Chapter 18: High-Risk Abilities and Unforeseen Alliances

Chapter 18

‘Internal Ability Concentration: High Risk’

“As indicated here, an ability has been detected within Sogum’s body.”

“…An ability?”

An ability detected in my body, a Guide’s? That was preposterous, unless it was merely a lingering trace from the regression I had just experienced. As I gazed at the emergency responder with a bewildered expression, they spoke once more.

“Has there been an Esper who has continuously infused their ability into Sogum? Naturally, I’m referring to a consensual relationship.”

I had no recollection of continuous exposure to an Esper’s ability, neither before nor after the regression. When I shook my head without a moment’s hesitation, the emergency responder’s expression deepened into one of grave concern.

“Hmm. This is unusual. For a Guide student to exhibit readings this high, there must be some underlying cause…”

“If the readings are high, does it mean there’s something wrong with my body?”

“Indeed. There are primarily two scenarios in which such a potent concentration of an Esper’s ability would be detected within a Guide’s body.”

The emergency responder appeared to deliberate profoundly before finally opening their mouth once more.

“Sogum, do you happen to have a paired Esper? If so, please also state what kind of ability that Esper possesses.”

“Ah, yes, I do. It hasn’t been long, but it’s Yoon Geon-woo…”

“Yoon Geon-woo, you say?”

Upon hearing Yoon Geon-woo’s name, the emergency responder’s expression shifted, as if they now grasped the full context of the situation. What followed from their lips was a question of a rather delicate nature.

“Have you, perhaps, engaged in intimate guiding with your paired Esper within the recent past?”

‘Intimate guiding’…? Only then did the underlying implication of the emergency responder’s words dawn on me.

‘Could it be that the ‘consensual relationship’ they mentioned earlier was a veiled reference to penetrative guiding?’

There was no room for such an interpretation; Yoon Geon-woo and I weren’t even remotely that kind of couple to begin with. Startled, I immediately hastened to clarify.

“No! We’ve only been paired for a very short while. We… we only performed mucosal guiding via oral contact for a brief moment.”

“Ah, I’m not attempting to reprimand you, Sogum. I merely inquired because, for a Guide’s body to exhibit such elevated readings, the only plausible explanations are either penetrative guiding within the past half-day or exposure to a mental ability.”

The emergency responder’s subsequent words were nothing short of shocking. While I could readily dismiss the former possibility, having never engaged in such an act, the latter filled me with profound suspicion.

The abrupt regression and death that had befallen me, along with all the other bewildering circumstances, could indeed have been the result of some unknown Esper’s machinations.

‘A mental ability, of all things. Why does this feel so familiar…?’

As I mentally scanned for anyone in my vicinity capable of wielding a mental ability, the emergency responder promptly added another point.

“The preliminary examination Sogum just underwent was merely a simplified screening, and as such, the results aren’t entirely definitive.”

“Then… can I not get a more accurate test?”

“Of course, that’s entirely possible. Reviewing Sogum’s examination chart, it appears a comprehensive diagnostic test is indeed warranted.”

My body condition was such that it necessitated a comprehensive diagnostic test. Upon receiving this unexpectedly grave news, a wave of nausea inexplicably washed over me.

“Sogum, have you ever encountered the Esper teacher who works in the SAA infirmary?”

“You mean the infirmary teacher with glasses? Yes, I have!”

“Then, make sure to visit the infirmary sometime next week. I’ll ensure they’re pre-informed about your situation, Sogum, so they can facilitate the examination for you there.”

“Is that possible in the infirmary?”

“Ordinarily, the most precise diagnostic tests necessitate a visit to the central facility. However, Sogum, you are in your final year, are you not? It struck me that taking time off during the semester might prove rather challenging for you.”

“That’s true, but…”

“First, we will conduct precise measurements using the portable equipment available from the central facility. Should we still be unable to ascertain the cause thereafter, then a visit to the central center would be advisable.”

The emergency responder kindly elaborated on the subsequent procedures and implications.

It was a reasonable suspicion, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that such an exceptional degree of favor shown to a mere student like myself was likely due to my status as Yoon Geon-woo’s temporary paired Guide.

‘I wish I hadn’t mentioned Yoon Geon-woo.’

Yet, had I kept my mouth tightly shut, I wouldn’t have been able to answer when asked about my paired Esper’s ability. All I truly knew about Yoon Geon-woo was his capacity to wield fire-elemental abilities, manifesting as blue flames, and his affliction as a ‘Helper Killer’ addict who vehemently rejected guiding.

Typically, Espers of B-rank or lower were confined to a single ability, with dual or multiple abilities appearing only rarely among A-ranks. However, given the extreme rarity even within A-rank, absolutely nothing was known regarding S-rank multi-ability users.

‘Isn’t the likelihood of an S-rank possessing multiple abilities inherently greater than that of an A-rank?’

If A-ranks could exhibit multiple abilities that B-ranks lacked, then the probability of an S-rank like Yoon Geon-woo possessing two or more abilities was far from negligible. Should he, by some remote chance, possess both fire-elemental and mental abilities, the entire narrative would shift dramatically.

‘But for what conceivable reason…?’

That man, who would convulse at the mere touch of a Guide’s hand, hardly seemed the type to have orchestrated such a malevolent scheme against me.

“Sogum, will you be able to participate in class? If your physical condition isn’t optimal, I can prescribe a glucose drip for you; perhaps you should rest while receiving it.”

