HG | Chapter 10

“Cough, cough…”

“Oh dear. Are you okay, child?”

As Im Cheonghyeon couldn’t hold back and started coughing, his face turned into one of embarrassment. A look of realization. He hadn’t noticed the smoky air and stuffiness, so he had unintentionally overlooked it.

He handed a handkerchief to Im Hakyung and apologized.

“I should have brought a mask. Sorry about that, kid.”

“Oh, no. I can handle this…”

Cough, cough!

“Ugh…”

Trying to act tough was pointless as a violent cough burst out. Until a moment ago, he thought it was just the smell, but now he couldn’t even open his eyes.

Hakyung covered his nose and mouth with the handkerchief. It felt like being trapped in a large fire scene. In reality, the broken buildings and charred debris continuously emitted black smoke. There was no visible fire, but it was unclear whether there was no fire or if it was just obscured by smoke.

“It might be better to move quickly.”

Cheonghyeon quickly made a decision and picked Hakyung up. Holding him like a child, he dashed forward.

“Ugh!”

‘So fast…!’

Before Hakyung could properly hold on, he buried his face in the man’s neck, and Cheonghyeon chuckled softly, holding him tighter.

How long did they run?

As the ground began to turn reddish, Cheonghyeon gradually slowed down. Hakyung, who had his head buried in Cheonghyeon’s chest, finally peeked out.

“……”

Ruins. There was no other way to describe the scene that unfolded.

A city that had burned down. The ash-covered space felt strangely familiar. It was a street that could be anywhere outside the dungeon.

“No way, is this…”

“Yes.”

As if knowing what Hakyung was about to say, Cheonghyeon continued.

“This is the Outbreak-affected area.”

Hakyung was at a loss for words, his jaw dropping. Seeing the ‘accident site’ he had only read about in textbooks was an indescribably strange feeling.

How many people had died here?

He had learned that an entire district was sacrificed, and the adjacent districts also suffered significant damage. Reading about it and seeing it were vastly different experiences.

Of course, he had visited the memorial exhibition and seen the models and simulators recreating the battle at the time. He felt sorry then too, but experiencing the stuffy air firsthand was different.

‘Considering the dungeon’s level where the Outbreak occurred, our damage was remarkably small.’

Suddenly, the explanation from the memorial exhibition guide flashed through his mind.

‘The average destructive power of an S-class esper is often calculated as 80% of South Korea, meaning they can destroy over 80% of the country alone. Assuming conservatively, it’s 60-70%. An S-class Outbreak is assumed to be on the scale of seven or eight S-class espers overloading simultaneously.’

In other words, a situation where South Korea could have exploded several times.

’17 years ago was when Guiding was just starting to become active. Before a proper Guiding system was established, the overload of espers who had exhausted their power, followed by secondary and tertiary overloads, must have been severe.’

Hearing that, it felt remarkable that they had contained it within one district. The explanation that the incident elevated the status of ‘K-espers’ and ‘K-guides’, sparking another Hallyu wave worldwide, was truly ironic.

It was akin to the ‘Battle of Myeongnyang’ during the Imjin War, where a dozen ships annihilated the enemy. The situation was regrettable, but the victorious allies were truly impressive.

The regret and discomfort about the damage were largely because his father was involved in the ‘Outbreak incident’. His father retired right after the Outbreak incident.

Even though Hakyung had no memory of it, he thought that if his father, who was just and the most outstanding S-class esper in Korea, was involved, he would have faced the monsters at the frontline. He worried that perhaps he retired due to trauma.

And today, facing the accident site, he felt ashamed of his past self who had thought so lightly.

‘Even if it was minimal sacrifice, it was still a sacrifice.’

The recorded death toll was close to 3 million. Experts speculated that including the bodies eaten by monsters and unidentified awakeners, at least 5 million people were sacrificed.

It was an incident where an enormous number of people died. To make matters worse, the president and the head of the Awakener Association were assassinated, making it no exaggeration to call that year ‘the year the country almost collapsed.’

Fortunately or unfortunately, there were no visible corpses around. Instead, something else was wandering in the distance.

“A… monster?”

A distant place that required squinting to keep an eye on. There was a lump dragging its round body without legs, wandering around. Judging by its form, it seemed to be a ‘giant anomaly’. Even if it looked as small as a bean now, its actual size would be over 2 meters.

“It’s an anomaly.”

We’ve really arrived. Cheonghyeon muttered to himself. Was it just his imagination, or did it sound like an insignificant situation to Hakyung?

