I Possessed a Promiscuous Guide 57

On the flip side, the fear had sharpened all his senses to a razor’s edge. He could even recall the fishy stench clinging to the soaked clothes of Black’s leader.

“The sea… the sea, huh…”

After hearing Ji Yeon-woo’s words, Kang Min repeated the word “sea” under his breath. Yu Je-hyun, who just moments ago had seemed ready to storm out of the meeting room, was now deep in thought.

Hong Seong-jun glanced at Ji Yeon-woo, who was clutching his trembling hands, with an unreadable look in his eyes.

The Association President, silent since the meeting began, suddenly tapped the table, drawing everyone’s attention.

“If it is a sea near Black’s base, then Incheon is the most probable location. We cannot be certain, of course—this country is bordered by the ocean on three sides.”

Though his appearance gave the impression of a refined and composed middle-aged man, the weight behind his words was undeniable.

The Guide Center Director, seated beside him, nodded and added a piece of information that had just come to mind.

“Now that you mention it, Incheon Port has practically turned into a wasteland over the past few years. Coastal areas have always had a high frequency of monster appearances. When that S-rank dungeon opened nearby, the resulting casualties were devastating. That likely played a role.”

At those words, Yu Je-hyun turned and headed straight for the door. The Esper Center Director reached out to stop him, but the Association President shook his head.

He, too, was an Esper—he understood what was going through Yu Je-hyun’s mind. What puzzled him, however, was just how close Yu Je-hyun and Lee Haru seemed to be—far closer than the rumors had suggested.

“Still, just to be thorough, we should check not only Incheon but also the eastern and southern coasts. Esper Kang Min, you will take command.”

“Understood.”

Kang Min rose to his feet and gave the Association President a respectful nod. Ji Yeon-woo and Hong Seong-jun, catching his signal, followed him out of the meeting room.

“Yu Je-hyun, where are you right now?”

Outside, Kang Min called Yu Je-hyun immediately. Barely a few minutes had passed, yet there was no sign of him.

The call rang several times with no answer. Still, Kang Min waited, patient and steady.

—I am already heading to Incheon. Hang up. I am busy.

As the signal came through, Ji Yeon-woo quietly took a step back, watching the vein bulge on Kang Min’s forehead.

He had not known these people for long, yet not a single day had passed without chaos. For someone as stoic as Kang Min to be constantly riled up by Yu Je-hyun—well, that was impressive in its own way.

“Do you seriously intend to confront Black’s leader on your own? You know why we have not been able to eliminate him all this time.”

—……

Silence came through the line. Black’s leader was an S-rank Esper, but his abilities far surpassed those of his peers.

Kang Min had once faced him in a one-on-one fight. Even then, he had failed to capture him. Though he had landed a blow, it was Kang Min who ended up with the more serious injury.

“And in your current condition, you are more likely to fall under his control.”

Black’s powers remained largely unknown, but one thing was clear—they had the ability to manipulate the mind. Those with unstable emotions were especially vulnerable.

In other words, Yu Je-hyun was practically his perfect target.

“Wait. We are coming too.”

“You mean the three of us are all heading to Incheon? The Association President said to search the other areas as well.”

This time, it was not Yu Je-hyun who objected, but Hong Seong-jun. Kang Min looked at him, then spoke to them both—Yu Je-hyun and Hong Seong-jun.

“I plan to send the other Seoul branch teams to the east and south. If they find even the slightest clue, they will contact us immediately. It is just a gut feeling, but I truly believe Incheon is the most likely location.”

Acting on instinct alone was a gamble, but this time, Kang Min chose to trust his intuition.

He could not face Lee Haru—not after failing to protect him twice already.

For someone with a strong sense of duty like Kang Min, the weight of that failure was crushing. The image of Lee Haru’s broken state flashed in his mind, and for a moment, like Yu Je-hyun, he lost control of his strength.

It had gone unnoticed, but a fine crack had formed beneath his chair in the meeting room.

—I am not slowing down. Keep up if you can.

The call ended abruptly after that. Exhaling a heated breath, Kang Min locked eyes with Ji Yeon-woo.

“Guide Ji Yeon-woo, please remain at headquarters. I will inform the Association President.”

They were on their way to confront Black’s elusive leader.

