63

Bang!

The bullet that grazed the building’s exterior wall sparked as it ricocheted off.

Though the building had been gnawed at in several places, it was still in relatively good condition compared to the surrounding structures. Even without further explanation, Dr. Park quickly flew up to the building’s exterior and disappeared into the hole where Baek Sa had fired. Tae-seong, who arrived shortly after, entered the building through the front door, following protocol.

If it had been a monster, Baek Sa would have used the machine gun on his back instead of the Glock. That meant…

“A person…?”

A cold shiver ran down Ha-gyeom’s spine. It seemed the moment had finally come. The problem was that when it came to tracking down an esper—whether the pursuer or the pursued—there was no telling where they might flee to or how far they might go.

Though his senses couldn’t accurately perceive or see it, Ha-gyeom quickly expanded his energy waves, faster than Yeo Jin-joo, whose eyes were half-glazed over. He extended his waves to cover the entire square, so vast that his whole body tingled with the effort.

Baek Sa looked around at the waves that spread out, cutting through the air, and then reloaded his Glock. Though his gaze was sharp, Ha-gyeom could handle it. Even if he were to sustain internal injuries, he knew that Baek Sa wouldn’t be affected.

“That’s enough. They’ve likely hidden their energy waves on that side too.”

Baek Sa said as he observed Ha-gyeom’s determined expression. Ha-gyeom nodded obediently.

“…Alright. I’ll maintain it at this level.”

“Let Dr. Park handle Yeo Jin-joo. You just focus on me.”

Taking care of Baek Sa, who was also Baek Seung-woo. Ha-gyeom couldn’t brush off those words lightly, remembering the devotion Baek Seung-woo had shown him. His heart fluttered just as it had when he first saw him within his energy waves.

The uneasy feeling that following Baek Sa’s orders would ultimately make him complicit in the atrocities of Zone 0 lingered. However, for Ha-gyeom, Baek Seung-woo was always the top priority. While he couldn’t exactly wish for the success of the mission, given the fate of the espers at the hands of Baek Sa and Dr. Park, he still had to focus on Baek Seung-woo.

“You’re… smarter than I thought….”

Yeo Jin-joo, staggering as she approached, mumbled as she spoke. Baek Sa shot her a disdainful look before disappearing into the hole where Dr. Park had gone. Ha-gyeom’s eyes followed the afterimage of Baek Sa, who had moved too fast for him to see clearly.

“And why are you so half-hearted?” Ha-gyeom snapped at Yeo Jin-joo, unable to fully relax. Yeo Jin-joo, who had expanded her energy waves as large as his, rubbed the injection marks on her arm.

“This…? You think it’s because of that? …It’s just, um… like motion sickness medicine or something….”

“You were fine on the boat.”

“No… it’s just a saying… not the boat… that thing….”

She pointed her finger at the gaping hole left by the monster.

“Dr. Park may be drooling over it, but… I’m a guide, so… seeing that thing makes me sick… makes me dizzy….”

Ha-gyeom also found the grotesque and bizarre sight disturbing. However, he didn’t think it was bad enough to rely on the effects of drugs. It was more a matter of not being able to look at it directly rather than experiencing any actual symptoms.

“That just sounds like an excuse to me.”

“…You grew up soft.”

That was true. Ever since he was rescued, Ha-gyeom had been raised carefully by Baek Seung-woo.

“You don’t know anything.”

For a moment, Yeo Jin-joo’s eyes flashed, and her energy waves wavered dangerously. While Ha-gyeom’s own energy was sufficient, he couldn’t ignore even the slightest possibility. He snapped his fingers in front of her eyes to get her attention.

“As you said, I grew up soft, so I don’t have much experience with operations. But please, if you can’t help, at least don’t get in the way. The last thing I want is to suffer internal injuries.”

“…Are you, a guide, scared of something like that?”

Yeo Jin-joo glared at him with exaggerated disdain. Despite the sharpness of her words, her insult didn’t seem entirely sincere.

Yeo Jin-joo, who had been rambling incoherently, suddenly stared intently at the gaping hole in the energy waves where the monster resided.

‘She says it’s motion sickness, but is she planning to hurt herself?’

At first, Ha-gyeom was suspicious, but as he watched her expression harden, he had a strange feeling that she wasn’t taking the drugs just for fun. Anyone who had experienced the invasion likely had at least one horrifying memory, and it was even more true for espers from Zone 0.

