“So, if I give up, you’re just going to kill me?”
“Even so, do you really think you have a choice in the matter?”
“…You fucking bastard.”
“Then why don’t you experience firsthand what it feels like to die at the hands of that ‘fucking bastard’?”
The tide of battle was undeniably turning against me.
All my allies had been brainwashed—essentially taken hostage.
And I was the only one left. Just one Guide.
With no Espers to support me, I was little more than a lump of meat that regenerated over and over again.
Boom! BOOM!
I barely dodged the onslaught raining down on me like a predator cornering a rat, but I was losing my mind with worry over my teammates.
…He’s clearly overusing those abilities.
The Secreti members and the Baekho Unit, now reduced to Ban Noah’s puppets under his buffed brainwashing, had veins bulging across their faces in a sickly blue.
Not a good sign.
He’s not moderating their abilities at all. Just maxing them out recklessly. That’s causing the corrosion rate to spike like crazy.
The Guides looked relatively fine… but judging from the physical changes happening to the Espers, Guiding was desperately needed.
The real problem was that Ban Noah, the one puppeteering them, showed no intention of releasing them from his control.
“Tsk. Still can’t manage to take down one Ahn Ga-hyun? If I’d known you were such a useless mess, I would’ve just killed you all from the start and harvested your ability cores.”
Sssht—!
A flash of power ripped across my cheek, leaving a deep gash. But the pain barely registered, buried under my fury.
“…What did you just say?”
I glared daggers at him, and surprisingly, Ban Noah flinched—just barely—but quickly smirked again, looking down at my controlled teammates with arrogant disdain.
“I said you’re a useless mess. Not wrong, is it?”
“No. The real mess here is you.”
“…What?”
“The Secreti members may have only gotten basic training, but the rest of the Baekho Unit are top-tier Espers who survived the frontlines in their heyday.”
Unlike like you, swaggering around like some big shot, stealing other people’s abilities like a damn thief.
“They’re only going berserk right now because they’re being brainwashed and forced to spew out their powers like maniacs. But if they were fighting in their right minds, I might not have lasted even five minutes.”
“Ha! What a lie—you didn’t even blink saying that. You think I don’t see what you’re trying to do? You’re just trying to rile me up and stall for time until Hyun Je-ha gets here.”
Yeah. That was true.
But even so, I was certain—if they weren’t brainwashed, I’d be down already.
There’s a world of difference between blindly spamming attacks and fighting with full clarity and experience-backed strategy.
And knowing Je-ha, he would’ve trained them that way—no doubt about it.
I smirked, carefully needling Ban Noah’s nerves.
“Why do you think I’d lie in front of someone like you?”
“Obviously to turn the tables, or at least buy time until Hyun Je-ha shows—”
“Oh? So Je-ha couldn’t be brainwashed after all?”
“……”
“And even if you are controlling everyone, your command skills are absolute shit. You think throwing around high-tier powers like a caveman makes you some kind of badass?”
“……”
“Use your brain—if you’ve got one—try figuring out who the real mess is here.”
Ban Noah bit his lip so hard it was nearly bleeding, his composure slipping fast.
At least from what he’s said, it sounds like Je-ha’s still safe.
Thank god.
If I can just hold out a bit longer, Je-ha might make it here. Don’t give up.
If anyone could break through Ban Noah’s buffed-up brainwashing, it would be Je-ha with his own guiding powers.
As I breathed a small sigh of relief, Ban Noah’s expression twisted with rage.
He suddenly screamed.
“Hyun Je-ha, Hyun Je-ha, HYUN JE-HA—!!”
“What the hell—?”
“You and your damn Hyun Je-ha obsession! How much longer are you going to keep chanting his name like some pathetic fangirl?!”
Muttering like a lunatic, Ban Noah clawed at his own hair, eyes wild with unhinged madness as he glared at me.
For a split second, even I flinched.
His outward appearance was that of a pretty boy in his late twenties, but just for a moment… I saw something else.
A greasy, middle-aged man eaten up by jealousy and obsession.
What the hell was that?
Did I imagine it?
I blinked, and Ban Noah slowly raised his hand—pointing a finger right at me.
“Ahn Ga-hyun. If I kill you again, maybe this time, Hyun Je-ha will finally break. He’ll be so devastated, he won’t be able to go on.”
“What…?”
Glimmering threads of light shimmered between his fingers.
