After finishing the radio communication, I looked at the comments section. In the past, I’d just skimmed over the comments from BL novel enthusiasts, but last time I’d obtained an important hint. Now I couldn’t carelessly pass by the comments either.
[Reader1] Omgㅠㅠ Amazing, it went just like the comment I wrote…whoa crazy…gotta buy a lottery ticket
⤷ Try guessing the next episode too~♬ – HatefulCat-
⤷ Whoa author-nim has appeared!
⤷ If I guess right, will you give me a HaewonGaram kiss, author-nim?
⤷ Who knows ^0^~♬ – HatefulCat-
[Reader2] Haewon somehow saves Ryu Heegang. Everyone just survives. No one dies ㅠㅠ. Pamundong all survive too (even reattach the eyeballsㅠㅠ) And then suddenly Haewon and Garam have s*x
⤷ You can’t write impossible wishful thinking -3- – HatefulCat-
⤷ Author-nim is firm lol
[Reader3] Won’t he unfortunately not be able to save him ㅠㅠAnd Haewon will turn dark
[Reader4] But wait, isn’t Suo Weiqian Ryu Heegang’s close teacher? Or something like that? Why is he like that ㅡㅡ Really bad
[Reader5] Lots of comments todayhehe I also vote for Ryu Heegang dies and Haewon turns dark!
People’s opinions were starkly divided. Save him, can’t save him. There was nothing that could be a hint. Even the author had appeared, but gave no hints.
“In any case, it won’t go easily.”
I didn’t trust the author. They had a record of eliminating Jeong Sanghyeop and Han Miyeon overnight. I’d seen those people’s lives disappear before my eyes. There were a total of three SS-class espers in the gate. In fact, there was no problem subduing just Ryu Heegang. The question was whether to capture him alive or not.
And before that, how Pamundong would move was also important. I opened the cabin where the management department was. Each person was having urgent conversations through phone calls or video chats. Director Kim Jeongseon, who had just finished a call, saw me.
“Guide Park Garam, what is it?”
“Did the negotiation team enter Pamundong?”
“I heard they’re just approaching now.”
“Please check if there are people escaping from Pamundong taking advantage of that gap, or if there are people approaching the gate. Esper Kim Haewon urgently asked before he left, but I forgot.”
“That’s a reasonable thought. I’ll ask that side’s esper association.”
“Please request trustworthy people. Like with the last four-directional gate, it seems like information is leaking from the inside.”
“Understood. I’ll be especially careful.”
Director Kim Jeongseon spoke courteously and returned to her seat. I watched the people move like that and returned to my seat.
I didn’t know if the radio would work anymore, but I pressed the microphone for now.
“The negotiation team is entering Pamundong. I asked the management department to monitor if anyone comes out from there. Pamundong people might appear inside the gate.”
The screen was still crackling and nothing was visible. There was no response to the radio either. I put down the microphone. Then, an employee from the Diplomatic Management Department opened the door again and approached.
“Esper Gabriel is entering with a cam. The screen will connect soon.”
“What about the radio interference?”
“They say it’s a cam applying new technology from Russia this time, so it’s strong against radio interference.”
As soon as his words fell, the situation inside the gate appeared on the screen. A sandstorm was blowing fiercely, then water poured once and it subsided. The screen was also washed down once, and then Ryu Heegang’s figure appeared.
He was in a standoff with Haewon. Haewon was doing the work of turning all his attacks to naught (無) by himself. Emily was dealing with small fry monsters that appeared from somewhere, moving with her eyes closed and only with her senses. She probably thought they might have come from Pamundong.
Gabriel, who entered last, was a telekinesis-type esper. He applied pressure to the broken chains to make them reattach.
{The gate entrance is expanding. Can’t delay the situation, so wrapping up.}
After Kim Haewon spoke so all espers could hear, he gathered the electricity Ryu Heegang emitted in the air. Pressure (壓). Could he use that ability even on invisible forms?
The moment Haewon used energy, water energy blurred the camera. It would be to hide the energy he was using, but the lightning-like phenomenon of energy that had been spread throughout the gate striking down to one place was clear between the streams of water.
It was powerful. It was power that proved superiority even among SS-class espers. He created something new as if cooking by layering power from other types onto his own. And with that, he counterattacked the one who attacked him.
The attack was effective. Ryu Heegang trembled in surprise at his own energy spreading back into himself, then lost consciousness. I opened my mouth and watched that scene. The inside of the gate that had been bright became dark in one breath.
