The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 124

There were no windows inside the food storage, so the only light came from the moon, slanting in through the entrance.

On top of that, we were hiding behind the giant jars to avoid being seen, making everything even darker. I had to blink several times before I could make out my surroundings.

The one shaking me awake was Han Yeon-woo. Judging by the way Park Min-seok and Nam Woo-jin were rubbing their eyes, they had either stayed awake the whole time or gotten up before me.

I took a few sips of water before asking Han Yeon-woo,

“Have you been awake the whole time?”

“We took turns sleeping. While you were asleep, a couple of Giants came by. It was… kind of nerve-racking.”

“‘Kind of’ isn’t the right word. The ground was shaking every time they got close. I thought there was an earthquake.”

“Me too… I dreamed I fell off a rooftop.”

Nam Woo-jin and Park Min-seok added their own comments. Then they glanced at me with an expression I recognized.

The kids I’d lived with at the Association used to look at me like that whenever I did something, staring at me as if I were amazing.

This felt pretty similar.

I guess the fact that I hadn’t even opened my eyes while they were practically scared out of their wits seemed impressive to them.

The only reason I hadn’t cared was because I’d already confirmed that the Giants were docile and never attacked first. Besides, after living at the Association, I’d gotten used to all kinds of monsters making a racket.

If there had been a real earthquake, I obviously would have woken up.

But vibrations from a few Giants wandering nearby were nothing.

Please don’t think I’m amazing over something this trivial…

To be honest, all three of them were far superior to the people at the Association in terms of pure physical ability.

Not only had they managed to keep up with me all the way here without collapsing, but their reflexes were remarkably fast.

That was probably how they’d managed to scout all the way to the Association.

Still, seeing how strongly they reacted to everything made me wonder if their group simply didn’t have anyone particularly powerful.

Even if the person leading them—the “Captain”—was an Esper, an Esper couldn’t use their abilities to their full potential without a Guide. There were side effects too, so maybe they had to be especially cautious.

That train of thought led me to an uncomfortable conclusion.

Once we cleared this Gate…

Something troublesome was probably going to happen.

They’re probably going to ask me to join them.

I wasn’t getting ahead of myself.

In a world where manpower had become priceless, I knew I was a valuable asset.

From their perspective, I’d entered the Gate with them, saved their lives, shared my chocolate and water, and even gone out of my way to help them clear the Gate. Even if my goal had been to exchange information, it was only natural they’d see me favorably.

But the biggest reason I was traveling through this dangerous world alone was to find Cha Eun-hwi, Yeon Do-gyeong, and Lee Shin-ra.

I was following the coordinates left behind in our operations room.

If I found nothing there…

Then I’d have no choice but to search the entire country.

Without the internet.

Without any other means of communication.

If I belonged to a group, I could at least rely on their help a little.

The problem was that this “Captain” was an Esper.

If he’s an Esper from Korea, there’s a good chance he knows my name.

He might not recognize my face, but he couldn’t not know my name.

After all, I’d been an S-Class Guide.

Of course, my name wasn’t especially unique, so hearing “Yoon Hye-a” alone probably wouldn’t immediately make him think of the S-Class Guide.

Still, after being warned over and over to stay careful, I couldn’t ignore the possibility.

If they asked me to come with them, I intended to refuse.

But I was starting to regret giving these three my real name.

I should’ve made up something similar instead.

…Well, what’s done is done.

Whether they’d listen or not, I’d just ask them not to mention me.

It’s not like we’d ever meet again, right?

I decided to think about the rest after we got out.

Pretending not to notice the burden in their eyes—which matched the burden in my own thoughts—I tidied my messy hair and switched on my spare flashlight.

Han Yeon-woo still had the one I’d lent him earlier. After hesitating for a moment, he finally turned it on as well.

He’d probably been reluctant to use it just in case.

Despite being so timid, he’d apparently gathered food while I was asleep. Cheese and smoked meat had been cut into manageable pieces and wrapped in cloth.

He’d even cut up the large sheet that had covered the dried fruit and turned it into a makeshift bag.

