DB Vol 7 Part 5

Every second felt like an hour. The sky, which had been pitch black, was starting to show a tinge of deep blue. The Yang family’s army, quickly moved through the teleportation portal, was directly hitting the East Center and the Hong family’s main house as planned.

Yoon-im was waiting for Yang Cheon-hyo to return here soon, while hoping for a new force to intervene in that fight. If the enraged Gye Min participated, she would fight to the death, causing considerable damage to the Yang family.

How many would die? It would be best if the Gye, Yang, and Hong families all annihilated each other. Yang Cheon-hyo must be coming to the Yang family now, thinking he’s won.

But what expression would he make when he learns that Gye Min has jumped into the war, turning it into chaos? Yoon-im smirked and looked out the window with eyes full of anticipation. She twisted her lips, completely unaware that Yang Cheon-hyo’s movements had deviated from her expectations.

When Gye Min left the main house with her Espers, as if it were coordinated, a visitor came to the Gye family. Of course, being an unscheduled visitor, the Gye family had no need to let this stranger in. However, the guest, who came with five bodyguards, entered the Gye family compound as if it were their own home, without any interference.

And everywhere he went, all the Gye family members prostrated themselves as if welcoming a king. The guest, with a pale face and trembling hands, was even carried by his guards as he roamed throughout the Gye family compound. In less than 30 minutes, all those remaining gathered in the vast lobby on the first floor of the main house. The problem was their number.

“Why are there only this many?”

Yang Cheon-hyo’s trembling voice was filled with anger. There was a reason he had moved secretly, unknown to anyone in the Yang family. To successfully surprise attack the Gye family, fewer people needed to know. It was a movement even Yoon-im, who was like his limbs, didn’t know about. But the Gye family compound was empty. No, there were many people. The problem was that there were almost no Espers.

“The Gye family head just left a short while ago, leading the North Center Espers to fight in Hong family territory.”

“Fuck.”

What is this nonsense? The curse came out involuntarily. Why had he come all this way with this difficult body? It was a golden opportunity to take out the unsuspecting Gye family in one go. But they escaped? To fight?

Fuck, fuck. Yang Cheon-hyo spat out curses through his teeth. He didn’t know what had gone wrong where, but now was the time to get hold of anything. His gaze sharply surveyed those gathered. And he asked in a murderous voice.

“Where is Gye Min’s daughter?”

There were no children among the people. Yang Cheon-hyo clicked his nails at the gathered crowd.

“Bring Gye Min’s daughter to me immediately. Only the one who finds her first among you can be saved. So.”

Yang Cheon-hyo mustered his last strength, forcing his trembling body.

“If you want to be the winner, kill your competitors. And bring me the child.”

The Gye family compound was covered in blood in an instant.

The Yang family head. Even though he had hidden from the public for a long time, he was still recognized as the most dangerous being. Whether he participated or not could determine the outcome of the battle, and could prolong the war. That’s why Won-woo wanted to confirm the Yang family head’s condition with his own eyes. There was something Won-woo had asked the Alpha team leader when he found Ji Seong-hyeon.

‘Where is the Yang family head?’

The answer he received after torture was this:

‘Only Yang Cheon-hyo knows the whereabouts of the Yang family head. Huk huk, but I heard reports about the head’s condition are sent to the Ji family too… Kheuk, Ji Geun-oh might know…’

Ji Geun-oh looked at his youngest son, whom he was seeing after a long time, with astonished eyes and gritted his teeth.

“Why are you here? Where’s Ji Seong-hyeon?”

“He’s fine.”

As Won-woo stepped forward, Ji Geun-oh signaled to the Espers nearby. But before they could act, they suddenly clutched their chests and collapsed to the ground. Kuhek, as groans came from the Espers, Ji Geun-oh looked around with surprised eyes.

“Did you bring Espers?”

“Why do you think they’re Espers? I could have subdued them myself.”

“How could you, a mere D-rank Guide…”

Ji Geun-oh, who was frowning, suddenly seemed to realize something and muttered a word like a groan, his eyes widening.

“…Purifier?”

“So you do know about Purifiers well.”

Won-woo stretched out his hand in turn to the suffering Espers. And instantly, a strong force swirled around the Espers and exploded outward in all directions.

“Ugh!”

Unable to withstand the strong wind, Ji Geun-oh rolled on the ground. He rolled ungracefully several times before finally stopping by grabbing the base of a tree. But even when the air calmed, he couldn’t easily get up. He just looked at his son with unbelieving eyes. Did Won-woo really subdue the Espers?

Suspicions arose that maybe an Esper was hiding nearby and deceiving him, but he soon shook his head. As an A-rank Guide, Ji Geun-oh could vaguely sense that this explosion was power escaping from the Espers’ bodies.

As far as he knew, not a single Esper used their ability in that way. If there was one, it would be the method used by the Purifier he had heard about from Yang Cheon-hyo.

“Did you… really… become a Purifier?”

“Yes.”

“Ha! That’s impossible! How… how could you? You even received the Alpha Seed injection. Cheon-hyo said so. Guides who receive that injection can’t become Purifiers. We even tested your blood samples!”

“So you did use Ji Won-woo as an experimental subject.”

Won-woo muttered, staring at his father with cold eyes.

“I’m not surprised. To you, a D-rank Guide is a child you don’t care about losing.”

“How did you become a Purifier? Just how did you become a Purifier?!”

Ji Geun-oh shouted, getting up while holding onto the tree. Won-woo asked back as if puzzled by his question.

“After experimenting on so many Guides, you had no results at all?”

“Ji Seong-hyeon said you met a Purifier and learned the conditions?”

“Ah, so you know the method? Well, that’s why you drove so many Guides to the brink of death.”

“Yes. I know the method. But there was absolutely no Purifier awakening that Cheon-hyo talked about. But ha… you. How could you.”

Ji Geun-oh burst into incredulous laughter, staring into space, forgetting the situation he was in. How could that inadequate bastard become a Purifier? The Purifier he had tried so hard to create for so long? Ji Geun-oh suddenly seemed to realize something and turned sharply to look at Won-woo.

“You, can you make Alpha Seeds too? Can you?”

Even though Won-woo didn’t answer, Ji Geun-oh approached him almost jumping and grabbed Won-woo’s arm. Won-woo answered expressionlessly, looking at him shaking him.

“Yes. How do you think the Gye family suddenly got Alpha Seeds from somewhere to kill the Guides of Guide One and get new Guides? It’s not just Alpha Seeds. I can also overgrow the monster tree. Do you know why the mutant seeds they were planning to spread in the North suddenly appeared in Hong family land? It was all my doing.”

