DMG Chapter 4 (Part 2)

He had packed it with the intention of wearing it, but the size was a bit off, and he didn’t have anything suitable to wear underneath. As Heo Do-gyeong had suggested, he considered throwing it away.

However, after hearing about the coat’s price from Choi Soo-bin, he was taken aback and, after cleaning it, carefully placed it back in his wardrobe.

Kang I-won briefly hesitated while looking at the coat, but then shook his head. Wearing the coat that the original owner had discarded felt a bit pathetic, and more importantly, a coat over sweatpants just didn’t suit him.

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It was too uncertain to wear the only padded jacket he had given the weather. After a moment of contemplation, Kang I-won decided to leave the house in his usual attire. It was a little chilly.

When he arrived at the meeting place and waited, a rather expensive-looking foreign car smoothly approached and came to a stop. Through the lowered window, he could see Heo Do-gyeong dressed more carefully than usual, looking neat.

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Kang I-won silently compared his own appearance to Heo Do-gyeong’s. He wondered if he had dressed too carelessly, but there was really nothing else to wear, and besides, what was the need to dress up when meeting Heo Do-gyeong?

“Aren’t you getting in?”

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At Heo Do-gyeong’s words, Kang I-won got into the passenger seat without hesitation. The car started moving smoothly with both of them inside.

Inside the vehicle, there was an unexpectedly soft fragrance that suited Heo Do-gyeong, and the warm air subtly eased the chill in Kang I-won’s body. Leaning back comfortably against the plush seat, Kang I-won asked.

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“Where are we going?”“There’s a decent Korean traditional set meal restaurant nearby.”

“Korean traditional set meal?”

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“Yes. Do you not like it?”

“No, I like it.”

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Kang I-won had no particular preferences when it came to food. As long as it could be eaten, he would eat anything without hesitation. Even the cafeteria food, which others often criticized for being tasteless, he ate without complaint. For Kang I-won, the quantity was more important than the taste.

He had said he preferred cheap and filling food over expensive options, but it seemed that message hadn’t quite gotten through. He thought to himself that he would just eat quickly, have a casual conversation, and then go home to satisfy his hunger with instant noodles. Looking out the window, he saw the scenery pass by quickly.

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After about thirty minutes of driving, they arrived at a place slightly outside the city. The restaurant had a serene atmosphere, with a traditional blended with modern elements.

“There’s still a restaurant like this around?”

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Most restaurants that were located in places hard to access without a car had moved to the city center after the Gate incident. Of course, there were still places that maintained their original locations without moving to the city. However, even those places relocated to the city after experiencing monster attacks.

Still, there were a rare few that remained open where they were. This was one of those rare places.

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Moreover, this restaurant had a Barrier. Kang I-won gazed at the transparent shield surrounding the restaurant in wonder.

There was a limit to the number of barriers a single Esper could create, and they were required to use a portion of those for the city of Seoul.

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The remaining barriers would either be used for their family, or, sometimes, they would accept private commissions and set up barriers for large payments, using them for personal gain.

He had heard that the cost of installing a barrier wasn’t cheap. Heo Do-gyeong, noticing Kang I-won’s thoughts, spoke up.

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“One of the owners here is a Barrier Esper. A-rank.”

“Ah.”

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Understanding immediately, Kang I-won followed Heo Do-gyeong into the restaurant.

Heo Do-gyeong seemed very familiar with the place. The guide didn’t even ask for his name and led them straight to a private room. Once they sat down in the quiet room, a waiter approached with a friendly voice and asked,

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“Shall I bring the meal right away?”

“Yes, please. I’ve already chosen the menu. Is that okay?”

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Kang I-won nodded. He felt a little overwhelmed by the luxurious atmosphere surrounding him. But places like this must be expensive, right? He was already starting to feel the pressure.

After a short wait, the food was served. The large table was filled with a variety of side dishes and dishes arranged neatly, filling every empty space.

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, grilled , , , , various jeon (pancakes), , , grilled , crab, grilled … The endless parade of food had Kang I-won’s eyes wide open in amazement.

