# Chapter 47
After taking down Yukhon, Jaesik turned his head. He could see Junseo standing obediently inside the protective barrier Jaesik had created. Jaesik’s eyes, which hadn’t fully released the exhilaration bestowed by the hunt, gleamed. A nasty thought crossed his mind that it would feel really good to fill that space with water and turn Yu Junseo into a sorry-looking drenched mouse.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“You were smiling maliciously.”
“…I wasn’t.”
“Then you must naturally have a malicious face.”
“I said I wasn’t!”
Jaesik erased the thought and removed Junseo’s protective barrier. Simultaneously, Jaesik’s choker light flashed yellow. Jaesik thought, “That guy is still a Guide after all,” as he sensed Junseo carefully observing his choker.
“By the way, when did you observe that the shadow was strange and discover it was Yukhon?”
Jaesik asked, seeing Junseo in a different light for the first time despite having internally dismissed him. Yukhon changes its body and acts as if it’s a close acquaintance to seduce its prey. There was only one way to distinguish that monster from the real thing.
By observing the shadow.
Yukhon’s main body is flame. Fire is closer to an air mass including post-combustion material that emits light and air convection. Therefore, the shadow of a person imitated by Yukhon was noticeably faint compared to that of ordinary living creatures, and would ripple slightly when the wind blew.
Such theory was like basic knowledge for Espers, but it was rare for Guides who don’t participate in hunting to know it, so it was surprising that Junseo knew. Even Jaesik had momentarily been deceived just now. To Jaesik, who asked out of curiosity, Junseo replied nonchalantly.
“Was the shadow strange?”
“Excuse me?”
“I could tell because it wasn’t cute at all for Esper Choi Dohyuk. It was too clingy.”
Junseo’s face was as smug as usual, making up excuses while he actually knew for different reasons.
“……”
“Of course, if the real Esper Choi Dohyuk were clingy, I think it would be cute.”
“……”
“Now that I mention it, I’m curious.”
“I don’t want to hear anymore.”
“Then don’t ask.”
Crazy bastard.
Jaesik now wished Dohyuk would return quickly. He realized too late who it was that kept Yu Junseo docile and brought peace to everyone.
Regardless of what Jaesik was thinking, Junseo was busy answering the radio. It seemed he at least knew that as an S-class, he had to briefly lead the situation while Sangjun was away. Normally, even if they were lower-ranked, Espers would give mission orders rather than Guides who lack knowledge about dungeons, but strangely, issuing commands suited Junseo.
He was also quick to judge situations.
As Jaesik was thinking this far, he hurriedly cleared his mind, feeling something strangely drawing him in.
“A-class monster, Yukhon hunt completed. Will share the situation after return. Scan results? Over.”
[After scanning the surroundings, no reaction within an 800m radius. Over.]
“Returning to Base B. Over.”
By the way, why is there still no news from Esper Choi Dohyuk and Esper Ji Sangjun? Seeing that even Yukhon has appeared, Gulkak and Iol must have been reconfigured too, and they might be late because they’re hunting them?
Apart from thinking that there was nothing to worry about with Sangjun around, Jaesik couldn’t handle Yu Junseo any longer. He was at the point of wanting to return to the base and do some comfortable self-isolation in the tent. Jaesik’s eyes narrowed as he watched Junseo issuing various additional instructions over the radio. Come to think of it, there was something else he was curious about.
“What’s that strange toy?”
As Jaesik brought it up, Junseo finally turned to look at him.
“Toy?”
“That… that thing. The weird pink one.”
“What?”
Jaesik, wondering why he felt more ashamed the more he spoke, described it earnestly.
“That… pink thing, that… strange toy gun-like thing. You seemed to be using it to peel off the shell that Yukhon had put on. I’ve never seen such a tool in my life. Is it some kind of weapon for Guides? Though it doesn’t look strong at all for a weapon.”
“Ah, that.”
“Yes.”
After muttering “well, that’s,” Junseo grinned. Jaesik’s blank eyes focused on him. Junseo’s lips, which had been keeping him in suspense for quite some time, finally parted.
“It’s a secret.”
This guy was really a fucking bastard.
***
Dohyuk looked around with a strange feeling.
