Ian dragged Lucian by the collar toward the ground, the two bodies tumbling against the jutted and twisted roots as their legs entangled in a knot of vines by the ground.

  Ian twisted his body around, swept the gun at his holster into the air, and fired two quick shots in succession.

  Bang—!

  Bang—!

  They landed squarely in the creature's face, one bullet embedded into the eyeball as a wretched sound gurgled from its throat. The mouth in question was located in its boneless neck, unhinging as a cry fled from the depths of its body.

  All monsters contained a core—once shattered, they would die immediately. The other option was to kill them to the point of no return, but some possessed abnormal regeneration abilities.

  "The core, Lucian! Do you see it?" Ian called, firing another shot as the creature lunged. He flipped backward, landing perched by a slender tree.

  Lucian regained his senses, groaning as he spun two twin blades in his hands, narrowing his eyes at the monster. They swept over the twisted body with frightening scrutiny.

  The monster turned its attention towards him, limbs flailing in the air as its toes and fingers dug into the ground, charging at him. Lucian sidestepped, slicing his blades out and another screech wrestled out, black blood spraying the ground.

  With a roar of anger, a hand swept out and sliced into Lucian's clothing, but the material didn't give, protecting him from injury.

  During Lucian's entanglement, Ian took the opportunity to find higher ground, nimbly climbing up a tree as he braced himself on the lowest branch. There, when the creature's mouth opened, was a sparkle of something deep within.

  "Oh, that's disgusting," muttered Ian.

  Lucian jerked his head up, narrowly avoiding another slice at his face. "What?"

  "It's in his mouth! The oral cavity is located near his back, where his neck bends!"

  Lucian's nose wrinkled as he glanced over at the swaying creature. It was difficult to examine the mouth closely due to the high arch of its body.

  "Can you shoot it? The bullets should be powerful enough to shatter the core!"

  Ian responded by raising his arms and furrowing his eyebrows. Already, his palms burned and his arms felt heavy from the recoil. He hadn't participated in the battle simulations before, and he wasn't accustomed to the weight of a gun.

  It was one thing to have a decent aim; it was another to have the ability for a prolonged use of a gun.

  Still too weak. The thought crept into his mind.

  Lucian's movements staggered, but remained sharp, nimble and quick. Each move honed by experience—which Ian had forsaken in order to lower his presence. If Lucian was alone, it was likely he could either escape or fight alone.

  A second person either became a support or a liability. Ian stared at the gun and the faint tremble tingling at the tips of his fingers.

  He inhaled, feeling the oxygen circulate around his lungs, reaching his palpitating heartbeat. "Keep it distracted! I'll try!"

  Lucian nodded, but could offer no other support as he swung under the monster's sweeping, lengthy arms, avoiding the gruesome slices through air. The monster's vigilance increased and he could no longer leave a lasting wound.

  Ian crouched there, in the safety of the tree, his eyes following every movement unblinkingly. To the left, then to the right. Lucian followed a pattern, weaving between the trees.

  The monster was fast, lagging a split second behind Lucian.

  There.

  In five seconds, in the clearing beside a moss-covered trunk and a bush, would be where Lucian's dashing would lead. From his height, it would take around 1.5 seconds to drop.

  His knees rose, and the seconds trembled by. Down, and down—and he leaped, soaring through the air, plummeting towards the ground.

  Lucian looked up in surprise at the shadow falling over him, but his movements didn't stop, recognizing Ian's intentions at an instant. Ian's foot grazed the back of Lucian's dark brown hair, slamming into the approaching creature.

  He thrust his arm up as his foot pinned it down, the two tumbling to the ground.

  And—fire!

  The pressure rushed up his arms as he heard bones cracking underneath him, bending the body further out of shape. Scarlet sprayed through the other side of the swinging neck as it screamed, its mouth opening wide.

  Bang—!

  He fired again, shoving his hand into its wailing mouth. He couldn't miss at that distance, and the crystal shattered.

  Ian rolled, limbs tangled with the twisting and limp body before he kicked it away with disgust, crimson streaked over his grey suit. His chest heaved as he gasped, staring at the curled up mass of flesh that laid by his feet.

  A shadow fell over him, and he felt the presence of a person—alive—crouching down beside him. Fingers gently loosened his tight grip on the gun.

  Lucian sighed, glancing sideways at the corpse. "It was never a wise idea to come here without training, although I'm the fool that agreed to your demands. You're strong, Ian. The stimulation is harder today—press the emergency escape. They won't allow their resources to die."

  Ian's voice was hoarse and quiet. "I killed it."

  His head hung low as his gaze fixed on the body, taking in the grooves, the trickling blood that ran along the ground and steeped into the dirt. Black hair fell over his face, devoid of expression.

  Lucian looked at him uncertainly, his raised hand itching to brush away the hair and reveal the expression underneath in full clarity. "You did. It was reckless—but you did it."

  The Guides that were trained to participate in the stimulation often froze upon seeing their first creature, and killing it was another question. No matter how trained one was, facing the real thing was different.

