Chapter 5:
The closer Seo Jae-yi got to where people were running from, the stronger the Gate’s energy signature became. At the end of the street, a green Gate, large enough for two people to pass through side-by-side, flickered ominously.
“No! My friend is trapped in there!”
“It’s no use going in there! Wait for the Espers!”
“What about my sister!”
Several people stood before the Gate, stomping their feet and shedding tears. When a Gate emerged, the surrounding area could be swept in, and it seemed some civilians had been sucked in this time.
‘Good thing I came. It would have been disastrous if we waited for the Guild.’
Just as Seo Jae-yi was about to enter the Gate…
<Guild Leader★>
A call came from Guild Master Kim Yoo-sung. Since she was currently designated as a high-risk individual for overload, it seemed he had been notified.
Calls couldn’t connect within a dungeon, so Seo Jae-yi answered the phone.
“Hello, Guild Master. I’m a bit busy right now, so I’ll call you back later. I need to enter the Gate.”
—Don’t you dare! Stay right where you are!
Kim Yoo-sung roared, causing Seo Jae-yi to flinch and cover one ear.
—Don’t go in and wait there. I’m on my way!
“It’s just a Rank 4 dungeon. Why would the Guild Master come?”
—Then why are you trying to go in?!
“Because I’m the only Esper around right now. Don’t worry, it’s nothing. I’ll just quickly rescue the civilians who were caught in the emergence.”
—You’ll have to fight to rescue them!
That was true. The monsters inhabiting the dungeon would undoubtedly target living humans first.
—Seo Jae-yi!
“No, really, it’s fine. My overload level is currently at 50%.”
—…What? What did you just say?
Kim Yoo-sung gasped.
It was understandable, considering her overload level hadn’t dropped below 55% in the past six months.
—Did you meet Kwon Yi-soo, that bastard?
She had expected him to be happy, but instead, she received this intense reaction.
“Absolutely not, so don’t worry. I’m hanging up now. I can’t delay any longer.”
—Seo Jae-yi!
Bye bye. With a nonchalant farewell, Seo Jae-yi ended the call.
While the thought of the impending scolding was daunting, it couldn’t be helped.
She quickly entered the Gate, and the dungeon’s landscape unfolded before her. It was a common cave-type dungeon, with luminous stones embedded in the walls, providing ample visibility.
Seo Jae-yi didn’t move immediately. Without knowing how many civilians were trapped or their location, blindly searching would be inefficient.
After confirming the absence of monsters nearby, she closed her eyes and extended her senses. Hot shimmering air enveloped her.
With her ability to manipulate heat, detecting the distinct body heat of living beings was child’s play for Seo Jae-yi.
“One, two, three… There are three.”
Her senses, akin to a thermal camera, detected three individuals. Two were together, while the third was isolated, and that was the problem.
‘There’s a monster nearby.’
She had to rescue them before they were discovered.
Making a swift decision, Seo Jae-yi started running. Alerted by her footsteps, monsters soon appeared. They were giant lizard-like creatures.
Without hesitation, she launched fire spears. The lizards screamed as their bodies were pierced by the scorching projectiles. Hearing their comrades’ cries, more monsters charged towards her.
“Good, good. Come to me.”
While launching fire spears, Seo Jae-yi glanced at the watch on her wrist.
【Overload Progress — 50%】
Fortunately, the level remained unchanged.
The lizards were quickly roasted, their bellies exposed as they lay dead. Smoke and a pungent smell filled the air.
“Oops!”
Seo Jae-yi hurriedly dispersed the ashes and lowered the heat to prevent the civilians from suffocating.
“Is… is anyone there?”
A faint voice called out. A person hiding behind a large boulder cautiously peeked out.
“Cover your mouth and nose and come out. I’ve eliminated all the monsters in the vicinity, so don’t worry.”
“Are you… an Esper?”
“Yes.”
The survivor’s eyes welled up with tears of relief at her confirmation. Heeding her advice, he covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
“Th-there… there are two more people further in. I saw them running from the monsters!”
“I need to go rescue them. Can you make it out of the Gate on your own? All the monsters are dead, so just run straight ahead without worry.”
“Yes, yes! I can do it!”
Reassured by the news of the monsters’ demise, he quickly started running towards the Gate.
Leaving him behind, Seo Jae-yi ventured deeper into the dungeon. She roasted every lizard that crossed her path.
【Overload Progress — 51%】
Thanks to her one-shot kills, the overload level had barely increased.
“It’s been so long since I’ve felt this good.”
It had been ages since her overload level had been at 50%. She was in top form.
Grinning, Seo Jae-yi leaped into the air and delivered a powerful kick to a lizard. The creature shrieked as it crashed against the cave wall, struck by the force of an S-rank Esper.
It was exhilarating.
“Aaaaagh!”
“H-help me!”
