OMH Chapter 10

Chapter 10. Esper and Guide (1)

Several days passed, and Cha Woojin’s injured areas, hurt by the monster, had fully recovered, so he no longer seemed to be in pain like before. However, he lost a lot of muscle mass and had difficulty moving, so he was undergoing rehabilitation therapy. Even though he was still hospitalized, receiving treatment from a Healing-type Esper exclusively for Association members.

Still, thanks to that treatment, Cha Woojin’s condition improved a lot. Cha Woojin, who used to only sleep almost all day due to the pain, started staying awake for longer periods, allowing him to take care of Cha Wooreen.

Thanks to that, Cha Wooreen’s depression improved a lot. She still suffers from severe separation anxiety, so Cha Woojin can’t even go to the bathroom alone, but now Cha Wooreen is smiling again, they said.

While preparing for the Martial Arts Tournament, I often dropped by to help Cha Woojin’s rehabilitation training by spotting him or supporting him.

With about two weeks left until the Martial Arts Tournament, the Esper Guide Association became incredibly busy. This is because they had to conduct physical and Ability tests for all participating Espers and prepare to anticipate and prevent injuries or accidents.

However, the Martial Arts Tournament was an event that everyone in the Esper Guide Association secretly looked forward to. The participants were excited to show off their skills to everyone, and the researchers were looking forward to finding clinical tests and possibilities for Ability combat.

In addition, the Martial Arts Tournament was also a large-scale entertainment event for the Esper Guide Association. Just like how the best thing to watch is a fight, it provided spectacular entertainment, but it was also because it became a money game for the Association members.

Originally, the Esper Guide Association prohibited gambling among its members, for the reason that it ruins their minds and bodies. So there are no gambling dens in Downtown either. They don’t stop people from playing for fun with small amounts of money though.

However, the Esper Guide Association had created a system where people could bet on the participants of the Martial Arts Tournament. In other words, the Martial Arts Tournament is the only legal gambling den permitted by the Esper Guide Association. That’s why the Martial Arts Tournament participants hear things like this:

“Hey, Gang Hana. I’ve bet all my assets on you. You have to win this year.”

“Don’t skip the finals again this year because of a mission completion order like you did last year. Set up a substitute and win this year. Got it?”

I haven’t even gotten tested at the Research Center yet, but I’m already getting showered with support.

‘Haha, well, now. I don’t know if I should thank them for their expectations or tell them not to gamble their lives away.’

I just laughed it off and was eating lunch when Kim Sanghyuk, who was next to me, made a pointless jealous remark.

“Why hasn’t anyone bet on me? Who knows? I might become this year’s winner and become a new rookie. Everyone, bet some money on the future prospective winner. I’ll make you rich.”

“I bet on you last year out of loyalty, but I was wiped out, so I’m never betting on you again. There’s a reason why the dividends are low.”

“Believe in your friend’s potential.”

“I’ll believe in Kim Sanghyuk’s 37% win rate.”

Seunghwan, who lost money after betting on that 37% possibility, now came to believe in the 63% possibility. Administration Department Seunghwan, who was expounding on the valuable lesson he learned last year, informed me that the new member education allowance had been deposited, so I should check it.

I immediately turned on my Smartwatch to check. Oh, it’s in. My sweet, honey-like bonus wage.

“New member education? Gang Hana, what are you doing new member education for? Who’s the new member? Don’t tell me it’s that Cha Woojin?”

Why is Kim Sanghyuk so smart only at times like this? But Seunghwan didn’t seem curious about Cha Woojin’s story and instead delivered new news to Kim Sanghyuk.

Kim Sanghyuk’s Guide, Go Jeongho, had applied to terminate the contract, but it was put on hold because there was no Esper with a higher Matching Rate than Kim Sanghyuk.

“That’s good, Kim Sanghyuk. Go to Go Jeongho and beg for forgiveness and swear your loyalty and gratitude.”

“…”

Seunghwan, the herald of good news, picked up his tray and got up first, saying he had something to copy. I should go see Cha Woojin while I have time left during my lunch break.

Cha Woojin was still eating. He had trouble digesting even thin rice porridge and had a hard time eating it, but now he’s eating chicken porridge. That’s a great improvement. I went into the hospital room and greeted Cha Woojin.

“Hello, Cha Woojin. I came to see you for a bit before training, but I think I came too early.”

“Ah, I was late with my meal because I was feeding Cha Wooreen. It’s okay for you to come in.”

“Then I’ll take care of Cha Wooreen. Please eat comfortably.”

Maybe it’s because I show my face often, but now Cha Woojin isn’t wary of me.

I peeled Cha Wooreen off of Cha Woojin’s side like a piece of gum. Cha Wooreen readily came off.

These days, she eats and sleeps in her brother’s hospital room, so crying and tantrums have decreased.

I put Cha Wooreen down on the floor and asked her what she wanted to play.

