Han Ju-oh switched tactics without hesitation. He raised a wall of wind to keep the beasts at bay, then drew his dagger, ready to engage them directly. Seeing this, Ian also unsheathed his weapon.
The other Espers followed suit. They still planned to use their abilities, but at this point, physical combat seemed inevitable.
The one saving grace was that every Esper present was strong enough to endure a physical clash with the monsters. The team wasn’t large, but each one of them had the combat prowess to hold their own. Guild Leader Kim Mi-yeon had handpicked only the most capable for this mission.
Seo-ha stood still, watching them carefully as he pondered what to do. Combat was the realm of Espers. Still, it was obvious these monsters weren’t the final threat. He needed to find a way to conserve their energy and end this quickly.
“Ah.”
Maybe this could work?
Seo-ha hurriedly dug through his bag and pulled out a rope.
“Why are you taking that out?”
Moon Roi eyed him with confusion. Judging by the length, the rope didn’t look like it could do much beyond tying up one or two monsters. But Seo-ha held it tightly, confident in his plan. With his other hand, he pulled out the water pouch he’d received from Guide Jang Jin-young and doused the rope. He didn’t have time to soak it thoroughly, but it didn’t matter.
“Han Ju-oh!”
Seo-ha hurled the rope toward him. It flew with such force that it nearly overshot Han Ju-oh’s head, but the Esper pulled it in midair with a gust of wind and caught it. After inspecting it for a moment, he suddenly launched into the sky.
As Han Ju-oh took flight, Ian slammed the ground and dashed forward. The abrupt movement from the two startled the other Espers. Should they follow? Hold their position? Unsure, they hesitated, but ultimately chose to stay put.
There hadn’t been any specific orders from Han Ju-oh, so maintaining formation seemed like the right decision.
And it was. Han Ju-oh had only intended for himself and Ian to move.
The horde of beasts turned their attention to the two and charged, so fast and forcefully the ground trembled beneath them. As they neared, Han Ju-oh tossed one end of the rope to Ian, who was already waiting in the perfect position and caught it cleanly.
Together, they yanked the rope taut. The two stood firm, unmoving—while the beasts, unable to stop in time, barreled straight into the trap.
“Kiieeek!”
The rope snagged the lead beasts’ legs, causing those behind to tumble over them in a heap. The horns aimed at Han Ju-oh and Ian ended up stabbing one another instead. At that moment, Han Ju-oh let go of the rope, and Ian instantly released a surge of electricity.
Bzzzt! The current surged through the rope.
The beasts dropped one after another—and this time, they stayed down. It worked.
Han Ju-oh looked back at Seo-ha. Though the distance made it hard to make out his face, it seemed like he was smiling faintly.
***
Esper Davis glanced at Guide Baek Seo-ha with fresh eyes. The tide of battle had turned on a single rope Seo-ha had thrown. And it clearly wasn’t a lucky guess—he continued to provide crucial support in taking down the beasts. During a brief lull, he even managed to set up a tent.
“Hmph.”
Davis had been surprised earlier when Seo-ha picked up a weapon and looked ready to fight if needed. But now it was clear—Seo-ha had a sharp eye for the battlefield and even contributed to strategy. And it didn’t end there. After the fight, he was meticulous in preparing for the Espers’ recovery. He wasn’t like those guides who just stood around waiting for a chance to guide. Having someone like that nearby might actually be useful…
“Tell me about Guide Baek Seo-ha.”
Davis pointed at him. His temporary guide partner gave a knowing nod, recognizing that Seo-ha’s performance had drawn attention.
“He’s been through a lot of dungeons. That’s probably why.”
As Davis turned back, the guide continued talking.
“He entered tons of dungeons to run compatibility tests with Espers. I’ve run into him a few times, but his matching rate was always too low, so no one ever picked him. Still, he kept coming in, and I guess he picked up a bunch of tricks over time.”
There was a faint trace of disdain in the guide’s voice. He didn’t even bother hiding it. He was a B-rank guide, but he thought himself superior to Seo-ha. Ever since he found out Seo-ha had been partnered with Han Ju-oh, he’d felt a dull, lingering sense of defeat—and bitterness had taken root.
And now, during a live battle, Seo-ha was out there making himself stand out. A proper guide should avoid getting in the way. But Seo-ha kept sticking out—he was a thorn in his side.
