediately gave the attack signal.

“Deploy the barrier!”

Fortunately, there were three shield ability users among them. They all surrounded the Yang vice family head at once to block him from his attack. But the power of an S-rank exceeded their imagination.

The barrier surrounding him grew larger towards the sky like a rapidly growing tree, then collapsed with a loud ripping sound as if tearing the air.

Why? Everyone recalled the Family Head Hong’s ability along with their question. Healing. They realized that he had used his healing ability to excessively grow the opponent’s barrier instead.

As the defense became useless, the Espers who had put up the barrier collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. However, as soon as the barrier broke, the Yang family Espers all rushed at the Family Head Hong at once.

Some flew, some ran quickly, and those who stood still stretched out their hands, all launching an attack towards the Family Head Hong simultaneously. The energy converging on one point in an instant seemed about to swallow the Family Head Hong whole. However, the Family Head Hong, standing firm within it, widened his eyes and shouted at them.

“How dare you!!”

Energy like light exploded from his body, spreading in all directions. The forces attacking the Family Head Hong burst with loud explosion in mid-air before even reaching him. Most of the Yang family Espers were blown back, unable to withstand the impact, but five or six, including the vice family head, gritted their teeth and flew at the Family Head Hong again.

They planned to launch a preemptive attack before the Hong Family Head could exert his power again. The Yang vice family head, with his ability to move the earth, made the ground beneath the Hong Family Head surge up like a water stream. The Family Head Hong jumped high to avoid it, and seizing this opportunity, a teleportation Esper stuck to his back, attempting to stab him with a sword.

Or rather, he tried to. For some reason, this Esper collapsed easily behind Family Head Hong like a puppet with its strings cut. He still had the look of attack in his eyes, as if he hadn’t even realized his own death.

Someone cried out his name, wailing, while others bombarded the Hong Family Head with attacks. The ground rose again like an ascending dragon. It instantly blocked Family Head Hong’s view with illusions, and hundreds of leaves transformed into blades rained down on him. The battle shook heaven and earth, thundering in the sky.

However, the Yang family’s fierce attack on one person collapsed as easily as it was futile. After the dust that deepened the darkness settled, the figure of the one standing on two feet on the ground was revealed. Only one person. The Hong Family Head.

Although his clothes were torn and dirtied by the mess, he seemed unharmed. However, Family Head Hong’s piercing eyes, though victorious, emitted an even deeper killing intent as they looked around.

“Come out.”

He spat out the order through his teeth, and someone approached with slow steps from the darkness. What little streetlights there were had been broken in the fight’s aftermath, but the shapes of the corpses filling the open space were dimly visible. Even without that, the smell of blood heavily tinted the air.

The newly appeared person slowly surveyed the surroundings even in the darkness. The Family Head Hong asked in a fierce voice towards him, who was carefully checking for any survivors.

“Who are you to dare interfere in my business?”

It wasn’t his ability that suddenly took down the teleportation ability user who was trying to attack the Family Head Hong from behind. Someone had intervened, and he could be certain it was this person before him. Though he had received his help, he wasn’t grateful at all. Rather, it was quite irritating. The Hong Family Head didn’t know how he had eliminated the teleportation ability user.

Because even the Hong Family Head hadn’t felt anything. All he could tell was that he had accurately attacked only the target, disregarding the force blocking the front. Moving power to a desired point like teleportation? Was there such an ability user?

“Like father, like son.”

A single word came from the other’s mouth. He stepped forward and pulled down the hood he was wearing. Even in the darkness, the numerous suppression piercings in his ears shone like stars. And the owner of eyes as black as the starry night sky added in a low voice.

“The son’s a bastard, so of course the father’s a bastard too.”

*

“There’s been some conflict with the vice family head’s Espers.”

Yoon-im’s secretary lowered his voice as he reported on the internal situation of the Yang family.

“Because the vice family head took all his close associates who attended the family head meeting, their Espers are protesting quite violently.”

When Yoon-im remained lost in thought, staring into space even as the secretary continued his report, he called out, “Madam.” Yoon-im finally turned her head and asked indifferently.

