Inside the main office of HB Entertainment, a mid-sized talent agency.
The CEO was having a private meeting with one of the idols under their label.
The idol had dark hair, gentle downturned eyes, and a puppy-like face. He stood calmly before the CEO, choosing his words with care.
“So, Yu-jin, what’s going on that you asked to see me?”
“I have something urgent to discuss.”
The idol’s name was Yeon Yu-jin. Not long ago, he’d been in a serious accident and had only just recovered enough to leave the hospital.
Is something wrong with him again?
That thought was the CEO’s only focus. It was rare—almost unheard of—for Yeon Yu-jin to seek out a private audience like this.
Given how timid Yu-jin usually was, this sudden request for a meeting couldn’t possibly mean anything good.
But what came out of Yu-jin’s mouth far exceeded the CEO’s expectations.
“Sir.”
“Yes?”
“I want to leave the group.”
“…What did you just say?”
Yeon Yu-jin—or more accurately, Ahn Ga-hyun, the S-rank Guide now inhabiting his body—watched the CEO’s stunned expression and thought:
What kind of lunatic would live putting up with this bullshit treatment?
There was no way Ahn Ga-hyun was going to live out Yeon Yu-jin’s life like some kind of idiot.
His past life had been way too brutal, and to top it off, Yeon Yu-jin’s teammates—who were all Espers—were just a bunch of entitled brats with zero discipline.
I’m getting out. No matter what.
And once he found the bastard who killed “Ahn Ga-hyun,” he’d get his revenge…
Then? He’d finally enjoy a peaceful life.
That was Ahn Ga-hyun’s only goal now that he was in Yeon Yu-jin’s body.
***
My name is Ahn Ga-hyun. I awakened at the age of nineteen, making me the youngest ever S-rank Guide. In truth, my abilities were considered SSS-rank—top tier.
I had no idea the day after taking the college entrance exam would turn out like that.
I never imagined I’d be drafted by the government and thrown into a dungeon gate.
At first, I thought I was just sick from all the stress of exam prep. Turns out that agonizing pain was part of the awakening process for Guides and Espers.
I passed out after days of feverish misery, and when I finally came to, the world had changed.
A catastrophic dungeon break had occurred. Monsters poured out, killing people in droves. The military tried to intervene, but it was useless.
Only Espers could stand against them.
When Espers and Guides—mutants who appeared alongside the dungeons and monsters—were seen successfully working together to subdue threats, the government changed its strategy.
“Round up all the Espers and Guides across the country and send them into the dungeons. It’s the only way.”
To restore the paralyzed cities, the government decided this was the only viable option and scoured the nation for newly awakened Espers and Guides. The tragedy began when some of them agreed to follow the government’s orders.
They even came for me, burning up in some ER with awakening fever, and tested my abilities.
“Excuse me, what is this? What are you people doing?”
“Incredible. According to our scans, Ahn Ga-hyun, you’re a Guide—an S-rank Guide, no less.”
As if I wasn’t already unlucky enough, one of the Espers loyal to the government had a special ability to assess potential. His eyes sparkled as he uttered the words that would throw my future into the gutter.
“Calling it S-rank is modest. These numbers are closer to SSS. Absolutely phenomenal.”
“Is that… a good thing? I really just wanna go home now.”
“I’m afraid not, Mr. Ahn. You’re needed—for your country. You must go into the dungeons.”
“Huh? No thanks. I just wanna go home!”
Anyone who’s been through their final year of high school knows how badly you want to kick back after exams. I was just a student dying to hang out with my friends.
The dungeon break had occurred far from the capital, and the government had done its best to cover it up, so I didn’t even realize how serious things were.
“Take him. Train him immediately so we can deploy him into the field.”
“W-What the hell! Let go! This is kidnapping! Somebody help me!”
But my opinion didn’t matter. I was completely ignored, and that very day, I was thrown straight into a dungeon-infested frontline zone.
Back then, in a national emergency, anyone with powers—kid or adult—got conscripted to solve dungeon gates. No exceptions.
“Aaaargh!”
“Please, help me!”
It was hell. The Espers and Guides the government rounded up died trying to contain monsters inside dungeons before they could escape.
Some were torn apart. Others were crushed. Burned alive by monster flames. I watched it all happen so often, I became numb to death.
Every day, I’d mentally calculate the odds of surviving until sunset like it was nothing.
“Damn it, the number of Guides is shrinking fast. If this keeps up, we’re all screwed.”
