EST Ch 13

The little monster’s head tilted to the side. Its milky white eyes blinked slowly a couple of times, then widened with surprise and joy. The little one exclaimed brightly.

“Really, you’ll play with me?!”

In an instant, the monster’s focus shifted from the small auditorium to Gijun. The monster’s momentum seemed as if it would rush over at any moment, but Gijun raised a hand to gesture for it to stay still.

“Yes. Let’s play together.”

“Then right now…!”

“Stay still. If you act recklessly, I won’t play with you.”

The monster hesitated. It seemed intrigued by a being that wasn’t afraid of it, and even more so, it seemed to like the idea of having a ‘conversation.’ It even took a step back.

A chilling silence followed.

At the end of the cold exchange of glances, the monster tilted its head and smiled. It found the human who didn’t flinch under its gaze amusing. Soon, the monster’s body shook as it bombarded Gijun with questions like “How? Doing what?”

“If you hide, I’ll find you.”

“You won’t find me!”

Ugh, that’s why I don’t like quick-witted kids…

Gijun had thought the monster would be excited and easily persuaded by the idea of playing hide-and-seek, but it didn’t fall for it. Gijun clicked his tongue inwardly and said.

“Then you be ‘it.’ We’ll hide.”

“We?”

As the monster looked puzzled by the word Gijun had uttered, students began to walk out of the meeting room one by one. Led by Baek Sunwoo, followed by Lee Donghun, Ahn Youngah, and Shim Dokyung. Ahn Youngah’s fingertips trembled, but she soon clenched her hands tightly as if to strengthen her resolve.

As five people stood in front of it, a smile appeared on the monster’s face. Its torn cheek became even more grotesque.

“So I just have to find and kill all of you?”

“…You can’t kill one person at a time as you find them. You only win if you find everyone.”

“Win? What if I can’t find everyone?”

“Then you have to die.”

Gijun shrugged as if it was obvious. The monster’s eyes narrowed, and the shadows on the floor began to writhe. From the mass of shadows, as if dozens of people were entangled, arms crawled forward. The children almost recoiled, but Gijun stepped forward first.

As Gijun approached, the shadows stopped. The monster tilted its head back and forth, seemingly curious.

“I can kill all of you right now.”

“Then just kill us.”

Gijun answered flatly and nodded.

“But wouldn’t it be boring to kill us like that?”

“…”

“It’s not fun. It’s the same.”

As if it wasn’t obvious, Gijun met the monster’s eyes. Soon, the monster’s mouth split into a grin. Gijun noticed that the monster liked what he said and decided to press on.

“Don’t use your skills either. Finding us with shadows is too easy, isn’t it?”

“So you’re telling me to just find you?”

“We’re just hiding too.”

“Hmm…”

The monster, making a short pondering sound, soon nodded. It seemed quite merciful, saying it would meet some conditions since they were such weak creatures.

Just a little more. Gijun glanced sideways and said.

“And… since there are other presences here, how about changing the location?”

“Hmm, right! We should play properly!”

Fortunately, the monster readily accepted the conditions. It even offered to guide them to a place where no other monsters would come, saying they shouldn’t be disturbed.

Lee Donghun murmured with a bewildered expression.

“He’s more serious about hide-and-seek than I thought…”

“Hey, can you sense the presence of other monsters too?”

“Of course! I’m that strong!”

Ahn Youngah bravely asked, trying to suppress her fear and casually draw the monster’s interest by asking questions.

The little monster, excited to talk to someone, nodded eagerly and boasted about itself. It talked about how many monsters it had fought and won against in its world and how much those there revered it.

Of course, this was entirely uninteresting information, but the children responded earnestly. The little monster became even more proud, and Gijun, who confirmed that its attention was completely focused, looked behind him.

Choi Sowon, Yeon Mijeong, and Kim Sihyung were quietly sneaking out of the meeting room. They decided to hide in a safer place until they could fully awaken the stone tablet. They also aimed to avoid endangering the injured in the small auditorium.

Lee Donghun murmured quietly.

