FG | Chapter 5.4

It was best not to bother an overworked civil servant unless absolutely necessary. As I waited, I let my gaze wander around the Center. Just yesterday, the place had been in chaos because of Yeo Eundo’s rampage, but now, not a single trace of that remained.

‘So they’re just sweeping it under the rug, huh?’

People had grown accustomed to the unpredictability of Gates, but more than that, the meticulous management of the public image of Espers played a role. After all, Espers could easily be seen as bigger monsters than the creatures inside the Gates.

Fine by me if this blows over quietly.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard voices nearby.

“Is that guy coming too?”

“After all the trouble he caused? No way.”

A group of Espers entered from a distance. A quick glance told me they were A-class and B-class, high-ranking Espers. Instead of uniforms, they wore symbolic accessories or carried weapons that identified them as part of different guilds—and from the looks of it, multiple guilds were gathered here.

Then, it happened.

A synchronized, heavy marching sound filled the air as a group in uniforms entered the Center. In an instant, the atmosphere shifted—a silent but palpable clash of authority between the nationally affiliated Espers and the guild-affiliated ones.

The first to strike in the brewing tension was one of the guild Espers.

“Hah. I was wondering where that disgusting stench was coming from—looks like the pack of dogs finally showed up.”

“That filth you’re smelling is probably from your own mouth.”

“Go on, keep licking your higher-ups’ boots. That’s what you lapdogs are best at.”

A guild Esper jabbed a finger into the chest of a national Esper, deliberately provoking them. Power struggles between Espers were nothing new, but the hostility between the government and the guilds hadn’t always been this bad.

It all went downhill seven years ago—when South Korea was thrown into chaos by a top-tier Alpha Gate.

A miracle had allowed them to clear the Gate, but the destruction was so extreme that the nation’s very survival had been put into question. The blame fell on national Espers, accused of prioritizing the evacuation of high-ranking officials rather than protecting the general public.

But had it really been only the national Espers who turned a blind eye?

When faced with an unstoppable catastrophe, anyone—regardless of affiliation—could turn cowardly.

That was why I found this whole standoff ridiculous.

It was a joke—just a bunch of dirty dogs barking at each other about who’s filthier.

Just as the national Esper was about to snap back at the guild Esper’s taunt, someone entered the room—and shut everyone up at once.

A weighty presence. Gu Seungjae.

With just his appearance, the once-smug guild Espers shrank back, instinctively stepping aside. Gu Seungjae didn’t even spare them a glance as he walked past. The national Espers, on the other hand, straightened up with renewed arrogance, their expressions turning smug as they followed behind him.

Meanwhile, the guild Espers, shaking with rage, could only glare after them.

What a joke.

‘They’re really putting on a show, huh?’

Gu Seungjae was good at concealing his presence, so he hadn’t noticed me.

Something felt off. The guild-affiliated Esper was also walking in the same direction Gu Seungjae had gone, which meant both groups were headed to the same destination. Normally, they wouldn’t be placed in the same space. Yet they had been summoned simultaneously—and actually responded. That meant there was enough reason and value in it for them.

Before long, another S-class Esper and his guild member passed by. That made it six Espers in South Korea who had gathered at the Center.

‘What about Yeo Eundo?’

That guy had definitely said he had no schedule today. If it were something big enough for everyone to gather like this, there would’ve been a prior notice. But even I, who had been watching him from the side, hadn’t seen any sign of him receiving contact from the Association or the Center.

‘He’s a bit of an idiot, but he’s not someone to be ignored.’

Since Yeo Eundo was currently in an imprinted state, it was actually better if they didn’t call him. The less exposure, the lower the chance of being found out. But aside from that, for some reason…

“This is pissing me off.”

Someone from the civil affairs counter called for me. I was just planning to grab my tablet and head back, but as I turned toward the counter, I almost bumped into someone.

“……Huh?”

“Excuse me.”

I tried to step aside and let them pass, but the other person blocked my way.

‘What now?’

“That time, you—!”

“No.”

“How can you say no when you don’t even know what I’m talking about?”

‘Ah, damn it.’

“It’s you, isn’t it? I thought I was mistaken since you weren’t on the matching list or the deceased list.”

“You’ve got the wrong person.”

“What’s your name?”

