Guide to the Fallen World - Chapter 19

#19. Sakhalin Ice Forest

***

Russia no longer exists, but Shelter Sakhalin still remains.

However, Shelter Sakhalin has no means left to survive. Isolated on the frozen land, slowly succumbing to desolation.

Shelter Sakhalin, which was never the best but managed to hold its own, crumbled when Tang Hyo-cheon, the leader of Shelter Shanghai, killed all the espers in Sakhalin to prove his strength.

It goes without saying that a shelter without espers cannot last long.

Those who knew the situation roughly placed bets on when Shelter Sakhalin would collapse. Most predicted either a year or six months.

At this point, one would expect the refugees abandoning Shelter Sakhalin to scatter to other shelters.

However, the population of neighboring shelters did not increase significantly.

The reason was simple, the ice forest surrounding Shelter Sakhalin. The dense coniferous trees in that area were, in fact, plant-type monsters.

People called it the Sakhalin Ice Forest, or sometimes, the Forest of Blades.

More notorious than the forest itself is the fact that no one has ever escaped it alive. Stripped of their espers, the people of Shelter Sakhalin were trapped in a living hell, facing a slow and painful death.

From then on, Sakhalin’s Ice Forest became widely recognized as a demonic realm and a tragic disaster site caused by the Sino-Federation. Shelter Sakhalin became a graveyard of the living, a place even high-ranking espers refused to visit.

The guiding drug production facility Jay established was secretly hidden beneath Shelter Sakhalin.

Shelter Sakhalin was a barren land that drew no one’s attention. According to satellite reconnaissance data, the number of people still alive within the barrier had dwindled to just a handful.

Soon, the shelter would become an empty grave, further solidifying Sakhalin’s tragic reputation. It was the perfect location, a place that offered just the right mix of notoriety and neglect.

Additionally, the Sakhalin Ice Forest was a natural fortress, ideal for defending against esper invasions in times of crisis.

Yeowon had no idea that dozens of people were dying every day around her. Jay had decided that she didn’t need to know such things.

There was no point in her knowing. That was the fact.

Considering she was already upset for having been deceived, what good would it do to tell her? Jay had planned to leave Yeowon alone for a while.

Of course, surveillance is being conducted properly. Every ten minutes, checks are made to ensure she’s eating properly, her brainwaves aren’t unstable, and that she isn’t attempting to leave the facility.

Although there’s an important deal in progress, nothing takes priority over this.

The noise of the table being tapped made Jay finally remove the hologram from her retinal display.

“Sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment.”

To be precise, it was because she was watching Yeowon, who was lying on the bed, but the other party was an esper. There was no need to provoke him by mentioning the guide’s existence.

Jay didn’t delay any longer and began checking the fusion reactor core on the table. It had been assembled from broken parts, so stability testing was necessary. There were dozens of basic tests that needed to be started immediately.

If even one test failed, the deal would be over.

However, the fusion reactor core presented by the Espers was so stable it could easily be believed to have just been removed from the shelter’s central hub.

“I expected it to be unstable, but the core’s condition is remarkably good. They say there’s a nuclear physicist in the shelter’s research team—looks like it might be true.”

At those words, a few Espers exchanged glances. No response came back.

Observing the highly cautious demeanor of the Espers, Jay made a mental note: the Espers from Shelter Yeouido had a commendable level of composure—something worth adding to the database.

After a moment of silence, it was the leader of the Shelter Yeouido Espers, Heo Yi-gyeom, who finally spoke.

“What happened to the Esper from Shelter Brisbane?”

“What do you think happened?”

Jay’s retort caused the atmosphere to grow cold. It was more than enough of an answer to confirm Aaron McKillop’s death.

Jay flashed a smile—one crafted by algorithm—and calmly scanned the Espers from Shelter Yeouido.

“I’ll just say this, stepping back that day was a wise choice.”

“The Guide… knew my name.”

“Because I told them. I’m teaching them about Espers they need to keep an eye on.”

At those words, the previously motionless Espers flinched ever so slightly. Noticing a sense of purpose flicker in their eyes, Jay maintained his smile.

“One tragedy involving the Guide is enough.”

It was a warning.

A warning to stop taking an interest in the Guide.

Jay knew the warning wouldn’t work. Still, it had to be given. Allowing the Espers to spiral out of control would be problematic.

“Anyway, this was an excellent deal. Meeting all the conditions couldn’t have been easy, but Shelter Yeouido’s resilience is still alive and well. Truly impressive,” Jay said, clapping her hands to break the tense atmosphere.

“I’ve just released the Guiding drug over Shelter Yeouido. In about five minutes, the parachute should be visible to the naked eye.”

“Seo Ji-hoon. Contact the shelter.”

“Yes, sir.”

At the command, Ji-hoon immediately activated his communicator and briefed the colleague waiting at the shelter.

“The Guiding drug is currently descending over Yeouido. Use the observation equipment to secure the package and verify its authenticity. Report back as soon as you have the results.”

