Declaration of Extra Strike

As soon as I woke up in the morning, I called Yeon Seung-yeon’s contact on my cell phone without delay.

[ Yes, Ho-hyun nim. I did find out, but I was going to tell you when it’s more certain….]

“No. Tell me now!”

At my urging, Yeon Seung-yeon eventually said in a hesitant voice.

[I didn’t know that because it was not my jurisdiction, but the Guide is always unprepared to handle Esper, so it is difficult to accept the original Guide’s resignation. It’s not well-received. Especially when Ho-hyun, you serve as a Guide to just one team. It’s more difficult because you’re essential to the team.]

“I’m really bad at guiding. And they’re still going to keep me? What if I can’t find my memory forever and can’t be a Guide? Even though he said I would go out on my own if I only paid taxes?”

[Yes… Rather, if it is not essential manpower, it is easy to be dispatched to a foreign country and transferred as a public guide. This makes it harder to quit. It’s practically for life…………. This is the question for Ho-hyun. As far as I know, Guides who have not been on the field for more than three months will be graded from the quarterly evaluation and will be graded as public guides.]

“A public guide?”

[Yes, it’s a place where you have to do Guiding by contracts……….]

What? Then what do you want me to do?

You just said you can’t quit because you’re an essential worker, but you’ll become a public Guide as soon as you get off from being the essential worker?

“Then how do I stop? Can’t I quit?”

[The easiest way is if Ho-hyun reveals his skills, then the production team will scout you. The center will be eager to take you anyway, so it will be more beneficial to send you to a production awakening than a C-class Guide. Rather than rotting as a Guide, it’s better to show off your talents………….]

“You can’t.”

Yeon Seung-yeon’s voice, which had been overshadowed by my firm voice, sounded sullen.

“I told you, I don’t want to tell anyone. Don’t you see why I’m leaving?”

[…………I’m sorry. I should have looked into it harder, but I thought you were in a hurry so.…….]

I was tied to Nox and Tae Je-heon all my life. Now I vowed not to belong to any place.

I’m going to set up a studio and sell things to hunters face-to-face-to-face. And the tide has already been set. Through Yeon Seungyeon, who is more diligent than I thought, is useful, and shows a bit of talent.

He sighed at the sullen voice that was heard over the cell phone and shook his head.

“No, thank you for your hard work. You should leave with me.”

[…Yes!!]

Yeon Seung-yeon replied in an excited voice, as if he had ever become sullen.

I felt much better when I thought about the future of making money and hanging out leisurely.

“So, what am I supposed to do right now?”

[It’s important not to be a public guide right now, so you have to move on without a mistake in the quarterly evaluation before three months have passed. Let’s continue to see if there are any other ways.]

“All right.”

When I hung up the phone with Yeon Seung-yeon and came out of the room, Han Seo-jin, who was just dressed, glanced at me.

“That researcher?”

“Yes.”

“…… Get ready and come out. I’ll start the car.”

Han Seo-jin left first, and I belatedly followed him with the new textbook I received yesterday.

As I was walking down the stairs alone, someone was standing under the stairs waiting for me.

“Ah, Ho-hyun ah!”

“Ye Seung-woo?”

It was Ye Sung-woo, the main Guide of the Ravn team.

When I went down the stairs, Ye Sung-woo approached me.

“Do you have time?” I want to talk to you for a moment.”

“No, I’m on my way out.”

“Oh”

Yesung-woo was a little embarrassed and blurted out the end of his words. I asked as I checked the time on my cell phone.

“If you have something to say, say it now. I don’t have the time, but I’ll listen.”

“.. You’ve changed a lot.”

Ye Sung-woo muttered with a strange expression as his attitude changed slightly.

“How far do you remember?”

“How far do you mean?”

“The incident in the past, or the medicine you used to take. Or Su Yoon…”

Just in time, the cell phone rang and Han Seo-jin’s name popped up. It was clear that the phone call was urging him to come out quickly.

“I can’t stand it…”

I looked at Yesung-woo while putting my cell phone away.

“I don’t remember. Nothing at all.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes. If you’re done with what you have to say, I’m leaving.”

I rushed to the front door, leaving Ye Sung-woo behind.

***

As I lay down to sleep, a hand stuck out of the dark and poked my cheek. When I hit the hand hard, a smiling breathing sound came out from the side, causing my anger to soar.

“What?”

“You’re not going to Guide me?”

“You said you didn’t need it. Didn’t you say it was terrible?”

“Yes, but it just helps me sleep.”

Days after Yeon Seung-yeon’s advice, I became quite serious about learning to Guide Han Seo-jin.

However, the problem wasn’t that my efforts were overshadowed by the fact that I’m forced to take them away, it was that Han Seojin’s need to resolve the conflict didn’t go away at all. The fact that Han Seo-jin couldn’t lie at all was the problem.

