His limbs were melting away.
No. This was an illusion.
What melted away were memories and experiences.
Even trying to gather what scattered, his hands wouldn’t move. Perhaps they really had disappeared.
To grasp the situation, he needed to see and hear something.
The moment he set his mind to it, his vision changed and people’s voices passed by quickly.
“Did you hear about Han Seoha?”
“Which thing? He’s always wrapped up in rumors.”
“Who’d he enchant this time?”
Despite shedding so many false tears, what passed through people’s mouths were sensational stories. Especially this kind, mixed with jealousy and fatigue, was the worst sort of conversation, so it caught his wandering consciousness.
“I heard he fainted from running out of energy while guiding that rescued minor Esper.”
“Not a minor. Han Seoha went into guiding depletion shock.”
“Oh, that. I only saw it in textbooks, I never knew it was a real symptom.”
Fortunately, rather than negative public opinion about Han Seoha, it led to curiosity and interest. The conversation ended there, but their inner thoughts were noisy.
“Like a Guide’s life would be ruined. Going on about minors and everything.”
“I heard if you experience depletion shock, guiding hurts like hell afterward. Ugh, why does Han Seoha go looking for trouble?”
“He’ll get called a saint among Espers again. Ah, so annoying. It’s such a nuisance to Guides who just do their jobs normally.”
He was flustered by their inner feelings being transmitted intact.
The current me shouldn’t be able to interfere with minds.
More than anything, he didn’t have this kind of mind-reading ability.
‘Ah, this is a dream.’
He’d been mistaken because the story about Han Seoha was too realistic. Such rumors could actually spread, but dreams that wouldn’t help right now were meaningless.
Wake up. When there’s a mountain of work to do, how long are you going to leisurely dream?
Open your eyes. Quickly. There’s more than one or two things to deal with.
His mind was urgent but his body wouldn’t move as he wished. He shuddered at the sensation of not even being able to breathe properly due to the frustration.
Won’t you come to your senses? After making such a mess of things, will you be happy when Han Seoha returns?
Rather, he saw a future where he’d be swayed even more than before.
‘That can’t happen.’
“Haa… ugh!”
Even after barely opening his eyes using Han Seoha as collateral, what he saw was an afterimage from the dream. The wavering shadows came into focus after a couple blinks, revealing a hospital ceiling and IV lines. Seeing the bags still half-full, Han Seoha’s expression crumpled with certainty that he’d be alone for a while.
‘Damn misjudgment put Han Seoha in danger.’
While he was managing Han Seoha, he’d considered injuries that could be dealt with as a necessary evil. Even knowing that even if guiding energy was drained to the bottom it would recover, he hadn’t refused Jeong Iro’s excessive actions either.
It was a choice possible because he’d had some confidence in Jeong Iro.
Though it wasn’t a long time, Han Seoha had poured out enough affection and attention to overflow whenever he was with Jeong Iro.
I’m focusing on you.
For you, I can give you everything I have anytime.
You’re the most important thing to me.
Like a fairy tale, he’d whispered and acted this way to Jeong Iro countless times.
He’d thought it would be fine because he’d continuously engraved this fact on Jeong Iro throughout all aspects of life. Because whenever Jeong Iro wanted, Han Seoha would give everything.
‘Am I stupid? What’s the point of emptying a spring that never runs dry?’
While the life of Giro he’d seen through documentaries was pitiful, he’d judged it could be sufficiently exploited.
If the dog that failed to be tamed was actually a wolf, if it was a beast with only instinct, he couldn’t give it any more chances.
‘If it can’t be controlled, cutting ties is the answer.’
Though he’d put effort into keeping Giro close as Jeong Iro, giving up was quick. He couldn’t keep a bomb attached to Han Seoha.
That said, it wasn’t that he didn’t find it regrettable. He tried to raise his arm to hide his face that wanted to contort on its own, but there wasn’t a single place on his body that didn’t hurt, from his fingertips to every corner.
‘This hurts like hell. Unpleasant.’
The aftermath of scraping guiding energy to the bottom remained throughout his body like grains of sand. The unpleasant pain would remain until energy was restored to some degree, but it didn’t particularly bother him.
The sensation of limbs melting and his body scattering in the dream was something he’d already experienced, so the unpleasant pain was rather like proof of substance.
‘I think I’ll be annoyed seeing Jeong Iro.’
It wouldn’t do for Han Seoha to despise or distance himself from his partner due to guiding depletion aftereffects. Though it wasn’t difficult to pretend to pity and cherish Jeong Iro, there was no need to put in effort now.
‘I just need to create a situation.’
If they were physically separated, who would suspect?
He’d planned to use Jeong Iro when finding the original body, but with things turning out this way, he had to change plans too. Even if it became a bit more troublesome, it wasn’t like there were no methods.
