"Why?"
At Seo-chan's question, Joo-hyun whispered in a low voice without sparing him a glance.
"Run."
"What? Why all of a sudden—"
"Don't say anything, just quietly leave and report to the Centre immediately. Tell them a Yellow-grade monster has appeared. They'll handle it if you mention that it likely escaped from the AN-32 Gate."
Joo-hyun stared directly at the monster lurking in the distance, its movements bizarre as it scanned the surroundings. Though it wasn't yet transparent, it was so inconspicuous that Seo-chan hadn't noticed it. The creature appeared as if it were encased in finely crafted, jewel-like glass.
Despite the darkness, Joo-hyun recognised it immediately, memories of tormenting encounters from years ago flooding back.
"Those creatures are sensitive to sound. It probably couldn't endure the city's noise and came here seeking quiet. I didn't expect to encounter it here."
Monsters that could become invisible turned their eyes transparent as well, rendering them blind but significantly heightening their other senses, especially hearing. He had struggled immensely with these creatures, which would charge at the faintest rustle.
In the past, an esper on their mission had possessed sonic abilities, perfectly countering the monster. Naturally, that esper wasn't here now.
Seo-chan, having grasped the situation, turned his camera toward the monster. Though terrified, he managed to step back more calmly than expected.
Joo-hyun knew all too well the fear that if he took his eyes off the monster, it would charge. Yet his self-defensive reaction turned into a significant mistake. Seo-chan stepped on a loose tile in the cluttered alley, falling with a loud crash.
"Ah...!"
Before his scream ended, Seo-chan covered his mouth, but the monster's gaze had already shifted toward them.
Joo-hyun immediately activated his power. An invisible, sharp spear shot towards the monster. As expected, it turned transparent and vanished from sight.
Seizing the opportunity, Joo-hyun helped Seo-chan up and seated him beside a large rubbish bin. In the already dark alley, the shadows cast by the bin would likely keep him hidden.
"I'm sorry for changing my instructions. Just stay as quiet as possible and don't make any noise. You can report this via text, right?"
"Joo-hyun ssi..."
When the monster moved, it made a sound similar to a giant crystal cup scraping the ground. The sound, a sharp, tinkling noise, grew closer. Joo-hyun, glancing down before looking up again, spoke to the frightened Seo-chan.
"You must remain silent. Even if I die right in front of you, stay still. It'll leave once it loses interest."
With a reassuring smile, the esper rose and walked towards the monster. His guiding levels had already dropped significantly from their earlier task. Aware of this, Joo-hyun knew he couldn't back down.
"Let's see which monster wins."
Would the monster tear Joo-hyun apart first, or would he defeat it before his runaway powers erupted? They would soon find out. The runaway esper unleashed his abilities.
The battle wasn't on the other side of the Gate, making it more disadvantageous for Joo-hyun. Everything around him was a hostage.
In an area full of poorly constructed buildings, a slight misstep could cause significant casualties. Thankfully, this dangerous neighbourhood was deserted after dark.
Joo-hyun had one more thing to rely on: the esper reinforcements would soon arrive to handle the monster. It wasn't a matter of life and death inside the Gate, but a game of enduring until help arrived.
Barely dodging the transparent monster's charge, Joo-hyun clenched his teeth.
The darkness and haphazard buildings severely hampered his movements. He could use his powers to create a shield, but that would waste too much energy.
As Joo-hyun silenced himself, the monster revealed itself momentarily to locate him. He seized the chance to capture it, but was unexpectedly interrupted.
"Joo-hyun-ssi! There's more than one!"
Seo-chan's shout drew the monster's eerie, opalescent eyes towards the bin.
Swallowing a curse, Joo-hyun created several layers of barriers in front of the alley where Seo-chan hid. Three out of five barriers shattered, but fortunately, the monster chose to charge at Joo-hyun instead.
"There are monsters in the city too, so all available espers have been dispatched there. No one can come here right now…!"
Seo-chan's voice was filled with despair. Joo-hyun frowned, clapping his hands a couple of times to draw the monster's attention.
It was obvious which would take priority: the bustling city or this foul-smelling dump. Yet, many people lived here too. Despite the squalor and confinement, they had built their nests and slept, dreaming of tomorrow.
[Eeeeee—]
The monster's cry resembled the high-pitched friction of glass being cleaned. The shrill noise made Joo-hyun wince.
Even with the ground breaking and loud sounds around, no one opened their windows. Here, intervening in others' affairs often ended badly. It was fortunate for Joo-hyun, struggling as he was to protect Seo-chan.
Though he managed to catch the monster in his psychokinesis, its sharp, glass-like claws shattered the shield, and it escaped.
Joo-hyun could do far more than typical psychokinesis users, but he paid a price. His abilities were physical, vulnerable to breaking and tearing under strong force.
Ordinary espers might not consider it a weakness. They could just keep using their powers until the monster's strength waned. But Joo-hyun was a runaway esper, unable to recklessly expend his energy. Even with a matched guide, he had to conserve his strength.
If he lost control here, it would result in two monsters instead of one. He would soon die from his powers exploding, but who knew what havoc he might wreak beforehand.
"Damn…"
Bam! He narrowly avoided another charge but couldn't dodge the tail, crashing into a wall. There was no time to indulge the pain.
As he ducked, the wall above crumbled with a loud crash.
Facing an invincible enemy left him with two options: charge at it, ready to die, or flee and await support.
Support was uncertain. If he risked everything, it would only reduce the countdown on his ticking time bomb. It was a desperate situation with no retreat.
Joo-hyun detested the thought of innocent lives being lost due to his cowardice. Spitting out bloody saliva, he strained to hear the monster's movements.
Despite its complexity, the monster was only Yellow-grade because it wasn't hard to kill once caught. Its body was tough but fragile against overwhelming force.
If he could just capture the invisible beast, the fight would end swiftly. Of course, that was easier said than done.
"Ugh, how much longer?"
A faint light glimmered behind the bin, likely from a phone. Seo-chan peeked out, tears brimming as he shook his head.
Swallowing a sigh, Joo-hyun ignored the throbbing headache and prepared to activate his powers again.
"Haaa…!"
A small pile of stones collapsed with a high-pitched voice, drawing Joo-hyun's gaze. Beyond the broken wall stood a child, frozen in terror with their hands clamped over their mouth.
Filthy and ragged, the child was clearly a resident of the dump. They seemed to have hidden from the monster, unable to return home.
As their fearful eyes met Joo-hyun's, countless thoughts raced through his mind—safe places to move the child, how to distract the monster.
But monsters never waited patiently for their opponents to devise plans. After a brief silence, the invisible monster reappeared, turning its head directly toward the child. Joo-hyun moved instinctively.
"Argh…"
The child slowly opened his eyes, trembling with fear.
Though he didn't know the child's life story, Joo-hyun wished they could find some peace in this moment. Forcing a smile, he lifted the corners of his mouth.
"Ugh…"
With the monster's claw piercing his abdomen, even that was a struggle. The child clung to him, staring at the blood and wound.
As his breaths grew ragged, Joo-hyun instinctively hugged the child tighter.