Chapter 4: A Dangerous Interference

Although I hurriedly bowed my head and apologized in the unexpected situation, the old man seemed far from satisfied.

Eventually, he even pointed his finger at me and raised his voice.

The banquet hall was already noisy, so it didn’t attract too much attention yet…

But if this continued, it would definitely escalate into something serious.

“I’m sorry. I will properly compensate for the cleaning costs later. I sincerely apologize.”

“Apologize? Forget it. Let’s see how you like it.”

Splash—!

With a sharp sound, a sour-smelling liquid poured over my head.

Just as I had done to him, the old man lifted his champagne glass and dumped its contents all over me.

I quietly closed my eyes at the cold sensation seeping through my clothes.

My damp hair clung stiffly as I brushed it back with my hand.

Trying to remain calm, I hid my trembling fists beneath my sleeves and bit down hard on my lips.

“What’s going on over there?”

“Hey, isn’t that Executive Jung Shinwoo from Taeyu Trading?”

“Whoa, I think it is. But why is someone like him so angry?”

At last, the attention of the people in the hall shifted toward us.

Among the dozens—no, hundreds—of gazes…

Were those of my team members as well.

If I could, I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have come here in the first place.

Our eyes met for a moment—mine and Park Suchang’s—

But with an irritated expression, he simply took Choi Siram and disappeared toward the back of the hall.

Kim Seokhwan and Park Suchan remained, unable to leave, silently watching me and the old man.

“I’ll remember your face. So stay out of my sight if you know what’s good for you. I’m already in a bad mood because of a failed contract, and now some beggar barges in and causes a scene…”

Out of all the people in this vast hall…

Not a single person stepped forward to defend me.

Even Choi Siram, my last remaining hope, had been dragged away.

Kim Seokhwan and Park Suchan continued to stare indifferently.

Receiving a completely different kind of attention than Siram, I could only keep bowing my head before the old man.

Humiliation and shame piled up, suffocating me.

“…I sincerely apologize once again. Whether it’s cleaning costs or buying you a new suit, I will do my best to compensate. So please, let’s end this here…”

“You? How? How are you going to pay for something this expensive? You work here, don’t you? Then call your supervisor. Or bring the manager.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not an employee of this hotel. So I cannot summon the staff at will.”

“Not an employee? Then what—do you work for the Center? Are you affiliated with them?”

The old man tapped my shoulder irritably, grinding his teeth.

The strong smell of alcohol told me he had clearly drunk too much.

That only made things worse.

I couldn’t argue with someone not in their right mind…

But enduring this silently made the last shred of my dignity cry out in protest.

“…Huh? What exactly is going on here?”

Kwon Yiyul, the leader of Assault Team 3 and the most powerful Esper in existence, was a very peculiar person.

To put it gently, he was extraordinary.

To put it bluntly, he was abnormal.

The reason someone so flawless in every other way received such criticism…

Was because his abilities were fundamentally different from any other Esper’s.

Kwon Yiyul possessed both telekinesis and electrical abilities.

Normally, Espers were born with only one ability.

There had been rare cases of individuals with two abilities in history…

But most of them either lost control early on or died young.

Many perished due to rampages.

“…Huh? What exactly is going on here?”

But Kwon Yiyul was different.

He neither lost control nor died young.

Instead, he mastered his power and became a hero worshipped by all at the Center.

Wherever he appeared, golden lightning—his signature—would strike.

His aerial combat style, moving through the air with dazzling speed, resembled a grand fireworks display.

Because of this, he had many nicknames.

“…Kwon Yiyul…”

“Yoon-ah, my Yoon. Why are you so soaked? And why is your face so pale? Hmm?”

Among them, the most famous was “Golden Lightning.”

Like Zeus from mythology, he hunted his targets using lightning.

The form of that lightning changed depending on his mood.

Sometimes it became a long spear.

Other times, a finely sharpened blade.

Or even a massive arrow that unleashed countless bolts at once.

“Oh dear, what should we do? Our Yoon isn’t answering even when I ask.”

However, among all members of Assault Team 3, his combat style was the most violent.

He burned the moisture inside his targets, making them explode like small fireworks.

A person could turn into a lump of flesh in an instant.

Because of that, even the Center Director hesitated to use him—

He was both the strongest card…

And the most dangerous one.

“N-no, that’s not it…”

“Then I suppose I should ask this gentleman here instead—since he seems to have a problem with you.”

The strongest, yet the worst option.

That was why I felt particularly uneasy around him compared to the others.

Kwon Yiyul always acted as he pleased—

Like someone slightly unhinged, or like a child who had never been properly socialized.

For example, during a council meeting, he once burned down former Prime Minister Park Taejong’s residence simply because he was annoyed.

As a result, the former Prime Minister lost his arms, legs… and even his manhood.

Just like that, the second most powerful figure in District 2 lost both mobility and reproductive ability.

Not only that, several missing senators were rumored to have died at his hands.

Even the Center’s top executives were not free from his grasp.

“…W-what? You—you know Team Leader Kwon?”

“You should be asking me, not Yoon.”

Yet, no one in the Relief District dared to question him.

“I’ve been watching for a while, and behavior like earlier is quite inappropriate for a place like this. For the sake of the other guests as well… and more importantly, Yoon here is one of our team’s only two Guides.”

“That pathetic insect is your Guide? What nonsense is that!”

Or rather… they simply couldn’t.

“An insect? You’re speaking about our precious Guide. And I believe I already warned you once to refrain from such behavior.”

“Inappropriate behavior? This man offended me first! I merely disciplined him like a proper adult would! And even if he’s your Guide, you shouldn’t defend him like this!”

Whether he failed to grasp the situation or had gained courage from too much alcohol,

The old man ignored Yiyul’s cold gaze and continued shouting, pointing at me again.

Caught between the two, I felt like a shrimp caught between fighting whales.

As the smile on Yiyul’s lips deepened, cold sweat trickled down my back.

His golden eyes gleamed ominously beneath his bright hair, as if ready to devour the man before him.

No… this is bad.

This is dangerous.

The grip on my shoulder tightened.

It meant he was holding back his anger to the limit.

Alarms blared in my mind.

“…Kwon Yiyul, please stop.”

“Oh? Yoon, what’s that look? Do you think I’d actually kill him?”

“K-kill? What are you saying…”

“That hurts. To think you see me as someone like that. I was just going to give him a small warning… but now I feel like being a little more mischievous.”

Ignoring the old man completely, Yiyul pulled me tightly into his arms, acting spoiled.

Despite being taller than the average adult man, I was completely powerless in his embrace—like a small wooden doll.

The familiar scent of his cologne lingered from his neck.

Cool and heavy, it brushed against my senses unexpectedly…

And without realizing it, I lightly clutched his shoulder.

Instinct screamed at me—

Faced with a wild beast, I had to calm it down somehow.