Pssshhh…
Along with thick steam, Heichi emerged from the pod. It was after exactly 36 hours in Earth time. The executor who had been watching from nearby approached with an empty laugh.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
The so-called ‘Void’—entering the pod to receive punishment—was a punishment method considered the worst among Espers, alternately causing physical and mental pain.
The Void first inflicted physical damage and pain, then repeatedly restored, and after a bit more time passed, it would launch mental attacks. After being subjected to such feint attacks, there were almost no Espers who could walk out of the Void with their limbs intact.
So most who knew this would extend the punishment period on their own to reduce aftereffects even slightly. That way, the pod itself would give more time for restoration. However, Heichi didn’t give any time for his body and mind to restore, pushing through all at once. The time it took was exactly 36 hours.
Heichi nodded his head, then glanced at Dumor, still confined behind him. Then he naturally spoke down to the executor and commanded.
“Was the punishment room pod an old model?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Contact Epsilon to switch to a new model.”
“…Yes.”
He casually said things that would horrify prisoners if they heard. In fact, compared to the experiments Heichi received when he was young, it wasn’t that intense.
As soon as he left the punishment room, AJ, who had already been contacted and was waiting for him, bowed his head and approached. Heichi walked down the corridor past AJ and asked.
“He.”
“…Following your order not to interfere, Captain, several Espers are attached and only watching.”
“Disband them the moment I arrive.”
“You mean you’re going right now?”
AJ, who had been bowing his head, looked at him with an extremely flustered expression. Heichi had not only just been punished, but even before that, his condition had been poor enough to require entering the recovery room pod. To go out without even fully recovering in such a state.
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”
“Guide Lee Heewoo is currently safely protected. So after you recover just a bit more…”
“Safely?”
Heichi asked back with a snicker.
“I don’t know who exactly is safely protecting him.”
When AJ met Kzar, he was able to trust moving his subordinate Espers to protect him because Kzar was only a guide of that level. Of course, White Dwarf Guides were also rare and precious guides that you’d have to search hundreds of planets to find, but he was only that much.
At least Kzar wouldn’t defensively emit such tremendous guiding that every passing Esper would turn around once.
Heichi trusted no one except himself, and he didn’t take anything lightly when it related to Lee Heewoo’s safety. As far as he knew, the best protective measure was for him to step forward himself.
“…I misspoke.”
“I’ll go and return immediately, so other tasks…”
“Even so, Captain.”
What stopped Heichi, who was about to immediately slice through space and cross over, was AJ’s last words. As he turned his head to look at him as if telling him to speak, AJ scratched his cheek and spoke like a sigh.
“Even if you go, how about washing up first?”
“…”
Heichi looked below his neck. Not only were his clothes torn and destroyed in places from receiving punishment, but his overworked body was even giving off an indescribable stench of blood and sweat. Heichi immediately turned his body around.
“Let’s go.”
He had almost appeared before Lee Heewoo in such an ugly state. Heichi thought he should prepare a reward for AJ, who had offered very appropriate advice, as he headed to the sterile room. He intended to inspect and arrange everything from his hair to his toes without leaving anything out.
* * *
It had been exactly 40 hours since he couldn’t meet Lee Heewoo.
Heichi physically pressed down hard to suppress his heart that was gradually becoming impatient. He couldn’t help the anxiety showing on the surface, so he kept tapping the table with his index finger.
He had already heard that Lee Heewoo was safely resting at home after work, but because he couldn’t see with his own eyes, an uncontrollable anxiety was rising. It was serious separation anxiety.
Most Espers with mates had separation anxiety symptoms to varying degrees, and Heichi couldn’t escape from that either. Of course, he himself didn’t agree, but still.
Heichi asked sharply as he watched AJ open the door to the strategic bridge and enter.
“Can’t you move faster?”
“…I, I came immediately as soon as the communication came in.”
“What are wormholes for then?”
“By regulations, wormhole operation inside the battleship is prohibited, Captain.”
Knowing that the only way for AJ, who wasn’t a teleporter or speedshooter, to move quickly inside the battleship was to run, a rebuke reflexively burst out first. Because AJ had stopped Heichi, who tried to rush to Lee Heewoo as soon as he finished his sterile shower, with the reason that communication was coming in from Epsilon.
“Report.”
“Currently, 87 unidentified objects approaching within 1AU toward Earth, and 25 asteroids with adjusted trajectories are being observed.”
Earth was unique in that it was the only life-form habitable planet within that galaxy. Of course, that’s why they’d had no interaction with other planets until now, but the story changed when Epsilon discovered them. There were countless beings who would be interested in the newly appeared new planet.
“Among them, those with impure intentions.”
“…It seems it won’t exceed 50.”
Nevertheless, it was uncommon for over 100 planets to all take interest and rush in at once. Perhaps that was because the fact that the first Black Guide appeared had spread throughout the universe and was burning hot. Heichi narrowed his brow with an annoyed face.
Guides were treated as the most precious human resources in the universe. That wasn’t a story that applied only to Epsilon.
The guiding emitted by guides, that is, that mysterious wave, had the power to save the lives of life forms on some planets and revive dying planets in other places. Because of this, somewhere in the universe there were even planets that worshipped them like gods. Of course, conversely, there were also places that regarded guides as the root of all evil and treated them as those to be avoided.
