# Chapter 69
His body was shaking uncontrollably. Perhaps due to the gas earlier, his stomach churned. Jiwon knew he was being moved somewhere, but his vision was blocked and he couldn’t see anything.
“Looks like he’s awake.”
“He woke up faster than expected.”
His hearing, however, was perfectly fine. Jiwon bit his lip. The bastards were speaking English, of all things.
It was only natural that Adam, the Director of the American Ability Users Association, immediately came to mind.
It seemed Adam was the one who had worked his influence on the Association beforehand. Jiwon wasn’t sure how he had maneuvered, but now he was bothered by how unusually empty the Association building had been.
Perhaps like Jo Wooyeon, he had sent many people out on field duty to reduce the number of witnesses remaining in the Association?
He wouldn’t have revealed his kidnapping plans outright, but likely persuaded them with some plausible story. The Korean Association would try to accommodate Adam’s wishes as much as possible.
Fundamentally, Korea tried to maintain friendly relations with the United States.
They weren’t needed for the problematic Riska dungeon, but there were many other matters where they had to rely on America.
After all, apart from Suhyun who was S-class, all of Korea’s Espers were B-class or below.
“Shit…”
To think it was the American Association’s doing, not Hwashin Group’s.
What was more surprising was that he hadn’t even imagined it. His mistake was thinking they would simply go back.
“Put him down carefully. He’s a precious Guide.”
“Yes, understood.”
The ground that had been shaking enough to make his skull rattle finally stilled. As Jiwon was finally set down on the floor, he muttered.
“What a fucking mess…”
The owner of the familiar voice rambling on was Adam. Though he had expected it from hearing English, it was still strange that he was still in Korea. Weren’t they waiting for his return in America? What a useless human being.
“Shall we see his face?”
After Adam’s voice continued, the blindfold that had been blocking his vision disappeared. Having had his eyes covered for a while, Jiwon squinted at the brightness before glaring at Adam, who stood proudly in front of him.
“My, quite angry, aren’t we?”
“Angry? I was kidnapped in broad daylight, how could I not be angry?”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. I don’t know Korean.”
“I don’t know English either, you bastard.”
“I can tell ‘ssibal’ is a curse word.”
Jiwon, who understood the short phrase without needing an interpreter, was about to inform him that ‘jot-kka’ was also a curse but stopped. The interpreter standing beside him didn’t seem likely to convey that.
Jiwon quickly scanned his surroundings. Though it felt empty due to the lack of furniture, it looked like quite a cozy house.
Sunlight was streaming in well, and he could hear the sound of trees rustling. But there was no sign of any other people.
The fact that they had left the windows open in the first place meant there were no people around. Unless, of course, they wanted to boast about keeping someone kidnapped here.
“Would you like to know where this is?”
The words relayed through the interpreter sounded somewhat arrogant. Jiwon clicked his tongue and ignored Adam’s question.
“…What the hell.”
However, Jiwon’s face soon filled with dismay. He had just noticed two men standing behind Adam, both of whom were Espers.
“Ah, should I introduce them first? Though I’m sure you already know them, given how famous they are.”
As Adam said, Jiwon already knew who they were, but he checked again and again, thinking he must have seen wrong.
“This is Esper Kalik. And this is Chase. Both are very powerful S-class Espers.”
To think that two S-class Espers affiliated with the United States were on Korean soil. Unless requested by the host country, Espers were not allowed to enter other countries arbitrarily.
The movement of S-class Espers, in particular, was much more difficult. Approval was not easily granted. After all, a country could be overtaken by the power of a single Esper.
And yet, there were two of them.
“How did you get in?”
Adam shrugged his shoulders, as if this situation was amusing. Instead of getting angry, Jiwon twisted the corner of his mouth.
“Did you sneak in? By ship maybe? Why? Too scared to stay in America?”
The sound of giggling laughter seemed louder given how quiet the surroundings were.
“Did you run away to Korea? Then you should be begging for protection. Don’t you think your method is all wrong?”
Adam’s face momentarily turned red at the mockingly thrown words, deliberately meant to provoke him for the sake of understanding the situation. He seemed to have no immunity to such words.
Watching his expression harden, Jiwon gave a small laugh.
“Running away with two S-class Espers. Aren’t there not many S-class Espers left there? Have you abandoned America?”
“Shut up. Don’t you understand your situation right now?”
“Me not understand? It’s obvious I’ve been kidnapped.”
Where was the idiot who couldn’t grasp the situation when he’d been brought to an unknown place while tied up?
Jiwon twisted his empty wrist and bit the soft flesh inside his mouth. He wanted to press the call button, but it seemed his watch had already been taken.
Could Suhyun find this place? It didn’t seem like a location that would be easy to find…
“So. If you’re not running away to Korea, what are you trying to do?”
Did bringing Espers mean they wanted guiding? Adam had desired that before.
But it wasn’t simple guiding. He wanted guiding to be performed inside the Riska dungeon. If so, it was an impossible wish.