“Can we really do this…”

Just before leaving the meeting room, Hae Gijun had mentioned some ‘plan.’ The children were all confused, but Gijun moved quickly without giving them time to think. It was a situation where they had no choice.

So they followed him out, but as they moved to a secluded spot on the second floor with the monster, worry set in.

However, Gijun answered calmly, as if it were natural.

“We have to. If we can’t, we’ll die.”

“Is that supposed to be comforting?”

“Why would I comfort you in this situation?”

“…Yeah, I asked the wrong question.”

Lee Donghun nodded. This was the right reaction from Hae Gijun. If he showed fear, it would feel even more serious. Oddly enough, Lee Donghun and the other children felt oddly reassured by Hae Gijun’s words.

They soon exchanged glances. They silently agreed to follow Hae Gijun’s lead for now, setting aside their own thoughts.

Soon, the game of hide-and-seek began.

It was a game of hide-and-seek at the northern end of the second floor, in a hallway. The space, assured by the monster to be free of any other presence, was truly quiet. The heavy silence that settled in the space was rather terrifying.

The monster, standing with its back to the wall, excitedly shouted.

“One! Two!”

Mercifully, the monster promised to wait a significant amount of time. They had about 5 minutes to move according to their plan, so they quickly scattered.

As Baek Sunwoo moved away, Gijun grabbed him.

“If things go wrong, use this.”

What Gijun handed him was a stealth artifact. It was an artifact they wouldn’t use in this game of hide-and-seek. It was useless in a situation where the monster would be actively hunting. So Gijun giving him the artifact was purely for emergencies.

“Gijun, you brought this for you…”

“That’s why I’m giving it to you. I need to make sure you’re safe. I’ll be anxious if we separate without that assurance.”

“…”

“We don’t have time to argue. Take it.”

Gijun forced the artifact into the startled Baek Sunwoo’s hand. Only then did he sigh lightly in relief and tap Baek Sunwoo’s arm before moving.

The fact that he had to move separately from Baek Sunwoo in this plan was very unsettling, but there was no choice if they wanted to capture the monster. Gijun took a deep breath while glancing at the back of the monster, who was diligently counting.

The time limit was 20 minutes.

The monster had to find 5 people within 20 minutes to win.

Darkness fell, and the cold of the rainy day made the silence of the space even heavier. The occasional sound of footsteps echoed unnaturally, and the monster’s counting voice rang out sharply. The little one raised its voice higher and louder as it became more excited.

The footsteps were drowned out by the shouting, but it was hard to consider it mercy or luck. The monster was just taking its time. It had the confidence that it could find them all no matter how they hid. It would find them without using its skills.

Finally, the monster finished counting and turned around with a sly grin. The corners of its mouth stretched up to its ears.

“Now I’m going to find you!”

After the loud declaration, the sound of thumping footsteps echoed through the space.

The monster’s leisurely actions, not bothering to silence its footsteps as it searched, revealed its confidence. It knew those sounds would make the humans afraid. The monster casually scanned the area. There were many rooms along the hallway, some doors open, some closed.

Before counting, the monster noticed a door that had been closed but was now open and giggled.

“You should have closed the door properly!”

It found a student hiding behind the curtains in a room. It took less than a minute since the game started. The boy with wide, trembling eyes was Shim Dokyung.

“I should eat you… Oh, right. Not yet.”

The monster, with its mouth wide open, shook its head as if it had made a mistake. Seeing Shim Dokyung trembling and covering his face with his arms, the monster felt a sudden boredom. It had seen this kind of fear many times before.

Instead of killing so easily… It seemed more fun to play the game as that kid suggested. Although the monster was far from patient, it didn’t want to lose the current thrill. Praising its own patience, it moved with bouncing steps.

After putting Shim Dokyung in a corner of the hallway, the monster resumed its search.

Thump, thump, thump.

“Hide well, or I’ll find you!”

The monster’s cheerful singing echoed eerily. It sounded like a child’s giggle, an adult man’s gloomy mutter, and an old woman’s hoarse shout all at once.

