ANUW Ch 1

What do I think is the most important thing for surviving as a Guide in 21st-century South Korea? It’s ‘Flexibility suited to the situation!’ Of course, a sense of responsibility to value my abilities and a dedicated attitude to give my all for my Esper are also very important…

“Our cute little salary thief, Chief Cha.”

As I stared at my monitor with bleary eyes, a fake-sweet voice came from behind me. It was my direct superior, who personally imparted the wisdom of arriving 30 minutes early and starting work right at 9 a.m. to other employees.

“Did you get home alright?”

“Yes.”

And it was currently 10:30 a.m.

“Traffic at the intersection was so bad, it seemed like everyone was out and about. Anyway, those who live in District 1 have no sense of urgency. Don’t you agree?”

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the power to point out his negligence. I just forced a servile smile.

“It’s a golden holiday weekend.”

“Oh, golden holiday for them!”

Chief Choi scoffed. Buddha’s Birthday followed by Labor Day, a total of four days off. However, even on the once-a-year Labor Day, we had to come to work. Apparently, public officials aren’t laborers or something?

Yesterday was a full-time shift followed by a company dinner, and today was a regular workday, a despairing schedule, but instead of complaining, I diligently catered to Chief Choi.

“Taking the training course?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, trying to get a perfect score on the monthly evaluation? It won’t matter with your performance.”

“They said all Guides with less than 10 years of experience have to take it.”

“Really? Not just slacking off?”

I shook my head with a wide grin. Seeing him like this, he must have just learned that term from the internet yesterday.

“You know, after you finish listening, write in the course evaluation that they should raise our base salary before talking about responsibility and dedication. We’re both ability users, but compared to those Esper bastards, the number of zeros in our salary… huh? What’s this?”

“What if I get fired for that?”

“Tell them Choi Myeongsu from the Cheongnam 2-dong Ability Administration and Welfare Center made you do it.”

You can say that because you won’t get fired, Chief. The words churned behind my gritted teeth before I swallowed them down.

“I’ll go change the posters at the front entrance.”

Chief Choi yawned and nodded absentmindedly. I headed towards the glass door, trying to be quiet. It was plastered with tacky posters that screamed public institution.

<20xx Second Half Unregistered Ability User Voluntary Reporting Period>

Report within the period and you will not be held criminally or administratively liable^^

Register your Ability GO!

Top benefits for youth JOB is the DAY!

Are you worried about your unique ability?

Visit the Todak Todak 365 Mental Healing Center!

For ages 20 to 35.

I peeled off the posters with a ripping sound, then sprayed adhesive remover. I thoroughly cleaned the surface with glass cleaner, leaving the door sparkling like new. Finally, I unfolded the new poster in my hand.

Youth!

Is!

Now!

DESIGN your customized interest rate

and get an S-rank Esper’s SIGN!

Limited to the first 30 people.

“What is this?”

I frowned at the faces plastered on the poster. Baek Yunseol, an A-rank healing Esper nicknamed Snow White, and Jang Doyoung, an A-rank physical Esper known for his charming fan service despite his sophisticated looks. And next to them…

“…S-rank Esper Yeo Taegyung.”

An Esper with far fewer public appearances than the other two, but with a large fanbase due to their exotic and unreal appearance. Considering their nationality and exact ability were undisclosed, many said they were going for a full-on mystique concept.

This was pretty much a selection of the hottest ability users among the current 2030 generation.

“They relied on the lineup and made the slogan cheesy.”

Would anyone fall for this? Well, someone must, since they’re using them as models.

I stuck the new posters in prominent places on the door, then glanced at the full-length mirror. Even though I looked like this, the picky and annoying Chief Choi considered my face to be passable, but after seeing those celebrity-level faces, I looked considerably plain.

But I’m a realist. Wishing to be reborn as an S-rank Esper was less practical than wishing for something achievable.

‘Please, just let me encounter fewer difficult customers today!’

I muttered to myself, then my eyes met a woman walking in from outside. Startled, she blushed.

I held the door open for her with a practiced, helpful smile.

“Welcome. This is the Cheongnam 2-dong Ability Administration and Welfare Center!”

