Chapter 106:
It was normal for Espers and Guides to engage in sexual acts, considering their relationship involved physical contact, but it was a different story when it was Seo Jae-yi and Baek Joo-won.
As the saying went, physical intimacy could be scarier than emotional attachment.
“Should I give up?”
Jang Woo-seok sighed, putting a cigarette in his mouth.
It was a shame to see Baek Joo-won, with his incredible ability, tied to Seo Jae-yi, but the problem was that he couldn’t force either of them.
He had tried to get rid of Seo Jae-yi out of spite, but it wasn’t wise to provoke an S-rank Esper who had a 93% Matching Rate Guide any further.
And more importantly…
‘It would be troublesome if Seo Jae-yi exposed the experiments.’
It was a secret that had to remain buried.
His current political party had risen to power by exploiting the previous ruling party’s failures in controlling Awakened individuals.
They had colluded with the power-hungry Guiding Center Head and Esper Association Head at the time, putting on a show of controlling Awakened individuals, and it had worked, leading to their victory in the next presidential election.
And as if heaven had bestowed another opportunity upon them, Seo Jae-yi, the youngest S-rank Esper, had appeared.
They had supported the Guiding Center’s research and experiments on Espers, pretending to control the S-rank Esper. Their popularity soared as a result.
Unfortunately, Kwon Yi-soo, who had suddenly appeared, had removed the previous Guiding Center Head, who had been very cooperative, and become the new leader, putting an end to the Esper experiments. But every crisis was an opportunity, and public support for the ruling party surged even further as Kwon Yi-soo’s effective Esper management reduced the mortality rate.
They had achieved absolute power.
But what would happen if the public and the media learned about the illegal experiments? The truth had to remain hidden, no matter what.
‘And what if Seo Jae-yi exposed the secrets of the experiments and left for the US with Baek Joo-won…?’
It wasn’t just about his position; the entire party could collapse.
It was a terrifying thought.
“There’s no other choice. I have to give up.”
He had to know when to retreat, even if it was frustrating. That was how he had reached the position of Prime Minister.
And he still had higher aspirations.
His goal was the next presidential election.
“No, that’s unacceptable.”
Someone suddenly barged into the room without even knocking. Jang Woo-seok, startled by the intrusion, gasped, seeing the man standing at the door.
It was Park Jung-soo, the researcher from the Central Center he had ordered to be hidden in a safe house.
“How dare you come here?!”
It would be troublesome if anyone found out about their connection.
He was about to kick him out when he noticed something strange.
His safe house was guarded by Esper bodyguards, and so was this office. How did he get past them?
“What did you do?”
“You seem to have forgotten that I’m an A-rank Guide who orchestrated the Esper experiments. Oh, I apologize. You’re the Prime Minister now.”
Park Jung-soo sat down on the sofa, his expression not apologetic at all.
“Most of your bodyguards are C-rank or below. Only two or three are B-rank. Even a Prime Minister like you can’t afford to hire Espers above B-rank, can you?”
“You…”
“Well, I didn’t do anything extraordinary. I just happened to learn how to neutralize Espers while conducting experiments.”
“Neutralize?”
“Of course, it doesn’t work on everyone. It only works on B-ranks or below, based on my experiments. I wouldn’t be here if I could control those above B-rank.”
Park Jung-soo answered curtly and handed him a file.
“You were thinking about giving up on Guide Baek Joo-won, right? That’s your choice, but please take a look at this before you decide.”
Jang Woo-seok snatched the file, eager to get rid of Park Jung-soo.
If it was useless, he would sever all ties with him. Completely, cleanly. Without a trace.
“…What is this?”
But he couldn’t. His eyes, trembling, scanned the research proposal written by Park Jung-soo.
“Is this, is this even possible?”
“I don’t know for sure, as it’s just a theory; I haven’t started any proper experiments. But considering the results of the experiment on Esper Gong Ju-hyun, the probability isn’t zero.”
It might not be zero, but it was infinitesimally close to zero.
But Jang Woo-seok couldn’t let go of the file.
If this research succeeded, he wouldn’t be affected even if the inhumane experiments on Espers were exposed.
He might even gain even more power.
“…”
Park Jung-soo smiled, seeing Jang Woo-seok clutching the file. It was a gloomy, lifeless smile, but his eyes were sharp.
“I’m not asking for an immediate answer. Think about it and contact me. I’ll stay quietly in the safe house you provided until then. And please don’t leak the proposal; it’s classified information.”
Then, goodbye.
Park Jung-soo left the Prime Minister’s office as abruptly as he had arrived, as if he didn’t care if he was rejected.
But Jang Woo-seok couldn’t reprimand him for his rudeness this time.
He read the proposal over and over again, as if trying to imprint Park Jung-soo’s fingerprints onto the paper.
Seo Jae-yi was disappointed that the government hadn’t reacted, even after several days.
They must have received the report; why were they silent? She had been ready to expose them if they showed any negative reactions.
“Maybe they decided to give up? It’s possible, considering Kim Yoo-sung’s threat.”
