Chapter 263: THE SLY FOX (2)
"HEY, I may look like this, but I’m also a Guide."
Moon Noa raised an eyebrow at the pink blob. "If you’re a Guide, then you’re a disgrace. Guides are known for their beauty, after all. You claiming to be the same class as me is making me want to murder the hell out of you."
"Hey, that’s discrimination. As an S-Class Guide, how could you say that to a fellow Guide? You’re supposed to be our leader, or something like that."
"I only consider human Guides as my allies."
"Now you’re being racist."
Moon Noa clenched his hands, ready to punch the water tank.
"Hyung, let’s take a break," Ryu Sungbin said, wrapping an arm around Moon Noa’s shoulders. "Don’t let that thing provoke you."
Moon Noa nodded and was about to leave with Ryu Sungbin when the pink blob spoke.
"I’m dying— I need an Esper’s Mana to survive."
So what?
The pink blob didn’t stop talking, though.
"I know you can’t le me die."
Tsk.
"If you let me out for a moment to absorb a bit of that Esper’s Mana, I promise to make it worthwhile— I’ll answer as many questions as I can."
Haaah.
The offer was tempting, but Moon Noa didn’t want to risk it.
"Good night, Bambi."
***
"NOA HYUNG, I believe we should let the pink blob out of the water tank to absorb my Mana."
Moon Noa looked at Ryu Sungbin in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind, Ryu Sungbin?"
"We can’t let that thing die, Hyung," Ryu Sungbin said firmly. "Plus, the risk is low. We’ll make sure that thing won’t be able to do anything."
By ’we,’ Ryu Sungbin meant his fellow Top 5: Lee Sarang, Jin Sooin, and Matthew.
Of course, Ki Gayoon still refuses to cooperate with us.
It didn’t matter, though.
All the key figures in South Korea were in that conference room at the moment.
Moon Noa— the country’s only S-Class Guide and the Chief of the National Guide Bureau.
Four out of the Top 5 Espers: Ryu Sungbin, Lee Sarang, Jin Sooin, Matthew.
The National Guide Bureau’s Deputy Kim Munhee.
And, of course, Kwak Hakjae— the president of the Esper Association, who was also acting as the country’s former President after Moon Nam-il was overthrown after the rebellion.
Moon Noa personally made sure that his grandfather would be locked up for good.
"Chief Moon, I agree with Esper Ryu," Kwak Hakjae said, addressing them formally by their titles. "So far, the pieces of information that the pink blob had shared with us had been proven to be true. You and Ryu Sungbin have lost some of your memories of the night we raided the Lab. I don’t want to say this, but the pink blob is the only source of information that we have regarding the atrocities that Charles Kang and Yosef Lee had committed."
"The other witness, Ho Jungwon, is still in a comatose state," Kim Munhee added. "But, even if he wakes up now, we’re not even sure if he has the information that we need."
And the information that they needed was about Charles Kang’s experiments.
Noh Yuno doesn’t remember most of it either.
Haaah.
Ho Jungwon, the Guide that they had rescued with Noh Yuno the night of the raid, hadn’t woken up yet. But like what Kim Munhee had said, they weren’t sure if Ho Jungwon could give them a useful information.
So, the pink blob remains relevant.
"Let’s vote," Moon Noa said. "Raise your hand if you’re in favor of letting the pink blob out to absorb a bit of Ryu Sungbin’s Mana, in exchange for information."
Everyone in the room raised their hands except Moon Noa and Lee Sarang.
Oh, I have an ally. We still lost, though. Even so, I’m curious...
"Sarang-ah, why are you not in favor of letting the pink blob out?"
"I don’t know, Noa Oppa. But it just doesn’t feel right that Gayoon Oppa isn’t here with us," Lee Sarang said, pouting. "I want Gayoon Oppa to work with us again."
Aigoo.
Ki Gayoon must have spoiled Lee Sarang a lot.
Well, as far as Moon Noa knew, it was Ki Gayoon who raised Lee Sarang until she became the second strongest Esper in the country.
"Sarang-ah, we can’t expect Gayoon Oppa to work with us again. He already cut us off," Jin Sooin said, frowning. "Gayoon Oppa is busy with the company that he built. He has been like that ever since he killed Mother."
Right.
The Espers’ so-called ’Mother’ died at the hands of Ki Gayoon.
"Sungbin Hyung is our new leader, so I’ll follow whatever Sungbin Hyung decides to do," Matthew said casually. "So, I’m voting for the pink thing to be out or whatever."
Jin Sooin nodded in agreement.
"Well, the majority wins," Moon Noa said, sighing. "We’re letting the pink blob out."
***
THE SAME key figures in the meeting earlier accompanied Moon Noa in the basement.
But, of course, only the Top 4/5 Espers surrounded the water tank where the pink blob was contained.
The non-combatant awakened people were at the back.
Moon Noa, Kim Munhee, and Kwak Hakja were standing next to the exit so that they could easily run if something bad happened.
I really have a bad feeling about this.
"Noa Hyung, we’re going to break the water tank now," Ryu Sungbin warned them. "Please make sure you have a barrier around you."
"Yes, we’ve already made a barrier to protect us," Moon Noa said. "Go ahead and start."
"Yes, Hyung."
The Top 4 Espers all raised their hands at the same time, with their palms pointing at the giant water tank.
Then... BOOM!
Colorful Mana hit the water tank at the same time, causing long cracks all over it easily.
It didn’t take long before the water tank completely broke.
The water would have easily flooded the entire basement, but that didn’t happen because Lee Sarang— aka the Ice Queen— froze the water before it drowned them all.
And, finally...
"I got the thing, Hyung," Matthew announced, using his ability to control wind and keep the pink blob suspended in the air. "Thank goodness the gross thing isn’t fighting back. It looks like it has no intention to escape."
"No, wait— it’s not that it’s not fighting back," Jin Sooin, and then she jumped high until she landed on the pink blob’s ’head.’ She placed a hand on the gross thing before letting out a gasp. "This thing is already dead!"
An awkward silence ensued.
And that silence was broken when they heard the creaking sound of the heavy doors opening.
But no other people have access here...!
Moon Noa was just about to turn around, but he froze when he felt a sharp pain in his chest.
When he looked down, he was shocked to see a hand pierced through his torso.
Dammit...
"Noa Hyung!"
Moon Noa heard Ryu Sungbin yell his name, but everything around him disappeared soon as a weird barrier-like thing enveloped his space.
It was like he was thrown into a different dimension.
He found himself ’alone’ in a white room.
Of course, he couldn’t be totally alone when there was a hand that pierced through his chest. There had to be an owner of that hand, right?
"Thank you for granting my request, Moon Noa."
Yep, I really am not alone.
Moon Noa looked over his shoulder, and then he knitted his eyebrows when he recognized the man. "Ho Jungwon?"
But he should still be in a comatose state!
"Ah, is that this person’s name?" ’Ho Jungwon’ asked, and then he smiled at Moon Noa. "I go by ’Bambi,’ though."
Oh.
Bambi.
The pink blob.
Fucking hell.
Moon Noa felt like his world crumbled when the realization hit him.
Bambi has the ability to switch bodies!
***
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