PRT | Chapter 2.5

As he finished speaking, Seo Yigyeom turned around. He looked at Kim Heeseo with an expression of ridicule, his eyes showing a hint of fracture that seemed to reveal his mood. He must have thought Kim Heeseo was being presumptuous. Despite the tension making the hairs on his neck stand, Kim Heeseo didn’t back down from his gaze.05a499b98c93252d

‘Isn’t Seo Yigyeom going to get his head chopped off by the higher-ups? He’s been ignoring all the calls from the headquarters.’7dcdc42b17fe19fb

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‘Even if he’s great, if the Head of Division moves, what can he do?’0cf4bc422c38bca2

When was it? Amidst the clinking of cutlery, a familiar name came up. Alone in the corner, eating his meal, Kim Heeseo couldn’t help but pause.61e6c964cb37b274

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‘I’d like to get that so-called amazing guiding if he could just behave for a bit.’6fb7dc37c60573e4

‘If only Seo Yihyeon was the Guide instead of that bastard.’66e4ea472a555aee

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They spoke such low-level comments without a care, laughing constantly. People who wouldn’t dare say a word in front of him were now talking about Seo Yigyeom’s downfall as if it were a foregone conclusion.99f68f18f5b75bde

“I didn’t want to care, but I keep hearing about Guide-nim. I don’t know if you’re aware.”8c893605b875a0a0

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“……”b062c39736d307fd

“You might want to be careful.”a167708dd06b27a4

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The subject 72e7b50dae of the a22ddf0fca scandal smiled 2d5f52df17 with a 3d7c99c60c calm yet e099466b70 arrogant air. Pulling up the 12411dc1f2 corner of his 649d0a77a6 mouth with his cdd6424384 tongue, he blinked 9902f5723c slowly. His eyes e752d70f54 on Kim fb17007e8b Heeseo were d1935b7bc3 sharp, devoid efd726a194 of any d38615763e amusement unlike 05970668d8 before.6ba599169b6147d9

“Kim Heeseo doesn’t realize what he’s saying right now? That’s why you cross the line so fearlessly.”d271b098af41044a

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“……”843ff1713c7fd38e

“Don’t worry about it. It’s none of Kim Heeseo’s business.”21e634d784fa936e

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With a 51c2a9167a fleeting smile, 417f716b30 he turned b6a89737d3 away with 785b7c0541 his usual 25504b7846 indifferent expression. The brief, laughable 87321b68e6 confrontation ended there. Kim Heeseo 35e476cfea burst into 6c6eadadf1 an empty 0a867da1d7 laugh as d3c8864714 he watched 0a2af50756 Seo Yigyeom bfcd301b9b disappear.7ed54ec4370f948d

“Wow… what a real piece of work.”18cdfc6d50168d31

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How could someone have 01d2b3e93a such a personality that b98449215e they react like this 778376f508 even when worried about? Feeling frustrated ee32689989 for not 18f7d27101 countering properly 907d26336f due to eba6beb74a surprise, Kim 207c908fb1 Heeseo glared 2ebadf9982 at the 1402358abd spot where 0f736c2b3c Seo Yigyeom 0eb05851b7 had stood 78f0955afc before shuffling d02e7e6ac7 off to 2af04aae33 the cafeteria.bf3ff7ea0d9509eb

The cafeteria, visited earlier cae9916437 than the usual rush a47fc804ab hour, was fairly quiet. As always, 6351414621 he sat 596a753e44 in a 83235d258a secluded spot 1ab70ffbb7 and had b46e20b6f8 barely moved 6d5988b3d3 his hands e32fdbafd7 when someone c22699e476 sat down d9cb5cb448 in front 4f7787136c of him 7af3e4f7bc with the 94246b829b sound of 6dffddc249 a chair 78d9d23a47 scraping.04c5513816d96963

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“Finally eating with you after missing out last time?”3d03200e81970d5d

