IDSEGI Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Yoo Ihan was running quickly while scanning his surroundings when he stopped at a certain spot. The charred corpse of a monster lay completely dried up, rolling in the dust. No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like it had died naturally.

This was the work of an Esper.

But what caught his eye even more was the wreckage of a destroyed car. Not far from where the monster lay, a crumpled license plate was lying on the ground. It was folded in half, making it hard to read, but Ihan easily straightened the metal.

“At last…”

It was the number of the vehicle Yeoul had been in, as Yushin had told him. Crushing the plate in his hand, Ihan moved toward the source of someone’s presence. Before long, he grabbed the back of a man’s neck.

“What the—?!”

The startled man, suddenly dragged along, was thrown to the ground by Ihan. Ihan’s foot slammed into the ground just past the man’s ear, missing by mere millimeters.

The man froze in fear, having just witnessed the kind of power that could crack the concrete. Ihan moved his dry lips without a trace of a smile.

“I’m looking for someone. Have you seen a face you don’t recognize around here lately?”

From the way he spoke, it was obvious he was looking for the Guide who had been brought here not long ago. That fierce gaze, burning with compressed rage, almost made the man blurt out the truth—but then he thought of his boss, Lim Juho.

If he lost the toy his boss had finally taken a liking to… he didn’t want to imagine what would happen. Shivering, he lied.

“Haven’t seen anyone. Guides aren’t usually exiled, so it’s rare to even spot one.”

Ihan’s lip twitched. He grabbed the man by the collar and slammed the back of his head into the ground.

“Argh!”

The man screamed as if his skull had shattered, and Ihan spoke coldly.

“I never said it was a Guide.”

The man’s expression said it all—he was caught. Ihan asked very sweetly, almost gently.

“If you don’t want to die, tell me where my Guide is.”

The man couldn’t resist any longer. He knew this was Ihan’s first and last act of mercy. And he wasn’t wrong.

Not killing this man—who was clearly a criminal and possibly Yeoul’s kidnapper—was, in Ihan’s own way, being merciful. Very sweetly, at that.

“Y-Yes! I’ll take you there.”

The man could only nod obediently.

Yeoul felt like he was going to stop breathing. How was Ihan here?

No, that wasn’t the problem right now.

He had to hide immediately. He couldn’t let Ihan find him.

As Yeoul tried to slip into the room next door, Lim Juho grabbed him and shoved him quickly under a desk. Then he pulled up a chair and sat in front of it. Moments later, the door slammed open.

Seeing Ihan kick the door in, Juho rested his chin on his hand and waved.

“Welcome. You came a long way, and we’ve got a celebrity in the house too.”

“An honor, isn’t it? I usually don’t talk to criminals, but I’ll make an exception for you.”

Ihan casually stepped over the threshold toward Juho. When Ihan came within a certain distance, Juho propped his left leg up on the desk. Ihan frowned and stopped walking.

“Your manners are terrible. Is this how exiles greet their guests?”

“And you don’t seem all that gentlemanly yourself. Kicking doors open like that—are you going to pay if it breaks?”

“Yeah. I’ll pay. Which means I get to search your place.”

Ihan went upstairs and kicked every piece of furniture, checking every corner. Just as he was about to check under the desk, Juho slammed his fist on it.

“You’ve already been found. Come out.”

Yeoul, who had been holding his breath as much as possible, flinched and grabbed Juho’s leg. He shook his head desperately, but Juho didn’t even bother looking down.

It was all over now.

Just as Yeoul thought he was about to be caught by Ihan again, the sound of a door opening came from the next room.

“Hah, Lim Juho. You don’t have a shred of loyalty, do you? How could you give someone up so quickly?”

It sounded like the man who had been fooling around with Juho on the bed earlier. In a smooth, ingratiating tone, the man spoke sweetly to Ihan.

“Please let it slide just this once. I’ve got a younger sibling, so I had no choice but to get involved in illegal guiding. I didn’t have any other motive.”

“…Illegal guiding? So this is what you were hiding?”

Clicking his tongue as if the whole thing had been a waste of time, Ihan turned to leave.

“Hey, didn’t you say you’d compensate us?” Juho called after him.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Ihan raised his middle finger with a mocking smile.

“Bill the Zone 1 Center for security. If you can, that is.”

Once Ihan kicked the door open and left, Juho shook his head.

“People inside the zones always make me sick.”

He beckoned to the guide glaring at him with a displeased expression. The man reluctantly walked over when called.