⟡˖ ࣪

Recalling the words drilled into me during the Guide job training, <In the new world, change comes quickly. And only those who adapt well to that change will survive>, I typed away at my keyboard.

It took exactly 30 years for the shocking incident of Gates opening and monsters pouring out onto Korean soil to become everyday conversation. It was an unprecedented speed, even globally. As if nothing had happened, people became accustomed to the disasters.

Excluding S-ranks and A-ranks, Espers and Guides became common occupations. Most Rifts were closed by Espers before they could turn into dungeons, and since many people lived in the safe zones of Districts 1 and 2, they rarely encountered monsters directly.

Especially desk job Guides like me.

‘These are the good old days, kid. Back in my day…!’

I remembered Chief Choi’s war stories, which flowed freely when he was drunk. His body was covered in scars from fighting monsters and surviving the Second Great Rift incident in Korea. Recognized for his contributions, Chief Choi was promoted to a field A-rank Guide, which ultimately landed him the position of team leader at the Cheongnam 2-dong Ability Administration and Welfare Center.

Having performed all sorts of Guiding like it was nothing, it was natural for him to find me pathetic. Even while being treated like a naive kid, I stubbornly insisted on only performing 1st Stage Guiding, which involved simply holding hands.

Well, it’s a secret from Chief Choi, but I had my reasons.

“So, to summarize, your son received recognition for his contribution to eliminating five A-rank Harpies in the outer zone of a medium-sized Rift, but the special deployment allowance and weekend overtime pay haven’t been paid for two weeks?”

“…….”

“…….”

“I don’t understand. What?”

“Now, ma’am. Look here.”

I patiently explained everything again from the beginning, clearly and concisely. But the grandmother still looked confused, so I had no choice but to point to the paper attached to the glass in front of the counter.

“As you can see here, several terms have been changed as part of the Korean Language Purification Project since the first half of this year.”

“What a load of bullshit.”

The grandmother expressed her annoyance.

“Why can’t they just use the original terms? Harpies? What is this, the Joseon Dynasty?”

“Haha, I know, right?”

“And what’s a Rift?”

“It’s the old term for Gate, ma’am.”

I pointed to the word with a pen, adding, since people asked so often I had the location memorized.

“They spent 100 million won in prize money to choose those words.”

“100… million?!”

“Early monsters were winged, half-human, half-bird creatures. That’s where the ‘Harpy’ part comes from. And the ‘A-rank’ refers to their speckled appearance. The word ‘Gate’ was also changed to ‘Rift’ as a result of a public contest for a pure Korean term. Oh, they’ll be holding another contest for a pure Korean term for ‘dungeon’ soon.”

“Damn those lightning-struck bastards. They don’t know the value of taxes.”

Honestly, I agreed. I wished they’d use that money to install an endless ink-jet color printer at my desk.

“They spent 100 million won of our tax money on that crap? I should go there and set fire to the place.”

“Right, ma’am.”

It would be great if you could also ask them to raise my base salary while you’re at it.

Just then, a man abruptly stood up and yelled,

“Hey, be quiet! Does she think the Welfare Center is her living room?”

“What did you just say, you little punk? How old are you?”

“Now, now, ma’am, sir. Why are you both acting like this? Please calm down…”

The atmosphere, which had been on the verge of a brawl, calmed down only when Park Jaeyoung, the chief clerk sitting next to me, quickly got up and led the middle-aged male customer away. He signaled to me with his eyes.

‘Just appease her and send her on her way.’

I pulled my chair closer and cleared my throat.

“To get straight to the point, we are the Ability Administration and Welfare Center, so we don’t have the authority to handle matters related to salaries or special allowances. So, you’ll have to contact the Esper Management Headquarters under the Ministry of National Defense directly. On a day like today, the call volume is high, so even if you call now, you’ll have to wait on hold for about 40 minu…”

I was about to process it by the book when I made eye contact with Chief Choi’s greasy face on the monitor.

‘Chief Cha, are you living too comfortably these days? The way you’re slacking off at the counter, are you trying to get the lowest evaluation score?’

A terrible hallucination rang in my ears, so I quickly put on a bright smile.

