By Zephyria 
Sweat trickled down Hyeon Jae-ha’s temples as he deduced this far.
-…Chief? What’s wrong?
“…It’s nothing.”
He hoped it wasn’t that.
He hoped that the culprit X hadn’t become a pleasure killer who had taken up the hobby of stealing abilities from Ability Users.
“I have to go back.”
If that was true.
There would be many more victims besides the White Tiger Unit members.
Also… it meant that the Guide who resembled the dead Ga-hyeon, Yeon Yu-jin, was also in danger.
“I need to find out if there are any Espers wearing earrings with red beads.”
-Red beads?
“Yes. Maybe that’s… the medium for using abilities.”
If this hypothesis was correct, he didn’t know what means that bastard had used to make it possible.
‘I must eliminate him.’
He had already lost a partner he cherished more than his own life. He had lived nearly half his life branded as a reactionary, enduring a life that was socially as good as dead.
If he found X, killing him had to be Hyeon Jae-ha’s responsibility.
He didn’t think about what would happen after that. He didn’t care what happened.
‘Then I can follow Ga-hyeon.’
Hyeon Jae-ha smiled sadly.
From the moment his partner Guide, An Ga-hyeon, died, Hyeon Jae-ha had lost the meaning of life.
He was already so exhausted.
If he could just catch and kill X right now, he could end his life in this spot without any regrets.
“Ugh….”
Hyeon Jae-ha’s blue eyes flickered uneasily.
It was the pain caused by the erosion that had accumulated in his body like old dust.
On the other end of the phone, his colleague Ha Ri-ra immediately guessed Hyeon Jae-ha’s condition and expressed concern.
-Chief, are you okay? I think it would be good to call one of the White Tiger Unit Guide members to get Guiding….
“…I’m fine.”
-But you seem to be pushing yourself too hard.
“Haha. Even if aging is progressing slowly, aren’t I in my 50s now?”
-Aish, that’s not what I mean! We’re worried that you’re going to collapse…. I was wondering if it wouldn’t be better to bring in a new Guide with high compatibility, even if it’s late….
Ha Ri-ra’s voice faded like a dying fire.
This was because Hyeon Jae-ha’s voice immediately turned cold as ice, expressing displeasure.
“Wasn’t it tacitly agreed that we wouldn’t bring up that story?”
Hyeon Jae-ha’s partner Guide position had been vacant ever since An Ga-hyeon’s death.
At first, his colleagues thought it was understandable because of the shock of losing the person he loved, but even they urged him to get a new Guide soon….
Hyeon Jae-ha adamantly refused.
He maintained his life by receiving only the minimum amount of energy from temporary Guides to avoid being completely consumed by erosion.
This was both a memorial to his precious partner and a punishment for Hyeon Jae-ha himself.
Blue will-o’-the-wisps danced in Hyeon Jae-ha’s eyes. His breathing became rough.
“Don’t ever say that in front of me again.”
-…Yes.
Ha Ri-ra and the other White Tiger Unit members all swallowed their groans.
‘At this rate, it wouldn’t be strange if the Chief went berserk at any moment.’
Hyeon Jae-ha was their mental pillar, their mainstay, and a symbol of struggle.
If he couldn’t overcome the erosion, the price of using his abilities, and went berserk…. That day might be the last day of the White Tiger Unit.
With no one to face Hyeon Jae-ha, who was barely holding on to his sanity, it was obvious that all the White Tiger Unit members would only face a dog’s death if he went berserk.
Ha Ri-ra on the other end of the phone thought.
‘I wish we could have brought that D-Class Guide who has been showing interest recently.’
The playful words about the beauty trap were out of concern for Hyeon Jae-ha.
Could Yeon Yu-jin be one of the candidates for X who killed An Ga-hyeon?
‘That can’t be.’
Yeon Yu-jin was too lacking to be the X that the White Tiger Unit had been speculating about for years. If Yeon Yu-jin was really suspected of being X, then one of the White Tiger Unit members would have stepped forward and quietly dealt with Yeon Yu-jin.
But the fact that they didn’t meant that all the White Tiger Unit members didn’t see Yeon Yu-jin as the culprit at heart.
They might have had the shallow expectation that he could become the Chief’s new partner Guide candidate.
‘…But judging from this reaction, that’s not going to happen.’
Ha Ri-ra cleanly gave up on her wishful thinking.
Any Ability User would know. How special the affection for a partner is.
-…I’m sorry. I apologize for my rudeness.
“…It’s okay.”
An awkward silence passed for a moment. Ha Ri-ra hesitated and asked.
-Then you’ll be returning right away….
“Wait.”
-Yes? But the Chief’s erosion….
Ha Ri-ra was puzzled, but Hyeon Jae-ha put her aside and focused on sensing the aftermath of the Guiding energy faintly felt at the Ability Measurement Center.
‘This Guiding energy….’
It felt like he was touching a familiar and cozy scent. It was the very Guiding energy that he thought he had lost forever a long time ago.
One fact that Yeon Yu-jin and Hyeon Jae-ha didn’t know.
