Guide Me If You Dare-Chapter 223: THAT THING

KI GAYOON wasn’t surprised when he saw most of the dungeon monsters were already being suppressed by A-Class Espers in the area.

A familiar S-Class Esper was leading the team.

Ah, it’s them— the Esper team that remained loyal to President Kwak Hakjae and refused to follow Ryu Sungbin’s lead.

"Gayoon Oppa..."

Kim Soyeon, the S-Class Esper leading the team in charge of that area, greeted Gayoon casually.

Gayoon wouldn’t say that he was close to the kid.

But I briefly helped her with her training when she leveled up as an S-Class Esper because President Kwak forced me.

Hence, he didn’t mind being called ’oppa’ by the kid.

But Kim Soyeon immediately corrected herself when she realized her mistake.

"Esper Ki Gayoon-nim," Kim Soyeon said, calling Gayoon by his appropriate title since they were technically on a battlefield. "Would you like to lead the operation?"

Ah, right.

On this battlefield, Gayoon ranked higher than Kim Soyeon.

Our law states that a natural S-Class Esper shall lead whatever the battlefield they find themselves in.

Hence, Kim Soyeon asked if he wanted to take over.

"No, you’re doing well," Gayoon said while looking around. There were no Civilians around, so half of Kim Soyeon’s team probably evacuated them already. "But do you need help?"

The lower-graded dungeon monsters that looked like giant bugs were already taken down.

Those are B-Graded monsters, so this team acted fast.

The remaining monsters were three A-Grade monsters that looked like weird giant bugs with plenty of steel legs, while the two S-Grade monsters were winged-monsters.

Both were wyverns.

Fortunately, the wyverns couldn’t move freely because of the strings attached to their limbs and wings.

The strings looked like fishing lines— thin, semi-transparent.

However, even though they looked frail, those "fishing lines" were capable of capturing S-Grade monsters.

But, of course, that wasn’t the main use of that weapon.

"We don’t need help, sir," Kim Soyeon said confidently. "Everything is under control."

As if to prove her point, the female Esper clapped her hands twice.

Just like that, the strings wrapped around the two wyverns’ limbs became as sharp as any sword capable of cutting through the monsters’ bodies.

The wyverns roared in pain as their limbs got severely torn.

"Alright," Gayoon said, nodding. "I’ll leave this area to you."

"Uhm, Esper Ki Gayoon-nim..."

"What is it?"

"Those monsters are strange," Kim Soyeon said hesitantly. "Their strength didn’t match their grade. I’m not complaining since we hunted down easily thanks to that fact. But it’s really strange." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Right?

Gayoon also noticed that.

I’m not underestimating the A-Class Espers of our country, but even for them, they took the dungeon monsters way too fast.

"When the dungeon monsters came out, we had just started evacuating the Civilians," Kim Soyeon continued with her report. "But the monsters ignored the Civilians. They actually charged at us first."

"Are you sure they ignored the Civilians?"

"Yes, sir. The monsters almost stomped on the Civilians— not because they were attacking them, but because they were hurrying towards the Espers."

That was, indeed, strange.

Dungeon monsters are more attracted to weak humans since Civilians are easy prey. In fact, some intelligent monsters would even avoid Espers since they see them as predators.

That piqued Gayoon’s interest, but he didn’t have the luxury to care about that.

Not now, at least.

"Clean up after this mess first," Gayoon said, already distracted because he felt an unnatural presence nearby. "Then write a detailed report and submit it to President Kwak— and only to him. Make sure you and your guild members won’t talk about this to other people."

Kim Soyeon looked confused first, but she didn’t ask questions.

All Espers in the country are trained not to question a natural S-Class Esper’s orders on a battlefield.

That rule had its advantages and disadvantages, of course.

"Yes, sir!" Kim Soyeon answered energetically, even giving a salute to Gayoon. "I’ll report to President Kwak and President Kwak only."

"Good," Gayoon said dismissively. "I’ll leave everything in your hands."

"Yes, sir!"

***

KI GAYOON ended up in the evacuation center where the Civilians were taken to by Kim Soyeon’s guild members.

The evacuation center was located in the underground basement of a mall.

Most of the Civilians had already entered the shelter, and only a few were lining up at the door.

There it is.