The monster violently opened a closed door and looked around. It was an empty room. However, the monster kept bouncing in place and then slowly stopped…

Boom!

It stood upside down on the ceiling and made eye contact with a child hiding on top of a wardrobe. The child’s shoulder-length white hair fell down.

“You thought I wouldn’t see here because I’m small?”

“Eek…”

Ahn Youngah gasped at the sight of the upside-down eyes. She thought the small-bodied monster wouldn’t be able to find her in a high place, but she didn’t expect it to check the ceiling. The monster laughed at her startled reaction.

While taking Ahn Youngah back, they heard a quick series of footsteps nearby.

The monster’s eyes widened, and it dashed towards the sound. With lightning-fast speed, it caught up with the target.

“Were you trying to hide somewhere else?”

“Oh, damn…”

Lee Donghun cursed as the monster suddenly appeared and blocked his path. He had nowhere to run in the straight hallway. He hesitated, took a step back in surprise, and then gave up and stopped. The monster burst into laughter.

Lee Donghun’s gaze glanced to the side, and the monster quickly checked that spot. It found another student hiding behind a wall. It was hardly a proper hiding place.

The monster exclaimed in surprise.

“I thought you would hide well!”

It was Baek Sunwoo. When he met the monster’s eyes, he approached without resistance, and the monster narrowed its eyes, looking back and forth between the two. Among the humans in this place, the one with the strongest aura was caught too easily.

Although surprised, it was proud to have found four people so quickly. Its searching ability was indeed exceptional. The monster, feeling pleased, turned and told them to follow. It gathered them all at the end of the hallway, needing to find just one more.

At that moment, Baek Sunwoo gently grabbed its shoulder.

“What?”

“Oh, I thought I had to hold on and follow you.”

“Are you stupid?”

The monster looked back sharply, and Baek Sunwoo withdrew his hand. Lee Donghun, next to him, seemed to think it was a game of “Red Light, Green Light,” whispering that it wasn’t. The monster, feeling puzzled, glanced at its shoulder but saw no change.

Gathering four humans at the end of the hallway, the monster exclaimed.

“You guys are really bad at hide-and-seek!”

Only five minutes had passed, and it had already found four. Feeling very pleased, the monster turned to search for the last one.

Fifteen minutes remained. There was plenty of time to find that cheeky kid and devour them all.

The monster was extremely curious about the expression on the kid’s face when he found out that he had to die if he lost. It had been a while since the monster felt this kind of excitement, so it moved leisurely, wanting to enjoy it as long as possible.

Five minutes passed.

“Huh?”

Had it been too relaxed? After finding four people in five minutes, it seemed to have taken it easy for the next five minutes. The monster thought it should start focusing.

…And another five minutes passed.

“…Huh?”

Something was wrong. It shouldn’t be unable to find them. It mustn’t be unable to find them.

It searched everywhere but couldn’t see them. It seemed like they were moving around to avoid being tracked, but the monster couldn’t believe it. How could they quietly escape without making a sound in the dark?

“Wow, they’re really good at this…”

“We’re going to win!”

“Just a little longer…”

The children’s whispers could be heard from afar. The monster’s nerves were already on edge, trying to focus on the last remaining human’s presence, and their chatter made it worse.

“Be quiet!”

The monster shouted and started running. It had to find them. It had to…

“Just a little longer…”

“Wow, they’re really good at this…”

“We’re going to win!”

The humans whispered again from a corner. The monster, with its heightened senses, could hear them clearly, and it made it furious. How dare they not fear it!

“I told you to be quiet!”

The monster ran towards them irritably. It intended to release its energy in front of them to scare them. That way, they would either shut up or faint, and it could find the remaining one in the quiet space.

But…

“What? Why is no one here?”

At the end of the hallway, there was only a phone.

The monster stared at it and then looked around with a fierce expression. It had thought they were staying still because it kept hearing whispers from that direction, but at some point, only the phone’s recorder had been running.

“How dare you trick me and run away?”

-Step.

