The Espers Who Regretted Losing Me Chapter 34

“……”

Why—why was it coming from so close…?

“Grrrrrr……”

Cold sweat trickled down her back.
She didn’t want to turn around—but if she didn’t, something even worse might happen.

Swallowing her dry saliva several times, she slowly turned around, her body creaking like an un-oiled door.

And there it was.

A red dragon.

Fire Dragon… right.

Then it probably wasn’t Yeon Dogyeong who attacked the snake.

But then why was that thing here?

I’m sure Yeon Dogyeong and Cha Eunhwi went to hunt it…

As if to confirm that she was its target, the dragon’s golden eyes—split vertically like a reptile’s—glinted menacingly.

Instinctive fear froze her legs in place.

To espers, she was just a fragile human body.
Even a low-tier monster was more threatening to her than a wild beast.

From between the dragon’s low-growling teeth, another savage sound spilled out.

Run.

At the exact moment she staggered backward, the snake beneath the dragon stirred.

Because of its massive size, even that slight twitch sent gusts of wind roaring through the area.

“Ah…!”

The pressure knocked her off balance.

She hurriedly steadied herself and instinctively looked upward.

There—

The snake bearing the grand name Guardian of Paradise was glaring fiercely at the dragon.

Earlier it was only glaring at me… Guess it’s really pissed now.

Well, looking closely, the area between its body and tail was completely cooked.
Anyone would be furious.

Anyway—this was her chance.

Leaving the dragon and snake locked in mutual hostility behind her, she ran with every ounce of strength she had.

Perhaps because she’d moved while being swallowed, the green land that had seemed far away was actually quite close.

The volcanic and glacial zones were dangerous due to field monsters.

Sure, monsters could appear there too—but at least the greenery offered cover: bushes, trees, places to hide.

Without hesitating further, she sprinted toward the green land.

Thankfully, the monsters only roared and didn’t pursue her.

Passing through the same transparent barrier as before, she ran behind the towering tree at the center and collapsed to the ground.

Thank god… I don’t see any field monsters.

She’d run with the mindset that stopping meant death—now her throat burned, her side ached, and her whole body was drenched in sweat, sticky and miserable.

Still, relieved that she’d escaped safely, she absentmindedly lifted her head—

There’s more now?!

At some point, a white mass had joined the fray. Judging by the atmosphere, a full-blown brawl was about to erupt.

Squinting, she could make out dots nearby that were probably Yeon Dogyeong, Cha Eunhwi, and Lee Shinra—though she couldn’t tell who was who.

For now, it’d be best to wait here until the fight was over.

If I get involved unnecessarily, I might actually die.

She’d heard earlier that the gate was weak, so she wasn’t too worried.

She tucked herself back behind the tree.

As the tension eased, a dull headache set in.
Why did today feel so unbearably long?

I just want to take a bath and collapse into bed…

But once she got out, she’d have to hike back down, get into the car, and endure that suffocating ride.

Bleak.

When she gently closed her eyes, the surrounding sounds seemed unnaturally sharp.

The roar of erupting volcanoes.
The howl of blizzards.
The sound of reptilian throats being slit—

…Huh?

“……?”

Startled, she snapped her eyes open and cautiously peeked out.

The massive bodies of the monsters were collapsing—thud, thud—onto the ground.

They already killed them?

They were never slow at clearing gates, but this was on a completely different level.

While she stared blankly, the three espers began circling around the snake’s mouth and stomach area.

They were probably looking for her.

She was glad they hadn’t forgotten—but just imagining how much she’d get scolded made her sigh.

Still… the sooner I go over, the less I’ll get yelled at.

Her legs screamed in pain, but she grit her teeth and forced herself upright.

She was just about to take a step—

When suddenly, the fallen snake began to glow.

Don’t tell me it’s self-destructing?!

Some monsters made a final desperate move before dying.

She froze—then her eyes widened as a crack suddenly appeared in midair.

The rift was sucking in Yeon Dogyeong, Lee Shinra, and Cha Eunhwi.

“What the hell is that…?”

She’d never seen anything like it.

Usually, when a named monster was defeated, a gate connecting to the outside opened—but it never swallowed people like that.

Is it because it’s a merged gate? But last time we cleared it, everything was normal…

Whatever it was, she could think about it later.

As she looked around, another rift appeared in front of her, connecting to the outside.

Unlike the one in the sky, it looked familiar and ordinary.

Through it, she could faintly see the mountain summit where they’d entered.

She was just about to step through—

[ ‘The Guardian of Paradise’ will never allow its treasure to be stolen by intruders. Those who attack the guardian are forcibly expelled from the gate. ]

The voice of the world—something only visible through shared esper vision via special equipment—appeared before her eyes.

Then a powerful gust of wind swept through, and grass and flowers rapidly spread across the areas that had once been the Land of Fire and Ice.

In the blink of an eye, the world transformed.

She gasped without realizing it.

“Wow…”

It felt like witnessing a miracle.

The merged sky shone blue, and the melting sunset became an ordinary sun.

The volcano that had been constantly erupting turned entirely into greenery—
a majestic sight straight out of a painting or photograph titled Beautiful Volcano.

The glacial region where snowstorms once raged now held a vast emerald lake.

Nearby, pink flower bushes bloomed, and petals drifted gently onto the water’s surface.

Beautiful—truly.

She also realized that the fallen dragons and the snake had vanished without a trace.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen a cleared gate change like this…

If this were a unique trait of merged gates, then The White and Pallid Barometz Botanical Garden should’ve changed too—but it hadn’t.

Spellbound by the scenery, she snapped back to reality when she noticed the exit gate slowly shrinking.

This isn’t the time to be standing around…

As much as she wanted to stay—she really, really did—she had no choice.

Just as she was about to leave, her gaze lingered on the still-visible voice of the world.

[ ‘The Guardian of Paradise’ will never allow its treasure to be stolen by intruders. Those who attack the guardian are forcibly expelled from the gate. ]

“Treasure… expulsion…”

Did treasure mean the paradise itself?

It certainly looked like one.

The disappearance of not just the espers but even the dragons’ corpses likely meant they’d all fought each other.

And the threatening field monsters were gone along with the harsh environment.

“Paradise…”

Something felt off.

Suddenly, images of herself being worked to the bone without basic human rights among those heartless espers surfaced in her mind.

If I go out now, I’ll probably get cursed at for the rest of my life, right?

They’d already been furious just at the rumor that she’d submit another resignation.

With an incident like this on top of that, it’d be hell.

And to make matters worse, they were in the middle of an expedition.

Normally, she’d go home, eat well, rest, and recover—but now she’d be stuck like this for two months.

Maybe longer.

She’d already messed up from the very first step—could she really endure that suffocating time?

Absolutely not.

Either I collapse from stress or I snap and beat them up and end up in detention. Neither’s a good ending.

Taking a step back from the gate, she slowly looked around once more.