Chapter 115: The Warship Hijacking and Sa-yoon’s Shadow

Daejeon Detention Center collapsed into ruins in less than thirty seconds, overwhelmed by an unknown, formidable power.

No trace of the event remained on any CCTV footage. The only information gathered was that the walls had crumbled as if crushed by an external force, and all equipment had been simultaneously destroyed.

The Espers stationed at the detention center were equally bewildered, unaware of what had attacked them. Their bewildered accounts merely stated that it felt similar to when Team Leader Sa-yoon moved.

“…That’s impossible.”

Chae-jun wiped at the corners of his eyes, where tears threatened to well. Hearing Sa-yoon’s name always provoked an immediate, almost automatic reaction from him.

He discreetly wiped away the moisture on his fingers before turning his attention to the next report, one of many piled high on his desk.

It was a grave error, allowing the prisoners to escape from Daejeon Detention Center and making it even more challenging to obtain information about Air Rain. All the individuals who had been apprehended after suppressing Air Rain’s hideouts were now gone.

Given Air Rain’s fragmented nature, the investigation was already progressing slowly; this was a bitter setback.

Incidents piled up like mountains. His head ached from everything that had transpired so far, but today’s new report was even more shocking: a warship docked at the harbor had been hijacked.

The entire security detail was subdued without any resistance by the thugs who launched a surprise attack at dawn. He heard they were knocked unconscious, face down on the ground, before they even realized an intrusion was underway.

This time, a 3,000-ton destroyer had been stolen. The thought of the torpedoes and explosives it carried sent a chill down his spine.

“Kang Ah-jun. That damned bastard.”

If he wanted to escape, he should have just stolen a patrol boat and vanished quickly. Instead, his ridiculously grand ambitions caused all this trouble.

Chae-jun should have realized when that scoundrel spouted nonsense about seeing Team Leader Sa-yoon. Instead of letting him desert, he should have thrown him in the brig immediately. What was the point of being soft-hearted?

As Kim Chae-jun was consumed by belated regret, the terminal beside him chimed. It was an emergency signal, glowing red with an alarm. Only a few people were left who could call Kim Chae-jun so urgently.

Kim Chae-jun hastily grabbed his top, dressing as he headed towards Han Do-hoon’s room.

After his visit to Air Rain’s village, Han Do-hoon had fallen into a deep slumber. It was the first time he had slept deeply for more than three hours, given his chronic guiding deficiency and its lingering after-effects.

Urgent test results revealed nothing amiss. He had simply been left to sleep his fill, and it seemed he was only now waking up. Having slept motionlessly for three days, there was much Kim Chae-jun had yet to ask Han Do-hoon.

As Kim Chae-jun approached the front of the lodging, Han Do-hoon flung the door open as if he’d been waiting, stumbling out. He was a mess, barely having pulled on his pants.

Kim Chae-jun questioned Han Do-hoon, who had just emerged from his long sleep, almost accusingly.

“Are you finally awake? What on earth happened? I was dying of curiosity—”

“Seol-won…”

“What?”

“That Air Rain, Seol-won. Where are they? Find them immediately.”

Han Do-hoon growled, his voice hoarse and cracking. It was a low, dark tone, as if tearing through his very core. He clutched his head, tormented by a headache, and glared at Kim Chae-jun.

“That person… Sa-yoon’s…”

Han Do-hoon gasped, steadying his slowly returning vision.

His mind was a tangled mess. At first, he’d felt nothing upon touching the Esper named Seol-won. He had merely thought they resembled Sa-yoon.

When he discovered their abilities were also similar to Sa-yoon’s, he’d assumed Air Rain was trying to confuse him by bringing someone who looked like Sa-yoon.

Initially, he intended to play along with Air Rain’s trickery. Many had impersonated Sa-yoon to gain an advantage in the past, and he believed this time would be no different.

‘I’ll indulge their little game for a bit, then kill them.’ He resolved to put an end to this infuriating attempt to unsettle him.

However, the moment he saw them cry, Han Do-hoon’s heart throbbed violently. ‘This can’t be right.’ A scream of ‘something is wrong’ erupted from within him.

Distracted by the warning that he must not harm this person, he was thrown back by a powerful force, just as he had been on the battlefield.

He could have counterattacked, but his body wouldn’t move. His limbs were stiff, and blood coursed violently through his veins. Han Do-hoon lay on the dry ground until the dawn sun rose.

After spending a long time like that, he realized something profound. The headache that had tormented him for so long, threatening to kill him, had vanished.

