Chapter 24: The Unforeseen Interruption

Chapter 24

Yoon Geon-woo’s brow furrowed deeply before I could even finish my sentence. To him, I must have appeared a fool, prattling on about a friend in such a dire situation.

His piercing blue gaze met mine, sharp as if attempting to bore into my very soul. He had always been a perceptive individual, but standing in the heart of this battlefield, he seemed even more acutely on edge than usual. Unable to conjure even a single excuse, I remained silent, my lips sealed as if I had swallowed honey. Yoon Geon-woo’s voice, laced with barely suppressed fury, then lashed out in a reprimand.

“You’re spouting such complacent nonsense. It seems you’ll only come to your senses once a bullet has torn through the back of your head for acting so carelessly, won’t you?”

Given his unusually drawn-out retort, it was clear he was genuinely enraged. Indeed, at this moment, every word he uttered rang true. Though I had anticipated such a reaction, an unsettling dryness nevertheless parched my throat.

“You said you wouldn’t let me die.”

Yoon Geon-woo seemed to falter momentarily, taken aback by my unexpected retort. Seizing that fleeting opportunity, I gently disengaged the hem of my clothes from his grasp, continuing in an earnest tone.

“You… you said it. You said you wouldn’t let it happen…”

“Why do you trust me?”

“We’re a team right now. If I don’t trust you, who else can I trust?”

My heart hammered fiercely in my chest, a frantic drumbeat at the thought of the culprit, likely humming a tune and roaming freely even at this very moment. The lingering afterimages of the horrific accident made my entire body tremble uncontrollably. When I turned my desperate gaze upon Yoon Geon-woo, he furrowed his brow, as if I had just saddled him with an utterly vexing task.

“Are you telling me to clean up your mess now?”

A faint blue aura shimmered around Yoon Geon-woo. If his contamination level were to rise due to something so trivial, it would undoubtedly be a detriment to us both. This was a moment for me to lower my guard and exercise caution. I nodded subtly, carefully observing his demeanor.

“That’s not what I meant, but…”

I offered a docile apology, subtly scrutinizing Yoon Geon-woo’s expression. While his mood remained far from pleasant, he no longer appeared as enraged as he had moments prior. After a brief pause for contemplation, he let out a low sigh, seemingly resigned to the situation.

“I’ll go get them. You just provide cover fire from here.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yoon Geon-woo roughly seized me, spinning me around. Consequently, I found myself abruptly thrust into the interior of the very structure where I had been concealed.

“Yoon Geon-woo! Hey, wait a minute!”

“Just you dare come out. I’ll shoot your head off myself.”

After delivering such chilling words, Yoon Geon-woo abruptly turned and sprinted away, disappearing between the structures. His movements were so blindingly swift that I had no chance to even attempt to stop him.

‘If he goes alone, Park Hyeon-seo will surely be terrified.’

Hadn’t Yoon Geon-woo, at this very moment, shed even his protective gear in his haste to dismantle the ability suppression device? With the death game raging fiercely, a knot of worry tightened in my stomach at the thought of Park Hyeon-seo potentially getting struck by a wild, indiscriminately fired bullet.

Certainly, as an S-class Esper, he wouldn’t be easily overcome. Nevertheless, observing his figure rapidly receding into the distance, an inexplicable wave of apprehension swept over me.

‘Provide cover fire from here?’

I halted my impulse to follow Yoon Geon-woo, instead replaying his words in my mind. Given his superior physical capabilities, it was entirely possible that my lingering presence nearby would only serve as a further distraction.

Clack.

Yes, if I couldn’t be of help, I certainly shouldn’t be a hindrance. I loaded my taser gun, concealing myself within the structures as he had instructed. But the instant my gaze fell upon the target…

Bang!

A gunshot echoed from the direction Yoon Geon-woo had taken. Only a few minutes had passed since he had sprinted away. While I had certainly anticipated the possibility of an exchange of gunfire, its occurrence came far sooner than I had ever imagined.

‘What’s happening?’

Maintaining my vigilance toward the target, I remained prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. As I retrieved the scope, an item I seldom employed, I could discern the magnified figures of my adversaries.

Through the scope pressed against my eye, I observed Park Hyeon-seo stumbling backward, recoiling from Yoon Geon-woo’s imposing presence. He was aiming a taser gun directly at Yoon Geon-woo.

“Gasp… Y-Yoon Geon-woo?”

Even from a distance, Park Hyeon-seo was visibly trembling, shaking uncontrollably. What must it feel like to be thrust into an unknown place, confronted by an overwhelmingly powerful foe? Without needing to be told, the sheer terror and immense pressure he was experiencing were palpable.

“A-ah, go… go away!”

Like a mouse paralyzed before a predator, he crumpled to the ground as his legs gave way, a truly pitiable sight. Yet, Yoon Geon-woo remained utterly unfazed, slowly advancing toward Park Hyeon-seo.