“Juho, what would you have done if I hadn’t caught on and played along?”

“Would’ve been screwed. Thanks, it’s all thanks to you.”

The man pressed close to Juho, speaking in a coy tone.

“Then give me a little extra. For my acting fee.”

“What, to give it to your little brother? A kid shouldn’t be doing that kind of thing.”

“Don’t tease me. Hm? What you gave me last time wasn’t enough.”

“It’s downstairs, so go take it.”

The man’s face lit up and he gave Juho a peck on the cheek.

“Thanks! I won’t forget this favor.”

“Let’s call this one even. I’ve got someone else who owes me.”

Juho slammed his fist on the desk, making it shake and splinter at the edges.

“Right, brother?”

Yeoul, who had been biting his lip under the desk, was about to crawl out when Juho suddenly shoved him back in with his foot. At that exact moment, Ihan tore back into the room as if ripping through the air.

Juho’s face didn’t change as he asked casually, “Did you forget something?”

Ihan slowly scanned the room before replying curtly.

“Maybe.”

His cold, frigid voice followed.

“But you’d know that better than I would.”

“What do you mean?”

With a scoff, Ihan opened the closet and kicked the bed to check underneath.

This time, Ihan searched the room even more thoroughly than before. Earlier had just been for show—now he was truly hunting for Yeoul. Catching people off guard before striking from behind was his specialty.

“You’re wrecking someone else’s place. Shouldn’t a public official know better?”

“And you’ve got a long tongue for someone who doesn’t pay taxes.”

Juho sighed and grumbled.

“I’d love to pay taxes, but the government won’t give me the chance. I’d make a model taxpayer.”

“They’re not going to accept dirty money.”

“A government that profits off Espers’ lives shouldn’t throw stones. You’re one of their products too, aren’t you? A very expensive and pretty ‘product’ at that.”

Ihan, not rising to the obvious bait, replied flatly, “Yeah, I’m pricey. My hourly rate could match your monthly revenue. So stop wasting my precious time and talk.”

“Talk about what? That guide standing over there? Sure, take him.”

“Juho!”

The guide standing nearby shouted in protest, his voice cracking with anger.

“How could you sell me out? I won’t survive inside the zones!”

Ihan shoved the guide aside and strode toward Juho, grabbing him by the collar.

“Cut the crap. Where’s Yeoul?”

Juho blinked innocently, as if he had no idea.

“Why would your guide be here?”

“He went missing nearby, and you manage the Espers around here. The math adds up.”

“This is a place where people die all the time. As for a guide? They probably didn’t last long before a monster got them. You should give up.”

Ihan’s already fierce gaze sharpened into something even more savage and lethal. Grinding down his rage in his mouth, he spoke slowly and deliberately.

“Yeoul isn’t dead.”

“Wishful thinking? That’s too bad.”

The veins in Ihan’s arm bulged dark blue. He didn’t have time for more verbal sparring. Flames sparked in his palm.

“If you don’t want to end up roasted, talk.”

“I’ll pass. I don’t like chicken.”

“A bad man who’s also stupid.”

With a flick of his fingers, Ihan made Juho feel as though an invisible hand was crushing his throat. Suffocating heat wrapped around his body, just barely tolerable—any longer and it would kill him. Juho slammed his fist on the desk again.

“Ghk—kill—khh—should I give him to you?”

Thinking Juho was addressing him, Ihan smirked.

“Can you even kill him?”

“I’ll… kill him well.”

But that wasn’t meant for Ihan. It was a question for Yeoul trembling beneath his feet.

Brother, tell me. Should I kill him?

Like an unspoken yes, Yeoul clutched at Juho’s leg. Juho felt a thrill rush through him. Even with his Esper right there, Yeoul had chosen him. Adorable enough to make killing him feel like a waste.

As expected, my brother never lets me down.

Juho made a show of grimacing in pain.

“Alright! I’ll… cooperate!”

Ihan released the pressure. Juho coughed violently and looked up at him with bloodshot eyes.

“He’s not here. But if you really want to be sure, check wherever you want. What first? Under the desk?”

Juho tilted his head toward a man named Chi-ho, who was trembling in the corner.

“Chi-ho, move the desk. Our guest wants to check.”

Chi-ho hurried over and put his hands on the desk. Juho’s lips curled into a sly grin at Ihan.

“Then check thoroughly.”

In an instant, they were gone—desk, and the person curled up inside it, vanished together.