It wasn’t until the table was filled from one end to the other with a feast of dishes that the table setting was finished. The servers left, and only Heo Do-gyeong and Kang I-won remained in the room.

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The table looked so packed that it seemed like it might collapse under the weight of the dishes.

Each dish, meticulously prepared, gleamed with a sheen and exuded a mouthwatering aroma.

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Despite his hunger, Kang I-won couldn’t help but feel burdened. This was more than just a meal—it felt excessive. He had no idea how much it cost, but it was already making him uncomfortable.

“I can’t eat much external food, so I made sure to order enough to fill us up,” Heo Do-gyeong said.

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Kang I-won couldn’t hide his discomfort and asked, “…How much is it? I’ll at least pay half.”

“It’s fine. I’m paying for it. Just eat comfortably.”

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“Still…”

He didn’t know the price, but he could easily guess it was far too expensive for him to accept from a younger person.

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Heo Do-gyeong smiled, the corners of his lips curving into a smooth, charming line.

“If you knew how much it cost, you wouldn’t be able to eat.”

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“….”

“Are you really curious?”

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For someone like Heo Do-gyeong, who was wrapped in luxury from head to toe and drove an expensive foreign car, the price was likely nothing to worry about.

Kang I-won, who had reluctantly accepted the situation, shook his head.

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“…I’ll enjoy the meal.”

“Good. Let’s have the meal first before we talk.”

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At Heo Do-gyeong’s suggestion, Kang I-won nodded and picked up his chopsticks.

He picked up a piece of ddeokgalbi (grilled short rib patties) and took a bite. His eyes widened in surprise. The juice exploded out as he bit into it, and the umami flavor was so intense that it felt like his taste buds were being pampered.

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Kang I-won’s eating sped up.

Unlike Kang I-won, who was eating at a fast pace, Heo Do-gyeong, having eaten just enough, set his chopsticks down and watched Kang I-won eat with an intrigued expression.

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He had felt this before, but it was truly fascinating. His eating speed was incredibly fast, yet there was no mess—nothing spilled or smeared on his lips. It was as if the food disappeared as soon as it entered his mouth, leaving Heo Do-gyeong wondering if he was actually chewing it.

Just watching him eat so smoothly was oddly captivating. He had often wondered why people enjoyed watching others eat on television, and now he understood.

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The table, once overflowing with food, began to empty quickly. When Kang I-won finished the last bite and swallowed it cleanly, the meal was finally over.

The empty plates were cleared in an instant, and dessert—rice cakes, fruit, and plum tea—was placed in front of them. Kang I-won took a refreshing sip from the cool plum tea.

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The sourness of the plum tea left his mouth feeling clean. As he set the cup down, Heo Do-gyeong spoke.

“Shall we talk now?”

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“Alright.”

Heo Do-gyeong, still holding his tea cup, stared directly at Kang I-won and asked.

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“I’ll ask again, Esper Kang I-won. Why are you avoiding me?”

Kang I-won tried to dodge the question at first.

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“I’m not avoiding you.”

“Not avoiding me, huh?”

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Heo Do-gyeong scoffed, then, as if to say it was unfortunate, spoke with a slightly regretful tone.

“If you’re not avoiding me, then I must be misunderstanding something. What a shame. I don’t want to misunderstand you, Esper Kang I-won, but why do I keep having these misunderstandings?”

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“…I don’t know.”

“I want to get along better with you, Esper Kang I-won. I’m curious about what kind of person you are.”

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Kang I-won responded directly.

“Is that necessary? Heo Do-gyeong, you have somewhere to go back to, don’t you?”

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“Even if the branches are different, we can still get along, right?”

“I’m not so sure.”

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Heo Do-gyeong’s insides twisted at Kang I-won’s cold rejection. He said there was no avoiding him, but here he was, feeling his frustration. With a slight smirk, Heo Do-gyeong spoke again.

“Who knows? I might change my mind…”

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The corners of Heo Do-gyeong’s eyes narrowed.

“Maybe I’ll stay as the dedicated Guide for Team 5.”

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Kang I-won’s expression faltered at this unexpected comment, and he couldn’t hide his distaste.