Their conversation soon dwindled. As time passed, the surroundings grew quieter, and only the sound of the wind sweeping through the desolate square remained distinct.

The sky, thick with clouds, was silent. The monsters moved sluggishly in and out of their holes like deep-sea creatures with dulled senses, showing no signs of launching sudden attacks like those on islands or sea routes. Even if they did decide to attack, it was usually the esper paired with them who would strike first. Yet, whenever the monsters unexpectedly lowered their bodies overhead, Ha-gyeom couldn’t help but shiver.

Dr. Park and Baek Sa, who had entered the building, didn’t reappear for some time. Then, suddenly, from a building adjacent to the one they had entered, a crouched figure broke through the glass with a loud crash and landed in the middle of the square with a resounding boom.

‘What the…?!’

The crouched figure embedded in the asphalt resembled a projectile shot from Han Young-jae’s bazooka. When the figure unfurled itself, revealing a slender physique, Ha-gyeom flinched involuntarily.

Standing in the crater was a girl who looked no older than twenty, clad in dirt-stained clothes. As she looked up at the building and dusted herself off, another figure appeared with a similar loud boom.

These two girls, dressed identically in jerseys with short bobbed hair that reached their shoulders, stood fixedly, glaring at the hole Baek Sa and Dr. Park had entered. Though they appeared cautious, they didn’t seem scared. It made sense—they were espers, just like those chasing them.

Bang, bang, bang!

The sudden gunfire shattered the stillness of the square, bullets landing near the girls. At the same time, Dr. Park, who had jumped down from somewhere with a loud thud, approached the girls, reloading his magazine. The shots seemed to be intended as warning fire.

“Just because people keep calling you cute, you think you can get away with anything.”

“Ugh!”

The girls mimicked Dr. Park’s playful words with exaggerated gestures. Watching Dr. Park swagger confidently toward them, Ha-gyeom felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He couldn’t help but feel an unfair sense of secondhand shame, wondering why he had to be the one feeling embarrassed. Just then, the girls drew pistols from their waistbands and aimed at Dr. Park’s head.

Bang!

The bullet cut through the air, but Dr. Park dodged it effortlessly. When both the shooter and the dodger are espers, it often takes a long time to determine a winner. Considering the significant difference in their apparent strength, Ha-gyeom shook his head in disbelief.

“If you’re going to come with us anyway, wouldn’t it be better to go willingly than to be dragged, kids?”

“So, why do we have to go with you in the first place, mister?”

“Don’t you know the face of the operation? Why are you the one making a fuss instead of the face of the operation, mister?”

For someone younger, their choice of words was strikingly sharp. Dr. Park frowned as the girls continued their attacks.

“These kids are discriminating against people based on their looks, huh?”

It was impossible not to realize who they were referring to as the “face of the operation.” As Ha-gyeom thought of Baek Sa’s face, Yeo Jin-joo, standing beside him, let out a mocking laugh.

“We never asked you to make us live well. Just go on your way.”

“Our way is here, so where do you expect us to go, damn it!”

The girls were undoubtedly sisters, judging by their similar builds and appearances. Although the confrontation had devolved into a mere verbal exchange after a few bullets, if both sisters were high-level espers, it would be nearly impossible for things to go Baek Sa or Dr. Park’s way.

On the other hand, Ha-gyeom was struck by the maturity of these “outer espers.” It reminded him of when he had first taken Baek Seung-woo’s hand. Though it was unfair to compare their situations directly, as the girls didn’t seem to need anyone’s help, Ha-gyeom couldn’t help but feel a pang of respect.

“You don’t even know how scary it is out here. How long have you lasted? A year or two? Do you think just because you’ve lasted that long, you can keep going?”

“Don’t give us that year or two crap.”

“Mister, we’ve been awakened since we were four years old. We’ve been surviving out here for 14 years already.”

Dr. Park flinched at their response.

“…Really?”

“Really!”

…Fourteen years out here? Ha-gyeom’s eyes widened in shock. It was something he couldn’t even imagine.

Just then, as more espers appeared, the movements of the monsters passing through the holes noticeably quickened. Ha-gyeom raised his energy waves and keenly observed the changes. Though he wasn’t an esper, his abilities as a guide allowed him to scan the silhouettes of distant buildings with some accuracy….

And on the rooftop of the tallest building, he spotted a familiar figure.

Long, flowing hair.

In an instant, Ha-gyeom’s face turned pale.

‘Red hair…?’