Chapter 84: The Battlefield’s Embrace

“What?”

“Myeong-ah died on the battlefield. And his body went missing there.”

Jung Hyun-woo buried his face in his hands, bowing his head onto his knees.

“I’m sorry. I kept it hidden until now because I knew you’d rush to the battlefield if you found out. I trusted that headquarters would gather enough information, so I kept it from you all this time.”

“Hyung…”

Sa-yoon gazed at Jung Hyun-woo, a complex swirl of emotions within him. Myeong-ah was Sa-yoon’s only friend, but to Jung Hyun-woo, he was family.

Yet, for Sa-yoon’s sake, he had kept this truth concealed until now.

Whenever Jung Hyun-woo declared that Sa-yoon was just like his younger brother, that he was family, Sa-yoon would nod, yet couldn’t help but feel a certain distance.

He had always believed that Myeong-ah, his blood brother, was more precious to Jung Hyun-woo, and so Sa-yoon had always kept a step back. However, hearing Jung Hyun-woo’s words now, Sa-yoon felt tears welling up.

This man truly considered him family.

“Hyung. Don’t worry too much.”

Sa-yoon gripped Jung Hyun-woo’s hand tightly, feeling the tremor in his touch.

[Go and die.]

Go Ok-kyung’s final prophecy sentence echoed in his mind: find what you seek and die there. That was Sa-yoon’s destined future.

“I’ll return with Myeong-ah. So, don’t worry, and please wait for me here.”

Sa-yoon embraced Jung Hyun-woo, patting his back. Holding the unspoken truth close, he bid Jung Hyun-woo farewell.

As the plane touched down, dry sand scattered in every direction.

Through the open door, arid air rushed into his lungs. Sa-yoon covered his nose with a scarf he had received in advance.

“Stay close to me.”

Kim Chae-jun took Sa-yoon’s arm, and the surrounding air instantly became easier to breathe. Chae-jun, having cleared away the dust and infused moisture into the air, smiled brightly as he led Sa-yoon forward.

“Hey, Kim Chae-jun, do it for me too.”

“You can take care of yourself. You’re not suffocating, so why are you complaining?”

Kang Ah-jun grumbled from behind, following them.

Sa-yoon had arrived at the battlefield with Kim Chae-jun and Kang Ah-jun.

It was a land of dry sand, a desolate ruin where once lush grasslands and teeming wildlife had flourished. The vast horizon, visible in every direction, underscored the stark reality of this place.

Sa-yoon, chosen for the summit with Airein, was expected to stay here for a month starting today. His mother would be looked after by Jung Hyun-woo.

Should anything happen to Sa-yoon, he had made arrangements for his pre-arranged assets and letters to be delivered to his mother before he left.

“Just thinking about staying here for a month makes me feel bleak. Cough, ugh. Spit, spit.”

“You’ll get used to it. People live here too, you know.”

Someone approached Kang Ah-jun, who was spitting out sand and looking annoyed. The person who appeared to guide Sa-yoon’s team was not a welcome sight.

“Levian Christine. I’m here as your guide this time. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“……”

Sa-yoon glared at the hand Levian extended. Instead of shaking it, he slapped his palm away. Levian’s feigned kindness, knowing full well he was an Irregular, seemed utterly disingenuous.

Having already risked his life to come to the battlefield, Sa-yoon had no intention of cowering or being mindful of appearances.

“I thought they’d send someone a bit more friendly.”

“Ah, well, no one knows the battlefield as well as I do, so there’s no helping it. Why is the beautiful lady so gloomy? Disappointed it’s not Han Do-hoon?”

His mention of Han Do-hoon was a clear provocation. Levian had behaved this way from the very beginning. Initially, it sounded like he was merely boasting about his closeness to Han Do-hoon.

However, knowing the truth, his words carried an entirely different meaning. It was as if he was mocking Sa-yoon, asking if he knew Han Do-hoon’s true identity, and if he was foolish enough to cling to him even so.

“Anyone else would have been more welcome than you, Levian. Just lead the way.”

When Sa-yoon didn’t rise to the bait, Levian merely shrugged and walked ahead. Sa-yoon clenched his fist, watching Levian’s back. The urge to deal with the man and flee immediately surged, but he had to restrain himself.

Myeong-ah’s traces would be here. He had been told that he would find him if he came here, even if he didn’t know how. That was Sa-yoon’s only hope.

Amidst the vast, barren expanse, a flat, wide building stood as the headquarters for the Esper forces stationed on the battlefield. The two-story structure, with its narrow windows, resembled a prison.