Gulp…

Hakyung swallowed dryly. Someone might laugh at him for attending the Awakener school for five years, but this was his first time facing monsters on the field. He had no field experience.

The privilege of observing actual fieldwork was always given to top students. Moreover, since he couldn’t do Guiding, it was something Hakyung couldn’t even dream of.

“We have to go to where the monster is, so if you’re scared, close your eyes.”

Hakyung suddenly became aware of his situation. At twenty, he was clinging to his father’s chest like a child. Not even piggybacked, but held in front like a five-year-old.

More embarrassing was that he couldn’t boldly ask to be put down.

‘It’s a relief if I’m not a burden.’

In reality, wasn’t he just starting the true ‘Guiding practice’?

Of course, it didn’t seem like his father would intentionally demand Guiding in a combat situation, and it wasn’t even a combat situation now.

After some thought, Hakyung decided to follow his father’s words. He curled up and buried his head in his father’s chest.

‘By the way… he seems very familiar with the path.’

Cheonghyeon moved forward as if it were a familiar walking path from yesterday. Although he described it as a ‘familiar path’, there was no intact path inside the dungeon. The ground was as broken and burnt as everything else, with paved and unpaved roads all overturned or cracked. Yet, the arrangement of buildings, the signs that could be read here and there, and the overall feel of the street were similar to what he knew, evoking a sense of déjà vu.

Hakyung rolled his eyes diligently from Cheonghyeon’s chest. Cheonghyeon wasn’t running excessively fast like before, so he had the capacity to observe his surroundings.

Because of that, he missed noticing Cheonghyeon’s expression. A face frozen cold. Eyes deeply sunken with a chill.

Rumble…

The unsettling vibration was rather sudden.

“Is it an earthquake?”

Hakyung turned pale and looked around. Then he immediately sensed a significant change.

The group of monsters that had been far away, small enough to be barely visible, suddenly started rushing in. As if someone had informed them that there was an enemy here. The sight of them all turning towards one point at once was more eerie than frightening.

“Father…! Over there!”

Hakyung pointed with a trembling hand in the direction the monsters were coming from. That was all he could do.

What should I do in this situation…!

Unlike the very tense Hakyung, Cheonghyeon’s expression didn’t change. It was beyond indifference, as if he found it quite bothersome, which made Hakyung internally panic.

“Child, close your eyes.”

The man lightly said as he covered Hakyung’s eyes with one hand. Pressing the small head against his shoulder, Hakyung couldn’t blink or move his head freely.

He could only vividly sense the energy released by the esper in an instant.

Boom!

It happened in a flash. An ominous noise echoed. The stench intensified, accompanied by a sound like stepping on something sticky and crushing it. It was similar to the ash smell he had sensed at the dungeon entrance.

Hakyung quickly covered his mouth with the handkerchief he was holding, lost in thought.

‘What was that? I know my father used his ability, but… what did he do?’

He was bewildered. Not just by the monsters, but his father’s ability was different from what he knew.

As far as Hakyung knew, his father’s ability was ‘crushing’. He had confirmed it on the matching test result screen not long ago, so it must be true. And his ‘crushing’ ability was the power to turn anything he touched into powder.

In other words, he had to touch the target. However, his right and left hands were holding Hakyung’s head and bottom, respectively.

‘Did I misunderstand something…?’

An inexplicable sense of unease suddenly overwhelmed him.

“Father…?”

“Child, can you breathe now?”

What ability did you just use?

Hakyung hesitated, wondering whether to ask, and met the eyes that were checking his complexion. Gentle golden eyes. My father, my esper, was worried about me.

Hakyung slowly shook his head.

“…I can handle it.”

“Let’s walk from here.”

“Yes… Ah!”

When he said ‘let’s walk’, Hakyung naturally assumed he would be put down. Contrary to that assumption, Cheonghyeon briefly put him down and then pulled him up onto his back. Hakyung squirmed as his legs were caught.

“I can walk…!”

“No. The ground is dirty.”

He was at a loss for words. His response was firm.

In his experience, when his father was like this, nothing would work. His father, who usually agreed with ‘yes, sure’, was stubbornly firm when he was determined.

“It must be heavy…”

“If Hakyung gets hurt walking carelessly, my heart will be heavier.”

He couldn’t even confidently retort that his worry was unfounded because of his low rank…

Hakyung blushed slightly and hooked his fingers over Cheonghyeon’s shoulder. His father’s back was broad and reliable enough to support him. That realization made Hakyung even more conflicted.

‘When will I be able to stand on my own like my father…?’