Unlike Espers with combat powers, Guides weren’t much different from ordinary people unless protected by Espers.
So monsters naturally targeted the more vulnerable Guides, and the number of survivors dropped fast.
What that meant was—since I was one of the few S-rank Guides still alive near the end—I basically had to act like a walking healing potion for the Espers, day after day.
The harder the dungeon, the higher the death toll. Each Guide had to support more and more Espers. My stamina was drained dry every time I stepped into a gate.
“I’m gonna die at this rate…”
My body, my mind—completely worn to rags. After years of fighting and killing, I was utterly exhausted.
“Just a little longer. Only one last dungeon left.”
“Yeah. I’m not dying in this goddamn place. No way.”
The one standing by my side through it all was Hyun Je-ha, an S-rank Esper like me. We’d made it this far together, having each other’s backs the whole way.
But that was the end of the road.
“Ga-hyun!”
During our final dungeon raid, I took a hit meant for Je-ha—from the boss monster.
“Fuck… Why’d it have to be a goddamn dragon?!”
The curse slipped out automatically.
A gaping hole in my abdomen. Blood poured from my mouth. Even though I’d seen it countless times before, it still didn’t feel real.
Guess it’s my turn today.
Je-ha grabbed me and sobbed uncontrollably.
“Don’t say anything. Medics will be here soon. You’ll make it, Ga-hyun!”
You think I’m dumb enough to fall for that bullshit?
Thanks to me, Je-ha managed to slay the dragon and claim the reward, but it’d be ages before the medics arrived.
They don’t let civilians into closed dungeons until the area’s declared safe.
That’s how most of my comrades died. Not in battle, but from blood loss or shock while waiting for help that never came.
Je-ha’s words were just hollow hope. Lies meant to keep my fading breath going for a little longer.
“Cut the crap…”
I was going to die here. I knew it better than anyone. No more pain. My senses dulling—it was clear.
I’m getting sleepy…
My eyes slowly closed. Death swept over me in an instant.
A pathetic, meaningless end.
“No! Ga-hyun! I haven’t even told you how I feel yet…”
Je-ha screamed something through his tears, but I couldn’t hear it anymore.
Everything went black.
You bastard. Should’ve said that sooner. Once I’m dead, none of it matters…
And that was it. I died without even leaving behind a final message.
Or so I thought.
***
“Here! He’s awake!”
So loud…
Something was wrong. I was supposed to be dead, yet everything around me was bright. Too bright. And there were voices—way too many.
What is this? Did I make it to heaven?
After all the hell I’d been through, I figured I’d earned a spot up there.
But this “heaven” sure was noisy.
…What the hell?
“Yeon Yu-jin is conscious!”
Yeon Yu-jin? Who the hell is that?
Just as I was starting to get confused, someone forced my eyelids open.
“Hey. Yeon Yu-jin. I know you’re awake, so stop faking and get up.”
A guy with a sour expression looked down at me.
He was young, face still soft with youth, but his brows were furrowed like a bratty kid throwing a tantrum.
Who the hell is this little shit?
His tone was pure trash.
I’d stake my ten years of monster-slaying experience that he wasn’t talking like that out of concern.
So I come back from the dead and get stuck with a chick-sized rookie acting like he outranks me? Where the hell is Je-ha? Why is this half-baked newbie by my side?
Maybe I’d been unconscious too long. My chapped lips tried to move.
“What the…”
“A contract is a contract. You barely made it into the group as our Guide, remember?”
A contract? What contract?
Wait, did this little shit just call me Yeon Yu-jin?
“A Guide should serve their Esper. Enough with the weak act. Get up already.”
That’s when I snapped. My brain flipped.
“…Hey.”
“What?”
“You little punk-ass shit. What did you just say? A Guide’s job is to serve their Esper? Huh?”
Grab.
I latched onto his head. His silky hair felt surprisingly nice in my grip. And I yanked—with every intention of ripping it out.
“OW! Yeon Yu-jin! Are you out of your damn mind?! What the hell?!”
What do you think, dumbass? I’m teaching a rude-ass Esper brat a much-needed lesson.
“You think you can mouth off to a senior like me just ‘cause you’re an Esper?”
Crunch.
“AAAAAGH!”
A good chunk of his precious hair ended up in my hand.
“Watch your damn mouth, punk.”
No Esper, no matter how strong, could disrespect me—an S-rank Guide with seniority.
You better know your place, you arrogant little shit.
