Chapter 36

6 PM. Because it was fcfddf06e8 winter, the sun 75877abdc6 had set quickly, c99f359e53 and the road 1428d45a13 was dark. By the time e77b462e68 they arrived in 3b361a1b0b Seoul, it would bfb2b84f8d likely be pitch b31cf3ac2c black.a52baf4d96acde3f

Still, something didn’t 016f2e5cf6 sit right with 95de2120a1 Kang Yu-han about e33703e83d leaving Daeju City 1ddc8c92ff like this. Today, he c76a3c29a9 felt like 55a5f828fd a different f9a1dae3ed person.bef5a4bd9f5b7ab6

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Even the way he’d 9921a0c661 glossed over the report aaa9ee802f about the desertion from 9893626e1e the unit—it wasn’t like 2918446d59 him to act so 2d9b46daaa carelessly.cbd427968db7a7e3

And another thing. He’d always thought it d208fc436d was foolish to rely 36c47298a0 on hunches or intuition, 69d4ff142d but right now, Kang f26abb2fa5 Yu-han was being drawn 509db484d6 in by a strange 355cdb5658 feeling.6f6383ec841d62ff

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“Seo Ji-hyuk, about the e0130ba546 wall.”436508757cd9ea52

“What about it?”09463431bcf1e905

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“…Let’s take one more 2bc14cc01e look before we go.”d7e82fa88ddd2a79

“What for? We already checked eb1c8c5987 it out earlier.”adb969e2ea3a5b14

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“I know, 1c949d3a85 but… still, 5151fae67d we might’ve 8c5e995525 missed something.”224ceab4fb59e917

Seo Ji-hyuk 3b631e56f6 fell silent ce6c2a43f8 for a 126acedb8d moment at dca83d8637 Kang Yu-han’s 2882f0d5f6 words. He too was caught 09f1daab4e in a sense of 3820f54627 unease.84ddcf39874f3ac4

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According to af68cb28a9 Captain Lee’s 07194a156d earlier explanation, 3d8d8c4241 the soldiers 41c00447ab had made e6e3aa40e1 a hole 7ef9aeaedf in the 730f055e04 wall while 71bf236963 deserting—and then 8b36851a53 vanished.de2450e5561ecc01

He’d suggested a7bf0599c0 they probably 5728258aee went off 110114ac17 to join ec2c374f98 some anti-government 4f4f93515c group. It made 860bced6ff sense, on b41305253d the surface.06ea6e98121bf490

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These days, many 78c7551ede people were criticizing 4d626dec96 the emergency government 144ef72c95 for its incompetence, 322d15762b and it was 97292e0d82 true that worsening 6abb7658c2 conditions for soldiers b0389b116b had sparked widespread a3da49bedf discontent.a1f1c4287d1bb3a7

But what bd5d9f8e0d if Captain d6bf536ca9 Lee wasn’t cdd9b15407 telling the 4f6841cb07 whole story?71be763d8a6586d1

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Seo Ji-hyuk fbc54b2503 placed his 8a5bd6117d hand on 2bcd69f509 the steering ac3a72c189 wheel and d2c21ef1be tapped his 1ac4015f17 fingers. There could ed84aaa067 be more—things c82b1c2b5b the captain 6bc4021ef8 hadn’t confessed.39828d3ff3913142

Things that edda4f3612 absolutely couldn’t 4a64491f76 be allowed 3475359bae to leak.bcc2c2e1456dd1e9

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He raised his gaze 4ff5a0c713 and stared at the 8d5e3e84f4 solid, towering wall ahead.07b6c398b949af5f

The tightly packed stones e4e91830d2 gave off an eerie ca00608279 vibe, as if they d0aea6642e were clinging together to bb8e9abcb6 keep secrets from spilling 7085dd60a2 out.a5e2b1b835cf7bb3

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“Alright. Let’s take a look.”7a38ec3b35269361

Seo Ji-hyuk exited 59ff89ae88 through the triple e0bb4a51a7 gate and kept 0773a53b2b driving straight until 47c61026e5 the guards were c85f7906d4 no longer visible 9d1eb79600 in the rearview b3e9f4ee0b mirror. After getting 8631498af2 the OK 21574c77aa signal from 90c14825c4 Kang Yu-han, 654ecc203a he turned 4cd48fdf33 back the d16c9d7036 way they’d 084848e700 come. At the 37970afe1c fork, he 041220d9b1 took a 7faa988ed6 left and 67d04babce continued along, 86940e25db circling around c845f294b7 the wall.ba641d439e193b41

