* * *
The ground trembled as if collapsing, and the group quickly lowered their stances amid the earth-shaking force.
Gurgle. Gurgle.
Crash—.
With another thunderous noise, water started rushing into Charybdis’s maw at an incredible speed, far surpassing what it had been earlier.
“Is that an attack?”
“Normally, Charybdis doesn’t cause direct damage. But what’s terrifying is the suction power of that mouth and that it regurgitates everything it consumes.”
As Doyoung finished speaking, the building shook again.
The railing where Beom Sinje was standing finally gave way, sending rocks tumbling down.
“Beom Sinje!”
He saw Beom Sinje tilt precariously.
Doyoung’s eyes blazed with a more intense purple than ever as he shouted urgently.
Beom Sinje, sensing danger, hurriedly tried to escape the spot.
Rumble.
Crack.
But the unstable ground slowed him down, and he faced an unexpected crisis.
“He’s falling!”
Below was Charybdis’s wide-open maw.
If he fell into the water like this, he’d be swallowed whole.
Beom Sinje reached back to draw the sword strapped to his back, preparing for the worst.
But the falling speed was much faster than he anticipated.
“Damn.”
He figured he might only have time to draw the sword once submerged.
“But whether he’ll have the presence of mind to do that is uncertain….”
His eyes gleamed gold with determination.
He was confident he could handle most monsters barehanded, boasting unparalleled strength.
Just as he was about to hit the churning, mysterious liquid surface, he suddenly floated upward as if riding a wave.
An illusion?
No, it wasn’t.
Invisible waves undulated beneath him, lifting his body up and down.
Initially slow and unstable, the movement gradually became steady and began to rise.
“What the…?”
It wasn’t the wind.
This was sheer superhuman power.
Beom Sinje quickly scanned his surroundings.
Charybdis still gaped below, and none of the guild members had such abilities.
He could only think of one person.
“Doyoung hyung…”
His name escaped like a sigh. He wanted to confirm it was really him, but the angle made it impossible to see his face.
Meanwhile, his legs dangled a few more times before finally touching the intact ground.
“Haah…”
A rough exhale followed. Beom Sinje, who had been struggling to regain his balance, quickly turned his head.
As expected, Doyoung was leaning against a wall, panting.
Seeing his trembling back, Beom Sinje knew without a doubt who had pulled him up.
“Na Doyoung!”
With a thunderous shout, he sprang to his feet.
He dashed forward, catching Doyoung’s collapsing body.
From half-closed eyelids, flecks of purple flickered like shards.
“Uh… Uh…”
His face was pale, lips blue, and sweat poured from his forehead.
His tightly shut eyelids trembled continuously, refusing to reopen.
It was like he was having a seizure.
His condition was clearly serious at a glance.
“Doyoung hyung!”
Beom Sinje called out desperately, trying to bring him back to his senses.
“Why are you doing this to me, hyung?”
Why was he so crucial to him?
Seeing Doyoung giving everything without considering his own well-being, Beom Sinje felt despair rather than satisfaction.
He had said he didn’t love him, that he wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings.
Yet, why couldn’t he leave him alone, sacrificing everything like this?
“Are you trying to drive me crazy?”
Is that why you keep doing this?
Open your eyes.
Explain it to me, Na Doyoung!
Always shoot those piercing eyes at me, always speak coldly like wielding a blade!
But Doyoung still didn’t regain consciousness.
His slightly open lips continued to let out groans.
If you didn’t want me, you should’ve pushed me away entirely.
Why treat me differently from others, making it seem like I could approach?
He wished he would say something, anything.
“Guild leader, this way!”
“Yes, this area looks like it’s about to collapse, too. Come inside.”
The tremors continued like an earthquake, and the building, which had taken several hits, seemed on the verge of collapsing.
“Guild leader! Step back.”
The guild members, worried about Beom Sinje holding the unconscious Doyoung near the precarious ledge, urged him to move.
Charybdis grew more aggressive, seemingly furious at losing its prey.
With cracks forming on the ceiling and outer walls, staying was no longer an option.
“Damn it…”
Beom Sinje gritted his teeth, holding Doyoung tightly as he stood.
As he ran, the ground behind them began to collapse.
‘No.’
Doyoung had risked everything to ensure his safety.
He couldn’t let him fall into a monster’s maw now.
Clenching his teeth, Beom Sinje leaped while cradling the limp figure in his arms.
Crash
As he tumbled to the ground, the railing they had just left crumbled.
Gurgle. Gurgle.
Charybdis, having expelled torrents of water, finally quieted down as if catching its breath.
“Haah, haah, haah…”
Beom Sinje panted heavily, sitting down.
He quickly checked on Doyoung, whom he was holding close.
His face was still pale and sweaty, but the convulsions had stopped.
They had passed the immediate danger, but he couldn’t relax just yet.
“Let’s retreat.”
Gathering himself, he stood up.
His companions, who had been watching him with a vacant look, snapped back to reality.
“What about that thing?”
“Let’s step back for now and come up with a strategy. This isn’t something we can handle on our own.”
“But can we just leave it like that?”
Lee Jihoon glanced anxiously at the tank.
Judging by the situation, it seemed like nothing would stop until the lab collapsed.
“This isn’t under our jurisdiction. If we act on our own and the guild or government finds out, it could be seen as overstepping our authority.”
Park Chano explained the reason for retreating on behalf of Beom Sinje, who was preoccupied with watching over Doyoung.
Only then did Lee Jihoon realize and mutter a brief “Ah,” nodding in understanding.
Their official reason for being here was “inspection.”
Even though they had requested cooperation from the local government in advance, causing a major commotion could still lead to trouble.
“Let’s go.”
Beom Sinje, holding Doyoung, took the first step, and the group followed.
Before moving, Park Bora briefly glanced at the tank where Charybdis might be hiding, then turned her gaze to Lee Namsoo.
Lee Namsoo blinked and shook his head.
‘Tsk… it won’t work after all.’
Although Park Bora seemed disappointed, she quickly let go of her lingering feelings.
She needed to prioritize the safety of the former leader over her desires.
‘Why does he keep doing things he wouldn’t normally do and startling people?’
Her gaze shifted to Doyoung, nestled in Beom Sinje’s arms.
She had clearly witnessed what had just happened—a massive figure well over 190 cm suddenly pausing in mid-air before slowly floating upward.
While others might not know, Park Bora and Lee Namsoo were aware that this was Doyoung’s ability.
‘Wasn’t he hiding it on purpose?’
She didn’t know that Doyoung’s powers had once faded due to overuse.
She simply guessed that he hadn’t used them to conceal his identity, especially while in enemy territory.
Their former leader, who mostly stayed at the training school, was known as a non-combat Esper with intelligence thirty times that of an ordinary person.
‘Is he okay?’
She quickly scanned the Chunho Guild members.
They seemed too bewildered by the situation to notice anything odd about what had just happened.
But once things settled down, they would surely begin to suspect.
‘Should we escape before that happens?’
Park Bora still vividly remembered the final days of Antithesis, especially when they faced the terrifying Hunter Union.
Leading them was none other than the Chunho Guild Leader, whose anger was palpable even from behind.
“Huh?”
* * *
.