MCLE | Chapter 11

Hexion looked at Jasper and Kang Wooshin, who were sitting on the ground a step away from Zero Nine. Kang Wooshin reached out and grabbed Jasper’s hand. It seemed like he was guiding him. When Hexion glanced down at his watch, Jasper’s stats caught his eye. Stress index: 68%. Ah, that must be a lot of irritation.

Hexion clicked his tongue and lightly kicked Jasper’s knee as he sat slumped on the ground.

“You, did you just kick me…?”

“Name and rank.”

“Name and wha—?”

Jasper snapped his head up, glaring as he got to his feet. His eye level was about the same as Hexion’s. He even leaned his forehead in, as if trying to intimidate him.

Then, out of nowhere, a hand shot out from behind and pressed down firmly on Jasper’s face, pushing him back.

“Ah!”

Jasper let out a frustrated yell, his irritation boiling over. Seeing that, Hexion twisted his lips into a smirk and crossed his arms. He had expected this, but still, nothing was properly in place. Well, it had only been about a year since the war ended, so it would be strange if the system was fully established already.

No, actually, wasn’t it a bit too chaotic?

Hexion asked again. He was holding back—a lot.

“Again. Name and rank.”

His voice was low, almost warning.

Kang Wooshin quickly responded.

“S-Sergeant!”

“I wasn’t asking you.”

“Esper, Sergeant Jasper isn’t really used to that kind of thing…”

Hexion looked down at Kang Wooshin and asked,

“You’re not his exclusive guide, are you?”

“Ah, no. Our matching rate is high, so I prioritize Sergeant Jasper, but I’m not officially assigned to him. Guides in the living bureau don’t have exclusive assignments.”

Basically, they were being run ragged.

Hexion looked at Kang Wooshin with an expression that said, Of course. Then, he asked again,

“Name and rank.”

“Ah. Second Lieutenant, Kang Wooshin.”

Kang Wooshin hurriedly stood up and saluted.

The moment his hand left Jasper’s, the guiding was cut off, and Jasper let out a low growl.

Hexion almost burst out laughing at the absurdity of it.

From what he had heard, that esper, Jasper, was a sergeant, and this guide was a second lieutenant. A sergeant growling at a second lieutenant?

He already knew that the system for managing espers and guides was loosely based on a military structure, but he hadn’t expected the hierarchy to be this broken.

No, actually, he had expected it. That’s exactly why he had come to inspect the guide department.

Guides were meant to start as non-commissioned officers, while espers began as regular soldiers. It was probably designed that way to ensure espers remained under the guides’ control.

But in reality, espers were far stronger in combat.

Maybe someone thought that since guides kept them from dying, it would be easy to maintain control over them.

But that was a joke. Most espers couldn’t control their own power and went into berserk mode at random, regardless of their personality.

Hexion glanced over at Zero Nine.

‘So when people say Zero Nine is well-behaved, they really mean it, huh?’

Hexion then turned his gaze to Jasper. Jasper had been staring at Kang Wooshin, but now his eyes locked onto Hexion.

Zero Nine gave a faint smile and pulled Hexion closer by the shoulder.

“He’s my guide.”

“Since when do guides belong to anyone?”

Jasper bared his teeth in a sharp grin, as if he found that hilarious.

“They’re practically public property anyway.”

Hexion watched him with a bored expression, curious to see how far he would go—completely unaware of how Zero Nine’s expression was changing behind him.

“I heard that guide has been through hell even during the war. You really want a body like that?”

Jasper bared his teeth even more viciously.

To Hexion, it was just background noise, like a dog barking.

But Zero Nine clearly didn’t feel the same way.

From behind, Zero Nine stretched out his arms and wrapped them around Hexion’s waist, pulling him close. Resting his forehead on Hexion’s shoulder, he softly asked,

“Hexion, are you mad?”

“Zero Nine.”

Hexion calmly corrected him.

“I’m not the one who’s mad. You’re the one who’s mad.”

“Ah…”

Zero Nine’s grip on Hexion’s waist tightened. Slowly, he lifted his head from Hexion’s shoulder. His face was cast in shadow, but his violet eyes gleamed with an eerie light.

“I’m the one who’s mad, huh?”