“…tes! Since you’ve come all this way, ma’am, I’ll make a special call using the internal line.”

“Well, that’s very considerate of you, young man.”

I suddenly had a mother. Grinning foolishly at that, Park Jaeyoung returned to his seat and gave me a pitiful look.

“Chief Cha.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t do things like that. You have to follow the rules. If you keep making exceptions, you’ll pay for it later.”

“Oh, really?”

“I keep telling you. If you act like that, Chief Cha, it makes things difficult for everyone else.”

“Really?”

“Of course. The public service is a tough world.”

“Yes, yes. I understand.”

I gave the most soulless reply I could muster, and Park Jaeyoung shook his head and didn’t say anything more.

My day as a desk job Guide usually went like this. Unless something special happened, I worked at the Ability Administration and Welfare Center located on the border of Districts 1 and 2, then went home and collapsed. And occasionally, when the smartwatch on my wrist vibrated three times, I’d go to the Guiding Room to prepare for a one-time Guiding session.

Today was the latter.

Beep, beep, beep!

<Check the other party’s profile!>

<Do you accept the one-time Guiding request? YES / NO>

I habitually pressed ‘YES’ without checking the profile. Espers were either assholes or babies, especially the higher their rank. To avoid the misfortune of working overtime on a holiday when everyone else was resting, completing the draft in front of me was more urgent.

And an hour later, after seeing the 15 researchers who stormed into the Welfare Center, I thought,

‘…What?’

“Hello. Is Guide Cha Suyoon here?”

“Ah, that’s me.”

I automatically put on my professional smile and stood up. The people sitting on the sofa started murmuring and looking at us.

‘What’s going on?’

Usually, the Espers matched with me, a D-rank Guide, were B-rank at best. Our Welfare Center was located on the border of Districts 1 and 2, and Guides capable of all types of Guiding, from 1st to 3rd Stage, were stationed in Cheongnam Districts 1 through 3.

The Espers who specifically sought me out gave dazzling reasons like, ‘Because you’re handsome,’ or ‘Because you have a good personality,’ but I didn’t believe them. There were so many Espers who tried to manipulate gullible Guides. Chief Choi had a simple definition for such people.

‘Unique tastes’.

They could just say they have a niche following. He was such a pain.

“We understand that you might be surprised by our sudden arrival.”

“Oh, it’s fine.”

Actually, it wasn’t fine at all. Usually, two or three researchers were assigned to a single B- to D-rank Esper. I had Guided an A-rank Esper only once, and even then, there were only five or six researchers.

And there’s only one reason why so many researchers would accompany an Esper.

That bastard is a dangerous bastard.

“As you may already know from checking the profile, the Esper you will be Guiding today is S-rank Esper Yeo Taegyung.”

“S-rank Esper Yeo Taegyung?”

“Yes.”

The person from the poster I just put up at the front entrance. I felt a chill run down my spine.

“Why would an S-rank Esper request Guiding from me….”

The researcher’s eyes widened. I quickly tried to act like nothing was wrong, but it was no use.

“Did you not check the profile?”

“Ah, no.”

I had learned that confessing my mistakes was better than getting caught lying, but the researcher’s expression started to turn strange. This seemed to be going very wrong.

“I thought you had read it and clicked the agree button.”

“I was busy. Today is supposed to be a day off for everyone else.”

Who checks every single detail these days? Even when signing up for online shopping, you just click ‘Agree to All’ and skip it in three seconds.

But the researcher seemed to consider me an unreliable Guide. She told me to wait a moment and then started whispering with the other researchers while holding a Guiding pad.

“They said they clicked without checking the profile. Shouldn’t we just go somewhere else quickly?”

“What if he wakes up from the anesthesia? We barely managed to put him under with 150cc this time… Senior, that’s enough to sedate three wild bears.”

“I know. Districts 1 and 3 are fully booked?”

“No one is available. One is on half-day leave and the other is on an emergency Guiding call.”

“What about District 4?”

“They’re closed today.”

“Oh, dear.”

The researchers whispered among themselves, looking troubled. Since I had already mentally prepared myself, being ignored didn’t feel good.

