The giant hole in the dried-up riverbed overnight and two missing Guides. The first person to move upon Han Seoha and Yu Haneul’s disappearance was Ryu Jaegeon.
Throughout his frantic running inside the cave, his watch remained silent. Due to the peculiarity of the space being open on all sides yet enclosed, even if they were close, it was difficult to search if the direction wasn’t right.
‘Are they even inside here?’
Surely not at the very bottom of that deep place that sucked up all the river water. Even while thinking that, he had gone in and out of the water. Even if they had drowned, the watch would have reacted, so it was fortunate it wasn’t ringing.
If they had moved somewhere, there was a limit to what Guides, who were no different from ordinary people, could do on foot. He had run around in all directions for several kilometers, but the watch didn’t ring. Just as Ryu Jaegeon was getting anxious about whether he should go back out to make an official support request, he heard the sound of a pile of rocks falling. At the scream that followed, Ryu Jaegeon checked his watch and ran, but was flustered in front of a cliff with countless holes. In the excessively wide and random space, Ryu Jaegeon became desperate.
Where. Where are you?
He tried to use his ability recklessly to dash forward, but his wavelength was unstable from wandering for hours. If he hadn’t found the Guide, it would have been Ryu Jaegeon who became lost.
That’s how much an Esper who had lost his Guide had judgment biased to one side.
If he raised his voice to call out, it would be like summoning cave magic beasts sensitive to noise. Since even his watch was ringing, the distance to the Guide must be very close.
“Jaegeon, over here!”
At Han Seoha’s call with all his strength, Ryu Jaegeon raised his head. What he saw from Han Seoha hanging in a place much farther and higher than expected was surprise. Joy. And resignation.
Before Ryu Jaegeon could express his question of why, Han Seoha threw Yu Haneul down. To be precise, he let go of the hand he was holding.
“Aaaah!”
He didn’t make the mistake of missing Yu Haneul falling with a scream. It was such an easy thing that Ryu Jaegeon’s gaze, catching Yu Haneul, was fixed on the vines pouring down on Han Seoha.
It was the vines summoned by Ryu Jaegeon’s call and Yu Haneul’s scream. Even from a distance, Ryu Jaegeon was about to extend his arm with the momentum to burn them when Yu Haneul hugged him tightly.
“Hic, Jaegeon hyung, I knew you’d come.”
“Wait a moment.”
“Don’t go!”
“Be quiet.”
Even while covering Yu Haneul’s mouth that had raised his voice, Ryu Jaegeon didn’t miss a single moment of the vines binding Han Seoha and disappearing quickly.
He confirmed the direction. After taking just a bit more guiding energy coming from Yu Haneul, if he followed, he could save him sufficiently. When Ryu Jaegeon grabbed Yu Haneul’s chin and tried to kiss him, he quickly turned his head and refused.
“I don’t want to.”
“Yu Haneul.”
“I won’t do guiding here. Take me outside.”
“Now’s not the time for that.”
“With Jaegeon hyung’s ability, you can get outside right away.”
“You, really… didn’t you see Han Seoha get caught alone trying to get you out?”
“Those vines don’t harm people, right? Seoha sunbae told me.”
Yu Haneul didn’t back down even at Ryu Jaegeon’s sigh. When Ryu Jaegeon tried to check his watch, he even covered it with his hand.
“Jaegeon hyung, your wavelength is a mess right now. Receive guiding in a safe place and come back.”
Yu Haneul’s words made sense. He had only learned the approximate location, and he couldn’t leave Yu Haneul behind to find Han Seoha, who he didn’t even know where he had been dragged to. In terms of priority, protecting the A-rank Guide came first. Even knowing that, Han Seoha’s face as he was dragged away with resignation kept coming to mind, making him feel unsettled.
Ryu Jaegeon’s gaze still headed toward the upper cave where debris was falling. The vine’s length shouldn’t be thought of in general terms. It was hard to guess how far it would drag him, but no matter how fast the vine was, could it be faster than an A-rank Esper?