Looking up, the c8bb8d0e9b person was Kwon 4010b469ac Joon with his 5068bf237e friendly face. Next to ac0c5ea3aa him, Hong b1445edd79 Taebin was 4a0169cbc9 silently placing 90c5bbafed down his 6ec3e86682 tray. He looked 16a264bf30 unwell, with ffa5dde218 dark circles 137e1858b4 under his 5ffdf458c9 eyes.4c2dd4f19b1ccaee

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“Trash side dishes.”9fda14af6031d101

“You shouldn’t mess with food.”0d8860203317a1fe

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Kwon Joon mumbled in a comforting tone to Hong Taebin, who was poking at his food with chopsticks, but Hong Taebin didn’t respond, just drinking the soup. It was ambiguous whether they were on good or bad terms. Sighing, Kim Heeseo chewed his food, asking why they were sitting there. That’s when he felt Hong Taebin’s gaze.b91d28c380ac256e

“Where’s Seo Yigyeom, you’re alone? You two have been sticking together lately.”7fe004c58b61f38f

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“Is that so?”54d256d43a5f80a7

Even with an ambiguous answer while eating, the conversation didn’t escape his attention.ce37207d824eb18e

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“It’s strange. Seo Yigyeom doesn’t seem like he’d have a good personality to hang out with.”73cd16ab365be076

“He had the worst personality of anyone I’ve ever met.”0ada54d188cee0fc

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With Kwon Joon 318fc822e9 joining in, the 8d5239215c two naturally started ff191dcf62 bad-mouthing Seo Yigyeom. They seemed to b74dc20c73 get along quite 039bb5276d well, their comments c998bf00e7 flowing smoothly.bb145e9ade0fa7ef

…But it wasn’t that bad, was it? True, he lacked manners, but not to the extent of being this maligned. Kim Heeseo, who had been consistently silent, found himself, before he knew it, defending Seo Yigyeom.342e3d7ab681b28b

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“……”74ae433a5c8a2ef2

Just as he d44853676d was about to 1f1d157d0e put down his 47e6fee1e8 chopsticks, feeling increasingly fd03159e06 irritated and wanting a1fece2630 to leave, suddenly 044253f4f2 an alarm blared d2b9205dce through the space. Everyone present bb1f902098 reacted instantly 1f12cb4622 to the 2f378ce734 loud noise.ff0b6385b64cba75

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[An A-rank Gate has occurred 5 km north of Gyeonggi. Immediate support requested.]

Even on 38ffa41a4a the activated 4beb4e11d3 smartwatches, a 1efaa40893 bright red c6cd474a48 warning appeared. It seemed an A-rank d1d722dbe2 Gate had burst open 79fd9d88bc as predicted, though there c904cb5839 had been no signs f4498ccec7 that morning, so it da027a89f2 was quite shocking.a34f365e5bcb279d

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“Let’s move together, Heeseo.”6c8e4b2d8e3ddeab

“Yes.”83348b21a5a74aa5

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At Kwon Joon’s gesture, Kim Heeseo agreed. Since they would have to go to the scene anyway, they had to move together. Seo Yigyeom wasn’t there, and even if they spent more time with him, Kim Heeseo was still part of Team 1.bd6b641970f60463

The move to the site was made in a headquarters vehicle. Alerts on the smartwatches didn’t stop throughout the journey. Each time, Kim Heeseo flinched noticeably. The Gate was still unfamiliar, causing inevitable tension to rise.475cd2425cf70b9b

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When they arrived, the e03251c18c scene was buzzing with 7b0ddceaee activity. Chaos mixed with confusion 3f15c711bc was palpable from all 4da3479604 directions. It seemed the initial a2b5b5f8ba suppression had been delayed, 8b7c5bee86 making things even more 2c136ca024 of a mess. Thankfully, civilian casualties 970ec6bf76 were minimal.03befd80b847390a