By now, his curiosity had overtaken any sense of wounded pride. Why was Heo Do-gyeong rejecting him so strongly? He was even more intrigued by that than anything else.

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Heo Do-gyeong spoke again.

“It’s really strange. Did you know that you’re so different from other Espers I’ve met? Even if the matching rate is high, you’re indifferent. Even when someone is kind to you, you don’t seem to care. And you don’t seem to enjoy receiving guiding either.”

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“Not all Espers are the same.”

“Is that so? Someone once said that guiding is a matter of survival.”

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The person who had said that remained silent, sipping the plum tea. When Kang I-won set his cup down, Heo Do-gyeong grabbed the handle of the teapot made of porcelain and poured more tea into the empty cups. The plum tea filled the cups to the brim.

“…Have you always been this interested in Espers? I heard you had a hatred for them.”

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“Oh, that?”

At Kang I-won’s question, Heo Do-gyeong’s brow furrowed slightly, as if caught off guard.

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“There was a time I got hurt by an Esper. I became really sensitive for a while after that.”

“Got hurt?”

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“I’ll pass on that. It’s not a pleasant memory.”

The memory of that incident still made Heo Do-gyeong uncomfortable every time it resurfaced. He quickly pushed it out of his mind and continued speaking.

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“It was just a rumor back then. It was a bit exaggerated. Well, after that, Espers started to be more cautious, so I didn’t bother correcting it. In a way, it was kind of convenient.”

“Doesn’t ‘exaggerated’ still mean it wasn’t entirely false?” Kang I-won replied.

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Heo Do-gyeong smiled, raising the corners of his mouth.

“That’s right. I don’t like Espers.”

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“Then why are you doing this to me? You could just ignore me like everyone else.”

“I’m not interested in Espers; I’m interested in you, Kang I-won.”

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“….”

“I’ve been saying it since earlier. I want to get along better with you, Esper Kang I-won.”

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Kang I-won continued to hold the cool teacup, still unsure about what to make of Heo Do-gyeong’s words. Wanting to get along better with him? It seemed laughable.

“Why that expression?” Heo Do-gyeong asked.

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Kang I-won lifted the cold teacup to his lips and murmured as if to himself.

“Because it’s funny.”

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“What’s so funny?”

“…That you’re interested in me and want to get along with me?”

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“Yes.”

“You’re not interested in me… You’re curious about why I’m avoiding you, right? That’s what you’ve been wondering from the beginning.”

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Eventually, the conversation looped back to the start.

Taking a sip of the plum tea, Kang I-won glanced at Heo Do-gyeong and continued in his usual indifferent, cold tone.

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“You’re fascinated by how I’m behaving differently from other Espers you’ve known, aren’t you? You’re frustrated because I rejected you, while every other Esper would cling to you. You’re curious about why I’m rejecting you.”

Despite the icy tone, Heo Do-gyeong didn’t flinch. Instead, he smiled and continued.

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“You’re right. I was curious about how I was being rejected. I’ve never been rejected like this before. But yes, I do want to get along with you, Esper Kang I-won. I’m curious about what kind of person you are. If I weren’t curious, why would I have been kind to you?”

“….”

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Kang I-won’s face, which had been expressionless, now clearly showed irritation. It was almost as if life had been breathed into a doll. The expression, though unpleasant, was far more telling than his usual blank face.

Heo Do-gyeong had indeed arranged this meeting because he was curious about why Kang I-won was avoiding him. But beyond that, he was also curious about who Kang I-won truly was.

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Since that day, whenever Heo Do-gyeong saw Kang I-won, he would often recall the lifeless appearance he had seen.

The pale, bloodless face, the limp, blood-soaked body, and the missing feet.

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Even those who looked less serious were carried off in a frenzy for treatment, yet Han Kang-jin, who had carried Kang I-won, remained calm and composed.

And so, Heo Do-gyeong had thought Kang I-won was dead. He had thought he was a corpse that had somehow returned.

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But Kang I-won didn’t die. Despite the horrific injuries, he acted as if nothing had happened. Even though the injuries were anything but something to be calm about, he acted as though they were nothing.

