SOG Ch 160

This time, however, his recovery was faster. Moving helped him shift his thought process to something more constructive. He began crawling in a prone position across the cold cement floor. Chae Seong-hwan was startled.

“Are you really going to Research Building 2?”

Chae Seong-hwan asked, suddenly dropping to the ground as well. Even then, Jae-chan didn’t stop. If he didn’t want to talk to those calves or sneakers, Chae Seong-hwan had to crawl along the cold cement floor with him.

“Didn’t you hear from Gyeong Hye-in? Earlier in the storage room. No?”

Chae Seong-hwan asked while keeping his rifle steady as he crawled. Jae-chan glanced at him briefly. It seemed like Gyeong Hye-in had shared some details with Chae Seong-hwan about the esper researchers and the “Windless Zone.”

“My thoughts haven’t changed since we left. I’ll only check up to my aunt’s lab. It’s dangerous, so you should go back, Mr. Esper.”

Moving stealthily is easier alone. Watching Jae-chan crawl forward again, Seong-hwan couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath.

This is truly insane.

Entering the enemy’s den, a place they could blow up at any moment, and alone at that?

Chae Seong-hwan stopped crawling and stood up. Normally, being older, more experienced, and an Esper, he should follow to protect the weaker Jae-chan. But something about the situation didn’t sit right.

It was the first time he had lost his abilities. Was this what it felt like to have your limbs cut off? But it didn’t feel right to let the person he was supposed to protect go alone either. 

Chae Seong-hwan called out with a sigh.

“Hey… Guide Seon Jae-chan.”

“Go on, it’s really fine. Thank you for everything. Please look after the others.”

Jae-chan, who had briefly looked back, said this calmly.

“I would’ve done the same if our roles were reversed, so don’t feel guilty.”

Chae Seong-hwan stared blankly at the young man determined to go alone, then muttered, “Ah, this is really driving me crazy.”

Like anyone else, Chae Seong-hwan had a strong attachment to life. He was well past his youth, but he still had dreams and many things he wanted to do. Even though he had promised Woo-jin, it was hard to move forward when his own life was on the line.

But when he came to his senses, he found himself following behind Jae-chan.

“……”

Sensing Seong-hwan’s presence, Jae-chan turned around with wide eyes that seemed to ask, “Really…?”

This is driving me mad. Chae Seong-hwan resisted the urge to scratch his head and spoke.

“Ah, whatever!”

Chae Seong-hwan whispered irritably.

If Jae-chan had shamelessly asked him to come along or shown the slightest sign of need, it would’ve been easier to walk away. After all, what connection did they really have for Seong-hwan to risk his life like this?

But when the young man, who was around Woo-jin’s age, insisted on going alone without burdening him at all, it felt impossible to leave. It was like watching a child walking toward a well; if he just let him go, the guilt would haunt him like another form of PTSD.

By this time, the two had reached the vicinity of Research Building 2.

Research Building 2 had a similar structure to Building 3. There was a central entrance, with side doors along the elongated buildings on both sides. Two armed terrorists were guarding the central entrance.

“The number of people has decreased significantly. Probably due to the gunfight.”

Chae Seong-hwan, who had dealt with them while passing through Research Building 2 before losing his ability in the windless zone, shared the information.

Jae-chan suddenly noticed that the full-body contamination detectors at the entrance had been removed. He was wondering if they had the presence of mind to clear such devices during the terror attack when suddenly, the lights that had been sparsely illuminating the entire building went out. As did the streetlight above Jae-chan and Chae Seong-hwan’s heads.

It was a total blackout. An astonishingly pitch-black darkness enveloped the entire Center. The only light visible came from the distant power plant, appearing as tiny clusters of squares drawn uniformly on the black canvas.

Could it be related to the gunfight?

As Jae-chan waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he suddenly recalled the floor plan of Research Building 2. There was a UPS room in the basement of Building 2, so the standby power should activate soon. This was an opportunity.

“Let’s go.”

Chae Seong-hwan nodded, seemingly having the same thought. They entered towards the side entrance where only faint silhouettes were visible, taking advantage of the perfect darkness.

A strangely pitch-black and quiet corridor unfolded before them. As they held their breath in the thick silence where even the sound of falling sand could be heard, Chae Seong-hwan lowered his voice significantly and gestured.

“IED (Improvised Explosive Device). These bastards really seem to want to blow up the building.”

Chae Seong-hwan whispered, pointing to a red dot-like light near the corner leading to the stairs. The light was emanating from a black explosive device attached to the wall.

