Guide to the Fallen World - Chapter 11

#11. Invasion

Yeowon was inwardly skeptical. After all, even the esper named Kang Do-hyuk—or was it Do-young?—had effortlessly destroyed over a hundred androids on his own.

Jay reassured her that they now had reverse-guiding ammunition, which hadn’t been available back then. But even so, it was clear that the combat androids would be consumed at an alarming rate.

Moreover, the enemy consisted of five espers, all of whom were among the most dangerous in the esper database. It was unlikely that a conversation would be able to stop them.

Even knowing that, Yeowon still pressed the speaker button, attempting to engage in dialogue. It was all to buy time, so Jay could mass-produce as many combat androids as possible.

“Why are you looking for me? Was the guiding drug i’ve been providing not enough?”

[…Are you the guide?]

“Yes.”

[So you really exist.]

[Well, damn, you’ve been hiding well all this time.]

[We’ll be meeting soon, pretty.]

The mocking words that followed were highly unpleasant, but Yeowon knew that what mattered most was what she could bring to the negotiation table. Without a flicker of emotion, she continued speaking.

“Do you want war? You can’t be unaware of the implications of securing me.”

[What does it matter? We can think about that when the time comes.]

[Agreed. It’s better to capture the guide than worry about when the guiding drugs will run out.]

Instead of responding, Yeowon recalled the names Jay had mentioned. There must have been a reason why he only named two out of the five espers instead of listing all of them. And that reason was likely their level of danger.

“From Yeouido Shelter, Heo I-gyeom, and from Brisbane Shelter, Aaron McKillop. Do you all agree with that?”

The mention of the names seemed to catch the espers off guard, as the atmosphere shifted. They all began to glance at each other, sizing up the situation.

The first to respond was Heo I-gyeom from Yeouido Shelter.

[…I don’t want a war.]

“Then?”

[“Is wanting to meet you not a good enough reason?”]

“It’s not just good enough—it’s a dangerous choice. Did you come looking for me without knowing that?”

[….]

“If you don’t want to escalate the problem, turn back now.”

[That won’t do.]

It was not Heo I-gyeom who responded, but the esper from Brisbane. Yeowon shifted her gaze toward the esper with blonde hair, her curiosity piqued.

“Why?”

[The resources and manpower we’ve spent searching for you are no small matter.]

“I’ll compensate you. Will providing plenty of guiding drugs be enough?”

[You… you’re just stalling for time, aren’t you?]

Caught.

Yeowon had expected the other side to catch on eventually, but this was much faster than she anticipated. Stunned by the quick realization, she hesitated to respond. In the silence, Jay, who had been observing without speaking, stepped in.

“Enough. No more talking. Now that we’re this far, there’s no point in trying to negotiate.”

[Wait, hold on. What’s your name? If you tell me, I’ll leave right now.]

At the unexpected words, Yeowon raised her head, but Jay quickly intervened.

“Don’t tell them. It’s obvious they’re lying.”

“That may be true, but it doesn’t matter, does it? After all, no one else knows. My name is Yeowon. Guide Jeong Yeowon.”

[Jeong Yeowon. i’ll remember that.]

Without any particular expectations, Heo I-gyeom’s words made Esper take a step back. The Espers were more surprised by this unexpected choice than Ye-won.

Aaron McKillop from Brisbane asked in disbelief.

[Heo I-gyeom, are you serious? You’ve come all the way here and you’re saying you want to quit?]

[Isn’t that true? A war breaking out is no small matter. I’ll be backing out of this.]

[Holy sh1t! Are you serious?]

[More than you.]

Ye-won had secretly hoped for a division and conflict among the Espers, but that didn’t happen. Despite grumbling about Heo I-gyeom’s decision to step back, no one was eager to fight him over it.

[This is a headache.]

[What can we do? Let’s go down ourselves.]

Yeah. It’s an unexpected choice, but in the end, it’s just one less Esper, and the threat is still ongoing. So now, it’s time to think about something else. Even though they’re Espers, they’re still human. Can I really be okay with seeing people die? Am I strong enough for that?

The answer was unknown. Yeowon turned off the speaker. There was no need for further conversation.

If they were coming, there was no choice but to respond. Barriers were set up at every access point to the panic room, and the combat androids were in formation. They had trained countless times in Esper response simulations for days like this.

What remained was trusting Jay and leaving the battle to her. Then, at the right moment, they would recreate the reverse gating. That was all. As a transhuman superior to any supercomputer, Jay would know and handle it well.

While thinking this, the Ark, buried beneath the earth, was revealed. And they easily pierced through the Ark’s outer walls to get inside.

***

The current status of the battle is as follows:
– 375 combat androids destroyed.
– 167 missile drones rendered inoperable.
– 219 suppression heat grenades used.
– 1,769 depleted uranium rounds expended.
– 45 reverse guiding rounds used.