  Ian didn't display familiarly with monsters—he couldn't have. Lucian only managed to pull several strings to get him in because of his exemplary status.

  And yet—

  Lucian closed his eyes. The unwavering gaze that leaped through the air, like a descending angel delivering justice, deliberate and unhesitant actions. Ian's figure left an impression behind his gaze, like the lingering phantom after staring at a light.

  Ian's mind was spinning. He lacked experience and skill—that he knew. He was eons away from his goal, but this was a beginning; here was his reckoning.

  It was easier than he expected. Taking a life.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  There were some Guides who preferred to never enter the battlefield, filled with death, gore and tragedy. There were others that mercilessly adapted.

  He stood up slowly, brushing his hair back. He'd need to cut it off soon.

  His lifted gaze steadily stared ahead. "Let's proceed."

  Since it was a rare opportunity, he would make the best of it. He lightly grabbed his gun back from Lucian's firm grip, held tightly as if he didn't want to let go. Lucian, still crouched, stared at the unwavering shape of the man before him.

  Change was approaching; soon would come the end of these peaceful days. Terror seized Lucian. He wanted to usher Ian back to the comforts of their routine, and continue delaying his own development, remaining in this facility for a little longer.

  It was because of this that Ian didn't confide in him—but he couldn't help it. Lucian liked the comfort of routine, of knowing what would happen next.

  They were 'safe' here. Out there, it was full of unknowns and possibilities.

  Out there, he might never see Ian again.

  Lucian, the intelligent and high-ranking Guide who passively went along with his life's decree, refused to agree to that one notion.

  He swallowed, feeling his throat roll with pressure. Then, he smiled, calmly and reassuringly as he always did, standing beside Ian. "Are you trying to be cool? Please try to minimize your reckless behaviour."

  His fingers flew over his watch, checking the progress. "It looks like two have already activated the receptors." Lucian turned his head down a left path that declined. "There's a strong pull of energy in this direction."

  Ian followed his lead, trusting Lucian's direction. It wasn't long before they found the condensed mass of energy buried in the ground, emitting from a metal flower stem.

  There was an air of oppression radiating off the small contraption, twining around its body. The edge of an explosion tethered in a delicate object.

  The frigid white-petaled plant stood firm as Lucian lowered his eyes, inhaling and exhaling.

  His fingers, soft and unhesitant, lightly traced the petal.

  With every breath, a gentle sensation steeped from his fingertips, reflected in his gaze that remained still, like a forest under the basking sun, cooled by a drifting breeze.

  Lucian's guiding level was somewhere Ian could never reach, passing the extent of his maximum abilities. Daily, there was a soothing atmosphere around that Guide, a natural energy that relaxed the nerves and compelled attraction. Even Ian felt relaxed around Lucian.

  Although Ian purposely faked his guiding level and could perform adequately, there were things he couldn't become.

  Lucian was a person he could never become.

  Lucian sighed and pulled away. The metal petal seemed to cling to his finger lightly, desiring his touch even within its inanimate existence. "That's three. Seven more—I'm estimating at least two others should've located the other receptors at this time."

  "Slow work for the high-level Guides that like to brag," remarked Ian, dragging his gaze away.

  Lucian laughed softly. "Certainly, they like to overestimate themselves. Am I included in this discrimination of yours?"

  "I'm discriminatory."

  "You are."

  Ian narrowed his eyes, his lips pressed in a thin line. "But never to you."

  He started down a different pathway, shrugging a creeping vine that fell over his shoulder. Lucian followed with a smile. "Never? I feel like your insults have reached me as well, however."

  "I insult everybody equally."

  Another light laugh. "You're an advocate for equality, without doubt."

  Ian ignored the sarcasm in the comment, ducking under a low-hanging branch. He swiped away a thin branch that itched his head, but a small leaf fluttered, landing softly and secretly on top of the mass of dark hair.

  Lucian stared at it, standing a breath away. His fingers reached out, delicately plucking the leaf. They grazed the surface of the soft hair underneath and hesitated.

  Then, as a vague thought, a trickling desire, flickered once, he withdrew his hand sharply as if he'd been burned.

  Ian sensed the movement, swinging his head back. "What?"

  Lucian's fingers curled, folding over the leaf. "I thought I saw a bug."

  "There aren't any bugs in the stimulation." He stared intensely at Lucian's closed fist, suspicion clouding his face. If things progressed as planned, he would escape the facility. It was unknown when he'd ever return—if he would. "What did you do?"

  He took a step closer, leaning in until he could see the freckles in Lucian's eyes, like a scatter of stars mixed with the rich green. His reflective gaze left nowhere to hide. "What did you want to do?"

  His voice dropped, the question hovering in the air.

  Ian was spontaneous, aggressive, goal-orientated, and many other things. A person always moving forward couldn't be held back by anything or anybody.

  Lucian's foot shifted, a mere fraction back.

  Ian's gaze dropped, a flicker in his expression—disappointment, or something else—and he coldly spun back around towards the path. He'd taken a single step when a bloodied body emerged from the bushes with flailing arms.