Shit.
The two red beads hanging from his earring suddenly blazed bright.
VMMMMMM—
“I command my puppets! No matter what it takes—kill that bastard! I don’t care if you cripple him—JUST DO IT!”
As Ban Noah shrieked like a man possessed, my teammates—previously standing still like corpses—snapped to life at his command.
Shiiiiing—!
“Ghhk!”
It didn’t matter whether they were Espers or Guides—the sheer force of their attacks was brutal.
Pillars of energy surged at me, beams rained down like a storm, and shadowy hands shot out from the sand to drag me underground.
Pshhk! PSSSSHT!
Their attacks were more violent than ever. My entire body was covered in gashes.
“Nngghh…!”
I had to hold out. At least until Je-ha got here.
Gritting my teeth, I barely dodged another volley, thinking only of the reinforcements on their way.
Damn it… It’s too hard to fight back—they’re my teammates.
Maybe it didn’t matter anymore, now that the outside world was already in chaos from the Dungeon Break…
But as members of Secreti, we had schedules to keep—today, tomorrow, always.
Our faces and any exposed skin couldn’t get visibly injured.
If rumors of internal conflict spread again like they did back in Yeon Yu-jin’s days, we’re screwed…!
Alright. Avoid critical damage and go for knockouts. That’s the plan.
The Espers—especially the Secreti members—were getting worse. Their pupils contracted to pinpricks, and their sclera were turning pitch black.
The corrosion’s progressing too fast. I’ll have to disable them completely to stop them from going berserk.
Thankfully, I had the ‘Resurrection’ ability.
Even if I lost a limb or two, I’d come back together.
I whispered silently to the potato in my pocket.
I’m counting on you, partner.
[You…you idiot…!]
Potato’s voice trembled, but in the end, it answered my call.
[F-Fine! But only until Hyun Je-ha gets here! Don’t overdo it!]
I won’t.
That was a lie.
Once Je-ha showed up, I’d have to fight alongside him, no breaks.
Potato probably knew that too.
But we forced a smile and charged at the rampaging monsters our teammates had become.
The hunted prey was now stalking closer—and they flinched.
Even Secreti seemed the most shaken.
“What’s wrong? You scared of me now?”
My taunt made Ban Noah scowl and wave his hand in irritation.
Another barrage came flying.
“AARGH!!”
The cost of going full frontal was steep.
My arms, legs, and torso were riddled with holes like I’d been shot up with bullets, blood pouring freely.
Still, I didn’t stop. I managed to knock out the most corroded teammates by striking the back of their necks.
Thud.
My hand, soaked in blood, had little strength left, but it was enough to put the berserk Espers to sleep.
“Nnngh… Shit, that hurts.”
Cough, cough.
Blood gushed from my mouth—not just trickling, but clotted chunks I ended up vomiting out.
[Ahn Ga-hyun! A-Are you okay?!]
“Huff… Huff…”
A bitter, spreading pain seeped into every muscle, like venom.
Wow… I’d completely forgotten this feeling.
The sensation of my wounds healing cleanly thanks to my ability.
“Ghh….”
‘Resurrection’ was impressive—but not perfect.
If it were flawless, I wouldn’t still feel the pain as my body regenerated.
“Ugh… fuck… it fucking hurts!”
With all this goddamn sand, the wounds stung like hell with every grain that got in. It was torture.
I gritted through the pain, restored my body, and finally managed to stand.
Ban Noah clapped mockingly.
“As expected of the ‘Resurrection’ ability. Even now, its effects are… impressive.”
“…If you’re done gawking, do me a favor and get the hell out of here.”
“Afraid I can’t do that.”
Ban Noah yanked on the glowing threads wrapped around his fingers.
“I’ve still got plenty of puppets willing to fight in my place.”
“You insane, stubborn psycho…”
I grumbled, but shifted back into combat stance.
Hyun Je-ha… Where the hell are you?
You better not be lying somewhere, crushed under some rubble like a dumbass.
If not, then show up already.
I can’t keep knocking out my teammates before they go fully berserk—it’s exhausting.
“This time… it’s over.”
Ban Noah waved his hand with theatrical flair.
The brainwashed Espers rushed toward me en masse.
Just as I braced myself—ready to lose a limb if I had to—
RUMBLE—
The ground, spanning a full kilometer, suddenly collapsed beneath us.