“Why are they protesting?”

“They’ve heard some news and suddenly insist on going to Guide One’s secret laboratory themselves, demanding to know its location. They’re in such a state that they might storm in here, so we’re having trouble stopping them outside.”

This matter was clearly still being controlled separately in the operations room, and Yoon-im had just come back to her office after observing the situation there. But the fact that the vice family head’s Espers were gathering where Yoon-im was meant they knew her exact location.

Previously, she would have laughed with pleasure at this fact. Yes, I hold such an important position in the Yang family, she would have thought. But now, Yoon-im felt nothing at the news of Espers gathering, acknowledging her as a power player.

Her mind had been entirely preoccupied with other thoughts. What exactly was the brainwashing I underwent? Once she thought she was being deceived, she felt no excitement even for the power within the Yang family that she had considered her life’s goal. But she automatically opened her mouth to try to resolve the situation.

“Insist that we don’t know the location of the secret laboratory either. Say only the vice family head knows, having received contact from the advance team that went first.”

“But… since it was Guide One’s secret laboratory, they’ll naturally assume we know, won’t they?”

“Who says it’s Guide One’s secret laboratory? Guide One has consistently denied it. They say it’s a place unknown to them. And tell them we received information that the Gye family would plant false evidence in the secret laboratory. Say that’s why the Yang vice family head moved, to prevent this.”

The secretary quickly caught on to Yoon-im’s meaning and bowed his head. Yoon-im looked into space again and casually asked the secretary as he was about to leave.

“What news did the vice family head’s Espers hear?”

The secretary hesitated. When Yoon-im threw him a sharp look, he cautiously opened his mouth.

“It’s not certain, but it seems they heard rumors from the Hong family side. That they noticed our movements and the Hong family has moved as well.”

“Ha, did they dare send Espers to Yang family land without permission? Who?”

The secretary hesitated again. Yoon-im finally looked at him with puzzled eyes.

“It’s just a rumor. It hasn’t been confirmed.”

“Speak.”

“There are… rumors that the Family Head Hong himself has moved.”

What? Yoon-im was startled and about to stand up but stopped. It was strange. Previously, she would have immediately ordered to confirm the truth and assess the situation at the secret laboratory, but her heart wasn’t easily moved. The suspicion that she was being deceived in some way was putting the brakes on her passion.

Yoon-im looked out the window for a moment, pondering a question. What would happen if I let go for a bit? She immediately thought it would be a headache to clean up later. Her instinct to do her best now for her goals surfaced.

It wasn’t easy to suppress this habit, but Yoon-im took a risk. If Yang Cheon-hyo was deceiving her, she couldn’t easily hand over power to him.

“It’s not certain information, is it? For now, wait for contact from the vice family head who went to the secret laboratory.”

The secretary threw a puzzled look at her, as she usually instructed to suspect and prepare for even trivial things. But Yoon-im kept looking out the window and didn’t retract her order until the end.

*

“…Are you a child of the Gye family?”

The question that finally came from Family Head Hong’s mouth was filled with killing intent. Gye Yoon, who had stopped at a distance, looked around again instead of answering his question. He muttered something, which sounded clear to the Family Head Hong’s ears as if whispered right next to him.

“Your poor memory is still the same.”

“How dare you be so insolent!”

As the Family Head Hong’s shout burst out, a fierce wind poured towards Gye Yoon. Gye Yoon looked at the empty space where the wind had poured for a moment as if curious, then twisted his mouth.

“I heard that when you reach the pinnacle of healing abilities, you can even amplify intangible energy. It seems you haven’t just been playing around, old man.”

The Family Head Hong’s eyes sharpened as Gye Yoon immediately recognized the ability he had hidden.

“Who did you hear that from?”

“My parents.”

The Family Head Hong’s face distorted at the mention of the previous Gye family head.

“Right, the Gye family head. That sneaky bastard pretending to be righteous and striving for equality. So he was secretly investigating me? What else did he tell you?”

