Non-returnable-Esper chapter 21- Jaewon-ah, Love Me More

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If I stay like this, I’ll get swept up again.

I don’t know what I’m getting swept up in, but this isn’t right.

Without realizing it, I pressed my heels firmly into the ground to stop myself from backing away.

I can’t look like a pushover here!

“Don’t get cocky.”

Seo Jaewon pushed Joo Youngha’s face away with his hand.

Even so, he didn’t push too hard.

“?”

Joo Youngha blinked with a dazed expression.

The fact that he’s handsome even in this situation makes me even angrier.

Are you kidding me?

Is now the time to be looking good?

Seo Jaewon tried his best to ignore the guy’s eyes that kept following him.

Is it because I became a Guide?

I keep letting my guard down because of Joo Youngha’s vacant smile.

This won’t do.

I need to focus and stay alert.

See if I fall for it.

Seo Jaewon firmly looked away from Joo Youngha and stared ahead.

The merman right in front of him was still staring at Seo Jaewon with pitch-black, lidless eyes.

The large pupils, with almost no whites showing, rolled around, and the muscles all over its body could be seen twitching.

It looked like it was trying its best to move, but other than tiny tremors, it was stuck in place as if it were a stuffed specimen.

Joo Youngha was holding it down with telekinesis.

Since he was holding down more than ten mermen scattered here and there all by himself, it clearly wasn’t as simple as he made it sound.

‘Disgusting guy.’

He does things that Seo Jaewon’s ability could never even imagine as easily as breathing.

Even though he wasn’t an Esper anymore, he still felt complicated in the face of Joo Youngha’s power.

Seo Jaewon let out a sigh of relief and looked at Min Yoomin.

“…….”

Min Yoomin was sitting on the floor, looking back and forth between Seo Jaewon and Joo Youngha with an expression of disbelief.

Yeah, sometimes his strength is enough to make even his teammates sick.

There were often guys who said he was scary because he was too strong, or that he didn’t seem human.

That was probably the reason why he always drifted on the outskirts of people.

He felt a little sorry for him in that regard.

Of course, 99% of it was because he was a sociopath who hated people.

Seo Jaewon suppressed his embarrassment and helped Min Yoomin stand up.

When he did, Joo Youngha looked down at Min Yoomin with a dissatisfied face.

“Jaewon-ah, you and that thing…….”

“Quiet.”

“Ung…….”

“Be happy, you two.”

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Min Yoomin muttered something nonsensical and quickly moved away from Seo Jaewon.

It’s really hard to make friends.

The rest of the team members, seemingly having grasped the situation, were approaching while taking care of the frozen mermen one by one.

Even though they were enemies, it felt strange to see them collapse helplessly without even being able to scream.

Only Joo Youngha stuck close to Seo Jaewon’s side.

Even while using his ability to keep many mermen from moving an inch, Joo Youngha’s face was calm as if it weren’t difficult at all.

“Jaewon-ah, love me more.”

“Uh, yeah, yeah.”

Seo Jaewon stroked Joo Youngha’s hair once or twice more.

Joo Youngha became quiet as if satisfied.

Whatever he was thinking, he even hooked his index finger into Seo Jaewon’s finger.

Since there was no immediate work for his hands, he just left it.

Hwi Sara shed her bear form and walked toward them with long strides.

Ji Myunghoon followed behind her like a shadow, grumbling at Hwi Saul.

“Why would you bring out vines there?”

“No, that was…….”

“He burned them all himself, so what is he talking about? Why would you bring out fire in front of a fragile Guide?”

Before Hwi Saul could defend himself, Hwi Sara jumped in and snapped.

Beside her, Hwi Saul was making a vague expression.

He was definitely thinking about whether to shut Hwi Sara’s mouth before even harsher words came out.

“While we’re talking about it, do something about how you just fire off without thinking about your surroundings. Are you a teammate or a trap…….”

“Stop it, Sara.”

Hwi Saul tried to stop her, but it was no use.

Ji Myunghoon’s face turned red and blue.

A fight would break out if left alone.

Before the situation got more serious, Seo Jaewon finally stepped in.

It was a sad fact, but this was also the task of a leader.

Managing strong-willed Espers so they don’t throw punches at each other.

“Noona, calm down. You know it’s not Esper Ji Myunghoon’s fault.”

Of course, it wasn’t that he was entirely without fault.