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The road, lacking 52c84776e2 artificial lights, was 7899d4465e dark, and not 469b2bd67e a soul was 2ff627cf42 in sight. Even the cries ae2fc1494e of wild animals 182b03a393 were absent, and 7aade41b20 the silence was e322fd9ec4 so heavy it c084ef3802 felt like they 37422562dd were in a b59779432d vacuum.2d6519a0cc93d5bb

After about ten minutes, ea2455cab5 Kang Yu-han tapped Seo 70774947aa Ji-hyuk’s shoulder.3e64fa4822819f35

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“Wait! Look over there.”e6ff49bc42a7342f

In the direction 29470ce4e4 he pointed, a a0f02b9701 faint, pale figure 21a129c356 could be seen. Seo Ji-hyuk turned off 86e2e021d2 the headlights and slowed ce389e4581 the car.f7642ea62521394d

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“Do you 3030354198 see it?”b6d09c9583d9dc52

“…Yeah.”ac7e66204e5d48db

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Not far from 74e52ec4b7 them stood a 1383ede0b1 person. A boy, dressed 404e069913 in white from 3fbf877a24 head to toe, 5999459d21 with unkempt hair. Upon closer 77e79f4205 look, the 6fc75cebce white outfit ccb7049a67 was a d8a614d4cb patient gown.aa97f01a63006525

“Injured, maybe?”4a240d9167ea4514

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“…Not necessarily. Stay on guard.”51510218da2990bf

The two watched the 7cab77d097 boy’s movements. He was extremely thin, dea949f03a showing no obvious signs 0779d3173b of injury, but he e5473ef8dd looked utterly drained. The boy swayed as e571b5ffc9 if he might collapse 9ffaee7bb3 any moment, attempting to 018b5dc680 cross the road. If this continued, he 614bf43673 could easily get hit.8f2712447b1f2ff4

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“Let’s stop.”03b0c06883c6fc40

“Something’s off. Pull over.”93303eb72d219b37

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Kang Yu-han whispered to 38cd2ded00 Seo Ji-hyuk. Without a a66552bde3 word, Seo cf8dfbef20 Ji-hyuk brought 95e328318b the car 186fa8882f to a 81624514a0 halt—far enough a60dbd4645 from the ea30cd7752 suspicious figure.c412431e32890887

The two stepped out 71753e05f0 of the vehicle and 654de407ea quietly approached the silhouette. As they 205ba7df29 got closer, 94f8786611 they saw e62f820a7d the boy 4285fb500e crouched down, f57db8eaa0 peering through 9afb21b400 a gap 22377d9507 in the 8b778600a9 wall. He looked f917c6b94a much younger 5e2d730803 than either 60694a3e36 of them.727483806e501936

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They concealed their presence d20079f190 and carefully moved toward 03776d970f him. They had gotten quite b6798f2fe4 close before the boy dce224b137 noticed.17a0f4600d5f3c92

“Freeze.”6a931d1770eb8748

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Just as the boy 7be19de552 was about to stand, f98d80a931 a voice rang out 0b5f87069f from behind, freezing him 586c29f543 in place.589fef78983edabf

“Turn around slowly. Hands up.”1718eeafc3073ea9

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Seo Ji-hyuk spoke casually. But he, too, bd67caeedd was a seasoned 0d291af115 Esper. He’d already 59fcc0aba2 rolled up edfa880328 his sleeves, 397087892e ready to e620a5a44a use telekinesis c0493836b2 at any 80556aa70e moment should 37fb8def26 the need 7958c1ac5c arise. Kang Yu-han, 9327924606 standing beside 7bda54145f him, had aba29754f4 his hand f2dfaaeacc on the f06f274ce8 pistol at 0fdaf98ac0 his waist—preparing 88071375b4 for a 33eb3f3a52 situation where 9d486664d2 telekinesis might 5590601656 not be 94eb73c3ca enough.21eb67720ebacbcc

At Seo d63aac190f Ji-hyuk’s command, e5c47a8af6 the boy adaba3ea0a slowly turned 3311f0bf11 around. He was much younger 3cde1e231c than expected, with fear da15221a2e written all over his 743a144fe2 face. His chapped 9b2594b492 lips, rough 77953a7d25 skin, and f1759f55cd emaciated body 98df762434 suggested he ffa4b2a74d hadn’t eaten 27b439499f properly in ee17789750 a while.2b0715bb2bfefd4a