More importantly, S-rank Esper Yeo Taegyung. Just a few hours ago, I dismissed the idea of ever crossing paths with such a person, but now I didn’t understand what was happening.

But regardless of the reason, this was an opportunity. An opportunity to brilliantly Guide an S-rank Esper in crisis and earn a hefty bonus!

The post-Guiding side effects were a bit of a concern, but I could just pass out for a day if necessary. I made a solemn decision.

“Excuse me, Rese…”

As I started to speak, I saw the name on her name tag. I decided to guide them towards the Guiding Room first.

“Senior Researcher Ryu Gyungae.”

“Yes?”

“I checked that I can only do 1st Stage Guiding because of my circumstances, but I’m not a newbie. Look, my star rating is high, and my reviews are good.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

I put on the expression that an Esper I had become friendly with while taking Guide training courses had once made when she scolded me for flirting, but forgave me because of my looks.

A deeply disheartened face and eyes that looked like they were about to tear up. Fortunately, Researcher Ryu Gyungae seemed to be a similar type to that Esper, as she started to twitch the corners of her mouth.

“Don’t tell me! You’re not canceling the Guiding request, are you?”

“Um, well…”

“I’m a complete veteran,” I insisted, appealing to them. Thinking about the hospital bills and credit card payments looming over me, I had to seize this opportunity no matter what.

“For now… yes. Let’s do that.”

Yes! I tried not to look too excited. I gave Ryu Gyungae a gentle smile, and she blushed, clearing her throat.

“Thank you. By the way, what’s my virtual match rate with Esper Yeo Taegyung?”

“It says 87 percent.”

“Huh?”

Over 87 percent even though we’re not bonded? It was surprising, considering the number was determined by how closely our unique ability wavelengths matched.

“Wow, that’s amazing. With that kind of compatibility with me, his rate with his assigned Guide must be well over 100 percent.”

I was genuinely impressed. But the researchers didn’t answer, exchanging glances instead. A clattering sound started from outside, like something heavy being dragged.

“Guide Cha Suyoon, for now…”

She sighed. I gave Chief Choi, who was looking at us strangely, a small smile and pressed the elevator button. With 16 people crammed inside, it quickly filled up.

“I’ll start by explaining the precautions you must follow. You’re a five-year veteran, so you should know the general rules, but Esper Yeo Taegyung is a bit special.”

“…….”

‘A bit special’ sounded more like ‘a total pain in the ass,’ but I maintained my smile. But the moment the elevator reached the third floor, I heard something shocking.

“First, Esper Yeo Taegyung’s ability is Life Energy Manipulation.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a rare ability, with only one known case in Korea. So, he’s often deployed alone to the central zones of large-scale Rifts, where other Espers have difficulty accessing.”

Ding-dong. The elevator doors opened, revealing the hallway leading to the Guiding Room. Goosebumps suddenly erupted on my arms.

“Wait, is it okay to tell me this? It’s classified information, isn’t it?”

“You’re well aware of the penalties for leaking national secrets, Guide Cha Suyoon.”

I immediately shut my mouth. Leaking national secrets—specifically, spreading around classified information about ability users—was a well-known horror story. You’d be dragged to the Ability Management Headquarters, subjected to all sorts of tests, and placed under 24-hour surveillance.

“What exactly does Life Energy Manipulation entail?”

“It means he can absorb the energy essential for sustaining someone’s life.”

“…….”

“He can choose and kill anyone he wants.”

I stared at Ryu Gyungae in disbelief. The abilities of the Espers I’d met so far were limited to creating water out of thin air or raising the surrounding temperature to a certain degree. But choosing and killing someone?

“He wouldn’t attack his allies, though, right?”

Ryu Gyungae didn’t answer. I started to get scared.

“If you successfully complete the Guiding, you’ll be paid a special hazard allowance on top of your regular fee, so don’t worry too much.”

I can’t spend that money if I’m dead!

I choked back the words I couldn’t say aloud. I watched the researchers take their seats one by one behind the glass made of special concrete and large aquarium acrylic.

I took a deep breath and pulled out my Guiding uniform from the cabinet. After getting dressed, I habitually reached for my half-gloves and stun gun, but Ryu Gyungae stopped me.

