Chapter 86: Searching And Enduring

Tae-woo wandered through Gates alone, searching for So-won.

When he pushed his abilities to their limit, he could clear a Gate quickly, so entering with other Espers only slowed him down.

Sometimes, Tae-woo would enter two Gates in a single day, tackling them entirely on his own.

Tae-woo never rested.

If he stopped even for a moment, he would hear So-won’s voice somewhere, saying he missed him in a trembling tone, like an auditory hallucination, and Tae-woo couldn’t stay still without continuing his search.

Breaking through Gates day and night like a madman, Tae-woo’s condition inevitably deteriorated.

Because he was using his powers so recklessly, the resonance that So-won had barely stabilized rapidly worsened again.

It took a long time to settle down, but it only took an instant to spiral out of control once more.

Emerging from a Gate with his entire body drenched in monster blood, Tae-woo stopped short when he saw the Association staff waiting right in front of him.

Normally, he would have walked past them without a second glance, but among them was a familiar face.

Tae-woo approached his assigned physician, who was nervously pacing in place.

“Esper Kang Tae-woo….”

Seeing Tae-woo’s condition, the physician couldn’t continue speaking.

His expression grew grave.

Tae-woo looked far worse than what the Association had reported.

After he began receiving guidance from So-won, it had seemed like he was finally stabilizing, but now it was as if he had returned to the days when he had no Guide at all.

No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was even worse than before.

Blood vessels were spread thickly around his reddened eyes, and the parts of his body visible through his torn clothes were in terrible shape.

Most of all, his fists, still smeared with monster blood, were clenched tightly, with veins bulging as if they might burst at any moment.

As the physician slowly examined him, their eyes met.

Tae-woo’s gaze, which had begun to show emotion whenever he looked at So-won, was now hollow, having returned to its former coldness.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if Tae-woo went berserk before he even managed to find So-won.

“Esper Kang Tae-woo, you need to stop searching for Guide Lee So-won on your own.

If Guide Lee So-won were to see you like this, he would be heartbroken.”

“If you came just to say that, then leave.”

“…That’s not the only reason I came.”

Tae-woo, who had been about to walk away again, turned back toward the physician.

Behind him, an Association employee carrying a black case stepped forward.

Tae-woo quietly stared at it.

He didn’t need to open it to know what was inside.

The Association employee unlocked the tightly sealed case.

When the thick metal container opened, a heavy metal collar inside reflected the sunset light and gleamed darkly.

“Esper Kang Tae-woo’s resonance is becoming dangerously unstable.

If you continue entering Gates like this, you will need to wear the bomb again.”

“…..”

“Please return to the Association and receive mechanical guiding, even if only for one night.

If not, you’ll have to put the safety device back on.

The Association is also doing everything it can to locate Guide Lee So-won, so if you just wait a little longer—”

“Understood.

Put it on quickly and leave.”

Instead of returning to the Association, Tae-woo chose to put the bomb back on.

Even after hearing his decision, the physician hesitated.

Feeling time slipping away, Tae-woo frowned.

Even this moment felt like a waste.

While he was standing here, So-won was surely still waiting for him inside a Gate.

When Tae-woo strode toward them, the Association employees recoiled in fear and stepped back.

Ignoring them, Tae-woo walked straight up and grabbed the black collar himself.

Click.

With a heavy metallic sound, the thick bomb locked into place around Tae-woo’s neck.

“E-Esper Kang Tae-woo!”

The physician panicked when Tae-woo fastened the bomb on himself, but Tae-woo passed him by and climbed into a nearby waiting vehicle.

As he settled into the back seat, the Association employee in the driver’s seat turned around and asked in a trembling voice,

“W-Where to next….”

“Where is the closest Gate from here.”

“There’s one about thirty minutes away, but it’s scheduled to be used as a research facility—”

“It doesn’t matter.

Drive.”

Tae-woo made the decision without hesitation.

A research Gate had lax surveillance and a relatively stabilized interior, making it the perfect place for the unstable Si-hyeok to hide.

Tae-woo immediately headed for the next Gate in the Association vehicle.

The driver kept glancing nervously at the rearview mirror, which irritated Tae-woo, but since he could no longer control his strength well enough to drive himself, he had no choice but to keep the man with him.

“…..”

Thinking of So-won, Tae-woo rubbed at his constricted throat.

