TS 010

“Team Leader, is it true that your ability is nullification?”

Han Suryeon slowly tilted his head towards the direction of the knife’s edge. He felt the sensation of its sharp point pricking at a vital spot on his neck, followed by the faint smell of blood. Despite feeling the blade penetrate human skin, Yoon Taehwa did not relent with his grip. Unless he severed Han Suryeon’s neck, Espers were notoriously difficult to kill. Han Suryeon’s deliberate tilt likely stemmed from this knowledge as well.

“It hurts.”

The tip of the knife pooled with red liquid as pristine white skin split open. Instead of withdrawing his hand, Yoon Taehwa whispered gently, almost coaxing like one would with a child: “Answer me directly.”

Just as Han Suryeon didn’t lower his chin, Yoon Taehwa refused to let go of his grip on the knife. Their eyes met at eye level beneath lowered eyelashes – gray irises entangled with brown ones. With their different colored eyes locked onto each other like two fierce beasts confronting one another, tension filled the air.

With a low groan, Han Suryeon shifted his right thigh trapped between Yoon Taehwa’s legs. This subtle change in position caused his wound to gape wider. Despite knowing how deeply the blade had penetrated, Yoon Taehwa paid it no heed. As he adjusted his grip, positioning the blade upwards, droplets of blood slid along the knife and onto his hand.

“Ah yes, I’ll listen carefully.”

Although exceptional regeneration meant he could endure pain well, Han Suryeon not only bore it without flinching but also smiled softly, indicating his willingness to surrender.

Yoon Taehwa instinctively tightened his grip on the knife as he felt someone else’s blood flow down its blade and onto his hand. The acrid smell of blood heightened his senses.

“It really hurts…”

Their legs had become tangled when Yoon Taehwa pushed him against the wall, and now they were further entwined due to Han Suryeon’s struggling. With a wide grin that revealed his cheekbones, Yoon Taehwa withdrew the knife. Surprisingly, quite a bit of blood flowed from the deep cut, reaching even his hand.

“This is my first time almost getting my throat slit.”

Han Suryeon gently touched his neck with his fingers. His smooth skin bore an unusual scar hidden between the gaps of his straightened fingers. When he removed his hand to confirm, it smeared blood, leaving long streaks across his white neck. It created a peculiar pattern resembling smudged lipstick.

“I really hate seeing blood. It’s been a long time since I’ve even seen my own blood, too. If I faint, team leader, please take responsibility.”

“If you don’t want to see blood for no reason, then don’t be rude to me. You’re not even really part of my team, and I don’t like messing with espers from other countries either.” Yoon Taehwa spoke while roughly wiping away the blood on his knife with his uniform. There wasn’t even a hint of remorse in his voice for causing the injury.

“I told you that I would listen well,” Han Suryeon muttered, looking down at the bloodstains on Yoon Taehwa’s hands with narrowed eyes. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t seen his own blood in a long time, but something inside him felt stimulated.

“Should we pinky swear?”

“What?”

“A promise.”

Yoon Taehwa snorted as Han Suryeon unexpectedly extended his pinky finger. Although it might not have been Han Suryeon’s intention, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was trying to tease him.

“Why are you looking at me like that…? Is this not it?” Han Suryeon tilted his head as if trying to recall something before finally raising his thumb as well. He then gently waved his wrist, seemingly seeking confirmation that he had done it correctly. Feeling more exhausted than during their recent confrontation, Yoon Taehwa let out a soft sigh.

“You won’t promise?”

“Who taught you such things?”

“I’m half-Korean.”

“You’re not a child anymore.”

Yoon Taehwa’s muttered comment couldn’t escape the ears of the S-rank Esper. Han Suryeon’s eyes widened dramatically. While such an expression would have been creepy on an adult man, his youthful appearance made him genuinely look surprised instead.

“My father still makes promises with my mother using this gesture.”

“…..”

Despite the person being older than him, Yoon Taehwa remained silent in the situation where he had instantly belittled him as a child. Even setting aside the strict etiquette ingrained in him, as someone raised in a land that valued courtesy towards elders, he couldn’t simply ignore what had just transpired.

“Haa…” Eventually, he hooked his finger around his extended pinky. Once their fingers intertwined, Han Suryeon closed his eyes with an unexpectedly dramatic flair.

“I promise not to be rude anymore.”