He didn’t break the chains. There was no need to last an hour. Yet he perfectly subdued Ryu Heegang. Kim Haewon carried Ryu Heegang on his back and exited the gate. The other two espers cleaned up all the monsters inside the gate with a few attacks. Only after confirming there were no living creatures inside the gate did the two espers head outside the gate.
The management department people began moving busily.
“The espers who entered the gate are returning.”
“Esper Ryu Heegang will be transported to a white box for now. The white box will temporarily change to access blocking mode and move to the Chinese Esper Association research lab.”
Radio and communications went back and forth rapidly. Our plane, which had been waiting closest to the gate, descended. The aircraft shook unstably. People sat in their seats again, but their mouths didn’t stop moving.
Since the door between the cabins wasn’t closed, all sorts of languages mixed together from the Diplomatic Management Department people’s words flowed in chaotically. When we successfully landed safely, Emily Ruler and Gabriel Arenas boarded the plane. Kim Haewon wasn’t visible.
“What about Esper Kim Haewon?”
At my question, Director Kim Jeongseon answered quickly.
“He’s in the white box with Esper Ryu Heegang. He voluntarily isolated himself to prepare for any possible situation.”
“What?”
Voluntarily? Is there such a crazy guy? When I asked back with my eyes wide open, Director Kim Jeongseon continued speaking calmly.
“It was probably the best choice he could make in the current situation. For everyone’s safety.”
Director Kim Jeongseon’s words were strange. Because it sounded like she meant Kim Haewon should naturally sacrifice himself like that. Because he’s the strongest, he shouldn’t back down even in the most dangerous and scary situations. Had it always been that way? So is that why he said he’d do it himself without anyone telling him?
I was seriously worried about his safety. In the novel, it said Ryu Heegang wouldn’t be able to return to his original state even with time. If that was the case, I worried whether he’d attack again when he came to his senses, whether the chains were safe.
“Please sit down for now. The espers who went to the scene are also very curious about the current situation, so sharing is necessary.”
Director Kim Jeongseon said while looking at the two espers who were excited with question marks. I nodded my head and sat in my seat. Then they also sat and began conversing. I couldn’t understand because it was a foreign language, but they were clearly very excited.
I put back in my ear the translator Director Kim Jeongseon had given me before. Then their words, though clumsy, began to be heard translated. The association’s simultaneous interpreter was the best technology.
{What happened to Heegang? Who did this? Is it Pamundong? I’ll smash them right now.}
{Emily, please calm down. First, Heegang and Haewon’s safety is most important.}
{What changes if I calm down here? We might be next. Heegang, who was fine, became such a monster! Can he come back? Those eyes. Those eyes weren’t human eyes.}
Emily Ruler, who had entered the gate first, was in a very excited state. Even when Gabriel tried to soothe her, it was no use. Director Kim Jeongseon handed her water to drink. Then continued speaking.
{Everything will be revealed clearly. Currently, the negotiation team has arrived at Pamundong and is proceeding with talks. They apparently explained that they kidnapped Esper Ryu Heegang, but he escaped midway.}
{It doesn’t make sense that they kidnapped Heegang either. Suo Weiqian must have called him out and attacked him! With that forbidden psychic-type ability!}
{I can’t agree with that explanation either. Whether Heegang escaped midway or not isn’t what’s important. The focus should be on how he was kidnapped. We could become the second Ryu Heegang. If Haewon had become like that, we might not have been able to stop him. Oh, just thinking about it is terrible.}
Gabriel spoke while making big gestures as if it was something that should absolutely never happen. Emily couldn’t calm her excitement even after emptying half the bottled water in one gulp and continued speaking.
{We need to investigate the ability to freely open gates and control the monsters inside. This is something that should have been looked into since the recent succession of orange-grade gates. The association was too complacent!}
Emily’s words were close to harsh criticism. But they were all correct too. Director Kim Jeongseon seriously listened to the two espers’ excited opinions.
{I promise you that esper associations around the world will not take this matter lightly. I will make sure both your opinions are actively reflected.}
{Associations are always good at just saying such things! It’s the same in every country!}
Emily stood up from her seat in fury. It was understandable anger. She’d almost lost her life right away, and her pair guide was seriously injured.
Would Kim Haewon be safe? I was worrying about that when I heard a voice in my other ear that wasn’t wearing the simultaneous interpreter.
― Guide Park Garam, can you hear me?
It was Kim Haewon.