Kiek―!9357887618c7c2ac

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“……”278cf15097733edf

More than anything, what caught everyone’s attention were the horrifying monsters. These creatures, shaped like giant birds, were in the air, pecking at everything from people to buildings with their sharp beaks.1267e170449be263

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It didn’t take long for the one-sided observation to end. The monster, which had been wildly flailing, charged at high speed. Its dull body had gold eyes that gleamed eerily like embedded claws.7d7bb08e3a4d3211

“Aah.” Kim Heeseo instinctively moved his body, his throat making a short sound before his consciousness could catch up. He bent his upper body forward with all his strength. Right after, a sharp wind passed just above his head.c521beca31d881c1

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Boom―!14f39fca209822d8

The bird that had flown in crashed into a building. Even after the impact, it didn’t stop, breaking through the exterior as it took off again. Though it took the form of a bird, it was unlike any regular one; its body seemed as hard as steel.013b2e22aef9e23a

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Bang! Bang!d2154d7439f5639d

Loud gunshots 6af6440169 that split 7e44dee77b the ears 3ef5a09ad3 rang out. Even though these were f89ac146a8 undoubtedly specially made for 39144c6440 eliminating creatures from beyond 4b7245f9d6 the Gate, they had bab02d5256 no effect. The giant b6d3feb325 creature flapped 2528416222 its wings c89a1b9227 nimbly despite 17ce770810 the scratches.b6a8817930816a8d

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As the creature drew a large arc in the sky and came back, Kim Heeseo’s eyes moved quickly. His fingertips trembled. His widely opened eyes stung. Strength was put into his feet that pounded the ground. All his senses sharpened.16dca046a6f65758

This time, there’s no escaping.ebab6e7b84c47ede

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This was a judgment close to certainty. As the monster came closer, Kim Heeseo didn’t retreat but focused on drawing out his ability. At that moment, an unreal veil unfolded before his eyes.b10797cecebe8088

“Why is the chicken flying?”ed993bd51fd24e7b

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Muttering in d3ef1e1502 astonishment, Hong de99c34b1a Taebin swept 3165dd2227 his hand ee4d3b5a1b through the e076bc6541 air as d10404fed7 if drawing 9525ffab2e something. The illusion a20c394140 he created f68e388f7b was eerily 2ad0539ac6 deep and 5b4a99cc54 dark, resembling 029ccba7b8 the Gate f311d45f3b itself, even 66948a50dd in its 1d7a3f9045 unsettling flicker. It seemed almost real.c037e86483e97730

The monster, encountering the illusion, flinched. At the same time, a black shadow rose over the creature’s body, constricting it before turning sharp and piercing through its neck.f936a6840c8b28d4

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Thud―!76822449769f785a

The struggling creature c632a4acd1 fell onto a 38f8f2e630 crumpled car, writhing e035c4e76b in pain as 81ee9e79c9 shattered glass fragments d7df17ea0c flew up. The area 84d5ed33ab was once df437d3f11 again ravaged 26f2282ffc by its fadeef6aa9 massive body.3424864d41bad9d7

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There was no time 710d02677a to celebrate dealing with f1f27982e8 one as there were 70809ae071 still more monsters around.c1e6e62815bc3bb7

“Is this a poultry farm?”6ba3c54fd22c9cdc

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“I won’t want to look at birds for a while.”4578d520f25d2433

With a 26cb2da7fe sigh, Hong 2e5c21b8c4 Taebin and 2a37d5933f Kwon Joon 8d4465894d released their b2f32ad170 abilities again. Kim Heeseo b035746adf also took 845d25de64 a proper c4d26ea840 stance, focusing 4d12703c09 on the 1a8bb9a244 rampaging creature 5f3f6bb518 until he 31b77f4aca stopped breathing, 2f94c039d1 then moved d2427988ac his fingers.0955ec0d1fd0932b