Whoosh—!

Jasper sprang backward in an instant, his eyes wide in shock.

That pressure—he had felt it the moment their eyes met.

A shiver ran down his spine, a visceral, undeniable instinct screaming danger.

Hexion glanced down at his own hand, idly scraping his thumbnail against his index fingernail. Hmm, a little initiation wasn’t necessarily a bad idea. He tilted his chin slightly.

BOOM—!

Jasper’s body was hurled down the hallway.

CRASH!

His back slammed into the white wall, then again, and again, as if something was repeatedly driving him into it. Pieces of the wall crumbled, scattering onto the floor—thud, thud, thunk.

Kang Wooshin screamed.

As the shockwaves rattled the walls, the warning sensors in the middle of the hallway blared to life.

A groan came from Jasper.

“Ugh… kgh…”

Through it all, Zero Nine still had his arms wrapped around Hexion’s waist. He squeezed even tighter, as if trying to restrain himself.

Hexion lifted a hand and ruffled Zero Nine’s hair. Enough. Just enough. That was the message in his touch. Honestly, as long as he didn’t kill him, it wouldn’t be too hard to sweep this under the rug.

“Enough, enough…” Zero Nine muttered under his breath.

Zero Nine had always been an anomaly.

Ironically, that was precisely why he had never been deployed in the war.

No one knew what would happen if he ever lost control.

When A Country first developed the Esper meter based on the first known esper, Zero Nine had completely surpassed the measurement’s upper limit.

Then came the second esper. The third.

Even after analyzing up to the eighth esper, the devices still classified Zero Nine as off the charts.

That was why, ever since he had been taken, he had never stepped outside.

Never had the chance to unleash his full power. But one thing was certain.

“I haven’t even done anything yet.”

Jasper’s eyes rolled back as he lay embedded in the wall. Kk, kkeuk. His breath came in ragged gasps, as if he couldn’t get enough air.

Kang Wooshin shouted at Hexion.

“He’s going to die like that!”

“He won’t.”

“But—!”

Hexion clicked his tongue and cut him off.

“I’ll handle it.”

His hand landed on Kang Wooshin’s shoulder.

Then, he smiled.

The moment Kang Wooshin saw that smile, an intense shiver ran down his spine.

“All personnel, gather under me.”

“…Excuse me, but your rank?”

“Special Forces.”

Kang Wooshin’s pupils wavered.

“…Colonel.”

“…Oh.”

Kang Wooshin let out a short exclamation. The meaning was clear.

‘Ah, I’m so screwed.’

Hexion flicked Kang Wooshin lightly on the cheek.

‘If you get it, move your ass.’

Startled, Kang Wooshin scurried into the elevator and disappeared. That left Jasper still pinned to the wall.

“You still upset?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s enough.”

“…I didn’t even do anything.”

“My catastrophe. Get it through your head that you’re off the charts.”

“…Got it.”

Zero Nine buried his nose against Hexion’s neck, took a deep breath, and finally let him go.

With a heavy thud, Jasper’s body dropped to the floor. Hexion walked over to where he had collapsed, whistling lightly.

“Damn, that looks pretty broken.”

Full-body fractures.

No problem.

“It’s fixable.”

He patted Zero Nine on the shoulder as he followed behind.

Zero Nine just nodded.

His guide never lied. That much, he knew for sure.

Not long after Kang Wooshin disappeared into the elevator, another elevator started moving. The alarms were still blaring—meaning the management team was on their way up.

Hexion casually pressed the button for the third elevator.

Ding.

It had been stopped on a nearby floor and now moved to where the guiding treatment rooms were located.

Hexion jerked his chin at Zero Nine.

“Head up to the house.”

“…House?”

“Yeah. The place that’ll be our home from now on.”

“…If I go? You’re just gonna handle all this alone?”

“Yeah.”

“But I did this.”

“And I provoked you into doing it. Don’t worry. It’s no big deal.”

“…”

Zero Nine’s expression turned strange.

Hexion watched him for a moment, then stepped forward and cupped his face in both hands, pulling him closer until their foreheads touched.

Then, he said, “You don’t have anything right now. You don’t know anything either. Don’t overstep—just go home like a good boy.”