Gayoon clenched his hands when he noticed that the "person" at the end of the line— a man that looked like in his twenties, dressed in a neat navy blue suit— was emitting a strange aura.

That can’t be human.

However, the B-Class Espers guiding and protecting the Civilians couldn’t detect that thing.

Tsk.

[Don’t be too hard on your fellow Espers, Esper Ki Gayoon-nim.]

Gayoon’s Status Window popped up in front of him, scolding him.

[To be fair, even S-Grade Espers wouldn’t be able to detect that thing. Perhaps only natural S-Class Espers could feel their aura.]

So, what’s that thing?

[...]

Tsk.

Useless System.

"E-Esper Ki Gayoon-nim..."

A male B-Class Esper approached Gayoon, greeting him nervously.

This kid must be this team’s leader.

Gayoon glared at the B-Class Esper. "Are you the leader of this team?"

"Y-Yes, sir! I’m the leader of the team in charge of evacuating the Civilians!"

"You’ve done a terrible job then."

"H-Huh?"

"I’ll get back to you later," Gayoon said, walking past the now trembling Esper. "Continue with your work. Don’t mind me."

"Y-Yes, sir..."

Gayoon then walked towards the thing pretending to be human.

He was only a few feet away from the thing when it cracked its head in his direction, then their eyes met.

To be honest, he expected the thing to run away.

But it only opened its mouth...

... oh.

Shit!

Gayoon ran towards the thing, grabbed it and draped it over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes, and then he kicked his feet off the ground before launching himself into the air.

This thing has a fucking bomb in his mouth!

But the bomb didn’t look like an ordinary bomb that humans were familiar with.

The thing’s tongue was violet with protruding bumps on it.

Yes, that tongue was the bomb.

It’s like the tongue of the monsters that look like lions, found in dungeons A-Grade and above. Once cornered, those monsters would kill themselves by activating the bombs in their tongue.

Yes, the bumps were actually little bombs that could cause a huge damage.

Gayoon ended up with an annoying conclusion then.

This thing is a humanoid monster.

***

"WHY DON’T you eat first, Yihun-ah?"

"Sajangnim, my name is Yuno."

"Oh, right. I’m sorry, I forgot. People here keep calling you ’Yihun,’ after all."

Aigoo.

Right now, Yuno was having dinner with Moon Noa.

But none of them touched the rib-eye steak with mashed potato that was served to them by the masked people who came to their room earlier.

Ah, those people even brought an expensive wine for them.

It’s really sus.

"Sajangnim, we don’t have to eat or drink the food they serve us here," Yuno said carefully and politely. He was being careful with his tone and honorifics because the old fox that he knew was sensitive to age hierarchy (like an old-fashioned boomer). "We can access our Inventory."

"Do you have steak and wine in your Inventory?"

"Huh?"

"You probably only have some canned food and bottled water in your Inventory."

"Uhm, I also have some beef jerky, sir."

Moon Noa smiled "sweetly." "Yuno-ya, do I look like I eat those things?"

Aigoo.

What do you want me to do then?

"Just save your food ration and enjoy the meal they prepared for us," Moon Noa said, still smiling. "Have a bite, Yuno-ya."

"No, thank you," Yuno refused, pointing his hands towards Moon Noa politely. "As a Korean, I should let my elder eat first."

"As your elder, I’m giving you the permission to have the first bite. Are you going to refuse my generosity?"

Tsk.

This old fox is making me his personal food taster!

So, in case the food was poisoned or tampered with, Yuno would be the one to fall victim to it first.

Tsk.

Yuno couldn’t remember how many times he had clicked his tongue internally.

"Don’t make me force you to eat, Yuno-ya."

Now Moon Noa was threatening him blatantly, his eyes starting to look frenzied.

He’s being scary for real...

Yuno let out a sigh, and then he picked up the knife...

... before he literally flipped the table over with his other hand.

Moon Noa looked shocked when their delicious dinner ended up on the floor, with the expensive wine looking like a little puddle of blood.

That reaction was worth it.

Heh.

"Oops," Yuno said indifferently, raising his hands in surrender. "I’m sorry, Sajangnim— but my hands slipped."

Moon Noa blinked rapidly, and then he laughed like a villain. "You crazy bastard, do you want to die?"

***

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