“S+.”
The second test results hadn’t changed either. No, they were even more precise. Park Shinui stiffened his expression as he watched the examiner recite the results with a trembling voice, and the higher-ups who seemed frozen in even greater shock than before. It was certain that something was wrong with him.
“All other abilities… are barely maintaining F-rank.”
To summarize: Park Shinui possessed S+ grade Guiding ability, the most powerful among existing Guides, but all his other physical specs were the weakest, not even reaching the average of ordinary people. In other words, he was someone who was exceptionally good at only Guiding, but seemed like he would collapse if the wind blew too hard.
“In all my life, I’ve never seen such a frail Guide.”
“But isn’t this level of Guiding ability also an unprecedented record?”
“If he goes to the front lines with this body, he’ll fall into critical condition just from a monster’s cough. Physical ability at F-rank!”
“Still, his Guiding grade is S+.”
“He’s too weak, far too weak.”
“But that also means there’s no greater savior than this for Esper Kang Taejun.”
The conference room erupted into debate again. Park Shinui, the person concerned, was just as hard-pressed to accept these absurd results as they were. There was no way to know whether these were abilities the original Park Shinui had, or results that had been twisted when he possessed this body. However, the statement that his physical abilities were below those of ordinary people stung quite badly. He had won several gold medals in taekwondo since childhood, yet he was the weakest, worse than ordinary people. It was utterly unbelievable.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have much time.”
Kang Taejun, who had been silently watching the situation, stood up and spoke. The higher-ups who had been chattering among themselves all fell silent again at those words. Truly charisma befitting the novel’s protagonist.
“I’ll ask just one thing.”
Kang Taejun’s gaze, which had been slowly looking around at people, stopped on Park Shinui’s face.
“If I take Park Shinui-ssi to the B-rank Gate right now, what happens?”
“Probably… he’ll die.”
One of the examiners answered without hesitation.
The word “die” came out so easily. Well, in fantasy novels, it was common for someone to die.
In narratives centered around the protagonist, supporting characters would die in battle or be killed once they fulfilled their roles. Minor characters with barely memorable names even more so. Without proper explanation, they would evaporate from the story with just one sentence saying “died.”
But Park Shinui didn’t want to be included in such a trivial death. Whether it was a novel or a dream, he didn’t want to exit miserably.
“That means Park Shinui-ssi is a useless person who can’t go to the battlefield with me.”
How coldly he spoke. Park Shinui glared at Kang Taejun, who was speaking in a voice without a shred of emotion, with displeased eyes.
‘Didn’t he hear just now? Someone clearly said the Guiding ability is S+ grade.’
The words he was shouting inwardly rose up to his throat.
“Testing again won’t change the results. I wonder if it’s worth wasting time on this sort of thing. As I’ve always done, I’ll just go into battle alone.”
He activated the controller on his ear as if he had never expected anything in the first place and turned around. Then the Center Director and other higher-ups all grabbed onto Kang Taejun at once.
“No matter what, this isn’t right! You finally have a Guide, yet you’re going to the battlefield alone again.”
“I heard your contamination rate hasn’t dropped below the 80% range even after the bonding ceremony—what if you keep going into battle without a Guide and reach an irreversible state!”
The Division Chiefs and the Ability Center Director raised their voices as if they’d been waiting, pouring out their concerns. Listening to that clamor, it was all lines prepared to highlight the protagonist’s greatness. If this scene were described in a book right now, it would probably be filled with sentences like “Kang Taejun’s noble sense of justice prioritizing the Guide’s safety over his own well-being” and move readers to tears. But from Park Shinui’s perspective, this was just an absurd situation.
“I can go into battle too.”
Park Shinui shouted toward the back of Kang Taejun’s head as he turned away. What was important was the fact that he also needed to burrow into the center of the story.
He didn’t know why his stats came out this way, but if he remained relegated to the back room like this, there was no telling when this bizarre dream would end. For now, he had to emphasize at least his S+ grade Guiding ability and get entangled with Kang Taejun.