Ji Geun-oh’s eyes wavered at the unbelievable story, but they were full of greed. Won-woo was his son, so he was confident he could persuade him to listen somehow. At least he could extract some information.

Eyes coated thickly with greed like oil made it impossible to see how the son in front of him was looking at him. For Won-woo, it was the first time seeing his father in over a decade, but there was no sense of unfamiliarity. He was remarkably the same as the selfish person he knew.

“Do you want to become a Purifier?”

“Yes. What are the conditions for becoming a Purifier? Tell me quickly.”

“I’ll tell you if you tell me the location of the Yang family head.”

For a moment, Ji Geun-oh’s eyes distorted. A mix of annoyance at the audacity flashed in them, but instead of pressing his son, he forced a smile.

“Why are you looking for the Yang family head?”

“Where is he?”

“If I tell you, will you really let me know?”

“Of course.”

Ji Geun-oh twisted his lips. Won-woo’s ability only works on Espers anyway. Besides, he wouldn’t be able to do anything to his father. A place name came out of Ji Geun-oh’s mouth.

“There’s a Yang family safe house deep in that mountain. There’s a high chance he’s hiding there.”

There was a reason Ji Geun-oh spoke so confidently. Won-woo couldn’t verify it immediately. Even if he went to Yang family territory, it would take at least a day to find that place.

“Alright, I’ve told you, so now you…”

“Can we go there now?”

Suddenly, Won-woo spoke to the air. As Ji Geun-oh turned his eyes in confusion, a black silhouette suddenly appeared. Startled, he tried to step back, but Won-woo’s hand firmly grabbed his arm.

That strength was quite strong, more than expected. Ji Geun-oh looked at his son with bewildered eyes. But soon he had to turn his head sideways. A low, pleasant voice flowed from the mouth of the tall man who had suddenly appeared.

“It’s an unfamiliar place, so we’ll need to teleport a few times, but it’s possible.”

Damn, he came with someone who can teleport? Ji Geun-oh cursed Won-woo inwardly as he grasped the situation, but soon his face was painted with shock. It was because of something that caught his eye. The suddenly appeared person had numerous suppression piercings in his ears. N-no way…

“Don’t worry, Ji Geun-oh. I have no intention of letting you slip from my hands.”

With that chilling voice, pain like his whole body was being torn apart began to wash over him like waves. Even though a rope was being tied around his neck, he couldn’t resist at all. Ji Geun-oh began to be dragged around like a dog.

The communication was cut off. The electricity was also cut, and the world instantly turned into darkness. Those who had invaded Hong family territory clearly knew what they needed to do, so they cut off all energy to occupy the attacked land.

The emergency generator started at the East Center and lights came back on, but it collapsed helplessly, unable to properly face the intruders. In just 30 minutes, the entire East Center fell to the enemy.

It was thanks to the active cooperation of the East Center Espers with the intruders. The surviving East Center Espers had no choice but to retreat, and the place they withdrew to was the main house where the Hong family head was. But that place was already under attack too. And the surviving members of Main Team 2 gathered here.

However, the problem of not being able to defend properly at the East Center was manifesting here as well. No one dared to rashly attack their own comrades. Especially Seung-wook, fighting at the front, tried to attack only the Yang family Espers while avoiding his comrades, but because of this, he was badly injured by a comrade’s strike.

“Hong Seung-wook!”

Geon-young, who came running calling his friend’s name, stretched out his clenched fist forward and sent force towards the one striking at Seung-wook. Bang, the attacker flew backwards. It was a strong hit, but not enough to kill.

“Fuck, that bastard is an A-rank from the East Center…”

Geon-young cursed while checking Seung-wook’s body. Instead of thanking his friend for helping, Seung-wook first gave a warning.

“Behind you!”

Fuck, Geon-young cursed inwardly again and turned around, but it was already too late. The place where they were suddenly rose up like a tower, and soil and rocks stuck to their faces.

They struggled to escape from the soil mass rushing in like a burial, but soil flowed into their suddenly opened mouths like a living creature. Even though they flailed their hands trying to remove the soil, it was impossible to push away all the soil that scattered like sand.

“Keuk!”

Just as they were about to collapse from the soil mass entering their nostrils, suddenly the soil began to flow down like a puppet with its strings cut.

“Cough!! Cough, kak!”

As soon as the soil covering their entire bodies disappeared, Geon-young was busy spitting out the soil from his mouth and nose while lying face down. Only after shedding tears and snot did his airway finally clear. For just a few seconds, it felt like he had dipped his feet in the river of death with chills running down his spine. Who saved me?

When he raised his eyes, Seung-wook, who had been covered in soil like him, was standing while clutching one bleeding arm. As expected, Seung-wook… But his admiration for his friend disappeared at his gaze directed somewhere. Turning his head, he saw the East Center Esper who had attacked them collapsing on the ground with his neck cut.

The rough long sword that had taken him down was a weapon usually used to catch monsters. It was also mainly used by B-rank Espers with different abilities. The owner of the sword was also a B-rank Esper. Seona muttered while kicking the severed head with her foot.

“The Yang family bastards are only putting East Center Espers at the forefront.”

Seona was about to move forward but frowned at the two frozen people.

“Why are you just sitting still? If you can’t bring yourself to kill East Center Espers, I’ll clear the way, so at least strike at the Yang family bastards. How long are you going to hesitate while your comrades are blocking, with them snickering behind?”

With those words, Seona flew into the sky, riding the wind to block the incoming attack. Seung-wook gritted his teeth and got up, asking Geon-young,

“Cover me.”

“Where the hell is the Hong family head? All the East Center Espers are about to die, why is he just watching?!”

Seung-wook, who was about to step forward, paused and muttered.

“The family head escaped.”

“Fuck… he ran away?! The family head abandoned us and ran away?!”

Geon-young clenched his fist with a curse. His angry voice echoed loudly even on the battlefield. Seung-wook looked around, made eye contact with some colleagues, and urged Geon-young.

“If you don’t want to fight together, you withdraw too. Or join me in smashing the Yang family.”

“Fuck, this is bullshit. Seriousy!”

Geon-young shouted and rushed out with Seung-wook. However, even after barely facing the Yang family Espers while attacking colleagues they had faced at the center, it wasn’t satisfying. There were too many enemies. Thanks to putting the brainwashed East Center Espers at the forefront, the Yang family Espers hadn’t suffered much damage.

No matter how excellent A-rank Espers Seung-wook and Geon-young were, they couldn’t handle it. It was the same for other Espers protecting the Hong family. But now there were no allies left to help the Hong family.