“Leave those there.”

I looked at her directly. But Ryu Gyungae’s words remained firm.

“Esper Yeo Taegyung only receives Guiding completely undressed.”

“Wh… why?”

“Once, during a Guiding session, the Guide brought a knife for self-defense. When that was discovered, it caused a huge uproar.”

“Haha, I’m sure they didn’t die, right?”

Again, Ryu Gyungae didn’t answer. Figuring it was better not to know the details, I quietly put the stun gun back in the cabinet. I sat down wearing only my bulletproof vest and uniform top and bottoms, as usual.

“It’ll be alright today.”

“…….”

“We’ve administered a sedative. He’ll be out cold for at least two hours.”

As if he’s some kind of wild animal. I was thoroughly appalled by these terrifying stories.

‘I should buy a lottery ticket on my way back.’

I solidified a resolution I had made countless times but never actually acted on.

“Anyway, he’s unconscious, so there’s no danger to your life, Guide Cha Suyoon. If you prefer, we can also perform forced Guiding while you’re sedated.”

“No, there’s no need for that.”

I wasn’t fond of sedation. There was the risk of never waking up, and I disliked the characteristic grogginess upon regaining consciousness.

“But if you experience severe dizziness or nausea during the Guiding, immediately release his hand and stop.”

“Yes.”

“Since proper Guiding will be conducted once we arrive at headquarters, it’s enough to just stabilize his wavelength to a cautionary level. Your match rate is quite high, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

I forced a nod. I finally understood why they sought me out, a Guide who only did 1st Stage Guiding. Espers with strong abilities were usually sensitive. An Esper like Yeo Taegyung wouldn’t tolerate a stranger touching their unconscious body, even if it was for Guiding.

“If you’re ready, we’ll bring him in.”

“Yes.”

As soon as I answered, the door opened, and a mobile bed was wheeled in. Yeo Taegyung, restrained in a straitjacket, had various tubes and IV bags connected to his neck.

‘Crazy.’

That wasn’t the only reason I was shocked. Even though he was just lying there breathing, Yeo Taegyung exuded an inhuman beauty. His pale skin, as if all pigment had been drained, his light wheat-colored hair, and his delicate features—it was hard to believe he had “living monster” as a related search term. He was easily comparable to any top idol or movie star.

As I stared blankly at him, Yeo Taegyung’s fingernails caught my eye. Unlike his flawless skin, they were covered in darkish spots.

Was it something he got on them?

I stared at them for a while, then pulled my chair closer and sat down. The researchers locked the bed’s wheels and then untied Yeo Taegyung’s straitjacket. Electrode pads were attached to his bare, white chest.

“Heartbeat normal. Brainwaves normal. Respiration and blood pressure normal. Surge risk at 65 percent, cautionary stage.”

I anxiously watched Yeo Taegyung’s status displayed on the monitor. If an Esper’s surge risk exceeded 80 percent for more than five minutes, their life was in danger.

“I’ll be watching from outside. We’re counting on you, Guide Cha Suyoon.”

Once Ryu Gyungae left, only quiet breathing and the hum of machines filled the Guiding Room. As always, I resolved to do my best and pressed the button on my smartwatch.

“D-rank Guide Cha Suyoon, S-rank Esper Yeo Taegyung. Time: approximately 1:30 p.m., Location: Cheongnam 2-dong Ability Administration and Welfare Center Guiding Room. Commencing emergency one-time Guiding. 1st Stage Guiding via simple physical contact planned.”

After finishing the recording and pressing the confirmation button, I looked at Yeo Taegyung, his mouth slightly open as he exhaled, and carefully took his hand.

“…….”

A tingling sensation, like an electric shock, ran through my fingertips, and the wavelengths began to distort. My body felt heavily compressed, as if being sucked into a black hole.

“Ugh.”

Biting my lower lip, I struggled to grasp the foreign energy coursing through me. A ticklish sensation spread through my stomach, and my thighs tensed involuntarily. I managed to lift my head and look at the monitor, but Yeo Taegyung’s surge risk had only decreased by 3 percent.

—Guide Cha Suyoon, are you alright?