So-won had removed it for him, yet now the bomb was wrapped around his neck again.

The expression So-won had made when he learned what the black collar was, and the way he had struggled to remove it, alternated vividly in Tae-woo’s mind.

If he met So-won again, there would be even more apologies he needed to make.

The moment he arrived near the Gate, Tae-woo crossed the poorly guarded perimeter and entered without hesitation.

But So-won wasn’t in this Gate either.

Emerging once again without finding him and drowning in guilt, Tae-woo noticed someone sitting near the entrance.

Bored eyes and hair tied up in a single knot.

The face was unfamiliar, but Tae-woo knew her.

She was Min Ye-jin, the remaining S-rank Esper of South Korea besides Si-hyeok and Tae-woo.

“Do you have something to say.”

“Nope.

I was just told to come deal with you immediately if you go berserk.”

She stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes.

When Tae-woo glanced around, he spotted the Association employee hiding behind the car, fidgeting nervously.

When their eyes met, the man flinched and bowed his head deeply.

Tae-woo looked back at the Esper in front of him.

“You won’t find him like this.

You know that too.”

“……”

“One idiot loses his Guide, and the other kidnaps someone else’s Guide into a Gate.

You two keep doing this, and I’m the one who ends up busy.”

She complained that she’d just returned from an S-rank Gate overseas without even getting guided, only to be summoned back to Korea.

As her grumbling grew longer and started drifting off-topic, Tae-woo decided the conversation wouldn’t end easily and turned to leave without a word.

Just then, an Association employee came running from afar, urgently calling Tae-woo’s name.

In his hand was a phone with its screen brightly lit.

“Esper Kang Tae-woo!

We’ve located where Guide Lee So-won is!”

Tae-woo’s eyes widened slightly, then quickly returned to normal.

Snatching the phone from the breathless employee, Tae-woo brought it to his ear and spoke immediately.

“Where.”

–We just sent you the location by text.

It’s a recently formed Gate, so it took us some time to find it.

Startled by the sudden change in conversation partner, the person on the line hesitated, then realized it was Tae-woo and continued in a noticeably tense voice.

–The Gate’s rank hasn’t been identified yet, so entering alone would be dangerous.

We’re gathering personnel to head there now, so if you could wait just a little—

Tae-woo ended the call without listening any further.

The Esper standing beside him, who had overheard the conversation, asked,

“Want help.

I’m free anyway, and it’ll be tough on your own.”

“I don’t need it.”

Tae-woo walked away without slowing down.

The Association employee looked desperately toward Ye-jin, silently begging for help, but she only shrugged at the pale-faced man, making it clear she wouldn’t intervene.

Checking the location the Association had sent, Tae-woo clenched his fist.

Thankfully, it wasn’t far from here.

***

So-won felt like his mind was slowly crumbling from being confined for so long.

Inside a Gate, there was no concept of day or night.

Because of that, he had no idea how much time had passed since his call with Tae-woo.

The psychological pressure of knowing he was inside a Gate, the anxiety that a monster could appear and attack at any moment, and the nightmares that assaulted him the instant he closed his eyes all tormented So-won.

Even after taking sedatives, he still had nightmares now.

Dreams where he was trapped inside the Gate forever and never made it back to Tae-woo.

So-won endured everything with a single, stubborn resolve.

He had to survive safely until Tae-woo came for him.

Honestly, it had been better when they were in the mountains.

At least back then, he could step outside the stifling house, breathe fresh air, or take a short walk.

Here, he couldn’t even open a window for fear that the unidentified particles floating in the air might drift inside, nor could he pull back the curtains, terrified of locking eyes with a passing monster.

“…..”

A long silence followed.

Despite being in close proximity, So-won and Si-hyeok didn’t speak to each other.

For several days, Si-hyeok had stayed inside the house with So-won.

His mobile residence was equipped with water tanks and a generator, so there was no inconvenience even without going outside.

On top of that, since So-won hadn’t been eating much of the food Si-hyeok brought, the refrigerator was still full.

After immobilizing So-won and receiving guiding over the past few days, Si-hyeok’s condition seemed to have improved slightly.

But as Si-hyeok stabilized bit by bit, So-won’s worry for Tae-woo only grew stronger.

If Si-hyeok had returned in such a wrecked state, then Tae-woo couldn’t possibly be fine either.

Tae-woo needs guiding soon too….

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