At that moment, footsteps were heard right behind it. The monster quickly turned its head and widened its eyes. Hae Gijun. That annoying kid was at the other end of the hallway!

“You…!”

The monster quickly charged at Hae Gijun. There was still time left in the bet, so it planned to catch him first and then find the others again. The excitement of tearing them all apart made it move faster.

But just as the monster’s hand was about to touch Hae Gijun…

“Aaaaaah-!”

Suddenly, a piercing pain made it stagger. Some damn kid had used confusion. As it fell to its knees from the unexpected attack…

-Swoosh!

Its vision flipped. Something caught its ankle, and it was lifted into the air, hanging upside down.

“Huh?”

The monster realized it was a trap too late.

Splash! Water was poured over it.

The humans, who it thought had run away, were suddenly right around it. The monster, soaked in its weakness, water, sputtered, and then a white mist poured over it.

Lee Donghun sprayed the water, and then Ahn Youngah used a fire extinguisher. Baek Sunwoo tightened his grip on the rope to prevent the struggling monster from escaping.

The monster couldn’t regain its senses from the continuous attacks. It was shocked by the humiliation it had never experienced before.

The plan proceeded as Hae Gijun had devised. They intentionally let four people get caught early to make the monster complacent, then set a trap while it focused on catching the last one. Each person’s role was crucial. Gijun had to buy as much time as possible, and the others had to move without being detected.

The monster, realizing this, widened its eyes. Despite the cursed water and smoke blurring its vision, it could sense that the kid, Hae Gijun, was right in front of it.

“I’m the seeker now! I have to catch you all!”

“What are you talking about? Who said we’d play with you?”

The monster screamed at Hae Gijun’s cold response.

“You, you tricked me!”

“You weren’t planning to die if you lost the bet anyway. You tricked us too.”

“Bad. Baaaaad!”

The monster thrashed and screamed. The sound of dozens of voices rising to a piercing pitch hurt their ears. Gijun, who was closest to the monster, covered his ears and winced, and Baek Sunwoo spoke.

“Shut up.”

At the stern command, the monster’s mouth snapped shut. The obedience ability used at an unexpected moment had an immediate effect. The monster tried to open its mouth again, but only its lips twitched. A hissing sound escaped from its torn cheek.

Gijun praised Baek Sunwoo and then pulled out a gun from his waist.

The last remaining bullet. It would be a lie to say it wasn’t a waste, but if it could deal with this monster, it was more than worth it.

“Wait…!”

The monster barely managed to speak through its lips, but Gijun pulled the trigger without hesitation. The mana bullet hit the center of its forehead, and with a tearing sound, the monster flew far away. The sound of the impact was terrifying.

The smoke rose thickly as it crashed into the wall. It was hard to believe it could still be alive.

“We got it, ugh, ugh.”

“Don’t jinx it!”

Ahn Youngah hurriedly stopped Lee Donghun from speaking. She said they had to be cautious until the end, but her eyes were already sparkling. Shim Dokyung also looked at the spot with a face full of anticipation.

But Baek Sunwoo and Hae Gijun remained calm.

Lee Donghun, glancing at them, cautiously turned on a flashlight. The smoke was thick, but seeing their reactions, he couldn’t be sure they had defeated it.

Just a little closer to check…

“Wait.”

Baek Sunwoo blocked his path with his arm. As Lee Donghun stopped in his tracks, they sensed movement from the other side.

The monster staggered up from the rubble of the half-collapsed wall. Blood poured from its head as it glared at them fiercely.

“I will… kill… you all…”

Its voice was chillingly rough. The murderous intent in its trembling voice was clear, as if it were filled with resentment. The air felt sticky.

The monster’s form began to change. The shape of the small child twisted like a lump of mud, reconstructing into a form resembling a lion or a wild dog, with a horn sprouting from the center of its forehead.

With each breath, sparks flew. The fire seemed to spread like mist. Its massive body filled the hallway. Its murky eyes stared straight at them.

“What is that?”

