At that moment, Seo Eui-woo bared his white teeth and responded aggressively. His growling voice was eerie.
“There’s no such thing as an enhancement of abilities. And even if Guiding did have such an effect, it wouldn’t matter.”
“What do you mean, it wouldn’t matter?”
“Kwon Jae-jin is my Guide. As you can see, he’s been evaluated as S-Class, which means he should be matched with me from now on. Enhancing an Esper’s abilities? So what? Are you going to use that as an excuse to pair him with someone else? Just who exactly do you plan on making him Guide?”
“Well… that’s for the higher-ups to decide. It’s not within my authority.”
“The higher-ups don’t have the authority either.”
Despite his formal speech, Seo Eui-woo’s eyes had completely lost their reason.
Before anyone could stop him, he reached out and grabbed Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san by the collar. The stiff black combat uniform crumpled mercilessly under his grip.
“Lieutenant Colonel, do me a favor and tell the higher-ups to quit their bullshit.”
Seo Eui-woo yanked him closer, his voice laced with warning. His cold face was drained of all color, utterly devoid of warmth.
“If something happens—no matter who is behind it—I won’t let it slide. Even a single finger laid on Kwon Jae-jin, and I’ll make sure that person never functions as an Esper again for the rest of their life… Do you understand?”
Defying a superior wasn’t enough—he was openly committing insubordination. The researchers in the examination room, including Lieutenant Colonel Jang, all held their breath. This was different from when he had intimidated the researchers earlier. Compared to the overwhelming presence he exuded now, that had been mere child’s play.
Seo Eui-woo’s gray eyes burned with violent intensity, but more than that, they were dead serious.
“…I expected this, but it’s worse than I thought.”
Jang Tae-san frowned deeply and muttered under his breath.
An ordinary Awakened would have been paralyzed by fear, but Jang Tae-san possessed the boldness and steadfastness to overcome it.
“Major Mateo said the same thing. The way he looked… as if defying orders from above wouldn’t matter if he could obtain S-Class Guiding.”
“…Who the hell are you comparing me to?”
Seo Eui-woo flared up even more at that remark.
Being placed on the same level as Mateo was something he found especially intolerable.
“Kwon Jae-jin, do you see what kind of chaos you’re stirring up? The existence of an S-Class Guide is like a drug to Espers. It’s poison. Captain Seo, get a grip. I’m saying this for your own good.”
Seo Eui-woo clenched his molars so hard it seemed like they might shatter. A massive surge of psychic energy poured from him, and the floor of the examination room began to crack apart. The walls twisted, and the lights flickered erratically.
Lieutenant Colonel Jang Tae-san, determined to counter him, activated his enhancement-type ability, reinforcing his body. His massive, bear-like muscles hardened like steel plates. Even so, both of them knew he couldn’t overpower Seo Eui-woo.
Kwon Jae-jin, afraid that Jang Tae-san might start bleeding from his eyes, ears, and every other orifice again, quickly stepped between them.
“Enough! Lieutenant Colonel Jang, Seo Eui-woo is right. If I were to be matched with an Esper other than Seo Eui-woo, I would refuse!”
Just minutes ago, he had felt relieved after receiving his S-Class evaluation, yet now he was already being swept up in another storm. It was as if his life was doomed to be an endless whirlwind of chaos.
“I don’t know whether my Guiding enhances an Esper’s abilities or not. But regardless of the results, I will only Guide Seo Eui-woo. That fact will never change.”
Ability enhancement…
Could it be that Kwon Jae-jin really had the power to strengthen other Espers through Guiding?
‘When I Guided Seo Eui-woo, all it did was stabilize his imbalance. So does that mean the ability enhancement effect only happens when I Guide Espers of a lower rank, like Mateo? Only for A-Class or lower—basically, every Esper except Seo Eui-woo…?’
‘No way… That’s impossible…’
Kwon Jae-jin squeezed his eyes shut, then slowly opened them again.
Perhaps… this was an opportunity that would never come again. The thought struck him suddenly, like a spark of realization.
Lowering his head, Jae-jin looked down at the floor. The tiles shattered by Seo Eui-woo had lifted, making the ground beneath his feet uneven.
From the depths of his memory, Mateo surfaced.
Back when he had come into contact with him, he had been overcome with disgust. The situation had been so desperate that he had even wished for death.
His body had been in tatters after being mauled by a Creature, yet he had been forced to endure the sickening touch of lips and tongue. When his chest had been seized and his status as a Mutant was exposed, he had truly believed it was all over.
But now, everything was different. The blade was in his hands this time.
Now, Kwon Jae-jin had the power to choose.
