TS 002

Yoon Taehwa washed away the blood and dust from his body. The hot water cascading down over him relaxed his tense nerves. Despite having been to countless terrorist attacks and dungeons, using his ability had left him on edge.

“Phew…” He pushed back his wet hair as he effortlessly gathered his energy. This was nothing new; after more than ten years of repeating this process, it felt routine. Using his ability, assessing his physical condition, determining whether guidance was necessary—all these tasks were second nature to him now.

The reason why all these cumbersome steps had become habitual was clear: It was simply something that needed to be done.

One day, the world underwent a sudden transformation. Doors opened, revealing portals to other realms filled with unimaginable creatures.

It took tens to thousands of lives lost before humanity reached this conclusion:

‘It’s best not to approach these doors.’

The solution was simple enough, but it wasn’t as easy as restricting access. Unattended gates would swallow anywhere from several kilometers to entire cities. Leaders around the world realized the gravity of the situation and immediately began collaborating on research regarding the portals. In today’s interconnected age, if one country collapsed, others would soon follow suit.

Their efforts yielded some valuable findings. They discovered that destroying the core inside each dungeon closed the gate connecting their world with another. However, achieving this proved difficult; hundreds of soldiers had given their lives just to destroy a single D-rank dungeon.

However, humanity was tenacious. Not only did they develop weapons to combat these creatures, but some evolved themselves. Among them were espers like Yoon Taehwa.

“Team Leader, there’s already gossip about you everywhere.”

Yoon Taehwa had just finished his shower and turned around while shutting off the water. A familiar face peeked inside the stall from outside. Although he couldn’t see who it was due to the frosted glass, it was Seo Sichan, one of the members of Strike Squad 1.

“What’re you doing here?” Yoon Taehwa responded irritably as he dried himself off. His well-defined muscles rippled with movement, causing various scars scattered across his body to twitch. Despite their jagged appearance, the scars blended surprisingly well with his lean physique and height nearing six feet tall.

“I want to quickly wash myself, but it’s bothersome going back to our building. No, even though I am a demihuman, I usually walk like humans. Isn’t it unfair that we have to use buildings far away? Anyone watching would think I always move on four legs. And I don’t even have wings!” 

Two ears perked up above his dark brown hair. Although Yoon Taehwa couldn’t see the face, he clearly observed the shape of the raised ears. Regardless of whether anyone was standing outside the booth, Yoon Taehwa remained relaxed.

“Put your ears down while talking.”

“Sob sob, how heartless.” Despite making a thumbs-down gesture as a reproach, the tail wagged energetically behind him.

‘Anyway, demihumans are…’

Yoon Taehwa chuckled at the sight of the vigorously wagging tail.

The evolution of humanity wasn’t limited to one direction. It was unclear if it should be viewed as human or animal evolution, but just like humans with superpowers suddenly appeared one day, demihumans started emerging abruptly at some point. Currently, they were the most numerous types found within the center.

“Would you like to touch my head? Have you seen the recent research results? Petting dogs has a similar effect to guidance.”

Born with distinct animal characteristics, there was no denying their demihuman nature. Most of them were registered from birth, leading to a significantly higher number of demihumans compared to other unique trait holders.

Due to their dangerous nature of work, most demihumans preferred to live ordinary lives rather than joining a center. However, most predatory demihumans worked for centers. Within the centers, demihumans were called ‘seeker’ because they usually handled pursuits.

“When did Seo Sichan become a dog? Wasn’t he a wolf?”

“Genetically, there is less than a 0.1 percent difference between dogs and wolves.”

Yoon Taehwa emerged from the shower booth, dressed, and touched the back of his sweaty companion’s head with a smirk. “If you want to be petted, you should’ve come as a wolf instead of a human.”

“Wah, that’s mean. Are you treating me like this after going through a terrorist incident together?”

“I don’t know why demihumans and those from Canid like their heads touched so much. Ask Team Leader Seo to pet your head.”

“I don’t like other people touching my hair! It has a similar effect as Guiding, so I only allow it for our team leader.” Perhaps due to Yoon Taehwa’s help when he was younger, Seo Sichan had always been particularly close with him.

It was widely known that subtle rivalries existed within the center, but they were mostly limited to higher-ups. On the ground, regardless of their type, agents inevitably developed camaraderie amidst their shared challenges. Entrusting each other with their lives forged strong bonds naturally.

“And our hyung… Uh, no, our team leader chased you away because he kept bothering you. Maybe it’s because he’s a shooter… Our team really seems to admire you.”

