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Join the ServerChapter 30
Every psychic ability leaves a discernible trace. The red aura emanating from Park Hyeon-seo’s eyes, the psychic traces an emergency responder mentioned lingering on my body—numerous questions plagued me. Yet, the most immediate cause for suspicion was the complete absence of the teachers assigned to the training ground.
Teachers originally assigned to oversee the class should have been vigilantly monitoring the training ground throughout the Death Game. Yet, even with severe disturbances erupting both inside and outside the perimeter, there had been no news, no intervention. The clash between the colossal beast Ophedian and the S-rank Esper, Yoon Geon-woo, had violently shaken the interior of the training ground. The artifact-created temple had crumbled, and even the students participating in the game had noticed the abnormality, fleeing for safety. There was no way the supervising teachers could have been unaware.
Furthermore, even after I cleared the Death Game to allow all the students to escape, the training session hadn’t concluded. Later, as I was losing consciousness, I heard a single gunshot, suggesting someone had remained inside the training ground. However, as everyone knew, it was nearly impossible for outsiders to enter or exit this facility without the explicit permission of the staff.
Considering all these circumstances, the most probable suspect had to be the person in charge of the class. It was then that I belatedly recalled an old internet news article, and with it, came certainty.
[SAA NEWS] New A-Rank Gate Cleared in Record Time
[05:00 AM, the 23rd. A newly identified A-rank gate has appeared. Following the issuance of a Level 1 alert, central Esper support was requested. Swift action led to the complete eradication of the high-risk gate in just three hours, garnering significant attention. See below for the list of participants.]
[Participants include A-rank Espers such as Jung Eui-chan (A-rank: Psychic), Park Hwan-hee (A-rank: Special Ability), Kim Jong-chan (A-rank: Nature), and their dedicated pair guides.]
[Video Link: https://www.youtubeee.com/watch.boom]
[SAA Reporter: Joo Yeo-rye. zooyr@saa.net]
Some time ago, I had followed a link from the school’s internal news, which reported on major events both inside and outside the academy. While recording inside a gate was illegal, the unprecedented speed of its clearance had generated so much buzz that a portion of the process was publicly released. Given the high-risk nature of the gate, a team composed entirely of central A-rank Espers had been dispatched, resulting in a flawless clearance process. The Espers glimpsed in that video had utilized their unique abilities to sustain the battle. Among them, what stood out most prominently was Esper Jung Eui-chan, who was leading today’s class, engaging in combat using his psychic abilities.
Esper Jung Eui-chan primarily employed a technique that involved controlling one beast to attack another, and among the beasts he had subdued at that time, Ophedian was listed.
‘This incident must be Esper Jung Eui-chan’s doing.’
For reasons unknown to me, unleashing the beast Ophedian at the perimeter, manipulating Park Hyeon-seo to sow discord—it all seemed to be his handiwork. No, it had to be. Unlike before, this chaotic situation made no sense unless Esper Jung Eui-chan was behind it.
“Esper Jung Eui-chan’s doing? What are you talking about?”
“The Esper teacher in charge of today’s class is a psychic ability user.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Park Hyeon-seo’s condition is strange. It’s as if… he’s possessed. Plus, that teacher can even tame beasts.”
It was a tricky situation, as we had to subdue both Park Hyeon-seo, who was firing continuously, and Ophedian, who was approaching at a terrifying speed, simultaneously.
“Damn it. What the… ”
Amidst the complicated situation, there was no time for lengthy explanations, but Yoon Geon-woo seemed to grasp my meaning. Yoon Geon-woo, running a hand over his face as if caught in a troublesome predicament, cast a fleeting glance down at me.
“Don’t do anything foolish; stay here.”
Leaving me with the instruction to wait patiently, Yoon Geon-woo charged towards Park Hyeon-seo. In the meantime, I equipped my scope and fired a smoke grenade in the direction Ophedian was approaching.
‘Too close.’
I had thought there was still some distance, but zooming in with the scope revealed the beast was closer than anticipated. Moreover, seeing Ophedian’s eyes flash with a crimson glow, it seemed certain it had been tamed. Fortunately, Ophedian’s speed visibly decreased as its vision was obscured by the smoke grenade I had fired. Just then, I sensed a presence behind me, as if Park Hyeon-seo had been apprehended.
“Yoon Geon-woo?”
Turning immediately, I saw him holding an unconscious Park Hyeon-seo, cradled in his arms. What’s more, for some reason, Yoon Geon-woo’s hands were covered in blood.
Rushing towards him with a shocked expression, I watched as Yoon Geon-woo, with a nonchalant air, tossed me the taser gun he held. Upon catching the taser gun, presumably Park Hyeon-seo’s, I saw it was as drenched in blood as Yoon Geon-woo’s hands.
“Wh-why… why is there… blood…”
“That rat-like bastard. When his name came up in conversation, he tried to silence him.”