That meant that how precious guides were was known not only by Epsilon’s Espers but by everyone. Especially the guides sold at the still illegally operated space slave auctions…
Heichi abruptly stood up as his thoughts reached that point. Along with the anxiety of not meeting his guide for a long time, the impatience and anxiety increased almost explosively due to the many enemies coming in targeting him. AJ, who knew why Heichi stood up without him saying, didn’t hold him back any longer either.
“Go ahead.”
Heichi left without even leaving a greeting in response. Heichi, who sliced through space and arrived at the alley in front of Lee Heewoo’s house in an instant, arrived in front of the old gate and briefly straightened his attire. Then he stepped inside the gate and headed toward the semi-basement room where Lee Heewoo resided.
Knock knock.
Since there was no bell, when he knocked instead of pressing the doorbell, there was a clattering, clattering sound of busy movement from inside. It seemed Lee Heewoo was surprised by the sudden visitor. Listening to the noise that tickled his ears, Heichi waited for Lee Heewoo to come out.
Who is it…?
At the voice heard from inside, Heichi cleared his throat and identified himself. Then soon, the door opened wide with a clatter.
Lee Heewoo’s house had a structure where as soon as you opened the door, you could see the tiled kitchen and the room beyond it clearly, and since the kitchen lighting was yellow unlike the room, it gave off an especially warm feeling.
Creeak.
The yellow light leaked out first and belatedly Lee Heewoo peeked out his head. And his white, soft cheek with fine hairs not yet gone…
“Were you hit?”
Was bruised blue. Heichi’s heart dropped down with a thud.
—
⚡Category-‣ Epsilon-‣ 1st Strategic Fleet-‣ Chat
✨Epilogue for Intelligent Life Forms✨
⦁Inter-planetary discrimination is prohibited.
⦁Clique behavior is prohibited.
⦁Spamming is prohibited.
⦁Please be informed that since automatic translation function is installed, language structure and interpretation results may be reconstructed according to the civilization for each planetary coordinate where link access occurs.
889 [Why on earth do we have to go to work]
1 Life form εCTC.8873.08651 ✋322
I fucking don’t want to go to work
2 Life form εCTC.8871.08892 ✋84
The battleship atmosphere is shit lately so I don’t want to even more
3 Life form εCTC.8871.08912 ✋16
-‣2 : I’ve been feeling it lately too, why is it like this?
4 Life form εCTC.8871.09012 ✋23
-‣3 : Why what fuck it’s because the Captain is dating
5 Life form εCTC.8871.09222 ✋36
-‣4 : Isn’t it a bit much to say it’s because the Captain is dating? It’s just because there are too many bastards with Korogolian-level intelligence lol
6 Life form εCTC.8871.09012 ✋3
-‣5 : Just what I know is three fuck
7 Life form εCTC.8871.09128 ✋0
I don’t want to go to work, I just want to stick with my guide and play all day
8 Life form εCTC.8871.09287 ✋7
Are Earthlings happy when they go to work? Though their expressions in the morning are all dead
9 Life form εCTC.8871.09333 ✋8
Still, sometimes you see some Earthling individuals going to work while smiling?
10 Life form εCTC.8871.09341 ✋18
While smiling? How on earth…?
11 Life form εCTC.8871.09444 ✋35
Still gotta go to work to feed my guide
12 Life form εCTC.8871.09512 ✋12
-‣11 : Agree, there’s no Esper less attractive than a poor one
13 Life form εCTC.8871.09556 ✋0
My dream is to not make my guide go to work
14 Life form εCTC.8871.09688 ✋6
That Red Guide who came out from Earth this time, his Esper is also in chaos lol because he’s too poor
15 Life form εCTC.8871.09698 ✋10
-‣14 : Why chaos? Is there a problem
16 Life form εCTC.8871.09733 ✋11
They say he doesn’t even know what money is, well still better than that Korean Brown who came out this time
17 Life form εCTC.8871.09741 ✋3
-‣16 : Ah that one’s famous right? They say he refuses to choose no matter what and holds out.
18 Life form εCTC.8871.09755 ✋14
What’s a Brown lol if it were Yellow maybe
19 Life form εCTC.8871.09886 ✋45
-‣18 : Reality: doesn’t even have a single guiding plant
20 Life form εCTC.8871.09911 ✋0
If I say you don’t have to go to work after going to Epsilon, will my guide follow me to Epsilon too…
21 Life form εCTC.8871.09985 ✋6
Hey they call people who got ‘tourism interpreter guide’ certification on Earth guides, are they all really guides? Can you become a guide if you get that?
22 Life form εCTC.8871.10002 ✋63
-‣21 : This bastard is asking this here too; I can see your desperation you bastard hang in there
23 Life form εCTC.8871.10125 ✋9
Fuck I really don’t want to go to work either
24 Life form εCTC.8871.10203 ✋17
Going to work leaving my guide vs living without a guide after work
25 Life form εCTC.8871.10243 ✋42
-‣21 : Fuck the reality is you go to work AND don’t have a guide
26 Life form εCTC.8871.10255 ✋0
Choose the dinner menu I’ll eat with my guide after work today Galbitang / Pasta
27 Life form εCTC.8871.10268 ✋98
-‣26 : Fucking shitty really
26 Life form εCTC.8871.10289 ✋101
If I just had a guide what’s the problem with going to work I’d just attend to my guide everywhere