“It’s bigger than the fox from yesterday…”

Gijun cursed inwardly. He thought it would die from a direct hit with the mana bullet.

Shadows began to rush from the floor. Everyone panicked and started to run. It felt like dozens of limbs were chasing them. The larger, clearer form looked like it had been bitten by a beast.

Lee Donghun, running in a hurry, dropped his flashlight. The monster’s shadow crushed it as it chased. The light went out instantly, and in the darkness, they instinctively realized they must not be caught by the shadow. They would end up like the flashlight. It was a realization that came like fear.

It wasn’t just a matter of being grabbed by the ankle; they would be bitten.

It was hard to distinguish the shadows in the darkness. Moreover, the miasma blurred their vision like the fox monster from the previous night, but it was thicker and more menacing.

“Everyone, move to the left!”

Gijun urgently directed them, but there were limits. The shadows branched out like tree trunks, scattering the children, and the miasma grew thicker, making it harder to distinguish. The darkness before their eyes—was it the night or the monster’s attack?

Confusion set in.

No, it felt like they were being bewitched.

The darkness poured in like waves, forming a tidal wave, yet there was a strange desire to sink into the impenetrable darkness ahead. This phenomenon occurred when the monster grew a ‘horn.’

Gijun’s eyes were starting to burn, indicating he was reaching his limit. Since the strange experience in the lab this morning, even a little use of his eyes caused a headache.

Zing- A sudden headache struck. Feeling like his brain was shattering into pieces, Gijun irritably threw off his glasses. He couldn’t suppress it any longer. He had to use his eyes, no matter the consequences…

“Stop!”

At that moment, Baek Sunwoo shouted his obedience ability. The monster’s shadow, which had momentarily paused, was directed at Gijun. The bright red chains pierced through the wall of darkness, grazing the monster’s shoulder and climbing up to its neck.

Earlier, Baek Sunwoo had deliberately made contact with the monster, leaving a trace of mana. So even in the current situation where he couldn’t see, he could bind it immediately.

“Grr… Ugh!”

But the monster’s resistance was strong. It had been temporarily restrained by the direct hit from the mana bullet, but it wouldn’t last long. Gijun, struggling to catch his breath, spoke.

“Everyone, hide in the rooms. Climb onto shelves or boxes to get off the floor.”

He needed a moment to think. It seemed like a full-on battle was the only option left, but he couldn’t immediately come up with a plan to hunt using his companions. The simultaneous headache and eye pain clouded his thoughts.

But just as he tried to take a deep breath, the monster screamed.

“Don’t- interfere- with me!”

An enormous miasma exploded like a storm. The fierce wind made it hard to stand, and the intense heat felt like it would tear his flesh. Gijun staggered and saw the darkness flying towards Baek Sunwoo.

Dozens of hands emerged from the fingertips, and from those hands, more arms extended, approaching in a grotesque manner.

It was coming to snap Baek Sunwoo’s neck.

Again.

Once again.

Baek Sunwoo dies before his eyes.

“No!”

Instinctively, Hae Gijun lunged at Baek Sunwoo. As they rolled together, the black fingertips clawed at Gijun’s shoulder. Baek Sunwoo, horrified by the warm blood pouring onto him, looked at him.

“Gijun!”

“You, damn it, if you die…”

Gasping, Gijun breathed heavily. His rationality snapped for a moment, leading to hyperventilation. His vision was a mess, unable to distinguish anything, but he clearly saw the danger approaching Baek Sunwoo. That scene was so vivid that it struck Gijun with immense shock and fear.

They quickly turned into a side hallway, escaping the monster’s sight, but it had already ‘recognized’ them all. They couldn’t hide for long.

“Please, Baek Sunwoo. You can’t get hurt. I might really go crazy.”

Knowing this, Hae Gijun couldn’t calm down. The anxiety peaked, thinking Baek Sunwoo would die if he took his eyes off him for even a moment. Even when he was watching, Baek Sunwoo died. No matter what he did, Baek Sunwoo died. It drove him even crazier, knowing he had died fighting this monster before.

