Zero Point

#030

Eunseok saw Secretary Kim off and then took out a bottle of water from the refrigerator, emptying it in one go.

He sighed involuntarily, but at least today, the numbers wouldn’t be high, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

Since Choi Hanseo was always late, Eunseok grabbed his laptop to kill time and headed to the Guiding room. As usual, the Guiding room was spotlessly clean.

Sitting at the desk and opening his laptop, Eunseok skimmed through the news. He paid particular attention to news about gates and variant appearances, topics he had never cared about during his military service.

From what he could gather, guilds seemed to be appropriately distributed across each region. As a result, most of the news about White Tiger Guild’s gate conquests was in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas.

There were also frequent reports about new medical treatments being developed or already in clinical trials using various materials collected from gates. Perhaps even the grass that covered the C-grade gate they had entered recently might contain some components useful to humans.

News about Choi Hanseo was scattered here and there. S-class hunters were always the center of attention wherever they went. All sorts of photos, from openly taken shots to paparazzi cuts, were floating around on the internet. This essentially exposed his movements and routes.

Isn’t this a bit dangerous?

The thought briefly crossed Eunseok’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it. It didn’t seem like there was any entity capable of harming that man.

Unlike his usual habit of arriving more than an hour and a half late, today the doorbell rang just after an hour had passed.

What’s gotten into him?

Eunseok thought it was unusual as he opened the door.

Eunseok hesitated for a moment when he saw Choi Hanseo entering as if he owned the place. Unlike his usual formal attire, he was wearing ivory pants and a thin white long-sleeved shirt. As he passed by, he smelled of shampoo, as if he had just showered. Seeing him in such casual attire for the first time, Eunseok stared at Choi Hanseo’s back as he walked to the sofa.

Despite the change in clothing, his posture on the sofa remained the same. Eunseok sat down beside him and checked Choi Hanseo’s watch. As expected, the numbers weren’t very high.

Choi Hanseo extended his hand. It was just a gesture for Guiding, but given who it was, Eunseok felt inexplicably annoyed.

As he took the hand, Choi Hanseo interlocked their fingers as if it was natural. Eunseok barely managed to calm his boiling emotions. He knew that reacting sensitively would only invite more teasing about how fun it was to provoke him. It would be best to just respond calmly.

“Who did you receive Guiding from before recruiting me?”

Go back to whoever it was.

“Well, I managed to survive by receiving it from various people.”

Choi Hanseo used the expression “survived” instead of saying he received Guiding. Even though Eunseok knew there were several A-grade guides in the guild, it seemed their Guiding was just enough for Choi Hanseo to barely scrape by.

The moment of holding hands and the passing time felt very awkward and uncomfortable. Eunseok thought about turning on the TV, but that didn’t seem appropriate during work.

“I heard you’re looking for the next gate.”

“That’s right.”

“Is the next one B-grade?”

“What do you think, Mr. Lee? Would you prefer B-grade, or should we go straight to A-grade?”

Eunseok pondered Choi Hanseo’s question for a moment.

Honestly, the C-grade gate felt too low-level for deploying the 1st squad. Since the 1st squad only tackled A-grade and above, going for an A-grade would allow him to properly observe the team members fighting and secure a suitable position for himself.

“If the team members agree, I think A-grade would be better,” Eunseok said after brief consideration. Choi Hanseo looked as if he had expected that answer.

“Then let’s look for an A-grade.”

Choi Hanseo readily agreed.

“I heard there was an emergency Guiding in the early morning?”

“That’s correct.”

“Hunter Lim Jihyeok from the 2nd squad has a narrow wavelength range, so there’s no guide with high compatibility. If it weren’t for you, Mr. Lee, he probably would have gone berserk and died or become disabled.”

Eunseok looked at Choi Hanseo with surprise. The man who seemed disinterested in worldly affairs apparently kept a close eye on his guild members.

“Hunter Lim Jihyeok said he wants to earn the right to receive Guiding from you, Mr. Lee. What do you think?”

“I don’t mind. My Guiding schedule is pretty flexible unless there are special circumstances.”

When Eunseok responded indifferently, Choi Hanseo gave him a somewhat dissatisfied look.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You seem like too easy of a man.”