Thanks to Seona and the North’s Espers dealing with the brainwashed ones without hesitation, they at least prevented the worst-case scenario of the East Center annihilating each other.

But that was it. Already, many East Center Espers had disappeared. The East Center Espers had already suffered great losses from the recent monster outbreak. Even if the fight ended now, the East Center was in a state of irreversible damage. Amidst this, news spreading on the battlefield angered those remaining.

The Hong family head ran away? Then what’s the reason for risking our lives fighting here?

But now it was difficult to withdraw and run away. They couldn’t even avoid the attacks of the Yang family Espers rushing in as if to annihilate them. It was then, when they really felt it was the end. A completely unexpected helping hand arrived here. Just as a cold energy seemed to envelop everything, the Yang family Espers instantly turned into pillars of ice.

“It’s, it’s the Gye family head!”

Someone’s shout was heard. The North came to help! The East Center Espers cheered, but only Seona couldn’t help but frown. Why not Gye Yoon? The Gye family head was supposed to just observe the situation, wasn’t she?

She felt something was wrong. But with communication cut off, she couldn’t ask Gye Yoon or Won-woo. Seona quickly flew through the sky and landed near Gye Min. Seona’s unease flared up like a flame as soon as she saw Min’s eyes.

“Where is Yang Cheon-hyo?”

Gye Min’s eyes were full of murderous intent.

“I didn’t see him on the way here. Shall we look for Yang Cheon-hyo?”

Gye Min just turned her head and ordered the North Center Espers.

“Kill everyone who’s alive.”

It didn’t take long for the East Center Espers to realize that the angel from the North who came to save them was actually a grim reaper. Frost that cut into flesh began to pour down on everyone’s heads. There was no one here who could stop an Esper who was top-tier even among A-rank.

Yang Cheon-hyo, now without even the strength to lift a finger, was barely able to keep his eyes open while being carried by an Esper. He felt like he might collapse from using too much energy, but he desperately wanted to see the Gye family’s operation room with his own eyes.

Why on earth had Gye Min moved? He needed to know the reason. And he checked the short video that Gye Min had reportedly received there.

“Fuck.”

Yang Cheon-hyo gritted his teeth and trembled his hands. This was something he had recorded when the previous Gye family head went berserk. Thinking it might be useful later. The Gye family was unusually close due to their unique wavelength. Touching their family was a very good way to provoke their emotions and lead to a rampage.

So this video would be good material to eliminate another troublesome S-rank, Gye Yoon, from the Gye family later. But there was one problem. At that time, he was so focused on driving the previous Gye family head to rampage that he said something he shouldn’t have. The method to obtain Alpha Seeds.

Since Yang Cheon-hyo didn’t bring many Alpha Seeds from the previous world, the first thing he had to do here was to create Alpha Seeds. A monster tree nourished by an S-rank Esper produces numerous Alpha Seeds just once. That was the true nature of the Alpha Seeds he had given to Ji Geun-oh.

This was something even Ji Geun-oh didn’t know. Yang Cheon-hyo belatedly realized that the words he had muttered in his arrogance at that time might have been captured. Fortunately, this short video was full of the previous Gye family head’s cries, so his voice wouldn’t be noticed without careful analysis.

Nevertheless, due to the anxiety of leaving behind a secret, he couldn’t use it as bait to catch Gye Yoon. But he couldn’t get rid of it either. After all, he might have to use it in the end. But why is this here? Who…? Yang Cheon-hyo, glaring at the paused video, asked the operation room staff prostrated on the floor as if receiving a king,

“Where did this video come from?”

“A spy long planted in the Yang family obtained it, sir.”

The spy’s information flowed smoothly from his mouth. However, Yang Cheon-hyo’s eyes narrowed instead. The identity of the spy the staff mentioned was someone in an insignificant position in the Yang family. There was no way he could have gotten this information. Unless someone deliberately gave it through him…

Yang Cheon-hyo’s eyes suddenly flashed with murderous intent. Could it be? Just then, the clock on the wall caught his eye. It had already been an hour since he came here. Damn it.

“What happened to Gye Min’s daughter?!”

As Yang Cheon-hyo shouted, a blood-covered Yang family Esper entered through the open door and prostrated himself.

“She’s nowhere to be seen. The child’s father was found with Chief Jung in the hospital attached to the mansion grounds, but he seemed to know nothing about the child. We caught Supervisor Lee, who usually looks after the child, trying to escape outside, but she slit her own throat rather than give any information.”

“Then what about the child? Are you saying a three-year-old escaped on her own? You incompetent bastards. If she’s already been smuggled out, you should be searching a wider area for whoever took her!”

“But if Vice Head Gye Yoon took her, we won’t be able to find her.”

The one who answered was the operation room staff. At Gye Yoon’s name, Yang Cheon-hyo flinched and turned around.

“…Isn’t Gye Yoon in Hong family territory?”

“Yes. But he can teleport that far without a teleportation portal.”

Yang Cheon-hyo’s face suddenly turned pale. He gripped the shoulder of the Esper carrying him tightly. It was strong enough for his nails to dig into the skin. Goosebumps poured down over Yang Cheon-hyo’s head as if a faucet had been opened.

“…Go.”

“Pardon?”

The Esper carrying him asked, not having heard properly. Yang Cheon-hyo barely managed to utter in a trembling voice.

“Go quickly. I said go. Go back, hurry…”

Before Yang Cheon-hyo could finish his urging words, his voice was drowned out by another sound.

Beep-

The sudden sound hit everyone like loud, sharp noise from a speaker. Everyone collapsed to the floor simultaneously from the tremendous pain as if their heads were being carved by a blade. The Yang family Espers were no exception, but at the moment the sound was heard, the body of the Esper carrying Yang Cheon-hyo blurred. The teleporter disappeared instantly with the unconscious Yang Cheon-hyo.

Won-woo couldn’t help but blame himself for being too arrogant in this operation. The problem was trying to get Ji Geun-oh and even check on the Yang family head while Yang Cheon-hyo was distracted by the war. He spent too much time looking for the Yang family head. After all that trouble going to that safe house, they didn’t even see a hair of the Yang family head.

He should have been satisfied with just getting Ji Geun-oh and withdrawn, but the damage to the Gye family was too great. At some point, communication with the Gye family was cut off. Feeling something was wrong, he came straight to the Gye family compound with Gye Yoon.

He hoped it was just a groundless fear, but the moment he saw the red bloodstains spread from the front gate, an eerie foreboding arose. It soon turned into reality.

Yang Cheon-hyo also didn’t think he could strike the Gye family caught off guard during the war. It was because he had underestimated him too. Moreover, he never dreamed that Gye Min, whom he believed would be guarding the Gye family, would jump into the war with her Espers. He had been too complacent.