Gye Yoon looked at him expressionlessly, then bluntly asked.

“Are you curious?”

“Tell me. What else did he blabber about me?”

“I’ll tell you if you speak first.”

“About what?”

The Hong Family Head asked in a lowered voice, slightly moving his hanging fingertips. As Gye Yoon said, he hadn’t just been playing around. The basis of healing abilities was amplification. Regenerating flesh, reconnecting and strengthening severed tissues. But all of it uses existing power.

So the Hong Family Head had long focused on amplifying small, intangible energies like wind and air in nature. Though his fingers moved slightly now, the result was silently enormous. Unlike using wind which would be noticeable and detected by enemies, amplifying the power of air had no precursors. No one would notice as the energy slowly accumulated in the atmosphere.

The Family Head Hong could amplify this energy at any time. Anyone standing in it would be distorted beyond recognition as if under tens of tons of pressure. But it needed some time. The atmospheric energy needed to rise to a certain level. Fortunately, Gye Yoon, unaware of the Family Head Hong’s intentions, rambled on about what he was curious about.

“Nine years ago, when my parents died, was it you who sent Hong Eun-tae?”

A glint appeared in the Hong Family Head’s eyes. The world knew that Hong Eun-tae had joined hands with Ji Geun-oh and helped them. That she, as the daughter, had chosen Ji Geun-oh to build power internally, bypassing her brother. Though the Hong Family Head didn’t answer, Gye Yoon recognized the answer from his twisted mouth.

“So it was you.”

Gye Yoon’s dry gaze stared directly into the Hong Family Head’s eyes.

“Hong Eun-tae, true to her nickname ‘Medusa’, can petrify people by looking into their eyes. Nine years ago, at that place, Hong Eun-tae froze all the northern Guides trying to escape my parents’ rampage like statues. Right? That way, you could pin the blame on my parents for killing everyone in their rampage.”

The corner of the Hong Family Head’s mouth twisted as if amused.

“Right. It was the perfect opportunity to use Eun-tae’s ability. So, are you here for revenge?”

“It’s laughable to call this level of thing revenge.”

Gye Yoon spat out, but the Hong Family Head looked around as if he didn’t believe it. The smile disappeared from his eyes, replaced by anger.

“Then how did you come here? You let me kill all the Yang family’s Espers, didn’t you? Don’t tell me… did you deliberately set a trap?”

“A trap? I just dropped a single word to you.”

The Family Head Hong strained his eyes as if trying to remember, but soon realized.

“…Alpha seeds. You leaked fake information about that?”

“Yes. And you came running like a dog in heat as soon as you heard it.”

Ha! A scoffing laugh flowed from the Hong Family Head’s mouth again, but strangely, his eyes shone with more excitement.

“You’re trying pretty hard to deceive me. Just dropping a single word was all? No, you must have come with a different purpose from the start. To get your hands on Alpha seeds, like me.”

The Family Head Hong glared at Gye Yoon as if firmly believing his thoughts were the truth.

“The Alpha seeds are mine. You won’t get even a single one.”

The Hong Family Head revealed his greed, grinding his teeth. Right now, his mind was filled only with the killing intent to eliminate another S-rank trying to become stronger with Alpha seeds like himself.

“I don’t know how you got a Guide, but it must be just one. Once that Guide disappears, you’ll become a time bomb again. Wouldn’t it be better to have your body torn apart like your parents before that?”

The fingertips of the Family Head Hong, mocking his opponent, trembled a bit more as if wriggling. It was almost done. Almost there. His body was filled with the joy that the opportunity to flatten this brat before him, who was off guard, was approaching. In contrast to his eyes increasingly filled with excitement, Gye Yoon stared at him with eyes completely devoid of emotion.

“You asked what else my parents said about you? They said the Hong Family Head has such a strong sense of privilege about being S-rank that he’s quite afraid of losing it. They said to watch closely, as he would eventually do something stupid, crushed by this fear.”

The Hong Family Head’s face slowly contorted, turning into a demon.

“Ha! They couldn’t escape a shitty death themselves, yet they dare to spout such nonsense about me?!”