“Sing me a song. Let’s play Elsa together.”

I was prepared for something like a human gyro drop, but Cha Wooreen ordered a musical. This brother and sister always make me do something new that I haven’t experienced before.

‘Haha… Should I not have shown her the movie?’

Cha Wooreen made a dress by wrapping Cha Woojin’s hospital gown top around her body and spun around to my singing. I sang three times, getting scolded by Cha Wooreen for not singing well.

In the meantime, I helped Cha Woojin, who had finished eating, practice walking and came out to receive the afternoon training.

On the way to the training center, I ran into Lee Hwayoung. Lee Hwayoung looked tired, probably because of the Martial Arts Tournament preparations. Well, I heard that the Medical Bureau is just as busy as the Research Center during the preparation period. I was worried about Lee Hwayoung, so I asked if she should get help from an Esper who recovers stamina.

“It’s okay. With just this much. Healing-type Abilities and Guiding need to conserve as much power as possible because of the tournament.”

“Ah, I see. But I’m curious about something. Is the fact that you didn’t restore Cha Woojin’s strength and stamina also because of the tournament?”

Lee Hwayoung is not an Esper who recovers stamina, but Abilities that recover stamina were common among Healing-type Abilities.

So, it was a bit strange to me when Lee Hwayoung treated Cha Woojin with her Ability. If she called another Esper, he would be healed quickly… Then Cha Woojin wouldn’t have to struggle with rehabilitation.

“Well, that’s partly true. He’s a Guide who’s afraid of Espers. Just let him rest well during his hospitalization. Guides don’t really like it when treatment ends quickly anyway.”

“What kind of strange thing is that to say? Guides are originally the Association’s top priority for protection, so why would they slow down treatment?”

“It’s not the Association’s intention, but it’s done by reflecting the Guide’s wishes. There isn’t a single Guide who likes going back to work quickly after treatment. Kim Sanghyuk’s Guide, Go Jeongho, hasn’t been discharged yet either.”

Huh? What the heck? That’s the strangest thing I’ve heard lately. Why do they hate getting better quickly?

Lee Hwayoung looked at me, who was bewildered, and patted me on the shoulder, telling me to know this well if I wanted to be close to Guides as an Esper.

*

The Great Monster Extermination Team decided to eliminate as many monster habitats as possible in order to minimize monster attacks that could occur during the tournament period.

So I’m out at the search site right now. Our team has been scouring places suspected of being habitats.

We checked everything from the sewage treatment facilities where slimy monsters were said to appear, to landfills, to power plants. They were perfect places for monsters to inhabit.

Fortunately, there were monsters, but not many, so the extermination work ended quickly.

‘The extermination Roundabout all ended in 17 hours, so it really ended quickly.’

We were last dispatched to a mountain where green-skinned cannibal dwarves were believed to be digging tunnels and living.

When we arrived at the location, dwarf droppings were visible everywhere. Thanks to that, we easily found the tunnels.

However, the fact that there was this much excrement meant that there were quite a few of them.

For now, we decided to reorganize and start the extermination work after confirming the location.

We set up a tent to make a temporary lodging, and decided to start work when it was light. We let the non-combatants sleep well inside, and the combatants, including me, took turns standing guard.

I didn’t feel like sleeping much, and since this was also the last extermination of this mission, I volunteered to stand guard for a bit longer.

I thought the cloudy night sky with a half-moon suited the eerie autumn forest well, so it was fun to watch the scenery.

Is that why there are holidays in foreign countries where ghosts return on autumn nights? While spending time with such random thoughts, someone came out of the tent.

It’s Guide Cheon Yuha. He said he came out to go to the bathroom. I entrusted the job to Jeongwon, who was also standing guard, and escorted Cheon Yuha. Cheon Yuha was embarrassed to go right near the tent, so he went a bit deeper into the forest. I turned around and waited near the bushes where Cheon Yuha went in, for privacy.

But then, a short, suppressed scream from Cheon Yuha was heard from behind.

“Cheon Yuha? Are you okay?”

There was no answer coming back. I quickly went into the bushes to find Cheon Yuha.

But Cheon Yuha was not there.

‘Was he kidnapped by the dwarves?’

I turned on the Smartwatch’s flashlight and examined the scene. Several footprints were visible where the grass was trampled down.

Judging from the marks on the ground where it was crushed and swept, it seems they dragged Cheon Yuha away.

I contacted Jeongwon and tracked Cheon Yuha’s Smartwatch. It’s moving not far away. I pushed through the bushes and chased Cheon Yuha’s signal.

But suddenly, the signal was cut off.

They must have gone into the tunnel. Since Smartwatches exchange signals through artificial satellites, communication was difficult underground.

Still, there must be a tunnel entrance nearby.

I shone the flashlight in all directions and frantically searched for the entrance. And I found something like an animal’s den near the bushes. It must be their passage. I didn’t hesitate and went inside.

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