“What should we do, our Hwan, we need to find our Hwan.”

Jae-hak, covered in blood and with his face swollen beyond recognition, shouted like a madman. Won-woo barely stopped him by pressing down on his shoulder as he tried to rush out.

“I’ll look for her. I promise I’ll find her.”

Jae-hak, found in the hospital, was in terrible shape from the attack. He must have held out in the hospital room with Chief Jung, as furniture was piled up like a barricade inside the windows and doors.

Although the hospital was on the Gye family’s vast grounds, it was unaffected by Yang Cheon-hyo’s mind control thanks to being separate from the Gye family residence. However, there were many casualties from fighting to stop the Gye family members who swarmed in. The Gye family Espers weren’t many in number, but they rushed in like zombies, having lost their minds.

“I have to go. Our Hwan, I… heuk…”

Jae-hak, who had been crying, collapsed to the floor before he could even take a step. Chief Jung was unconscious, probably having overexerted himself trying to block attacks while already injured.

“I’ll definitely find her, Sir.”

“But what if, what if Yang Cheon-hyo took her? Huh? Oh, no.”

Jae-hak started wailing like a child. Even though he should say he’d definitely find her, the promise wouldn’t come out easily. What if Yang Cheon-hyo really took her?

“No. Yang Cheon-hyo didn’t take her.”

At Gye Yoon’s voice, Jae-hak, his face wet with tears, jerked his head up.

“Really? Yoon? Is it true, are you sure?”

Unable to walk, Jae-hak crawled on the floor, grabbing Gye Yoon’s trouser leg and wailing again.

“Tell me it’s true. Tell me our Hwan is alive. Uhuhuung.”

“Only two Espers have left my domain. Hwan isn’t among them.”

Gye Yoon answered with a cold face, but his eyes contained a hot flame. There was no way a 3-year-old child could have disappeared alone. Then which bastard took him?

“Ah, this… no, I…”

Sang-cheon kept uttering confused words and looked at the figures before him with bewildered eyes. Right now, in the yard of his lodging, two living beings were staring up at him blankly. One was a 3-year-old child. And the other was a chicken. This whole thing had started just an hour ago.

Sang-cheon tended to obsess over information as much as he worried. So he was most anxious when there was no information at all. That was the case now. He couldn’t communicate with anyone. Won-woo had cut off communication, saying that he had captured Ji Geun-oh as planned and had to go to Yang Family’s land.

It was a bit worrying, but not a major problem. Seona’s contact was also lost due to all communications in Hong family land being blocked, but well, it was war. The facilities must have been destroyed. And Seona had promised in her last communication. She said she wouldn’t do anything foolish like dying in someone else’s fight.

The problem was the Gye family main house. Sang-cheon had obtained high-security access privileges, but there was still information he needed to contact the main house directly to get. So he kept trying to contact the person in charge, but strangely, the communication was suddenly cut off. It couldn’t just be down at such an important time.

Puzzled, he tried contacting Chief Jung, but someone else answered the phone and urgently shouted that they were suddenly under attack. And then the call ended with a short plea.

[Ugh! Help us… Huk! Chief Jung, get inside quickly!]

With the background of loud noises of things falling and people screaming. After hanging up, Sang-cheon, who was dazed for a moment, belatedly took a breath. What on earth is going on?!! Why is the Gye family under attack? By whom? Along with numerous questions, one important thing hit his head.

Wait, I can’t contact anyone. Then do I, do I have to help?! H-how?!! He panicked. He got up, paced anxiously, and then finally picked up his car keys and went out trembling. The main house was only a 25-minute drive from his lodging, so it wasn’t difficult to go. But even as he started the car and drove down the dark road, he kept questioning if he was doing the right thing.

Because he wasn’t a field agent. But he couldn’t just ignore the plea for help. And just as he was nearing the back gate of the Gye family compound, he realized he hadn’t brought any weapons.

How could I be so stupid! Unable to go back to his lodging, he decided to at least survey the situation, parking the car far away and moving cautiously. But even before getting close, he could see that something major had happened inside.

“Fuck, where did they hide?!”

Someone who looked like a security guard was looking around nervously. The sky was still dark, and only scattered streetlights were on, so the guard’s figure wasn’t fully visible. But the bloodstains on his clothes were clearly visible. Blood was dripping from the baton in his hand.

Hiiik!

Sang-cheon screamed inwardly and quickly crouched down in the darkness. Even though the guard was wearing the Gye family uniform, he couldn’t approach and ask what was going on. Even in the darkness, his eyes looked strange. His eyes were rolled back like a madman’s. Then, as if looking for something, he looked around and ran towards the road.

It was where Sang-cheon had parked his car. He had no choice but to flee in the opposite direction to avoid him. And soon the back entrance of the Gye family compound appeared before his eyes. Only then did he realize he had fled into danger. He tried to turn back, but he heard someone running from behind.

Uhek!

Sang-cheon let out another silent scream and jumped inside the wide-open iron gate. His legs were shaking so much he felt like he might collapse at any moment, but he couldn’t stop. There were even more dark red bloodstains inside. There was even someone collapsed in the middle of the road. I-is he dead? As he was about to approach, he heard a strange shout nearby.

“Get lost! I’ll catch them and be victorious! I’ll be the one saved!”

It was a voice filled with malice. And he vaguely saw someone leaping high into the sky to attack another person. He must have been an Esper. The one being attacked seemed to be a normal person, as they collapsed helplessly under the assault.

Huuk!

Sang-cheon gasped again and ran into the dense trees. The Gye family garden was like a huge park, so there were many places to hide among the trees. But that also made it impossible to escape.

He needed to find the person who asked for help, but he couldn’t muster the courage. The problem was he didn’t have the courage to return to his lodging either. Unable to go forward or back, he heard curses and terrible screams from all directions. It was as if those working for the Gye family were fighting and attacking each other.

Oh no, what should I do?

All he could do was crawl on his knees, inching forward to avoid being discovered. But suddenly, with a thud, someone landed nearby as if falling from the sky. It was the Esper who had been attacking someone earlier. Just 2-3 meters away. Sang-cheon, lying flat on the ground, tightly covered his mouth with his hand to avoid making a sound.

Chabak, chabak.

The sound of footsteps on the dirt ground gradually faded and then stopped. Sang-cheon remained motionless, even holding his breath.

“Ha, you were hiding?”

Just as the Esper’s sharp voice was heard, a loud “Kwaaak!” sound of a tree breaking rang out.

Heeeeek!

