But Aaron’s plan was foiled once again.

“You’re telling me the match rate test can’t be done?”

“Well... Seunghyuk Joo was just so adamant in his refusal.... Guide Aaron, you heard what happened yesterday, didn’t you? That Seunghyuk Joo smashed the building?”

Yesterday, at Professor Oh’s request, Professor Jeon had called Seunghyuk Joo aside and suggested he undergo a one-on-one match rate test with Aaron.

Even without Professor Oh’s request, he probably would’ve suggested it anyway. If Aaron became Seunghyuk’s bonded Guide and naturalized as a Korean citizen, then Korea would have two S-rank Guides in their twenties. On top of that, they could take Yeonsu Lee, who was currently bound to Seunghyuk, and turn him back into a Free Guide. There couldn’t be a more ideal outcome.

But Seunghyuk refused flatly.

When he was told that if the formal test was too much hassle, they could just do a simplified scan at Han Laboratory—he destroyed the building.

Of course, Aaron had heard about the incident. But as far as he was concerned, that wasn’t his problem.

“So what now?”

“It seems the match rate test will be difficult to conduct. Besides, Seunghyuk already has an S-rank Guide with a very high compatibility rate, so...”

“Who says their match rate is high?! It was just dumb luck!”

Aaron cut him off with a snappish voice.

It wasn’t uncommon for an Esper’s match rate to spike temporarily when recovering from a Guiding rejection response.

According to his research, Yeonsu Lee and Seunghyuk’s initial match rate had been below 50%. But then suddenly, over just a few years, it had jumped by 40%. That kind of increase would be difficult even after forming a bond.

It was obvious what had happened: Seunghyuk had taken the match test during the brief window when his recovery had caused a temporary spike.

Seeing Yeonsu cling to Seunghyuk using that lucky, fleeting match rate infuriated Aaron to no end.

“Even so, Seunghyuk is so thoroughly against it that... there’s not much else we can do—”

“Isn’t it your job to convince him, Professor Oh?”

“Well, yes, but...”

Professor Oh was sweating profusely.

After smashing the building, Seunghyuk had coolly disappeared. A few hours later, the legal team from Sungan Group arrived at the Esper Academy.

They claimed that the Academy had repeatedly pressured Seunghyuk to undergo compatibility testing, and that the immense psychological stress had led to the incident.

It was an absurd claim.

Normally, match testing should’ve been the responsibility of Sungan Group. After all, it was their own Esper—no, their future heir—who had experienced a problem.

At first, they had gone into full emergency mode. But once the test with Yeonsu showed high compatibility, their attitude did a complete 180.

Sungan had long coveted Yeonsu. Now that Seunghyuk had a high match rate with him, they used that as an excuse to snatch him up.

Naturally, other factions wouldn’t stand by and let it happen. Even the chairman of the Esper Association personally lodged a protest against Sungan, but they didn’t bat an eye.

The Center was in crisis mode too. S-rank Park Geonwoo was scheduled to join the Center upon returning from Africa, and they’d planned to scout Yeonsu and assign him as Geonwoo’s bonded Guide.

They intended to use the duo of Geonwoo and Yeonsu as a way to pull the balance of power back from the corporations and toward the public sector.

But if Yeonsu went to Sungan—currently the strongest force in Korea—their grand plan would fall apart.

The Center pressured the Academy to find a new Guide for Seunghyuk. But Seunghyuk rejected every one of them.

He was the strongest Esper in Korea. If it weren’t for him, the S-rank Gate that opened in the heart of Seoul would have gone unchecked. After the Horightron Gate crisis two years ago, both the Center and the government had come to realize the full extent of his power. (And that even Park Geonwoo couldn’t match him.)

If Seunghyuk kept standing his ground, the government would have no choice but to side with him. He knew this well—and acted accordingly.

Sungan was no different. They insisted the fault lay with the Esper Academy.

However, they offered to take some moral responsibility, so long as the Academy didn’t reveal that Seunghyuk had destroyed the building, and promised not to pressure him into further match testing.

They even proposed rebuilding Han Laboratory and providing the latest scanning equipment.

If the Academy refused this offer, Sungan threatened to officially accuse them of “Guiding coercion.”

Lately, “Guiding coercion” had become a hot-button social issue. Forcing someone into Guiding just because of match rates was being equated to violence, and the public was up in arms.

In this climate, trying to win a public battle against Seunghyuk was impossible for the Academy.

In the end, the administration accepted Sungan’s terms.

Professor Oh had no choice but to follow the school’s decision.

“If you could just be a little understanding, Guide Aaron...”

“So what am I supposed to do? Are you seriously telling me I can’t get a match test done?”

Aaron cut him off again, his voice dripping with irritation.

Fucking brat, Oh Seokgwang thought bitterly.

He didn’t like Yeonsu. All the fawning adoration over his so-called S-rank status grated on him.