As a result, three Espers were killed. Just five reverse guiding drug rounds are enough to kill an Esper.

It was the first average value they observed, making it an even more significant result.

In that sense, Aaron McKillop was a monster through and through. Even after being hit with seventeen reverse-guiding drug bullets, he was still moving.

Not only did he break through the defensive line at a terrifying speed, but he also made it all the way to the panic room. Despite his battered condition, his ferocity remained as menacing as ever.

[Ah. Found you. You’re there, right?]

Aaron muttered, wiping the bl00d that flowed from his forehead. His appearance was pure terror. Was it easier for him to spot the target because there was only one? Yeowon reflected on how she hadn’t taken her personal security seriously in the past and then immediately came up with a new suggestion.

“Jay. From now on, let’s make multiple panic rooms to cause confusion.”

“Good idea. But first, we need to deal with that guy.”

As they were talking, Aaron got closer to the panic room.

*Phew. Should I try opening it?*

His strong grip pounded relentlessly on the panic room door. For a moment, Ye-won flinched and instinctively covered her ears, but soon, she calmed down.

Unlike last time when the panic room crumbled like Styrofoam, Aaron McKillop’s strength was unable to cause any damage, let alone break it.

*Tch. It’s tough. This isn’t opening.*

Aaron’s muttering, heard through the hologram, made Ye-won think of Noah’s Esper. If that Esper could crush a panic room that even Aaron couldn’t break, how strong must that Esper have been?

*I guess there’s no choice. I’ll just take it all.*

“Now! I’ve maximized the amplifier output, so start reverse-guiding as soon as I signal.”

[“Hey, you there. You’re listening, right? You’re not scared, are you? Don’t be too afraid. I can guess what you’re thinking, but it won’t be as bad as you’re worrying. I know the value of a guide, too, you know.”]

Yeowon gave a bitter smile at Aaron’s attempt to act gentlemanly now.

“If you knew that, you shouldn’t have done something I clearly said no to.”

Then, she deployed reverse-guiding with all her might.

[Ugh! What is this?!]

The radiation-guided field, amplified through the amplifier, covered an area of about 100 meters, and still had room to spare. In such a reverse-guiding field, it was impossible for an Esper to perform at their usual level.

At the same time, Jay’s last reserve of combat androids surged out, and without hesitation, began firing reverse-guiding bullets.

This is where the war of attrition begins. It would all come down to who runs out of energy first, whose power is exhausted first. Yeowon gripped her hands tightly, counting one by one the androids and drones that were being destroyed.

But the same could be said for the opponent—they hadn’t used all their strength either. The Esper, who had been destroying the androids with nothing but their bare hands, suddenly sank into the ground below.

As the androids, now aimless without a target, began to wander, the panic room itself started to slowly move.

Realizing the true intent of the Esper, Jay couldn’t contain his anger and shouted.

“This fucking geomancer!”

Whether the words were heard despite the speaker being off, or if she simply guessed the other side was cursing, Ye-won wasn’t sure. But suddenly, Aaron’s head popped up from beneath the earth.

“Haha, this really hurts. So, a guide can do things like this?”

“If I don’t neutralize the real-time rampage with the guiding drug you gave me, even I’ll die.”

This wasn’t what she intended when she gave it to him. Ye-won frowned.

[Let’s stop this pointless fight now.]

[Once you get to Brisbane, you’ll probably like it too. You’ll regret fighting like this!]

Regret? No way. The sight of his head popping up from the ground like a mole was just infuriating. If she could, she would love to smash that head with a hammer.

But the bigger problem was that the panic room was currently moving, just as he intended.

Using the guiding drugs she had spread, Aaron was managing to endure the amplified reverse guiding field. No wonder the reverse guiding bullets weren’t working as well as expected.

For now, she was maintaining the radiation guiding with full strength, but how much longer could she keep it up? What would happen if her stamina ran out? What if, despite his words, he could use his abilities even outside the reverse guiding field?

The moment Ye-won thought this, she immediately cross-checked Aaron McKillop’s abilities and characteristics in the Esper database. The result were somewhat precarious.

Aaron’s ability range was a maximum of 100 meters. The reverse guiding field on their side also had a maximum range of 100 meters.

The Esper from the Shelter Yeouido was still stationed above ground, ready to intervene at any moment, and the panic room had already reached near the Ark’s outer wall. At this rate, they would be completely outside the Ark before long.

No, in fact, they were already out.

‘I can’t let this happen.’

As soon as she realized this, Ye-won immediately activated the hologram feed from the surveillance cameras she had kept off. Without a moment of hesitation, she pressed a button.

“I have a favor to ask. Can you help me?”