Ryu Gyungae’s voice came through the speaker in the Guiding Room. Since I could still bear it, I gave an okay sign, but this wasn’t going to work.

“Wait a minute.”

I had the fleeting impression that Yeo Taegyung’s lips twitched. I took a deep breath and carefully straddled him, leaning my upper body forward. Adjusting the wavelengths according to his heartbeat made it easier.

“Give me a hand.”

I gripped Yeo Taegyung’s hand tightly and pulled it towards my chest. Then, I pressed my ear to his chest and guided the wavelengths according to the rhythm of his heartbeats. I could feel the chaotic energy gradually calming down.

“Ha.”

This is exhausting. I need some serious nourishment after work, I thought, exhaling slowly. Watching the surge risk graph steadily decline, I poured all my strength into his hand clasped in mine.

And… after some time, Yeo Taegyung took a deep breath. At the same moment, I also exhaled deeply and brought my smartwatch close.

“…Surge risk decreased by 10 percent. Stabilized at 55 percent. Time: approximately 1:45 p.m., concluding one-time Guiding.”

I muttered in a hoarse voice and stopped the recording. Only after checking Yeo Taegyung’s steady breathing could I finally relax.

—Guide Cha Suyoon, good work! Now…

I was just about to get off him when I felt a strange sense of unease. Turning my head, I saw Yeo Taegyung’s right arm dangling off the bed.

Was it always positioned at that angle?

I furrowed my brow slightly as I lowered one foot to the floor. At that moment, the unbelievable happened.

Yeo Taegyung, who should have been deeply asleep, suddenly opened his eyes.

“…Huh?”

A dumbfounded sound escaped my lips. Yeo Taegyung, whose face had been expressionless like an android, shifted his gaze to me and slowly sat up.

—Guide Cha Suyoon? Guide Cha Suyoon…!

Static crackled through the speaker, followed by a bang, the sound of a short circuit. Speechless, I froze, staring at him.

Beep, beep, beep.

Esper Yeo Taegyung looked around the Guiding Room, seemingly checking the various tubes and electrode pads connected to his body. The researchers outside started banging frantically on the glass.

And after a moment,

KABOOM!

The bed was violently thrown back with a deafening crash.

A sharp pain shot through me as my body flew through the air and slammed into the wall. Yeo Taegyung quickly pinned me down, gripping my throat.

Gasping for air, I looked at him, his gentle appearance completely at odds with his menacing actions. Yeo Taegyung asked in a chilling voice that didn’t suit his delicate features,

“…Who are you?”

His speech was awkward, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time. At the same time, dark reddish spots began to appear on Yeo Taegyung’s face and around his eyes, like a scene from a horror movie.

“Name.”

“Gah, ugh.”

“Tell me your name.”

How can I answer when you’re choking me like this? As soon as I thought that, the pressure on my throat lessened just enough for me to speak. I barely managed to force out my voice,

“…D-rank Guide Cha Suyoon. I received a request and was performing a one-time Guiding… cough, cough.”

Yeo Taegyung glared at me as if I had said something unforgivable. His pupils narrowed into slits like a monster’s, and the whites of his eyes turned black. I thought I might actually die here.

“I wasn’t trying to do anything strange… Aagh!”

Suddenly, something wet and sticky clung to my ankle. Startled, I forgot to breathe and twisted my head to look down. Thick tentacles, as wide as a grown man’s forearm, erupted from Yeo Taegyung’s back, wrapping around my limbs one by one.

“Could you at least listen to what I have to say? Mmmmph.”

I couldn’t finish my sentence. Yeo Taegyung, his face contorted in disgust, had clamped his hand over my mouth. Round, bumpy suckers pressed against my cheek, making my hair stand on end.

Sizzle.

An even more horrifying situation was unfolding below. A transparent slime oozed from the tips of the tentacles and began to melt my clothes.

I might die. And it might be a gruesome death, my skin melting in agonizing pain. I thrashed wildly, struggling against him. Yeo Taegyung looked down at me, terrified, and muttered something.

“…Cha Suyoon.”

“Hhh, mmmph.”

“Your name is… Cha Suyoon?”