Its design was meant to withstand sandstorms and extreme weather in a place devoid of vegetation. As Sa-yoon entered the building, the gazes of people moving about converged on his group.

Their stares were different from those at headquarters. It wasn’t a look of casual assessment, but one of wary scrutiny. It felt as though they were thoroughly gauging who was stronger, who held the upper hand.

“What is this? Why is the atmosphere so hostile?”

Even Kang Ah-jun, as brazen as Sa-yoon, flinched from the chilling stares.

“Everyone’s attire here is so haphazard. There’s absolutely no discipline.”

What was surprising was Chae-jun’s reaction. The boy, smaller in stature and gentler in nature than Kang Ah-jun, fearlessly assessed the other members, shaking his head. While he understood the varied uniforms, given they were from different countries, no one seemed to wear theirs properly. Many even walked around shirtless.

“The indoor cleaning is a mess too. It’s terrible to make Team Leader Sa-yoon stay in a place like this.”

His tone was like a butler who had served Sa-yoon for thirty years. Levian chuckled in response to Chae-jun’s disgusted remarks.

“Your young master has quite some nerve. Though I wonder how long it’ll last.”

“If you intend to bother my people, you’ll have to go through me first.”

At Sa-yoon’s warning, Levian raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.

“I was just curious, no need to overreact. Anyway, your quarters are on the opposite side, so head over there.”

Following Levian’s lead, they walked down a long, narrow corridor. As Sa-yoon and his companions continued, faint thudding sounds reached their ears. Along with it, the cries of someone being struck.

“Sa-save… me…”

“If you wanted to live, you should’ve behaved obediently from the start.”

The sounds grew clearer with every step Sa-yoon’s group took. They saw several Espers surrounding and lynching one person. Levian, seeing this, crossed the corridor nonchalantly.

“Are we just going to leave that?”

Kang Ah-jun, startled, whispered into Sa-yoon’s ear. Levian, walking ahead, answered instead of Sa-yoon.

“It’s quite common here, so you don’t need to worry about it. You’ll only cause trouble if you get involved.”

“Still…”

“Kang Ah-jun. Let’s go.”

Han Do-hoon had warned him that the battlefield was like this. There were no comrades on the battlefield, only a world where the strong devoured the weak.

Sa-yoon had known this beforehand, but he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable seeing it. Kang Ah-jun and Kim Chae-jun felt the same, constantly turning back to look at the ongoing lynching.

Sa-yoon sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Argh, what was that?!”

“Damn it. Why did a perfectly fine light fixture just fall?”

The flickering light fixture on the ceiling crashed directly onto the group of assailants. The Espers, who shouldn’t have been hurt by a mere glass fixture, clutched their heads and rolled on the floor.

Chae-jun and Ah-jun simultaneously looked at Sa-yoon. Sa-yoon, pretending not to know, simply walked forward. At his demeanor, Levian shook his head.

“I told you it was pointless.”

“Just lead the way. You, more than anyone, shouldn’t worry about us.”

“We’re almost there. Here it is.”

As a shabby-looking door opened, a surprisingly neat interior was revealed. Newly wallpapered walls and sleek furniture, as if recently renovated, greeted them.

“As expected of a new room, it’s nice not to have bloodstains. Maybe I should ask for a fresh repaint too.”

It would have been better if not for Levian’s murmuring behind them. Chae-jun and Ah-jun were assigned rooms right next to Sa-yoon’s.

“Oh, Hayden is currently on a mission outside. He should be back tomorrow.”

Levian, ever meddlesome, offered Han Do-hoon’s schedule without being asked. His expectant gaze, waiting for Sa-yoon’s reaction, was so blatant that Sa-yoon wasn’t in the mood to respond.

Watching Sa-yoon silently unpack his bag in the room, Levian smirked and said, “Well then, you must be tired from your long journey, so rest well today. If you can, that is.”

Leaving behind a cryptic remark, Levian closed the door.

Alone in the room, Sa-yoon overturned the travel bag he had just opened. He had finally arrived at the battlefield. This was where Han Do-hoon was, where Myeong-ah’s last traces lay, and perhaps where his own grave as an Irregular would be.

Sa-yoon took a deep breath and started moving again. There was no time to be paralyzed by fear. Prophecies were delicate and fickle; some came true, others missed their mark. To find Myeong-ah’s information here and return safely, Sa-yoon had to do everything in his power.

And that night, a sound broke Sa-yoon’s sleep.

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