What the hell, if he had to go into battle, it wasn’t like he couldn’t. Even if monsters were scary, as long as he didn’t die, right? Surely they wouldn’t let the world’s only Pair Guide die. If he stuck close to his side, somehow they would keep him alive.
“Whaaat? What did you just say?”
“Did you not see the results showing that your physical abilities don’t even reach F-rank?”
“You must have heard Esper Kang Taejun’s words about being a ‘paper doll’ as a joke. You’re in a state where an Esper could lay you down or stand you up with just one finger. In terms of physical ability alone, you’re not even at a child’s level.”
The people who had just been clamoring that they couldn’t send Kang Taejun to the battlefield alone now turned to criticism, blaming Park Shinui’s recklessness. The arrows of concern aimed at Kang Taejun instantly changed direction.
Park Shinui pressed his lips tightly together and glanced at Kang Taejun.
‘Damn it, so that’s why I couldn’t budge with just that one finger last night.’
The assessment of F-rank physical ability hit painfully anew.
“I know.”
Park Shinui nodded calmly. With them emphasizing to his face that he was that weak, there was no way he could misunderstand.
“And you still want to go to the battlefield?”
“What can Esper Kang Taejun’s only Guide possibly do on site with that body?”
“Is battle some kind of joke!”
Now they were even spitting as they passionately argued—what a sight. Who said they were going to grab a monster by the scruff of its neck right now? He had no idea why everyone was getting so excited and making such a fuss.
Park Shinui indifferently passed by the higher-ups blocking him and walked toward Kang Taejun. Anyway, in this situation, there was only one person his words needed to reach.
“Even if not today right away, if I receive proper training, I might be able to go to the battlefield.”
As Park Shinui approached boldly, Kang Taejun slowly turned his head and looked down at him. Their meeting gazes were sharp. Gulp. Park Shinui, who unconsciously swallowed dry saliva, desperately composed his expression and lifted his head.
Anyway, this was a world inside a novel where miracles came before plausibility. Gates opening, monsters rampaging, Espers and Guides with supernatural powers fighting—from the start, it was already in the realm of the unreal. So even though his physical abilities had come out at the worst right now, no one knew where or what kind of opportunity might arise to bring about a change.
What was impossible within the grammar of a fantasy novel? Even if a miracle didn’t happen, it didn’t matter. What was important was that he shouldn’t miss the opportunity to claim the spot next to Kang Taejun, no matter what excuse he used.
“Park Shinui-ssi, are you saying you’ll go to the battlefield with me?”
“Yes.”
When a firm answer came back, a bitter sneer appeared at the corners of Kang Taejun’s eyes. It was an expression as if he’d heard an amusing joke. He straightened his body, which he had turned as if to leave the conference room, and crossed his arms. It was an attitude of listening to see what other nonsense would be spouted.
“Are you saying this seriously?”
When Kang Taejun received contact from the Ability Association Chairman, he hadn’t had the slightest intention of participating in the meeting. He had planned to ignore it using the timely opened B-rank Gate as an excuse. Yet he had turned direction and flew here as soon as ‘Park Shinui’s’ name was mentioned.
Why on earth? He questioned his own incomprehensible behavior and suppressed the inexplicable displeasure rising from a corner of his heart.
When he received Park Shinui’s Guiding results sheet, he was momentarily at a loss for words. S+ grade. It was an unexpected harvest he hadn’t anticipated.
The problem was that his physical abilities were merely F-rank. At that level, it was obvious he would struggle just to breathe, let alone stand before monsters with rampaging energy wavelengths. Of course, that too wasn’t a particularly important problem for him. After all, he had roamed battlefields alone without a Guide until now, and even if the physical grade was high, a Guide without combat experience would only be a hindrance.
Yet he wanted to go to the battlefield together. A germaphobe who couldn’t tolerate even a speck of dust on his body. He couldn’t understand what he planned to do at a scene reeking with blood spattering and flesh being pulverized.
“Yes, I’m serious.”
When a rather spirited answer came, Kang Taejun let out a low scoff. But strangely, this time too, Park Shinui’s words didn’t sound like empty words. The very fact that it felt sincere was beyond absurd—it was almost grotesque.