The Hong Family Head stepped forward towards Gye Yoon and spat through his teeth.

“Do you know why your parents were torn to shreds by a rampage, not even leaving a single bone fragment? It’s because of that mouth. They always babbled nonsense to me, recklessly running their mouths with so-called advice. You probably think your parents died because of Ji Geun-oh and Yang Cheon-hyo’s schemes, but you’re dead wrong.”

Gye Yoon listened silently. The Hong Family Head deliberately raised his voice to grab his attention.

“Your parents died because of their arrogance. Even if it wasn’t Ji Geun-oh, your parents would have eventually met a miserable end at someone’s hands, becoming meat scraps not even fit for animal feed. And you too.”

The Hong Family Head paused and raised his hand to the side. Simultaneously, the heavily settled atmosphere drastically increased in density, becoming suffocatingly oppressive. It happened in an instant. The tremendous atmospheric pressure seemed to block even visibility, suddenly turning everything dark.

The Hong Family Head was confident. There was no way Gye Yoon could withstand this, even if he was an S-rank Esper. Of course. He was just an Esper who used sound. What could he do with sound? Even if Gye Yoon tried to push back this atmospheric force with sound waves, he had already gained the upper hand.

Gye Yoon would disappear into a puddle of blood before he could even use the power of sound. It wouldn’t even take a second. Thoughts faster than time flashed through the Hong Family Head’s mind, vividly imagining himself remaining as the strongest, supreme Esper in the world.

But along with the blocked vision, sound disappeared. The Hong Family Head felt something was off when not only the sounds in his ears but even the sounds from within himself all fell silent. His confusion soon turned to foreboding.

He believed that just one second would decide everything, and that fleeting moment of time changed from a sense of victory to immense fear in an instant.

As sound vanished and darkness enveloped everything, something exploded inside his body. Though it was still pitch black before his eyes, the Hong Family Head felt as if he had been blinded by a dazzling flash. That light and explosion, so fast and strong, happened in a blink, too quick even for instinct to follow. By the time he realized something, the darkness had lifted and the world was filled with sound again. And the Hong Family Head collapsed right there.

“Cough!”

After the vanished sound returned, the first sound the Hong Family Head heard was his own. He clutched his heart and continuously spat out blood that he didn’t know when he had started shedding. The blood he spewed soaked the ground and stained his hands that touched the floor, but the Hong Family Head kept spewing blood from his mouth as if vomiting.

He couldn’t stop. It was a pain he had never felt before in his life. The terrible agony continued as if all his internal organs were being slashed to shreds. That’s why he didn’t immediately realize how his attack had failed.

“Ugh, cough!”

After spitting out another soggy blood clot, his mind grew hazy. The Hong Family Head forced his eyes up to glare at his opponent. The Hong Family Head’s bloodshot eyes flickered like a candle flame as he glared at Gye Yoon.

“Cough, how did you…”

How did you avoid my attack? The question didn’t even fully come out. That’s when he finally noticed. The surroundings were different. It wasn’t the open space where he had been fighting the Yang family’s Espers. Although the place where the two of them were standing was in shambles as if a massive explosion had occurred, he could tell they were in the middle of a forest.

And he realized why his attack had failed.

The Hong Family Head had carefully set up a trap to kill Gye Yoon, but Gye Yoon had avoided that trap. By teleporting with the Hong Family Head to a different location.

Gye Yoon was looking down at him with an expressionless face. Only the suppression piercing in his ear glowed red like a warning, showing how much power he had used in an instant. It was because he had unleashed tremendous power simultaneously with the teleportation to subdue his opponent in one go.

The way he won was simple. He overwhelmed his opponent with sheer power. The Hong Family Head realized that he had been defeated not by tricks or schemes, but by pure strength. Despite the unbearable pain, he almost let out a hollow laugh from the sheer absurdity.

I was defeated so pathetically? He took me down so easily?