I’m dead now. As Sang-cheon tightly closed his eyes, worrying about his undeleted hard drive, he heard it.

“Kuk! Fuck, you think I’ll just hand over the chance to be saved to you?!”

A scream-mixed voice of someone else was heard nearby. That’s right, Sang-cheon wasn’t the only one hiding nearby. Fortunately, the other person seemed to be an Esper too, as the two started fighting, and Sang-cheon frantically started crawling on the ground again. From then on, he couldn’t see well because of his tears.

So he didn’t know where he was going, and didn’t realize he had come to a remote part of the garden. Driven by the desperate need to hide, he ran straight for a small building that appeared among the trees. If he had been in his right mind, he would have questioned why this small Baroque-style building was here and never thought of entering.

It was called a building, but it was barely as tall as an adult man and not very wide. Nevertheless, the miniature structure flaunted its splendor even under the dim streetlight. Sang-cheon, without the capacity to feel the strangeness, pulled on the door handle. But it was locked.

“Uhuhuhu, why won’t it open… uhuhuhung, please save me, please.”

As he whispered through tears,

Thud!

The ground shook as someone landed nearby. It’s that Esper! Fear washed over him like cold water poured from his head. I’m dead now. Really dead. As Sang-cheon despaired, something moved in his hand.

Click.

It was the doorknob he was holding. Sang-cheon quickly went inside, not knowing why the door suddenly opened. The building wasn’t tall, so an adult had to stoop to enter, but Sang-cheon’s legs were shaking so much he couldn’t stand properly anyway. As he crawled in on all fours, a sudden sound greeted him.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!!!!”

Flap flap!! Flutter flutter!!

Along with the sound of flapping wings, a chicken that appeared out of nowhere crowed loudly. What, why is there a chicken here?! After a moment of shock, Sang-cheon prostrated himself and pleaded to the chicken flapping towards him in the darkness.

“I’m sorry for coming in, I’m sorry. But please, can you be quiet? If not, we’ll both die.”

However, the oblivious chicken not only kept fluttering but also launched a two-footed flying kick attack at the intruder. Aaack! Sang-cheon barely suppressed a scream, curled up his body, and continued apologizing, “Sorry, sorry.”

“Shh! Please, be quiet. There’s a crazy Esper outside. People are killing each other… uhek, we’re done for if we’re caught. I’ll bring you something tasty later. Okay? What, what do you like? Rice? Or should I catch some bugs for you? Huh?”

It was as Sang-cheon, engulfed in fear, was begging the chicken with both hands that he heard it. A very small voice of someone.

“Cabbage.”

Hmmph! As this sound came from right nearby, Sang-cheon startled and backed away as if falling on his bottom. Even then, he covered his mouth well with his hand to avoid screaming. W-what? Who is it?! Who else besides him in here…

“Kko-kko likes cabbage.”

Sang-cheon then realized that the voice was quite young. So he opened his eyes wide in surprise and stared into the darkness.

“W-who, who are you?”

There was no answer. Is it a ghost?! As Sang-cheon trembled and considered the most plausible possibility, another sound caught his attention.

‘Aaaaargh!!!!!’

Someone screamed right outside the building. But strangely, the scream seemed to fade as if getting further away. Like the scream of a villain flying far away in a cartoon.

Sang-cheon lay flat again and remained still for a while. When he heard no more sounds from outside, he finally lifted his head. Right, there was a child! Focusing on the darkness, he could vaguely see a small figure sitting. It really is a child!

“Li-little one, are, are you okay?”

“Yes.”

This time there was an answer. No, it’s really a person? Why is a child alone here? And what is this building? Sang-cheon finally looked around the dark interior. The outside was fancy, but the inside was simple with no furniture, just pillars and windows. Moreover, something was spread on the floor… picking it up with his hand, it was straw.

“What on earth is this, this place?”

“Chicken house.”

Once again, the young voice kindly provided the answer. That’s right. It was a Baroque-style chicken coop. Sang-cheon turned to look at the now quiet chicken. The chicken was perched on a roost, looking out the window. …Its house?

“What kind of chicken coop is this… Huh? Kko-kko?!”

A memory suddenly flashed in Sang-cheon’s mind. Wasn’t Kko-kko that brave chicken that fought with the brute?!

“Is, is that Kko-kko? The one that fought with the bru-… Gye Yoon, no, Vice Head Gye and doesn’t get along?”

“Don’t know.”

Ah, you don’t know. As Sang-cheon nodded, he heard an addition.

“Vice Head bad.”

“Ah! You know too! Right, Gye bru-… Vice Head is a bit like that. He has a bad temper.”

Sang-cheon nodded excitedly towards this comrade he met in a dire situation, but the joy didn’t last long. As he recalled the situation outside, tension rushed back. He lifted his head and peeked outside stealthily.

Fortunately, the area around the chicken coop was quiet, with no sign of the Esper who had been nearby. He should have used this chance to escape, but his feet simply wouldn’t move. Besides, he wasn’t alone here.

“Little one. Did your mom tell you to hide here?”

“No.”

Ah… really? Then why are you here?

“Granny Ju-im told me to hide.”

Though he didn’t know who Granny Ju-im was, she seemed to be family. She must have noticed the problem in the Gye family and hid at least the child here. Then she should come to rescue… Should we hide until then? But the screams and sounds of fighting in the distance seemed to be getting closer.

Any sense of chivalry to go help Chief Jung had long since disappeared. Fear came rushing back. Ah, what should I do? What about the child? Sang-cheon closed his eyes tightly, then opened them and informed the child.

“Listen, little one. Usually, you should never follow a stranger, okay? So I don’t want to say this, but the situation is really bad now. So we need to go to a safe place together…”

“No.”

“Y-yes, that’s right. You shouldn’t follow strangers. Ah, you’ve learned well. But, but it’s too dangerous here. Uncle is definitely not a bad person, oh my, how do I explain this.”

It was as Sang-cheon was pacing anxiously that it happened.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo―!!!!! Cluck cluck!!”

Kko-kko suddenly started flapping and crowing. Startled, Sang-cheon pleaded with Kko-kko again with both hands to be quiet.

“Please be quiet. Okay? Why are you suddenly crowing?”

“Someone’s coming.”

Huh? At the child’s words, Sang-cheon peeked out the window in surprise. Someone really was approaching nearby. Judging by the baton in their hand, it seemed to be one of the guards. Now we’re dead. Really dead. Sang-cheon, preparing for what might be his umpteenth last moment of the day, moved towards the child and sat with his back to them.

“It’s, it’s okay. Uncle will, will protect you. If, if someone comes in, you should hi-hide behind uncle’s back and uhuhuk, run away. Sniff.”