Absurdity, anger, frustration, and annoyance. And the repeated deaths brought a… terrifyingly intense sense of helplessness.

Gijun, straddling Baek Sunwoo, clung to his shoulders, repeatedly saying he couldn’t let him get hurt. Baek Sunwoo, looking at him with slightly surprised eyes, gently patted his hand.

“…Gijun. Friends don’t say things like that.”

“We’re not just friends, that’s why I’m like this.”

His voice was filled with an unexpectedly deep sincerity. Baek Sunwoo took a short breath, realizing Gijun was staring at his neck. He often, compulsively, checked his neck.

Baek Sunwoo gently stroked Gijun’s back.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“What the hell is…”

“You know you can’t use your eyes properly right now. So, don’t push yourself alone, let’s do this together.”

Even though Gijun hadn’t said anything, Baek Sunwoo seemed to have noticed something was wrong. He slowly patted Gijun’s back and glanced sideways. The other kids were in the next room.

It wasn’t the time to discuss the risks of the plan. If there was any plan that seemed to offer a solution, they had to follow it. Just having a plan in this situation was remarkable.

After a brief exchange, Baek Sunwoo signaled to Ahn Youngah with his eyes. Naturally, he took over the lead.

However, in this plan, Baek Sunwoo had to move separately from Hae Gijun, so he held Gijun’s hand tightly one last time before stepping back.

“…”

Hae Gijun looked at his hand for a moment, feeling strange. He felt like he was suffocating with a flood of emotions, but paradoxically, it was Baek Sunwoo, the cause of those emotions, who calmed him down. His heart pounded.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

“Hide well-. Don’t let your hair show-.”

The monster began to approach, chanting ominously. The voice, which seemed like dozens of people speaking at once, had lowered, making it even more chilling. Now, with a lion’s body and a human’s voice, it sounded like the people it had devoured were weeping from inside its stomach.

In the hallway, Ahn Youngah stepped forward. She bravely jumped out, though her legs were trembling. Determined to do her part, she pulled out a rectangular board from her arms.

“Hey! You know this, right? You ran away when you saw this during the day!”

“What?”

“We’ll call that kid! The one you hate…!”

Ahn Youngah waved something furiously, causing the monster to pause. Of course, what she held wasn’t the stone tablet but a folder they found in the hidden room. Lee Donghun had cut it into a similar size with a hand axe. If it detected mana, it would be discovered quickly, but it needed to hold its attention for a moment.

Ahn Youngah shook it wildly, making sure the monster couldn’t see it clearly. She shouted to draw its focus.

“We’ll call him and have him stab you with his horn!”

Ahn Youngah’s plan was too successful. The monster’s mouth twisted, and it leaped at her. Its speed was astounding.

“How dare you!”

“Ahhhh!”

As Ahn Youngah screamed and ducked, the monster flew toward her.

-Swoosh!

-Boom!

A tremendous noise echoed as red chains rapidly pursued the monster, wrapping around its neck and pulling it down. The impact of the ambush was significant. The monster made a strange noise as it was dragged back and slammed into the ground.

“Grr, ugh!”

Baek Sunwoo’s plan was simple. While Ahn Youngah distracted the monster, Baek Sunwoo approached from behind and captured it with mana chains. Its large body made it easier to catch.

But it was equally difficult to hold for long.

“You, worms…!”

Black flames erupted from the monster’s mouth, engulfing the space like a tidal wave. But Baek Sunwoo focused, not letting go of the mana chains.

In the pouring darkness, the red mana shone brightly.

And it signaled the ‘direction.’

Hae Gijun and Lee Donghun charged towards the monster. The monster sensed them and tried to use its shadow to deal with them…

“Aaaaaah!”

Shim Dokyung’s confusion ability activated at the right moment.

The monster, already weakened by the mana bullet and tightly bound by Baek Sunwoo’s mana chains, couldn’t resist the confusion. But to fend off the approaching figures, it desperately spat fire from its mouth. Black flames spread wildly through the space.