It was unbelievable, but the endless pain tearing through his body was proof. He was furious beyond words. He wanted to claw at his chest from the uncontrollable rage. This is ridiculous. To lose so absurdly! Did he know I was going to attack? So he waited on purpose, as if mocking me, and then teleported? His mind was filled with questions and anger, but what actually came out of his mouth was different.

“Why… You… use the power of sound… Kheuk…”

“I just happened to be able to.”

At this nonchalant answer, the Hong Family Head’s eyes bulged. Blood began to flow from his reddened eyes, as if a blood vessel had burst. Like crying tears of blood, the red liquid streamed down, and it was the same elsewhere. Blood poured from every hole in his body. The ground quickly became stained with his blood as if all the blood in his body was draining out.

His plan to subdue his opponent and achieve victory in a fleeting moment had backfired. Even as he was dying, the Hong Family Head’s insides twisted with jealousy at the superior ability Gye Yoon had shown. If only I wasn’t a healing type. If only I was a bit younger.

“…If I… could just open the door…”

After this incomprehensible lament mixed with blood came from the Hong Family Head’s mouth, he collapsed completely onto the ground. Gye Yoon tilted his head briefly at his meaningless words, but soon stepped forward onto the blood-soaked ground. And he spoke to the man who still had a faint breath left.

“For 9 years, I always thought about it. How should I properly take revenge? What method would make you suffer? I imagined all sorts of cruel ways, but there was never a satisfactory answer. But then someone told me one thing. The moment I heard that word, I knew this was the right revenge.”

The Hong Family Head didn’t raise his head, but Gye Yoon knew he was listening intently to his words. So he kindly told him the end of the revenge he had decided on.

“Annihilation.”

The Hong Family Head’s shoulders twitched briefly, but soon went limp. Gye Yoon’s cold voice covered him.

“I promise. Not a single one of your descendants will survive in this world.”

*

No matter how busy Gye Min was, she visited her daughter’s room every night to watch over the sleeping child. The mansion was quiet in the early morning, but outside the window, the lights of those patrolling and guarding around the mansion kept shining.

Although security at the mansion had been increased after the murder of the chief secretary, Gye Min’s unease remained. This anxiety probably wouldn’t disappear even after a lifetime. After all, she had already lost a child once in this mansion.

The faint flickering lights of the security patrol outside the window disappeared. Gye Min stared into the dark outside. This room was located at the back of the mansion, so the view outside the window wasn’t particularly good. The front of the mansion, which overlooked the large central garden, had the best view. That side also got the most sunlight, making it suitable for a child’s room. That’s where the child’s room used to be.

But on that day, the day of the tragedy, something unexpected happened. The child disappeared. The kidnapper was a Guide who had worked for the family for a long time and was considered family. He was also the Guide who had been caring for the child from the beginning, like a nanny.

No one even suspected that he had kidnapped the child. Even when they confirmed he had taken the child outside, they thought there must be some reason, such was the depth of trust. But the Guide vanished from the world as if he had disappeared, and they couldn’t find the child.

Fearing for the child’s safety, they kept the kidnapping a strict secret at the time. Even then, they didn’t think the child’s kidnapping was a means to another end. They didn’t know that someone had plotted a dirty scheme to bring down the Gye family. Because the Gye family was strong.

Although it was difficult to find Guides with unique wavelengths, it wasn’t a problem for those who ruled the North. Instead of keeping all Guides with matching wavelengths within or near the family, they granted them everything they wanted, so there were many who desired to become guides for the Gye family.

But that’s all in the past now. Even the status of the Gye family now felt like an ancient legend from the distant past. It was only 9 years ago. The kidnapped child and the parents chasing the culprit. And the Guides disappeared as if by prearranged agreement. Gye Min never doubted that she would find the child again. However, she never thought she would never see her parents again.

At the time, she thought those few days of not finding her child were the most terrible in the world, but an even more horrific reality awaited Gye Min. When sudden signs of her parents’ rampage appeared, she gathered Guides and mobilized all teleporters to send them. Even then, she didn’t believe it. A rampage? Impossible. How could such wise people…

An Esper’s rampage wasn’t an easy thing to happen. Not without a considerable attack or a situation where emotions couldn’t be controlled. But her parents really did go on a rampage, and afterwards, the Gye family became enemies of the Guides overnight.