The team leader of Seeker Team 1, which Seo Sichan belonged to, was unusually not a demihuman but rather a shooter. At first glance, shooters might seem similar to espers due to their use of abilities, but there were clear differences between them. Unlike espers who required guidance, shooters could freely use their powers without any risk of going berserk.

With no threat of losing control and being indistinguishable from ordinary humans with normal bodily functions, many shooters chose to hide their abilities and live a regular life. This is why significantly fewer shooters registered at the centers compared to other types of ability users. Among them was the team leader of Seeker Team 1.

“I also planned to run away. They kept bothering me.”

“Are you going for guiding?”

“No.” Yoon Taehwa answered briefly. “For a summon.”

Leaving behind Seo Sichan’s whining like he was back to his annoying rookie days, Yoon Taehwa exited the shower room. His destination was the director’s office, and despite just returning from a terrorist scene filled with blood and gunpowder, he looked remarkably clean-cut.

“Team Leader.”

Kim Dohee approached him as if he had been waiting for this moment. “He seems like an A-rank.”

Yoon Taehwa recalled the esper whose head he had slammed down only an hour ago before responding, “Indeed, perfect for our team.”

“Assign him to Team 1.”

The criterion for assigning rookies to teams was their rank. Since Team 1 consisted entirely of S ranks, Kim Dohee’s Team 2 naturally comprised A ranks. It would be clear trouble having an A-rank amidst S ranks.

“Understood.”

“And put him on the blacklist for one month.”

The blacklist was a list where guides could refuse to assist certain individuals. Kim Dohee whistled nonchalantly as this disciplinary action was quite predictable.

“However, he is from nature-based Esper class. He won’t last more than a few days.”

“It’s up to me whether he endures or not.”

“Well, with you being his team leader, you can handle any potential outbursts.”

Kim Dohee nodded while observing the man beside him closely. His jet-black hair appeared damp, suggesting he had just stepped out of the shower. Smoothly arched eyebrows, a straight nose, and full lips harmoniously combined for a handsome face. Standing on his right side, he noticed a mole below his lip distinctly.

“Do you have something to say?” His indifferent gaze slowly shifted downward. The stark contrast between his dark pupils and the whites around them created a chilling atmosphere amidst the sensitive mood. Despite being accustomed to his presence, he now understood why other Espers often felt uneasy around him.

“No, I was just curious,” Kim Dohee replied unexpectedly, causing Yoon Taehwa to raise one eyebrow.

“I thought you wouldn’t be worried. What if that hot-headed guy holds a grudge and stabs you in the back?”

Yoon Taehwa frowned as if hearing something strange, not detecting any concern in his voice. Like many Espers, especially S-rank ones, Kim Dohee wasn’t known for his warm personality. In essence, he meant that he had no reason to worry about such matters.

“You should’ve gone easy on them. The rookies must feel embarrassed now. You could’ve addressed it during training time.”

“You gotta crush those bastards right from the start.”

By his count, well over ten Espers have been humiliated by him this far.

However, Yoon Taehwa didn’t worry about being stabbed in the back because he knew better than anyone that they wouldn’t be able to do such things. It was best to nip it in the bud before these arrogant bullies could even look someone straight in the eye.

‘It’s more effective to put those who rely solely on their powers firmly in their place.’

Espers seemed like a perfect blend of Seekers and Shooters but had a fatal flaw. They couldn’t control the energy from their abilities, constantly living under the threat of losing control. For them, guides were akin to lifelines.

Just decades ago, this truth led to the persecution of guides. Although much progress has been made since then, the deep-rooted history of abuse showed no signs of fading easily. One of Yoon Taehwa’s responsibilities was to reform the mindset of individuals trying to repeat past atrocities.

Since Yoon Taehwa wasn’t a psychic ability user, using force was his best option.

“Well, yes. That’s true. It is easier to make those who mistakenly believe they have superiority understand that someone else stands above them.” Kim Dohee shrugged and agreed with him.

“By the way, please mention the internal transfer during your meeting with the Director. You know you need permission to put him on Team 1?”

“A situation report.”

Under normal circumstances, this would be a simple request acknowledged by a nod. However, as they approached the director’s office, Kim Dohee paused and opened his mouth with realization.

“So it isn’t just about him? Did the director specifically call for you?”

“I’m not sure of the details yet…” Yoon Taehwa furrowed his brow, seemingly annoyed, before continuing. “Apparently, we have a visitor.”