If you don’t have teeth, use gums. If you don’t have abilities, just replace them with items.
‘Would this be about halfway through a long-term strategy?’
The item Han Seoha was aiming for still had to be excavated much later, so if he pulled some strings, he could claim it first.
There aren’t many remaining cards worth using.
Ryu Jaegeon was in a detention facility. Jeong Iro would be in a similar situation, but unlike with Ryu Jaegeon, it was obvious that even if Han Seoha pleaded for leniency, it wouldn’t work.
Rather, it was an opportunity. The picture of being unavoidably separated because he couldn’t act, rather than being restrained by clumsy affection or possessiveness, was beneficial to Han Seoha in many ways.
‘I can do this. I’ve already done it once.’
Leaking information and creating situations.
It wasn’t like he had to create a mission that didn’t exist like last time. Just breathing a little vitality into incomplete Gate conquests.
The Gate Han Seoha was aiming for was a rank where it would be difficult for a C-rank Guide to participate, but not entirely impossible.
Since Jeong Iro was detained, it was suitable as an excuse to try to do something to get him out.
‘Since the rumor’s already out, let’s use it thoroughly.’
Han Seoha staggered away from the bed as if belatedly coming to his senses.
He intended to become prey for those whispering about how far he would sacrifice for Espers.
* * *
The area around the Gate at dawn was as bright as midday with dozens of large lights. They were densely arranged without missing any spot, to the point of being dazzling.
Baek Uihyeon, returning from the Gate, was in his usual crisp uniform. If someone who didn’t know saw him, they might mistake that he’d changed clothes inside—there wasn’t a single stain.
Burning or blowing away demon beast poison or fluids the moment they touched him before exiting the Gate wasn’t for convenience. He was wary of coming outside bearing traces of demon beasts that might have unknown effects on ordinary people. He understood the duty of those with power and had worked to protect ordinary people. Enough to silently comply even with the Association Director’s excessive work assignments.
For the past few years, Baek Uihyeon hadn’t questioned it. Though the guiding was painful, he’d felt gratitude for the Guides newly assigned each season to fulfill their role.
But upon receiving news about Han Seoha as soon as he exited the Gate, Baek Uihyeon threw away his entire remaining schedule.
“Return to the Association.”
“Yes, sir.”
The person in charge, who had organized information on Han Seoha in real-time as Baek Uihyeon had instructed, gave up on persuasion and grabbed the steering wheel. Checking the tablet he’d received again, Baek Uihyeon’s head throbbed even though it had been fine despite the Gate’s poison.
18:25 Consciousness recovered
19:00 Discharge procedures suspended. Discharge recommended next day per protocol
19:10 Unauthorized departure from hospital room
19:30 Visit to detention building
Visit to Ryu Jaegeon’s temporary detention cell
Visit to Jeong Iro’s cell denied
21:00 Strong objection raised regarding related treatment
He hadn’t expected Han Seoha to lie quietly in his hospital room from the start. Given his temperament, there was no way he’d just watch Ryu Jaegeon in temporary custody and Jeong Iro formally detained.
As soon as he regains consciousness, he’ll try to save those two first even if his own body breaks. Baek Uihyeon had expected this too, so he’d instructed his aide to track all of Han Seoha’s movements.
All these actions were very much like Han Seoha. He could picture him charging in without hesitation even into matters a mere C-rank Guide couldn’t resolve.
The problem was that it ended with an unexpected Gate participation.
“Why is Seoha-ssi on the regular exploration roster?”
“I apologize.”
“It’s been only one day. Half of which he was unconscious from shock. A C-rank Guide’s Gate support getting approved in just a few hours.”
Who on earth did such an absurd thing?
Though he wanted to interrogate Han Seoha himself, he couldn’t bear it without venting at the suffocating feeling like something was choking his throat.
“Did the Guard just watch while Han Seoha did this?”
“I apologize.”
There was no point interrogating the aide.
More than anything, what burned Baek Uihyeon’s insides was that even though there was a Guard, they hadn’t helped Han Seoha until he himself rushed to the hospital room.
Even if the Association Director’s surveillance was the reason, he’d thought they would protect him for the sake of their purpose, but what could he expect now from a Guard that didn’t budge even when a Guide collapsed?
It was at least better when Jeong Iro, who deceived about his rank and played innocent, was attached to Han Seoha. Even that was no longer believable since he’d taken guiding to the point of putting the Guide in danger.
“Where is Han Seoha now?”
“At Lee Yeongjin’s suggestion, he returned to the Guide dormitory.”
Though he was grateful anyone was looking after Han Seoha, Esper Guards couldn’t constantly stay at the Guide dormitory. The Guard was useless anyway, but it meant Han Seoha was alone. Instead of exploding with rising anger, Baek Uihyeon hurriedly turned his steps.