“Do you know what people call him? ‘Three Percent.’ Some even call him an emergency battery…”
As the guide continued to badmouth Seo-ha, Davis’s eyes filled with growing contempt. In a moment like this, where every brain cell should be focused on being useful, this guy was too busy being jealous.
“But really, I have no idea how his match rate suddenly shot up. Every one of Han Ju-oh’s guides has to sign a confidentiality agreement, so we can’t figure out a thing.”
“Confidentiality?”
Davis latched onto that word. The man, thrilled that Davis had shown interest in something he said, started talking even faster. Around them, the sounds of battle and beast extermination raged on, but they may as well have been background noise.
“There’s definitely something going on with Han Ju-oh. That’s why he can’t be guided by just anyone. And yet the one he chose as his partner… was a guide with one of the lowest match rates.”
“Wait a second.”
Davis lifted a hand to stop him. The man turned, puzzled, only to see Davis frowning, deep in thought.
“Han Ju-oh… I’ve heard that name before.”
He muttered it under his breath, a name he’d brushed off in the past, now turning his gaze toward Han Ju-oh. And then, it clicked.
Not the Han Ju-oh who had cleared dungeons with Ian.
But the Han Ju-oh—at the center of the near-catastrophic Esper rampage from over ten years ago.
“He can’t be guided by just anyone…”
That one line tied it all together. A slow, intrigued smile crept across Davis’s face.
***
Huff, huff—
Amid the clamor of beasts shrieking and Espers shouting, Seo-ha’s own ragged breathing was the loudest thing in his ears. Aside from the brief moment he’d stood still to guide Han Ju-oh, he hadn’t stopped moving. If anything, he was the most active among them—focused, determined.
All he wanted was to help. The emergency gear he’d packed had been used to great effect. The disinfectant spray, in particular, worked well against the paralyzing venom.
Seo-ha took charge, guiding fellow Guides to safer ground while stepping into the more dangerous zones himself. With Moon Roi at his side, backing him up, their flank avoided any major damage.
“This better not go on all night…”
Moon Roi muttered. Seo-ha wiped the sweat from his face and responded with a question.
“How was the last dungeon you went into?”
“That one… Actually, forget it. Better not to talk about it.”
He trailed off, knowing he couldn’t give a hopeful answer. Not that it would’ve helped anyway.
Seo-ha let the conversation drop and started scanning the area. Han Ju-oh had been fighting within sight earlier—but now he was gone. So was Ian. It looked like more monsters had emerged elsewhere.
“I wonder how strong the boss monster in this dungeon is.”
He blurted the thought out without meaning to. Moon Roi recoiled, visibly alarmed.
“Don’t jinx it! It’s not like we’re going to face the boss ourselves anyway—just ignore it.”
“I know.”
No matter how hard they tried, there was no catching up to the Espers. Their job was to support from behind, to back off when necessary. Seo-ha wasn’t reckless—he knew exactly where his limits were.
At least, he thought he did—until his eyes flew wide open.
Did he just speak it into existence?
Something was falling from the sky.
It was too fast to make out clearly—just a blur. But one thing was certain: if it hit the ground, they were all going to get caught in the blast.
“Move—now!”
Esper Baek Jong-hoon’s voice rang out as everyone instinctively turned and ran. Seo-ha started to bolt too, but then noticed something—Guide Jang Jin-young wasn’t moving.
He stood frozen, staring at Baek Jong-hoon. He knew he needed to run. But the thought that his Esper might be in danger held him in place.
He wasn’t just a partner.
He was someone Jin-young loved.
“No—!”
Seo-ha saw Jang Jin-young reaching out toward Baek Jong-hoon. That was the last thing he saw before Moon Roi yanked him back with enough force to knock him off balance.
BOOM!
The impact hit like a meteor. Seo-ha was lifted off the ground, slammed back down, then skidded to a stop. He caught himself on his hands and knees—no serious injuries—but now a thick cloud of dust swallowed everything in sight.
He pushed himself up and looked around. The sudden silence was almost eerie, like the entire world had been muted.
“Ugh…”
Unlike the others who managed to escape the blast, Baek Jong-hoon had been hit dead-on. Seo-ha spotted him sprawled out, arms and legs spread, and rushed over.
“Are you alright?”
There was no immediate answer. As Seo-ha glanced around, a sudden gust of wind blasted through, forcing him to raise an arm over his eyes.
Someone was manipulating the wind—clearing out the dust.
As the wind died down, Seo-ha lowered his arm and opened his eyes.