As I was mentally calculating the potential link between my unusual physical state and Yoon Geon-woo, the emergency responder offered a welcome suggestion. In my heart, I longed to collapse from exhaustion, both physically and mentally, and simply rest. However, the horrific shooting incident I had just endured refused to leave my mind, making it impossible for me to absent myself from the situation.

The worst-case scenario would be to conclude that all the events I had experienced were the result of a mental Esper’s manipulation… yet, the only known user of such an ability, to my current knowledge, was Esper Jung Eui-chan.

‘Surely, a teacher affiliated with the central facility wouldn’t stoop to such an act against me.’

I shook away the tangled thoughts swirling in my mind, offering myself a silent reassurance. I refused to simply dismiss everything I had witnessed, experienced, and felt today as mere fabrication. Indeed, I found the hypothesis that Yoon Geon-woo had used his abilities to regress me far more palatable.

‘Clearly, earlier… a new model of taser gun, one actually used in real gates, had been mixed in.’

The protective gear students were currently wearing, in preparation for the Death Game, had been calibrated to withstand the force of practice firearms. Given that someone’s taser gun had pierced my body, despite me wearing that practice gear, it served as undeniable proof that an actual field-grade weapon had been surreptitiously introduced.

‘I had hoped it would pass without incident… But it seems this is how things will ultimately unfold.’

It was an undeniably unfortunate turn of events, yet there remained one silver lining. Previously, only eight students, comprising four teams in total, had managed to survive.

Excluding Yoon Geon-woo and myself, a total of six students, including Park Hyeon-seo’s team, would become prime suspects in my death.

I pondered whether the incident could be resolved by either targeting and neutralizing those six individuals during the practice, or by simply approaching them beforehand to inspect their firearms.

‘To proceed according to plan, I will undeniably need Yoon Geon-woo’s power… But how can I secure it?’

The most pressing matter was the reformation of the unruly Yoon Geon-woo. If the same events were to repeat themselves as last time, it seemed utterly impossible to prevent the shooting incident.

I felt compelled to resolve this critical issue before participating in the Death Game, yet I was at a loss as to how I could possibly persuade Yoon Geon-woo. He was not the type to easily cooperate, even if I were to plead with him desperately.

As I deliberated for a moment, a promising strategy to motivate Yoon Geon-woo suddenly came to mind. It seemed, in fact, to be the only viable method I currently possessed to influence him.

****

After a brief flurry of activity, the break time concluded. In the interim, preparations for the practical exercise had been finalized, signaling the commencement of the second period, where the full-fledged Death Game was set to begin.

This Death Game was one I had chosen to enter, having explicitly resisted the emergency responder’s earnest recommendation that I ought to take a full day to rest.

If I were to simply retreat to the infirmary or my dorm bed, lie down, and ignore everything, I might find immediate comfort. But then, wouldn’t someone else inevitably get hurt or even die in my stead?

‘The thought of my classmates suffering such a fate in my place… they would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.’

Recalling the six individuals I needed to be wary of, I re-entered the practice arena, resolute in my determination to inspect their firearms. However, even this resolve felt a step too late. Most of the students had already completed their stealth preparations and were poised for the game to commence.

Amidst them, to my surprise, Yoon Geon-woo stood waiting for me by the entrance to the practice arena. I was so profoundly moved by this seemingly trivial fact that I nearly embraced him tightly, much like Han Seon-ho would typically do to me.

“Yoon Geon-woo!”

As I approached him with a radiant smile, Yoon Geon-woo’s brows furrowed, and he instinctively took a step back. His discomfort and the burden he felt from my demeanor were writ large across his face, but at that moment, what did it matter?

“You waited for me.”

“…You told me to wait.”

I had earnestly implored Yoon Geon-woo to remain by my side throughout the Death Game. When I had feigned illness as a necessary tactic, he had hesitated for a moment before agreeing. It must have been the lingering effect of our previous communication in front of the vending machine.

However, perhaps because his affirmation had been extracted under duress, he appeared quite sulky, seemingly displeased about participating in the Death Game with me.

“You haven’t forgotten what I told you earlier, have you?”

“I’m not a goldfish. How could I forget what you were rattling on about just moments ago?”

Yoon Geon-woo replied brusquely. Yet, his sullen demeanor didn’t seem as irritating as before. Standing with him in the center of the practice arena, his distorted expression from just before my death vividly resurfaced in my memory.

‘Now that I think about it, he gave me his uniform top, and he even waited for me right until the practice began…’

Though these were minor gestures, I felt a renewed sense of gratitude towards him. To think that the typically aloof Yoon Geon-woo, who usually radiated only cold indifference, would call my name with an expression of utter devastation.

Given his usual callousness, I had assumed he wouldn’t care much for my well-being. But in unexpected ways, he revealed a surprising side to himself.

“Alright, no charging headfirst this time.”

“This time?”

“No, it’s nothing. Just ignore it.”

I subtly dropped a hint about the regression, but unfortunately, Yoon Geon-woo didn’t seem to grasp it. Whether he genuinely didn’t understand or was merely pretending, I couldn’t tell.

I glanced at Yoon Geon-woo standing beside me. Having given me his uniform top, he was now clad only in a tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt, adorned with protective gear and a taser gun.

He looked cold, and his attire felt severely out of season. Still, recalling the burning warmth of his touch earlier, it seemed like a concern I didn’t need to dwell on.

As I observed Yoon Geon-woo, a realization struck me.

‘Wait, now that I look closely, his body is quite…’

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