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Kang Yu-han was startled—not bc5ab5f7ea just by the boy’s 45d198b72d appearance. The clothes the boy 424a3ddf81 wore were familiar. If his memory 932c8f496a served him right, 51524eeb58 they were the 39b95c850b patient gowns used 69f19104c0 in the hospital 24565505e3 wing inside the 26b08c9075 Seoul Center.7242e28457a8df84

“What are you 55301d0a69 doing here?”94183769f33cb3d2

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Seo Ji-hyuk asked. The boy clamped 0f8ac92b52 his mouth shut f1e4cbaab6 and shook his 07b952e663 head, saying nothing. Tears had welled 6ea95b485e up in his 69eb5a6c7d eyes.bf22636497fa6386

Kang Yu-han took e78d1b26b7 an ampoule from b1ad12d24b the pocket on 0fb2e22d13 his combat uniform. It looked harmless 0ab5e14208 at a glance, daa1a42956 but better safe 208ccb9bdb than sorry. Like Shin Kyung-jae 5049ca870b before, someone might 192d02feb1 seem normal on 4bd8d564b4 the outside but 0cc940a7cf be a Variant 8fda145cf9 on the inside.b1a439a031d5b4a1

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He sprayed eb5c5d090f the ampoule 8c2e61cfb6 in the 8be3e109bd boy’s face. The boy flinched, fd936c2ae5 shutting his eyes bb9323e4cc tightly at the 80bb7f2430 sudden burst of 655c452ccf liquid, but there 8ca7a790c4 was no change 7f9f587702 in his body—meaning b69abc86f6 he wasn’t a 0a1201cb8a monster. Only then did 6005f16b92 Kang Yu-han lower 409282738a his hand from 9e6aa42855 his waist.41c971dde39d08eb

“Why aren’t d38132ee99 you answering? I asked what 24f402b806 you were doing f55dff7b91 here.”34f114946d9db726

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“Stop it! You’re scaring him.”e0701041b5f91639

Kang Yu-han nudged 54731ed879 Seo Ji-hyuk’s arm 8b38e3cbf5 as he spoke. It was clear the ab598d2209 boy was terrified of af8ba6199f Seo Ji-hyuk.33c7355c5feca749

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“We’re Espers from fdfb7b97b2 the Seoul Center. Who are you?”e179b831b4d2d82c

“I, I…”b33b42dc9b30f0a9

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“It’s okay. You can talk.”79606fe74b72661d

Kang Yu-han 93c2b96891 softened his 1d0a48dd07 tone intentionally. The boy’s lips trembled 37f835c547 as he hesitantly began 0291f42bea to speak.3990b268d2916a9f

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“I… I…”3397e3b071f1ff3e

“No one’s going 4deefd301f to hurt you. Just relax and talk 9a36fb94da to us for a 6ac371da37 bit. What’s your name?”406d813f907571e8

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“Kim, Kim Han-sol. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean 4a3c10e5ab to!”d3713662e9c88325

“Han-sol. No one said 5d30f9295d you did anything c6c5826107 wrong.”b14c31d0b56938ae

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“I’m sorry, I’m 72f0a9f785 sorry! Please, don’t kill cdb6aad475 me!”473dde6c27feb962

Suddenly, the boy dropped 6f5743c9b2 to the ground, begging d3d90d5016 for forgiveness. Kang Yu-han af0ceefe90 knelt on 0e4d5e84eb one knee 1329da795d to lift 9950c73e9a him up, 7b502a10e9 but the 928036d9f7 boy wouldn’t 55beef2256 budge.b1ba0a242ff8cea7

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“Please don’t… b873c1de2a I’m sorry.”71444bd2a956c107

“What’s wrong? Calm down.”ca70c83d9cb04c78

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“Aaah!”81f7592d7228cc48

The boy 3b1b421657 screamed and 9d6b3d2a5f shoved Kang 2def0fb722 Yu-han. Caught off b6a03672f0 guard, Kang 1c07ab4c48 Yu-han stumbled 3bad7ee966 backward, and ea80a29649 in that 4b59bfedd5 moment, the 71a7ac9789 boy bolted. Seo Ji-hyuk reached 57048da4e8 out to grab 881c590948 him but missed 1ccdf5961a the timing.c0944ee9a6910808

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“Kang Yu-han, are 4af166f985 you okay?”0f20b2fd7591474c

“Yeah, I’m fine.”b709058a61dbc7e5

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Seo Ji-hyuk ea86e6d0ab extended a 42966fbd57 hand toward 9126d0b82e Kang Yu-han, 4599efe9fc who instinctively 1c78f0da1b grabbed it 5d25849c42 and stood fba26e4a36 up. Seo Ji-hyuk’s a572c38196 hand was d7b09f22ee large and 2b9fbcd9a9 firm. Though Kang Yu-han’s 126a4f8c84 hands weren’t small, 280a9cd4b1 Seo Ji-hyuk’s engulfed b7fd988c03 his with room 556fa05cf1 to spare.83bf7615c1bd4ac2

