RVN Ch 10

Raven and Kevin weren’t the ones who could help in this situation, so it was best for them to take shelter somewhere safe. If a teleportation esper and a guide were to be injured by the poison emitted by the rampaging monster, it would only make things worse.

The problem was the four espers who remained here. Since all four were physical and combat-type espers, they had no way of restraining the creature that bounced around like a flea. Renault tried aiming with his rifle, but it was proving difficult.

Not only was the monster incredibly fast, but it was also as small as a child. To make matters worse, it leaped high into the air like a flea, making it hard to take aim. The dust from the sandstorm hadn’t settled completely, further obscuring visibility. Without homing bullets, there was no way they could take it down with their current rifles and handguns.

“How are we supposed to catch that thing?”

“If Chris grabs it just before it jumps—”

“No.”

Renault quickly cut off Hena’s suggestion.

With Chris’s speed, he could probably grab the monster just as it was about to push off the ground. But the real problem was that they couldn’t be certain the creature’s body wasn’t also coated in its own poison.

They couldn’t afford to push ahead with a reckless plan without assessing all possible dangers. The safest course of action was to wait and observe while keeping their distance until reinforcements arrived. The real issue was when those reinforcements would get here.

As they dodged the monster’s relentless poison attacks, Renault ran various simulations in his head. The conditions weren’t favorable. In hindsight, they should have brought at least one elemental or nature-type esper to deal with unforeseen situations. That had been a mistake.

Grinding his teeth, Renault stepped back. If he could slow down the creature’s unpredictable movements, even for a moment, they’d have a chance. They had plenty of bullets left—he just had to keep shooting until one hit.

“Josh, shoot your arrows first! If it gets hit and slows down, it’ll be easier to aim with the rifle!”

At Renault’s shout, Josh immediately drew his bow. The single arrow he fired split into dozens as it shot forward. Though he was only a B-class esper, and his attack power wasn’t overwhelming, his arrows had a higher chance of hitting the fast-moving, flea-like monster than bullets did.

Ping—! Ping—!

The arrows flew relentlessly. Each time Josh released the bowstring, dozens of arrows spread out, thickly filling the air like a massive net.

“Keep shooting!”

As Josh continued to shoot, the net grew denser. There was no longer any space for the monster to escape. Then, just as Josh’s face turned deathly pale from the constant use of his ability, the creature finally faltered.

They couldn’t tell exactly where it had been hit, but it was clear that it had. The monster, which had been moving too fast to track, was now visibly sluggish. Renault didn’t miss that moment.

“Step back, just in case!”

Even as he shouted, the gunfire rang out—tatatatat! The rapid burst of bullets tore through the monster’s lower torso. A dull thud echoed as chunks of flesh were blown off. Despite that, Renault, like Josh before him, didn’t stop. He continued pulling the trigger without pause.

One of the insect-like creature’s legs was torn apart and completely vanished. The monster let out a sharp, ear-piercing screech and began bouncing wildly in a final act of desperation. Its tattered lower body dripped thick, dark fluid and chunks of flesh, splattering the ground below.

But instead of collapsing, the monster suddenly leaped into the air and began spinning rapidly. The black liquid and bits of its flesh, flung by centrifugal force, scattered in all directions.

“Damn it, dodge!”

Like a dark rainstorm, the foul-smelling, highly toxic liquid poured down from above. The moment it touched their bodies, their clothes burned away, and their skin melted, fusing together in agony.

“Aaaaagh—!” 

Hena, covered in the monster’s fluids, screamed in pain. Chris, who had been trying to retreat, collapsed as the liquid seared through his leg. A dark mass crashed down onto him. Josh suffered the same fate.

The situation had deteriorated in an instant. Renault, frozen in place, could only stare at his fallen teammates. He didn’t even blink. He was in no better condition himself—his left arm had melted down to the bone, and patches of skin on his face and legs had burned away.

And yet, instead of acknowledging his own injuries, he could only watch his teammates writhe in agony.

How… How did this happen? A mere B-class—no, even if it were an A-class monster…

His gaze swept across the battlefield, now a living hell. Everything moved in slow motion, as though he were watching through a distorted lens. A warning bell rang in his mind.

Megan had pointed it out before—Renault wasn’t in good shape. It had been that way for years. He had only been receiving enough guiding from the Center’s espers to prevent himself from going berserk. His condition was already dangerously unstable.

And now, he had pushed himself to the limit in battle. If he forced his abilities any further, there was no telling what would happen afterward. But how could he just stand here and watch his teammates die? His hands clenched into fists.

For a brief moment, he thought of Raven, who had taken shelter somewhere far away. If, by chance, Renault pushed himself to the brink of losing control—could Raven stop him? He was supposedly an S-class guide with a 99% compatibility rate, so maybe there was a sliver of hope.

Just yesterday—or even mere moments ago—he had scoffed at the idea of needing a dedicated guide. Now, his situation had turned into a cruel joke.

A bitter laugh escaped him as he looked up at the airborne monster, still spinning and scattering its deadly fluids. Even as it lay dying, the damn thing refused to go down quietly. If they didn’t bring it crashing down immediately, all of them would die here.

He closed his eyes and opened them again. The midday sun was scorching, pouring down its relentless heat from above.

∗   ∗   ∗

“So, what did I tell you? You need me.”

A voice rang out—so confident it was almost irritating.

Renault slowly opened his eyes. His irises, now a deep shade of red, made it painfully obvious that he was on the verge of losing control.

His body was in no better condition. His clothes were in tatters, torn in several places, and his skin was marred with deep scratches and patches of melted flesh fused together. He was a mess.

“…My team?”

His lips, cracked and dry to the point of turning white, barely moved. Even in his current state, the first thing he did upon regaining consciousness was to ask about his team. It was almost laughable how righteous he was—or maybe it wasn’t righteousness at all, just an unbearably heavy sense of responsibility.

Raven, who was gazing down at him from above, didn’t bother to hide the warped emotions flickering in his blue eyes. He was clearly not in a good mood.

Should he answer or not? The indecision danced in his gaze before softening. Instead of replying, he silently brought a straw to Renault’s parched lips.

Renault, too exhausted to question anything, accepted the gesture. His tongue and throat were just as dry as his lips, making even the simple act of drinking a necessity.

“They’re fine. Back at the Center receiving treatment. You’re the only problem here.”

Renault blinked slowly. He didn’t have the strength to lift even a single finger. He had pushed himself past his limit, and his injuries weren’t minor either. He needed guiding, but right after that, a healer Esper would have to tend to him as well.

“That’s a relief, then.”

Renault murmured, his voice slightly clearer after drinking the water. Raven leaned in closer, casting a dark shadow over Renault’s face. The sudden proximity made Renault frown.

“What are you waiting for? I’m the one who needs you, aren’t I? And you’re my dedicated guide, right? So do your job and guide me.”

Even though his words were sharp, Raven only stared at Renault’s crimson eyes.

A strange sense of déjà vu crept in. At some point, something like this had happened before—him lying motionless, looking up into those icy blue eyes.

The thought struck him as absurd, and Renault let out a weak, humorless chuckle. And then—

“You really don’t remember anything, do you?”

Raven’s voice was a whisper, tinged with curiosity rather than accusation. For a moment, the color drained from Renault’s face.

“…What do you mean by that?”

His voice trembled slightly as he asked, as if Raven had just put into words the vague unease that had been gnawing at him. It felt like he had just heard something he was never meant to hear.