Chapter 56:
“I was stuck at the Center. How could I ignore it when chaos erupted right next door?”
“That’s your ‘good girl’ syndrome acting up. You should take care of yourself first, why worry about others? Are you that eager to die?”
Seon Ju-hee always looked after Seo Jae-yi, perhaps because she had also lived for years without a highly compatible Guide, though not as long as Seo Jae-yi.
“That’s why I’m diligently trying to seduce Baek Joo-won so I don’t die.”
“I doubt that will go as you plan…”
Seon Ju-hee incinerated another tree monster, along with its parasites, and continued calmly.
“But I hope it works out for you. It’s much better to see you with him than to see him go to the US, be tied to the Center, or work with that brainless Park Hyung-woo.”
Seon Ju-hee also harbored a strong dislike for Taesan, hence the scathing remark.
This was one of the reasons why Seo Jae-yi was particularly close to her.
“Then I’ll continue to diligently seduce him.”
“Well, you’ll figure it out. The government is the problem.”
Seon Ju-hee sighed.
“Not that it’s my concern. And this isn’t the time to discuss that.”
She incinerated another monster emerging from the gate. However, her flames seemed weaker this time, as a parasite quickly escaped.
Seo Jae-yi didn’t miss it and shot it. A perfect hit.
“A gun… That certainly reduces the burden. I’ll take care of this side, you go to the other side. They seem short-handed over there.”
“Okay.”
Seo Jae-yi glanced at Seon Ju-hee and headed towards the direction she pointed. The area was as devastated as the gate’s center.
She activated her heat detection ability again.
‘The Espers are holding them back well. They’re outnumbered, but fortunately, all the civilians have evacuated, so the damage isn’t that…’
That was when she noticed it.
A heat signature, clearly human, started behaving strangely. With every movement of the heat signature, it wasn’t insects that fell, but humans.
Seo Jae-yi cursed and rushed towards the source of the commotion.
“I knew it!”
The scene that greeted her was chaotic. Several tree monsters lay dead, but the Espers weren’t in a normal state either.
An Esper, his eyes completely black, stood blankly in the center. Translucent dragonfly-like wings fluttered behind him.
An Esper infected with a parasite had attacked his comrades.
It was impossible to fight Rank 3 monsters without a single infection.
The infected Esper’s eyes suddenly turned towards Seo Jae-yi. His lips stretched into a grotesque smile.
[Found you.]
A voice, clearly not human, emanated from his mouth.
The Esper pointed at her.
[The food we’ve been searching for!]
At his shout, parasites erupted from the dead tree monsters. Having tasted Esper blood, they were driven mad by the sight of an S-rank host.
“Disgusting.”
Seo Jae-yi immediately started shooting them down one by one.
The bullets of her custom-made gun weren’t simple metal; they were specially crafted to withstand her heat.
Even monsters couldn’t withstand bullets infused with an S-rank Esper’s heat.
The parasite controlling the Esper shrieked as its comrades exploded.
[Give me your body!]
Water erupted from the Esper’s fingertips. He seemed to be a Water Manipulation Esper, which was a shame.
Bang!
A deafening roar and a wave of intense heat erupted just before the water reached her. She sensed the parasite inside the Esper panicking.
“How’s that? Lethal, right?”
Seo Jae-yi grinned, brandishing her gun. She was now holding a compact flamethrower disguised as a gun.
It consumed less energy, as it only required her to focus her flames, so she had used it frequently in the past.
“Are they all dead now?”
The water evaporated instantly, disappearing into the heat she had unleashed, and the parasites were all incinerated.
Only the parasite controlling the Esper remained.
[Kyaaagh!]
It tried to flee, but Seo Jae-yi was faster. She grabbed the Esper’s shoulder, slammed him to the ground, and got a clear view of the translucent wings embedded in his back.
“One of them jumped out in surprise when I infused it with heat. I wonder if you’ll do the same?”
She gripped the wings and slowly increased her body temperature. The wings started to shrivel grotesquely. The parasite embedded in the Esper’s back would be feeling the heat as well.
[He’ll die too!]
Unable to endure it any longer, it appealed to her emotions. It was laughable.
“You want me to save you along with him? Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll go on a killing spree the moment I let you go.”
[You’re saying it’s okay for him to die!]
“He’d rather die now than be controlled by a parasite and slaughter people.”
What if he ended up killing his own family under the parasite’s control? His friends, his lover, his loved ones? That would be far more horrifying than dying now.
