The Disaster Response Headquarters was gathering data on the abilities of survivors in preparation for the next disaster.
Through this process, they obtained research results showing the correlation between Espers and Guides, the existence of individual matching compatibility, and that Esper abilities had upper, middle, and lower tiers.
‘Even comparing five flame-type Espers, their ignition power is all different.’
While visually observing and assigning grades, they discovered that individual magnetic fields differed.
This soon led to the development of a wave measuring device. It became easier to assign ability grades.
Cheorwon Disaster Headquarters Branch Office.
“Next, Lee Yesol-nim.”
I had come to get my waves measured according to government orders.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
“What’s my grade?”
“Well… your waves aren’t particularly active. We’ll have to see when more detailed criteria come out later, but… you’re a bit below standard.”
From the way they were speaking as roundabout as possible, it must be the lowest grade.
‘No different from before the regression.’
It was as expected. And I’d already thought of an alternative.
As I exited the branch office, I saw Park Jaeseon shuffling in. His hair was dyed red just like in his newly changed ChickTalk profile picture.
“Yesol~”
“Park Jaeseon-ah, are you Kihoon hyung or something?”
“Ah, what are you saying? Lee Yesol-ah! What score did you get on that wave thing?!”
“Don’t make a rookie confirm that he’s a rookie.”
I sat on a bench and chomped on the chocolate snack I received as a gift for the test.
“What? Are you really a ‘Lower’?”
“Lowest.”
“Ah… I heard it’s surprisingly hard to get a high grade. Well, cheer up… Hey, but you’re handsome! How can a person be so perfect!”
The more Park Jaeseon made a fuss, the more solemn the atmosphere became.
“Wow, but how does Kim Seohyeon do it?”
“What about Kim Seohyeon?”
“He’s… never mind.”
“Ah, why?”
“I heard he got Highest?”
I wasn’t even surprised.
Since measurement technology hadn’t properly developed yet and things were currently divided into upper, middle, and lower, the ‘Highest’ measured here now would be waves that would all be displayed as B- or higher in the world standard grades that would come out in the near future.
“Park Jaeseon-nim, please come in~”
“Yees. Hey, Lee Yesol. Wait until I’m done. Let’s eat.”
“You’re buying?”
“If you wait, I’m buying~”
By the way, how does Park Jaeseon know information about Kim Seohyeon? Were those two close?
I was sitting sprawled out with a huge yawn when *bzzzzt*—all the cell phones in the branch office rang noisily.
[Black smoke spotted in the Yongsan-gu area of Seoul]
Ah, what was coming has come.
As soon as the breaking news appeared, all entry routes to Yongsan-gu were closed.
People who had gone to work were all leaving Yongsan-gu at once, causing tremendous traffic congestion.
ChickTubers swarmed in filming and broadcasting the current refugee procession, and even a three-story cart blocking the sidewalk appeared, gathering big issues.
[Title: Common Evacuation Scene (567)]
(Three-story cart photo)
(Cart collapsed photo)
Just collapsed lololololol
└So much junk lolololol
└The road’s all blocked because of this right now
└Meanwhile no one’s picking up the underwear
└Crazy bastard even packed coffee grounds;
└For real crazy
[Title: Can’t they block the smoke? (34)]
Fucking curious
└Even if you cover it with reinforced glass it breaks through
└ㅇㅇcan’t block it
└This country is just fucked;
Espers who had received ‘Highest’ and ‘Upper’ grades were summoned.
I, who received a ‘Lowest’ grade, wasn’t subject to the summons, but I quickly contacted Kim Seohyeon and boarded the Seoul-bound bus together with him.
It was around then that I received a call from the Disaster Situation Room.
—Lee Yesol-gun. This is Lee Chaseok from the Disaster Situation Room. Where are you right now?
“On the Seoul-bound bus.”
—Ah, that’s good. Lee Yesol-gun, you were right. Warning signs have started appearing in Yongsan-gu.
“Yes. I saw the text.”
—Regarding the commendation ceremony…
“It’s wartime. It’s right to postpone it.”
—Yes, we appreciate your understanding. Lee Yesol-gun, I’ll see you when you arrive.
And two hours later, we were gathered at the Seoul government building.
“Thank you for coming all this way. We appreciate it.”
The Disaster Agency Director who had summoned the Awakened opened his mouth.
“Black vaporization is erupting throughout the Yongsan-gu area, and we are evacuating all Yongsan-gu citizens.”
They were doing well.
I drank the coffee placed in front of me while scanning the atmosphere.
They had issued an emergency summons, but the Director seemed flustered as they didn’t know exactly what would happen.
“We apologize. We also have no information.”
“……”
“Is there anyone who can investigate the ground, such as detection-types or earth-types? We desperately need even small information.”
The summoned Espers didn’t have expressions as serious as the civil servants here. That was because most of them were people who had comfortably gathered at the clock tower, basked in light, and survived.
I raised my hand.
“I’ll go.”
“Lee Yesol-gun, thank you. We’ll attach an investigator and bodyguards so you can return safely.”
“I don’t need bodyguards… I just need one Guide with a good build.”
I patted Kim Seohyeon, who was sitting quietly, and said.
“Hey, wanna go?”
“Yeah.”
On one side, an earth-type Esper raised their hand high.
