# Chapter 146
Belatedly, D.S’s words flashed through Iyeon’s mind. Back then, he thought she was just talking nonsense…
“[So when you find Mirae, you have to put her to sleep.]”
“You seem fine. You’re saying important things right now.”
Well, she had been explaining how the portable portal function worked, so that response made sense. Iyeon let out a hollow laugh.
“No, but if there’s a function like this, you should have explained it more clearly…”
He’d wondered why she was so obsessed with Mirae’s sleep, but it seemed the activation condition was a “location with secured space” like a bed. She had specifically mentioned a bed probably because she had first assumed a kidnapping scenario while sleeping…
“Where did Mirae go? To D.S-ssi’s workshop?”
[I can only send to the input coordinates. I don’t know where that location is.]
Iyeon grabbed ChilChil’s arm and lifted it out of the cut-off bed that had trapped it. The remains of the bed crumbled into white sand.
[But it’s definitely a safe place for Mirae.]
“Can’t we use this again?”
[It’s single-use. Recharging is required for reuse.]
Since it was designed for Mirae, this was probably expected… Too bad. Iyeon clicked his tongue idly.
Still, Mirae’s safety was secured, so the rest would be much easier. Iyeon’s gaze turned toward Taejin, who was watching them from a distance.
With his bracelet shattered and unable to use any powers, Taejin could do nothing but watch Sano and Semi from afar. Whenever Taejin tried to move even slightly, Sano’s attacks would fly toward him like warning shots. Taejin seemed to have realized early on that these clear warnings contained not a grain of mercy. The fact that he had been standing still all this time was proof of that.
The secret space had been destroyed long ago, and Sano was close to the exit. The equipment in the room had been smashed to pieces during numerous battles. There was absolutely nothing Taejin could do alone.
Iyeon began walking toward such a Taejin.
“…!”
Iyeon’s steps were light, as if he were just taking a stroll. Taejin quickly noticed Iyeon walking toward him in an ordinary manner. There was still some distance between them. Their eyes met from afar.
There was no longer any composure left on Taejin’s face.
Gritting his teeth, the man raised his voice loudly.
“Lee Se-, *cough*, Lee Semi!”
Despite his voice breaking midway as the strain seemed to aggravate his wound, it was still a resolute call.
Semi was currently in tatters from fighting with Sano. Her clothes were torn and she was scratched from sharp spines. Even covered in dust from rolling and jumping on the floor, she was busily running around to stop Sano on Taejin’s behalf.
But Taejin paid no attention to that. He seemed like someone who didn’t even know what state she was in right now.
He just stared directly at Iyeon and commanded:
“Get me out of here right now!”
Semi flinched at his loud shout. Her hesitation lasted only a moment, but Sano wouldn’t miss such an opening. In an instant, strong steel beams shot up from the floor and pinned Semi down. As she grimaced and tried to teleport away—
*Crunch.*
“Ugh!”
A black spine deeply pierced her shoulder.
Semi’s eyes widened. Superpowers, especially teleportation, required some concentration to calculate the range and location. The excruciating pain coursing through her body scattered her gathering gi-ryeok like clouds. Though trembling violently, Semi raised her hand to pull out the spine that had penetrated her body.
But Sano’s superpower wouldn’t yield to mere physical strength.
“You stupid…!”
Taejin erupted in a thunderous voice, as if frustrated. Sano approached Semi, who was pinned to the floor and unable to move. His footsteps echoed ominously.
Semi had the option to teleport away with Taejin the moment Sano appeared. Yet she had chosen to confront Sano instead.
There must have been a reason why she couldn’t readily leave this place.
“Are you done struggling?”
Black shoes stopped in front of Semi. The tall figure standing like a totem pole was half-covered in shadow, making only his eyes appear to gleam.
Semi bit her lip. After glaring at Sano for a while, she opened her mouth. Though she wanted to sound as composed as possible, her voice trembled due to the pain radiating from her shoulder.
“…W-where is Lee Seeun?”