Seo Jae-yi’s hand was now over 100 degrees Celsius. The Esper’s skin started to blister.
[Kyaaagh!]
The parasite, unable to endure the heat any longer, ripped through his flesh and escaped. It even abandoned its wings, which were still in Seo Jae-yi’s grasp, like a lizard shedding its tail.
But it had drained a lot of nutrients from the Esper, as new wings instantly grew from its slightly charred body.
However…
“Gotcha, you little bug.”
There was no way a mere Rank 3 monster could escape from an S-rank Esper.
Seo Jae-yi grinned, gripping the bee-eyed creature tightly.
“You’ll suffer as much as you made others suffer.”
The insect shrieked at her cruel smile, but there were no comrades left to come to its aid.
“Hey, are you okay?”
After the last parasite was completely dead, Seo Jae-yi started waking the Espers one by one.
Those who were severely injured remained unconscious, but those who had only fainted woke up quickly.
The Esper who had been possessed and burned by Seo Jae-yi was in the worst condition.
“…This is serious.”
“This is what happens when you’re attacked by a parasite. We can’t underestimate them.”
“The wound where the parasite ripped out is a problem, but the burn is also serious.”
“But how did he get burned?”
They discussed the unconscious Esper, not suspecting that Seo Jae-yi, who had saved them, was the one who had inflicted the burn.
‘Even I think it’s serious…’
She didn’t regret it, as it had been the best choice, but she felt guilty.
Seo Jae-yi discreetly approached them and took out a potion from the spatial pouch she had brought along with her gun.
“Here, give him this.”
“This is a high-grade potion. Are you sure it’s okay to give this to us?”
The potion she had given them was made from blue balloon flowers she had cultivated herself, so it was naturally high-purity.
It was expensive, but money wasn’t important right now. The scar wouldn’t fade, even with Guiding, as it had been inflicted by an S-rank Esper’s ability.
She had thought it was just karma when Park Hyung-woo had been injured, but she felt genuinely sorry for this Esper.
“If you need help with medical expenses, contact this number.”
Still feeling guilty, she handed them a Haeil Guild Accident Response Team business card, and they were surprised.
“You’re an Esper from Haeil Guild?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask your name…?”
Seo Jae-yi, the one you call the “Reckless Firestarter.”
But she couldn’t say that, so she mumbled something about them not knowing her anyway and quickly left.
The Haeil Accident Response Team was essentially her personal team, so they would handle it.
“Are the other areas clear?”
She barely sensed any parasites now. And there were no Espers behaving strangely. They were either uninfected or had been eliminated.
Seo Jae-yi checked her receiver.
【Overload Progress — 28%】
【Caution: Do not exceed 30%.】
Fortunately, it was still within the normal range. She could probably provide some support while Seon Ju-hee dealt with the boss monster.
Crackle!
But the peace didn’t last long. An ominous roar, far more intense than before, echoed through the air.
It came from the gate.
It seemed like the boss monster had appeared, and the situation didn’t look good.
“Honey, you’re here?”
Grayson, who had arrived first, waved at her as she rushed towards the gate.
“Where’s Baek Joo-won?”
“You’re really overprotective. I left him somewhere safe, so don’t worry.”
Then there was nothing to worry about.
She saw Seon Ju-hee and the Sunghwa Guild members standing by the gate, their expressions grim.
The boss monster appeared at that moment.
“…Holy shit, what is that?”
“G-Guild Leader, can we handle this…?”
“We can, but I don’t think we can kill it without causing collateral damage.”
It was a colossal tree monster, at least 7 meters tall. And unlike the other monsters infected with parasites, it seemed alive, full of vitality.
That was the problem. Its destructive power would be incomparable.
The parasite that had infected this tree must have been extraordinary.
“Guild Leader Seon Ju-hee won’t be enough.”
“I agree.”
Grayson also agreed with Seo Jae-yi.
Seon Ju-hee’s ability was flame manipulation. But its nature was completely different from Seo Jae-yi’s heat manipulation.
It took the form of blue flames, but its properties were closer to ice. Her ability was to continuously burn at a temperature as cold as ice. It was a rare and valuable ability, and she wouldn’t lose to a plant and insect monster.
But the problem was that this wasn’t a dungeon; it was the middle of Seoul. The damage would be immense unless they incinerated or froze the monster instantly. And that was something Seon Ju-hee’s ability couldn’t do.
It meant she wasn’t the one who should step forward now.
“Let’s go, Maggie.”