But leaving Ji Yeon-woo behind with A and B-rank Espers risked losing him instead of saving Lee Haru.

With both the Association President and the Esper Center Director being S-rank Espers, headquarters was the safest place for Ji Yeon-woo.

“Can I… not go with you?”

Ji Yeon-woo knew in his head that what Kang Min said was the right decision.

Even so, he still wanted to follow them. He wished, not for the first time, that he were an Esper instead of a Guide.

It was a thought he had entertained countless times while imprisoned by Black—but this time, it was different.

Back then, it had been self-pity for his own misfortune. Now, it was a genuine desire to help rescue Lee Haru, just like these people.

His palms were sweaty from how tightly he was squeezing his hands. His throat went dry under Kang Min’s silent gaze.

“You know the answer already. Staying safe is the best way you can help Guide Lee Haru.”

There was no way to argue with that. Ji Yeon-woo bit his lip hard.

Even as Kang Min left him in the care of the Association President and Esper Center Director, disappearing with Hong Seong-jun in tow, Ji Yeon-woo could not say a single word.

Whether trapped by Black or here in the present, the reality remained unchanged—there was nothing he could do on his own. A dull ache pricked at the corner of his chest at that harsh reality.

***

“Lee Haru… where the hell are you…?”

Yu Je-hyun dragged a hand roughly through his hair, fingers tangling in frustration. He had been so sure—once he got to Incheon, he would find Lee Haru. No detours, no delays.

But after tearing through every corner of Incheon Port, not even the faintest trace of him remained.

Even the Espers from the Incheon branch, who had joined the search after receiving word, came up empty again and again.

“Hong Seong-jun, anything on your end?”

—Nothing.

He tried contacting Hong Seong-jun, who had gone in the opposite direction, but all he got was the same hollow response.

“Fuck… seriously…”

Yu Je-hyun rubbed his face hard with his palm, dragging it down over sun-darkened skin that flushed red beneath the pressure. The sense of powerlessness—it never got easier. But despite everything, his eyes still burned with resolve.

The surrounding Espers began to quietly distance themselves.

There was a growing unease in the air—a silent warning that if Yu Je-hyun lost control now, they could very well get caught in the blast.

“Yu Je-hyun.”

“You didn’t find anything either, Team Leader? What if we were wrong? What if it’s not Incheon at all…”

“Just got confirmation—no suspicious activity on the east or south coasts either. So far, we are right where we started.”

“Damn it…”

The thought of Lee Haru being hurt—right now, somewhere—made Yu Je-hyun’s head spin.

His imagination painted it vividly. The moment he had pulled Lee Haru out of Black’s hideout was burned into his memory, and from there, it was all too easy to envision the worst.

Yes, they had raided the place. Captured a bunch of them. But in the end, it meant nothing.

The ones who slipped through the cracks got away like rats. And the real monster—the one who started all of this—had eluded them completely.

They had taken Lee Haru for Guiding, so maybe they would not kill him. But death did not always mean the body stopped breathing.

There were people whose minds broke long before their bodies ever did.

Lee Haru had once been like that. Day by day, he had crumbled, his once-radiant features dulled beneath a weight no one could see.

Back then, it had only irritated Yu Je-hyun. But now, the thought of Haru returning to that state twisted his chest with suffocating pressure.

He could still feel it—that desperate warmth, the way Lee Haru had clung to him the day they escaped. The memory made the very air around him start to tremble.

“Yu Je-hyun. That’s enough. Are you planning to unleash your power now?”

Kang Min grabbed his shoulder with a firm grip. Yu Je-hyun’s eyes, bloodshot and fierce, shot him a deadly glare—but Kang Min’s hand only tightened.

“Save it for when it matters. This is not the time.”

“…Must be nice. Being able to stay rational all the time. I’m barely holding myself together.”

As if he didn’t know.

As if anyone here didn’t know that lashing out now would be pointless. But the fury bubbling inside him had long outpaced what reason could hold back.

“I’m going back. Maybe we missed something.”

And yet, in the middle of it all, Yu Je-hyun came to his senses. He realized it—he had been about to lash out at the wrong thing. Holding onto the fraying edges of his reason, he turned and walked toward the area lined with containers.

His back retreated quickly into the distance—and behind him, a heavy gaze trailed like a lingering shadow.

Author: Levia