‘If Mateo’s abilities increased that much from just that level of contact, then…’
Taking a step forward, Jae-jin spoke.
“…If it’s the traditional form of Guiding, then yes. I absolutely won’t accept any Esper other than Seo Eui-woo.”
As he moved, he extended his hand ever so slightly.
“But if it’s done humanely…”
“I’m willing to try Guiding if it only requires skin contact, not mucous membrane contact. If it’s just holding hands for a moment, I can do it.”
If Kwon Jae-jin were to wield the knife now and strike, wouldn’t this be the first step toward a new form of Guiding? Toward a new history?
Couldn’t things… change with this…?
***
<“I’m willing to try Guiding if it only requires skin contact, not mucous membrane contact. If it’s just holding hands for a moment, I can do it.”>
The moment Kwon Jae-jin spoke those words, a blinding white light flashed.
Light droplets burst in every direction like an explosion, and before he could even process it, the surroundings had completely changed.
They were in the underground bunker beneath the mansion.
The white sheets were still spread on the floor, just as they had been in the morning when he woke up. Around them were opened emergency rations and empty water bottles.
“…What the hell…?”
Kwon Jae-jin turned to Seo Eui-woo in bewilderment. He had no idea why Seo Eui-woo had suddenly used Coordinate Shift to bring them back to the mansion.
To make things worse, he was still wearing the white medical gown from the examination room. His clothes had been left behind in the changing room, and yet, he had been transported like this…
“Eui-woo?”
Had there been a dangerous sign Jae-jin had failed to notice?
Was there a reason they had to escape immediately?
Jae-jin blinked in confusion and studied Seo Eui-woo.
In his composed black eyes, Seo Eui-woo’s figure was reflected—pale as a corpse.
“…Why… Why did you do that?”
Seo Eui-woo had his head hung low as he interrogated him. Strands of disheveled hair veiled his eyes, making them unreadable.
“Jae-jin, what the hell… were you thinking?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Your hand! You said you’d hold hands—why?!”
“…Huh?”
“Your hand… No, holding hands… Really?”
Seo Eui-woo’s shoulders trembled violently, as if he were on the verge of a breakdown. He seemed completely unable to regain his composure.
He gasped deeply, struggling to breathe, before suddenly jerking his head up. His eyes, burning with intensity, bore into Kwon Jae-jin with an almost terrifying fixation.
Jae-jin instinctively took a step back until his spine pressed against the cold wall.
“I mean… is that really such a big deal? It’s just a handshake.”
“Are you insane?! It’s Guiding! Do you even realize what you’re saying?!”
Seo Eui-woo roared furiously.
His reaction was so intense that Kwon Jae-jin flinched, freezing in place. He couldn’t believe Seo Eui-woo was this enraged—at him, of all people. He had no idea what he had done so wrong to warrant such a violent outburst.
“I know it’s Guiding! But isn’t it just holding hands? What’s the big deal…? And besides, maybe this could be the thing that changes everything.”
If his Guiding truly had the power to enhance an Esper’s abilities…
And if something as simple as holding hands could trigger that effect, then the deeply ingrained beliefs Espers had been conditioned to accept—the ones forced upon them through years of control—could be shattered completely. They would realize that they didn’t need mucous membrane contact for Guiding to work, that they didn’t have to be locked away and used like tools purely for efficiency.
That alone made it worth trying.
“Just holding hands…?”
Seo Eui-woo let out a sharp, humorless laugh before suddenly grabbing Kwon Jae-jin’s wrist and yanking him forward.
“Just holding hands?”
Forcing open Jae-jin’s clenched fist, Seo Eui-woo intertwined their fingers, locking them together tightly. The pressure of his grip was strong—too strong. Pain prickled at Jae-jin’s knuckles from how forcefully he was being squeezed.
“Let me ask you one thing. While an Esper is holding your hand like this… what do you think they’d be thinking?”
“Ugh, ah—wait.”
“Answer me. Eui-woo is asking you a question.”
Seo Eui-woo pressed in even closer, pinning Jae-jin against the wall. Their chests pressed together, their thighs tangled.
“Don’t know? Not answering? Then what do you think I’m thinking right now, while I’m holding your hand?”
“……”
“Jae-jin, do you still not understand why I’m acting like this?”
Seo Eui-woo tightened his grip and kneaded Jae-jin’s fingers a few times. Just that small motion—just that little bit of contact—was enough to make Seo Eui-woo hard.
“Why are you so fucking defenseless…?” His voice was rough, filled with something dangerously close to desperation. “How many times have I told you? Espers… Espers are all the same… When it comes to Guiding, we turn into filthy, desperate animals, don’t we…?”
