By Zephyria 
“Just now… this marble, it reacted, right?”
I had a total of three marbles.
All three of them reacted to Jae-ha’s energy and emitted light.
Jae-ha watched the marbles intently and said, “I know because I fought Jin-irang, who had Ban No-ah’s marble. When this marble emits light, it seems like you can use its ability.”
“Then let’s use it.”
“Me?”
“We have to try something first. Anyway, Jae-ha, you awakened the ability of this marble, so I think it’s best if you try it.”
Maybe it won’t react to my energy as a Guide…
As I pushed Jae-ha’s back, he carefully injected more energy into the marble.
“…What happens if I do this?”
The marble, having absorbed Jae-ha’s energy, wriggled, and soon a sharp attack stretched out towards the empty air.
“Huh?!”
“……!”
Perhaps because Jae-ha was holding the marble above his head, the force stretched out towards the sky of the Dungeon.
The attack, sharp as a fingernail, collided with the Dungeon’s sky and caused a tremendous explosion.
Kugwagwagwagwang-!
‘It… it collided?’
The Dungeon’s sky, which had implemented an environment almost identical to the real nature, made a sound as if it had collided with a wall?
I hurriedly looked at the spot where the marble’s power had been shot, and there was a long, scar-like hole.
“Th, that…!”
The Dungeon seemed like it was collapsing from the loud collision and the sound of something breaking, but that didn’t happen.
Not even a single pebble fell, and it was perfectly fine.
There was just a strange hole.
“…It looks like the outside sky. That.”
Through the gap, the blue sky outside was visible, not the Dungeon’s red sky that made people feel uneasy just by looking at it.
“Th, then this…!”
“We can use it to escape.”
Just in time, the colleagues who had been Brainwashed and collapsed were slowly getting up.
The Secrety members still had their eyes closed, and it seemed that there were differences in recovery due to the difference in stats.
“Oh! You’re up. Are you all okay?”
“Ugh….”
I subtly checked their complexions, wondering if they were still being controlled.
‘If necessary, I’ll have to knock them out again.’
Not me, though. Our reliable Hyeon Jae-ha will help.
But fortunately, the Brainwashing and control were all undone when Jae-ha cut Ban No-ah’s threads, and they were all back to normal.
“What… what happened?”
“We definitely… as soon as we entered the Dungeon….”
“I lost my memory the moment I saw Ban No-ah and tried to defeat him.”
The White Tiger Unit members were bewildered but were happy to see Jae-ha in front of them.
“President!”
“I was worried when we were scattered…!”
“As expected, you’re safe!”
Jae-ha pushed away the Unit members who were clinging to him like excited puppies with a cold look.
“…You were Brainwashed and controlled by Ban No-ah and rushed to attack me and Ga-hyeon.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t you remember? Ga-hyeon bought time until I came, with his whole body tattered, without being able to harm you.”
“We, we’re sorry.”
The atmosphere froze like ice in an instant.
In particular, close confidants such as Geum Na-ro and Ha Ri-ra, Samoa and Ryu I-ruk, and Jo Jae-chan apologized to me as if they felt sorry for me.
“…I’m sorry.”
“I’m really sorry, An Ga-hyeon Guide.”
“I couldn’t even protect you….”
“I’m sorry for being careless for a moment and falling for Ban No-ah’s trick and causing trouble.”
“…Please kill me….”
My heart was complicated as I looked at them.
‘These people were the ones who didn’t believe me the most even if I said I was An Ga-hyeon….’
Geum Na-ro was a prime example.
He was used by the enemy in front of the person he suspected, and even caused harm.
Their pride must have been hurt a lot, and they couldn’t lift their heads.
‘Help me, Jae-ha!’
I looked at Jae-ha like a savior, but all I got back was a colder and sharper word than the north wind.
“Let them stay like that.”
“…….”
“They’re the ones who hurt you. It’s worth killing them like Jo Jae-chan said, but I’m not doing it because you’ll hate it.”
“Th, there.”
“You’re the victim, so you decide the punishment. These guys will accept it.”
No! These people are victims if you think about it?
‘The real bad guy is that damn Ban No-ah!’
But even so, the ruthless Jae-ha tried to hold his confidants accountable.
