Black Badger

“Yeah.”

Yehyeon let out a confused sound.

“Hilde, Jack has to maintain his summons, so....”

“With the familiars currently here, all we can do is clear the bombs ahead.”

Kairos answered in my place.

He walked over to us at an unhurried pace.

“If the situation were reversed, Advisor, you would’ve carried me and run too, wouldn’t you?”

Yehyeon pressed his lips into a thin line and looked at Kairos.

I gave a faint smile as I watched him hesitate. Kairos had always been smooth when it came to handling people.

Thanks for the help.

Milk, perched on Yehyeon’s shoulder, stretched out and began nibbling on his earlobe.

Kairos stepped forward to retrieve Milk, but Yehyeon raised his hand and stopped him.

“When you put it like that, I can’t really argue.”

Kairos smiled.

“I’ll carry him comfortably.”

“That’s not really necessary—”

“Hilde.”

Seunghyun abruptly cut into the conversation.

I answered by raising one eyebrow slightly.

“The moment you’re hit with something containing Green Dream, your body becomes that of an ordinary person until you receive the antidote.”

Yehyeon turned his head and looked at Seunghyun with a face that clearly said, What are you trying to say?

I held back a sigh.

“I know.”

I understood the intention behind Seunghyun’s words.

Kairos likely did as well. We had spent far too long among nobles who never spoke plainly.

“If we get caught in an explosion, I’ll take it instead.”

Kairos said it as if calming Seunghyun.

“There’s no need to worry.”

“Worry?”

Yehyeon repeated, sounding puzzled.

He blinked at Kairos, then gave a faint smile.

“You don’t need to think like that. Black, just take care of yourself.”

“Oh.”

A short response from the summoner.

Kairos probably didn’t know exactly who Seunghyun was. Neither Yehyeon nor I had ever introduced him, and we had no real intention of doing so.

But judging by Yehyeon’s reaction, Kairos seemed to grasp quite a lot in an instant.

His orange eyes slid toward me.

“First, tell me roughly what’s happening outside.”

I met his cautious gaze and replied.

“We’ll talk the rest through after that. Can you check outside using your summoned creature?”

“It’s not one with particularly good vision. It’s clinging to the wall and camouflaged right now, but there’s no telling when it’ll be killed. They’re not placing the bombs back in front of the door. Looks like they want to avoid repeating the same mistake.”

“I can’t figure out what they’re trying to do.”

I muttered, frowning slightly.

“Are they trying to kill all four of us together? Do they really think that’ll work?”

“Assuming the one who brought Hilde here hasn’t let his skills dull, the target was likely me and Black.”

Yehyeon said.

I gave a dry smile at his phrasing but didn’t comment.

“The final objective was obviously Hilde, though.”

“Then we should bury the whole lab and leave.”

“But if we do that, all the Creatures here will die.”

Kairos said carefully.

It wasn’t what I expected, but it wasn’t surprising either. I turned to look at him.

I had assumed he’d care less since they weren’t familiars.

Seunghyun shot Kairos a glare.

“Let’s confirm priorities.”

“Of course, our safety comes first. But judging by Hilde’s expression, you seem to have some leeway.”

“I do, but I doubt the ones who broke in are trying to keep these Creatures alive either.”

Muttering, I looked up at the ceiling.

Sprinklers and several other dispersal devices were installed up there for fire emergencies.

There was no guarantee gas wouldn’t be released from them, so I planned to make a decision and move within ten minutes.

Should I just go out alone and crush them?

Kairos had indirectly asked to save as many Creatures as possible. And I couldn’t quite shake the image of that little blue bird pecking at nuts.

So I decided to abandon the idea of collapsing the lab entirely.

Going out alone and wiping out whoever remained was also an option.

To be honest, instead of impatience, I was starting to feel a quiet anger.

I had no intention of letting the ones who broke in leave alive.

“What is this kitten-like thing?”

Seunghyun’s voice cut through my thoughts as I was considering the best approach.

I blinked and looked at him.

“Milk?”

Ah. Was this Seunghyun’s first time seeing Milk?

“It’s a Creature I’m raising.”

Kairos answered politely.

A rather strange scene unfolded in front of me.

Seunghyun, brows slightly furrowed, was staring at Milk perched on Yehyeon’s shoulder. Yehyeon, meanwhile, seemed to think he needed to protect Milk from Seunghyun and was subtly leaning his upper body back.

Kairos stood there with his hands behind his back, smiling pleasantly as he explained.

And Milk, under Seunghyun’s gaze...

“Piiyaak.”

It let out a frightened cry and vanished.

At the same time, Yehyeon disappeared as well.

Seunghyun stared at the empty space in disbelief.

“...Huh.”

Yehyeon’s bewildered voice came from midair.

“Did I turn invisible too?”

“Milk.”