Bang— Bang bang—!

In a fit of terror, Park Hyeon-seo fired at the approaching Yoon Geon-woo. I watched as bullets ricocheted wildly, not a single one finding its mark. His aim was utterly pathetic, precisely what one would expect from someone with a shooting score of three points.

Whoosh—

Even as shots were fired mere inches from him, Yoon Geon-woo casually waved a hand, as if dismissing something utterly trivial. With that singular motion, blue flames ignited, melting the incoming bullets in mid-air. A vibrant blue aura now pulsed and surged from his entire being.

The overwhelming power of an Esper, now fully unleashed from their control device, was terrifying to behold. Like prey confronted by an apex predator, even I, a mere observer peering through the scope, felt a prickling wave of instinctive terror ripple across my skin.

Several more gunshots rang out, punctuated by desperate cries for him to stay back, but these too quickly ceased. Yoon Geon-woo’s ability had already effortlessly deflected Park Hyeon-seo’s taser gun away.

“Huuuh… S-Save… save me…”

“Shut up. You’re being too loud.”

Yoon Geon-woo issued his warning in a detached, listless tone. Park Hyeon-seo, seemingly unable to stem his overflowing tears, stifled his sobs by clamping a hand over his mouth. Yoon Geon-woo observed him intently, then extended a hand toward the cowering Park Hyeon-seo, as if to ascertain something.

“Huuuh… Hiccup…”

Flushed red with tension, Park Hyeon-seo squeezed his eyes shut and curled himself into a tight ball. Witnessing his utterly shrunken, fear-stricken form, a knot of unease tightened in my chest.

‘Shouldn’t I step in?’

Just as I was lost in contemplation, Yoon Geon-woo picked up Park Hyeon-seo’s taser gun, which had fallen beside him. With a subtle, inscrutable expression, he turned the weapon over and over in his hands, scrutinizing it.

Yoon Geon-woo’s lips parted as if he were about to speak, yet with a fluid, almost instinctual grace, he loaded the gun. Then, something entirely unforeseen transpired.

“This rat bastard.”

He growled lowly, then unhesitatingly aimed the taser gun at Park Hyeon-seo. The muzzle was aimed precisely at his head.

“What—! What are you doing!”

I shot upright, startled by Yoon Geon-woo’s sudden action. I was so utterly shocked that I nearly let out a string of vulgar curses aloud.

Why was he acting like this all of a sudden? Hadn’t he gone to retrieve Park Hyeon-seo in my stead? I couldn’t comprehend why he was aiming to blast the innocent man’s head. Unable to grasp the exact situation, I was about to rush toward them when suddenly, a moment of profound clarity struck.

‘There’s something there.’

In that instant, an uncanny sense of déjà vu washed over me from not far away. It was a presence I wouldn’t normally have noticed, but being away from the chaos and observing them intently allowed me to discern it. I swiftly re-adjusted my stance and fired my taser gun into the empty sky. A single gunshot would serve as a threat to the enemy and a signal of danger to my distant partner.

Bang!

At the sound of the shot, Yoon Geon-woo’s head snapped up. His slight flinch indicated that, with his keen senses, he too had noticed the suspicious circumstances. This time, however, I was a step ahead.

The white mass, presumed to be the enemy, also seemed to glance in this direction. Having confirmed the intruder’s presence, there was no time for hesitation. I switched out the cartridges and sent two rounds of cover fire toward the enemy’s location.

Bang bang!

The rounds I fired this time were smoke grenades. Smoke grenades are used to obscure vision and create confusion when an enemy attacks from long range. This was a basic tactic found in SAA’s fundamental combat training.

Of course, all of this was only possible because Yoon Geon-woo was a high-ranking Esper. An S-class Esper’s physical abilities boast outstanding prowess even among other Espers. This wasn’t merely about physical resilience but also extended to functional aspects like eyesight and hearing.

I was concerned about Yoon Geon-woo’s poor condition due to prolonged guiding refusal and helper killer abuse, but a mere smoke grenade wouldn’t impede him. After taking a brief breath, I quickly scanned the battlefield. However, the thick smoke made it difficult to assess the situation. Not only had the rapidly approaching enemy vanished, but Yoon Geon-woo and Park Hyeon-seo had also disappeared into the swirling haze.

‘I need to move too.’

Was I in a position to worry about him? Yoon Geon-woo would surely handle himself. My own predicament was what I needed to worry about now, not his. Since my position had been revealed to the enemy by my cover fire, I needed to change locations.

I removed my scope and emerged from between the structures where I had been hiding. Since things had come to this, I decided to climb to a higher vantage point and provide rear support.

Even as I ran swiftly, my fingertips trembled as I recalled the earlier situation. The unidentified white mass approaching Yoon Geon-woo. The intruder, whom I had glimpsed through the scope, was definitely something from my memory.

‘Damn it, how did that bastard…’