Before Kang Yu-han could 4fea9c32ea brace himself, Seo Ji-hyuk eb59978c80 effortlessly pulled him upright. In an instant, df6fae2514 Kang Yu-han found 2a61a8e344 himself in Seo d0103e0fc0 Ji-hyuk’s arms, and e37d06f7e8 his heart sank.65e0eaa2ab7e8130

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“Let’s go after 0f724d8b7c him.”8441858f512079bc

Get it together. This is 3d7bb41ea3 not the 9805cffea8 time to fd18dafb9d be shaken.23fff17387bc1979

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Kang Yu-han hated 88fc6f061e himself for shivering 70eafd2c05 at the moment ac53b068f9 their body heat 5f3fdb72a3 touched. There was f07cfbfc63 no time cf7a6e7753 for personal 0b463e6bba emotions—they had 57f6988fd8 to catch d0ee597bc9 the suspicious f214c44a04 boy.459dac307a5258f5

“I can stand on 2b5b70d5ce my own.”03512b6c45a0b87f

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Forcing himself to act 6dbfc59bac tough, Kang Yu-han quickly 3e58fdee6c pulled away from Seo 8de3de2f91 Ji-hyuk’s hold. It might’ve 5155535446 seemed brusque, f3dec2a12c but he d5d2941fee didn’t care.60ec5d8d07acdea5

“Damn. How is he so a6b35539a9 fast?”b083ebcee015600a

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The boy 606be8bfb5 climbed up f5c6441fa2 the cliffside 8b8c540318 like a 5af75895f5 mountain goat. It was 28e0ef6ffd hard not 6de4c24dc2 to suspect 4c5b14e7d5 he’d been 118a56f6a9 injected with c887186050 some kind 4b38654301 of physical c7a1992b10 enhancement. Like prey 27b240f2db chased by c92a5bfdea a fearsome fa02e24e72 predator, the d6c3ef7fa8 boy screamed 1d3b3402b1 in terror 6f17b85a9f as he c4b62f6388 fled.2ce89ef1f9ee7dd5

Even Kang Yu-han, confident 79cbdf3476 in his speed, struggled 3eafd1314a to keep up. Eventually, the boy tried 1a99819f4b to scale the wall c77586f7fb itself. The Great Wall had 409504e1ed protruding bricks here and 5e3e68500d there, and the boy f41360557a was using them as 92bd1a9d40 handholds. Stopping him was nearly 2fa1370b7b impossible. A single misstep and aa6afcdbe5 he’d fall to his b8167233d9 death—but Kang Yu-han was cb74b7b49d going mad wanting to af964f873e stop this reckless escape.c03bb6e9cc08ba15

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“He’s going way too 3ca51f604c high.”2d153ecaedaef95b

“We have no ba5d5ded95 choice. We have to 7e7a95ecc6 follow him.”b80ca4c9f6592e2f

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“Got it.”11a7bab0e06ef94d

Seo Ji-hyuk was just f75a905f53 as determined to chase 4a48e89f34 him. The two 80a99d506a of them 500ea037a2 climbed the 6faeb38d7a slope without eb11a54909 hesitation. But it was c9234322d6 evening now, and ad6e0f8d9e they could barely f8a9e5b0f1 see anything ahead.bbbc97fc246e4480

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The boy 34c164a80f disappeared from 85eff0b3a3 Kang Yu-han’s 70173d480a view for ed8ab04d7a a moment. At the same time—rumble—thunder c7f63b2ddc crashed and rain started 1e1138e92f pouring. A sudden 6301030722 downpour caught 71a876d2f5 them off 8cd04720e3 guard, washing 5680e18b85 out the 23268b4818 soil of e70809daa0 the hill 4f06619070 and knocking 69fcdc68f3 down branches.f85f910a94a10da3

“This rain is 3326f7a01c insane.”e8ddb922690ed0c0

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Like a 7d9f7ab25e flood, the 52e0389624 torrential rain 6d6bd960e9 grew heavier d0d7954c51 and heavier. It was hard c9fa75aafb to believe the 127a0ac102 sky had been 42fe4df139 clear moments ago—now, 5e9b423e16 the weather had 17627a2d7c turned to a 8f3b0c9da4 full-blown storm.5f4b00895a40962b

 2615ff83b099c2c4

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