Guild members belonging to upper-tier guilds are assigned area management according to their individual capabilities. The more outstanding an Esper, the more areas they’re responsible for and the higher the danger level.
Among them, the area Yeoul was in charge of was notoriously infamous enough that everyone avoided it. GS-04 Area. It was a place where S-rank Gates, the highest danger rating, occurred, and it was an area where new species of monsters appeared more frequently compared to other places.
The reason Yeoul took charge of this place was simple. He wanted an area with few people, where veteran fighters gathered who would handle monsters on their own without needing orders.
GS-04 Area was exactly that kind of place. Although the danger level was considerably high, everyone silently and cleanly handled only their assigned work. It was the optimal environment for Yeoul, who found dealing with people uncomfortable.
Kyahaaak—!
A mutant monster that had spewed poison rushed forward, reattaching its severed body parts. Even though he deliberately aimed for and blew up its head, the scattered pieces wriggled back together and returned to their original form. Even when its body was chopped into fine pieces and burned, it just rampaged while making a racket, ultimately never dying.
“Wow, this is maddening. Why won’t that thing die?”
“Evacuate for now! At this rate, we’ll all die.”
Even veteran Espers accustomed to emergency situations couldn’t withstand the mutant monster’s attacks and retreated. Not only did it revive like a phoenix every single time, but it also spewed poison in all directions to prevent the Espers from escaping—it was truly pandemonium.
“Kheuk…!”
“Everyone, don’t breathe!”
Espers who had tried to help the wounded only to end up inhaling poison themselves began collapsing here and there. The advanced Esper who had been shouting urgently also gradually lost consciousness.
If Dawoon had been at this scene, he would have overexerted himself trying to heal them all. And seeing that, Yeoul would have lost his mind.
Kyahaaak!
A monster gigantic enough to devour all the Espers in the area roared. Because its body grotesquely expanded the more limbs were severed, everyone stopped attacking and was busy just avoiding it.
Damn mutant bastards. The reason these things appeared was all because of the overheated Gates.
Just like the endlessly increasing Gates, the variety of monsters that appeared kept diversifying. The danger ratings gradually increased, and new species of monsters with no data began pouring out countless times a day.
At this rate, we might really all die. It was the moment when a sense of defeat settled on the faces of the advanced Espers.
Kyaha, aak…!
“G-Go Yeoul Esper-nim!”
Seeing Yeoul appear from the air together with a Teleportation Esper, everyone present let out sighs of relief.
“We’ll evacuate!”
“Everyone get away!”
Yeoul, who had arrived at his assigned area, immediately released his power.
Just the wavelength pouring from his body made the surrounding monsters flinch and flee. Because it was such a dense wavelength that even allied Espers felt suffocated, everyone escaped more nimbly than when facing monsters.
Yeoul, who had deployed an Ice Barrier, didn’t miss a single monster. He froze even the gigantic mutant monster that had knocked down advanced Espers with poison in one breath.
Kuwoong—!
The body of the mutant monster, frozen solid like an ice boulder, fell to the ground in an instant. An Esper who manipulated earth quickly approached and supported Yeoul, burying the monster alive in the ground.
To handle monsters that wouldn’t die even when their hearts and heads were blown up, the best method was to seal them with abilities and bury them alive.
Since monsters also had finite lifespans, there was no choice but to wait for them to eventually suffocate and die. Since there would never be a need to dig the sealed monsters out of the ground, everyone agreed with this method.
“Is it dead?”
Yeoul, standing on the ground where the mutant monster was buried, asked a nearby Esper. What he was asking about wasn’t the monster.
“No, there are many injured, but everyone is still breathing.”
An Esper familiar with Yeoul’s peculiar way of conversing reported on the area’s situation. Thanks to Yeoul coming, they finally had breathing room. The only remaining task was to smash the small fry that Yeoul had frozen.
“Oh, Guild Leader Ryu Taeha!”
Loud greetings followed behind Yeoul, who was surveying the open Gate. Numerous people showed fervent interest in Ryu Taeha, who had suddenly appeared in GS-04 Area.
Ryu Taeha pushed away their hot attention with a light hand gesture. The reason he came was one.
“Yeoul, shall we talk?”
Ryu Taeha, who had approached with his characteristic leisurely gait, stopped behind Yeoul. Even though the Guild Leader had come, Yeoul didn’t even turn around, pretending to focus on the Gate.
“I have nothing to talk about.”
“I do.”
The surrounding Espers, who had been reading the room, cleared the area on their own. Ryu Taeha blocked Yeoul with Telekinesis as he tried to leave with them.
“You told me to work, so why are you interfering? Should I just quit?”
“It’ll just take a moment. It’s not a long talk.”
Ryu Taeha leisurely watched Yeoul, who kept his back turned to him until the end.
“What did I tell you to do when talking to people?”
Yeoul, stubbornly standing with his back showing, muttered a curse. However, soon becoming conscious of the Guild Leader’s words, he reluctantly turned around.
At this, Ryu Taeha smiled as if pleased.
“That’s right. You have to look at the other person’s eyes. That’s courtesy.”
“Just state your business and get lost.”
“That mouth.”
Ryu Taeha tapped his own lips with his straight finger.
“Watch your mouth, Yeoul.”
