“About Sunbae Ji-han… he definitely couldn’t be the culprit.”
After all, I’d known him long before I became a Cremon. He knew more about me than most people but was so careless and absent-minded that he could never pull off something as sinister as targeting me.
‘If he tried, I’d probably catch him in no time.’
And more importantly, he seemed utterly uninterested in things like the antibiotic research. The idea of him conducting research didn’t suit him at all.
“If I were the culprit, I would have attacked you right here, Guide Gu Sa-weol.”
Ian’s voice interrupted my thoughts with a chilling statement, all while maintaining that polite smile.
“I can awaken these Espers with a pulse wave. Are you sure you can handle all of them, Ian Esper? You’re only C-class, after all.”
“My, aren’t you quick to react? It was just a joke.”
I purposely brought up his rank to irritate him. Ian brushed it off, saying it was just a joke.
‘That’s one terrible sense of humor.’
Judging by his amused expression, it seemed he was simply enjoying my reactions. He was exhausting to deal with, especially for someone with so many reasons to be wary like me.
“If that’s your style, Ian, I’d advise you to avoid talking like that with others. If you’re innocent, you’re sure to draw suspicion.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“You’re really an unpleasant person…”
“Talking about me as if I’m not here, huh?”
“Have you been in society long? This is the kind of thing you’re supposed to ignore.”
“How can I ignore it when I hear everything?”
After that, Ian and I continued exchanging empty remarks that felt pointless and only worsened my mood.
While I initially found Ian’s demeanor suspicious but gentlemanly, that impression had entirely faded by now. I’d clearly misjudged him.
In the end, he was just a thick-skinned, good-looking weirdo who treated people like specimens to be studied.
Thankfully, our lack of common interests soon dried up the conversation. He then took the opportunity to explain why he’d arrived late and went into detail about the gate situation.
“They say there’s a temple at the center of the gate. In such cases, offering a sacrifice usually summons the boss. If you look here, you’ll see an inscription with a code.”
“…”
“C2380. In Hitan, this signifies a C-grade insect-type Creature. But in Paitan, it means the ‘teeth of a Creature.’ By interpreting ancient symbols and the inscriptions, they ran the closest statistical matches…”
I understood bits and pieces, as his explanation was filled with technical terms, but he didn’t seem to mind, happily talking on his own. His story wrapped up after listing all the types of sacrifices.
“So, with Echo Team having decoded the inscription, the gate should be cleared by tomorrow evening.”
“So you were really working, after all.”
“Yes. Despite how I may seem, I was quite respected as an intellect-type Esper in Branch C.”
“Is that so? Then I hope you’ll continue proving that skill here in Branch A. Now, since you must have a lot to do, wouldn’t you mind leaving?”
“I’ve finished everything I needed to do. Didn’t you know? I’m here to keep you company so you don’t get sleepy.”
“Not at all. You’re not helpful in the slightest. You’re just clouding my mind and distracting me from guiding. Please leave.”
“I know Guide Gu Sa-weol is no amateur. Since I’m here anyway, I’ll stay and watch the sunrise. When are the other guides returning?”
Why on earth does he want to watch the sunrise with me? I’m barely holding back my irritation. I could almost burst from the number of curses running through my mind. No matter how much I glared, he feigned ignorance.
“If anything comes up, contact me right away. Since you might have discarded it, here’s my card again.”
Handing me a crisp business card, he finally left the waiting room after watching the sunrise.
‘How did he know I threw it away?’
He didn’t forget to wake the security Espers on his way out. I watched him waving cheerfully from beyond the waiting room window, and it brought back memories of that dream.
‘Such slender fingers… In the dream, it felt like hands like his were brushing over me.’
He insisted he wasn’t suspicious, yet I couldn’t shake the thought that a mental-type might find a way to disguise themselves as an intellect-type.
When he finally turned and walked away, his back facing me, I moved closer to the window. I needed to dispel this nagging feeling. If he were the culprit, he’d have a core—he’d be a Cremon.
I placed my hand horizontally across my forehead, shading my eyes, and narrowed my gaze, activating my Creature vision. Ian’s skeletal structure, muscles, organs, and blood flow were laid bare.
“…Nothing.”
But there was no pomegranate-red core anywhere.
“Excuse me, Guide Gu Sa-weol? Do you need something?”
The security Espers, who had just woken up, asked with a flustered tone. I deactivated my Creature vision and told them to go back to sleep.
Ian had no core.
***
I was awoken by a commotion and got up from my bed. When I opened the door, guides and Espers were bustling about.
“Sa-weol, you’re up?”
Ji-soo called out as she passed by in the hallway.
“Yeah. Did they clear the gate?”
“Yep. With six hours to spare. We barely avoided disaster.”
