Chapter 10

“Headache… it’s gone.”

His body felt oddly fine.

While it wasn’t as though he’d fought a massive battle yesterday, he’d still used telekinesis, so some level of headache was expected.

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As always, there should have been an annoying, pulsating pain from a tension headache, but instead, his head felt refreshingly clear and light.

Perhaps the medication worked well. Seo Ji-hyuk tilted his head, dismissing it casually.

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“By the way, are you okay?”

“About what?”

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“Yesterday.”

“Does it matter?”

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“For someone who says it doesn’t, yesterday you were totally—”

“It doesn’t bother me anymore.”

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Kang Yu-han, without looking back, opened a report template. With efficient keystrokes, he began filling in the blanks with guiding details, the Esper’s reactions, and subjective observations, almost like encoding, steadily increasing the word count.

“You’re recovering quickly.”

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“…Think what you want.”

“Feeling good for a change, huh? How about heading to the gym?”

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Seo Ji-hyuk donned his workout gear, whistling as he opened the door and left.

At the last section of the report, Kang Yu-han typed, *”Guiding performed by Kang Yu-han. Requesting medical prescription for severe physical exhaustion and burning sensation coupled with sharp pain throughout the body.”*

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He felt as though he had turned into the Little Mermaid.

* * *

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Arriving at work early, Kang Yu-han stopped by the medical center. First, he underwent a thorough examination to ensure no physical changes or infections after contact with the Variant yesterday.

As expected, no viruses were detected anywhere in his body. Variants were known not to transmit infections virally, and his blood, saliva, and hair samples revealed nothing unusual.

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“This is why it’s so hard to track Variants. They leave no trace. Even though it clearly went berserk like a monster,” muttered Dr. Yoon, shaking the test results in frustration.

“Is that so?”

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“Don’t get me started. Even after the autopsy, there was nothing. Just a normal human body, that’s all.”

The bodies of the fallen staff and Lieutenant Lee were said to be no different.

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“We’re so far from uncovering the secrets of the Variants. We’ll probably die of frustration first.”

Dr. Yoon and his assistant let out long sighs, clearly annoyed.

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“By the way… uh, I heard you finally did your first guiding yesterday? I got your report.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

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Dr. Yoon seemed intensely curious about last night’s events. Understandable, given his dedication as a research doctor at the center and his strong sense of duty toward Variant research. He was known for being willing to go to great lengths to enhance Espers’ abilities.

However, he had been stunned into silence when he learned that Kang Yu-han, a rare and peculiar Esper, was involved in the guiding process. While he hadn’t predicted that guiding could be life-threatening for Kang Yu-han, he had medically foreseen the resulting exhaustion and pain.

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And yet, within days of moving in together, the first guiding attempt had already taken place?

“Uh… from the report, it looks like you didn’t attempt mucosal guiding. Just the preliminary stages, right?”

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“…Yes. It didn’t escalate to a rampage.”

“Right… Hm, so it’s still a secret from Major Seo Ji-hyuk, then?”

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“Yes.”

“For how long?”

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“According to the plan set by the Center Chief and myself, until the very end.”

Kang Yu-han answered calmly, rolling up his sleeve to offer his arm.

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“Doesn’t seem like you want to talk much about it.”

“The priority is treatment.”

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“What if Major Seo finds out? Do you have a plan?”

“He has no interest in me whatsoever. Even if he does find out, he won’t care.”

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“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“You’ve got it completely wrong.”

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“…If you say so, what can I do? No one can argue with your stubbornness.”

“That’s correct.”

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“You’re aware of it too, huh? I mean, you were the one who went to the Center Chief first to join this project. Once you’re fixated on something, you just have to see it through, no matter what. No one can stop you…”

“Please just administer the injection.”

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Kang Yu-han cut him off.

“Fine.”

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Dr. Yoon snorted, like an older sibling annoyed by an unyielding younger brother, and prepared the injection. It was medication to alleviate the burning sensation and pain resulting from the aftereffects of guiding.

“If you’re still in pain tomorrow, come back.”

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“Understood. Thank you.”

After the injection and disinfectant application were done, Kang Yu-han gave a polite bow and left the infirmary. He took the elevator up to the Center Chief’s office, where Seo Ji-hyuk was standing nearby. Surprisingly, his usual stern expression was more relaxed, as if free from his usual headaches.

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“Running late?”

“I’m not late yet, Major. Shall we go in?”

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The number of security personnel patrolling the hallway had noticeably increased.

“At ease.”

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Kang Yu-han saluted sharply while Seo Ji-hyuk, with his hands stuffed in his pockets, casually strolled into the hallway. The secretary opened the door to the Center Chief’s office for them.

Inside, the office was impeccably organized. It was hard to believe the chaos of yesterday had taken place here; everything—partitions, furniture, and windows—looked brand new.

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The desk where Lieutenant Lee used to sit was conspicuously empty. The desk, chair, computer, and drawers had all been removed, exposing the bare floor. The investigation team must have taken everything.