His pale finger slowly withdrew, brushing past his bloodstained nail.

“Show me your abilities.” Yoon Taehwa commanded as he tossed him a military knife. The grip felt familiar to him. Wondering when he had acquired it, he realized he must have discreetly taken one during their training session on the thirty-fourth floor earlier.

“How much should I show you?”

“You need to prove your usefulness.”

Yoon Taehwa didn’t expect Han Suryeon to reveal his full capabilities from the start. They had only briefly joined forces, and there was no common ground between them. Once this incident concluded, their paths would diverge again.

‘It’s fortunate if it ends just like this.’

So far, there hadn’t been any global conflicts involving ability users. Resources were already stretched thin dealing with terrorism and clearing dungeons. Failure to combat terrorism led to massive casualties, while not clearing dungeons promptly risked losing territories. Amidst these challenges, who would consider engaging in international wars?

However, everyone around the world knew:

‘A war utilizing ability users could erupt at any moment.’

As more large guilds emerged, the possibility of wars between countries decreased, but one could never be too sure.

“I apologize for any shortcomings.” Han Suryeon smiled coyly as he levitated a military knife and playfully twirled it around. Yoon Taehwa simultaneously observed both his movements and those of the knife.

The freely floating blade easily snapped like a sugar cookie with a flick from his finger. Soon, the blade and handle started moving independently, almost as if controlled by two separate hands. Han Suryeon played with them, attaching and detaching the blade and handle like a child.

‘His control is truly top-notch.’

People often assumed psychokinesis was an easy ability to wield, but the opposite was true. Moving objects required much more effort than they anticipated. It demanded precise control, necessitating immense concentration to discern subtle differences.

Therefore, most psychokinesis Esper primarily preferred manipulating larger objects. This approach had advantages, such as being effective in both offense and defense without requiring intricate precision.

‘He would be incredibly dangerous if he were our enemy.’

Yoon Taehwa objectively assessed as he watched the blade split apart. Moving fragments of a military knife blade was akin to sewing with boxing gloves on. It showcased far superior control compared to Kang Jaemin, the youngest member of their team.

‘Just how much strength is he using?… It’s like he’s giving it 50% at most.’

To accurately gauge his strength, they needed to observe him in action. There was a stark difference between controlled environments and spontaneous use of ability during emergencies.

‘Still, if I use him properly while he’s here…‘

Despite his reputation as being dangerous, Kang Jaemin could be quite useful with his psychokinesis ability. As someone officially registered under the Center as an Esper, it would be difficult for him to refuse training requests.

‘Since we’ve recruited Voron for the Center, let’s make full use of him.’

As casually as a child plucking off butterfly wings without malice, Yoon Taehwa gently waved his hand, causing the metal fragments dancing around Han Suryeon to clatter to the ground.

“Your power is truly amazing, Team Leader. The ability just vanished instantly, like some kind of enchantment.” Han Suryeon repeated opening and closing his right hand, reflecting on the sensation he had experienced moments ago.

“It feels strange…”

“While you’re at the Center, keep an eye on Kang Jaemin’s Control ability.”

Han Suryeon frowned at the sudden mention of another person.

“Why should I do it?”

“He’ll end up doing it anyway, even without your supervision. If you don’t want any suspicions raised, don’t refuse. It won’t take much time anyway. You’ll have to accompany me while searching for that ant bastard.”

“Well, if you put it like that, Team Leader… Since I promised to follow your instructions… fine.”

Yoon Taehwa eyed him suspiciously. This meek submission didn’t add up. Just moments ago, this guy had held a stolen knife to his back, seemingly intent on testing his abilities. Now he was groveling like a well-trained puppy.

‘In any case, for now…’

It didn’t matter what Han Suryeon was thinking. With an S-rank Esper from the physics department joining their team, they planned to milk him for all he was worth.

“We need to extract as much as possible.”

As one of the best controllers around, this would be a great opportunity for Kang Jaemin. While rubbing his chin and roughly outlining a training regimen, he noticed Han Suryeon’s eyes widening again before breaking out into a bashful smile.

“What do you mean by ‘extract’?”

His cautious question sounded incredibly suggestive. Yoon Taehwa raised an eyebrow, unsure if Han Suryeon understood him correctly.

“Are we already at that stage? How embarrassing…”

His long eyelashes fluttered downward like dandelion seeds swaying gently towards the ground.