Beyond The Control

Chapter 2

The illustrious Sunrise Guild.

Founded by Park Ung-chul, a once-renowned S-class esper, it’s one of Korea’s largest guilds with an impressively large building.

Areas frequented by guild members, like the cafeteria, offices, and training rooms, are always bustling. With so many people, and an overwhelming majority of extroverts, the atmosphere is particularly lively.

However, from the 7th floor up, the ambiance changes completely. Housing departments with mostly office staff rather than field personnel, the entire floor is as quiet as the eye of a storm. Even when people pass each other, they don’t greet loudly or boisterously.

The Talent Management Department I was summoned to was also on the 7th floor. In other words, I’m currently walking alone down a corridor so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

For some reason, there’s a long red carpet laid out, which is somewhat comforting as it muffles my footsteps. Well, my heart is still pounding, though.

Upon reaching the Talent Management Department office, an employee takes the initiative to be friendly.

“Esper Lee Su-hyeon?”

“Yes.”

“Please go straight to the director’s office over there.”

“Thank you.”

I bow my head slightly and walk further in. Knock knock. I carefully knock, and a voice tells me to come in.

The director is sitting at his desk. A distinct frown, stern expression, and small, mean-looking glasses. He looks the same as always.

“Please sit down.”

“Yes.”

I sit on the sofa as instructed, and shortly after, the director sits opposite me. Up close, I can see his dark circles, looking visibly exhausted. Well, being a key figure leading such a guild, he must have a lot on his plate.

“How’s your injury?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s almost completely healed.”

“That’s good.”

I didn’t expect him to ask about my well-being. I’m sure it was reported up the chain, but I thought they wouldn’t care.

The director then gets to the point.

“Are you aware that recently, the ninth S-class awakened in Korea was announced?”

“Yes, I am.”

“That person signed a contract with our guild yesterday.”

Oh, so Kim Young-joo was telling the truth. She’d be jumping for joy if she knew.

‘But why is he telling me this?’

My question was quickly answered. The director continued speaking.

“To cut to the chase, we ran the matching system with all the guild’s guides, and the highest match rate was between that esper and Esper Lee Su-hyeon… no, Guide Lee Su-hyeon.”

“…Pardon?”

A dumbfounded response escaped my lips. I heard correctly, but it took a moment to process.

My match rate was the highest with an S-class esper? Is that even possible?

It doesn’t make sense. The director seemed to smirk slightly at my expression but quickly returned to a neutral face. I continued to gape before stammering out a question.

“How high is the match rate…?”

“In the simulation, it was over 80 percent.”

“…!”

“An encouraging figure, isn’t it?”

My mouth fell open even wider. My heart started beating faster as I finally grasped the situation.

The countless matching results I’ve had over the years flashed through my mind.

It’s been 7 years since I was diagnosed as a dual awakened, rarer than wild ginseng. But heaven was cruel, and I was all show and no substance. C-class as both an esper and a guide. The highest match rate I’d ever achieved as a guide was barely over 65 percent.

So without much deliberation, I chose esper as my main role instead of guide… And now they’re saying I have over 80 percent match rate with an S-class esper? Really?

“…You’re not joking, are you?”

“Of course not. Do I look like someone with that much free time?”

His retort as he pushed up his glasses brought me back to my senses a bit.

“Ah, no. I’m sorry.”

“To be honest, we found it hard to believe too. But we ran it three times and got the same result… We’ll conduct an actual measurement when Song Ji-hyeok esper arrives this afternoon.”

It was the logical next step, so I nodded without argument.

It’s not just awakened management systems and response capabilities that have improved over the years. Various weapons and related equipment, part of the hardware, have also made remarkable progress.

The matching rate measurement device, which every large guild has, is one such advancement. When recruiting new guild members, they first quickly assess the compatibility between espers and guides using pre-registered information. If someone shows a high match rate, they move on to the stage of conducting an actual wavelength examination.

