Chapter 132:
There had only been four instances of S-rank Esper overloads in the entire world.
In Argentina, Russia, Africa, and inside a dungeon.
The three instances outside dungeons had resulted in catastrophic, landscape-altering disasters.
Half of Argentina’s landmass had crumbled, Northern Russia had frozen solid, and Africa had experienced a massive flood that left the land soaked to this day.
And now, the fifth S-rank overload was occurring in Korea. In this small country.
Seo Jae-yi, moreover, was a Heat Manipulation Esper, wielding one of the most destructive forces. Korea didn’t have any S-rank Water or Ice Espers, so the entire country could be wiped off the map.
Fear was etched on the faces of the Espers trying to contain her.
“Stop her! Stop her!”
“Our abilities are useless! Everything burns!”
“The ground is melting! Lava is erupting!”
Seo Jae-yi, engulfed in flames, was a living inferno.
No ability could withstand her power. Water evaporated, ice melted, plants turned to ash, and wind only fueled her flames.
Even Enhancement Espers, who strengthened their bodies for combat, couldn’t get close. They could usually withstand intense heat, even with their bare skin, but Seo Jae-yi’s heat was unbearable.
Only S-rank Espers could stop her.
“Where’s Guild Leader Seon Ju-hee?!”
“Haven’t we heard anything from Esper Seo Won-yeong?!”
Seon Ju-hee, whose cold flames could offset Seo Jae-yi’s heat, and Seo Won-yeong, who could withstand her heat to some extent.
They needed both, but unfortunately, neither was here.
“Baek Joo-won! Does anyone know where Guide Baek Joo-won is?!”
Someone, their body covered in burns, shouted desperately.
But there was no answer.
All the S-rank Espers who had overloaded shared one thing in common.
They didn’t have a Guide to lower their overload levels.
The overloads in Argentina and Russia had occurred during the early days of the Cataclysm, when Guides were still largely unknown, and the S-rank Esper who overloaded in the dungeon didn’t have a compatible Guide.
The S-rank Esper who overloaded in Africa had lost their Imprinted Guide, and no one could stop them.
But unlike them, Seo Jae-yi’s paired Guide was alive.
Even if her overload level reached 100%, an S-rank Guide with a 93% Matching Rate should be able to stop her.
The problem was that no one knew where Baek Joo-won was.
Boom!
A massive explosion rocked the ground, sending a wave of heat and flames outwards. The Espers retreated.
Terror filled them as they saw Seo Jae-yi, completely unapproachable. They wanted to flee, but their legs trembled, refusing to obey.
And then, something strange happened.
“Gasp, cough!”
Several Espers standing closest to Seo Jae-yi clutched their throats. The veins in their necks bulged, and their eyes turned bloodshot.
Something was wrong. Their bodies were heating up, as if a fire was being lit within them.
“N-no! Everyone, get out of here! Get away from Esper Seo Jae-yi’s influence!”
An Esper shouted urgently. Everyone, sensing the danger, quickly retreated.
But the rising heat within them didn’t subside easily.
Just as a Life Force Esper couldn’t easily interfere with another person’s life force, a Heat Manipulation Esper couldn’t forcibly raise another person’s body temperature. It was possible, but it came at a great cost.
But Seo Jae-yi was ignoring that, forcibly raising the temperature of everyone around her.
Like the Water Manipulation Esper who had overloaded in Africa, absorbing the moisture from the people nearby.
An S-rank Esper’s overload could make the impossible possible.
And the price was their own life.
“Everyone, retreat beyond the perimeter!”
Someone shouted. The Espers, clutching their burning throats, sighed in relief, recognizing the familiar voice.
Kim Yoo-sung, Haeil Guild Leader, and his Guild members were standing before Seo Jae-yi.
“Guide Baek Joo-won will arrive soon, so retreat! Haeil Guild will handle this until then!”
His words were more reassuring than his presence.
Everyone hurriedly retreated beyond Seo Jae-yi’s reach, clutching their burns, though it was doubtful such a place existed.
“There are no signs of monsters, right?”
Kim Yoo-sung, having confirmed that everyone except the Haeil Guild members had evacuated, asked Moon Soo-hyun.
“No. They’re all burned to death, I think. Even Rank 2 dungeon monsters can’t withstand Leader’s power when she’s overloading.”
“That’s to be expected. We were able to clear that Rank 2 dungeon in Incheon thanks to Seo Jae-yi, who was on the verge of overloading.”
But the current situation was far more serious.
Back then, Seo Jae-yi hadn’t been able to unleash her full potential due to Guiding deficiency, but now she had a paired Guide.
She was a walking disaster, capable of wielding power beyond her prime, thanks to Baek Joo-won’s Guiding.
“We’ll hold out until Baek Joo-won arrives.”
Baek Joo-won was currently in the forest dungeon with Airok. A Guild member had gone to fetch him, so he should arrive soon.
‘We can endure it.’
All Haeil Guild members, including Kim Yoo-sung, were wearing heat-resistant suits.
They were Seo Won-yeong’s creations, Haeil’s only equipment specifically designed for situations like this, for when Seo Jae-yi overloaded.