“Are you going to wait here until a Riska dungeon appears? Even if one does, the Korean Association will naturally take action, and you won’t be able to enter the dungeon while avoiding them. Are you planning to escape to America with me?”
No matter how incompetent the Korean Association was, they weren’t stupid enough to willingly send Jiwon to America. If these people were to use force, things would become troublesome…
“Haha!”
As if reading Jiwon’s thoughts, Adam laughed loudly.
“The Korean Association is a complete mess. You know that, right?”
While Jiwon had many complaints about the Korean Association, he felt he had the right to criticize as a member. It felt unpleasant to hear someone from another country badmouthing it.
“The ability users under them are the same. They’re making a fuss, asking for the same treatment for ability users who enter regular dungeons, saying what’s so great about the Riska dungeon?”
It was stressful how well he knew. Jiwon narrowed his eyes. Did this have something to do with Adam and the Espers being here?
“They seemed very troubled having to handle regular dungeons while S-class Espers only go to the Riska dungeon. So we offered to help. We said we’d handle the troublesome regular dungeons.”
“…Was it a legal entry?”
“We entered proudly with the approval of the Korean Association. No one stopped us.”
Only I get to criticize it?
Jiwon decided to cancel that thought.
The Association deserved to be thoroughly criticized and ridiculed by other countries.
They called in S-class Espers from another country because they found it difficult to handle A-class dungeons at most? And not just one, but two?
If those Espers decided to cause unrest in Korea, even Suhyun would struggle. It would be insane for him to face two S-class Espers simultaneously by himself.
Did they care about other ability users so much that they were willing to take that risk and call them in?
Bullshit. The Association was just being lazy, these goddamn bastards.
“Plus, there was a good corporation helping us.”
One didn’t need to ask to know who this was. It was obviously Hwashin.
Hwashin must have known this situation would be harmful to Korean ability users. But they didn’t care. Maybe they even wanted it.
“Did Hwashin prepare this house too?”
“Oh, you already know that corporation. They seemed to have a lot of complaints about you.”
“Yeah, criticize all you want for being stupid. I can’t even defend them.”
Both Hwashin, blinded by revenge, and the Association, which hadn’t done its job properly, were the same.
If things went wrong, the consequences would fall on them. If he, an S-class Guide, disappeared, Suhyun wouldn’t be able to use his powers either.
There would be no Esper to face the Riska dungeon. From that point on, regular dungeons would become nothing.
‘What should I do?’
Jiwon anxiously bit his lip.
Though he didn’t want to show it, worries flooded in. He wasn’t concerned about them harming him. They must have come here because they needed him.
But what if they used force to take him to America? Then what would happen to Suhyun who remained here?
Just the thought sent chills down his spine. It was even worse because Suhyun wasn’t the type to avoid going to dungeons just because Jiwon wasn’t there.
‘How do I handle this?’
Even if he managed to escape from here, it was worrisome. Could he safely drive away two S-class Espers? They were much more challenging and dangerous than monsters.
In the end, it meant Suhyun shouldn’t come here. Jiwon couldn’t rely on him. He had to somehow get out of this situation himself. Jiwon’s mind was busy frantically thinking about what to do.
“You’re quite smart, aren’t you?”
“Is that a compliment, or what?”
“You’re someone who can make the wisest choice in the worst situation.”
Adam stepped closer. Jiwon simultaneously felt the urge to punch his smirking face and blow up the Association.
All of them, one and the same. Each one was nothing but trouble.
“Choose. Come with us quietly to America.”
“Would the Association let me go?”
“If you want to, it’s entirely possible.”
Adam gestured with his chin behind him. At the point when they allowed S-class Espers to enter the country, Korea had personally shown it couldn’t stop the American Association.
Since they couldn’t win anyway, to minimize damage, they had no choice but to quietly send Jiwon away.
“You call this a choice? There’s only one option?”
Then what about Suhyun?
There would be no Guide to take care of him. Would they suggest bringing Suhyun too? Would he actually welcome that?
But what about Jo Wooyeon? Won Jungyeom? And other people?
Already a small land. If it was consumed by the Riska dungeon, there would be no answer. And yet, to turn his back on all of them? How?
“Ah, of course. There is one more option.”
“……”
“Make Korea a mess, and then be dragged away.”
“That’s a fucking valuable option to consider.”
Jiwon sneered at Adam. However, having the upper hand, Adam didn’t even raise an eyebrow.
“You call that a choice…!”
BOOM! CRASH!
At that moment, the entire house shook with a tremendous sound.
“An option not worth considering.”
After the massive explosion, a familiar voice was heard from the open window. Suhyun, who had lightly jumped through the window, approached Jiwon with a calm face.
“Esper-nim…”
No, that wasn’t right.
Jiwon immediately took back his assessment of Suhyun being calm as he looked into his eyes.
He could tell. Suhyun was, at this moment, absolutely furious, to the point of taking his breath away.
