The Scent of the Untouched Forest

A figure, glowing brilliantly from head to toe, swiftly passed by Seo Dowoon’s side.

“……!”

In that instant, a scent wafted through the air, one that could only originate from a pond nestled deep within a forest, utterly untouched by human presence.

It was a dreamlike aroma, a harmonious blend of fresh grass, the clean scent of water, and the ethereal mist of dawn.

An unforgettable scene from his childhood, a memory triggered by that very scent, instantly surfaced in Seo Dowoon’s mind. His dark eyes, which had remained steadfast even when he plummeted into the dungeon, now flickered with a subtle tremor.

“…….”

Seo Dowoon momentarily held his breath, his eyes captivated by the person standing before him. Shorter than himself, the figure wore a deep hooded robe, and on their back was a shield almost as tall as they were.

“Close your eyes. It’s bright.”

As the clear voice, melodious as a song, seeped into his ears once more, Seo Dowoon’s eyelids fluttered. A thrilling shiver coursed through his entire body, beginning at his toes. His trembling eyes stilled, then brightened, becoming as clear and brilliant as a glittering galaxy.

In his twenty-one years of life, he had never experienced anything quite like this.

‘…Who is this?’

For the first time, he drew a deep breath, his heart now thrumming rapidly, and swiftly cast his gaze about, attempting to discern the identity of the figure before him.

‘This shield…….’

A crudely drawn green dinosaur adorned the center of the shield, a motif he had undoubtedly seen online before.

This was the distinctive logo of the ‘Herbivore Guild.’ Given their current location in Dongjak-gu, this was indeed the guild’s designated territory.

Unaware that Seo Dowoon was intently watching him from behind, Han Gureum extended his arm forward. Although this method consumed a substantial amount of energy and was seldom employed, now was hardly the time to deliberate such matters, especially with a stranded person discovered.

The light that had illuminated their path gradually coalesced into Han Gureum’s hand. Darkness began to creep into the brightly lit cave in patches, much like candles flickering out.

‘The monsters are getting closer.’

Han Gureum clenched his fist tightly, then unfurled his fingers. The light, condensed within his palm, swept along the cave’s inner wall, stretching straight ahead.

From Seo Dowoon’s observations while navigating the space, the cave’s width and height were indeed considerable. Yet, despite a brilliant light, potent enough to fill such a vast expanse, appearing and then vanishing before his eyes, it hadn’t been overly dazzling. No lingering afterimages remained either.

More than anything, Seo Dowoon yearned to ascertain the identity of the man standing directly before him. He hastily began to reach out his hand, but Han Gureum turned around before he could.

“Please excuse me for a moment.”

Han Gureum extended both hands. Rather than instinctively pulling away from the approaching hands, Seo Dowoon’s priority was to scrutinize the man before him. He had already perceived him as not particularly large when his back was turned, but facing him, he appeared even smaller. As Seo Dowoon observed, Han Gureum’s hands gently covered his ears.

“……!”

Though Seo Dowoon harbored a strong aversion to physical contact with others, he made no move to dislodge the hands covering his ears.

No, he found himself unable to pull away.

‘……The sound is gone?’

The tinnitus that had tormented him his entire life vanished the instant Han Gureum’s touch reached him. Just being in his presence already felt like shedding years of accumulated filth, but with the tinnitus gone, his curiosity about the man before him intensified immeasurably.

His usually sharp black eyes, which had been darting about, finally settled.

Their destination was Han Gureum.

While Seo Dowoon’s inner world thrummed with confusion, Han Gureum’s senses were acutely honed. Moments later, the monsters touched by his light shrieked grotesquely, dissolving into handfuls of ash that dissipated into the air. As he listened to their dying cries, he subtly observed Seo Dowoon.

‘If I had been even a moment later… this person might have died.’

Upon learning that a civilian had been swept into a gate, he had entered the dungeon alone, foregoing his comrades. He was forced to advance by sensing presences within, and even though he sprinted past every monster he encountered, time had been perilously close.

‘Hah…….’

How utterly bewildered he had been when he sensed both human and monster presences at once. It was a sheer stroke of luck that the human remained outside the monsters’ attack range; otherwise, he would have lost the stranded person right before his very eyes.

Seo Dowoon gazed at Han Gureum, who was still covering his ears, with an intensity that bordered on devouring. The grotesque screams the monsters had unleashed before their demise continued to reverberate. Though the man was attempting to block the sounds that felt as if they would rupture his eardrums, the effect was minimal. Nevertheless, Seo Dowoon found himself unwilling to push his hands away. His efforts were commendable, and more importantly, the warmth radiating from the man’s touch against his ears was far from unpleasant.

Seo Dowoon desired to properly discern the face of the person before him. Although the ambient light, which had illuminated their surroundings, had condensed and moved ahead, the man’s body continued to emit a soft glow. Yet, with his face obscured by the deep hood of his robe, it remained unseen.

One thing was undeniably clear: the two of them were standing remarkably close.

‘I want to see his face.’

As Seo Dowoon attempted to lift his arm, a small halo of light materialized, slowly circling their immediate vicinity. This, too, was an aspect of Han Gureum’s ability.

