DL Episode 57

Tae-seong climbed into the back seat, taking hold of the mounted machine gun. In the other vehicle, Park Ha manned the machine gun while Yeo Jin-joo took the wheel. Baek Sa was behind the wheel of Ha-gyeom’s vehicle. Although espers didn’t typically need vehicles, it was necessary when traveling with guides and mercenaries.

Ha-gyeom reached for his seatbelt, but Baek Sa took the buckle from his hand, fastening it for him. Ha-gyeom stared blankly ahead, briefly locking eyes with Baek Sa as the belt clicked into place. The calmness in Baek Sa’s eyes was a stark contrast to the excitement they had shared in that small room earlier.

Baek Sa quietly pressed the accelerator, and the vehicle moved forward. Although there was a road of sorts, the debris and ruins slowed their progress considerably.

There were no signs of monsters. But as they passed through the ruins of buildings, their exposed concrete and rebar visible, Ha-gyeom found himself speechless. Although this wasn’t where he had lived, the devastation was all too familiar, a stark reminder of similar scenes elsewhere.

Once they exited the port and ascended the long bridge toward Incheon Airport, the road finally cleared. As Baek Sa accelerated, Tae-seong retracted himself back into the Humvee.

“Have we confirmed the scale of the anomaly?” Tae-seong asked.

“Leave it to Park Ha. He’ll sweat plenty while enjoying it.”

Baek Sa replied without a trace of tension on his face. Ha-gyeom felt the same. The anomaly, like the monsters that had circled above the ship earlier, wasn’t something to fear on its own.

What truly frightened Ha-gyeom was the desolation and chaos of a world on the brink of apocalypse, and the inevitable encounter with rogue espers that Baek Sa and his team would eventually have.

Even though he was accompanying Baek Sa on this mission as part of his duty, Ha-gyeom didn’t agree with what they were doing. After all, he had been a victim of the first “collection” himself.

Ever since Baek Seung-woo had rescued him, Ha-gyeom had lived with the resolve that he would one day save others, just as Baek Seung-woo had saved him. But now, he found himself involved in an operation that was no different from what had once caused him so much pain.

Although he hadn’t been given any real power in the operation, the mere thought of facing the hostility of the rogue espers made Ha-gyeom feel nauseated. What terrified him most was the thought of seeing the contempt in their eyes—the same contempt he had once felt himself.

Just then, Baek Sa spoke.

“There it is. The anomaly.”

As they reached the end of the long bridge, the former Incheon Airport came into view. The massive silver roof had collapsed by more than half, and planes that had veered off the runway lay burning or broken, scattered across the area.

Hovering above the roof was a gigantic hole, at least 20 meters in diameter, resembling a black hole. Seeing the anomaly in person after only viewing it in reports sent chills down Ha-gyeom’s spine. Unfamiliar, grotesque monsters moved in and out of the hole, almost like organs, slipping in and out of the opening.

“Damn, that’s disgusting. Haven’t seen creatures like that in a while. I can practically hear Park Ha getting excited from here,” Tae-seong muttered, feigning a gag. But Ha-gyeom’s attention wasn’t on the anomaly or the monsters.

The road ahead was clogged with the remains of cars, tightly packed from when people had tried to flee the monster invasion 14 years ago. Tragically, the civilians who had been here at the time had all perished before they could even reach the bridge. Those who had barely escaped suffered from radiation exposure and died painfully.

The bodies that hadn’t been retrieved had long since turned to skeletons. Ha-gyeom silently hoped that the crunching beneath the vehicle’s wheels wasn’t their discarded remains.

He couldn’t maintain his composure any longer. Ha-gyeom closed his eyes and lowered his head, blocking out the sight. His heart raced, and his fingertips tingled with anxiety. If he allowed himself to be overwhelmed by trauma again, he knew he would ruin everything. Calming himself was his first priority.

When he finally managed to regain his composure and looked up, the airport was right in front of them. Instead of approaching through the old entrance, Baek Sa drove to the edge of the runway, applied the brakes, and shifted gears. Yeo Jin-joo’s vehicle, following closely behind, came to a stop at the same time.

Baek Sa and Tae-seong exited the vehicle first. As Ha-gyeom unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the passenger door, Baek Sa reached in and extended a hand.

“Grab on.”

Baek Sa instructed.

“…I’m fine.”

Ha-gyeom replied, pushing away Baek Sa’s hand. He felt uneasy being treated like a rookie. With his height nearing 180 centimeters, he didn’t need anyone’s help.

“It’s revolting.”

Yeo Jin-joo said as she joined them, standing before the anomaly. Park Ha, grinning widely, added.

“Where there are swarms of monsters, you can bet there’ll be espers nearby.”

“The more intense the area, the more we need to search every corner. With a guide, we can even use the monsters as guards,” Yeo Jin-joo pointed out.