Kim Yoo-sung had never taken them out, hoping he would never have to use them.
But that day had finally come.
‘I’m okay.’
He wasn’t sad. He wasn’t in despair.
Unlike before, there was someone who could save Seo Jae-yi without killing her.
So he would endure until he arrived.
Kim Yoo-sung activated his ability. The surrounding vegetation had already been reduced to ashes by Seo Jae-yi’s heat. Even if there were any unburnt plants underground, it would be impossible to restrain her with them.
Then there was only one way.
“Moon Soo-hyun, throw it!”
At his command, Moon Soo-hyun threw a thick tree root towards Seo Jae-yi.
Before Seo Jae-yi’s heat could consume it, Kim Yoo-sung infused it with his Life Force. The root started growing rapidly, fueled by his power, so potent that his overload level, which had been normal, spiked into the caution zone.
But it wasn’t green sprouts that emerged. The root itself was growing thicker and tougher, like a kudzu vine, and then it slammed into Seo Jae-yi.
“Use your telekinesis to bind her tighter!”
“Spray water! The roots won’t freeze, so use ice together!”
The root, infused with Kim Yoo-sung’s Life Force, tightly bound Seo Jae-yi. The telekinesis users, including Moon Soo-hyun, exerted their power, pressing down on Seo Jae-yi along with the root, and the Water and Ice Manipulation Espers also joined forces.
Seo Jae-yi should have been able to incinerate the plant instantly in her overloaded state. But strangely, the thick root was withstanding her heat.
“It’s actually working…”
Moon Soo-hyun muttered in amazement.
“Of course it is. I cultivated it specifically for this moment.”
Kim Yoo-sung nodded.
That root was a special plant, grown with Airok’s water.
It couldn’t defeat Seo Jae-yi, but it could withstand her heat for a while thanks to the dragon’s power it possessed.
‘And this is one of the reasons Seo Jae-yi cultivated dungeon plants.’
To grow her flower shop business, and to help Awakened individuals subjugate dungeons more easily.
Those were the main reasons, but Kim Yoo-sung knew she also wanted to find a way to control herself.
She had shown him the root, saying that a dungeon plant, resistant to fire and nurtured with a dragon’s water, would be able to withstand her overload for a while.
At least until Baek Joo-won arrived.
Seo Jae-yi had prepared for her overload meticulously. It was heartbreaking.
“Ugh!”
But it was only temporary.
Seo Jae-yi’s heat intensified. Kim Yoo-sung’s face was covered in sweat as he struggled to maintain the root’s growth against the scorching heat.
Seo Jae-yi was stronger than both of them, even though the root was infused with a dragon’s water and his Life Force. And it was even more difficult to restrain her now, as she was unleashing her full power without hesitation.
“Ugh!”
Shin Ji-woo, a telekinesis user, coughed up blood, unable to withstand Seo Jae-yi’s power and the heat as she tried to tear apart the roots.
Moon Soo-hyun’s burden increased as Shin Ji-woo weakened. Her body trembled, and blood trickled from her nose.
Whoosh!
Seo Jae-yi’s heat intensified. The water stored within the root evaporated, and the root began to shrivel.
Even Seo Won-yeong’s heat-resistant suits were reaching their limit. Cracks appeared, and the Haeil Guild members’ body temperatures began to rise.
The lower-ranked Espers collapsed one by one. Moon Soo-hyun wanted to pull them back, but she couldn’t release the power she was using to restrain Seo Jae-yi. She couldn’t even speak, her jaw clenched tight.
And then, as their formation crumbled…
KABOOM!
A deafening roar shook the earth. A massive pillar of fire erupted from Seo Jae-yi, reaching towards the sky.
The roots binding her turned to ash instantly, and the Guild members were thrown back by the blast of heat, screaming.
Only Kim Yoo-sung remained standing.
But he was gasping for breath, his entire body drenched in sweat. He couldn’t hold out much longer, now that all his Guild members had collapsed.
‘It’s okay. I never thought I could completely stop Seo Jae-yi.’
Kim Yoo-sung knew her power better than anyone.
He couldn’t stop her, even if he overloaded himself. No one could, not even Mac Grayson.
There was only one person in the entire world who could.
“You’re late.”
Kim Yoo-sung, wiping his sweat, glanced to his side.
Baek Joo-won was standing there, his face grim. He was wearing the combat uniform Seo Won-yeong had given him, his gaze fixed on Seo Jae-yi, who was engulfed in flames.
“All Haeil Guild members, stand down.”
He ordered without taking his eyes off her.
“That’s impossible. Even with Seo Won-yeong’s equipment, Baek Joo-won can’t withstand Seo Jae-yi’s heat in this state…”
“Stand down. You’re not helping. Unless you want Seo Jae-yi to die.”
Baek Joo-won glared coldly at Kim Yoo-sung.
Kim Yoo-sung hesitated, feeling a familiar pressure.
It was the same pressure he had felt once before.
When was it? When the government had sent Seo Jae-yi to Mount Taebaek to kill her, and Baek Joo-won, learning about her predicament, had tried to kill Jang Woo-seok.
Yes, it was the same pressure he had felt back then.