“If you don’t do it, I’ll punish them.”
“D, don’t do it!”
I grabbed Jae-ha’s waist and stopped him.
“It’s foolish to harm the colleagues who have built bonds and stood by your side for so long because of this.”
“…Ga-hyeon.”
“I know very well that I’m a very, very precious person to you. Because… you confessed. I know you’re angry, but I hope you don’t take it out on your colleagues.”
Jae-ha was silent after hearing my words, and his confidants, including Geum Na-ro, watched us with their eyes wide open.
“…Hoo.”
Jae-ha rubbed his forehead and then lowered his hand.
“Then I’ll follow your will.”
“…Really? There’s no such thing as secretly punishing them from behind. A promise between men.”
“I never break my promises to you. Whatever it is.”
Jae-ha turned around abruptly.
‘…Could he be sulking?’
The Jae-ha I saw in my past life was a perfect leader with a gentle smile, so this side of him was even refreshing.
‘It seems a little… cute.’
[ What are you thinking? ]
‘Eek!’
Don’t read other people’s minds without permission!
Around me, who was jumping up and down in embarrassment, five White Tiger Unit members, including Geum Na-ro, gathered.
“Umm….”
Geum Na-ro opened his mouth with difficulty.
“I’m sorry. I was Brainwashed, but…. Anyway, it’s our fault that we attacked An Ga-hyeon Guide.”
Ha Ri-ra also wiped away tears, perhaps because she was upset.
“…I’m sorry for hurting you.”
They saw that the clothes I was wearing were tattered like rags.
Also, the sight of me wearing Jae-ha’s jacket.
Even if I tried to hide it with the jacket, I couldn’t do anything about the bottoms, so the marks that looked like a huge beast had scratched me were clear.
The holes and torn clothes were stained with bloodstains, making them mottled.
These people, who couldn’t have failed to notice that, must have been in great shock.
Representing them, Samoa knelt down to me and apologized.
“Wh, why are you doing this.”
“An Ga-hyeon Guide called us victims and hoped that we would not be punished, but please order us anything. Since we dared to commit insubordination against our superior, this case must be punished.”
No, this isn’t the military anymore!
I felt sorry and pitiful for them, who still seemed to be thoroughly bound by military law.
Then I tilted my head.
“But am I a superior? I’m not someone who belongs to the White Tiger Unit….”
“Wasn’t An Ga-hyeon Guide the only partner of our President, Hyeon Jae-ha Esper?”
“Even so, that’s a past life….”
Even if the soul is An Ga-hyeon, this body is clearly Yeon Yu-jin’s.
Samoa gave me a warm smile as I scratched my cheek.
“The person the President considers a partner is only An Ga-hyeon Guide, whether in the past or now.”
“Ah….”
“So you are our superior, just like the President, and also another President of the White Tiger Unit.”
Hearing those words, I felt a lump in my chest for some reason.
‘Another President….’
I thought I had died miserably and left nothing behind.
‘I left my presence to these people.’
Samoa added.
“From the beginning, the White Tiger Unit was founded by the President so that cases like An Ga-hyeon Guide would not happen again.”
“I, I see.”
I felt like I knew a little bit about how precious and dear Jae-ha held me.
‘If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to do anything because of the sadness of losing my partner.’
Jae-ha, who overcame that sadness and moved and persevered for me, was just amazing.
“Ahem, anyway…. I can’t punish you.”
“Why is that?”
“Because, as I’ve said repeatedly, you’re victims. Unintentionally caught in Ban No-ah’s trick.”
I told them that Ban No-ah was able to control them after using his buff ability to raise his Brainwashing ability to the limit.
“I see…. A buff ability. I thought it could only be used on party members. I didn’t know it was possible for abilities used alone.”
Samoa gave an honest assessment of Ban No-ah’s actions with a mixture of surprise and disgust.
Ha Ri-ra couldn’t hide her anger, feeling hot.
“He’s an absurdly overpowered character! Where did he learn the trick of stealing other people’s abilities?”
“That’s what I’m saying….”
Geum Na-ro, who had been listening to our conversation quietly, recalled something as if something was strange.
“But… Ban No-ah, that guy, his Corruption Level didn’t rise at all, even though he was stealing Ability Users’ abilities, right?”