Though his tone was gentle, it was clearly a warning. Yeoul rolled his eyes like a middle schooler going through puberty. Ryu Taeha continued speaking while looking at such a Yeoul with a benevolent smile.
“I’m overlooking it just this once. If you show violent behavior one more time in front of people, I won’t let it slide either.”
He was talking about what happened at the annex. Attacking him was at a level he could laugh off, but what Ryu Taeha took issue with was what Yeoul had said.
The warning that he would kill everyone.
“You shouldn’t say things like that even when angry. Words become attitude.”
Yeoul just stared intently at Ryu Taeha’s eyes without any response. There was no sign of reflection at all, but at least no rebellious spirit was felt.
“I trust that Yeoul will follow well. Just like now.”
Ryu Taeha, who smiled softly, placed his hand on Yeoul’s broad shoulder. Then Yeoul lightly shrugged his shoulder and brushed off his hand.
“Then promise me.”
“What promise?”
Ryu Taeha made an interested face. It was talk that had never come from Yeoul’s mouth before, so it naturally drew his attention.
“I’ll shut up and follow Guild Leader’s words well, so don’t touch Dawoon hyung.”
Ryu Taeha, raising his eyebrows, laughed loudly. Yeoul’s expression sharpened at that light reaction, feeling offended.
“Dawoon hyung doesn’t need Guild Leader anymore. He doesn’t even like you, so Guild Leader should just continue taking care of your younger brother.”
“Are you getting cocky just because you became sex partners?”
Yeoul hesitated. His large eyes blinked for a moment, then soon the corners of his frozen mouth twitched upward.
“Did Dawoon hyung say it? That he decided to become partners with me?”
He seemed quite pleased that Dawoon had directly revealed their relationship. Watching the youngest member’s expression where emotions showed plainly, Taeha snorted through his nose.
“Don’t misunderstand, Yeoul. Sex partners are just a relationship where you cleanly mix bodies. Not lovers.”
Yeoul, who had been grinning, looked down at Taeha with squinted eyes.
“Just promise me. That you won’t mess with Dawoon hyung.”
“That’s my habit, so I can’t change it.”
“Cut the bullshit.”
“You’re just a sex partner—it’s not your place to interfere.”
Firmness was added to Taeha’s soft tone.
“That’s between Dawoon and me. Who are you to butt in?”
Following that, he added a playful smile and lengthened his tone as if dealing with a child.
“Yeoul, sex partners aren’t romantic like you imagine. You just help each other during heat cycles and that’s it. Without any emotional exchange.”
“I know that much too.”
“If you know, why did you throw a tantrum asking to do it? Making Dawoon uncomfortable.”
Yeoul, furrowing his eyebrows, asked in a hard tone.
“Did Dawoon hyung say that? That I threw a tantrum?”
“He was quite troubled and frustrated. Dawoon is rather soft-hearted. If you push him, he’s the type who’ll force himself to do things even if he doesn’t want to. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”
Yeoul closed his mouth.
“……”
He just stared intently at Taeha’s face as if to pierce through it, without saying anything else.
Several seconds passed like that, and the corners of Yeoul’s mouth, which had been quietly frozen, rose sharply again.
“Wow, Guild Leader is really the worst.”
His face, openly mocking Taeha, brightened in an instant.
“Guild Leader doesn’t seem to know, but Dawoon hyung was the one who said let’s do it first.”
Of course, he was the one who first brought up the topic, but it was Dawoon who actually said let’s do it. Yeoul didn’t throw a tantrum. He just conveyed his feelings.
“Ah, really? Didn’t know.”
Taeha, shrugging his shoulders, readily admitted his lie. Yeoul, who had been watching him carefully, changed his mind.
He had been trying to somehow get a promise not to touch Dawoon hyung, but that wouldn’t be necessary. Seeing that pathetic display.
“Guild Leader is regretting it now, right? Super anxious that you might lose Dawoon hyung.”
Yeoul, spreading his already broad shoulders even more proudly, made a pleased face like when he was with Dawoon.
Seeing the Guild Leader who had made the person he liked suffer for so long act so pathetically made even his usually low mood improve.
“I am anxious that our guild might fall apart.”
“Don’t pretend to be relaxed. It all shows.”
Oh dear, Taeha reacted brazenly and raised the corners of his mouth languidly while rubbing his lower jaw.
“It showed?”
Though he must have clearly hit the mark, Yeoul’s face crumpled instead as he watched Taeha laugh leisurely. Because of his light attitude, he couldn’t tell whether those words were sincere or lies.
But it must be sincere. Because humans easily regret even when they lose a toy they treated lightly.
“You should have treated him well while you had him.”
“I’m doing quite well even now, aren’t I?”
Yeoul shook his head and looked down at Ryu Taeha.
“You reap what you sow, they say.”
He’d wanted to return these words to him someday.
“You’re paying the price for ignoring and trampling on Dawoon hyung’s pure heart.”
“I’ve never trampled on Dawoon.”
“You trampled on him yesterday too.”
“When did I?”
“At the annex.”
Ryu Taeha tilted his head as if he really didn’t understand. Yeoul scratched the back of his head with an ‘I knew it’ face.
“How shitty would it feel if someone you liked shoved a list at you telling you to have sex with some other bastard? And in front of everyone too.”
