By Zephyria 
“If I give up, are you going to kill me right away?””
“Even if that’s the case, do you think you have a choice?”
“…You son of a bitch.”
“Why don’t you suffer the humiliation of being killed by that son of a bitch?”
It was true that the flow of the battle was turning against me.
All my comrades were Brainwashed and essentially taken hostage.
But on this side, I’m the only Guide.
Without an Esper to assist, I was just a constantly regenerating lump of flesh.
Kwa-kwang. Kwa-kwa-kwang.
While barely dodging the attacks that poured down like trying to capture a cornered rat, I was going crazy with worry for my comrades.
‘…They’re overusing their abilities more than necessary.’
Blue veins bulged on the faces of the Secrety members and White Tiger Unit members, who had been Brainwashed with buffs and completely turned into Ban No-ah’s puppets.
It was a bad sign.
‘They’re not controlling their abilities and just using them to their heart’s content, so the accumulated Corruption Level is rising rapidly.’
The Guides seemed to be in okay condition, but… seeing the physical changes in the Espers, Guiding was urgent.
The problem was that Ban No-ah, who was using them like puppets, showed no sign of releasing their Brainwashing.
“Tsk. Still can’t subdue even An Ga-hyeon. If I had known they were such a ragtag bunch, I would have gotten rid of them and taken their ability cores long ago.”
Pibit-.
An attack poured down and deeply cut my cheek, but I didn’t feel much pain due to the anger.
“…What did you just say?”
When I glared at him, Ban No-ah surprisingly flinched a little, but soon looked down on his manipulated comrades with an arrogant expression again.
“I said they were a ragtag bunch. Isn’t that true?”
“No. The ragtag bunch isn’t them, it’s you.”
“…What?”
“The Secrety members may have only received basic training, but the rest of the White Tiger Unit members are excellent high-ranking Espers who have survived even in the front lines back in the day.”
Unlike someone who steals other people’s abilities like a bandit and boasts as if they were his own.
“They’re just mindlessly spewing out abilities because they’re being controlled. If they had attacked together with a clear mind, I might have been caught in less than 5 minutes.”
“Ha! Lying without batting an eye…! Do you think I don’t know you’re trying to shake me up to save your comrades?”
Of course, that’s right.
But I was sure that if they weren’t Brainwashed, I would have been caught quickly.
Simply pouring out attacks is on a different level from using strategies that incorporate accumulated experience with a clear mind to pressure the opponent.
I had no doubt that Jae-ha, who leads the White Tiger Unit members, would have taught them that way.
I chuckled and gently scratched Ban No-ah’s nerves.
“Why would you think I would lie in front of a guy like you?”
“That’s to turn the situation around or buy time until Hyeon Jae-ha comes….”
“Oh? So Jae-ha couldn’t be captured by Brainwashing.”
“…….”
“And admit that your command skills are terrible, even if you’re controlling others. Did you think it would all work out just by showing off your strength with high-ranking abilities?”
“…….”
“If you have a brain, think about who the real ragtag bunch is.”
At my words, Ban No-ah lost his composure and bit his lip fiercely.
‘Anyway, according to that guy, at least Jae-ha is safe.’
That’s a relief.
‘If I hold on a little longer, Jae-ha might come this way. Let’s not give up hope.’
Jae-ha might have a way to break Ban No-ah’s Brainwashing, which has become even stronger due to the buff ability.
While I was relieved, Ban No-ah’s expression hardened terribly.
The guy suddenly shouted.
“Hyeon Jae-ha, Hyeon Jae-ha, Hyeon Jae-ha…!”
“Wh-what is it?”
“How long are you going to keep talking about that annoying Hyeon Jae-ha!”
Ban No-ah, muttering something like a madman, ruffled his own hair as if he were tearing it out, then glared at me with crazy eyes.
Even I flinched for a moment.
He was clearly a handsome young man in his late 20s, but for a fleeting moment, I glimpsed the appearance of a middle-aged man consumed by greed and jealousy.
‘What is it?’
Did I see it wrong?
As I was rubbing my eyes, Ban No-ah slowly pointed at me with his finger.
“An Ga-hyeon. If I kill you again, this time Hyeon Jae-ha might be so unbearably tormented that he gives up everything.”
“What….”
I could see shining threads intertwined between Ban No-ah’s fingers.
‘Damn it.’
At the same time, the two beads of the red earring on his ear emitted a bright light.
Woo-oong-.
“I command the puppets! Kill that guy no matter what! It’s okay to cripple any part of him!”
