An instinctive declaration of a hunter connected to his guide who wouldn’t receive guiding unless it was from his dedicated guide.
“Gyeong-ah, please. Don’t be like this. Swallow your pride, please!!”
The S-class hunter, who was hanging limply, raised the corners of his mouth with difficulty.
It was a clear refusal. He looked repeatedly at his dedicated guide.
‘Yes, if that is what you want.’
“…Please lay Guide Lee Jua down next to me.”
The medical team carefully placed the S-class guide, who was hanging limply on the stretcher, next to him.
The S-class hunter, on the verge of losing his reason, stretched his arm toward her with his last remaining strength. His hand slowly swept past her cheek.
And words that were clearly his last flowed through his mouth.
“Thank… you, Doyoon.”
A greeting of thanks.
Choi Doyoon couldn’t understand what he was thanking him for.
Putting Baek Gyeong’s name on the Gate dispatch list?
Failing to properly respond to the Deputy Director’s corruption?
That he couldn’t participate in the Gate live broadcast himself?
That I… him…
Water mixed with blood flowed from Baek Gyeong’s mouth.
The kind S-class hunter had drowned himself by filling his respiratory organs with water before losing his reason and rampaging.
His head was dizzy from the noise around him.
The sound of loading his body onto a stretcher and moving it, the siren of the ambulance, the staff of the Superpower Management Bureau running busily to handle the situation while shouting here and there.
Would it have been different if he had the ability to guide?
Would you have accepted the guiding if it was the guiding of a close friend who cherished you the most?
There are so many superpowered people in the database, so why am I not a superpowered person?
Because there is nothing I can do.
I killed him.
The funeral was held very grandly.
All the citizens mourned his death, and he was buried together with his most beloved guide in a place where national heroes are laid to rest.
Large newspapers covered his death in big print, and foreign media criticized the corrupt civil servants of South Korea who led the S-class hunter, a valuable resource, to his death.
Thanks to that, the corruption of the Deputy Director of the Superpower Management Bureau was thoroughly uncovered.
He was immediately dismissed and detained for the crime of causing the death of a national hero.
Choi Doyoon stood in front of his grave.
Among the thousands of flowers left by citizens who mourned his death, Choi Doyoon’s white chrysanthemum was placed neatly.
Doyoon took off the glasses he was wearing and put them down next to it.
It was a final farewell to Baek Gyeong.
Ian’s consciousness, which had been submerged, slowly drifted toward the surface.
The sensations began to return to reality little by little.
I felt like I’d had a very long dream, but I couldn’t remember the exact contents.
I just felt flustered because my eyes were flooded with moisture when I tried to force my heavy eyelids open.
‘What is this? Did I cry in my sleep because of a nightmare at my age?’
There is nothing more embarrassing than showing tears in front of a boss.
I blinked slowly, and the surrounding scenery gradually came into view.
First of all, there was no brilliant chandelier from the Count’s castle.
My whole body was numb, but the stinging sensation where my wounds touched the air made it clear that I was still outside.
However, the air was strangely muggy, and as I rolled my eyes to look around, I could guess that I was in a cave.
And if there was anyone who would have dragged me to a cave… it was certain that ‘he’ was here too.
“So, you’re finally awake.”
The Emperor, whose face looked strangely radiant, was looking down at me while seated.
I had only been tormented until I nearly died.
I really don’t like this.
If we had only made eye contact, it would have been less awkward, but Leonel was bare-chested, so I hurriedly averted my gaze.
“Um… Your Majesty, if you don’t mind me asking, where is your top?”
“If you mean my top, you’re the one wrapped in it.”
“Ah…”
Only then could I recognize the state of my body, which was completely shattered.
My entire body was covered in red, raw wounds that were oozing fluid.
My arms, in particular, were covered in so many wounds that they were plastered with red scabs.
It wasn’t a surprise that I ended up like this after putting my bare skin against something that was crackling with electricity.
A white shirt was wrapped around my left arm, where the pain was most intense.
The binding was a bit sloppy and looked like it would come undone at any moment, but I couldn’t help but smile at his attempt at first aid.
“What are you smiling about? That was reckless.”
“The one who was reckless was you, Your Majesty. You should have stopped when I told you to stop using your ability.”
“Did I get any relief during that time? Now you’re even talking back.”
Ah, right. This man was a tyrant emperor.
I had accidentally spoken to him like a friend because I felt like I had crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed after doing a round of guiding.
Seeing him speak like that, I suppose I should be relieved he didn’t seem to mind it much.
I rolled my eyes and looked away.
But I turned my head the wrong way and ended up meeting his gaze against Leonel’s exposed upper body.
It felt like I was making eye contact with the ‘second eyes’ on his chest.
I was about to turn my head away out of embarrassment, but my gaze fell upon the countless scars on his torso.
It wasn’t like a person had been whipped, but rather jagged, scarred wounds densely covered his chest.
Added to those were fresh wounds from the confrontation with the magical beast, making it unclear what was old and what was just injured.
‘Is this person even okay?’
Noticing my suspicious gaze, Leonel sighed.
“They are old wounds. I am perfectly fine.”
“May I check?”
The Emperor shrugged his shoulders with a sigh, as if to say do as you please.
I activated my skill immediately.
There was no good in leaving the risk of a rampage.
One should always be thorough in their work.
Name: Leonel de Valquia
Fatigue: 30/100
Overload: 60/100 (Rank S)
Matchmaking: Ian (Rank S) – Temporary Guiding in progress
Overall Evaluation: Simple guiding is needed!
Something was wrong.
With an S-rank guide and guiding as intense as that…
Damn, I don’t want to think about it.
