The moment it was clear that he—the Guide who had monopolized Hyun Je-ha’s attention—had arrived, the members of the Baekho Unit all turned their gazes toward Yeon Yu-jin.
Thanks to the days they’d spent investigating, suspecting that Yeon Yu-jin might be a lackey of the Bureau, they already knew he was an idol.
Which made this face-to-face encounter all the more surreal and fascinating.
Even for them—hardened by years of exposure to their ridiculously handsome Captain—it was momentarily overwhelming to see the Secreti members up close.
Wow, it’s my first time seeing a celebrity this close.
They’re even more gorgeous in real life than in pictures or videos.
Even the Espers behind Yeon Yu-jin are practically glowing like they’ve got backlighting.
Damn… no wonder our Captain’s so picky. His former partner was stunning too—makes sense he hasn’t found someone new until now.
But still, there’s no one as good-looking as our Captain—wait, holy—
“What are you all staring at so hard?”
Snapping out of their daze at Yeon Yu-jin’s face, the Baekho Unit members quickly lowered their heads as Hyun Je-ha shot them a sharp glare.
“S-sorry, Captain.”
Most of the squad bowed under the weight of his presence, but the core team—the second-in-command members—had a different reaction.
Field Leader Ha Ri-ra, Tracker Samoa, Supporter Ryu Yi-rok, and Analyst Jo Jae-chan lit up like kids discovering a surprise party, eagerly pressing Je-ha for answers.
“Wow! Seriously, Captain—is this a surprise event or something?”
“So it’s official now? You’ve decided to make Yeon Yu-jin your new partner Guide?”
“Is it really okay to bring in a civilian like this? And not just any civilian, but a public figure? Even if he’s alone in the world with no family, the fallout from this could be huge…”
“Didn’t our investigation say he wasn’t that popular? Then no one will notice if one disappears, right?”
Chatter. Buzz. A full-on uproar.
Caught somewhere between curiosity, excitement, and skepticism about whether this meant Je-ha had finally chosen a new Guide, only Geum Na-ro—the Baekho Unit’s information specialist—remained stoic, maintaining his reason.
With a heavy sigh, he narrowed his eyes at Je-ha and demanded an explanation.
“What’s going on, Captain? Why have you brought civilians—Yeon Yu-jin among them—into our base? Our rules are clear: civilians should never be involved. Nothing good comes of it for either side.”
Geum Na-ro’s cold voice snapped the others out of their excitement. One by one, the Baekho Unit members shifted to a wary stance, casting suspicious glances toward Je-ha, Yeon Yu-jin, and the Secreti members.
Je-ha answered calmly.
“I haven’t forgotten the rules. But now that we’ve identified X’s true identity, I no longer see any reason to follow that rule.”
The revelation stunned Geum Na-ro. His eyes widened in shock.
“You’ve already figured out who X is? But there were still three candidates, and we hadn’t even started the investigation…”
Je-ha pointed toward Yeon Yu-jin.
“Guide Yeon Yu-jin met the first candidate—and confirmed his identity directly.”
“How…”
“When we closed in, the bastard must’ve gotten nervous. He sensed our movements and deliberately waited for Yeon Yu-jin to approach.”
“You mean to say you’ve been secretly collaborating with him? But even if he’s a Guide, Yeon Yu-jin is still a civilian. Why would you blatantly break protocol? That’s not like you, Captain.”
Geum Na-ro’s sharp glare fixed on Yeon Yu-jin, who stood behind Je-ha.
“I appreciate what you did earlier. But civilians have no place in this. X is ruthless and cunning. If he hasn’t already brainwashed you, he’s definitely targeting you. For all we know, he did manipulate you into coming here—”
Click.
“Geum Na-ro!”
Ha Ri-ra cried out in alarm.
But ignoring her, Geum Na-ro calmly loaded live rounds into his gun and aimed it at Yeon Yu-jin, killing intent radiating from his stance.
“Captain, Yeon Yu-jin is a threat. We need to eliminate him here and now—”
Just as Geum Na-ro’s finger tightened around the trigger, Je-ha’s expression froze over, turning as cold and still as a snow-covered plain.
“Stop.”
“…!”
Ffft.
The bullet in Geum Na-ro’s gun disintegrated into fine dust. Je-ha had used Telekinesis to pulverize it completely.
“What the hell…”
As Geum Na-ro fumbled for another weapon in confusion, Je-ha spoke in a low, unwavering voice.
“There’s something you need to correct, Geum Na-ro.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Yeon Yu-jin is not a civilian.”
“…Excuse me?”
What kind of insane bullshit was that?
