I Possessed a Promiscuous Guide 79

“You figured that much out? Guess you’re not a total idiot after all.”

Instead of denying Kang Min’s words, Zero tossed out a cryptic remark.

“Then rather than trying to kill me, you should be assassinating the Association President or something. He’s the bastard behind all of this.”

The moment Zero uttered the title ‘Association President’, the overwhelming killing intent that poured out of him made Kang Min quietly begin gathering his mana.

It was so intense that even standing nearby would give a normal person a heart attack.

“Ah, or did you not figure everything out yet? What I did is nothing compared to what that bastard has done.”

Zero casually shrugged as he watched Kang Min’s face turn pale.

His tone and demeanor gave off a relaxed air, but the pressure crushing down on Kang Min only grew stronger with time.

“I’m never going to die. Not until I’ve killed that bastard of an Association President. Even if I go into Rampage, I plan to drag him to hell with me.”

What the hell had the Association President done to provoke such explosive rage?

Still, Kang Min suppressed the flood of curiosity rising inside him. As much as he wanted to know about the grudge between them, his priority right now was capturing Zero. That man was a ticking time bomb.

If he escaped in this state, there was no telling when or where he might go into Rampage.

If he did that in a densely populated area, the casualties could rival those from the early days when dungeon gates first appeared. That had to be prevented at all costs.

Kang Min guided the blood spilled on the floor to quietly encircle Zero. He kept the movements subtle, but the narrowing of Zero’s eyes made it clear he’d been caught.

“You pretend to care about what I’m saying, but you’re planning something behind my back.”

Zero raised his right hand. At the same time, Kang Min was overwhelmed by the sensation of his heart being crushed.

Before he could even swallow, blood burst past his lips. Another critical hit.

But he hadn’t gone down without landing a blow.

“Guh…”

Zero looked down at his chest in disbelief. A sword blade, tinged a darker red from absorbing his blood, had pierced straight through the center of his chest.

The blade slowly began to twist clockwise. With his mouth smeared in blood, Zero let out a hollow laugh.

“You really are strong.”

Kang Min’s expression twisted. He had aimed precisely for the heart. It had been a desperate final attack, using every last ounce of strength.

He couldn’t even move his lips now, yet Zero still spoke with ease—an unmistakable reminder of their difference in power.

He had truly reached his limit. And of all places, Zero had struck him in the heart, so his mana was out of control.

The blood was pouring out so fast it was beyond what he could stop with his hands. He was barely holding on with sheer willpower, but even the gentlest push could send him collapsing.

“Team Leader!”

Just as his eyes were about to close, a booming voice rang out. Yu Je-hyun appeared.

Zero gripped the sword embedded in his body and yanked it out.

Blood gushed down the blade like water from a faucet. The sword, once solid, dissolved into a pool of blood and dripped to the floor.

“I’ll make sure to finish the job next time. I’m just not confident about fighting two-on-one in my current condition.”

“Yu Je-hyun…!”

Kang Min called Yu Je-hyun’s name as Zero’s voice gradually faded. He wanted to chase after him, but his body was crumbling, helpless.

“Team Leader, are you okay?”

Yu Je-hyun caught Kang Min’s falling body in his arms. His eyes trembled in shock at the sight of Kang Min’s condition, unlike anything he’d ever seen before.

“I’ll be fine… just go after him…”

Kang Min waved a weak hand. If they lost Zero again now, who knew when they would ever catch him next?

He was too slippery. And if that bastard kidnapped Lee Haru again, Kang Min would never forgive himself.

“Is everyone alright?”

Just as Yu Je-hyun was hesitating, Lee Haru entered the mansion.

Lee Haru and Ji Yeon-woo had safely reunited with Yu Je-hyun.

For a moment, the two couldn’t take their eyes off each other. But the touching reunion was shattered when Ji Yeon-woo collapsed.

If Yu Je-hyun hadn’t caught them, both he and Lee Haru would’ve crashed to the floor together from Ji Yeon-woo’s weight.

Lee Haru quickly pressed his fingers under Ji Yeon-woo’s nose. Only after feeling the breath did he realize that Ji Yeon-woo had simply fainted.