There were witnesses who saw her parents’ rampage at the time. Ironically, they were Espers from other families. Though they said they received rescue requests from Guides, it was only later that they realized these witnesses were Ji Geun-oh and Yang Cheon-hyo’s people. Everything might have been a conspiracy. No, that was the only answer that made sense.

The Gye family still doesn’t know what happened that day. But Gye Min could make one guess. That her child was used to trigger her parents’ rampage. Probably used as a direct factor in causing her parents’ rampage right there. Because that was the only reason her parents would lose their minds.

Sometimes she has nightmares. Someone faceless cruelly kills Gye Min’s infant child in front of her parents. The end of the dream is always her parents’ rampage drowning out her own screams. The room was still quiet, but Gye Min turned her head. A tall, large human figure was in the middle of the room. The dimly lit night light illuminated his face, but there was no need to confirm who it was.

“What’s with that appearance?”

Gye Min threw a cold rebuke at her younger brother. It sounded like she was blaming the blood stains all over his body, but her gaze was directed at Gye Yoon’s ears. The suppression piercings were glowing bright red as if about to burst. He must have used quite a bit of power. Yet the fact that he came to her first instead of that precious Guide of his meant one thing.

“The Hong Family Head?”

“I left him half-buried in the dirt.”

Gye Min nodded as if to say ‘well done’. The Yang family’s vice head’s ability was to use the earth. If The Hong Family Head was buried in soil, it would be perfect for framing him. To sow discord among the opponents and drag them into a bloody war. It was laughable that she and her brother were doing such despicable things so calmly. While not even being able to say what they really wanted to say.

Since her brother had metthe Hong Family Head, he might have asked the now likely dead man about the truth from 9 years ago. What did he say, did he admit that it was all a conspiracy as we suspected?

It should have been the most important question, but it just wouldn’t come out of her mouth. Was it because it had been bottled up for too long, or was she afraid the expected answer would be too predictable and boring to hear?

Looking at her silent brother, Gye Min had a moment of realization. Maybe it was because it felt awkward. The events from 9 years ago had been practically taboo in the Gye family all this time. No one mentions the former head of the Gye family. The same goes for Min’s first child. Now no one remembers that small child. Except for her husband and herself.

This taboo applied between the two siblings as well. Neither of them mentioned what happened 9 years ago. They only discussed retaliation and countermeasures against those they believed to be enemies.

Even now, that’s all they should be talking about, but even this wasn’t coming out easily. Gye Yoon was the first to break the silence. He spoke slowly, even though he looked dangerously out of breath.

“Bring Hong Eun-tae here.”

Gye Yoon’s words were simple, but Gye Min’s eyes sharpened. Over the 9 years, they had already judged who their enemies were, but they had never heard a confession from the other side. So Gye Min immediately understood the hidden meaning in her brother’s words. The Hong Family Head had admitted it.

They had suspected that his daughter was involved, either as a backer or at least someone who knew about and condoned this. Without further explanation, it was clear that Gye Yoon had extracted the truth from the Hong Family Head.

It was the moment when the enemy that had only tormented them as a suspicion for a long time was finally confirmed, but there was no particular feeling about it.

“Alright.”

Gye Min’s only response to her brother’s request was this light answer. Another brief silence fell, and Min irritably snapped at Gye Yoon, who still wasn’t moving.

“If you’re done, get out.”

“Mind your own business.”

Gye Yoon also showed his irritation but obediently turned around. However, before leaving, he nagged at his sister.

“Move the kid’s room already. What are you saving that room with good sunlight and a view of the front garden for?”

After a soft click of the door closing, Gye Min turned to look at her sleeping daughter. The child’s small chest moved up and down with each breath. Although Min knew there would be a lot to deal with immediately due to the Hong Family Head’s death, she couldn’t easily move from her spot. No matter how much she looked at her living daughter, she couldn’t feel at ease.