Like his lack of fire control despite his rank, or his narrow vision that doesn’t look around……

But even considering those points, it wasn’t Ji Myunghoon’s fault.

When members suddenly change, conflict is bound to happen.

They don’t understand each other’s abilities well, and trust is lacking.

Normally, they should build teamwork through training, but because of the chronic shortage of Espers, it can’t be helped.

“Ah, fine.”

Hwi Sara pouted but stepped back without saying more.

Ji Myunghoon looked back at Seo Jaewon with a strange expression.

What?

Why does he keep looking at me like that? You got a problem?

Not missing the moment the atmosphere calmed down, Hwi Saul joined in and took Seo Jaewon’s side.

“Right, that can happen. I’ll be careful next time too.”

“Whatever…….”

Ji Myunghoon mumbled something and looked away.

I’m not sure if that was his own sign of reconciliation, or if it was because he saw Hwi Saul throwing a merman with a vine.

“More importantly, Jaewon-ah. I couldn’t say this earlier.”

Hwi Saul didn’t react to Ji Myunghoon and immediately approached Seo Jaewon.

“I think it would be better to go in more slowly.”

Seo Jaewon frowned.

“I thought things were going smoothly, is there a problem?”

Speed is life in a dungeon raid. If you don’t remove the core, the dungeon continues to grow in power, and the monsters increase.

The way to stop that is to quickly obtain the core and dissolve the dungeon.

Dungeons that have grown in power because Espers couldn’t get the core in time spit everything out into the outside world.

That is a Dungeon Break.

No country would welcome that, but in Korea, where population density is high, even one dungeon burst is a catastrophe.

“Mapping is slow because there are too many obstacles in the ground.”

“Too many? That shouldn’t be the case.”

Contrary to what people think, dungeons aren’t scary things that just pop up overnight. Dungeons are ‘born’ and ‘grow.’

The appearance of a Dungeon Gate only means that the frame of the dungeon is complete.

The monsters, traps, and all sorts of terrifying things inside start to fill up from that moment.

This dungeon appeared about a day or two ago.

Depending on the rank, the growth speed can vary, but this is practically brand new.

It means the inside should normally be empty.

‘Now that I think about it, the monsters felt strong for a new dungeon.’

Seo Jaewon thought that as he looked around.

Shiny insects were darting back and forth across his vision……

‘Wait a minute.’

Suddenly feeling a strange sensation, Seo Jaewon looked down at his feet.

A cluster of white eggs had been crushed under his foot.

Something resembling a sleek lizard crossed over his shoe and disappeared into the moss.

It was evidence that life inside the gate had grown to adulthood and even finished reproducing.

Something doesn’t add up.

‘This is quite……’

Isn’t an ecosystem already formed?

A chill ran down his spine.

Normally, this couldn’t happen in a day or two.

No matter how differently time flows inside the dungeon!

“Jaewon-ah?”

Joo Youngha asked blankly.

A fully matured dungeon is a powder keg.

What we see now is definitely not everything.

Looking around in all directions, Seo Jaewon rushed to the railing and looked down.

“The water……!”

His vision was filled with dark blue water.

While they were fighting, the first floor of the department store had been completely submerged.

The black surface of the water was slowly swallowing the walls and slopes, rising higher.

The water level was rising at an ominous speed.

Slowly, but clearly visible if one focused.

At this rate, the floor they were on would eventually be submerged in water.

“Wow, water.”

Min Yoomin, who approached his side, muttered casually.

“Hasn’t it become a bit splashy?”

“There was no sign of that…….”

Hwi Saul lightly frowned. Usually, detecting such anomalies is his specialty, but there are limits in such uncooperative soil.

The other team members didn’t seem particularly agitated either.

That was because the water was still far below.

A terrain that changes slowly is a very minor occurrence among the sudden situations that happen in a dungeon.

“Do you know what kind of gimmick it is?”

At Hwi Sara’s question, Saul shrugged.

“Well, wasn’t there a dungeon where the walls got narrower over time?”

“Dungeons where the path is blocked so you can’t go back if you advance are common too. Or maybe the mermen did something…….”

Ji Myunghoon also offered a somewhat sensible opinion.

It looks good.

Finally, non-aggressive conversation is happening between the team members.

Exchanging opinions actively is also a very good sign.

But there is no time for that now.

Seo Jaewon shouted in an urgent voice.

“We have to find the dungeon core. Right now!”

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