“Crying?”

“N-no. I’m, I’m not crying.”

And while shielding the unseen child with his back, he firmly grasped a pillar with one hand. With the other hand, he grabbed some straw from the floor, making a useless plan to throw it in the attacker’s face if they came in.

“Uncle will definitely protect you…”

‘Huaaaargh!!!!’

Before Sang-cheon could finish his sentence, someone’s scream was heard from afar. No, the start of the scream was close this time too, but it scattered as if getting further away towards the end. Again, as if flying away into the sky. Sang-cheon flinched in surprise and stretched his neck to look outside. The guard who had been nearby was nowhere to be seen.

Huh? Could someone really have thrown him? That means there’s an Esper nearby?! The relief was short-lived as fear came rushing back. But just hiding like this was more dangerous. It seemed people kept coming to this place. Sang-cheon, as if resolved, urged the child again.

“Uncle’s car is near the back door. If we ride that and go a little bit, there’s uncle’s lodging, you know? Do you want to go there with uncle for a moment and hide? It’s a place the Gye family head let me stay, and it’s really, really nice.”

Unable to think of words to persuade the child, Sang-cheon rambled on.

“It’s so nice that, well, even Mr. Won-woo said it was nice. There’s this handsome and kind Guide named Mr. Won-woo who likes yakgwa too. He’s such a good person that he even Guides that ill-tempered Vice Head, you know?”

“Uncle Won-woo.”

“Yes, yes, he’d be like an uncle to you. I’ll give you the yakgwa that uncle ate if we go. But this is a special case, and usually, you should never follow a stranger even if they offer you candy. Understand?”

He could see the small head nodding in the darkness. Oh my, how obedient.

“Yes, you shouldn’t follow them. …But haa, now we need to go to uncle’s house first.”

“Is Uncle Won-woo there?”

Sang-cheon thought it was good that he had described Won-woo as handsome. Since Won-woo was hiding his identity and few people in the Gye family knew about him, he believed the child naturally wouldn’t know him. So he thought the child must be curious to see him.

“He’s not there now, but he’ll come soon. We can go and wait together.”

“Kko-kko too?”

“Of course, ko…”

Sang-cheon turned his head to look at the rooster keeping watch on the perch again. Yeah, he must be scared too, right?

“Kko, kko is also part of our team, so he should come along.”

The child seemed to like the word ‘team’. He mumbled, singing “Our team, our team,” and then asked,

“Where are we going?”

“To uncle’s lodging. First, if you get on uncle’s back, we’ll go together to my car and…”

Sang-cheon’s explanation was cut short.

Boom!

There was a loud rumbling sound, and then the floor started shaking. Wh-what’s going on?! Sang-cheon grabbed a pillar in surprise, but the shaking of the baroque chicken coop only intensified. Sang-cheon, who had been crouching, fell to the floor and opened his eyes wide.

The view beyond the window was changing. More precisely, all the surrounding objects were sinking lower. That meant the chicken coop was rising into the sky. And quite high at that.

“Huh? What is this…”

Could it be an Esper attack?! As Sang-cheon was struck with shock, he heard the child’s voice again.

“Where are we going?”

…Huh? …Huuuh?!!!!!!!

*

When Yoon-im heard the news, she could only think how incredibly lucky it was. Even though it was the worst news for her.

“…You say Vice Head Yang Cheon-hyo is coming from the North?”

Until just a moment ago, Yoon-im had been inwardly laughing triumphantly at the news the secretary had delivered. The Gye family head had joined the war, and the Yang family’s Espers were nearly annihilated. The secretary’s face was full of gloom, but Yoon-im had to frown to suppress her laughter. However, the shock that spread across her face now was not an act.

“Yes, I was surprised too. I never dreamed that the Vice Head would launch such an unexpected raid. But it seems he couldn’t achieve his goal because the Gye family head from the North unexpectedly jumped into the war.”

“…Why couldn’t he achieve it?”

Yoon-im’s voice was sharp, but the secretary didn’t notice anything strange due to the gravity of the situation.

“According to the captain who barely escaped with the Vice Head, there was an attack by Gye Yoon.”

“Gye Yoon? Why would Gye Yoon from the East…”

Ah… He can teleport. And over an incredible distance too. A chilling feeling settled like frost. Two unexpected things had already overlapped. Normally, she would have been shocked by this hidden ability of Gye Yoon and tried to confirm its veracity first, but now her instincts told her to follow the ominous feeling. She felt it was dangerous.

“So… the Vice Head is returning from the Gye family without any gains?”

“It seems so. Apparently, the Gye family head suddenly took everyone and jumped into the war, so only the guards were left in the Gye family. He easily took control of the Gye family by manipulating their minds, but in the end, he couldn’t get his hands on the Gye family head’s child he was looking for.”

He took control of the Gye family. That meant Yang Cheon-hyo might have seen the video that Yoon-im had secretly sent to provoke the Gye family head. Yoon-im hesitated for a moment. How likely was it that Yang Cheon-hyo knew she was the culprit? She didn’t want to run away unless it was the worst-case scenario. But then the secretary asked, as if he had just remembered,

“By the way, we can’t get in touch with Chairman Ji Geun-oh. We only confirmed that he left with a few security guards at dawn. Do you happen to know anything about this, madam?”

Yoon-im’s stiff face slowly lifted.

“…My father?”

“Yes. Don’t tell me you don’t know Chairman Ji’s whereabouts either, madam?”

The secretary’s eyes grew serious and his voice sharpened. In that moment, Yoon-im realized anew who this person, who always bowed to her, ultimately served. He must have received separate instructions from Yang Cheon-hyo. Probably to prioritize Ji Geun-oh above all else.

Under that order, even she was not a superior to the secretary, but a subject to be monitored. So despite being flustered by the news of her father’s disappearance, Yoon-im hid her emotions and twisted her lips.

“How could I not know?”

Suspicion mixed in the secretary’s gaze, but it changed to puzzlement at Yoon-im’s movement.

“Where are you going?”

“Do I have to report that to you?”

“Orders have come down that no one is to leave until the Vice Head arrives.”

With that, the secretary moved in front of the door to block her.

“Please wait here for a moment, madam.”

Yoon-im glared at the secretary and gritted her teeth. Yang Cheon-hyo is suspecting me. He told this bastard to watch me.

“You say my father can’t be reached? Of course. He’s somewhere that can’t be contacted. I need to go check directly.”

A lie spontaneously sprang from Yoon-im’s mouth.

“If you tell me where, I can…”

“Why should I trust you?”

The secretary’s eyebrow twitched, but Yoon-im didn’t back down and glared at him as she ordered,

“Move.”