When Ban No-ah shouted Hyeon Jae-ha’s name like a madman, the comrades who had been standing still like corpses reacted immediately to the command.
Shhiiik-!
“Kugh!”
Fierce attacks poured down, not distinguishing between Espers and Guides.
Each of the attacks unleashed by the mindless Ability Users was destructive and threatening. Pillars of all kinds of energy flew, a rain of attacks fell on my head, and shadows suddenly stretched out their hands from the sand, trying to bury me in the ground, making it difficult to even stand still.
Pwishuk. Pshushuk.
Countless wounds were etched all over my body due to the more frenzied attacks of my comrades than before.
“Kuh-ugh!”
I have to hold on until Jae-ha comes.
I gritted my teeth and barely dodged the attacks, thinking only of Jae-ha, who would come as reinforcements.
‘Damn it…. It’s not easy to attack them because they’re my comrades.’
It might not matter since the outside is already in chaos due to the Dungeon Break.
As Secrety, who has schedules to handle today and tomorrow, they absolutely must not injure their faces or other exposed areas.
‘I can’t have team discord rumors like with Yeon Yu-jin back then…!’
In that case, I’ll avoid the attacks as much as possible and try to knock them out!
The pupils of the Secrety members and other Espers were now narrowed, and the whites of their eyes were turning black.
‘The changes due to Corruption Level are too fast. I’ll have to make them completely unable to fight to worry less about them going berserk.’
It was fortunate that I had the ‘Resurrection’ ability.
Even if their arms and legs are cut off, they’ll reattach.
I whispered to Potato in my pocket.
‘I’m counting on you. Partner.’
[ You, really…! ]
Potato sobbed, but finally granted my request.
[ O-only until Hyeon Jae-ha shows up. Don’t overdo it! ]
‘Okay.’
I lied.
If Jae-ha shows up, I’ll have to fight with him, so I won’t have any time to rest.
Potato probably knows that too, but…. We forced a smile and approached our comrades, who were rushing at us like ferocious beasts.
They flinched for a moment when I, the prey who had only been dodging until now, suddenly came closer.
“……!”
Was it just my imagination? The Secrety members seemed the most shaken.
“What’s wrong? Are you scared of me?”
When I threw out a provocative line, Ban No-ah got annoyed and gestured again.
A barrage of merciless attacks poured down on me right away.
“Aaaagh!”
The price for choosing a frontal battle was harsh.
Bullet-like holes were made in my arms, legs, and torso, and blood was flowing.
But I didn’t give up and succeeded in knocking out a few of my comrades who seemed to have the most severe Corruption Level by hitting the back of their necks.
Thud.
My blood-soaked hand blade was weak, but it was still enough to put my comrades, who were rushing at me, to sleep.
“Ugh…. That hurts like hell.”
Cough, cough.
Blood flowed from the corner of my mouth.
No, it wasn’t just flowing, but a lump of blood came out, so I ended up vomiting.
[ An Ga-hyeon! A-are you okay? ]
“Huk, huff….”
A tingling pain spread throughout my body like poison.
‘Wow…. I had completely forgotten this feeling.’
The wounded area is cleanly healed again thanks to the ability.
“Ugh….”
The ‘Resurrection’ ability is definitely amazing, but it’s not a panacea.
If this ability were perfect, there wouldn’t be any pain inflicted on the area while it was regenerating.
“Agh. Fucking hell. That hurts like hell!”
The sand got into the wounds because the surroundings were full of sand! It stings!
I writhed in terrible pain, recovered my body to its original state, and barely stood up.
Ban No-ah sent me a mocking applause.
“Indeed, the ‘Resurrection’ ability. Even now that you’ve been resurrected, its effect is amazing.”
“…If you’ve finished watching the amazing spectacle, why don’t you rot and disappear from here?”
“I can’t do that.”
Ban No-ah pulled hard on the shining thread in his hand.
“There are still many puppets left to fight for me like this, aren’t there?”
“You filthy, disobedient psycho bastard….”
While grumbling, I returned to battle stance.
‘Hyeon Jae-ha…. Where are you?’
Don’t tell me you lost to that Ban No-ah bastard in an uncool way and got buried alive somewhere.
‘If not, show up quickly.’
It’s too hard for me to knock out my comrades before they go berserk all by myself.
“This is the end.”
Ban No-ah gestured rather elegantly.
The Brainwashed comrades rushed at me.
Just as I was about to face them with the determination to have a part of my body severed this time.
Rumble-.
The land with a diameter of 1 km sank deeply.