Tangled vines hung limply over the long-stretched branches. Vines that would normally obstruct vision were half-melted or cleanly cut, and the tree trunks were covered with wounds where the bark had been peeled off.
Dohyuk frowned. His neat face was full of worry. Only the cat in his arms innocently blinked its eyes and rolled around in his broad embrace, purring contentedly. Sangjun cautiously broached the subject to Dohyuk as if feeling the same way.
“Esper Choi Dohyuk, are you perhaps thinking the same thing I am?”
“If you’re thinking we’re going around in circles… yes, I’m thinking the same thing.”
“Oh dear.”
Sangjun repeatedly tapped his in-ear, continuously trying to radio the base, but the signal that had been cut off some time ago couldn’t be picked up at all.
It was strange. To lose radio communication in a dungeon? The radio they were wearing was also made for dungeon missions, processed from by-products. Dohyuk was a bit flustered since it was his first time having a radio become useless during a mission.
“There’s no reason we should be lost.”
Dohyuk agreed with Sangjun’s muttering. Even though it was a jungle-type dungeon where it was easy to get lost, this was not something Dohyuk, who wasn’t an Esper with little dungeon conquest experience, needed to worry about. He had never lost his way even on darker night paths than this.
It was the same this time. There was no reason not to find the way. This was because continuous scanning from the base guided the location, and Dohyuk had left various traces during the search. If they had properly followed the traces left, they should have arrived at the base already with time to spare.
“I think we should also consider the possibility of a dungeon reconfiguration.”
“But Esper Choi Dohyuk, what does dungeon reconfiguration have to do with the radio not working? It’s strange that we’re lost when monsters have just been reborn.”
“It could be the work of Changgwis Gulkak and Iol.”
At Dohyuk’s words, Sangjun bit his lip thoughtfully before releasing it.
“Of course, Gulkak affects the prey’s cognitive abilities, and Iol sets traps and confuses prey. But they’re just A-class monsters. That means they can’t exert such a big influence on us.”
“It’s true there have never been cases where Gulkak affected one’s sense of direction. And newly reconfigured monsters can’t use such great power either.”
Of course, Sangjun’s words made sense too. Reconfigured monsters typically remained as still as possible for about half a day, as if storing energy while being exposed to the core’s energy. Furthermore, Gulkak’s influence couldn’t significantly affect Espers.
How should I put it? It made you think one more time about something you could normally decide after two rounds of consideration. It didn’t have the power to make you lose your sense of direction and go round and round on a known path like this.
Iol’s disruption also didn’t originally extend to radios made by processing by-products. A typical Iol just set up primitive traps on the path where the prey was going.
It was indeed strange. It was a noticeably stronger power than usual for a Changgwi.
“This is the search team. Can you hear me?”
Sangjun tried the radio again, but it was still dead. Just as he was checking the in-ear again with a frown.
Weeeell.
A strange sound came from right beside them.
“Huh! What was that just now?”
Sangjun was so startled that Dohyuk, who was also surprised, opened his mouth as if making an excuse.
“It’s the cat.”
“Why does the cat cry so strangely? Aren’t all cats supposed to meow? Is it because it’s a monster after all?”
Sangjun’s gaze narrowed. As if responding to the gaze, the cat cried gently.
Gool-gool.
“……”
“Look, it’s grunting like a pig when it’s not even a pig.”
“…While it’s likely to be a monster, even normal cats make strange noises.”
Nyarruk.
Dohyuk, who had never raised one but had diligently played the role of a can opener for stray cats until now, replied calmly. However, Sangjun still had a suspicious look.
“Aren’t cats supposed to be elegant, mature animals? You must have only seen unusual cats. I need to be able to trust Esper Choi Dohyuk’s eyes. Even Guide Yu Junseo keeps saying ‘cute, cute.’ There’s a good chance you’ve been finding strange things cute, thinking they were cats.”
It was a light tone that was clearly a joke. It was closer to an attempt to diffuse a tense atmosphere that could become sensitive due to getting lost. Normally, he would have just laughed it off, even at the teasing remarks.
Dohyuk reflexively furrowed his brow and asked back.
“Isn’t Guide Yu Junseo… objectively cute?”
“Let’s not even go there.”
Sangjun replied in a tone that suggested he was fed up. Dohyuk couldn’t understand such a Sangjun.