“…”

“Ah, if anything happens to my father now, it’ll all be your fault.”

At Yoon-im’s sarcasm, the secretary turned his body. Even after opening the door, her gait was as straight and elegant as usual, but her fingertips were trembling. Only one thought filled her mind. Where should I run to?

*

Won-woo thought it could only be heaven’s help. While he was in the midst of searching for Hwan, he got in touch with Sang-cheon. And as soon as he heard about a certain kid from him, he teleported to Sang-cheon’s lodging in an instant. How on earth could Hwan be here?

Even while thinking it made no sense, he couldn’t give up hope, and he could hardly breathe properly until he opened this door. And as soon as he entered the living room, he stopped after just a few steps. A small child was sleeping soundly on the sofa. It was Hwan. No matter how many times he checked, it was Hwan.

“Haa.”

As soon as Won-woo confirmed the child with his own eyes, he bent over. He was so drained that he could barely stand properly, supporting himself by placing his hands on his thighs.

“No way, is this little one really the family head’s daughter? Is it true?”

Sang-cheon, who had been waiting for Won-woo, immediately threw out questions. He lowered his voice considerably, worried the child might wake up, but it was full of shock.

“It’s true.”

Gye Yoon, who followed behind, provided confirmation. At those words, Sang-cheon staggered and leaned against the wall in shock.

“I thought something was strange!”

Passing by Sang-cheon, who was quietly exclaiming, Gye Yoon approached the child. Then he silently looked down at Hwan sleeping soundly on the sofa. Won-woo and Sang-cheon thought he must be the most surprised and relieved, even though he didn’t say anything. So they couldn’t bring themselves to speak and just watched, when Gye Yoon quietly asked,

“What was strange?”

“Well, I went into this small house-like place to hide, and this baby was hiding there all alone. Without even crying!”

“Did you cry?”

“Well, of course I…”

Sang-cheon cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.

“Ahem, anyway, that small house looked like some kind of palace miniature from the outside, so I thought maybe it was a place for children to play, but the inside was completely different. There was straw spread on the floor and…”

“Just get to the point.”

“Well, we were hiding there together, you see? Then I thought we might get caught, so when I said we had to run away, would you believe the entire chicken coop rose into the sky! At first, I thought another Esper was attacking us, but it was this baby doing it? I really thought my heart was going to jump out of my mouth…”

Sang-cheon’s epic tale, which could have taken two nights and three days to tell, was cut short by a sharp voice.

“Kko-kko?”

Gye Yoon raised his now fierce eyes. But Sang-cheon, eager to tell about the amazing chicken he had met, didn’t notice.

“Yeah, there was a chicken named Kko-kko too, and wow, I’ve never seen such a smart chicken! I mean, it would watch from the perch, and whenever a person appeared, it would crow loudly, it was like having our own alarm system.”

“Enough. What about Kko-kko? Is it dead?”

Sang-cheon finally noticed Gye Yoon’s displeased expression. And Sang-cheon frowned as well.

“Our Kko-kko is perfectly fine, eating ‘cabb-age’ in that yard.”

The baby talk ‘cabb-age’ coming from Sang-cheon’s mouth was terrible enough, but another word grated on Gye Yoon’s nerves even more.

“Our?”

“Yeah, Kko-kko is part of our team.”

“Ha, shit. Why the hell should I be on a team with a chicken?”

Gye Yoon looked down at Sang-cheon with irritation. Sang-cheon didn’t back down, lifting his chin towards the ceiling.

“You’re not, okay? You’re not on our team.”

Gye Yoon’s eyebrow twitched.

“…Who said I wanted to be?”

“Even if you wanted to, our team, including Kko-kko, all hate you so you can’t join!”

Gye Yoon wasn’t one to be hurt by someone disliking him, but the chicken was different. It really hurt his pride in a nasty way.

“Shit, I should have abandoned that chicken in some remote mountains long ago.”

As if about to do just that, he turned his body, but Sang-cheon urgently grabbed his arm.

“The baby loves Kko-kko so much! She’ll cry if it disappears!”

“Kids are supposed to grow up crying.”

“No, they’re not. They grow up with love. You wouldn’t know because you only got mistreated due to your nasty personality, sheesh.”

“…I’ll have to show you my personality properly. Starting with you, mister.”

Flinch. Sang-cheon let go of his arm and shouted,

“I’m going to tell Hwan everything about you!”

While the two were bickering like this, Won-woo sat next to Hwan and held her small hand. Gye Yoon hadn’t said much about his niece, but he was using his ability to prevent the child from hearing their current loud voices. In case she might wake up. Won-woo was doing the same. He touched the small hand out of habit, trying to guide, but he was careful not to apply too much pressure, just gently resting it on his palm.

Hwan seemed to need guiding, as expected after using her ability. The fact that she didn’t cry, even though she must have been in pain, suggested she had fallen asleep despite the pain. Maybe because she was so used to that pain. It worried him needlessly. Won-woo quickly eased the child’s pain and then stood up.

The two behind him still seemed to be bickering, but Won-woo couldn’t easily open his mouth. Sang-cheon and Hwan had nearly lost their lives. He should have been happy to see them both alive, but instead, it felt like a knife was stuck in his throat. The anxiety that the experience of losing everyone around him might repeat itself clung to him like a leech.

“Let’s go.”

It was a mumble, almost like talking to himself, but it immediately stopped the two who had been squabbling. Surprised, Sang-cheon blinked and asked,

“Go where?”

Instead of answering, Won-woo glanced at his watch. 8 AM. The war that had started in darkness was now being wrapped up after sunrise. But for Won-woo, it was just beginning. It seemed Gye Yoon felt the same way. When their eyes met, he stared intently as if gauging Won-woo’s condition, then slowly nodded.

“Let’s depart right away.”

“Depart? Where to?”

Surprised, Sang-cheon looked back and forth between them, then his eyes widened as he realized something.

“Don’t tell me… you’re going after Yang Cheon-hyo? Now?”

“Before coming here, I got in touch with Seona. Things seem to have settled down somewhat on their end. The Gye family head is said to be moving immediately, leaving only a few behind, so we need to clear the way.”

“Clear the way? The teleportation portals to the Yang family must be blocked… Oh? Don’t tell me you’re going to the Yang family’s land to enable the use of the teleportation portal?”

Sang-cheon guessed quickly, then asked in a voice full of worry,

“What about the Yang family head? Didn’t you say the Yang family head was a variable and we should confirm before moving?”

“He’s hiding and not coming out.”

“He might not be able to come out.”

Won-woo nodded at Gye Yoon’s indifferent words.