However, any device can have errors. It seemed like an error for an S-class and a C-class to have a match rate over 80 percent, especially when they’re not even close in rank.

But still…

The fact that the same result came out three times did give me a glimmer of hope. If by some chance it turns out to be true, I would…

‘Be sitting on a gold mine!’

“For now, don’t tell anyone else. Only Guide Lee Su-hyeon should know about this.”

“Yes, I understand.”

At some point, the way he addressed me changed from esper to guide. But that didn’t matter at all. As I walked back to the office, only one thought occupied my mind.

Please, please let the actual measurement show the same result.

Please!

After that, time was marked by waiting. While re-reading dungeon raid reports, refilling coffee in the pantry, eating lunch in the cafeteria, I checked my device at every opportunity.

‘When is that S-class coming?’

We need them to arrive before we can do any tests.

Part of me wanted to hide behind a pillar near the entrance to wait. So I could grab them and escort them to the examination room as soon as I saw them.

Of course, that’s just an absurd fantasy. In reality, I’m still a nobody. No one’s looking for me, and even the one or two daily guiding requests I usually get have dried up today. It’s the sad reality of a C-class guide with an ambiguous position.

After several more hours passed like this.

Beep beep-

Finally, an alert sounded from my silent device. I snatched it up to see the long-awaited summons message.

[Guide Lee Su-hyeon. Please come to the 7th floor examination room by 4:30 PM.]

Yes, I’m coming right away.

There were about ten minutes left, but I dashed out immediately, my eyebrows fluttering in the wind. I took the elevator to the 7th floor, where the desk employee greeted me with a smile.

“You’re early.”

I felt a bit embarrassed, as if my inner thoughts had been exposed. After a few clicks of the mouse, she guided me to a nearby examination room.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

“Okay.”

I sat in an empty chair, nervously shaking my leg. My eyes were fixed on the large machine in front of me. There was a big monitor in the center, with two capsule-like devices on either side, facing away from each other. Soon, I’d be sitting in the left device.

‘Please…’

The desperate prayer began again. In my imagination, I was earnestly begging with a bowl of purification water when the door opened with a click.

I jumped to my feet at the sound. Two people entered.

First, I saw Director Park Sang-chul, whom I had met this morning, and behind him, a tall, impressive-looking man. His face was exactly like the one that had dominated the media for the past few days.

‘That person is…’

The ninth S-class awakened in Korea, said to have water-attribute skills. And maybe…

“Let’s proceed immediately.”

There was no introduction as I had expected. Thanks to the director, who seemed to embody the “hurry hurry” culture, I couldn’t even exchange a glance before heading to the guide capsule.

Zing-

The electronic sound of the door opening filled me with tension. The results of the measurement about to take place could be said to determine the course of my future life.

‘Whew, stay calm.’

Nothing good comes from being nervous. I tried to calm myself with deep breaths and relaxed my body. The employee from earlier approached and attached coin-sized measurement devices to my forehead and the backs of both hands.

This was essentially all the preparation needed. Soon the capsule door closed, and guidance came through the internal speaker.

[The examination will now begin.]

It would take about 30 minutes. During this time, I didn’t have much to do. I just had to listen to the somewhat noisy resonance sound and be careful not to unconsciously use or visualize guiding energy.

30 minutes was longer than I thought. Of course, I couldn’t use my phone or anything, so as usual, I passed the time with various thoughts.

‘I should insist on being included in the next raid.’

‘I wonder what’s for dinner tonight? I’m already hungry…’

The usual random thoughts. Today, one crucial thought was added to the mix.

‘Don’t be discouraged if the match rate isn’t good.’

That’s to be expected, after all.

I had been unsettled yet somehow excited all day, but as the moment of truth approached, I felt calmer.

Beep-

[The examination is complete.]

The internal lights went out, and freedom arrived. My steps out of the capsule were calmer than when I entered.