The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me – Chapter 11

Author: Asternkm

I clicked my tongue inwardly, only to feel Shin-ra’s gaze bore into me. In the end, I had no choice but to take his hand too.

Anyway, when I said I’d do my best, I meant it.

Yes, it was partly because of the handcuffs.

I’d rather be kicked around on my own than imagine being dragged along with one person clinging to each side—it made me feel like my stomach would cave in.

Of course, focusing for safety’s sake was only natural.

As I’d said before, guides were no different from ordinary people.

We were so fragile that even the touch of a trainee-level D-rank esper could kill us or leave us gravely injured. If a monster with no restraint attacked us, that would be the end.

No matter how much they say they’ll protect me, there’s no telling what might happen.

For my own sake, I had to give it everything I had.

Since Jung Ha-ram was with us too, I steadied my breathing, planning to maintain radiation-type guiding as well. Just then, Cha Eun-hwi issued his orders.

“Even though reconnaissance is our main objective, we’ll still follow headquarters’ standing directives. Shin-ra, deploy the barrier—”

“And I monitor the surroundings?” Ha-ram cut in, instantly realizing he was being referred to, and shrugged.

“Yes. And just to be clear, Esper Jung Ha-ram—whatever kind of guiding the Geumgang First Unit used, our guide here does nothing beyond holding hands. Please refrain from unnecessary contact.”

“Don’t even hold hands,” Yeon Do-gyeong added flatly. “Yoon Hyeya has two hands. There’s none left for you.”

“If possible, keep some distance too.”

“Wow, that’s harsh. I was just joking a little—do you really have to be like this?”

Starting with Cha Eun-hwi, then Yeon Do-gyeong and Shin-ra piling on, Ha-ram complained petulantly.

The mood was sharp, but not truly serious.

Espers understood better than anyone how hard it was to go without guiding—especially those three.

Well, Do-gyeong and Shin-ra might have been sincere, but Cha Eun-hwi was the captain.

If Ha-ram’s condition worsened, he’d order guiding before I even noticed. There was nothing to worry about.

“I suddenly feel drained. I think I’d feel better if Hyeya hugged me just once.”

“Then Esper Jung Ha-ram, please wait here. It will be somewhat unstable without a sensor, but there’s no need for you to follow us.”

…Presumably.

At Cha Eun-hwi’s firm response, Ha-ram puffed out his cheeks. He muttered something about Eun-hwi being too cold, but Cha Eun-hwi ignored him and continued calmly.

“There’s a high chance teleportation won’t work inside the forest, so we should leave markers. Do-gyeong, that’s your job.”

“Is there really a need? We can just burn everything down.”

“Yeah. Just wipe it all out.”

As Yeon Do-gyeong replied indifferently, Ha-ram nodded along.

From my perspective, those two were so similar in how they thought that it was no wonder they didn’t get along.

Is this what they call mutual aversion among one’s own kind?

Cha Eun-hwi walked over to Shin-ra, who was deploying the barrier, and let out what sigh number who-knew-what. His calm gaze was like a nanny watching over unruly children.

“Many plant-type monsters release toxic spores in a final struggle before dying. We might be fine, but Cheonggeum will be scouting near the forest, and with their guide in poor condition, it’ll be hard for them to endure.”

“Oh, right.”

“Even if it looks trivial, it’s still an A-rank Gate. Let’s proceed carefully.”

If it had been me, he would’ve snapped back asking if I ever studied—but maybe because it was Do-gyeong, Cha Eun-hwi was unusually gentle.

They were close like real brothers when they were younger, after all.

Meanwhile, Shin-ra, having finished setting up a sturdy barrier around us, took a short breath and spoke.

“Still, I kind of get why Do-gyeong hyung and Ha-ram hyung are relaxed. Doesn’t it feel… too peaceful here? Hyeya noona was terrified during last year’s A-rank Gate, but now she seems totally fine.”

“That time, lightning struck the moment Yoon Hyeya went in and fried the guys in front of us. Good thing they went first.”

“That’s true. If not, Hyeya noona would’ve—well, anyway. A-rank Gates usually feel oppressive just from the environment alone. But here…”

Instead of finishing, Shin-ra frowned.

Everyone was thinking the same thing.

So was I. That sticky, oppressive sensation I’d felt crossing the rift was completely gone.

Was there a reason for that too?

If things go south, I’ll just use Shin-ra and Yeon Do-gyeong as shields.

After Cha Eun-hwi finished his transmission to headquarters, we headed straight into the forest.

This time, Jung Ha-ram took up the rear.

Up close, the dense trees with their grotesquely twisted branches looked even more unnatural.

White, foam-like clusters—like insect eggs—clung everywhere, and large portions of the bark were discolored pale white, as if covered in mold.

On top of that, the stench wafting out from deeper in the forest made my nose throb.

If it was this bad for me, it had to be far worse for the espers.

I spread my energy to fill the barrier completely, focusing on guiding.

After we’d gone fairly deep, with Yeon Do-gyeong leaving scorched marks by burning branches, Shin-ra spoke, his already furrowed brow tightening further.

“I thought it might be my imagination, but the barrier’s been under constant attack. I think there’s toxic matter mixed into the air. Everyone, be careful.”

“Do you know what kind of toxin?” Cha Eun-hwi asked.

“There are several mixed together. Judging by how the outermost layer of the barrier is corroding, if you went out bare-skinned, your flesh might rot.”

The calm way he said it made me hunch my shoulders reflexively.

Shin-ra specialized in healing and barriers. He always layered them two or three times over, and during last year’s Lightning Cradle, that had saved us more than once.

If even Shin-ra says that, the poison must be vicious.

It seemed this forest was the Gate’s true face.

“Maybe you hyungs are right,” Shin-ra added. “The proper strategy might be to burn everything down. The toxins are clearly coming from the trees.”

“Then yeah, maybe Do-gyeong should just set it all on fire…” Ha-ram drawled.

“So what do you think, Captain? Should we try burning one first?” Yeon Do-gyeong asked.

Cha Eun-hwi lifted the communicator.

Normally, espers made on-site decisions and proceeded accordingly, but given the circumstances, it was necessary to follow headquarters’ orders.

However, Cha Eun-hwi soon frowned and sighed.

“I suspected it once you mentioned toxins, but communications are down.”

“Then we should retreat to a zone unaffected by it and make contact. I really don’t want to get hauled in later for acting on my own,” Shin-ra said.

“You’re surprisingly obedient to headquarters, Shin-ra. But what now? I don’t think we can get out,” Ha-ram replied, his previously relaxed voice turning stiff.

When I reflexively looked toward him, I saw it—

The path we’d taken was blocked by a wall writhing like tentacles.

“…!”

I’d thought I’d seen just about every horrible thing after clearing so many Gates, but apparently there was still more to add to the list.

The wall, made of dark, purplish tentacles, was slowly creeping toward us.

At the same time, bloated-looking bubbles swelled and burst in places, releasing a wave of stench.

I instinctively held my breath and blinked.

As we’d come in, there’d been no sound at all—no presence, nothing.

I get it if I didn’t notice, but none of them did either? That’s strange…

As we hesitated before the nauseating sight and smell, Yeon Do-gyeong clicked his tongue and stepped in front of me.

For a split second, I thought he’d done it to protect me—the timing was that perfect.

But—