Yu Haneul, who had been watching that sight, stepped back. Knowing that the target the sensitive Esper was concentrating on enough not to even notice his partner’s movements was Han Seoha, his anxiety reached its peak. At this rate, Ryu Jaegeon would go to save Han Seoha.
If he came to know Han Seoha who had taken care of him for Ryu Jaegeon’s sake even in a situation where he might die wandering in the cave. Just the assumption alone brought anxiety that choked his throat.
‘I don’t want to be in this place even one more second.’
The cave was so cramped that he even had the illusion of being suffocated. Yu Haneul, driven to his limit, took out an emergency knife.
Scritch.
Despite the chillingly sharp pain, Yu Haneul, seeing Ryu Jaegeon still distracted looking at where Han Seoha had disappeared, put strength into the hand holding the knife once more.
Ryu Jaegeon was gauging his remaining energy. It would be pushing it, but it was enough to track Han Seoha who had been dragged away by the vines. The problem was Yu Haneul, who had become extremely sensitive. Ryu Jaegeon, who was about to hand over his defensive item to the Guide who wanted to escape first, couldn’t understand why he had moved far away. Nor could he understand the bright red blood flowing down from Yu Haneul’s wrist that he was holding.
The knife dropped on the floor made him certain it was Yu Haneul’s doing.
“What did you do?”
“I need treatment. Quickly take me to base camp.”
“What the hell are you doing?”
Instead of demanding more, Yu Haneul let go of the hand that had been holding his wrist. At the blood gushing out in spurts, Ryu Jaegeon ran over and grabbed it tightly. The knife that was pathetically small for dealing with magic beasts cut through human tender skin all too well.
Seeing Ryu Jaegeon’s hand gripping tightly for hemostasis, Yu Haneul finally smiled and let out a voice mixed with aegyo.
“I was scared. Don’t be angry, Jaegeon hyung.”
“You! Really, ha…”
Ryu Jaegeon checked the direction where Han Seoha had disappeared and gritted his teeth at the sensation of his insides turning over.
There was only one action Ryu Jaegeon could take here. Treat Yu Haneul and find Han Seoha. To do that, he had to move as quickly as possible even if his wavelength was running wild.
Meanwhile, Han Seoha, wrapped in vines around his arms, legs, and torso without exception, was rapidly dragged somewhere.
“Ugh! Guh!”
The momentum to suppress the intruder’s disturbance was even resolute. Because of the vines moving arbitrarily along the wall, Han Seoha’s back hit the floor, his clothes scraped against the rough walls, and there wasn’t a single intact spot.
‘If only the vines around my legs weren’t there, I could run and follow.’
It didn’t have enough strength to pull Han Seoha into the wall, so the drag marks from the floor to the wall to the ceiling were clear. Even if Ryu Jaegeon followed belatedly, he would be able to find him quickly, but Han Seoha let out an empty laugh at the watch that had gone quiet.
‘He’s really not following.’
He was certain that once he handed Yu Haneul over to Ryu Jaegeon, he wouldn’t follow anymore. An Esper whose wavelength was a mess from searching frantically without thinking about energy efficiency looking for his Guide couldn’t give up A-rank guiding. However, since it was Ryu Jaegeon who had started showing affection toward Han Seoha, he had considered a slightly different scenario.
All meaningless assumptions, though.
When Han Seoha showed no signs of resistance, the vine’s speed gradually slowed. The vines that had dragged Han Seoha this far seemed to have lost interest in the quiet intruder and smoothly released him.
Cold wind filled with moisture. A cave seemingly swallowed by darkness.
It’s here.
The surroundings had already turned pitch black, so he quietly took out a flashlight. The shallow water that reflected the flashlight’s beam was the source of the moisture.
Even though it looked clean, he didn’t bother touching it. The identity of the darkness was black vines. Black vines were tangled all over every visible wall. Magic stones and items shone with faint light in between.