“…Pardon?”

“Are you doing this out of pity because his wavelength range is narrow and Guiding matching is difficult? Or did you develop some affection after pressing flesh during the emergency Guiding?”

He’s provoking me again.

“Why is the conversation going in that direction?”

When Eunseok asked in a sarcastic tone, Choi Hanseo replied with an equally sarcastic look.

“If you start accepting them one by one out of pity or sympathy, it’ll become unmanageable later. Once one attaches, soon two will follow, and before you know it, four will be clinging to you, Guide Lee Eunseok.”

“Do I seem incapable of handling myself to that extent?”

Choi Hanseo’s silence affirmed it.

“You have a talent for rubbing people the wrong way.”

Eunseok voiced his displeasure, though in a much more polite manner than he felt.

Choi Hanseo tapped his knee with his finger for a moment before speaking.

“Don’t fall for espers or hunters so easily, Mr. Lee. Those types are dangerous elements ready to do anything for satisfactory Guiding. They’ll pretend to grovel like dogs if told to, and they’ll even feign death if necessary. And if they see the slightest sign of you showing favor, they’ll pour on all sorts of honeyed temptations. Whether it’s sympathy, fondness, goodwill, or affection. They’re the kind who will stop at nothing to receive your Guiding.”

“Aren’t you one of them, Guild Master?”

When Eunseok retorted, amusement glinted in Choi Hanseo’s eyes.

“Of course, as a hunter, I can’t be an exception.”

“Then you’re the person I should be most wary of, Guild Master.”

“I can’t deny that.”

Choi Hanseo readily admitted, tilting his head slightly as if to whisper.

“So be careful, Mr. Lee.”

Eunseok thought he had made the right decision in modifying the exclusive contract period from 3 years to 1 year when signing. It seemed that being stuck with this man for 3 years would only worsen his already poor temper.

A small vibration sounded. Choi Hanseo took out his phone from his pants pocket and checked it.

“We’ve got one. An A-grade gate.”

Eunseok’s mood immediately improved at Choi Hanseo’s words.

“When is the conquest?”

“We just got the assignment, so there’s no rush…”

Choi Hanseo trailed off, glancing at Eunseok before continuing with a slight smile.

“But you seem eager, Mr. Lee.”

“……”

“The 1st squad’s schedule is free tomorrow anyway, so let’s set it for tomorrow.”

“Will you be coming along this time as well?”

“I plan to.”

He’ll probably just watch without doing much, like last time.

Eunseok grumbled inwardly.

“In exchange for turning a blind eye to your gate entry, I personally take charge of your protection. That’s the condition set by the Ability User Management Bureau and the Guide Association.”

“So you’ve become an unlikely bodyguard and nanny.”

“It’s fine. It’s quite entertaining to watch you anyway, Mr. Lee.”

“……”

This man truly had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

***

A dagger and three firearms. And magazines filled with bullets.

Instead of the chest protector from last time, he added a bulletproof vest and arm guards.

Packing spare clothes and wearing light-colored clothes completed the preparations.

When Eunseok went down carrying his duffel bag, the same limousine van from before was waiting.

Once all team members were on board, the vehicle departed. Of course, Choi Hanseo seemed to be moving separately again.

Eunseok leaned back in his seat and released area Guiding. Unlike during the C-grade gate, instead of chatting, everyone either rested with their heads against the seats or listened to music with earphones.

A-grade gate.

He had heard that the conquest time wouldn’t be short, so they would need to manage their stamina well. Eunseok’s goal this time was again to Guide without holding the team back as much as possible. Protecting Ji Taeuk, the non-combat healer, was also one of his main objectives.

The speed of the car, which had been racing down the highway, suddenly slowed at some point. Looking out the window, he saw people with red batons controlling the traffic. Vehicles blocked by the checkpoint could be seen being forcibly diverted to the IC according to instructions.

“White Tiger Guild 1st Squad,” the driver said to the approaching police officer after lowering the window.

“Pass through.”

The police officer’s shout was thick with fatigue.

The control line opened, and the vehicle entered. Soon after, the car came to a stop.