The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 109

After hearing the director about the Basilisk, I immediately got ready and went outside.

In front of the building, Dain, Juwon, and Chae were playing hopscotch. When they saw me, they ran over.

“Big sister! Let’s—”

“Not today.”

“Are you going somewhere dangerous?”

“Yes. Do you remember the building that is broken in half in the center? I’m going there. There is a dangerous monster living there. Let’s go for a walk tomorrow or the day after tomorrow instead. But you must stay safe here.”

“Yes!”

“Be careful!”

They had built outer walls using materials taken from monster nests, expanding their safe area. But it still must feel small compared to the wide outside.

I patted their heads once, then opened the gate made of barbed wire and stepped out.

After checking that the children locked the gate behind me, I took out my baton and started walking.

Some traps inside were still fine, but the ones outside were a little damaged.

It looked like monsters had stepped on them during the night.

‘They are working well.’

The traps outside were made using crocodile teeth.

I tested them before using them. They were very sharp and also had poison. Most monsters would feel pain immediately if they were stabbed.

Anyway, the scouting team would fix them later.

At first, I handled everything myself for a week, but now it was no longer my responsibility.

I passed familiar roads quickly and did not meet any monsters.

When I arrived in front of the main base building, I quietly breathed out.

‘No matter how many times I see it, it was really destroyed cleanly.’

It felt strange that Ryu Do-kyung did that.

Inside the broken building, I could still see many eggs.

The director said there were many monsters around before, so the Basilisk eggs could not hatch.

In nature, monsters eat each other too.

Also, baby monsters and eggs are very nutritious.

But now, because I had reduced the number of monsters around, the eggs might hatch at any time.

The Basilisk had probably survived because it was injured back then.

After it fought the director and got injured, it went into other monster territories.

Later, it took over this building after clearing monsters here.

Since it was winter, it likely went into long sleep to recover. It recently woke up and started laying eggs.

It was a lucky chain of accidents.

But today, I had to finish it.

I wore protective glasses I borrowed from the director and went inside.

My goal was to search the operation room and destroy all Basilisk eggs.

I checked every room carefully from the first floor.

There were almost no useful items left, just like the director said.

No eggs on the first floor.

On the second floor, I checked everything again carefully.

If the building was still whole, it would have taken more than an hour per floor. But since half of it was gone, it was faster.

No eggs on the second floor either.

Then I went up to the third floor.

‘Found it.’

There were sticky egg sacs stuck to the floor.

There were three or four soft eggs, slightly bigger than my palm.

They looked strange and slimy.

They might be edible, but most people would avoid them.

‘We don’t really lack food anyway.’

It’s better to destroy them.

I threw nearby stone pieces at them. The eggs didn’t just break—they exploded.

And inside, small snakes crawled out.

“…Ah.”

They were small, but they looked like Basilisks.

Hard shell-like skin, small horn-like bumps, and sharp eyes.

They were clearly about to hatch.

But one problem was—

“Why are you looking at me like that…”

The baby Basilisks looked at me with innocent “kyu?” faces and flicked their tongues.

They looked just like the small creatures from the “paradise” that used to follow me.

“….”

I heard reptiles don’t imprint like this.

But both those creatures and these baby Basilisks were acting the same.

They looked very innocent.

‘What should I do?’

I came here to destroy them, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

While I was frozen, the baby Basilisks slowly crawled toward my feet.

They made soft “shhh, shhh” sounds, like they were asking to be held.

“Don’t do this… I came here to kill you.”

I had to destroy them to prevent future problems.

I raised my baton again, but they tilted their heads with another innocent “kyu?” expression.

“…No.”

This was a mistake. I should have burned the eggs instead.

I sighed and grabbed my head.

“Fine. I won’t kill you…”

I couldn’t kill them.

Even though I had killed thousands of monsters, this was different.

I could fight enemies that attack me, but not something this cute.

‘Maybe I can raise them like the minotaur.’

I decided to leave it to the director.

He would decide whether to raise them or kill them.

I took out a waterproof sheet, duct tape, rope, and a knife.

I made a bag out of the sheet and put the baby Basilisks inside, then tied it to my waist.

‘Now they can’t escape.’

Even if they did, I would notice.

Three should be fine.

But by the time I finished the third floor—

‘…Isn’t this too many?’

The bag had become a big bundle.

Inside were 12 baby Basilisks, all making “shhh, kyu?” sounds.

“…There will be eggs on the fourth floor too.”

The building had seven floors.

If every floor had this many, there might be over 60 baby Basilisks.

I imagined the director turning pale in shock.

I sighed heavily.

‘From the fourth floor, I should burn all eggs I find.’

I had fuel and matches in my bag.

Honestly, I should just burn this bundle right now, but I decided to think about it later.

I sealed the bag, made small air holes, and put it in my backpack.

Then I took out a mirror and put it in my pocket.

‘First, the archive room.’

The fourth-floor archive was one of the three places the director said the Basilisk might be hiding.

It was a large room with books, dark curtains, and controlled temperature and humidity.

It was big enough for a large monster to hide.

‘Please let this be the answer.’

I wanted to finish this quickly.

I reached the archive room on the fourth floor.

I stood in front of the door and quietly breathed out.

A strange feeling came from beyond the door.

I had found the answer in one try.