Watching him piss himself, he wondered if he’d overdone it by letting his killing intent slip out. But then again, what else could you expect? Some clueless fool, calling himself a “dedicated guide,” had come here on his own two feet. He only had himself to blame.
That was exactly what Tae Yishin believed. He wasn’t at fault at all—everything lay with the greedy Center Director and that idiot Nabin.
“The Director has ordered that, starting today, the guide will live here in the mansion with you. He also commanded that you receive daily contact Guiding until your Outbreak Risk Index drops below thirty.”
Arms crossed, Yishin tapped his elbow with his fingers and smiled faintly. Hearing Kim Su-ryeon’s words brought on the headaches that had been plaguing him lately, souring his mood further.
Su-ryeon was only reciting the Director’s orders in hopes of escaping this suffocating room as quickly as possible. But the moment she finished, the suffocating aura pressing down on the space thickened, as if her words had struck a nerve with the S-rank Espers.
Cold sweat dotted her pale forehead as she strained to keep her barrier intact. She bit her lip until it bled. At this rate, she’d end up wetting herself like the guide crumpled on the floor.
Three S-ranks radiating killing intent at once was far too much for her to endure alone. And yet retreat was not an option—the Director would never accept excuses. She’d spent years at his side, enough to learn just how merciless he could be.
“…I don’t like it.”
The man who had sat silent until now finally spoke, his deep voice resonating through the tense air.
It was Gong Min, S-rank Physical—Transformation Esper. His massive frame dwarfed the sofa beneath him, though his features were deceptively gentle. Half-lidded reddish-brown eyes blinked slowly, glimmering with dull light.
And yet, even Gong Min—the mildest of the three—had voiced his rejection. Su-ryeon was forced to say what she had been holding back.
There were plenty at the Center who claimed they’d never heard him speak. For Gong Min to say even one sentence meant he was firmly against living with a dedicated guide.
“If you refuse, all three of you will be deployed to the Middle East for at least a year.”
KWAANG!
The table in front of Han Jigang exploded with a deafening roar. Shards and flames scattered like a bomb had gone off.
The blast made Nabin jerk upright like he was convulsing. He looked ready to faint at any second, his nerves stretched past the breaking point. The protective shield Su-ryeon had raised around him wavered under the weight of the Espers’ mounting bloodlust.
“Fucking Director. Kim Su-ryeon, go drag him here.”
Even among the rare and powerful S-ranks, few were as openly insolent as Han Jigang. Su-ryeon was an A-rank Esper, the Director’s closest aide. Most treated her with caution. Only Jigang addressed her like a servant.
His words insulted not just her, but the Director himself. Rage clawed at her chest, but she swallowed it down. She knew Jigang’s temperament—losing her cool would only escalate things.
If she attacked first, he would retaliate without mercy. And with the gap in their powers, she would almost certainly be burned alive.
“If you refuse even this, Guide Ryu Somin will be reassigned to other Espers—”
The cost of touching their reverse scale was immediate. Before she could finish, Gong Min moved.
His already massive body swelled to nearly twice its size. His once-gentle face twisted into something beastlike, pupils narrowing to slits, sharp fangs jutting past his lips.
A guttural growl rumbled from his chest, making Su-ryeon’s jaw quake. She’d seen him Beastify before—but never as the target.
His feral gaze locked onto her, gleaming with raw hatred. The murderous intent was so sharp she felt her throat would be ripped out at any second. Tremors raced through her entire body.
“D-Don’t… If you keep this up, I’ll… ngh—”
Before she could call the Director for help, a massive hand closed around her throat, strong enough to snap it.
“Keuhhhk—!”
She clawed desperately at the back of his hand, leaving bloody welts, but it was useless. Blue veins bulged across her pale neck as her eyes rolled back.
The shield protecting Nabin shattered the moment she lost focus. Now, the killing intent poured onto him as well.
And unlike her, Nabin was just a guide. Barely different from an ordinary civilian, he had no chance of withstanding Gong Min’s aura.
If he’d at least undergone training at the Center, maybe… but with no education, no preparation, the murderous pressure was crushing him mercilessly.
“Hhhhk…”
His breaths rattled dangerously in his throat. His frail frame convulsed pitifully, but no one spared him a glance.
Drool trickled from his open mouth. Terror clouded his eyes until they went dull and lifeless, empty vessels stripped of all meaning.
“Enough.”
With a faintly amused expression, Tae Yishin caught Gong Min’s arm. Usually the calmest of them, he was also the most violent once provoked.
He didn’t care if Su-ryeon lived or died—but letting her die outright would be troublesome. She was still a high-ranking Esper, the Director’s closest aide.
And as long as Gong Min belonged to the Center, turning the Director into an enemy would only complicate things. Yishin’s grip tightened.
“…Let go.”
Though some clarity returned to Gong Min’s eyes, his hand remained locked around her throat.
“Gong Min. Lose control like this and you might not see Somin again. Snap out of it.”
Su-ryeon’s face was already drained of color, froth bubbling from her lips. A moment longer and she would be gone. But at the mention of Ryu Somin, Gong Min finally flicked her aside like trash.
KWAANG!
That single motion sent her crashing into the wall, shattering it before she crumpled to the floor. Blood streamed from her torn forehead, smearing her face red. Her limbs sprawled limply like those of a broken doll.
Yishin let out a long sigh and called for Center staff. Their risk of Outbreak must have lowered their tolerance for anger. He had thought Gong Min was simply sitting quietly—but instead, he’d caused chaos.
Already, the commotion had drawn people outside. They gathered near the door, but none dared to enter.
Everyone knew today was the day the infamous trio of S-rank Espers would officially meet their dedicated guide. The murmur outside was thick with nosy curiosity.
Some lingered, waiting for the inevitable explosion. Kim Su-hyun and Noh Si-woo in particular hovered close, monitoring the situation. Nabin’s physical wounds might have healed, but his mind had already suffered deep trauma.
Su-hyun’s healing touched only the body. The mind was beyond his reach. But bound to Nabin by the guide contract, even he and Si-woo had put aside their duties to remain nearby.
And, just as expected, something was going wrong inside. Even Su-hyun, an A-rank, felt his skin prickle with the sharp aura spilling through the walls. There was no way Nabin could endure it.
As he steeled himself to force the door open, even if it meant clashing with S-ranks, the sound of shattering came from within. A pale-faced Center staffer rushed ahead of him and pushed the door open.
“What the hell…”
The staffer froze in the doorway, too shocked to step inside.
Su-hyun brushed past him and went straight to Nabin. The guide had finally collapsed unconscious. Blood stained his throat, and a puddle marked the floor beneath him.
Su-hyun’s usually gentle eyes burned with a ferocity to rival Gong Min’s. Stripping off his jacket, he wrapped it around Nabin’s trembling body and lifted him. Even unconscious, Nabin spasmed weakly. Su-hyun clenched his teeth, casting a healing spell. A faint flush returned to Nabin’s bloodless face.