I managed a pathetic nod. Fortunately, it seemed to have sparked some pity in Yeo Taegyung. The tentacles constricting my limbs loosened slightly. Covered in sticky slime and tears, I instinctively tried to grab Yeo Taegyung’s arm, hoping it might somehow change his mind.

But I was wrong.

“Agh!”

The suckers on his tentacles gripped my hand tightly and yanked it upwards. A tingling sensation made me look, and a hot, wet slime was dripping from near Yeo Taegyung’s shoulder blades.

This wasn’t his first time receiving Guiding, so his reaction was baffling. Feeling like I was talking to a brick wall, I blurted out,

“Listen to me! My brother will die without me, dammit!”

I yelled out of genuine frustration, but then immediately clamped my mouth shut, shocked by my own outburst. Yeo Taegyung twitched his lips, looking annoyed.

My wrist, bent at an unnatural angle, felt like it would break any second. Would I die this absurdly, just like Chief Choi said, for not holding my tongue? Killing me would be as easy as swatting a fly for Yeo Taegyung.

“Guide Cha Suyoon!”

I managed to turn my head and saw the researchers yelling from outside the door. Yeo Taegyung’s gaze followed mine.

“Just hold on! Try not to provoke Esper Yeo Taegyung any further!”

He looked back and forth between me and the door, as if trying to grasp the situation. Then, he suddenly stared at me with a dazed expression, as if he were in shock.

And…

Yeo Taegyung’s eyes, fixated on me with a vacant stare, rolled back.

He collapsed on top of me very, very slowly, his body convulsing as he gasped for breath. After a while of gasping like someone hyperventilating, he suddenly went limp.

For a moment, I thought he might have died. I quickly put my hand under his nose, and his steady breaths tickled my fingertips.

The surrounding sounds were muffled, as if coming from far away. I instinctively checked the monitor. The surge risk plummeted to -100 percent.

“What is this…?”

The tentacles on Yeo Taegyung’s back slowly disappeared, as if being sucked into a black hole. His body, slumped on top of me, twitched and began to shrink.

His rapidly shrinking form was becoming something no longer human. I took in the surreal sight.

“…Esper Yeo Taegyung?”

Yeo Taegyung had now shrunk to about the size of my palm. He stumbled for a moment, shaking his head rapidly, then seemed to come to his senses. A round, elongated head covered in transparent slime, and eight legs beneath it frantically scurried across the tiles.

“Wait!”

He ignored my call, hiding inside my clothes and thrashing wildly. A moment later, the movement inside my tattered shirt stopped.

BANG!

The door burst open, and Ryu Gyungae and the researchers rushed in. She looked at me, her face pale, and yelled,

“Cover him with a blanket! How can you leave him like that?”

“I know, right? Esper Yeo Taegyung looked really bad…”

I naturally assumed they were talking about him, but apparently, “him” referred to me. The researchers rushed towards me with blankets and wet towels.

“We need to wipe off the slime first.”

Only then did I realize I was trembling all over. I thought I was cold because my clothes were off, but it seemed to be because of the slime Yeo Taegyung had secreted. As they vigorously wiped me down with warm towels, I felt a burning sensation in my nose. Someone gasped.

“Guide Cha Suyoon, you’re bleeding from your nose!”

“So? Is it your first time seeing someone bleed from their nose during Guiding?”

Ryu Gyungae snapped. I flinched and meekly submitted to the first aid. I was mortified, having boasted about being a veteran in front of strangers.

The people cleaning the floor, which was covered in blood and slime, looked exhausted. While they checked my pulse, I rolled my eyes and looked down at my body. My skin looked like a map. Everywhere Yeo Taegyung’s tentacles had touched was covered in dark, circular marks.

After a while, I offered my honest observation:

“I look like I had cupping done…”

Ryu Gyungae’s expression turned serious, and she placed a strange, round device on my head. I quickly asked,

“What is this?”

“A brainwave monitor.”

“You’re not treating me like a crazy person, are you?”

“Don’t talk and just stay still.”

In the end, I had to be examined from head to toe, wrapped in a blanket like a silkworm cocoon. Only after they confirmed I was fine was I finally released.