Even yesterday, for the first time, I succeeded in Guiding Han Seo-jin by holding his hand…….

—Hey! Just now!

When I first felt the flow of the guide and looked excitedly at Han Seo-jin who returned the answer with a curious expression.

—Why?

—I just succeeded. Guiding!

—Oh…………….I’m sorry. I didn’t feel it because it was so weak.

…… What?

There was a significant crack in my pride. The only S-class potion maker in the world, Kang Eui-jin, who was even given the title “Master,” was always aware of the adulation and envious looks that trailed me!!!

It was all the more disappointing because I never had the memory of not getting the results I wanted, even though this was not my skill.

Deeply offended, I declared to Han Seo-jin,

—I won’t learn Guiding from you!

—……… Excuse me?

Today was the day I met Go Eun-young and took a guided practice and a supplementary class on theory in guiding for the first time.

To be honest… Unlike Han Seo-jin, the Guiding tour with the machine in front of her was very boring. I also slept for 7 hours of the 8 hours long theory class, so I couldn’t sleep even if I tried to.

“At the time, it was… it was a joke.”

“Don’t make me laugh. I know you're lying even if I don’t have skills like you.”

“So are you going to continue to get training at the education center? Practice would be better than theory.”

“Learn from me.”

I didn’t want to do it in a class that was much less fun than expected anyway but my heart weakened a little when Han Seo-jin said that.

However, he didn’t want to respond to Han Seo-jin’s proposal, so he turned his back and lied down as if he didn’t want to talk to him.

Han Seo-jin brought up another topic when he heard a small laugh behind him.

“Tomorrow, we’re going out of the team center.”

“What?”

At the word “out of the center,” I jumped up and looked after Han Seo-jin.

“What about me? Me, too?”

I can’t believe I can get out of this island. Maybe I can run away? Or I could go and check Nox’s movements for a while, or I could go and meet people I knew…… Expectations and excitement rose in an instant.

Han Seo-jin, who seemed surprised by my violent reaction for a moment, slowly opened his mouth. However, what came out of the mouth was to break expectations.

“Hyung…..can’t go.”

“Why can’t I go? You said it was a team mission.”

“You can go into the dungeon and do something now but you don’t even know how to deal with monsters yet. You barely learned how to Guide.”

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Pause

Unmute

I closed my mouth, speechless at what just came out of Han Seo-jin’s mouth.

It wasn’t wrong. Even though I used to set up my equipment before, it’s obvious that Joo Ho-hyun’s body, who can’t use his skills, will only be a burden.

‘It means I can’t escape at the end.’

I was worn out by the fact that the opportunity to escape had disappeared as Han Seo-jin, who had risen up with me, peered down at me.

“Do you want to go out?”

“Of course.”

Han Seo-jin stared at me silently at the answer that was uttered without any hesitation. I didn’t know what he was thinking until long after he opened his mouth.

“There’s nothing lacking in the center. What is the reason you want to get out?”

“There are so many that I can’t say them all even in one day.”

Even though I hadn’t experienced it for a few days, there were more than one or two deep-rooted evils scattered at the Esper Guide Center. Starting with managing the status window of the awakened person and interrupting the resignation with all the provisions to set up a Guide. 

When I heard it from the outside, I wouldn’t have believed it and thought it was exaggerated. Although it has the advantage of avoiding Tae Je-heon’s search network as the island is closed…

At least, it was obvious what would happen if it was discovered that I was Kang Eui-jin. For all sorts of reasons, I think there’s a high probability that this body would be tied up.

I roughly swallowed the thought that the Esper, especially the one in front of him, was the problem as Han Seo-jin urged me to continue talking with his eyes.

“I’m curious. I’m curious about dungeons and monsters outside the center.”

“……is it frustrating?”

“Oh, yes. It’s so frustrating. Can I leave when I remember?”

If so, should I pretend that my memory has returned without affirmation or denial when Han Seo-jin asked?

“Maybe.”

“What is that vague answer?”

“I didn’t go out to the set often before.”

He tilted his head in wonder. Does that mean only Woo Hanse and Park Ga-in went out? I think Joo Ho-hyun will have a higher chance of survival than the two to survive in the dungeon.

Well, it didn’t matter now. I’ll do anything to get away from the center.

As I closed my eyes, I could hear Han Seo-jin’s voice as if he was frustrated and something was bothering him.

“Do you want to go see the sea when I come back?””

“I heard that there’s a shuttle here. I’m going alone.”

“Let’s go together.”

You think like that because I can’t go out. While grumbling inside, I felt a little better and held out my hand and nodded my head.

“Hold it. I’ll Guide you.”

“…… Where on earth did that confidence come from?”

Someone would think I’m good at guiding.

Han Seo-jin’s murmuring sound was heard in one ear and flowed in one ear.