Confirming that no more monstrous screams could be heard, save for the lingering echoes, Han Gureum removed his hands from Seo Dowoon’s ears. The moment his hands withdrew, the tinnitus, as if by some cruel trick, began to ring once more.

That persistent tormentor, which had plagued him his entire life.

Seo Dowoon yearned to touch him once more. He desperately wanted to understand what had transpired, to unravel the mystery of why his tinnitus had vanished.

The moment Seo Dowoon made to extend his arm, Han Gureum pushed back the hood of his robe. As it fell, his hair, ruffled by the friction, stood up slightly, revealing a remarkably handsome face beneath.

Golden eyes, set in large, double-lidded sockets. The golden hue was so vivid that, at first glance, one might easily mistake him for a foreigner. Complementing this striking feature was his light brown hair.

He had already roughly surmised his identity the moment the ability was deployed, for Han Gureum was the sole individual in South Korea capable of manipulating light. Yet, true to his nature, Seo Dowoon, who only believed what he witnessed with his own eyes, now definitively confirmed the man’s identity.

‘Han Gureum.’

While Seo Dowoon had recognized him as an Esper the moment his extraordinary ability manifested, this man’s very appearance now declared him to be an S-rank Esper.

When an Esper achieves S-rank, their body undergoes transformations aligned with their unique ability. Han Gureum, possessing light-attribute abilities, similarly experienced changes upon awakening as an S-rank: his body hair lightened, and his eyes transformed into a brilliant golden hue.

Seo Dowoon’s eyes narrowed slightly as he took in Han Gureum’s face.

‘It’s my first time seeing him in person……. He’s small.’

His small stature and delicate build made it difficult to envision him as a tank. Though the robe obscured detailed inspection, his petite physique was undeniable.

As Seo Dowoon observed him with a scrutinizing gaze, Han Gureum slowly blinked. Ordinarily, he would have keenly deciphered the meaning behind such a look, but his mind, preoccupied with the fact that his companion was a civilian who had fallen alone into a dungeon, didn’t delve that deep. Instead, his first concern was to check for any injuries Seo Dowoon might have sustained.

‘No scent of blood. Thankfully.’

Han Gureum exhaled a sigh of relief, then spoke, aiming to reassure the doubtless frightened man.

“You must have been scared, but you endured remarkably well.”

“…….”

When Seo Dowoon merely stared silently, Han Gureum, assuming he was still terrified, raised his head to meet his gaze and spoke in a calm tone.

“You can relax now.”

Han Gureum informed the man before him that he was safe.

“There are no monsters nearby. Even if they approach, I will handle them, so you don’t need to worry.”

‘His voice is so clear. Unblemished and pristine.’

Instead of responding, Seo Dowoon observed Han Gureum, cataloging information about him in his mind. Unaware of this, Han Gureum continued to speak, his gaze fixed on Seo Dowoon’s eyes.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Did you hit anything when you fell through the rift?”

‘His eyes are like the sun.’

“Can you not speak? If so, please just nod your head.”

‘His mouth is small too. Did he put something on his lips? They’re really shiny.’

“…….”

‘Why did he stop talking? I want to hear more.’

Receiving no further response, Han Gureum assumed the man was utterly petrified. Seeing his reactions to sound, he concluded that his hearing was fine and that he was simply too shocked to speak. With this in mind, he opened his mouth again to reassure Seo Dowoon.

“My comrades will arrive soon, just wait a little longer. We’ll escort you safely outside together then. It might be a bit of a long walk, are you really not uncomfortable anywhere?”

Seo Dowoon’s vision was entirely filled with the chattering Han Gureum. Nothing else registered. It was as if all his senses were forcibly drawn to Han Gureum alone.

‘Strange.’

It was truly strange.

‘I’ve never wanted to keep listening to someone else’s voice before……. Why do I want to keep listening to this man’s voice? And what was that scent, and the disappearance of my tinnitus?’

Moreover, the musty odor that had plagued him ever since entering the dungeon was now completely gone, as if purified simply by Han Gureum’s presence. Not only that, but the moment he touched him, the tinnitus that had accompanied him his entire life vanished as cleanly as if washed away.

‘Is he some kind of human cure? There was no information about a light-attribute Esper having such an ability…….’

The novel sensation of freshness was pleasant, yet simultaneously, it made him suspicious of this man’s true nature. He had no intention of showing it, but an extreme sense of wariness arose within him.

New things were intriguing, but the unfamiliar and incomprehensible were rarely welcome.

Han Gureum, still seemingly believing Seo Dowoon was frightened, took off the shield he was carrying and plunged it into the ground. With a thud, dust flew up.

After pressing down firmly to ensure the shield was securely planted, he took off his robe, extended his arms, and draped it over Seo Dowoon’s shoulders. The robe, which had been long enough to cover Han Gureum’s calves, now rested above Seo Dowoon’s knees.

“I am an Esper whose identity is verified, so you don’t need to worry.”

He pulled out his Esper ID card from his pocket, signaling that he was absolutely not a dangerous person. By showing the ID card, which was only issued to Espers registered with the government, he intended to reassure Seo Dowoon, who might otherwise be wary.

Seo Dowoon looked at the Esper ID card and finally spoke.