Kairos smiled and held out his palm.

“Come here.”

Yehyeon reappeared.

Milk lightly landed on Kairos’s palm. Its fluffy white fur was still standing on end, clearly still scared of Seunghyun.

But instead of turning invisible again, Milk crawled into Kairos’s sleeve.

Kairos calmly smiled at Seunghyun.

“My apologies. It’s quite timid.”

Seunghyun stared at the lump climbing up Kairos’s arm with a baffled expression.

“Does it make anyone it touches invisible?”

“Yes. Since Milk isn’t afraid of the Advisor, we can leave while staying invisible.”

Originally, Milk had been generally wary of Black Badgers.

Strangely, the first person it showed curiosity toward had been Ricardo, then Ami. And when I woke up after seven months, it had already grown close to Yehyeon.

Yehyeon would occasionally buy expensive strawberries for Milk as a “gift” for Kairos.

Needless to say, it never got close to Yun.

Even now, whenever Yun appeared, Milk would hide somewhere in Kairos’s clothes and refuse to come out.

“If invisibility is truly possible, it would be effective to cloak one person and have them support from behind.”

Seunghyun suggested, looking at me.

“Pull either me or one of our kind back.”

“Milk won’t climb onto you.”

I replied with a dry smile.

“It’s still afraid of Yun, after all.”

“Then I’ll carry it and run.”

Seunghyun said without the slightest concern about being feared.

“Assuming my shooting is sufficient, that’s the most effective escape method.”

“I can stay behind.”

Yehyeon offered another suggestion, looking at me.

“That might be more efficient.”

“Because of who, right now—”

“Yehyeon.”

I gently cut off Seunghyun and called his name.

Then I looked at him, holding back what was clearly not a positive emotion.

“You’d be more comfortable with Kairos than Seunghyun, right?”

Yehyeon fell silent.

But not long after, he answered in a slightly embarrassed voice.

“Yes.”

“Got it.”

I agreed easily and turned toward the closed door.

“Then we get out of the basement first. Nothing’s changed. I’ll push through the front. Kai, you carry Yehyeon. Seunghyun, stay at the rear and think about the next step.”

“Advisor.”

Kairos stepped in front of Yehyeon and turned his back.

Yehyeon looked down at him, who had knelt on one knee with his back offered, his expression awkward.

But he didn’t resist further.

“Sorry.”

Yehyeon climbed onto his back.

Beside them, Seunghyun was preparing his gun with a displeased look.

I watched Kairos lift Yehyeon easily, along with the back of Milk’s head peeking out from behind Kairos’s neck.

Then my gaze shifted to Yehyeon’s injury.

He said he was fine, but the wound on his ankle kept bothering me.

We need to get out and get him the antidote quickly.

Even if it’s nothing for a Black Badger, for a normal body it’s a serious injury.

Yehyeon had firmly said it wasn’t life-threatening, but sepsis was no joke.

We’ll break out through the back.

After asking Kairos one last time to check outside...

Kka-kka-kka-kkaak—

A strange noise echoed as I turned toward the closed door.

What was that?

I snapped my head around, searching for the source.

“A Creature cry?”

“Shit.”

Seunghyun clicked his tongue.

I widened my eyes at the curse.

It was the first time I’d heard Lee Seunghyun use such blunt language.

That alone told me how bad the situation was.

Something had definitely gotten more complicated.

I looked at him, tense.

I couldn’t see or sense anything unusual.

Kka-kka-kka-kkaak—

“Lee Seunghyun. What is that?”

“It’s the cry of a psychic-type Creature.”

He answered while running toward a large shelf in Zone K.

“Among those who hear it, the most vulnerable individual becomes enthralled.”

“What are the symptoms?”

“Dad.”

I whipped around in shock.

Yehyeon, still on Kairos’s back, was looking at Seunghyun with a slight frown.

His eyes were unfocused.

“Are we not leaving?”

“It’s like being half-awake from anesthesia.”

Seunghyun opened two drawers with a sharp motion.

“Or they lose consciousness entirely.”

“Hilde.”

Before I could even speak in alarm, Yehyeon turned his gaze to me.

“Do you regret giving me the sword?”

“Let’s get out of here.”

This is bad.

We need to escape quickly so he doesn’t spiral into self-loathing once he comes back to his senses.

It’d be faster and safer to leave than to hunt down the Creature making that sound.

“Kai. Ready?”

“I am, but...”

Kairos glanced back at the person on his back with an awkward expression.

“Doesn’t seem like the Advisor wants to leave.”

“Cute Milk.”

Yehyeon muttered blankly.

“You’re scared of my dad too?”

Would knocking him out be better?

I watched Seunghyun stiffen, and Milk let out a small “Pi?” as it cried.

Maybe he’d be more grateful if I just knocked him unconscious from behind.