* * *

The moment Ye Eunsoo stepped onto the scene, all he could feel was utter disgust toward the world.

I knew it would be like this.

Though he’d only been a part of society for half a year, Ye Eunsoo had long lost faith in “adults.”

Cha Junseong had asked him to trust and leave everything to him, but Eunsoo couldn’t.

That man had an absurd tendency to trust others too much.

Did he genuinely not know that not everyone in this world was like him, or was he just pretending not to?

Either way, Eunsoo was relieved he didn’t trust him and came here himself.

The stench must be coming from this side.

The fact that illegal espers were able to settle in the metropolitan area and even make such conspicuous moves could only mean that they had powerful backing.

Someone influential, no doubt.

They had created an organization by roping in civilians and were running a large-scale business.

There was no way this wasn’t deeply connected to someone in power.

That said, Cha Junseong was also sincere about this operation.

Even though the real power behind the Cha family had personally stepped in, which made it impossible to halt the mission entirely, he would have surely tried to help Seo Shinwoo and his crew in other ways.

Details of the operation would have been leaked, and someone might have even deliberately created a gap to exploit.

That’s why Eunsoo chose to work alone and avoid direct involvement.

Tracking his targets wasn’t difficult.

It felt as if every esper in the area was within his grasp.

All he had to do was locate a group fleeing at full speed, far beyond the known coordinates.

Following a secret passage, he quickly spotted a group of men.

Around five or six espers were moving swiftly through the corridor.

They were likely Seo Shinwoo and his top cronies.

He couldn’t resist calling out their pathetic retreat.

“So this is how your ‘executives’ act? Hiding behind your lackeys while you run away.”

The men, alerted by his presence, drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

Their bloodlust was palpable, but when Eunsoo stepped out alone, their tension quickly turned to ridicule.

“What the hell? You’re alone?”

“Wow. Look at this fearless idiot.”

“Talking big, but it seems like you came here just to die.”

To Eunsoo, their bluster sounded more like trembling voices that had hit too close to the mark.

Even these pathetic cowards wouldn’t feel great about abandoning their subordinates and running away.

If they felt that way, they shouldn’t have tried to flee in the first place.

Eunsoo tilted his chin up—a habit of his. His lowered eyes glimmered with disdain.

“Cowards don’t scare me.”

“You bastard, I’ll kill you!”

The largest man in the group charged at him, his arm suddenly bulking up monstrously as he swung it toward Eunsoo.

A physical-enhancement-type esper.

Similar to Jake Polwel’s beast transformation ability, but far inferior.

To Eunsoo, who had become accustomed to the movements of Jake Polwel and Rex Hamilton, the attack was laughably slow.

These guys are worse than the ones rampaging upstairs.

Unlike their minions, whom they drugged to the point of berserk resistance, these “leaders” didn’t show any trace of that peculiar smell.

It seemed they were too terrified of losing control.

Well, fear of berserk states was practically instinctual for espers.

They only managed to control the weaker ones by instilling a greater fear to override it.

And yet, they lacked the courage to overcome their own fears while forcing others to do so.

Disgusting.

Do these people even deserve to live?

At the very least, it would only be fair to make them feel the same terror.

“What the hell? Why won’t he—guh! Ugh!”

Eunsoo, who had been dodging with minimal effort, suddenly reached out and grabbed the unregistered esper by the head.

The man, who had been thrilled by the thought that Eunsoo had closed the gap himself, froze in momentary triumph.

But the next instant, his expression contorted in agony.

Blood began to pour from his eyes, ears, and nose.

Within ten seconds, he coughed up blood and collapsed as Eunsoo released his grip.

It was like going berserk, but weaker and more powerless.

The sight of their comrade collapsing grotesquely shook the confidence of the remaining espers, especially those proud of their esper abilities.

“One down.”

“What… is this… Aaargh!”

“Two.”

Without batting an eye at the bloodied mess before him, Eunsoo reached for his third target.

It took less than a minute to incapacitate all five of the trembling men one by one, using the same method.

