Survive With the Max Level Guide

The tension had eased into a gentler atmosphere. Cha Eun-soo absentmindedly toyed with Cha Eun-hyuk’s hand, as if to soothe his mood. Then, as if something suddenly came to mind, he opened his mouth.

“Oh, Hyung. You know Junho’s birthday is coming up, right?”

“Seo Junho?”

“Yeah.”

Seo Junho was Cha Eun-soo’s oldest friend. There was no way Cha Eun-hyuk—who had a firm grasp on Eun-soo’s personal life—wouldn’t know that.

Cha Eun-soo looked straight at Cha Eun-hyuk and continued.

“He’s planning a party at the Artale Hotel.”

Once Cha Eun-hyuk heard the date, his brows furrowed. Of all days, it overlapped with an operation—one he couldn’t easily clear his schedule for. If he couldn’t be there with him, he couldn’t bear to let Eun-soo go alone.

“No.”

“Hyung…”

“Don’t even think about going out for a while.”

“It’s not like it’s happening right this second…”

Cha Eun-soo’s expression dimmed. Cha Eun-hyuk instinctively faltered. Catching that shift, Eun-soo gently began to persuade him.

“I even bought a present this time. I want to hand it to him myself and say happy birthday.”

“I know what you’re worried about. But I’ll be careful not to touch anyone, and I’ll make sure no one finds out I’m a Guide.”

But hadn’t he already revealed the truth to Shim Tae-seong?

Of course, if he really thought about it, it had been his own mistake to hire Shim Tae-seong as his brother’s bodyguard in the first place. Cha Eun-hyuk fell silent, caught between suspicion and guilt.

However, he had already heard from his brother the very words he’d longed for. His mind, once taut with anxiety, had started to soften. He let go, just a little, of the obsessive control that had gripped him so tightly and gazed down into his brother’s eyes.

At last, he spoke in a heavy tone.

“…Don’t you dare leave Shim Tae-seong’s side.”

Cha Eun-soo’s eyes widened as he nodded with a soft smile.

***

A lavishly landscaped hotel entrance. Against the evening sky, a sleek black Benz glided smoothly to a stop. As the doorman approached and opened the car door, a pair of long legs extended outward.

“He’s coming.”

“Now, now!”

Reporters who had been stationed at a distance around the building immediately raised their cameras. The moment the young man fully stepped out of the car and set foot on the ground, a flurry of flashes exploded in a storm of shutter clicks.

He didn’t so much as blink. Instead, he glanced around with a faint smile and began walking.

The sleek, tailored suit looked like it was made for him. With his striking appearance, there was no way it wouldn’t shine. His exposed neck and pale hands somehow drew the gaze of onlookers like a magnet.

A man who looked like a bodyguard naturally fell in step behind the young man. His massive frame and expressionless face were enough to intimidate many, forcing dry swallows from their throats. It made them wonder—did one have to look that physically formidable to guard a royal of the Chahwa Group?

And to top it off, he was handsome. His two-shot with the ever-popular Cha Eun-soo—known for his beauty—looked remarkably well-matched, sending the cameras clicking with renewed excitement.

The loud clamor outside gave way to the calm interior as they stepped into the serene lobby. The two waited for the elevator to take them to the banquet hall.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been out… and it’s already overwhelming,” Cha Eun-soo said, turning to Shim Tae-seong. “It’s not like I’m anything special—it’s just my family. But sometimes, all this attention can be kind of burdensome.”

Shim Tae-seong quietly took in Cha Eun-soo’s face.

This Guide didn’t seem to realize that he could become more famous than anyone in the world if he wanted to.

“My expression wasn’t weird, was it? Or my walking?”

“You looked like a model.”

A sincere compliment, delivered without a moment’s hesitation. Cha Eun-soo widened his eyes in surprise before bursting into laughter, replying with a cheerful “Thanks.”

Ding. The elevator arrived with a soft chime. They got in and rode it up to the floor where the party was being held.

The space wasn’t crowded, but there was a solid turnout. Most of the guests were young members of the upper class. The people who had come with them—like Shim Tae-seong, who was clearly there for security—either stood or sat in the designated area near the entrance.

Even from a distance, Shim Tae-seong didn’t take his eyes off Cha Eun-soo. His clear, relaxed expression as he greeted each person in the approaching crowd one by one stood out. Having fully recovered recently, he looked to be in excellent shape.

“Oh, Cha Eun-soo~.”

The host of the party, Seo Junho, made his way over to the busy Eun-soo. The two had been longtime friends.

“You made it?”

“I did. Happy birthday.”

Cha Eun-soo smiled as he handed over a gift—it was the perfume he had picked up at the shop with Shim Tae-seong last time. Seo Junho didn’t even open the box. Instead, he wrinkled his nose playfully.

“I already love it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Who knows my taste better than you?”

“What the hell, Seo Junho. Why are you being so cheesy?”

One of the people surrounding the two chimed in with a jeer, and laughter erupted all around. Most of them had just come of age, their youthful vibe still clinging to them, making the atmosphere lively and energetic.

While Seo Junho was chatting with various people, he suddenly threw an arm around Cha Eun-soo’s shoulder and guided him somewhere.

It was up onto a platform, lit by spotlights.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all so much for being here tonight.”

His exaggerated bow drew bursts of cheerful laughter from the crowd. Caught off guard, now standing under the lights beside his playful friend, Cha Eun-soo glanced at him with a bewildered expression.

“Let’s see… I can tell most of you are at the prime of your youth. Ah, I suppose that makes sense—most of you are probably the same age as yours truly.”

His joking comment, as he scanned the hall, made the audience chuckle again.