But Lee Donghun quickly approached, dodging the flames and the writhing shadows on the ground. Running along the wall, he leaped, raising his hand axe.

“Seven o’clock direction!”

Following Hae Gijun’s direction.

“Ahhh!”

With a scream-like shout, he struck the horn precisely.

-Clang! Although it was just the axe hitting the horn, a high-frequency sound as if the space was tearing spread. The mana explosion caused this phenomenon, heating the area intensely.

Despite the intense heat, Lee Donghun held on, screaming instead of running away and dropping the axe. The monster had been shot in the forehead before its transformation, so its skin there should still be vulnerable. This was the moment to seize. With veins bulging, and every joint in his hand turning white, Lee Donghun finally brought the axe down.

With a thud, the horn dropped to the floor.

Simultaneously, the monster’s energy weakened. For a moment, it flinched in surprise, then tried to open its mouth to spit fire again. It needed to recover and distance itself for another attack…

But just as its jaw opened wide.

-Thunk!

A sharp pole pierced its jaw, running through the beast’s mouth. The pole, heated from the flames, was scorching, but Gijun held on firmly. He had purposefully heated the pole by bringing it close when the monster breathed fire.

“Just shut up.”

His breathless, cutting voice was filled with intense irritation and anger. Hae Gijun’s eyes, staring directly at the monster, were as cool and bright as the moon on a midnight sky.

Unable to open its mouth, the monster made a garbled sound, twisting its body. Or rather, it tried to twist.

“Kneel.”

If not for the cold voice from behind, it would have lunged at Hae Gijun.

Its legs gave out, collapsing to the ground. Held by Baek Sunwoo’s obedience ability, the monster trembled. The red chains wrapped tightly around its neck, exerting a brutal pressure.

Moreover, the pole driven through its mouth went deeper, making the monster convulse with its head tilted.

Gijun’s hands were covered in blood. He gripped the slick pole more firmly and then, with a swift motion, pulled it out.

Thud! This time, he stabbed the monster’s neck precisely.

[This, can’t be, ugh, …]

Blood splattered onto Gijun. He stared down at it without blinking.

Blood bubbled from the monster’s throat, and finally, its head slowly tilted to the side. Watching its milky white eyes close completely, Gijun let go.

The monster lay still on the floor.

“…Hah.”

The monster was dead. Gijun’s soft sigh signaled the end, and the children watching anxiously let out their breaths, sinking to the ground. Their bodies, tense with fear, trembled, sapped of strength.

Ahn Youngah and Lee Donghun murmured in turn.

“Wow, we really… hunted it…”

“Is this what a raid feels like…”

“Hic, sob.”

Shim Dokyung burst into tears. The certainty of having dealt with the monster unleashed the fear and dread he had been suppressing, and a greater sense of relief brought tears to his eyes.

Ahn Youngah patted his shoulder. Though she felt like crying too, she chose to savor the joyous moment.

Lee Donghun chuckled.

“Still, we did pretty well this time, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. We worked well together!”

“Gijun and Sunwoo, hic, led us so well, and you guys were, snif, amazing.”

“Your confusion ability was impressive too!”

“Good thing we found those earplugs in the auditorium…”

When Shim Dokyung used his ability, Lee Donghun was running. Without the earplugs, he would have been caught in the confusion. Though they could still hear a bit even with the earplugs, it all ended well, making it a funny story in hindsight.

The atmosphere was warm, with everyone patting each other’s backs for their efforts. The success felt all the more valuable after the many hardships. For Shinhigh students, handling even a low-level monster was a feat, but hunting one presumed to be high-level was newsworthy.

This was possible thanks to Hae Gijun and Baek Sunwoo. The children looked to them to express their gratitude. Hae Gijun was leaning against the wall, sighing, while Baek Sunwoo approached him.

But the warm atmosphere was shattered by Baek Sunwoo’s shout.

“Gijun, you…!”

Baek Sunwoo suddenly grabbed Hae Gijun’s arm in alarm, and everyone looked at him in shock. Blood was flowing from his shoulder, but there was something even more startling.