“I don’t know if I’ll be helpful, but… I’ll go too.”
The earth-type wasn’t even an exploration-related Esper, but seemed to have raised their hand as if pushed by the ‘detection-type earth-type Esper’ that the Director mentioned earlier.
And so four people entered Yongsan-gu.
Me, Kim Seohyeon, the earth-type ahjussi, and investigator Lee Chaseok made up the party.
The earth-type ahjussi really had a face that said he didn’t know what he was supposed to figure out, and Lee Chaseok was putting all his effort into driving to avoid hitting people who suddenly jumped out.
Kim Seohyeon was just staring with displeasure at a ChickTuber who was filming.
“Ohhh! Over there, it looks like Espers have arrived. But… huh? It’s that person~ The trainee who assaulted the clock! Ah, this is amazing. Hello! ChickTube BbaekBbaek TV live streaming now. Would an interview be possible?”
Just as Lee Chaseok was about to shoo away the ChickTuber with a good-natured face, Kim Seohyeon stepped forward.
“Scram.”
“Oh~ We are live right now, but yes. I understand. I’m rooting for you. I seem to have made a mistake while you’re performing official duties~”
The mood suddenly turned awkward. This guy who doesn’t know how to read public sentiment…
That’s also work they do to make a living, and with half pity and half broadcasting instinct, they just went for it.
“Hello. I’m Lee Yesol! I can’t say much in detail since I’m performing official duties, but I won’t damage property this time, so please give us lots of support!”
“Wahaha! You won’t… damage property! Wow, Esper Lee Yesol! Is saying that. Ah, wow… Thank you! I’ll support you a lot!”
└lololololololol
└lolololololololololol
└He’s really cheerful lololol
└Was he this kind of character?
└Please ask why he hit the clock
└Isn’t he self-reflecting
└Deobuk won’t do idol work? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
I caught a glimpse of the chat window going wild.
I smiled brightly at the camera and waved both hands. The ahjussi standing behind also smiled awkwardly and waved.
Let’s wrap this up warmly at this point.
We thoroughly looked around the heart of Yongsan-gu where there were no people at all. The feeling of an empty city was quite strange.
“So… can you feel something?”
“I wonder.”
Lee Chaseok asked a question full of doubt.
Naturally, I, whose traits hadn’t developed, felt nothing.
There was no need to come this far, but the reason I purposely came was a kind of buildup.
After finishing shuffling around looking, I reached a conclusion.
“We need an electric-type Esper and an art-type Esper. And Kim Seohyeon, you too.”
“Lee Yesol-gun, what exactly did you feel?”
“The weight of the earth’s smoldering nature.”
If I say it vaguely like this, they won’t understand. Even as I’m saying it, I don’t know what I’m talking about.
“Excuse me? What does that mean…?”
“It’s hard to explain, but you can think of it as reading the essence of the earth.”
“……”
“If you stay here even after the earth preheating ends, everyone will die. There’s still time left. Not only people, but you should move as many material assets as possible out of Yongsan-gu.”
At my words, Lee Chaseok made a frightened face.
But it was really true.
In fact, in Korea’s second Territory Game before the regression, everyone except Esper Kim Seohyeon died.
“And there are a few things we need…”
“Yes, what are they?”
I instructed several items to prepare. Lee Chaseok wrote them down while uncertain, and Kim Seohyeon, who was perking up his ears beside us, asked ‘why the hell do you need those things?’
“Say that this land needs those things.”
“…The land, you say?”
“…Yes.”
It was extremely embarrassing to say such things in front of an earth-type Esper whose affinity with the earth was max level, but what could I do?
It was awkward to tell people living in reality that I was a regressor, and it was even worse to say I was a prophecy-type in a world with many variables.
Whenever questions poured in that they didn’t understand, I desperately held out with ambiguous answers as if I’d pulled them from another dimension.
And finally, the day of the decisive battle came.
* * *
[Title: Why can’t everyone just leave? (33)]
Why are they trying to go in? Are they sick with hero complex…
└Isn’t it monopolization by a few? Like their traits or nature’s power getting stronger in the second territory?
└They controlled all the citizens… What about people who want to get newly diagnosed as Esper or Guide ㅡㅡ
└This country is just hopeless lol Cheorwon Republic lol
└They did control for safety but you can enter ㅇㅇ You have to agree that the state won’t take responsibility if you die
└ㅇㅇ Wreckers signed consent forms and went in fucking tons lol
I was standing on the roof terrace of Namsan Tower.
The second Territory Game transformation had already started, but just looking at the people trapped in Yongsan-gu at a glance…
“There are fucking tons of them.”
A sigh came out.
I repeatedly emphasized that as many people as possible needed to escape from Yongsan-gu, but it wasn’t followed.
The reason was that in a democratic country, they couldn’t control individual freedom, but honestly, the Disaster Agency also didn’t give weight to the words of me, whose wave level was ‘Lowest.’
Well, if I were them, I’d do the same when someone claiming to be a detection-type keeps spouting ambiguous words.
I could even see students who had secretly infiltrated.
“You be the Esper! I’ll be the Guide!”
There was no more time to lament, and even less of an exit hole from Yongsan.
Just then, a pop-up window appeared before everyone’s eyes.
<Kill the Rainbow>