Yeon Yu-jin unknowingly let his guard down after dealing with the monsters in the Simulator dungeon with the Secrety members.
He had been adjusting his Guiding energy to look like a C-Class while he was awake, but it was different the moment he fell asleep.
The moment he loosened the reins for a very short time because he had reliable colleagues, an ant’s tear’s worth of SSS-Class Guiding energy flowed out.
Potato, who was asleep, sensed it.
Potato, who woke up rubbing his sleepy eyes, grumbled.
[ Seriously. Making mistakes like this…. ]
It was a very small amount, and there was no chance of getting caught because the actual measurement was all over.
Potato, who was trying to help clean up after his clumsy owner, sensed a familiar energy from outside and buried his body back on top of his owner’s head.
After meeting his owner, Potato had fully recovered his abilities and keenly realized that Hyeon Jae-ha was nearby. He instinctively felt the energy that even An Ga-hyeon himself had not sensed.
[ …This much should be okay. ]
Poor Hyeon Jae-ha. Poor my owner.
Potato kindly took pity on the two of them and decided to pretend not to know.
His owner and Hyeon Jae-ha would need a chance to reunite.
[ Ugh. I’m tired of seeing him circling around him like a dog that needs to take a dump, not even knowing my owner’s identity. ]
He grumbled, but Potato hoped for the two of them to reunite more than anyone else.
He clearly remembered Hyeon Jae-ha, who was still holding his owner’s body and wailing.
Hyeon Jae-ha, an Esper who had become extremely sensitive due to erosion, did not miss the familiar Guiding energy that flowed out.
Ironically, being on the verge of dying of thirst became the key to recognizing his revived partner.
Hyeon Jae-ha murmured as if possessed.
“…It’s a similar energy to the Guiding that Ga-hyeon gave me.”
No, it wasn’t similar, it was almost exactly the same.
Just as each person has a unique appearance, personality, and body odor, so does the energy that an Ability User possesses.
It was a very faint energy, but it was the same as the Guiding energy he had received from Ga-hyeon in his memory. It was even to the point where all the cells in his body were shouting that this was the person and shuddering.
‘There’s no way I can mistake this.’
Even though he had only recognized the faint energy, he even had the illusion that the erosion that was about to explode was decreasing.
His heart was pounding like crazy.
‘Maybe, maybe….’
An absurdly sweet imagination filled Hyeon Jae-ha’s lungs.
‘If that kid is Ga-hyeon.’
If so.
“…I have to check.”
-Hello? Chief? Chief? Are you listening to me?
His colleagues desperately asked what was wrong from across the phone, but Hyeon Jae-ha hung up without a word.
He had to meet Yeon Yu-jin.
We, who had been released from the Ability Measurement Center, walked towards the car parked in the parking lot.
‘I’ve made a pretty good profit.’
Lalala. I couldn’t help but hum.
I was worried about what to do when I had to reveal all my abilities in the Simulator dungeon in Room 5.
So this is what it means to turn a crisis into an opportunity.
The Secrety members were dumbfounded as they watched me go to the parking lot with light steps, excited.
“To make a deal with the Management Bureau.”
“And he succeeded.”
“He’s not an ordinary guy.”
“I don’t know when Yujin Hyung became so bold.”
I didn’t care what they were talking about. I was uncomfortable because I was only focusing on ‘Yeon Yu-jin’s idol life. Now that I had extorted two authorities from the Management Bureau as compensation, it would be easier to find the culprit who killed me.
Shin Tae-beom asked me.
“What’s so good about it?”
“I won’t tell you.”
“Geez.”
The guy scratched the back of his head, hesitated, and then threw out a short word.
“…Thank you.”
“Huh?”
“If it wasn’t for you, we all would have been seriously injured in that Simulator dungeon. The same goes for last time. It’s thanks to you that you gave us the right instructions. Thank you.”
“…Why are you suddenly like this?”
When you think about it, these guys got caught up in it because of me.
I was taken aback when I heard the thank you.
But the other young Esper also thanked me in the same way.
“Beom is right. I don’t know how you came up with the monster strategy at that moment….”
Ouch.
An excuse popped out at Ra Ho-yeon’s muttering.
“W-Well, I’m interested in books about Ability Users and monsters….”
As soon as he heard my reaction, Seo Yun-chae said nastily.
“I didn’t ask.”
“…….”
Look at that bastard’s way of speaking.
Should I punch him once? While I was thinking about it, Cha Si-yoon looked me straight in the eye and opened his mouth.
“Still… it’s true that things worked out well thanks to Yujin Hyung. Thank you.”
I felt awkward for some reason.
Maybe it’s because I didn’t do it to get compliments from these guys.
I thought I could upgrade them from chicks to rookie Espers now. They followed my instructions well, and the teamwork wasn’t too bad.
“…If you’re grateful, treat me to some beef later.”
“I will.”
Oh, really?
A halo shone from Cha Si-yoon, who promised me beef right away.
‘Beef, beef!’
The moment I was about to get into the car with a happy heart.
Potato urgently shouted at me.
[ Wait a minute! I can feel the energy of an Esper who’s about to go berserk in that thicket! ]