Blood dripped from Hae Gijun’s eyes as he lifted his head.

“Blood, blood from his eyes…!”

“Eek!”

Lee Donghun and Ahn Youngah were horrified in turn. Shim Dokyung was so shocked he couldn’t even make a sound, standing there with his mouth open.

For a moment, Gijun stood dazed, then let out a soft sigh and pressed his arm against his eyes. Blood stained his navy jacket, but he didn’t care. He was already covered in blood from fighting the monster.

“Wait! Don’t press on it like that, it might make it worse!”

Baek Sunwoo shouted urgently, trying to stop him, but Gijun only mumbled in a slightly dazed tone.

“It’s nothing…”

“Bleeding from your eyes can’t be nothing.”

“It’s just a temporary thing…”

The children listening were shocked again by his calm voice. The content of his words was alarming, but his familiar demeanor made them feel a pang of guilt.

“We shouldn’t turn off the lights when we go underground…”

“Sorry for making you lead us naturally…”

“It’s fine, I just need a moment to rest.”

Hae Gijun tried to shake his head but stopped because of the pain. Even though he hadn’t used his abilities much in this hunt, it was still tough. The lingering effects from the morning and the particularly strong little monster made distinguishing the miasma difficult.

Hae Gijun’s pale face and labored breathing didn’t look good at all.

“This time, I held out pretty long…”

He had used his eyes a few times during the repeated regressions. Reading paths at night was easy, but using his ‘ability’ to distinguish miasma by taking off his glasses was too much. It was an ability he rarely used.

Severe headaches would come, and sometimes his vision would blur. In critical situations, these side effects were fatal. After seeing Baek Sunwoo die running towards him when he collapsed from a headache, he never took off his glasses.

But now, he was determined to endure somehow. It was like a battle with his own body, suppressing the pain. He thought he was fine after enduring until last night, but today it was too much.

At least he was glad the pain came after the hunt. Though he hadn’t expected to cry blood, which was a bit, no, a lot… damn, it was painful enough to curse.

“Hoo… I’m fine.”

He didn’t want to show this in front of Baek Sunwoo. If Baek Sunwoo knew his condition, he would try even harder to take the lead.

Meanwhile, Lee Donghun hurriedly found his glasses on the floor.

“Hey, they’re pretty broken, but do you want to use these for now? There’s tape in the meeting room, should we fix them? Oh, right! Can’t Kim Sihyung fix things like this?”

“Or should we borrow glasses from the kids in the small auditorium…?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. They all need them, but if we say, ‘There’s a student crying blood because he can’t wear glasses…’ someone might lend theirs!”

“Don’t say it like a public service announcement…”

Hae Gijun let out a dry laugh at the flood of words.

“It’s fine. I don’t need glasses anymore.”

The simple answer made the three exchange glances. Gijun’s actions revealed that his eyesight was naturally good. They had all vaguely noticed, but… they couldn’t ask Hae Gijun, who was crying blood, for details, so they kept quiet.

Soon, Gijun took the glasses from Lee Donghun. He wrapped them in a cloth and put them in his jacket pocket. Lee Donghun asked.

“Why keep them if they’re broken? You said you don’t need them, but they look like something a failed scientist would use.”

“My grandmother gave them to me.”

“Then you should keep them. The frames do look fancy.”

Lee Donghun quickly changed his tone, and Ahn Youngah also kept quiet. She had almost made a joke but held back just in time.

As Hae Gijun looked at them with a faint smile, a voice suddenly echoed in his ear.

‘It’s a power too burdensome to accept yet. Do as you wish, child.’

‘I don’t know how long these glasses will last…’

This was a recent memory.

Two years ago, at 16, after taking the SPI test and receiving an F- grade, he came home. His grandmother had looked at the test results and said those words. The next day, she gave him new glasses.

Since he was very young, Gijun had received glasses from his grandmother. He couldn’t remember when it started. He just kept falling and getting hurt on the stairs, so she said he needed glasses because he couldn’t use his eyes properly.