“What? Who did you call?”
“Jung Eui-chan. When I called that name, this kid you’re protecting almost died.”
Only then did I realize the blood on Yoon Geon-woo’s hands seemed to be flowing from Park Hyeon-seo’s neck.
I couldn’t discern what kind of hypnosis Esper Jung Eui-chan had cast upon Park Hyeon-seo using his ability. However, judging by the unfolding events, it seemed he had compelled Park Hyeon-seo to attack himself as a means of self-silencing, should his identity be revealed.
‘That bastard… How could a teacher do this to their own student?’
Thanks to Yoon Geon-woo’s swift intervention, the wound on Park Hyeon-seo’s neck wasn’t very deep. However, due to his inexperience in controlling his power when handling a Guide, Park Hyeon-seo seemed to have fainted.
KUGUGUNG—
As another tremor shook the ground, I took Park Hyeon-seo from Yoon Geon-woo and gripped the taser gun tighter. Yoon Geon-woo, too, seemed to sense the ominous presence drawing near, and unleashed the full extent of his abilities.
“Yoon Geon-woo, aim for the location of the magic stone. Got it?”
An eerie aura seeped through the now thick smoke. As the time for the decisive battle approached, I earnestly urged Yoon Geon-woo.
“And if you need guiding… you must come to me.”
“Forget it. Just worry about yourself.”
Waving his hand dismissively, as if my concern was unnecessary, Yoon Geon-woo plunged into the dense fog. It wasn’t long after that a colossal, thudding noise erupted.
As the fierce battle between Yoon Geon-woo and Ophedian raged, I maintained my vigilance of the surroundings while checking on the fallen Park Hyeon-seo. Aside from some blood loss, his wound wasn’t particularly deep, yet his groaning seemed to indicate something was gravely wrong.
“Why is he like this?”
As I examined him, I noticed a sharp blade clutched in his fisted hand. He had likely inflicted the wound with it, and the blade bore a suspicious trace.
‘This… surely not…’
Attached to the tip of the blade was a small liquid pouch, which seemed to have burst during the process of inflicting the wound. Upon closer inspection, a small amount of green liquid was mixed with Park Hyeon-seo’s blood, giving off a murky glow. Unfortunately, I immediately recognized what it was.
“No! No… Park Hyeon-seo!”
It was undoubtedly the blood of the beast Ophedian, known for its potent venom. If left untreated, he would surely succumb to it soon.
‘What do I do? What should I do now…’
Although things had become complicated because of Park Hyeon-seo, he was merely a puppet, swayed by Esper Jung Eui-chan’s ability, wasn’t he? At this rate, far from protecting Park Hyeon-seo, we would undoubtedly face a far more horrific end than before.
‘…Magic stone. I need the magic stone.’
To purify the poison that had entered Park Hyeon-seo’s body, I needed Ophedian’s magic stone, the very beast Yoon Geon-woo was currently confronting. But it felt as though Park Hyeon-seo would stop breathing before Yoon Geon-woo could finish the battle.
To save Park Hyeon-seo, I needed to buy Yoon Geon-woo time to acquire the magic stone. The chances were slim, but if I could immediately draw out Ophedian’s blood that had entered his wound… perhaps he could still live.
‘Yoon Geon-woo… please come in time.’
After a moment of hesitation, I brought my mouth to Park Hyeon-seo’s wound. Park Hyeon-seo’s blood tasted of metallic iron, along with a uniquely bitter flavor I had never experienced in my life. I hadn’t even sucked the blood and spat it onto the ground more than a few times before I already felt my head growing dizzy.
‘Jung Eui-chan… I’ll get you back, no matter what it takes.’
Inside, I hurled every conceivable curse at Esper Jung Eui-chan. Would Yoon Geon-woo defeat Ophedian and retrieve the magic stone quickly enough? Or would I, along with Park Hyeon-seo, die of poisoning first?
Just as these thoughts crossed my mind, a colossal thud echoed from not far away, as if something immense had collapsed. Could it be that Yoon Geon-woo, knowing its weak point, had succeeded in defeating Ophedian? The poison seemed to be taking hold already; my head spun, and my vision blurred, making it impossible to ascertain the exact situation.
“Damn it. Why, again…”
As my head slumped onto Park Hyeon-seo, a distinct curse rang out from nearby. Ah, it seemed Yoon Geon-woo was indeed the victor of this battle.
“Sogum, snap out of it.”
“Mag…ic stone…”
I hoped that this time, with both Yoon Geon-woo and me safe, we would survive. With Yoon Geon-woo’s face, shaking my limp body, being the last thing I saw, I closed my eyes.
****
“It’s already been three days. How much longer can we wait?”
“Student, please calm down a little…”
“You want me to just watch while she can’t even regain consciousness?”
The noise filling the surroundings pierced my ears. It was my roommate’s familiar voice.
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