A cold gaze turned toward Semi. Sano’s lips didn’t even curl into a sneer. As she glared at his smooth face, Semi suddenly realized that something was spattered in dots around his cheeks and neck.
It was blood.
“Didn’t you send her expecting what would happen?”
At this dispassionate response, Semi’s eyes widened. Her trembling eyes immediately contorted with shock.
“You…!”
Semi teleported with the spine still embedded in her body. In the blink of an eye, she moved to the ceiling above Sano and jumped down at him from his blind spot. The attack, carrying her full body weight, aimed for his head.
“Dangerous…”
Iyeon stopped walking in surprise and stretched out his hand. White sand gathered into a plate shape and pooled above Sano’s head. *Clang!* Semi bounced off what felt like a plastic barrier and landed hard on her backside. The plate, extended like a slide, sent Semi skidding far into a corner. Having suddenly lost his opponent, Sano looked at Iyeon with an indifferent expression.
“You excel at pointless actions.”
“You’re really the type who earns beatings with your mouth.”
Even when helped, he gives reproach. Iyeon grumbled before looking back at Taejin. His last card, Semi, hadn’t moved as he expected, and Taejin seemed greatly bewildered. His wavering gaze alternated between Semi, who had collapsed and was squirming on the opposite side, Sano standing stoically in the center, and Iyeon walking toward him.
“I gave Number 3 his power.”
Taejin forced a smile. The man who had never once been driven into a defensive position in his life still couldn’t let go of his groundless confidence.
“Thanks to me, he became a splendid butterfly.”
As he spoke, Taejin gradually regained his composure. He was essentially a father figure. If it weren’t for him, Sano would never have received Mugunghwa Tier 5, become ranked number one, established Jesan, or been revered as the city’s hero.
What Taejin gave wasn’t just a superpower. It was Je Sano’s entire life.
He should be prostrating himself in gratitude.
“Show me respect, Number 3.”
Iyeon, who had been quietly glaring at Taejin, suddenly tensed his jaw. Don’t pretend to be a benefactor now. You used Sano as a means. You tried to kill him when your plans went wrong. The many words lingering on his lips never made it out.
He couldn’t step forward and condemn Taejin because he somewhat agreed with his words.
He thought it was fortunate that the experiment had succeeded.
What Taejin said wasn’t entirely wrong. Taejin created Sano’s superpower. By gaining that power, Sano was able to become who he is now. Without Taejin, it was impossible to know how he would have lived. He wouldn’t even have been able to meet Iyeon.
That was clearly close to a debt.
Even knowing that Sano had almost died because of it, the fact that he still thought this way suddenly felt terrible to Iyeon, and he dropped his gaze to the floor. Sano glanced at Iyeon’s darkened face, and his lips twisted.
“Respect?”
Though it would have been easy to smash that face acting like a benefactor, Sano deliberately refrained. His slow voice mocked:
“You’re begging for your life, yet your mouth is still working.”
In the sharp air, an even sharper voice flew toward Taejin.
“I don’t understand why my life is judged by your experiment.”
Taejin’s eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly.
“You did nothing.”
The greenish eyes never blinked as they stared at Taejin. Sano spoke slowly and deliberately, as if branding him.
Iyeon watched the scene, entranced.
“I am not a butterfly, but Je Sano.”
There was absolutely no wavering in Sano’s voice. His face was as impassive as usual. He denied Taejin’s words in his typical indifferent tone.
As if it were truly nothing at all.
“And that’s not something you created.”
*Thump*… Suddenly, Iyeon’s heart began to race.
His pulse pounded fiercely for no apparent reason, but there was no time to worry about that. It felt as if the thin threads binding his heart were snapping one by one.
Emotions he didn’t even know existed revealed themselves only after shattering into pieces. The modest sense of liberation soon became a massive wave washing over his entire body. A lump rose from the bottom of his throat. Iyeon barely swallowed it down and clenched his fist. A shiver ran from his spine to the nape of his neck.
How, how.
How could he not gaze at that steadfast back?