Even after reuniting with Lee Haru, Yu Je-hyun hadn’t been able to immediately rush to Kang Min because of the relentless remnants of Black.

They had taken hostages and blocked the way, and even after dealing with those, more kept crawling out from every corner like cockroaches.

Yu Je-hyun had pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion protecting the rescued hostages, Lee Haru, and Ji Yeon-woo until reinforcements from the Association arrived.

He wasn’t critically injured, but blood stained several parts of his body from the strain.

“Esper Yu Je-hyun!”

“…So you finally show up.”

It had been a secret that they planted a tracker in Ji Yeon-woo’s body, so Kang Min and Yu Je-hyun had been operating discreetly on their own.

But once they had a confirmed location, they immediately contacted the Association.

Even though they had urgently reported that they’d found the remnants of Black and the kidnapped Ji Yeon-woo, the Association Espers were only arriving now—causing Yu Je-hyun to click his tongue in frustration.

“Lee Haru, I’m heading into the mansion. You stay here. If anything happens, scream. I’ll come right away.”

Honestly, he wanted nothing more than to keep Lee Haru tucked close at his side. But the leader of Black was not someone even he could afford to be careless around—one moment of distraction could result in serious injury.

What made it worse was that the man had a track record of kidnapping Lee Haru multiple times. As much as the unease gnawed at him, there was no choice but to leave Haru behind.

“I’ll stay as close to you as I can, Esper Yu Je-hyun. Don’t worry about me—just go.”

Lee Haru placed his hand on Yu Je-hyun’s back and gave him a light push. He was still shaken by the sight of Kang Min before they had left the mansion.

Kang Min’s injuries were severe enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if he died. Sure, they had those so-called miracle healing potions, but for wounds like that, they might not do much at all.

After sending Yu Je-hyun into the mansion ahead, Lee Haru handed the unconscious Ji Yeon-woo over to the Espers.

The medical team that had come with them immediately surrounded Ji Yeon-woo. A few of them tried to approach Lee Haru as well, but he shook his head.

Instead, he requested to join the Espers entering the mansion. Some hesitated at first, but realizing time was running out, they allowed him to come along.

The moment Lee Haru stepped into the mansion, he came face-to-face with the leader of Black—now vanished without a trace—and a far worse-off Kang Min.

With no other choice, Yu Je-hyun handed Kang Min over to Lee Haru. With Hong Seong-jun nowhere in sight, he was the only one left who could pursue the leader of Black.

On top of that, the man was just as injured as Kang Min. If they let this chance slip by, they might never get another opportunity to take him down.

“Take care of the Team Leader. I’m going after that bastard. Everyone, stay close to Guide Lee Haru.”

“Understood.”

The Espers nodded firmly at Yu Je-hyun’s command. As Lee Haru took the recovery potion they handed him, he looked up at Yu Je-hyun.

“…Don’t get hurt.”

He was worried. If he had the power to face the leader of Black himself, he would have gone with him. But the only thing he could do now was give voice to his heartfelt concern.

That crushing sense of helplessness—no matter how many times he felt it—was something he could never get used to.

“Don’t worry. I’ll come back in one piece.”

Yu Je-hyun gently tousled the top of Lee Haru’s head before setting off on the real chase. Since Kang Min had injured the man, the faint scent of blood lingered like a trail.

Only after Yu Je-hyun’s figure had completely disappeared from view did Lee Haru open the recovery potion and pour it over Kang Min’s wounds. One bottle emptied in an instant.

Kang Min’s eyes were shut tight. His already pale face now looked utterly lifeless, like a wax figure.

The potion reacted with the wounds, bubbling as it began to heal them. Lee Haru opened another bottle and carefully poured it into Kang Min’s mouth.

His lips, unnaturally pale compared to usual, twitched slightly. By the time half the potion had gone down, his long lashes started to flutter faintly.

His eyes opened, dark like the night sky brushed with sunset, locking onto Lee Haru’s face and deepening with emotion.

“…Sorry I’m late.”

Kang Min raised his blood-soaked hand. His long fingers hovered near Lee Haru’s neck.

Even now, it seemed he could still see the faint, dark red handprint clearly etched into his skin.

Author: Levia