As they examined the hole up close, the overwhelming sense of dread intensified. No one had ever discovered what lay inside the holes from which the monsters emerged. Some speculated that they were passages to space, others that they were gateways to another dimension. Despite all the theories, no one had uncovered the truth.

Ha-gyeom rubbed his ears repeatedly, trying to adjust to the strange buzzing sound that filled the air. The sight of the monsters, covered in ominous circles, was jarring.

“We’ll split into two teams and search the area thoroughly from end to end. If you find anything, radio it in immediately,” Baek Sa said, his brow furrowed. He re-equipped the machine guns from the vehicle and stood beside Ha-gyeom. Ha-gyeom gripped his rifle tightly and took a deep breath.

Park Ha, who had been staring at the anomaly, suddenly grinned and looked at Baek Sa.

“Baek Sa, how much time are you giving us? You know, it’s about efficiency. A quick warm-up before the mission won’t hurt, right?”

To Ha-gyeom’s surprise, Baek Sa gave an agreeable response. “You’ve got 30 minutes.”

Before Baek Sa had even finished speaking, Park Ha sprinted forward, launching himself into the air. Yeo Jin-joo, with a resigned expression, extended her hand, and her wave rapidly expanded. She then took off running after Park Ha, who was already charging toward the hole.

Baek Sa, shaking his head as if he couldn’t help but indulge them, turned to Ha-gyeom and offered his elbow. Ha-gyeom hesitated the moment he felt something solid against his arm.

‘Should I take it or not…?’

Although the initial discomfort from leaving the ship had subsided, his wariness toward Baek Sa had not. He still resented Baek Sa’s arrogant demeanor and could vividly recall the events of the previous night. Baek Sa was a man capable of destroying not just a single family, but everything Ha-gyeom held dear if he so wished.

Yet, at the same time, Baek Sa was someone Ha-gyeom would willingly give his life for, someone irreplaceably precious. The thought that he had to wrestle with such conflicting feelings over something as simple as relying on Baek Sa was utterly exhausting.

“Take it.”

Baek Sa commanded, his tone firm when Ha-gyeom’s hesitation stretched on. Ha-gyeom had no choice but to clear his mind of distractions. Moving as one? He could do that. After all, how many times had they tumbled together in bed?

Finally, Ha-gyeom grasped Baek Sa’s arm and looked up at him. A faint smile played on Baek Sa’s lips, and with it came that characteristic look of arrogance he always displayed when Ha-gyeom complied.

In the end, an esper is just an esper.

The moment that thought crossed Ha-gyeom’s mind, Baek Sa started walking.

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Traces of human presence weren’t far off. Beneath a collapsed roof, they found a pile of ash that still retained a faint warmth. It was the remnants of a fire, likely made from the dead trees that once lined the airport’s interior garden. When Baek Sa overturned some broken concrete, a few discarded cans of food were uncovered.

Ha-gyeom couldn’t understand it. Long ago, most of the survivors, whether by choice or force, had gathered in the different districts to establish new settlements. Even those who had been abducted or forcibly integrated into a district rarely managed to rebel or escape, unlike the espers of District 0. Having abilities was one thing, but surviving was an entirely different matter.

Even if a group had formed, surviving in the devastated outside world was nearly impossible. The land, water, and air were completely contaminated, and monsters could appear at any time, from anywhere. Even finding food was an insurmountable challenge.

As a child, Ha-gyeom had been fortunate enough to be rescued, and it dawned on him that he had taken survival for granted ever since. At the center, all their survival needs were easily met. While it wasn’t an overabundance, everyone lived a stable life.

“Why are these espers still here, in a place like this?”

Ha-gyeom asked Baek Sa, who was sifting through the rubble. Although he could easily sense any nearby presence, he found no further traces. Baek Sa, still crouched and meeting Ha-gyeom’s eyes, responded.

“Not everyone is lucky.”

He said, picking up a can and peering inside its empty contents. He added.

“And not everyone is stupid.”

The answer wasn’t entirely clear. Were they not stupid for choosing to live outside?

Since the thirty districts had been established, much had changed. Though espers often had their will crushed, it was also true that they were now treated better than ordinary civilians. Many espers chose to give up their autonomy in exchange for survival, finding some comfort in the stability of district life.

“Some people value their pride and dignity more than survival. Even before the invasion, there were those who would risk their lives for their rights and freedom,” Baek Sa continued.

His words made Ha-gyeom pause. It was a sobering reminder that, for some, survival wasn’t just about staying alive—it was about living on their own terms, even if that meant enduring the harshest conditions. The espers who chose to remain outside, clinging to the remnants of a ruined world, were perhaps driven by a need for autonomy and a refusal to submit, even in the face of overwhelming odds.