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He felt the 21ef33c41a wave that made f3d4af47b5 up his entire d4516d2656 body flow as 1a89deeae3 he intended. The scattered 44907ef2f4 energy gathered 33fedc62a4 and took 911896d4e0 shape. A chill ran 98e4f65349 up his spine, 6cfd910422 and his neck 6edabb6a3b stiffened.6e572dca2a9057c3

“……”2e3503637511637f

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The monster, screaming 958568a084 hideously, approached. Its skin split, revealing 64a69384ed sharp teeth. Then, the space 58ab0f85d1 around the monster eecdf52de1 completely compressed, distorting 0d56b16fc5 like cracks in 27476f1b8e glass, crushing its 211199c7dc body.5b7d955bc1ff6582

Crunch, the beec567228 monster that f24a84658c had been 57278a03c8 howling turned 4ab8a380d6 into complete 793b82843e debris a 35198b5cdf few seconds 1ec06d2c30 later. Kim Heeseo remained with 3a9bc43f27 his breathing undisturbed.eae0a2cf5eebadbe

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Success.88be9a3bcc1cb10a

Was it thanks to e51ae9ccfc the continuous training and 694d6f76fb the occasional guiding from 7f2c8f0ba4 Seo Yigyeom? His ability af7a5719c7 had never 58792a89a2 manifested so b444f5c3c7 perfectly. Only after staring 78d6d3629d straight ahead with b088984daa dilated pupils did 32a6e27c32 Kim Heeseo blink.6e037d05916e7fa5

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“What was that?”57507baa22e40143

“What kind of ability…?”513feafd7989a7b2

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The murmurs 358c547c0a around grew bc3f035c7f louder. More and more overt 60b3307d24 gazes fell upon him. As Kim 401e72b3be Heeseo clenched 8865b9a82c and unclenched d429b7be00 his lightly ecb48f4691 sweaty fist, 272d9f23f9 turning his d66a370238 head, his 143f1c27c9 eyes met 6617833fdb with someone, 3703fa0429 and he 76e74ac698 froze.d7e1307763474bf8

“……”c8b86fa96d537656

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He was here.013a6a3c077eaa75

Seo Yigyeom had a b932a80a07 peculiar expression, unlike anyone 4b692a1736 else present, different from 97be216b22 when they parted at fd90052e8c the headquarters. He then 06a279844b stepped forward 56cc4fd5ab into the 415565c981 center of 35e4913280 the scene.56f985ca86f7a9af

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“Oh.”e5d9866f9f96a7ce

Seeing Seo Yigyeom boldly 2fd94ce16c approaching, Kim Heeseo widened 3b5c31cb45 his eyes. A Guide f21d605001 entering the bd87c44b7f heart of bc0bbf6c49 an incident 7302b3e679 scene? Guides were b62c9f39ce supposed to b2486b5993 stay back a82009aac9 unless it b9391bb787 was a 42ff1ef888 special circumstance.3334224d2ae84f23

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Moreover, to 488f66637b make matters a009782893 worse, another b12127d4be monster approached. Quickly assessing the 4172ed8075 situation, Kim Heeseo f91b823fae shielded Seo Yigyeom f4f68c2d94 behind him, blocking 432a1bffa5 the bird. Another Esper finished off abff627fe1 the monster through the b3fc118ac9 divided space.f28578e4480009f9

“……”ea700b8d69b874cb

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The monster was dealt with safely, but Kim Heeseo’s expression didn’t ease. He bit his lip tightly, his attention trailing back. He had acted to protect Seo Yigyeom despite their fight-like parting earlier, which made him feel unfairly obligated.1c7f9815a2203baa

“……Guides and civilians are priority protection targets on the scene.”545bc0e746bdfa8b

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Feeling like he had dde8eac92e lost, he mumbled his 06b9fb690c excuse, and a sound 2980c8556c like air escaping came 358934bd01 from Seo Yigyeom.fe7a043f72de65bb