“P-please… don’t come any closer!”

-BANG!-

A deafening gunshot tore through the air, along with a terrified scream.

The fact that someone fired a gun despite risking exposure meant they were completely consumed by fear.

The man’s trembling hands and wet pants spoke volumes.

A desperate shot, no doubt. But unfortunately for him, Eunsoo wasn’t careless enough to get hit by a poorly aimed bullet.

“…Well, that’s going to complicate things.”

“Don’t come near me! Stay away!”

Terrified, the man broke down completely as Eunsoo advanced.

Finally, he turned the gun on himself.

But Eunsoo was faster.

Twisting the man’s wrist, he disarmed him and rendered him unconscious with the same method as the others.

That left only one.

“Damn it… So the rumors about a crazy guide were true…”

The last man standing was none other than Seo Shinwoo himself.

Eunsoo hadn’t intended to spare him, but somehow the cowardly leader was the last to remain.

Despite lacking the courage to act, Seo Shinwoo still managed to keep his mouth running, a trait Eunsoo couldn’t help but find impressive.

Well, his ability is in that field, after all.

A mental manipulation esper.

Even without combat abilities, he had survived the brutal underworld and become its leader, thanks to his silver tongue.

Perhaps it was fortunate.

At least this one was still coherent enough to talk.

Eunsoo released the head of the esper he had been holding and picked up the fallen gun.

“Talk.”

“About what?”

“You met Yang Heewoon, didn’t you? Where is he now?”

Seo Shinwoo paused as if confused, then broke into a sly smile.

“Oh… that B-grade guide?”

“Yes. Where is he?”

At Eunsoo’s question, a meaningful smirk spread across Seo Shinwoo’s face.

“What do you think I did to him?”

“…”

“He was delicious. Clung so tightly, soft and springy… Even with all those esper records in the Administration, he felt like a fresh first bite.”

Eunsoo’s face hardened at his sneering remarks, emboldening Shinwoo further.

“It’s too bad he couldn’t survive. Tossed him into the ocean, all sealed up. You might find a bloated corpse if you’re lucky—”

-SMACK!-

A thunderous crack rang out as Seo Shinwoo’s bulky frame was hurled to the ground.

Even after collapsing in an unsightly heap, it took him a moment to grasp what had just happened.

That wasn’t a blow any ordinary guide could deliver.

This was the power of an A-rank esper—or possibly even higher.

Shinwoo looked utterly shaken.

“A guide… shouldn’t have this kind of strength…”

The belief that no guide could physically overpower an esper was considered an unshakable truth.

Even after footage of Eunsoo subduing espers went viral, many doubted its authenticity.

The first S-class Guide in the country.

His youth and striking looks seemed destined to attract attention, leading many to believe the Administration exaggerated his accomplishments in their promotions.

Seo Shinwoo must have been one of those people.

A fresh-faced young man, barely twenty years old.

It seemed he’d tried to exploit an opening to brainwash others with his abilities to escape the crisis.

But now, it was time for him to realize his limits.

“Tell me, why does the world think it’s natural for Espers to humiliate Guides?”

Ye Eunsoo removed his gloves as he approached the fallen Seo Shinwoo.

His low voice, dripping with a chilling malice, sent shivers through the air.

Something was wrong.

Seo Shinwoo’s face turned deathly pale.

Those who had collapsed so far ended up in bad shape but never dead.

However, the murderous intent directed at Seo Shinwoo now was entirely different.

If he died, it wouldn’t be a clean death.

Basic survival instincts overrode his ambition as a human and an Esper.

“W-wait! No! He’s not dead! That B-class Gu—ugh!”

But it was already too late.

Ye Eunsoo shoved his removed glove into Seo Shinwoo’s mouth, silencing him as if he couldn’t care less about what the man had to say.

Grabbing Seo Shinwoo by the collar, Ye Eunsoo pulled him closer.

The terrified face of the young man was reflected in Eunsoo’s cold, emotionless blue eyes.

“I know.”

Ye Eunsoo’s fist shot upward.

* * *