“They gave up already? That’s boring.”
Seo Jae-yi’s shoulders slumped at Baek Joo-won’s guess.
She had to retaliate. He was probably aware of her feelings, being politically savvy.
And then, one day, as she was wallowing in boredom and disappointment…
She received a call that instantly lifted her mood.
It was from the potion maker Seo Won-yeong had introduced.
“Hello, I’m Shin Woo-hyun.”
Shin Woo-hyun readily agreed to visit Seo Jae-yi’s flower shop when she asked him to come.
The twenty-seven-year-old potion maker looked much younger than his age. He had messy brown hair, large glasses, and his clear brown eyes, peeking through them, gave him a youthful appearance.
“I’m Seo Jae-yi, Won-yeong’s older sister. Thank you for coming.”
But he was someone Seo Won-yeong had recommended.
She trusted his abilities, so Seo Jae-yi smiled brightly and extended her hand.
“What?!”
Shin Woo-hyun, instead of shaking her hand, jumped back, raising both hands above his head, as if he had encountered a demon.
“U-unnie… And your name is Seo, Seo Jae-yi?! The Firestarter, Esper Seo Jae-yi?!”
“Did Won-yeong not tell you?”
“No! I wouldn’t have come so casually if she had!”
Shin Woo-hyun backed away, his clear eyes trembling.
Seo Jae-yi felt a bit wronged.
“I haven’t done anything yet. Why are you so scared?”
“B-but I heard you burn everything you’re unhappy with… Ugh, what did I just say?!”
He slapped his own mouth and then dropped to his knees.
“I’m sorry! I made a terrible mistake! Please spare me!”
Seo Jae-yi was speechless, dumbfounded.
Unlike her, Baek Joo-won, who had witnessed the entire scene, nodded in understanding.
“I know how he feels. She burned down my entire home. I was worried I’d have to live in a desolate wasteland.”
That was why he had left his dungeon and stopped her.
“Eeeeek!”
Shin Woo-hyun was even more terrified, hearing Baek Joo-won’s words. He looked like he was about to faint.
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Seo Jae-yi poked Baek Joo-won’s side, silencing him, and soothed Shin Woo-hyun.
“It seems like there’s a misunderstanding. I’m not someone who burns everything indiscriminately. I know where those rumors came from, though. Listen carefully, Shin Woo-hyun.”
“Yes…”
“I only burn Taesan Guild, those bald bastards! They deserve to be burned alive!”
She had been misunderstood countless times, perhaps because of her nickname, the Reckless Firestarter.
But Seo Jae-yi felt wronged. The only ones she burned indiscriminately were Taesan, who messed with Haeil. They deserved to be a barren mountain after what they did.
“Ah, Taesan? I agree. I hate them too.”
Shin Woo-hyun, no longer trembling, nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Really? What, then we’re comrades. Let’s be friends. There’s no one who hates Taesan and is a bad person.”
“I agree. You’re absolutely right.”
Relieved, Shin Woo-hyun stood up and shook Seo Jae-yi’s hand.
Nothing brought people together faster than a common enemy.
“Let me introduce myself again. Shin Woo-hyun, A-rank Esper. Water manipulator, but I mainly use it for potion making now.”
“I’m an S-rank Esper, but my current goal is to be a successful flower shop owner. This is my paired Guide, Baek Joo-won.”
“Ah! You’re the S-rank Guide, right? I haven’t heard about your pairing yet. Congratulations. You’re Korea’s first S-rank Pair. But why hasn’t this been announced yet?”
People loved S-rank Pairs. The risk of an S-rank Esper overloading was almost non-existent with an S-rank Guide by their side.
Therefore, countries were eager to publicize and promote the birth of an S-rank Pair through the media.
The government also considered it a significant event, as S-rank Pairs were rare, considering the scarcity of Guides compared to Espers.
But Korea was silent. Even Shin Woo-hyun, an A-rank Esper and a successful potion maker, hadn’t known until he heard it from them directly.
“There’s always a political reason for such things.”
Ah. Shin Woo-hyun nodded at Seo Jae-yi’s sarcastic reply.
Awakened individuals were inevitably intertwined with politics, as the current ruling party had come to power by promising to control them.
Therefore, unlike ordinary people who were unaware, Awakened individuals were wary of the government.
“Won-yeong told me about the blue balloon flowers.”
“Yes. I used to make potions with them. I heard you’re cultivating them yourself. Is it true?”
“I don’t lie about those things. Come this way.”
Seo Jae-yi led Shin Woo-hyun to the greenhouse at the back of the shop. He was surprised by the spacious greenhouse, much larger than the small shop.
“What is this…? Uh, uh? What are all these…?”
He looked around, speechless, his face pale.
“Are all these… dungeon plants?”
His finger, pointing at the plants that now occupied more than half of the greenhouse, trembled.
“Yes. Did you think I would only be cultivating blue balloon flowers?”
“I thought even that was amazing! No one has ever successfully cultivated dungeon plants before!”