Han Do-hoon returned to his lodging with a clear vision, a sensation he hadn’t experienced in ages. He collapsed into sleep without a chance to report.

He thought he had only closed and opened his eyes for a moment, but three days had passed on the calendar.

Observing his own body, which felt neither hunger nor thirst despite the long sleep, he summoned Kim Chae-jun.

“Why are you looking for that person? Oh, but they’re an Air Rain Esper with the same abilities as Team Leader Sa-yoon. Could… could that person actually be Team Leader Sa-yoon? Is it true?”

Kim Chae-jun’s voice rose in pitch. Could the Esper named Seol-won truly be Sa-yoon? Han Do-hoon couldn’t help but entertain the thought.

Foolishly, that hope tormented him relentlessly. The only person who could guide Han Do-hoon, someone with the exact same face as Sa-yoon. As Han Do-hoon pondered if this was the Jin Sa-yoon he so longed for, he recalled the look in Seol-won’s eyes.

“That’s…”

Pathetically, Han Do-hoon could not confirm that they were Jin Sa-yoon. There was no deceit in those clear eyes, which had acted as if they didn’t know Han Do-hoon at all.

Was it Sa-yoon? Or not? He couldn’t answer that question, but one thing was certain: that body was undoubtedly Jin Sa-yoon’s.

After touching that Air Rain Esper, the clarity in his mind was undeniably a result of guiding. Han Do-hoon’s body was such that he could only be guided by Jin Sa-yoon.

Only his imprinted Guide could calm him. Therefore, that body was clearly Jin Sa-yoon’s.

‘What on earth have those Air Rain bastards done?’

Han Do-hoon gritted his teeth and rubbed his head, which was starting to ache again. His complex mind cycled through various possibilities.

Could it be that Air Rain, who rescued the surviving Sa-yoon, had kidnapped and brainwashed them? Air Rain would have been closer to Sa-yoon than the Esper Alliance rescue team.

There was a definite possibility they had captured him, weakened by the explosion, and brainwashed him. Or, if that wasn’t the case, what if they were the real Sa-yoon, and had voluntarily remained there?

Han Do-hoon’s head began to ache again as he tried to organize his thoughts. He recalled Sa-yoon’s face the last time he saw them. They had looked at Han Do-hoon calmly, yet with a pained expression.

They offered a gentle touch but spoke words that were not, bidding Han Do-hoon farewell. How long had Sa-yoon known Han Do-hoon was an Irregular Hunter and suffered in silence?

Han Do-hoon hadn’t wanted to hurt Sa-yoon. He had wanted to slowly reveal the truth when the timing was right, when he could protect them, and when they wouldn’t be startled.

However, that plan had failed, and the result was this devastating reality. Jin Sa-yoon was dead, and Han Do-hoon had lost his imprinted Guide.

And what if? What if Sa-yoon was alive, would they have returned here? Was there a possibility they were voluntarily cooperating with Air Rain?

Han Do-hoon’s expression darkened. If Sa-yoon wasn’t brainwashed but remained there by their own will, what was he supposed to do? If Sa-yoon still resented Han Do-hoon and misunderstood his feelings…

“Why did you suddenly stop talking? Is it really our Team Leader? Vice Commander Han Do-hoon!”

Kim Chae-jun’s anxious shouts grew louder. Han Do-hoon took a deep breath, sensing the suppression of a desire to grab and shake him. He, too, struggled to control his own tumultuous heart.

‘First, I must apprehend that Esper. It won’t be too late to investigate afterwards.’ If Sa-yoon was brainwashed and helping Air Rain, he had to break the brainwashing by any means necessary.

They hadn’t recognized Han Do-hoon and acted like a complete stranger. It wasn’t an act. Moreover, Jin Sa-yoon had helped prevent Air Rain’s terror attacks multiple times.

They knew better than anyone what sacrifices were made and how many people suffered in that process. Jin Sa-yoon wouldn’t voluntarily cooperate with Air Rain, so they must be brainwashed. Han Do-hoon was convinced.

If he didn’t conclude this, the Esper rejected by his only Guide wouldn’t be able to endure. It felt as if the ground itself would crumble, swallowing him into a dark abyss.

Han Do-hoon clutched his heaving chest and barely managed to instruct Kim Chae-jun.

“It’s not certain. First, we need to secure that person.”

A light ignited in Han Do-hoon’s pupils, which had been cast in darkness since losing Sa-yoon. His blue eyes gleamed, shadowed by his disheveled bangs.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Could It Be That I’m Actually the Strongest Final Boss?

ComedyFantasyFemale Protagonist

Read Now →
Not interested