If he stepped on the shallow water, it would make noise, and the sensitive black vines wouldn’t leave the noise alone. Han Seoha avoided the water reflecting the flashlight’s beam and moved by stepping on the pitch-black vines. The vines solid enough to drag a person around didn’t squirm from being stepped on.
Carefully so as not to slip, when he arrived at the space where vines and items were mixed together, items reflecting small lights caught his eye.
Without even glancing at the flashy accessories or magic stones, Han Seoha, who had been rummaging around here and there, picked up an inconspicuous round object about the size of his palm.
“Haa, found it.”
The compass had no needle. At a glance, it could also look like a circular plate with clock parts missing.
Worthless items were put up for collector auctions, and by chance, the owner who discovered the compass’s function introduced everything from the item’s origin to its usage on a broadcast. Because of that, it met a theft ending.
‘It’s a bound item anyway, so they couldn’t even use it. The thief must have been an unusual collector too.’
Thanks to that, the broadcast dealt with regret about the item and the object’s origin even more in detail. It was detailed enough information for a Guide to come find it alone. Even if he had brought Yu Haneul this far, as long as he hadn’t fallen into panic, he could have obtained it without difficulty.
The Deceiver’s Compass. Later, after learning the method of use, the name would change to the Compass of Wishes, but right now it was just an unexpected object that popped out of the treasure room, so it was easy to claim ownership.
As Han Seoha examined the compass this way and that, he only then noticed that his fingernails were broken and covered in blood. If he had come alone, he would have obtained it easily, but he was in terrible shape.
“This is really… a mess.”
Han Seoha’s sigh was deep as he stared blankly at his battered hands. He felt sorry for carelessly treating Han Seoha’s body. Even though he knew that a healer would treat him anyway and that there was no greater danger, he did it, but Han Seoha was always precious and dear.
He said he’d be quiet, but perhaps because noise was created while rummaging through items, the entrance Han Seoha had come through was already covered by black vines. He could get out if he forced his way through the narrow gap. The flashlight’s battery still had plenty left, and was there really a need to leave the place where items and magic stones had gathered?
Even if the rescue team couldn’t pinpoint this location, Jeong Iro would come to rescue him, so there was even less to worry about.
“Mm… is it still too early?”
Even if Jeong Iro was trapped in the Association, he could easily be released if he appealed his spatial movement ability. Though he refrained from using his spatial movement ability in front of others, wouldn’t he step up for his partner Han Seoha?
‘Seeing that he hasn’t come yet, taming him won’t be easy.’
Is Jeong Iro the wrong choice after all?
Should he find a chicken instead of a pheasant? Coming to this point and choosing differently was a headache.
Ryu Jaegeon being swayed by Yu Haneul was out of the question no matter how much he had developed feelings for Han Seoha. Should he receive Baek Uihyeon’s protection for the time being, even if guiding would be overwhelming?
‘Before Han Seoha returns, I’d like to have one or two proper Espers by my side.’
Just looking at personality, Jo Yonghwi with whom he had built rapport was the best, but he was weak in force, so it would be hard to help the gentle Han Seoha in a pinch. Even while worrying, looking at the item in his hand made him smile naturally.
‘Still, with just this, I can pinpoint the direction.’
The Association had more than one or two external facilities. Since he didn’t know which facility was conducting illegal experiments, he couldn’t just barge in recklessly. But using this item, he could know the direction. If he got Jeong Iro’s cooperation, it would be even faster.
‘As expected, it was really easy.’
It was thanks to getting the opportunity for a C-rank Guide to enter a Gate. It was a butterfly effect brought about by Jeong Iro’s excessive behavior. Before that, it was made possible by the accumulation of records of striving while wearing down his own body for Espers, true to Han Seoha’s character.
Now it was over once he rested until he was rescued.
Han Seoha settled himself appropriately in the gap between the vines and rocks. This place was much safer compared to outside. There was no way magic beasts would enter a space full of vines. Unless he was caught and dragged here by vines and trapped until he became a magic stone.