He himself had been born dirt-poor. With barely decent grades and middling ability, he’d been pushed around and insulted constantly. On top of that, his mana reserves were weak for an A-rank. If they were using today’s more precise testing tools, he might’ve been rated B.

The pompous high-ranking Espers often said his Guiding was lacking for an A-rank and regularly demanded he be replaced. Even other high-ranking Guides wouldn’t recognize him as a peer. He had no social standing and was just a Beta—he had no one to rely on.

Still, Oh Seokgwang had clawed his way up through sheer willpower and made it to where he was now.

But once he reached the top, he found that what irritated him the most weren’t the spoiled elite brats—it was the ones like him who came from the same bottom rung. You could call it self-hatred.

Yeonsu especially pissed him off. Born into similar circumstances, yet life seemed to come easy to him. Just a one-rank difference, and look at the difference in their lives.

Every time he saw Yeonsu, it felt like his own life was being invalidated. He didn’t just want to knock Yeonsu down a peg—he wanted him ruined.

And yet, he had to admit: as a person, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Yeonsu wasn’t all that bad.

Aaron, on the other hand, was an absolute piece of shit. The kind of punk that made you wonder what the hell his parents and grandparents had been teaching him.

Still, as awful as Aaron was, Oh Seokgwang didn’t hate him as much as he hated Yeonsu.

“...Yes, it seems the match test won’t be possible.”

“You’re breaking your promise. And don’t tell me you forgot: I’m only going to naturalize if things go well with Seunghyuk. And if I do, then you get to become a Guildmaster.”

In order to establish a guild in South Korea, you had to clear strict requirements—one of which was nationality.

A guildmaster had to be a South Korean citizen. Even dual citizens or naturalized foreigners were disqualified.

Other countries had tough regulations too, but South Korea was especially harsh.

Aaron’s grandfather, Han Guncheol, had long coveted the Korean market. But since he was a naturalized citizen, he was ineligible to form a guild. His son and grandson were disqualified for the same reason.

Still, the Korean market was too lucrative to give up.

Han Guncheol did multiple interviews emphasizing that Korea was his homeland. Every time he appeared on a show, he’d make a point of showcasing his love for Korean culture. If the law didn’t work, he’d appeal to public sentiment to get his foot in the door.

None of it worked.

Eventually, he joined hands with Professor Oh Seokgwang.

Oh needed the title of a top-tier Guildmaster in Korea, and Han Guncheol wanted Korea’s treasures.

The deal was simple: Oh would become guildmaster, and in return, all rare artifacts obtained through Gates or special auctions would go to Han Guncheol. Naturally, Han would cover all startup and scouting costs.

The partnership was going smoothly—until Han Guncheol started hesitating.

He worried that Professor Oh might go rogue once everything was set up—and there’d be no one to rein him in. It was then that Aaron announced he would go to Korea to pursue Seunghyuk Joo.

Han Guncheol was thrilled. If things went well, they’d form a tie with Sungan. And with Aaron in Korea, he’d be able to keep an eye on Professor Oh.

Han immediately contacted Professor Oh. If Oh helped Aaron become Seunghyuk’s bonded Guide, he’d make him a Guildmaster.

“Professor Oh, don’t you want to become a Guildmaster? Or are you planning to rot away as a wage-slave professor forever?”

Aaron knew just where to strike.

Oh Seokgwang wanted to unleash a torrent of insults. But Aaron wasn’t some student whose GPA he could threaten. He was the beloved grandson of the man who’d bankroll the entire guild.

Oh had worked tirelessly to build a favorable public image. But to those in power, he was just a barely-passable Beta, an overhyped A-rank, and a convenient prop for media.

They’d stuck him in a professor’s seat because he looked good in front of cameras—nothing more. They had no intention of promoting him further.

Oh had no plans to die a salaried professor.

To enter the elite stratum of society, he needed the title of a major Guildmaster. And for that, he had to curry favor with Aaron.

He swallowed his pride and forced a sycophantic smile.

“Of course not. Guide Aaron, please don’t be upset. The match rate test might be off the table, but I’ll arrange something even better.”

“Like what?”

“In next week’s Gate expedition, I’ll make sure Seunghyuk receives Guiding from you.”

Aaron’s face, briefly lit with hope, twisted in annoyance again.

“With Yeonsu clinging to his side? You think he’ll accept my Guiding?”

“Don’t worry. All you have to do is enter the Gate. Then Seunghyuk will have no choice but to accept Guiding from you.”

“But inside the Gate, he’ll just go to Yeonsu again. In combat, people want someone they’re used to.”

As Aaron grumbled, Professor Oh responded sharply.

“Yeonsu won’t be going into the Gate.”

“What? What do you mean he won’t be going in?”

“That little shit can’t enter Gates at all. He’s a half-Guide.”

Professor Oh grinned with satisfaction as he continued.

“Guide Aaron, do you know about the Horightron Gate incident from two years ago?”