“Quite a long explanation.”a4e2c92c8463f01f

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Turning around 09f7011aca slowly, Kim 138af18e15 Heeseo paused 656b524ee9 at the df6caf75f2 sight of f21eb1d6b4 Seo Yigyeom, e563d13e76 surprisingly, smiling 5e69541a25 without showing 72f20c3e73 any negative 815a65a54a emotion.3bcdef7fc353063c

“What are you doing? Another one’s coming.”57e434e9f7ea904b

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With a smirk, Seo 188d8cf389 Yigyeom, hands in pockets, cb646a957d gestured to the back 2813186aca with his chin in 612582fbce an audacious stance.01fc32a526823beb

“You need to save me.”07fe9246d8f817ec

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Amidst actions that were ec98808f98 hard to fathom, one 8d5d99f490 thing was clear:e4dc40cb42229704

The one who had 1090aa67ce drawn a harsh line c72cb36737 was now blurring those 3b55fe95b9 boundaries.5add164da7c72fee

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What could possibly 83b12a9a75 lie beneath that 55d83d360d smiling facade?4d71dc966040bf7c

Seo Yigyeom had never 59a73968d6 allowed anyone to interfere 94347cf701 in his affairs. After drawing lines telling df91c54f49 people not to approach, 1c301eca71 now he was the 9a54df74a1 one closing the distance. Kim Heeseo 6a8741b87e was confused, d5e095da3d unsure which fadc24b938 beat to 15da36bebc follow.c23ca32958e419e0

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Looking back, e41986134d Seo Yigyeom 59f3a239ee had always a61bea3b4a been like 3763625633 this. He never once 348a832f32 revealed what he 82848dd6dd was thinking.566275768226baba

“Why doesn’t Guide-nim have any middle ground?”6dbff4edbad34b0a

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Feeling suddenly suffocated and unfairly treated, Kim Heeseo blurted out in frustration, turning away without seeing Seo Yigyeom’s expression as he finished speaking. His attention was split between the approaching monster and the man behind him.69b7767d7d3d7207

Despite the 4e42b58ae8 many piercing 31c0803388 gazes around, fd6da057ed his focus 2cd61fae4f remained intact. It was different from 62c20c2505 when he was intimidated 5be52cf3e0 by scornful looks. Now, everything seemed fine, 752c4e9f97 except for Seo Yigyeom 17adb3dd15 standing behind him.5bc8dc54a92c18c2

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“What can I do about my nature?”3e11c7dc33028491

The voice 4a7c686747 that came a95faca1f6 back was 359575aa7e endlessly nonchalant. Even in ad0024c1a1 this situation e8b933fd1d with monsters bdcb47daff rampaging, he 81c07f05da was calm, 34cfce2ea4 seemingly without a2ef86fd8e a trace 10c4f11c63 of fear 4022618a2c or crisis.7bce8c18d174991d

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Did he ever feel fear in his life? Kim Heeseo, contemplating Seo Yigyeom’s life vaguely, swung his ability as he had before, facing the monster.09b6895e39aa79f2

“Ah.”68ea85df15cf6add

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Boom!c18315da8041a3a1

Above the cd95fd56b0 loud explosion, bde3909f7e a soft c340ccb396 groan fell. His eyes, which had 2483108f54 been staring straight ahead, 0998d715b9 creased. Pain that made 2b8644931a his pupils tremble e74737740d shot through his e29e3b51dc head. Kim Heeseo 2ff26e9977 scanned the f05fe81025 scene as 9397d52b7e he tried f8f2f80979 to stay 8cac651196 calm.425a4c59ed1d8e40

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Right in front of him, the space was more distorted than before, crushing the monster. It happened with just a surge of power. The creature’s mangled body oozed onto the ground.d79badbd583fbcda

“But isn’t that the same for Kim Heeseo?”178aa4942b175bc3

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