He was surprisingly handy.

Everything was already prepared, and we’d memorized our route, so without hesitation we picked up the pouches of oil and slipped outside one after another.

“Whoa… There are so damn many stars. And the moon’s huge.”

Park Min-seok, the first one outside, looked up at the dark sky and muttered.

I looked up as well.

There really were countless stars, and the moon looked almost five times larger than normal.

In the past, I would’ve admired such a mysterious, beautiful sight.

But aside from the moon’s size, the night sky wasn’t dramatically different from the one back in our world now.

After all, it had been years since light pollution disappeared.

So after everyone took a quick glance, we hurried on.

The moonlight was bright enough, and braziers burned in front of the temple, so we didn’t even need our flashlights.

The only problem was the two Giants standing guard at the entrance.

We had to move quickly.

Fortunately, all three of them were nimble and cautious enough that I wasn’t worried about us being spotted.

The real problem wasn’t the gatekeepers.

It was the staircase leading into the temple.

Built for Giants, each step was absurdly high.

One or two would’ve been manageable.

But climbing up and down nearly twenty of them was pure torture.

“They really weren’t kidding about one obstacle after another…”

Standing beside the three of them as they stared at the stairs in despair, I let out a sigh of my own.

This hadn’t been mentioned in the Gate guide I’d read either.

Whoever wrote it had definitely left it out on purpose.

Probably because they didn’t want to be the only ones who suffered through it.

Then again, Espers tended to have personality issues no matter the country, so it wasn’t exactly surprising.

Silently promising myself that I’d add it to the guide if I ever got the chance, I spoke quietly.

“I’ll go by myself. You three hide here for a while.”

“W-What? No, we’ll come with—”

Nam Woo-jin started to object before instinctively looking at the staircase and swallowing hard.

His eyes—and even the corners of his mouth—were trembling.

It was honestly a little funny.

Noticing that, Han Yeon-woo quickly spoke up.

“We’re coming too. Even if we’re slow, we’ll be careful. Please don’t worry about us.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. If we could climb those jars, we’d split the work by filling the oil pouches ourselves, but we can’t. At least let us help this much.”

Park Min-seok, who’d been standing there blankly, nodded vigorously.

Nam Woo-jin eagerly agreed too.

“Yeah, yeah. Even if we only carry them halfway up the stairs, it’ll make things easier for you.”

That actually made more sense.

So I accepted and climbed the stairs first.

I quickly made it up the first eight steps before looking back.

The three of them were trailing behind, only two or three steps up.

Seeing them helping each other climb along the sloped edges of the staircase put me at ease, and I continued upward.

By the time I reached the top, my breathing had quickened slightly, but I wasn’t exhausted.

Feeling relieved once again by how much my stamina had improved, I surveyed the area.

There were braziers scattered throughout the temple interior as well, making the flashlight unnecessary.

There wasn’t a trace of the Giants, either.

As long as we avoided the two guarding the entrance below, pouring the oil shouldn’t be a problem.

Taking a deep breath, I walked straight toward the faint brown bark visible in the distance.

The closer I got, the more a damp, earthy smell filled my nose.

Then I saw it.

A towering tree stretching endlessly upward.

And carved into its trunk…

The face of an old woman.

Just like the illustration.

The grooves of the bark formed deep wrinkles, while the knots resembled closed eyes.

Its peaceful smile made it seem as though the tree had slowly grown into the shape of a person over countless years.

It wasn’t grotesque or unsettling.

It was majestic.

Mysterious.

That was exactly why I couldn’t bring myself to pour the oil immediately.

Instead, I let out a long sigh.

Still… if I want to leave this place, I have to do it.

I couldn’t spend the rest of my life happily living here with the Giants.

Suppressing the unpleasant feeling, I walked toward the tree’s roots.

Then…

The tree suddenly opened its eyes.

[You— wicked one— who brings— disaster— again—]

I stopped dead on instinct.

The voice struck me like lightning.

The old woman’s gentle face twisted into a furious scowl, as though she were about to unleash a deafening roar.