The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me – Chapter 106

Author: Asternkm

Honestly, I thought they were not in their right minds.

But I still wanted a clear answer, so I asked. The director replied like this.

“You probably expected this, but all three of them… looked like they were really struggling. I still remember clearly what they said when they left the headquarters. They said they would definitely find you, Hyeya.”

“…That’s more than just struggling. They don’t sound normal at all.”

They said they would find me. To do that, they would have to go back into the combined gate of the “Forest of the Lying Fairy” and the “Castle Covered by Clouds.”

But it was absurd how they could say something like that when no one even knew when or where that gate would appear.

At the same time, I also thought maybe that’s why they left the headquarters without hesitation.

‘If the gate creation device is broken, there’s no reason to stay here anyway.’

But then a new question came into my mind.

“How did the combined gate of the Fairy Forest and Cloud Castle appear again in Zone B? If they had known that, they wouldn’t have left the headquarters.”

Even if it’s the same gate, it doesn’t appear in the same place.

All past cases were like that. Even the place where I was first trapped, the “Recovered Strange Paradise,” only formed a crack here because of the gate device, but the zone was different.

The director nodded and said,

“After hearing your story yesterday, I thought about it too. You said time inside the gate felt strange, right? Even though it looked like the gate was cleared and closed, it might have actually been appearing and disappearing very quickly. As far as I remember, no new gate appeared in that location until the gate outbreak happened.”

“…I see. That could make sense. Only about ten minutes passed for me inside, but three years passed outside.”

Hyun Shinra, Cha Eunhwi, and Yeon Dowoon cleared the gate and came out, so they probably didn’t react when people got close.

Other people had no reason to go near it anyway. And even if they did, the gate had already been cleared, so nothing would happen.

In the end, it felt like a strange situation caused by coincidence and abnormal phenomena combined.

“….”

Even though we reached a conclusion, it still felt uncomfortable. The director looked the same.

We stayed silent for a while, just sighing, then I spoke first.

“First, I’ll help with work too.”

“I want to say you don’t need to… but given the situation, I can’t really say that.”

“I heard everyone has job roles. If I’m going to stay here, I should work too. And that’s not like you, sir. You used to talk a lot about duty and responsibility.”

He must have gone through many things in these three years.

Instead of answering, he gave a small tired smile, but he looked a bit more relaxed.

I continued, remembering what I heard in the dining hall.

“First, food is the most important thing, right?”

“Yes. We do farm, but it’s not enough because there are many people. And hunting monsters is not easy either.”

“Then I’ll go hunt some. But how do you store food?”

Even if I could lure and kill monsters one by one, it wouldn’t matter if the food spoiled.

The director answered calmly.

“There is a freezer in the basement. All food is stored there. It’s not very big, but solar power and batteries keep it running every day, so don’t worry.”

“Wow, this place is really well prepared. Then I’ll go around with the scouting team and hunt things. Also, I think you’re low on medicine.”

“It’s hard to restock things like that. Suyoung said you gave out first aid kits and supplies?”

“Yes. Those were items given by the headquarters before. You know, right? Dowoon and Shinra packed a lot of things into my bag.”

“…Right, that’s true.”

It seemed he remembered it late, and his lips lifted slightly.

Leaning back on the sofa, I continued talking while thinking about my bag.

“They didn’t plan all this, but honestly, it really helped me get here yesterday.”

“If Shinra and Dowoon hear that, they’ll be very happy. Please tell them if you ever meet them.”

“…If I get the chance. Anyway, I gave some small first aid kits to Suyoung, but they’re very small and won’t last long. So we should restock them. Is there anything left in the medical room?”

I had not gone inside because it was split in half and had insect egg sacs.

But if there were useful supplies, it was worth checking.

The director shook his head with a sigh.

“There won’t be anything there. When the espers were still here, they already took most supplies while passing by.”

“…I see. That makes sense.”

“Don’t worry too much. No one here has been seriously sick.”

“Now that I think about it, you said immunity and survival ability are high, right?”

“Yes. During the outbreak, things were very chaotic. In dirty environments, people usually get sick and infections spread. But that never happened.”

Hearing that reminded me of things I learned when I was younger.

It made sense to talk about immunity and survival ability.

Even if others don’t know they are awakened, the director saying “don’t worry” means I don’t need to think about it too much.

“Then I’ll go check outside and hunt monsters.”

“Wait, Hyeya. Are you going alone? What about going with the scouting team—”

“No. It’s better if I go alone. I noticed monsters travel in groups. If I go alone, I can escape even if I’m spotted. But if others are with me, it’s more dangerous.”

It wasn’t like I couldn’t handle monsters.

I lifted my shirt slightly and showed my collapsible baton.

“…So that’s the weapon Seungkwon talked about.”

“Yes. It’s really good. So don’t worry.”

After I insisted, he stopped trying to stop me.

He already knew I had become stronger.

If it were three years ago, he would have just said, “Fine. Go.”

‘But the fact he’s not like that now means… he must have gone through a lot in these three years.’

It still didn’t feel real, but after I honestly spoke and made my plan, my mind felt a bit clearer.

I stood up and said brightly,

“Then I’ll go now.”

“…Be careful, Hyeya. And tell Suyoung and Seungkwon.”