It wasn’t just a makeshift device with haphazardly assembled components, but an IED that added a detonator to an existing high-performance standard bomb. Chae Seong-hwan, who had once worked in a bomb disposal unit, could immediately identify its nature. Over a decade ago, his experience in bomb disposal had even led him to be part of a mission to retrieve a hydrogen bomb. After that incident, he had taken a specialized course to overcome his lingering fear, as advised by experts.

Cold sweat ran down Chae Seong-hwan’s back. One wrong move and he could be blown to bits, leaving not even a scrap of flesh or bone behind.

“Are you alright?” 

Chae Seong-hwan, who had been frozen stiff, rolled his eyes sideways at Jae-chan’s words.

“Of course. I might get a bit motion sick, but bombs are fine. A million times better than dealing with unstable wavelengths.”

The two then entered the side stairwell. They climbed up carefully, one floor at a time, muffling their footsteps.

By the time they reached their target of the 4th floor, both were drenched in cold sweat. IEDs were also attached throughout the 4th floor hallway. Passing by small red lights, the two made their way past meeting rooms and communal labs. They finally arrived at room 410, where Gu Ji-eun normally worked.

The large workspace, about the size of four normal rooms combined, resembled a typical office. Between the partitions, the bodies of researchers who hadn’t managed to escape the gunfire were visible. After a brief silence, they entered deeper into the room.

Jae-chan found his aunt’s workstation among the six cubicles on the far left. On the desk, he spotted a familiar handbag, a keychain of a puppy, and a mobile phone.

“…”

His fears were becoming reality. Jae-chan’s heart rate, which had been pounding steadily, reached its peak. His head felt dizzy.

What if his aunt had died? What if she was one of those researchers he couldn’t bring himself to look at closely, lying there cold?

“Wait a second.”

Just then, Chae Seong-hwan, who had been carefully examining under the desk while pulling out the chair, suddenly backed away.

“Ah, damn… I couldn’t see it because of the chair.”

What Chae Seong-hwan had removed was a thermal imaging sensor.

Why was this in Aunt’s seat? Jae-chan blinked in confusion and began checking the other desks. Upon closer inspection, only his aunt’s desk had a thermal sensor.

“I’m sorry. Looks like we’ve been detected.”

“It’s not your fault. Let’s hurry and go.”

Chae Seong-hwan apologized, but Jae-chan shook his head. If the two hadn’t come together, Jae-chan himself would have been detected.

It was just as they were hurriedly leaving the lab. Chae Seong-hwan and Jae-chan sensed movement. The communal research room they had passed through was now opening. With their only options being a blocked hallway and closed doors behind them, they had no choice but to rush back into Room 410, where they hid deep within the partitions.

Hiding under the desk of an unknown person, Jae-chan grabbed a post-it note and pen from the desk owner’s office supplies. As he recognized the approaching footsteps, he hurriedly scribbled something down.

Could it be the person who installed the thermal imaging device? The footsteps stopped near the entrance, not moving. It seemed like they were scanning the interior from that spot.

Then, a familiar voice came from the darkness, and Jae-chan understood the situation.

“Jae-chan.”

At the familiar voice, the back of his neck instantly stiffened. Even though he knew he didn’t need to fear anymore, he found himself struggling to breathe, and his hand trembled slightly, as it always did in such situations.

It was Seon Eun-soo.

Why, how…? A brief question flashed through his mind, like when they discovered the thermal sensor, but Jae-chan composed himself with a deep breath. He slowly stood up from his seat. The surprised Chae Seong-hwan tried to grab his wrist, but Jae-chan handed him the post-it note instead.

[Thank you so much. I’ll be fine, please take care of the others.]

Meanwhile, Seon Eun-soo, who had spotted his younger brother in the corner of the office, was smiling. His grin deepened below his overly prominent nose, dimpling one cheek.

“As expected, I knew you’d come.”

It had been a while since Jae-chan had seen Seon Eun-soo, and now his brother had his bright hair cut short and wore a bulletproof vest, like the terrorists. Jae-chan didn’t bother to respond and stepped aside, away from Chae Seong-hwan.

“Did you install the thermal sensor?”

“Of course.”

“Is Aunt okay?”

At this sudden question, Seon Eun-soo raised an eyebrow slightly before answering smoothly.

“Why? Do you want to see her?”

“…”

“Then come here.”

Looking at his brother trapped inside, Seon Eun-soo felt a chillingly deep satisfaction.

To think he could get his hands on his brother so easily. It was good that he had detained their aunt in advance.

His adorable little mouse of a brother had always been exceptionally talented at hide-and-seek since childhood. And now that he’s gained an ability perfectly suited for a mouse, how well he must be able to hide.

Well enough that not even the terrorists with guns could catch him let alone Seon Eun-soo himself.

That’s why he needed bait. Preferably, long-lasting bait.

A bait to make his brother stay by his side voluntarily, and return home of his own accord.