No one had ever heard him speak of it. In fact, he had told a few, but all those who heard were dead. Joo-hyun, briefly thinking of his fallen comrades, took a few more steps forward.
"How did you feel back then?"
Beom-jin's expression was serious, devoid of any mockery or curiosity. His solemn face suddenly reminded Joo-hyun of Beom-gyu, prompting him to speak.
"Once I came to my senses and grasped the situation, I wanted to die."
If this scene were broadcasted, the entire nation would know how despicable and miserable a person Joo-hyun was. A part of him feared this, while another part of him hoped people would scorn him.
"Surviving after the runaway esper incident is often called a miracle, but to me, it felt like a punishment to atone for my sins."
As life went on, rather than atoning, his sins only seemed to pile up. If someone threw a stone at him, he thought it might lighten his burden, even if just a little.
"Do you still feel that way?"
Joo-hyun couldn't answer Beom-jin's question. He had spotted something strange in the water beside a broken tree.
In an instant, Joo-hyun's eyes sharpened, causing Beom-jin and Seo-chan, who were watching him, to tense up. Joo-hyun broke a branch and poked it into the oddly rippling water. The water was only thigh-deep, but the branch kept going in until it swallowed his entire arm and still didn't touch the bottom.
"What is this?"
"...It's a new gate that no one has discovered until now."
Someone gasped. He couldn't tell who, and he didn't care. Joo-hyun felt the same way.
"Does this mean there's another gate within this gate?"
"It's rare but not unheard of. They're called twin gates and are usually located close to each other in the real world as well."
The three exchanged glances. Beom-jin looked troubled, while Seo-chan appeared slightly frightened.
"...Are you going in?"
"I have to. We don't know what kind of monster might have crossed over."
Since the gate was underwater, it was likely the other side was underwater too. It made sense that it hadn't been easily discovered.
Not knowing what the situation was on the other side, it would be dangerous for Beom-jin and Seo-chan to enter recklessly. He decided to take them to the entrance gate and cross over alone.
"Seo-chan, wrap the camera in plastic."
It seemed Beom-jin was determined to follow him. Watching him wrap their bags and broadcasting equipment in large plastic sheets from his backpack, Joo-hyun sighed.
"That's not necessary."
"I'll say this beforehand: we're going to follow you to the end. It's our job."
"Yes, I won't stop you now."
Beom-jin and Seo-chan exchanged puzzled looks as they were suddenly enveloped in a transparent barrier and lifted into the air. Before they could say anything, they were plunged into the water.
Joo-hyun, who had entered the gate, found himself surfacing, despite having entered from above. He started swimming vigorously.
Dripping wet, Joo-hyun emerged from the water and placed Beom-jin and Seo-chan, who were still inside their spherical barrier, onto the muddy ground. The two bewildered men watched Joo-hyun struggle to shake off the water.
"Can't you use your powers on yourself?"
"I can."
"Then why..."
Annoyed by the hair sticking to his face, Joo-hyun swept his fringe back, revealing his deep red eyes. As he felt the water droplets trickle down his skin, he began to speak.
"Why waste it?"
Anyway, he would get soaked fighting the monsters. There was no need to use his power now. Having grown accustomed to conserving his strength, Joo-hyun didn't second-guess his words and began scanning his surroundings.
They were in a mountain area with a sizeable stream. It seemed to be the same mountain they had climbed earlier, though their exact location was unclear.
Joo-hyun, who had turned his back on the silent duo and was looking around, discovered a fallen tree that resembled the one he had seen beyond the gate.
"It was as expected."
A monster had crossed over. Joo-hyun prayed it hadn't gone far as he caressed the tree marked with teeth marks.
Fortunately, the clues to the monster were quickly found. A trail of slime, likely from the monster, led to a larger stream than the one they had just crossed.
Leaving the two behind, Joo-hyun created an invisible barrier around them and cautiously investigated the water.
Monsters from another world rarely blended well into reality. The creature's strangely blue skin was submerged in the deepest part of the stream. He couldn't attack blindly before confirming what kind of monster it was.
Using his power, Joo-hyun carefully prodded the monster. Sensing the intruder, the monster quickly crawled out of the water.
Splashing, a giant salamander-like creature with deep blue skin slowly approached. Except for an extra pair of legs on its side, it looked quite familiar compared to other monsters.
When it opened its mouth, sharp teeth filled its jaws. It must have been the one to bring down the tree. Its soft skin would be easy for Joo-hyun to tear apart with his powers.
However, he didn't use his powers immediately.
[Grooo-]
A painful groan escaped the monster's mouth. A thick, sharp branch had pierced its palate and protruded outside.
"Is it injured?"
Seo-chan's murmur was heard. The monster's purple blood dripped to the ground.
"Its main diet is soft wood from beyond the gate. It must have hurt itself trying to eat the hard trees here."
Exhausted from the injury, the monster trembled, breathing heavily. Its eyes were red. Unlike Joo-hyun's darker shade, its ruby-red eyes looked oddly sorrowful. Surely, it was Joo-hyun's feelings creating that illusion.
"...."
At the moment Joo-hyun envisioned a sharp shape to swiftly end its life,
"Oh? There's another one!"
A smaller, sky-blue monster, no bigger than a large dog, sprang out at a much faster pace than the one before. It was clearly a baby.
The baby monster blocked the space between Joo-hyun and the larger monster, as if trying to protect its mother.
No one spoke in the unexpected situation. Joo-hyun bared his teeth, looking down at the growling baby monster. Despite its size and age, a monster was still a monster. Once through the gate, it had to be killed.
"Did it come with its baby?"
"The baby probably fell through the gate, and the mother followed. The entrance was too small for the mother to come through first."
Having crossed over and unable to find a way back, it had tried to stave off hunger by chewing on trees and had gotten hurt in the process.
But Joo-hyun knew the mother hadn't stopped chewing the trees even after getting hurt. Purple blood was on the tree stump, and there were small wood chips everywhere.
[Grrooo....]
In pain, the mother monster stepped forward, shielding its baby.
If this scene were broadcast, Joo-hyun would face punishment. Not only that, but he would be branded incompetent, and his colleagues might also face criticism.
But Joo-hyun wanted to act as he chose in moments where he could make decisions. No matter how severe the aftermath, he wouldn't regret or blame anyone because it was his choice.
Joo-hyun's right hand sliced through the air lightly. With that, the giant salamander's body lifted. Though it struggled a bit, its exhausted body couldn't escape Joo-hyun's power. The baby monster circled beneath its floating mother, unsure of what to do.
With a flick of his fingers, the giant blue monster screamed in pain. The sound was so loud that Beom-jin and Seo-chan flinched. The baby monster cried out and charged at Joo-hyun.
"Joo-hyun!"
Beom-jin's shout was sharp. Joo-hyun patted the cold, slippery, but soft skin covering him.
"Don't worry. Your mother is alive."
Despite its softer body, its eyes were the same red as its mother.
[Grr....]
Hearing its mother's cry, the baby monster looked up. A long branch, soaked in purple blood, floated in the air, and next to it, the mother, with its mouth closed, slowly descended to the ground.
The baby, still breathing heavily, gazed at its mother in a daze. Only when the mother groaned again did the baby climb off Joo-hyun and run to its mother.
Watching them for a moment, Joo-hyun stood, stretching his stiff body.
"I'll send you home."
Two pairs of red eyes turned to Joo-hyun. Though he couldn't understand the monsters' language, he felt they wouldn't attack again.