Outside the window, a crescent moon hung in the dark sky, just as Ian had predicted. The gate seemed to have been cleared that evening.
“That’s a relief. But is this all of the Espers?”
I glanced around, searching as if looking for someone.
“Some went to the decontamination room right after the gate was cleared, and others are in capsules. Why? Looking for someone? We’ll handle the guiding, so you can clock out.”
“No… I was wondering about Baek Yu-geon.”
Hesitating, I asked with an awkward expression, and Ji-soo’s lips curved into a teasing smirk. Then she quickly composed herself, pretending not to have noticed anything, and answered casually.
“As soon as he arrived, he dragged a bunch of guides into the capsule room. I think his energy was at 21% or 22%…”
“21%?”
I frowned and asked again. Falling below 20% marked the first stage of a runaway. If an S-class Esper went into a runaway, the Center and the surrounding area would be obliterated in an instant. It was a highly dangerous situation.
I was about to go find Yu-geon, my face tense, when Ji-soo added,
“Oh, wait. No, he’s at 25%. I misspoke.”
A sigh of relief escaped me. But even 25% wasn’t exactly a safe level.
“Why? Want me to call him for you?”
“No. How many guides are with him?”
“About 20 people. I’m heading in now too. If you have any messages, just tell me, and I’ll pass them along.”
There wasn’t anything specific I wanted to convey. I’d just been anxious throughout the gate operation, worried that he might have gone into a runaway. Seeing his condition with my own eyes would’ve eased my mind a bit.
“What’s Baek Yu-geon’s capsule number?”
“Why?”
“I thought I’d go in and guide him…”
“Sorry, but before he went in, he specifically asked for you to be excluded.”
“…”
As expected, even at this critical point, Yu-geon refused my guidance. If he’d actually gone into a runaway, the diagnosis center would have forced the pairing for safety’s sake.
“Don’t worry. If anything happens, I’ll contact you right away. Go home and get some rest.”
“Yeah… alright.”
With that, Ji-soo hurried off. She, like all the surrounding Awakened, was busy treating the injured.
Under normal circumstances, I’d be done with my shift by now, feeling a sense of relief with the gate cleared and heading home without further thought. But strangely, I couldn’t bring myself to leave. I scrolled through the Alpha Team messenger and sent a message to Han-gyeol.
「AGS Gu Sa-weol: Captain, where are you?」
The reply came almost immediately.
「AES Baek Han-gyeol: At the Center. Haven’t you gone home yet?」
I debated calling him but figured he might still be busy since the gate had just been cleared, so I opted for another message instead.
「AGS Gu Sa-weol: Not yet. What’s your energy level? Should I come guide you?」
「AES Baek Han-gyeol: No, I’ve already matched with a guide and am in a capsule. Go get some rest; you must be tired.」
Even Han-gyeol turned down my guidance. It wasn’t exactly a rejection—more likely he was just trying to be considerate since I’d been handling the guidance alone for so long.
But for some reason, a heaviness settled over me.
‘I feel… useless.’
Yet the thought of guiding other Espers didn’t appeal to me either. Everywhere I went, the strong scent of blood was so overpowering it stung my throat.
Though I’d only recently gotten up, my body still felt the weight of several days’ worth of accumulated fatigue. It was best to take care of myself first. I grabbed my bag and left the Center, heading toward the dorms. The park on the way was so quiet it felt like the reality of the past few days was just a dream.
The streetlights cast a soft glow, and the sound of the wind seemed unusually loud.
As I crossed the deserted square, I noticed the central fountain trickling softly before it suddenly stopped. I checked my smartwatch—it was 11:58 p.m. It seemed they turned off the fountain at midnight.
Having barely slept and not eaten properly, I felt utterly drained. Fortunately, tomorrow was the weekend. A few days of rest, and my condition would be back to normal.
‘Oh, right. I’m supposed to go to the beach with Han-gyeol on Saturday.’
I considered messaging him to confirm our meeting time for lunch, but I held back. He’d probably push himself too much, and he was also likely exhausted from the three-day gate ordeal.
I wouldn’t cancel on him, but if he forgot or suggested postponing, I’d agree without hesitation.
*Rustle.*
Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly heard leaves rustling. I was just about to exit the park. Turning around, I saw no one. The bushes were still, and only the chill of the wind whirled around me.
‘Maybe it’s a stray cat… or a squirrel or something.’
As my tension eased, my eyelids began to droop. I wondered if I’d even manage to sleep once I got home, but now I felt like I’d be out the moment I lay down, especially after a nice soak in warm water.
Just as I pictured myself relaxing, the sound came again—a faint shuffle.
“Who’s there?”
I whipped around quickly, but once again, no one was there. Only the silent, empty clearing stretched before me.