A part of his body had been lost. He had seen it happen, and yet the team leader had said, “It’s fine, don’t worry.” Heo Do-gyeong couldn’t understand that. How could someone not worry about that?

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That was why Heo Do-gyeong was so curious about who Kang I-won was. What kind of person could remain so composed, even in such a situation?

“I’m going to ask you one last time. Why are you avoiding me?”

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In truth, the reason wasn’t so big or dramatic that it couldn’t be explained.

But, don’t we all have a small secret? It’s not something significant or important, but something you don’t want to share with anyone.

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For Kang I-won, that secret was the reason he refused guiding, and also the reason he was avoiding Heo Do-gyeong.

Kang I-won didn’t want anyone to know that he was intentionally keeping himself in a state of lacking guiding. Even other Espers wouldn’t understand that behavior. He didn’t expect them to, nor did he care.

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He just wanted to alleviate the pain, or maybe he didn’t want to dream. For either reason, he didn’t want anyone to know. He didn’t want to explain or lie about it. He just wanted to remain silent.

With a slightly irritated tone, Kang I-won spoke as if to challenge Heo Do-gyeong.

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“Didn’t I explain it enough to you back then? I remember we agreed to leave it at that.”

Heo Do-gyeong immediately understood what Kang I-won was referring to. It was the time when he had collapsed, bleeding from his nose due to the side effects of the guiding drugs.

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Heo Do-gyeong gave a disbelieving laugh.

“Agreed to leave it at that? You said, as you just did, that guiding is a matter of survival for an Esper, and you’re telling me that you just accepted it because it was a habit, or because you didn’t want to deal with it anymore? How could I accept that? And even after that, Kang I-won’s attitude didn’t change. The doctor was right. No matter how much they said it, Kang I-won wouldn’t listen.”

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“You’re saying I didn’t listen, but I never heard anyone say it until they were blue in the face.”

“You’re not the one I’m talking about. There was someone else who repeated it endlessly.”

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It was, without a doubt, referring to Choi Soo-bin.

“And that’s not what I’m asking right now…”

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Heo Do-gyeong paused mid-sentence and let out a dry laugh. He wondered why Kang I-won had suddenly brought that up.

“Ah, now I understand why you’re avoiding me, Esper Kang I-won. You didn’t want to receive guiding, did you?”

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He realized he wasn’t actually asking about the reason Kang I-won was avoiding him, but rather why he was refusing guiding. Kang I-won frowned, belatedly recognizing the mistake.

He was about to ask another difficult question, so Kang I-won rubbed his temples. However, to his surprise, Heo Do-gyeong didn’t ask any further questions. He simply fiddled with the teacup, droplets of water gathering on its surface.

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Seeing this, Kang I-won asked in a tired voice,

“Since your curiosity is satisfied, there’s nothing else to ask, right?”

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“No, there’s one more thing.”

“What now?”

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Kang I-won spoke sharply. Heo Do-gyeong, resting his chin in his hand, casually asked,

“Is something like that common?”

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“It’s not common.”

“Everyone seemed so calm about it, though. The team leader and you, both of you.”

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“It’s because of regeneration. As long as it regenerates, it’s fine. It gets better, like you saw yourself.”

“Doesn’t the pain get to you?”

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“I took painkillers.”

“Taking painkillers itself means you’re not fine.”

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“……”

“Seriously, what happened inside that caused your ankle to get like that? If you don’t want to tell everything, at least let me know that.”

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“Does a Guide really need to know that?”

“Yes. I’m curious.”

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“I don’t feel like talking about it. It wasn’t a big deal anyway.”

“Just speak casually. It looks like you’re more comfortable with informal speech.”

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“I don’t want to.”

The back-and-forth conversation showed no signs of stopping.

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Kang I-won couldn’t understand why Heo Do-gyeong was so curious about this.

Guides were the ones who held the lifeline of Espers, but in essence, they were no different from ordinary people.

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A Guide, who was no different from an ordinary person, existed far from the frontlines. They stayed in the center, protected by its safety. Unless they were unlucky enough to get involved, they never had to face monsters. Even if they did, the rescue and protection of Guides came first.