The impact caused the cave to shake as if a massive earthquake had struck. The terrified screams of the remaining survivors reached her ears.
Oops, she had gotten carried away.
“I apologize… Are you alright?”
“P-please save us!”
The two survivors, trembling with fear, rushed towards her and clung to her desperately.
“There… there’s a bigger one further in! It’s red!”
She had sensed a menacing presence for a while now. It was likely the dungeon boss.
Of course, Seo Jae-yi had no intention of fighting it. She would leave that to the other Espers.
“Let’s go, now.”
She tucked each survivor under an arm. They screamed in surprise, alerting the boss monster.
“Aaaaagh!”
It certainly was massive. The crimson lizard emerged, its jaws wide open, its long tongue lashing out towards them.
Before it could snatch them, Seo Jae-yi stomped her foot, propelling herself forward. The lizard’s tongue pierced empty air.
“Aaaaagh!”
Seo Jae-yi sprinted towards the Gate with incredible speed. She was so fast that even the monstrous lizard couldn’t keep up.
The two survivors, clutched under her arms, screamed incessantly as they were propelled through the dungeon.
“Excuse me, but if you keep screaming, you’ll attract all the lizards.”
Seo Jae-yi tried to reason with them, but her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. She gave up and leaped forward once more, pushing off the ground with tremendous force.
The Gate was within reach. She stretched out her leg, preparing to burst through.
“First, I’ll search for any survivors caught in the dungeon emergence…”
But at that very moment, a group of Espers entered the Gate.
“Oops.”
Normally, she would have easily dodged them.
However, she currently had two terrified civilians clinging to her sides. They were already petrified; any sudden movements could injure them.
‘Oh well, whatever.’
The safety of fragile civilians took priority over robust Espers!
Instead of avoiding them, Seo Jae-yi merely slowed down slightly.
“Huh?!”
The opposing Esper realized too late.
Thud!
With a resounding impact, Seo Jae-yi’s outstretched leg connected with the Esper’s stomach, sending him flying backward just as he entered the Gate.
The Esper’s eyes widened in shock as he was unexpectedly kicked by an S-rank. His face instantly paled, and Seo Jae-yi hurriedly apologized.
“I’m sorry! But rescuing civilians takes priority!”
Using the fallen Esper’s stomach as a springboard, she leaped once more and soared out of the Gate.
“Leadeeeer!”
The anguished cries of her comrades echoed behind her, oblivious to her unapologetic actions.
As soon as she emerged from the Gate and back into reality, she sensed numerous presences. The Association and paramedics had arrived.
“You’re safe now that you’re out of the Gate.”
Confirming their safety, Seo Jae-yi gently released the two civilians from her grasp. They immediately collapsed onto the ground and began vomiting.
“Ugh…”
“Blegh…”
“Huh?”
Seo Jae-yi was bewildered. They weren’t poisoned or injured, so why were they reacting this way?
Fear gripped her as she imagined them succumbing to some unknown ailment after she had risked her life to save them. Just as she was about to call for the paramedics…
“Did you carry them under your arms again?”
A familiar voice, accompanied by an even more familiar face, suddenly appeared before her.
Strikingly white hair, a black eyepatch covering one eye, and vibrant green eyes.
The owner of this distinctive appearance was none other than Kim Yoo-sung, the Guild Leader of Haeil, the guild to which Seo Jae-yi belonged.
“Guild Master? You actually came.”
“I told you to be careful when rescuing civilians because they’re fragile.”
“B-but when I had to rescue not one, but two people, that was the fastest way!”
Kim Yoo-sung silently observed the two half-conscious civilians. Seo Jae-yi quietly closed her mouth as she saw their pale, exhausted faces.
The paramedics, who had finally arrived, took the two individuals away. Seo Jae-yi sighed in relief when they confirmed that they were merely dizzy and had sustained no major injuries.
“I sent one person out earlier. Did you see him?”
“Yes, he’s over there.”
The first survivor was also sitting in an ambulance. With this, she had successfully achieved her objective of rescuing all the civilians.
She was just a retired flower shop owner, yet she had done a pretty good job.
“Are you alright? You used your abilities after a long time. Do you have a headache, nausea, or anything like that?”
Only after ensuring the civilians’ safety did Kim Yoo-sung turn his attention to Seo Jae-yi. His clear green eyes were filled with concern.
“I’m perfectly fine. I told you my overload level went down. Thanks to that, I’m in great shape.”
Seo Jae-yi confidently showed him her receiver. While it had increased by 1% due to her activities in the dungeon, it was still a remarkable improvement compared to before.
“…It really did decrease.”
“You know I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”
An Esper’s overload was a serious matter, and lying about the overload level was taboo.
“How did this happen? You said you didn’t meet Kwon Yi-soo, that bastard.”
“No, I haven’t seen him since my last visit to the center for Guiding. That was about a year ago.”
“Then how…”
Hmm, how should she explain this?
Nice