Chapter 36: The Lunatic Who Was Used as Bait by Shadows

“What the hell is going on?”

“No idea.”

At that exact moment, the library was swamped. Word had spread that there were guides healing espers for free, and low-to-mid-rank espers poured in. Yeo-jun and Lee Chae didn’t hesitate; they grabbed their portable pads and started guiding non-stop. When it finally ended, only a few espers who needed rest remained.

“Haa… I didn’t even have time to breathe. Good work.”

“You too, hyung.”

Yeo-jun was completely drained, gulping air. Cold sweat beaded on his temples. Seeing him like that made Lee Chae feel guilty for suspecting him earlier.

There were other low-rank guides in the library, but they pretended not to see while the two healed everyone. In a situation where shadows could attack at any moment, guides had to preserve energy for self-defense. It was understandable, but still annoying.

Yeo-jun gathered his strength and looked out the window.

“What the hell is this? The library is surrounded by shadows, and no one’s coming to save us. Isn’t this the Awakener Management University? How can espers be this selfish?”

Lee Chae had been thinking the exact same thing. Haejin had said he’d see him at lunch, so he’d probably gone back to Legion.

Still… with all this chaos, he should’ve come…

Yeo-jun collapsed into a chair and looked at Lee Chae with something like pity.

“No news from that S-rank you’re supposedly close with?”

“He’s… not on campus. The attack isn’t severe enough for him to come personally…”

“Are you seriously defending him right now?”

Lee Chae bristled.

“Why would I defend him? I’m just saying.”

Yeo-jun lowered his voice, face serious.

“Guides have instincts too. I’ve got a bad feeling.”

“…What do you mean? I don’t feel anything.”

“You’re blinded by his fame. This might sound harsh, but Cha Haejin isn’t any different from the trash espers I hate.”

“I don’t think he’s different either.”

Lee Chae dodged eye contact. Yeo-jun hated espers, so of course he wouldn’t see Haejin in a good light. Lee Chae understood, but hearing someone else trash Haejin still pissed him off.

“Lee Chae-ya.”

The voice was thick with worry.

“Yeah.”

“I’m saying this because I’m worried about you. You’ve never really dealt with espers head-on.”

“I know. I’ll be careful.”

“Also… I looked into it. Cha Haejin can’t receive guiding from anyone else, right? But he took yours. That means he’ll become obsessed. You okay with that?”

He was already obsessed, but Haejin wasn’t the evil esper Yeo-jun thought. He’d never actually harmed Lee Chae. Lee Chae brushed it off.

“He won’t. Someone who has everything—what would he lack? I think you’re overreacting, hyung.”

Yeo-jun smiled.

“I’m only saying it because I care about you. You know how I feel.”

“I’m grateful.”

It was the first time someone who wasn’t family had ever worried about him like this. D-rank guides were either toys for low-rank espers, invisible to other guides, or annoying paperwork for headquarters. So Yeo-jun’s concern always meant a lot.

Everything Yeo-jun said was true. If he could, Lee Chae would go back to a life where he didn’t know Cha Haejin—just school and civil service exams. But the more he tried to run, the tighter Haejin clung, and when they were together, Lee Chae helplessly got dragged along.

“The shadows around campus are retreating.”

Someone scouting from the window shouted. Lee Chae stood and looked outside. The shadows that had surrounded the library were quietly withdrawing.

Did high-rank espers arrive?

He focused—no energy felt. They were leaving on their own. Weird.

Yeo-jun felt the same; he peered out beside Lee Chae.

“It’s strange, but no time to think. Grab your stuff and let’s go.”

Lee Chae folded his pad, stuffed it in his bag, and left the library.

An unidentifiable anxiety wrapped around him.

Whiiir—BOOM!

The battlefield was loud with wind-cutting sounds. Visibility was trash, so area-type espers were blasting blindly. Of course, only at coordinates pre-marked by scouts to minimize civilian damage.

“Esper Cha Haejin, you here?”

S-rank scout Seo Han spotted the Legion emblem and asked immediately.

“Yes, arrived.”

“You need to hurry. They… they’re only looking for you.”

“Again?”

He still couldn’t believe shadows were talking. Something was definitely wrong, but there was no time to ponder.

Haejin jumped out of the car and followed Seo Han.

“What exactly did they say?”

“They won’t stop attacking until Esper Cha Haejin arrives. Just now when I communicated, they stopped like liars.”

“Haa…”

“I don’t know the details either—go fast. Coordinates 3-4. Fog’s clearing there, you’ll find it easily.”

Haejin sprinted. Area espers parted; Jin-woo and the other close-combat espers stuck to his sides.

“Coming with?”

“Even if you’re strong, going alone is dangerous. No japchae, what if you go berserk like last time?”

“I won’t berserk. Why would I when our Lee Chae shares his energy with love?”

“Blech.”

Jin-woo made vomiting noises and followed.

The closer to the coordinates, the more sinister the aura.

Swish, swish—unpleasant scraping sounds, then—BOOM! A massive explosion.

Close-combat espers formed ranks and charged.

Group 1 shadows were torn in half. Group 2 burned to ash. Then Group 3—several times larger—swarmed in.

Haejin destroyed the road to bury them, ruptured a water main to flood the area.

They were numerous but all low-rank.

Yet a chilling premonition crawled down his spine.

Fighting at a designated spot with a designated esper—this wasn’t their usual pattern.

“What kind of battle is this?”

Haejin muttered while cutting down endless waves.

“F*ck. What do they want?”

“Still no word from HQ? If we knew what the mutants are up to, it’d be less frustrating…”

“Tell me about it. First time fighting like this.”

It wasn’t a satisfying all-out battle, but they couldn’t let their guard down either. Complaints erupted everywhere.

Leaving the library, Yeo-jun said he forgot something and went back inside.

Lee Chae anxiously paced outside, afraid the shadows might return.

Then—thud, thud.

Footsteps.

Everything was covered in fog; he couldn’t see.

Lee Chae slowly backed up.

“Who’s there?”

The footsteps stopped.

Silence.

Just my imagination?

Relieved, he turned toward the library to look for Yeo-jun—

THWACK—THUD!

Excruciating pain struck the back of his head.

Vision blurred, legs gave out, he collapsed.

Everything twisted and spun, then went black.

Ah, Cha Haejin.

The last thing he thought of was their lunch promise.

“Ugh!”

He jolted awake—his body was floating.

Forcing his eyes open, an unfamiliar man was trying to pick him up.

Instinctively he punched the man’s chin, but the man only sneered, unmoving.

“Jung Lee Chae!”

Yeo-jun’s desperate voice.

Lee Chae thrashed, but it was useless.

“If you don’t want to die, stay still.”

A huge hand covered his mouth.

Consciousness lasted only a moment—suffocation quickly dragged him back under.

“Jung Lee Chae!”

Even as darkness returned, Yeo-jun’s frantic cry rang clear.