“Roger that.”

It would take about 20 minutes for the response to come back. In the meantime, Jay meticulously inspected the core to ensure there wasn’t a tracker attached to it.

These days, the range of chemical products derived from monster byproducts had grown so diverse that one couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

Yi Gyeom watched Jay with a cold, piercing gaze.

Jay knew that the intense gaze wasn’t truly directed at her but at someone else—at the Guide, who wasn’t even present. That Esper was projecting the Guide through her.

Just then, a response came back from the shelter.

“Commander, it’s authentic. However……”

Yi-gyeom’s eyebrows twitched as he sensed Ji-hoon’s hesitation.

“It’s an excess quantity. It’s more than the agreed-upon amount.”

“That’s right. I added a little extra.”

Jay quickly interjected with a friendly smile, finishing the core inspection.

“It’s a token of gratitude for stepping back so willingly. There won’t be a second time.”

“Just one question.”

“Mm, I’m listening.”

“Are you thinking of making an additional request? A trade could work too.”

Did that mean they were securing more cores?

As Jay showed interest, Yi gyeom slowly continued speaking.

“We need a more regular supply of the drug. The newly awakened Espers need training now.”

“Hmm? This is unlike you. I thought I was doing you a favor, but your attitude is a bit too shabby, don’t you think?”

“….”

“Besides, your bluffing is way too weak. As far as I know, there aren’t any newly awakened Espers in Yeouido. I keep a close eye on Esper emergence, you know. I regularly run wave detection systems.”

“I knew it.”

“I thought you were more of a gentleman for an Esper, but I’m disappointed. The deal is over.”

“There’s no rule saying only the Guide can use a wave jammer.”

“What?”

The words couldn’t be ignored, and the algorithm immediately halted. The hands that had been handling the core also stopped moving in sync.

To analyze the variable, Jay quickly activated the EEG and the biometrics detector, then spoke.

“What’s this? Could it be true? Are there really new Espers in Yeouido that I don’t know about?”

“Are you going to put in a request?”

“It would have been more useful to keep it a secret to hide your full power. Why tell me?”

“I want to propose an alliance.”

“Aren’t you just looking for an opportunity to target the Guide?”

“It’s true that I hope for an opportunity. But that’s a secondary issue. Aren’t things getting a bit overwhelming? The western shelter alliance has had two Guiding drug production bases raided, and even the Guide’s location has been compromised.”

“Haha. You’ve done a lot of research.”

“Unlike before, the delivery of the Guiding drug has become unstable. The theft of drugs between shelters has reached an extreme. Continuing the distribution of the Guiding drug with the existing system is impossible.”

“It seems you’ve put a lot of effort into understanding the situation here. And you finished your calculations quickly.”

“It seems the only thing you can rely on is androids, but no matter how much you improve them, they can never exceed the abilities of an Esper. That’s why you’ve been resorting to overwhelming numbers.”

“Have you forgotten that we already crushed everything using that overwhelming number?”

“Don’t you think you might need some help?”

The Espers of Yeouido swallowed dryly, caught in the intense psychological battle.

“….”

Yi-gyeom’s attitude suggested that he had prepared thoroughly. The resilience of Shelter Yeouido, which never neglected intelligence and situational awareness. With all of this in mind, Jay’s computational abilities quickly kicked into gear.

The conversation, which began with talk of additional requests and trades, reached an alliance based on cooperation in just about five minutes.

A terrifyingly sharp-minded Esper. Keeping them close or making them distant both seem dangerous. So, how should one adjust the distance?

“Impressive. You’ve really gone to great lengths to understand our resources,”

Jay said, arrogantly resting her chin and glaring at Yi-gyeom.

“It’s true that the Western Shelter Alliance has taken advantage of me. As you know, I control shelters across the region based on the Guiding drug, and through that, I acquire a significant amount of resources. I’m aware that there are several shelters trying to break free from my control. That’s why things like the alliance were formed.”

“….”

“But do you happen to know what fate awaited the Western Shelter Alliance after they rebelled against me?”

“…They were annihilated.”

“Correct. I wiped them out as an example. Ah, was that why you stepped back so willingly that day? Were you afraid I’d erase Yeouido from the map? How considerate of you. The residents of Yeouido must be lucky, having such a leader who cares so much about the shelter…”

“The Guide… was terrified.”

“Mm?”

“That’s why I stepped back.”

“Is that all? You expect me to believe that someone like you stepped back for such a simple reason?”

“You know it’s true. I’ve only spoken the truth.”

That much was clear.

Even while running the EEG and biometrics detectors, there was nothing detected.

That was an even more incomprehensible answer. It’s true that Espers are heavily influenced by the Guide, but to think that restraint was shown for such a simple reason in that moment?

Ah. Could it be the influence of regular Guiding drug consumption?

Jay blinked as she instinctively realized it.

Yi-gyeom of Shelter Yeouido. The matching rate seems to be significantly high.