So Guides didn’t need to dig deep into the lives of Espers and monsters. They didn’t need to know how Espers fought monsters or what happened during those battles.

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But why was Heo Do-gyeong so curious about it? It was unnecessary curiosity, and unwelcome attention.

Kang I-won would have preferred it if Heo Do-gyeong were being irritating, treating him like a germ, and tossing aside gloves he had touched.

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What had caused this sudden shift in Heo Do-gyeong’s attitude? Kang I-won couldn’t understand it at all.

The long conversation had worn him out. He felt like he might get indigestion from the food he had just eaten.

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His mouth hurt from talking too much, and he wondered what he was doing on a holiday. He always let time pass meaninglessly on his days off, but wasting time with Heo Do-gyeong felt even more wasteful than the usual meaningless hours.

“Heo Do-gyeong, from now on, I hope you won’t take anything I say to heart.”

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“Why are you speaking so seriously?”

Kang I-won slowly opened his mouth, intending to send the temporary Guide back to Seoul earlier than planned. He spoke quickly, not wasting time.

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“Yeah, I did avoid you.”

“What?”

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“I’ve been avoiding you, Heo Do-gyeong. I didn’t want to receive your guiding. Why? Because your guiding isn’t great. What does it matter if the matching rate is high? Your guiding is still lacking. You’ve seen how my complexion has been lately, right? That’s all because your guiding isn’t up to par.”

“……”

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Heo Do-gyeong was caught off guard by the unexpected words. Kang I-won didn’t stop there, continuing to speak.

“As you know, I don’t really like guiding. Especially yours. And I’m uncomfortable with this whole situation. I don’t know what suddenly made you so interested in me, but I’d prefer if you didn’t. It’s uncomfortable. I’d rather you not care if my feet or arms get cut off.”

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Kang I-won’s impression of Heo Do-gyeong hadn’t changed from the beginning. An annoying Guide from Seoul. That was the extent of his impression of Heo Do-gyeong. He didn’t have any particular affection or curiosity.

He couldn’t even understand what the other person was thinking, and he didn’t intend to. All the attention Heo Do-gyeong gave him only made him uncomfortable.

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“I don’t plan on getting close to you, Heo Do-gyeong. You were the one who said it at the beginning, right? That we shouldn’t do anything to hurt each other’s feelings or make things awkward. I want to keep it that way, just maintaining a professional relationship, and then you can go back to Seoul.”

“……”

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Kang I-won bowed his head slightly to the speechless Heo Do-gyeong.

“I must have upset you. I’m sorry. Don’t take it too personally.”

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Heo Do-gyeong slowly blinked and looked at the top of Kang I-won’s head. Then, with his hand still on his chin, he covered his mouth.

To be honest, he wasn’t really that displeased. It was strangely not unpleasant at all. He had known all along that complaints about guiding were nonsense.

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Heo Do-gyeong had been watching his reactions all along. After seeing all that, how could he believe that Kang I-won really disliked his guiding?

What was surprising, instead, was just how much rejection he was facing.

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Had Heo Do-gyeong ever been rejected like this in his life? No.

He had been born with a platinum spoon in his mouth and lived life with everything handed to him. Whether before or after becoming a Guide, he had always lived in the spotlight, receiving all the attention and admiration.

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So, to find himself in a position where he was being rejected so completely was almost refreshing.

Because of this, Heo Do-gyeong genuinely became curious about Kang I-won. For the first time in his life, he was rejected so thoroughly, and his stubbornness only grew stronger, like a rebellious child.

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But even if they continued the conversation, nothing would change. It would only be the same repetitive conversation, like a hamster running on a wheel. If they were to talk again, it would have to be after some time had passed.

Having finished their meal and enough conversation, Heo Do-gyeong decided it was time to leave. With that thought in mind, he spoke.

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“Shall we go?”

Without receiving any response to his words, Heo Do-gyeong stood up and prepared to leave. Kang I-won hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.

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Following Heo Do-gyeong, who had gotten up first, Kang I-won glanced at his back and sighed quietly, secretly.

He felt uncomfortable.

