In that moment, Jae-woo’s eyes suddenly changed. The hazy gaze, clouded by intense craving, instantly sharpened with clarity, and life returned to his face, which had been pale as death.
Jae-woo swiftly pushed Woo-chan’s hand away.
“Indeed, my hyung was right,” he muttered.
He took a few deep, ragged breaths and shook his head vigorously, trying to clear the overwhelming craving that had taken over his mind. He bit the inside of his cheek, the sharp pain and faint taste of blood helping him regain a bit more of his senses.
Jae-woo realized that the man in front of him was exactly as Han-gyeom had described. The fact that he mentioned Han-gyeom’s name and bluntly used the term ‘hostage’ was proof enough.
The intense craving for guiding had clouded his judgment, but hearing Han-gyeom’s name had momentarily brought him back to his senses.
Jae-woo quickly scanned his surroundings before his mind could become hazy again. He sensed no other presence nearby. The only person in front of him was a single Guide, not an Esper.
He wondered how the barrier had been breached, but he assumed that a Guide wouldn’t possess any special abilities like an Esper. A Guide, aside from their ability to guide, was essentially an ordinary person. Despite his weakened state, Jae-woo was confident in his basic physical abilities and saw no need to retreat.
Jae-woo pushed Woo-chan aside and dashed towards the corridor. His plan was to find a dark alley, hide, and set up a barrier where he could remain undetected. Once daylight came and the streets were busy with people, no Ability User would dare use their powers openly.
“This is getting annoying,” Woo-chan sighed, his voice tinged with exasperation. Simultaneously, he grabbed Jae-woo’s hand firmly.
Jae-woo tried to shake him off, but Woo-chan’s red energy surged through his hand, flowing into Jae-woo like a tidal wave. The energy quickly spread through Jae-woo’s body, constricting him tightly. The overwhelming pleasure of the guiding sensation robbed him of all strength.
“Ugh….”
Jae-woo’s body trembled with the intense pleasure that consumed him. Earlier, his mind had been a chaotic mess due to his craving for guiding, but now he felt utterly mindless, unable to form a single coherent thought.
Unable to speak or even think clearly, Jae-woo’s body collapsed with a thud, continuing to twitch as if electrocuted.
Woo-chan looked down at Jae-woo, his eyes glowing with a blood-red hue.
‘He’s definitely showing signs of withdrawal,’ Woo-chan thought.
He reflected on the moment when Jae-woo had regained his senses and rejected him. If there was one distinctive feature of Woo-chan’s guiding, it was the ‘fake imprint’ and the ‘addiction’ it caused.
Unlike the typical imprints between Ability Users, the imprints Woo-chan created lasted a maximum of ten days. No trace of the imprint remained on the Esper’s body. Despite this, the guided individual experienced supreme pleasure and comfort, as if they had truly become imprinted. This fake imprint could be easily applied through hand guiding, making it a convenient ability. It was, in a way, an ideal power that removed the lifelong commitment of a genuine imprint.
Although fake, the ability itself was identical to a genuine imprint. Not only did it provide the same effects, but it also caused the guided individual to strongly reject guidance from other Guides, just like a real imprint would.
Moreover, this fake imprint naturally came with ‘addiction.’ Withdrawal symptoms began to appear 24 hours after the last guiding session. From that point on, the individual would gradually deteriorate over a maximum of ten days. The intense pleasure received through the fake imprint came at a cost, as the withdrawal symptoms were more severe than those from typical guiding addiction. On the tenth day, the individual would often lose their mind, becoming a mere shadow of their former self.
The only way to overcome this addiction was to endure ten days without any guidance. After ten days, the individual would return to normal, as if nothing had happened. They would no longer feel any discomfort or craving for Woo-chan’s guidance and could comfortably receive guidance from any other Guide. The intense desire for Woo-chan’s guidance would completely vanish.