Why do all Espers act like they have their ears shut?

Instead of answering, I gestured for him to move aside and headed to the counter. The civil servant looked at me and asked. During the process of replacing a monitoring tablet, all questions were automatically recorded.

“D-class Seol Maehwa Guide-nim, affiliated with the Planning and Coordination Office’s Information Statistics Department, is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“I’ve restored the monitoring tablet’s data and prepared a new model for rental. Please verify and sign here.”

All I had to do now was sign and take the tablet, but the guy who had been snooping next to me spoke up.

“Huh? You’re not D-class.”

I flinched at those words. The civil servant’s gaze was about to turn suspicious, so I quickly finished signing and spoke.

“Please verify the authentication.”

Authentication was done through fine biometric data, meaning it couldn’t be forged unless the person was an S-class Esper with copying abilities.

The civil servant, clearly uninterested in making things complicated, simply nodded and wrapped up the process. The moment I grabbed the tablet, I walked straight out of the building. It would take a little longer to fully exit the Center, but even then, the damn Esper kept following me.

‘Tsk.’

I deliberately turned into a deserted area and rounded a corner. As expected, my shoulder and wrist were grabbed, and my body was forcibly turned, slamming me against the wall. A dull pain spread across my back, but I didn’t show it.

“How the hell are you alive? Seon Jiyeol Guide showed up just in time, but before that, you got hit.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Reverse guiding.”

So that’s who this guy was. The one who ran off after receiving my guiding on the day Yeo Eundo had his first rampage. Back then, he was definitely C-class, but the aura he was giving off now was closer to A-class.

There were a few cases where a Guide’s Esper rating assessment turned out inaccurate. One, if their level was too low to distinguish from a normal person. Two, if their abilities were drained to the point of causing a misreading in evaluation.

‘Damn, he ran so fast I got fooled.’

I rarely got things wrong, but I had misjudged him back then, overwhelmed by the rampaging energy of Yeo Eundo.

The guy asked me, “You think the Association knows about your falsified registration?”

The way he phrased it was odd. He could have just assumed I somehow slipped through the cracks back then, but no—he was completely certain that I had falsified my grade.

‘Earlier, he said I wasn’t D-class.’

I had a pretty good guess why, but I needed to confirm it.

“I’m a D-class Guide. What exactly am I supposed to have falsified?”

“You probably sensed it while guiding me—I was right on the verge of a rampage that day too.”

I must’ve half-assed it, because I couldn’t even remember the guiding I gave him.

“If you imprint with me, I can keep your secret.”

His gaze as he looked down at me was like a wolf eyeing its prey. He was thrilled at the thought of catching a high-ranked Guide’s weakness.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to imprint with a high-ranking Esper like me and be protected?”

He reached out and pulled down my mask. The moment my face was revealed, his greedy, glistening eyes wavered, turning red with excitement.

“If you survived Yeo Eundo’s reverse guiding, then… B—no, A-class?”

“L.”

“…What?”

I lifted my free hand, bit my glove to pull it off, and reached for his face.

The moment my fingertips touched his skin, his expression went hazy.

And then, guiding.

“Ghk—?!”

With a loud thud, he collapsed backward. His skull didn’t crack, but his body convulsed as if he’d taken a hit far worse than that. Then, he went limp. Only after his strength drained completely did his fingers finally slip off my wrist.

There was nothing surprising about an Esper showing their true colors the second they thought they had leverage over me. In fact, their predictable nature was almost laughable. Pathetic, even.

“Right. You guys are all the same.”

I had just forgotten for a moment.

I wiped my face with my palm before standing up, shaking out my aching wrist. It was already swelling red—probably going to bruise soon. As I stared at the guy wheezing through the guiding shock, I pondered my next move.

A deep, consuming disgust crept up on me.

‘Should I just kill him?’

If I guided him a little more, I could leave no trace behind. But the location was a problem. If an A-class Esper suddenly dropped dead inside the Center, it’d cause an uproar. If I wasn’t going to kill him, there was only one option left.

With an L-class Guide’s abilities, I could damage an Esper’s mind as badly as a psychic Esper could. One of those ways was using guiding to inflict brain damage—specifically, cognitive impairment.

I pressed my index finger to his forehead.

“This year, looks like everyone’s lucky except me.”