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It seemed like he had been a bit too harsh. After all, Heo Do-gyeong was much younger than him, and yet he couldn’t hold back his irritation, letting it all show. He felt embarrassed by his outburst. Regret came a little late.

He could have said things in a kinder way. His mind was conflicted.

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The car was silent. Just like on the way here, the car was quiet, but this time, the silence felt uncomfortable.

Kang I-won turned his head to look out the window. The road stretched out smoothly, and soon they were entering the city. The tall buildings and apartments in the distance were visible.

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As they continued driving smoothly through the city, the car came to a sudden stop. Turning his head forward, Kang I-won noticed that there was some kind of traffic jam ahead.

“Is there an accident up ahead…?” Kang I-won murmured quietly. At the same time, the opportunity Heo Do-gyeong had been so curious about—how Kang I-won had ended up in such a situation—was quickly approaching.

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Beep—beep—

The device that Kang I-won had placed on the seat rang loudly, flashing red. It was an emergency call.

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Emergency calls were sent to all Espers within a certain radius when a monster appeared, based on the location data of the Esper. The fact that it was ringing now meant that a monster had appeared somewhere nearby.

Kang I-won, as a habit, reached to accept the call, but Heo Do-gyeong’s large hand reached out to stop him. Kang I-won looked up at Heo Do-gyeong, who had blocked his hand.

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“Don’t go.”

“What?”

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“Don’t go. There’s nothing going on right now. What are you going to do, with only your regenerative ability that doesn’t help much? Don’t go. Other Espers will handle it.”

He was right. What could Kang I-won do without any weapons? It would be a blessing if he didn’t just get in the way. As Kang I-won lowered his wrist, where the device was strapped, Heo Do-gyeong withdrew his hand.

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Even if he didn’t go, the blocked road meant they couldn’t move forward or backward until the monster issue was resolved. They were stuck on the road, waiting for the situation to resolve itself.

Kang I-won noticed people getting out of the cars ahead of them, looking around to assess the situation. The two of them silently waited in the car, still hoping for the situation to be resolved.

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Then, the driver of the car directly in front of them got out and, while talking on the phone, began looking around. Suddenly, the man froze, then screamed and ran toward the opposite direction.

One by one, the people outside began running in the same direction. Some urgently fled from their cars and followed suit.

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Kang I-won turned his head. On the opposite side where they had fled, three monsters appeared.

“We’ll have to get out.”

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As he spoke, Kang I-won opened the car door and briefly stared at the monsters in the distance. There were three of them, and they were familiar creatures.

Though they had no official name, most Espers referred to them as “Teddy Bears” because they resembled stuffed bears. Of course, Kang I-won just called them “Bear Monsters.”

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Anyway, despite their cute appearance, the most dangerous feature of these bear monsters was their incredible strength. The fluffy-looking bear monsters, resembling stuffed toys, slammed the ground with their short arms, causing the ground to crack.

While their strength was overwhelming, the bear monsters had clear weaknesses, making them not too difficult to deal with.

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The bear monster’s weakness was its tail. Inside the tail, there was a parasitic monster that controlled the bear monster. If you could remove the parasitic monster through the tail, everything after that would be easy.

Once the parasitic monster, which controlled the bear monster, was removed, the bear monster’s movements became simple, and the parasitic monster itself had no offensive capabilities and poor defense, making it easy to handle.

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The key was to kill it quickly before the parasitic monster could find a new host.

As Kang I-won was recalling this information about the bear monsters, he was suddenly pulled in the opposite direction by Heo Do-gyeong’s grip on his wrist and found himself running without thinking.

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“What are you doing, standing there like that? We need to run!”

“Ah… I was just trying to assess the monsters.”

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“Why bother with that! You’re not the one who’s going to fight them.”

“…It’s a habit.”

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As he said that, Kang I-won glanced back over his shoulder.

He saw the three bear monsters chasing each other around like they were playing tag, flailing their arms. From a distance, they looked cute, but the destruction they caused was far from cute.

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It didn’t take long for Kang I-won’s steps to slow down, eventually coming to a complete stop. Heo Do-gyeong, who had stopped with him, tugged at his wrist, but Kang I-won didn’t budge.