This temporary imprint and temporary addiction were intense but manageable. Anyone could escape Woo-chan’s grasp if they endured the ten days. However, the problem was that very few could withstand the ten-day ordeal.
Woo-chan was well aware of his ability’s power. He would deliberately make Espers addicted to his guidance and then avoid them for nine days. On the tenth day, when the Esper was at their weakest, he would visit them, and they would inevitably succumb to his influence, begging for his guidance.
He had expected Jae-woo to be no different.
‘Does he have stronger willpower than I thought?’ Woo-chan pondered.
He had meticulously planned his approach with Jae-woo, crafting the fake imprint with care. This imprint acted like a GPS, allowing Woo-chan to estimate Jae-woo’s location.
Exactly ten days ago, Jae-woo’s location had matched Seo Won’s mansion, which Woo-chan had previously investigated. That evening, all contact with Jae-woo had ceased. The only messages Woo-chan received from him were, “I can’t see you anymore,” and “I’m sorry.”
Woo-chan immediately suspected that Han-gyeom had warned Jae-woo to stay away from him. This meant that Jae-woo could serve as perfect ‘bait’ for Han-gyeom.
After confirming his plan, Woo-chan deliberately waited ten days. He intended to take full advantage of Jae-woo’s weakened state due to the withdrawal symptoms from the fake imprint.
However, Jae-woo proved to be stronger-willed than Woo-chan had anticipated.
Still, Woo-chan believed this resistance was merely a temporary struggle.
“Uh, uh….!”
Jae-woo’s body trembled and moaned with the overwhelming pleasure of the guiding that consumed him. He tried to move his hand, the last remnant of his rational mind screaming at him to break free, but it felt as if his hand was magnetized, unable to let go. Instead, his body seemed to beg for the contact, gripping tightly as if pleading never to be released.
Unable to free his trapped hand, Jae-woo focused his ESP into his other hand. A dark energy flowed from his palm, quickly enveloping him. He intended to create a barrier around himself, one that would render him invisible to the naked eye for six hours, though this was half the duration of his usual barriers.
Woo-chan watched as Jae-woo began to fade from sight, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Useless,” he muttered.
As the invisible shroud around Jae-woo touched Woo-chan’s hand, it instantly shattered with a soft popping sound.
“Ugh!”
Jae-woo jerked violently, his trembling eyes looking up at Woo-chan’s calm face. His ability had been effortlessly nullified, much like the barrier in the room that had been broken earlier. The backlash from the shattered barrier constricted Jae-woo’s breath, adding to his disorientation.
Woo-chan marveled at the ‘variant GP’ that always surrounded him. Not only could it nullify abilities, but it could also shatter them completely if he willed it. This power, forced upon him by ‘that man’ while he was strapped to a cold, hard experiment table, was proving quite useful.
Thinking of that man, Woo-chan’s eyes grew cold. He extended his foot, releasing Jae-woo’s hand and rolling him over with his boot. Jae-woo collapsed limply to the floor, his eyes unfocused and darting wildly.
Woo-chan straddled Jae-woo’s prone form, grabbing his exposed throat with one hand.
“Stop making this difficult and just do as I say,” he growled.
“Ugh, ack….!”
Another wave of guiding flowed from Woo-chan’s hand, the intense pleasure threatening to overwhelm Jae-woo once more.
Woo-chan’s eyes narrowed menacingly.
“Once your mind is completely soaked in my guiding, you won’t even think of resisting,” he said.
“N-no…please…!” Jae-woo gasped, his breath hitching.
Keeping his grip on Jae-woo’s throat, Woo-chan leaned down, pressing his forehead against Jae-woo’s. His vivid red eyes captured Jae-woo’s wavering gaze.
“You really don’t want this?” Woo-chan asked softly.
Jae-woo’s eyes began to glaze over, his resistance fading. His dark pupils focused solely on Woo-chan.
Jae-woo’s lips trembled.
“No….”
His quivering mouth slowly formed a vacant smile.
“I like it….”