“Yes, we have no choice but to move while betting on that.”

If the Yang family head was in a state where he could use his power, this raid would not end well. Sang-cheon expressed his worry again.

“There must be a reason Yang Cheon-hyo moved so confidently. What if he has something to rely on? If the Yang family head is in a state where he can fight…”

“Then we’ll gladly and happily crush him.”

Gye Yoon replied nonchalantly, but his eyes were looking at his niece lying on the sofa. So Sang-cheon couldn’t dissuade them any further.

“Still, it’s dangerous for just the two of you to go to Yang family territory. You’re trying to get hold of the teleportation portal closest to the Yang family main house, right?”

“It’s fine.”

“No, even if you say that…”

“There’s nothing safe in war anyway.”

Sang-cheon lost his words and just let out a big sigh. Gye Yoon, seemingly unwilling to delay any further, went to Won-woo’s side, took his hand, and pulled him into his arms. The two immediately became blurry.

Soon, only the child’s steady breathing remained inside. Sang-cheon, who had been staring blankly at the empty space, turned his head towards the window. The day had already brightened. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this day would be even longer than the long night that had passed.

Just one night of fighting. That was enough to destroy the Hong family’s main house, and for a significant number of Espers at the East Center to die or be seriously injured. The devastating results were revealed in an even more horrific form as the sun rose. But what remained for the survivors was not the death of their comrades, but another terror.

The Gye family head who appeared at the moment when it seemed they would be annihilated by the Yang family’s Espers. The Northern Espers were saviors, but also conquerors. They showed no mercy.

They cut down everyone, treating both Hong family and Yang family as enemies without distinction. The Gye family head’s momentum, in particular, was awe-inspiring.

As if to show what happens when a top-tier A-rank Esper fights with gritted teeth, she slaughtered the Yang family’s Espers. Everyone was torn to shreds by her ice awls, to a degree that seemed cruel. The reason all the remaining East Center Espers knelt down, surrendered, and swore allegiance to the North was because of this tremendous killing intent.

And everyone knew. The reason she spared their lives was not out of mercy. It was simply because Yang Cheon-hyo wasn’t there. She just didn’t have time because she had to turn back to find him.

But less than half of the Hong family’s Espers could follow the Gye family head. There were so many who couldn’t move because they were injured, even if they had received guiding right away. The surprising thing was that Seona was among those following the Gye family head.

“Are you crazy?”

Seona had just finished communicating with someone and was about to follow the Gye family head when she turned around at the voice from behind her. Geon-young was sitting on the ground, looking like he was on the verge of death, staring at Seona with eyes full of shock.

“You’re on the verge of going rampage right now. If you go to fight, you’ll die immediately.”

Yoo Geon-young’s gaze was fixed on Seona’s reddened surpressing piercing. As he spoke as if he couldn’t understand at all, Seona silently looked at him. Then she slowly swept her gaze over to Hong Seung-wook sitting next to her.

The two seemed more impacted by kneeling to the North to survive than by the exhaustion from fighting. Especially Hong Seung-wook, whose eyes had lost their light as if he were dead. But even that displeased Seona.

“…Your life is annoyingly tenacious.”

Yoo Geon-young somehow heard this and spat out fiercely,

“Ha, have you gone mad because you’re about to die from going rampage, shit.”

“Why would I die? I’m about to meet my Guide.”

At the mention of a Guide, Hong Seung-wook slowly raised his head.

“Which Guide?”

Seona looked at him expressionlessly before dropping a name.

“Ji Won-woo.”

Yoo Geon-young immediately reacted to that name.

“You’re going to get guided by a D-rank Guide? It would take at least two days just for the guiding!”

“No, it won’t even take a minute.”

“…Has she really gone mad?”

Unlike the frowning Yoo Geon-young, Hong Seung-wook shot a suspicious look at Seona. Seona ignored Yoo Geon-young and asked him,

“Do you want to see?”

“…Is Ji Won-woo really your Guide?”

“That’s not all. If you want to know everything, come along.”

Seona muttered mockingly, then turned her body and quickly disappeared to join Gye Min. Hong Seung-wook, who had been glaring in the direction she went, got up with his injured body.

“Hey, where are you going? Don’t tell me you’re going to follow her? Do you know where the Gye family head is going right now? She said she’s going straight to raid the Yang family.”

“You stay behind.”

As Hong Seung-wook moved forward, cradling his injured arm with his other hand, Yoo Geon-young followed him, cursing.

“Shit, there’s no way Ji Won-woo could be in Yang family territory. What would a D-rank Guide be doing there!”

Why would Ji Won-woo be in Yang family territory? How on earth? Yoo Geon-young kept wondering about this as he followed the Gye family head. Another puzzling thing was Hong Seung-wook, who was accompanying them with a stern expression. Although his complexion had improved somewhat after guiding, he had been severely injured to begin with. Not only was his physical condition poor, but Yoo Geon-young disliked his friend following the Gye family head for other reasons.

It was when the Gye family head demanded surrender from the surviving Hong family Espers. When she said she would spare their lives only if they swore allegiance to the North, no one could move. They wanted to live, but they didn’t want to be so humiliated. At that time, the first to step forward and kneel was Hong Seung-wook.

Although not a direct descendant, he was the face of the Hong family, no different from a hero among ordinary people, so he received looks of condemnation and shock. But just as many followed his lead and knelt down. In fact, if his friend hadn’t taken action first, Yoo Geon-young would have lost his life right there, unable to swallow his pride.

So he knew his friend had acted to save everyone. However, those who had always been jealous of Hong Seung-wook and viewed him unfavorably would cling to this incident and brand him a traitor. That’s why Yoo Geon-young couldn’t help but worry about him following the Gye family to Yang territory. How would he deal with the aftermath later?

“It’s okay.”

Noticing Yoo Geon-young’s gaze, Hong Seung-wook dropped a word.

“How could it be okay?”

Yoo Geon-young grumbled, grabbing his friend’s arm as he was about to walk into the teleportation portal.

“You stay behind. If you follow into this fight too, your reputation might really be irreparable. Unlike me, you carry the Hong surname. In case…”

“I want to get rid of both my reputation and surname now.”

Hong Seung-wook smiled bitterly at his surprised friend, then added,

“And I’m also curious about Ji Won-woo.”

“Ha, do you really think he’d be in Yang family territory? Even if he is, he’d be hiding somewhere. More than that, I’m more curious if that thing will work.”

Yoo Geon-young nodded towards the teleportation portal. Many people were already in place on the massive teleportation portal that could move dozens of people at once. It was just a round plate covering the ground, but standing on it could instantly transport them over long distances.