Kang I-won continued to stare at the destruction the bear monsters were causing.

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Nearby cars and flower beds were crushed, and a telephone pole was snapped in half. The bear monsters were having fun, wrecking everything around them. Then, they noticed someone hiding nearby, trembling in fear, unprepared.

When the man screamed and started running, the three bear monsters waddled after him.

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At the same time, the bear monsters opened their mouths. Inside their mouths, it resembled a bear trap, wide open to catch their prey. The contrast between their cute appearance and the deadly interior of their mouths was jarring.

One bear monster continued to chase the fleeing man, while the other two stopped, showing more interest in a nearby building. It seemed like there were people hiding inside, not taking refuge.

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When one of the bear monsters tapped the building’s glass with its front paw, the glass shattered, and the shards rained down.

The bear monster reached out with its short front paws, but due to their limited reach, it grew frustrated and stomped its feet angrily. The ground beneath it cracked with each stomp.

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Nearby, another bear monster helped by digging into the building. Scraping at it to dig deeper, the building crumbled like a fragile snack.

Kang I-won looked at Heo Do-gyeong, who frowned deeply.

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“I told you not to go. What are you going to do?”

“Can’t I do something?”

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“Don’t say nonsense. You’ll just get squashed if you go. Another Esper will be here soon. Please, just wait.”

That was true. Without any weapons, Kang I-won couldn’t be of much help. As Heo Do-gyeong said, he would most likely be crushed by one of those fluffy arms. Or perhaps the arrival of another Esper would be faster than him getting there.

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Still, Kang I-won had to go. It would be good if the Esper arrived in time, but if they were delayed, and the bear monster kept tearing at the building, the resulting casualties would be catastrophic.

“Heo Do-gyeong.”

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“What now?”

“It looks like the monster won’t come this way. But just in case, you should at least run over there.”

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“I’ve told you repeatedly. Don’t go.”

Heo Do-gyeong’s words, spoken through clenched teeth, were filled with concern for Kang I-won. His concern was appreciated, but there was nothing to be done.

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“You have to protect me. Where do you think you’re going?”

In emergencies, it was the Esper’s duty to prioritize the safety of their Guide. It was confidential, but in some situations, the safety of the Guide would be considered more important than that of civilians.

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However, that applied only when the Guide’s life was at risk, which wasn’t the case now.

Kang I-won pulled his wrist from Heo Do-gyeong’s grasp and said firmly, “What can I do? This is my job.”

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Heo Do-gyeong, though strong for an ordinary person—thanks to natural strength and consistent training—was still just a regular person. He could never match the strength of an Esper who had trained constantly.

Kang I-won broke free from Heo Do-gyeong’s grip and sprinted. He could hear Heo Do-gyeong’s voice calling after him, but he ignored it.

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One of the bear monsters that had gone off in the distance returned, and now all three monsters were clustered around the building. Two were digging intently, while the third, its mouth smeared with blood, wandered around, observing.

The bear monsters scraped broadly at the building. Fortunately, they hadn’t dug too deep. Had they gone deeper, the building would have lost its balance and collapsed long ago.

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Focusing on the building, the three bear monsters didn’t notice Kang I-won’s position for a while. Standing a little farther away from them, Kang I-won paused and pondered.

The monster’s obsession was food. The best way to lure the monster out was to use food as bait.

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And that food was, of course, humans.

Kang I-won grabbed a shard of glass that had flown far from the shattered window, rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, and immediately made a deep, long cut from his elbow to his wrist. There was no hesitation.

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The blood poured from the wound, quickly staining the ground beneath him. As the scent of blood filled the air, the three bear monsters turned their heads simultaneously and locked eyes with him. The intensity of their gaze was somewhat unsettling.

Having confirmed that the monsters were focused on him, Kang I-won turned and began running. The three bear monsters followed swiftly.

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Since the emergency call had gone off, moving too far from his current position wasn’t a good idea.

As he checked the three bear monsters in pursuit, Kang I-won began circling the road, trying to throw them off. Every time the bear monsters seemed to lose interest, he would slit his flesh again, letting the blood scent fill the air once more.

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