Though it was expected, Kang Yu-han felt uneasy. As the person stationed closest to the door, Lieutenant Lee was always the first to greet him upon entering the office.

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“Come in.”

“Center Chief, I’m here.”

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“So am I.”

The Center Chief gestured for Seo Ji-hyuk and Kang Yu-han to sit at the conference table. He looked as though he had aged years in just a few days, his hair streaked with more white.

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“Good work yesterday.”

“…It was nothing.”

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“Yes, I worked hard,” Seo Ji-hyuk interjected boastfully. Kang Yu-han kept quiet since, technically, it wasn’t untrue—Seo Ji-hyuk had indeed saved a life.

“Ha… I never expected something like this to happen. A Variant appearing inside the Center…”

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The Center Chief sank into his leather sofa, staring blankly into the distance.

“I didn’t anticipate it either.”

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“As you know, this is the safest place in Korea. Well, it was—until yesterday. Entry requires fingerprint and iris scans, not to mention encrypted passwords to filter out any unwanted visitors.”

Kang Yu-han nodded. The Center was far from lax in its operations. In fact, it had been managed with exceptional care to ensure its integrity. Locks and access control systems were installed throughout the building, and visitor logs were meticulously maintained to prevent Variant infiltration.

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So how? How had Lieutenant Lee become a Variant in this supposedly secure place?

This was the question on everyone’s mind—Kang Yu-han, the Center Chief, and the rest of the staff. It seemed almost inconceivable that a staff member working in the main building, specifically in the Center Chief’s office, could have been a Variant.

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How was it even possible?

“We’re in a dire situation. There’s no guarantee that Lieutenant Lee was the only Variant among us.”

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The Center Chief’s expression turned grave.

“It’s not just one or two. I suspect there are countless Variants hiding among us, waiting to go berserk at any moment.”

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Kang Yu-han silently agreed. After experiencing firsthand how indistinguishable the new generation of Variants were from humans, he knew that if additional Variants surfaced, it would only be a matter of time before the Center fell apart.

“That’s why I’m telling you to start the T/F project from inside.”

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“Pardon?” Seo Ji-hyuk raised an eyebrow.

“Instead of investigating Seoul, start by thoroughly combing the Center to identify and isolate potential Variants. Once the Center is fully secured, then expand the search to the city.”

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“Wait. Are you asking me to spy on my colleagues? Or use my abilities to pinpoint Variants? That’s a big ask. I don’t have such powers, so what am I supposed to do? Guess?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

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The Center Chief dismissed Seo Ji-hyuk’s sarcasm with a wave of his hand and opened a small safe next to the sofa. Inside, cooled by a refrigeration system, were two ampoules about the size of a pinky finger.

“This is an experimental substance under development in the lab. It doesn’t harm regular humans, but it causes severe skin damage to Variants. While it’s not fully refined, the results so far are promising.”

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Seo Ji-hyuk picked up an ampoule and lazily shook it. “Ah, so we just sprinkle this tiny bit on all thousand staff members? Good thing there’s so much to go around.”

“Major, please mind your tone in front of the Center Chief.”

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Kang Yu-han sighed at Seo Ji-hyuk’s habit of adding a snide comment to every statement. Seo Ji-hyuk, unaffected, shrugged with mock innocence.

“I’m just saying, it’s enough for a couple of people, tops.”

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“Mass production isn’t possible yet. Use it on the most suspicious individuals first. But unlike yesterday, this time we need to capture the Variant alive.”

“Excuse me, Chief, but you’re asking us to capture something that’s trying to kill us alive?”

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“I know it’s difficult, but with your abilities, it’s not impossible. The sooner this is resolved, the sooner you can retire.”

Seo Ji-hyuk glared at the ampoule before slipping it into his pocket. Retirement was clearly the carrot being dangled, but for now, it was the only viable option.

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“Then I’ll be off.”

After Seo Ji-hyuk left, silence filled the room. The Center Chief looked at Kang Yu-han and spoke cautiously.

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“I heard there was guiding yesterday.”

“Yes.”

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“How was it?”

“It seems effective. He says he has no headaches.”

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“And?”

“He doesn’t remember anything.”

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The Center Chief nodded silently.

“I know it’s taxing, but please endure a little longer.”

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“Understood.”

“If only he had started taking suppressants earlier, we wouldn’t be here… but we missed the window, tsk.”

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The Center Chief sighed like a worried grandfather lamenting over a reckless grandchild.

He had been present the day Seo Ji-hyuk first went berserk. The energy released from the boy’s body had shattered every building within a kilometer radius into sand-like debris.

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The rampage wasn’t triggered by battle—it had been a result of personal trauma. The mental shock was so severe that Seo Ji-hyuk had lost part of his memory after emergency guidance.

No matter how many times he was asked, he couldn’t recall the details of what happened before or after the rampage. He couldn’t even remember who had saved him from the brink of death. It was clear he hadn’t been in his right mind.

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Doctors had diagnosed it as a natural self-defense mechanism.

After all, on that day, the boy had killed his own blood.

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