About to fire back in outrage, Geum Na-ro froze as Yeon Yu-jin calmly stepped forward. Unlike the startled Geum Na-ro, Yeon Yu-jin looked completely composed as he reached out a hand.
“This is our first time meeting face to face, huh, Geum Na-ro?”
“…Why are you even here? Are you trying to seduce the Captain or something?”
Je-ha’s gaze turned glacial.
“Geum Na-ro, if you say one more word, I won’t just stand by.”
“Captain!”
“I get that you’re shocked, but listen to what Guide Yeon Yu-jin has to say.”
But Geum Na-ro refused to back down. He didn’t even glance at Yeon Yu-jin, keeping his eyes locked on Je-ha.
He’s a spy sent by X. Has to be.
Until Yeon Yu-jin opened his mouth, Geum Na-ro was absolutely convinced.
He says he met X? Whatever twisted trick that bastard pulled, I’m not falling for it. I need to deal with this now, before our base is compromised…
As he feverishly plotted in his head, Yeon Yu-jin awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and said:
“I know it’s hard to believe, but… I’m actually Ahn Ga-hyun. The one who died 20 years ago.”
“…What did you just say?”
Geum Na-ro was stunned.
The rest of the Baekho Unit, who had been holding their breath, were equally thrown.
“Did he just say… Ahn Ga-hyun?”
“No way. He died years ago.”
“Captain even held a memorial and everything…”
As murmurs spread through the squad, Geum Na-ro scowled and yanked Yeon Yu-jin forward by the collar. Je-ha immediately flared with rage.
“Geum Na-ro!”
But the one being grabbed—Yeon Yu-jin—remained perfectly calm.
“Relax, Je-ha. We came here uninvited; I expected some pushback.”
“Ga-hyun, but still—”
“Let me handle this.”
Despite the obvious age difference, Yeon Yu-jin spoke to Je-ha casually, like an old friend.
Seeing red, Geum Na-ro barked:
“Who the hell do you think you are, speaking to our Captain like that?! And how dare you mock Guide Ahn Ga-hyun—who died a tragic, honorable death!”
If you’re going to go insane, at least make it graceful.
To Geum Na-ro, Yeon Yu-jin—pretending to be Ahn Ga-hyun—was a vile imposter who deserved immediate death. But unlike the furious, trembling Geum Na-ro, Yeon Yu-jin remained still as a quiet lake.
“Guess I’ll have to show you, not tell you.”
With a smile, he grabbed Geum Na-ro’s arm—the one holding his collar.
Expecting some kind of trick, Geum Na-ro instinctively tried to pull away… but then slowly, his face twisted in disbelief.
…What the hell?
An impossibly pure, massive Guiding energy surged from Yeon Yu-jin—something no mere C-rank Guide could possibly emit.
It was like standing before a boundless ocean. An endless mountain of energy.
“You… what are you?”
Geum Na-ro didn’t even realize he was gasping for breath.
Soon, he became aware of the unnatural reaction in his body—and its cause.
Reverse guiding…!
The signature ability of the deceased Ahn Ga-hyun. An ability so rare and complex, no other Guide had dared attempt it.
How could he use that?
“Who… are you?”
Geum Na-ro’s voice shook, not with anger now, but with something terrifyingly close to belief. Yeon Yu-jin smiled faintly.
“That’s not enough proof? Then…”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box cutter. Je-ha lunged forward to stop him—but he was too late.
Shhk.
Blood splattered everywhere. Yeon Yu-jin had driven the blade deep into his own palm.
The entire room fell into chaos.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Even Geum Na-ro, ready to kill him just moments ago, reached out instinctively to stop the bleeding.
“…What?”
Right before their eyes, Yeon Yu-jin’s hand began to heal. Rapidly. In moments, only a smear of blood remained. His skin was flawless.
“T-that’s…”
Geum Na-ro collapsed to his knees. He stared at the now-perfect hand, his face a mix of horror and awe. The rest of the Baekho Unit were too stunned to even breathe.
Geum Na-ro finally muttered:
“‘Resurrection’…?”
“Is that proof enough that I’m really Ahn Ga-hyun?”
Every member of the Baekho Unit knew one fact: Ahn Ga-hyun’s Resurrection ability was never stolen by X.
After his death, Hyun Je-ha had personally overseen the cremation of his body, ensuring his power couldn’t be taken.
Tears—of confusion or relief—slipped from Geum Na-ro’s eyes.
“You’re really… Guide Ahn Ga-hyun? But how…?”
“I don’t know exactly. I can only assume it’s thanks to my ability.”
Yeon Yu-jin—no, Ahn Ga-hyun—offered his hand and helped the collapsed Geum Na-ro to his feet.
“So… ready to talk now?”