“Then… please put me down if it gets tough. Promise.”

“Hold on tight so you don’t fall.”

It seemed his grip was more important to him. Only after Hakyung added a bit more strength to the arms holding him did he finally give an okay sign.

Hakyung glanced at his beloved’s back with a weary gaze.

‘No one else would move like this in a dungeon, right?’

Clinging with both arms around his neck and legs tightly wrapped around his waist.

He wasn’t injured, nor was he in a weakened state. Rather, he was a guide who should be protecting his safety. A low-ranked guide, but one with a 99% matching rate.

He understood his father’s affection for him. Knowing that made his heart heavy. He feared he might remain a child trapped in his embrace forever, never becoming a trusted guide standing on his own.

Step, step…

The sound of Cheonghyeon’s footsteps echoed in the eerie dungeon. It felt like the beginning of a horror movie, causing Hakyung to shrink back after just a few steps. He clung to his father’s back, holding his breath.

The burnt city was silent. This must be what a ruined city looks like. The silence was strangely eerie, prompting Hakyung to ask in a small, hushed voice.

“Father… did you come to this neighborhood before the Outbreak?”

“I did. I lived nearby.”

“Oh…”

“Hakyung’s house was also nearby.”

“Re… really?”

“Yes. I even saw Hakyung being born. We lived together.”

It was a past he heard for the first time. His elegantly shaped eyes widened.

‘Were they close with my biological parents?’

“What were my biological parents like?”

The follow-up question was cautious. Cheonghyeon didn’t answer immediately, falling silent. It was an unnaturally long silence.

Was it something I shouldn’t have asked…? Hakyung regretted it, about to retract the question.

“Well… they were good people.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Excessively so.”

His voice was tinged with a clear sneer. Hakyung hesitated, unable to respond. His stomach sank with a chill. The anxious feeling spread, developing into unease.

‘Were they not on good terms?’

Or did they fall out?

The silence that followed was extremely uncomfortable. Hakyung felt dizzy, as if struck on the temple with a hammer.

‘I vaguely thought they would be good.’

Even though they were his biological parents, he had no memory of them. That’s why he never considered the possibility that Cheonghyeon wasn’t his biological father.

In the same vein, any speculation about his biological parents was bound to be uncertain fantasies. The only clear ‘fact’ was that Im Cheonghyeon had genuinely raised him with care. He was a good father.

Therefore, if they had fallen out, it could mean his biological parents committed a crime or were even villains.

‘What happens if I’m the child of villains?’

The tone was close to ridicule, making it difficult to determine if they were genuinely good people or if it was sarcasm.

Hakyung remained silent. He was confused about what to say. His father, who always smiled at him and was kind, seemed so unfamiliar when he sneered and mocked.

In the heavy silence, only the sound of Cheonghyeon’s footsteps echoed rhythmically.

“What should I do… there are guests.”

Hakyung looked over Cheonghyeon’s shoulder. Indeed, a horde of monsters was gathered. The ones that had rushed earlier weren’t all of them. Not only the ‘anomaly’ he had spotted earlier, but other monsters were also mixed in haphazardly.

“Wh-where are we…?”

Can’t we go somewhere else?

“Hakyung’s biological parents’ grave?”

“……!”

“It’s a guess. They disappeared around here.”

“Dis…appeared?”

“Up we go.”

Cheonghyeon leaped onto a nearby building. With a single step, he soared higher than a single-story building and landed lightly on the broken rooftop debris.

“Eek…!”

Hakyung tightened his grip on his father with all his limbs.

It was a balance beyond common sense. Though it was called a building, what he stood on was almost entirely collapsed, leaving only the skeleton. Cheonghyeon had taken a position on a column that was barely a rooftop.

‘I feel like I’m going to fall…!’

If he let go of the hand supporting his bottom, he’d go straight to the ground. There was so little space that it was dizzying just trying to control his view.

Unaware of Hakyung’s distress, Cheonghyeon smiled.

“Son, say hello.”

“Yes, yes?”

“If they know you’re here, those people will get off their heavy butts.”

That would be nice, but if not, oh well. His tone was light, as if it didn’t matter either way, yet it carried a certainty that it couldn’t be otherwise.

Are you going to just sit there and not come out? He seemed to be gritting his teeth while smiling.

However, no matter where he looked, all he saw was an endless horde of monsters.

To make matters worse, a disconcerting notification window covered his retina.

《 SYSTEM 》

The boss monster is awakening. The monster rush is starting now.

《 SYSTEM 》

To stop the monster rush, put the boss monster to sleep or defeat it.