The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 22

“If you collapse inside too, that’ll be a problem.”

“If she collapses, then let her. It’s not like we can’t clear it without her.”

“Yeah. Hyea-noona’s always saying she’s tired and then doesn’t even guide properly.”

Wow. Such pretty words. If you can clear it without me, then why won’t you let me quit?

And even when I say I’m tired, I still guide properly!

I was already upset about being dragged here against my will, and now they were poking at my nerves too. My chest tightened.

But today as well, I carefully traced the character for patience in my mind and spoke calmly.

“I’m fine. I can do it properly.”

At this rate, I might explode from pent-up frustration and die before the expedition even ends. Though strangling them would probably happen faster.

Before we left today, I texted the Director that I’d submit another resignation when we got back— I really hoped he’d think about it positively this time……

Even though I was behaving obediently, Cha Eunhwi let out a sigh like something still displeased him.

He was prickly to begin with, but right now he seemed sharper than usual, which made me uneasy. It felt like a bad sign.

…Will we really be okay?

Even if we weren’t, there was nothing I could do—but I should at least be careful not to give them something to nitpick.

“Let’s go.”

At Cha Eunhwi’s short command, I moved my feet again.

When I stepped closer, Lee Shinra deployed his barrier and wrapped it around us. I naturally took Shinra’s hand and gripped my bag strap with the other.

As we crossed the fractured space, anxiety washed over me—but the crushing pressure or sticky discomfort wasn’t that severe.

Too heavy for a C-rank. Too light for an A-rank.

Is it a B-rank gate?

After eight years as a guide, even someone like me—far from sensitive—could roughly judge things just from the flow of air.

My vision brightened, then darkened. The first thing I saw was a red sky and a sunset pouring down like something melting.

That wasn’t a metaphor. Something like lava was literally raining down from the sunset.

But when I turned around, the exact opposite scenery unfolded.

The sky was white and pallid, and beneath it lay frozen land.

It was like something straight out of a South Pole documentary. I half-expected penguins to come waddling by.

They were polar-opposite environments—but between them was an area that looked… normal.

No—maybe not normal……

It was an ordinary grassland, but it looked like someone had cut it out and pasted it there, which made it unsettling instead.

Just where was this place?

As I was wondering, Shinra silently shared his vision.

I immediately shifted my gaze to the window that appeared before my eyes.

[ You have entered ‘The Land of Fire and Ice’. ]

‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡
Maximum occupancy — 10 (+7)

Number of connections — 3

Fastest clear time — 05:13:20

Total deaths — 7
‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡

The Land of Fire and Ice.
A very fitting name.

But then… what was that grassland?

Anyway, judging by the clear time and death count, it didn’t seem like a particularly difficult gate, so I relaxed— just as Cha Eunhwi muttered indifferently,

“It’s an integrated gate.”

Truly the least welcome revelation.

Lee Shinra frowned deeply, clearly irritated by the heat and cold pressing in from both sides.

“Again? No wonder it felt off…… Why do we keep getting stuck with these? So annoying.”

“Seriously. What’s this one fused with?”

“Not sure. We’ll need to investigate first.”

As he spoke, Cha Eunhwi pointed toward the green land I’d been staring at.

“As the name suggests, the Land of Fire and Ice is divided into a volcanic zone and a glacial zone. There’s no record of a grassland like that existing between them.”

“Then let’s check it out.”

“Wait. Shouldn’t we report to HQ first?”

“Report? Don’t tell me you’re scared, maknae. Worried something weird’ll pop out?”

“What? No. I’m not scared—I’m annoyed. Do you avoid shit because you’re scared of it? They might scold us later for not reporting!”

Yeon Dogyeong chuckled, clearly enjoying teasing Shinra.

They’d made me tense with worry earlier, but now both of them looked completely unfazed.
Guess I worried for nothing.

Cha Eunhwi pulled out his communicator.

“Shinra’s right. Since it’s an integrated gate, we should report first. Ah—and named monsters only appear once you enter their territory, so we can relax a little for now.”

“See? Honestly, Dogyeong-hyung is just……”

“Tch. A bunch of model students.”

While the three of them bantered back and forth, I quietly observed our surroundings more carefully.

We weren’t close enough for me to join that kind of conversation anyway, and just standing there felt awkward.

Half-listening to Cha Eunhwi’s report to the Director, I fixed my gaze once more on the distant green land.

It was hard to tell how large it was from here, but I could make out one massive tree.

A tree……

Instinctively, the tentacled plant from the previous gate flashed through my mind.

The memory made my skin crawl—but it wasn’t like I had a choice.

As I looked away with a lingering sense of unease, a sharp voice came from behind me.

“Guide Yoon Hyeya.”

“Ah—yes!”

I turned around quickly. Cha Eunhwi’s expression was ice-cold.

Yeon Dogyeong and Lee Shinra looked the same, and I flinched without knowing why.

Cha Eunhwi spoke sharply.

“I hear you said you’d submit another resignation once this expedition ends. Is that true?”

No—Director, seriously! Why would you snitch like that?!

I glared at the communicator, grinding my teeth in betrayal.

I was furious—but now wasn’t the time to blow up. Damage control came first.

“That—that wasn’t serious. I was just being petty toward the Director……”

“Petty? Sounds like quitting as a guide is something very light to you, noona.”

Lee Shinra cut in with his usual blunt tone.

Hey. Light or not—being a guide isn’t exactly a choice. I awakened as one, so I became one.

And hearing that from me of all people was ridiculous.

But Shinra looked genuinely hurt. The emotions flowing through our joined hands felt the same.

As I stood there flustered, Yeon Dogyeong tilted his head and smiled crookedly.

“Yoon Hyeya. You really know how to piss people off.”

Every time you say that, it feels like a dog with shit on its paws lecturing another dog for stepping in dirt……

Put someone with low blood pressure in front of Yeon Dogyeong, and five minutes of conversation would cure it.

To be blunt, everyone here—including me and the Director—knew my resignation letters would never be approved, no matter how many times I submitted them.

I was part of the problem for continuing to submit them, sure—but the way they reacted like this was an issue too.

If someone keeps expressing how badly they want to quit, shouldn’t the people around them reflect on their own behavior?

Of course, if they were capable of that kind of reflection, they wouldn’t have made my life this hard in the first place.

Nothing I said now would get through, so I just lowered my head and stayed quiet.

Strange sounds created by the terrain echoed from every direction, but between us, there was only silence.

No one even breathed—until Cha Eunhwi finally spoke.

“…For now, let’s confirm the integrated gate. HQ says to leave it to on-site judgment. And.”

At the edge of my lowered vision, I caught sight of Cha Eunhwi’s legs.

In an instant, he stepped right in front of me and grabbed my wrist.

Hard enough to make me frown without realizing it.