The higher the number, the worse the condition.
When an Esper’s wavelength rises, they go into a “Rampage” (Overload).
A level over 50% was the warning stage, and over 70% was the danger stage.
He had heard that anyone over 80% was usually quarantined.
A Rampage was a state where an Esper used excessive power, causing the internal wavelength to go out of control.
If they rampaged, they would die.
Dying would be one thing, but the out-of-control wavelength would manifest as power and explode outward.
The range of that explosion depended on the Esper’s rank.
Regardless, the only way to lower this wavelength was through a Guide.
Guides possessed “Guiding Energy,” and by transferring that energy through contact, they could lower an Esper’s wavelength.
Guiding could range from simple hand-holding to hugging, kissing, and sex.
The acts they were performing out there were their version of guiding.
They didn’t have to go that far, but they insisted on receiving guiding only through sex.
It was an act they could only perform because they looked down on the very Guides who held their lives in their hands.
That’s probably why they turned the protagonist’s life into such a tragedy.
Tapping the screen again revealed information about Kang Haeyong.
[Kang Haeyong (21) S-Class Esper: Copy Ability]
Awakening Date: March 4, 20XX
Affiliation: Korea Superhuman Center, Seoul Branch, Field Team 1
Assigned Guide: None
Skimming through, Haeyong realized it had been three years since Kang Haeyong awakened as an Esper.
Three years meant he had awakened as a minor.
He felt it was impressive in a way that the original Haeyong had endured this hellhole for three years.
Tapping the screen once more brought up icons to request a Guide or contact team members.
It was certain Kang Haeyong hadn’t used either for three years.
‘Is this year really three years after the awakening?’
When he tapped the calendar icon, the year was the same as the world he lived in.
However, the season was different.
Before entering Kang Haeyong’s body, it had been the transition from autumn to winter, but the calendar on the Gear said March.
It was spring.
Thinking back, the weather did feel like spring.
At any rate, it confirmed it had been three years since the awakening.
It seemed he couldn’t check things like contracts on the Gear.
In the novel, the protagonist signed a contract with the Center upon awakening as a Guide and signed another when joining Team 1.
He figured it was the same for Espers.
The information on the Gear was limited to just that.
The wavelength was higher than expected, but since he wasn’t going to use his powers immediately and there were guiding drugs he could take, it should be fine.
The problem was mental health management.
Even if an Esper didn’t use their powers, their wavelength would rise if their mental state was unstable.
The wavelength was likely that high because Kang Haeyong’s mind had been pushed to the brink.
“I wonder where the phone is…”
Even as an Esper, he was a modern person, so he had to have a phone.
Even if there was no one to call, there were infinite things he could do with a phone.
He absolutely needed one to carry out his plan.
Since there was nothing in the room but a clothes rack, Haeyong walked toward it.
He searched through every pocket of the identical uniforms hanging there.
“Found…!”
Haeyong almost shouted and barely managed to cover his mouth.
He wondered if finding a phone was really something to be this happy about.
The problem was that the phone had been off for so long that the battery was dead.
No matter how much he searched the room, he couldn’t find a charger.
A soft groan of frustration escaped his lips.
Since those bastards wouldn’t be staying cooped up in the house forever, Haeyong decided he’d head out as soon as they left.
The phone was a crucial part of his plan; he couldn’t give up on it.
He scoured the room once more for anything else useful, but it really was a room where what you saw was all you got.
He sat quietly on the bare floor for a while, checking his Gear until enough time had passed, then cautiously opened his senses.
He couldn’t feel a single presence in the house. It seemed they had all gone out.
“Whew…”
Realizing he was alone, he let out a long sigh of relief.
He wondered where he should start looking for a charger, but as soon as he stepped into the living room, he found what he was looking for.
He spotted a wireless charger built into the armrest of a large sofa.
He was able to find it because it looked remarkably similar to a sofa a friend had shown him a few months before he woke up as Kang Haeyong, mentioning how much they wanted it.
It was one of those high-tech sofas with built-in speakers—the kind where you couldn’t tell if it was furniture or a computer.
At the time, Haeyong had just shaken his head and told his friend to buy a house that could actually fit such a thing first.
If he hadn’t seen that sofa then, he might have had to risk going into those jerks’ rooms to find a charger.
He was glad he could avoid that situation, as he had no idea what would happen if he were caught.
To be honest, given the state of his room, he had worried the phone might be ancient, but Kang Haeyong’s phone was a recent model.
Looking at the sofa and the phone, it seemed some things hadn’t changed much.
“It’s on…!”
Even though he knew he was alone, Haeyong found himself whispering in a tiny voice.
He did this despite knowing that as Espers, they could easily hear him regardless.
As soon as the phone powered on, it began to chime repeatedly with notification alerts.
‘Wasn’t he supposed to be an outcast?’
Haeyong raised an eyebrow.
Just then, the phone vibrated steadily in his hand.
[Mother]
Haeyong reached for the phone but hesitated at the sight of a caller ID he had never seen on his own device.
He knew, of course, that this phone wasn’t his.
But he couldn’t help the strange, sinking feeling in his chest.
The vibration stopped, then started again, shaking Haeyong out of his momentary trance.
Though he wasn’t prepared for this at all, he pressed the answer button as if possessed.
— Kang Haeyong. Do I always have to be the one to call first? If you’re not going to call, at least don’t keep your phone turned off. Are you looking down on your mother now just because you became an Esper? Sigh… Kang Haeyong. Speak if you have a mouth. Don’t act like a mute again.
The moment he heard the voice on the other end, Haeyong realized that yes, the world really was ostratizing Kang Haeyong.
Haeyong had always held a bit of a fantasy about what it meant to have a family.
Of course, he knew not all families were happy.
Even in a world without monsters or Gates, monsters still existed—people who abandoned their own children without a second thought, or those who abused and neglected children who deserved nothing but love.
Though the novel hadn’t delved into Kang Haeyong’s family history, Haeyong could tell immediately: Kang Haeyong’s family belonged to the latter.
— Haa, why do I even bother talking to you. Hae-ah needs to hold an exhibition this time. I saw today that you went into a Gate and came back out, is that right?
“…Yes.”
Haeyong hesitated, then gave a short answer.
There were just too many things he had to handle as a “madman.”
He let out a sigh, wondering exactly what kind of life Kang Haeyong had been living.
— Then your pay must have been settled immediately. The Center is good at being quick about those things. I’ll text you the amount Hae-ah needs for the exhibition, so send it over. And send this month’s living expenses, too. You’re only able to earn this money because I gave birth to you as an Esper. You’re not unhappy about this, are you? Haeyong-ah.