Just then, a hotel staff member stepped forward from below the platform and handed over a bottle of champagne on a tray.

Accepting the bottle, Seo Junho continued.

“But unfortunately, there’s hardly a single person here I’d consider truly exceptional.”

The atmosphere turned frigid in an instant.

“Did he just say…?”

“…What the hell is he talking about?”

Despite the murmurs spreading through the crowd, Seo Junho remained perfectly composed.

“Yes. I’m talking about Espers and Guides.”

He turned to look at Cha Eun-soo.

Bathed in light, Eun-soo’s face had gone pale with embarrassment and confusion.

“I won’t go into some long speech. Let me ask you all—what do you think is truly essential for a secure, comfortable life?”

The bottle in his hand glittered under the spotlight.

“Force. And more specifically, the infinite, overwhelming power of Espers.”

“Force can destroy everything—but it can also protect. Even people like you, who have no ability to speak of, yet were lucky enough to be born into the right environment. The weak.”

So then…

“Wouldn’t it be better for the weak to just accept their place and submit?”

“…!”

“The hell is he even—?”

People were still reeling in stunned silence, about to shout something—

When Seo Junho, still wearing that eerie smile, raised the bottle high.

Pop.

The champagne exploded.

It was the signal.

***

Seo Junho wasn’t the type to say things like that. If he had really been the kind of guy to be swayed by radical Esper terrorist ideologies, someone would’ve already stoned him by now.

It was like he was possessed by something. While he spewed nonsense, his eyes—watched closely from up close—were entirely out of focus.

The smile on his lips didn’t seem to be his own—it looked forced, like something twisted was pulling at his face. It was chilling.

…Wait.

Hold on a second.

Possessed?

As if reading my thoughts, the system that always seemed to observe everything popped up a window in response:

[List of Espers at Risk of Going Berserk
Joo Cheong-gyeong: S-Class, Possession-type Esper, 31 years old.]

Fuck.

Right—this bastard.

Possession? I remember thinking that was an absurdly broken skill when I first heard about it. Overpowered as hell.

But how the hell…?

“Aaaargh!”

“What the hell—?!”

Right after the champagne popped, the entire room began clouding over at an alarming speed. Thick, smoke-like fog spread through the space, and I had no idea what it was. My body moved on instinct—I held my breath.

There had to be at least one other accomplice here.

“Urrgh!”

“P-Please… help…”

“Kuhk, ggk!”

Even without being able to see clearly, the sounds alone made it obvious—this was pure chaos. A total nightmare.

Poison gas?

Some kind of horrifying hallucination?

Or maybe—someone’s actually attacking them?

“Guh!”

A rough hand suddenly clamped around my wrist.

It wasn’t Seo Junho… No. It was Joo Cheong-gyeong, wearing Seo Junho’s face like a mask.

“…Yeah, can’t tell like this.”

He muttered to himself, still staring blankly at our joined skin with that hazy, vacant gaze.

Then, he glanced at me—my hand still clamped tightly over my mouth—and said:

“Oh.”

And smiled, like I was adorable.

“You don’t have to hold it in like that. Just breathe. Relax.”

…Not fucking funny.

Like hell I’m just gonna breathe.

You think I know what the fuck that smoke is?

People were losing their minds out here.

“You took the meds, didn’t you?”

…What?

“If you’re capable of guiding Cha Eun-hyuk, your value’s practically immeasurable… No way I could let you get hurt. I’m not into Guides who’ve lost their minds.”

“…!”

“Unless it’s in bed, of course.”

A teasing hand brushed across my palm, sending a cold shiver up my spine.

This bastard… He must’ve possessed our family’s private physician and made sure I took those pills.

The ones I’d dutifully taken every time he told me to.

Turns out, they were some kind of vaccine—a drug that could keep me safe from this chemical weapon-like gas spreading through the hall.

Cold sweat ran down my spine.

What about Shim Tae-seong? Don’t tell me he—

“S-Seo Junho…”

My voice trembled as I called out to the thing wearing my friend’s body, thick with fear.

My friend was acting like a stranger, the banquet hall was under attack, and on top of it all, my identity as a Guide had been exposed. My entire body was shaking in panic and confusion.

My heart pounded like it was trying to escape my chest.

“No… Who are you?”

“Oh.”

Joo Cheong-gyeong’s eyes curved into slits, clearly pleased.

“That… is a very smart and delightful question.”

“I am—”

It happened in that instant.

A surge of overwhelming force yanked me down from the stage. It was so fast, so rough, that I slipped right out of Joo Cheong-gyeong’s grip in a blink.

His eyes widened in shock as I fell away. That was the last thing I saw before my entire view shifted.

“Haaak…!”

Whoooosh, whoooosh.

The first thing I heard was the sound of crashing waves.

Next came the soft, cool sensation of sand beneath the back of my neck.

“…Are you alright, Young Master?”

I could just barely register Shim Tae-seong holding me protectively above the ground.

My first time experiencing teleportation.

The sheer unreality of it left me momentarily dazed—until I saw Shim Tae-seong’s shirt, soaked in red, and snapped back to my senses.

“Your shirt—y-you’re bleeding!”

I jolted upright in panic. Shim Tae-seong stepped aside smoothly, glancing down briefly at the area.

“It’s not my blood.”

Thank god.

I clutched my aching chest and collapsed back onto the sand. Come to think of it… this place…

I’m here again.

“Are you absolutely sure you’re not hurt anywhere?”

Shim Tae-seong’s face hovered over me, his gaze filled with genuine worry and concern as he checked my limp body.

Seeing him like that made me feel like absolute garbage for ever doubting him—even for a second.

Yeah… What the hell else would he be thinking about in a situation that chaotic, besides getting us out of there?