  Ian stepped back, avoiding the body as they collapsed onto the ground, coughing violently. They spun around, dirt-coated fingernails grasping for him.

  He avoided the grasp coldly. "What are you doing?"

  "Help me—I don't know why, they gathered together in one spot!" rambled the young boy with a shaky voice. "Through—through there."

  "Impossible," interrupted Lucian, carefully crouching down to comfort the boy. "The stimulation is designed to release monsters separately. Is this your first time? Are you alright?"

  "It's not my blood, but—hic—! Somebody—somebody—"

  "Somebody what?" Ian frowned impatiently, glancing in the direction the boy pointed. He turned his chin to the air, furrowing his eyebrows, deepening the irritation on his expression.

  He sensed it—a strange energy disturbance. It slipped under the surface of his skin, tickling his flesh and casting shivers along his limbs.

  An abnormal energy.

  All monsters radiated a certain extent of energy depending on their level—but this one silently seeped into the air, only making itself known once discovered. Once it was sensed, it rushed into all the body's orifices, forcing complete attention.

  It was similar to that abnormal Esper he'd encountered.

  The young Guide shuffled away from Ian's frightening face, leaning closer towards Lucian. "I—I can lead the way—"

  "Don't bother," interrupted Ian, rolling his shoulders impassively. "I can feel it. You'll only be a hindrance."

  Lucian shook his head helplessly, patting the Guide's back lightly. "We'll take a look. If you look on your watch, there should be an emergency flare signal where they'll be able to directly take you out. May I ask for your rating?"

  The Guide sniffed. "R-really? It's C-class."

  Lucian's smile froze. Although the facility didn't like wasting resources on the stimulation, they weren't likely to provide prompt attention for those under B-class. Furthermore, if they became curious and chose to observe instead—

  Ian sneered ahead, his mouth sharp. "Will they come? If the situation ahead is as bad as it looks and they've done nothing, watching from behind their pretty little glass, do you think they'll come?"

  "Ian, let's not—"

  "Not what? Tell the truth? Do you want to bask in the little lie you tell yourself, that somehow you have a fraction of worth here?"

  Ian stared with challenge written over his stern expression, irritated by Lucian's passive and gentle methods.

  The young Guide was likely raised in a simpler environment—had it not been for the incident, the young Ian who knew nothing about the world might have been satisfied and reassured. What could they do against everything they'd ever known?

  The branches shadowed above them, remaining still and lifeless. The manufactured trees, the stimulation, this small room in an even smaller reality buried under the ground.

  All aspects became startlingly vivid, imprisoning them all.

  He didn't wait for either of their reactions, dashing deeper into the forest as he grasped onto the trail of energy. His momentum increased as he ventured down a decline, tearing through a tall bush.

  Gasping, he entered a clearing where a wide, still lake sat in the center. The exposed area revealed the metal ceiling above, shattering the illusion of a forest.

  He didn't have time to linger on that detail as he heard the sound of bullets firing, and swords slamming into tender flesh, squelching as blood splattered on the ground.

  There were four Guides engaging with towering monsters, all of different shapes and energies.

  Ian's eyes darted rapidly, his heartbeat racing as tension lined his body, pulsing violently in his veins. Sweat beaded his forehead, the moisture slowly steeping out of his body and leaving his throat parched.

  It wasn't those monsters.

  That terrifying energy did not belong to those monsters.

  He walked backward, unknowingly heading towards the lake which contained murky, dark green water. His foot pressed into something soft and slippery.

  His eyes, which had been focused on looking levelly around him, slowly trailed down.

  A man's torso, ripped of its arms and lower half, stared directly at him with blown-opened eyes. The face was frozen in an expression of immeasurable terror.

  Ian's gaze continued to trail past the man's remains, to the still water.

  A single eyeball popped through the surface with a bubble. The pupil rolled, shaking madly before it abruptly stopped, landing on Ian.

  Bubbles rose to the surface, distorting the smooth lake until it began to boil, rolling with movement underneath. A second eyeball, and then a third—and then dozens, dozens more continued to emerge from the lake.

  Ian staggered, his body trembling with instinctive fear.

  A hundred eyeballs rolled in circles, before landing on him. The water rose as a flesh appendage resembling a skinned serpent uncoiled itself, raising its meaty and long neck high, blistering with an infection of loose eyeballs.

  The Guides, a short distance away, turned their heads to the gurgling noise as a giant shadow fell over them.

  All colour leeched from their expressions.

  "What the fuck—get away from me!" One of them screamed, his flight senses kicking in as he darted towards the forest.

  The eyeballs lazily rolled in their bed of red flesh, fixing onto the retreating figure. The serpent hissed, and its neck rushed towards the escaping Guide.

  The head slammed down, and a row of teeth revealed as a sickening crunch echoed through the air. A pair of hips and legs spurted with blood, taking a single step before crumpling sideways.

  The mouth crunched with dissatisfaction, turning towards the frozen Guides nearby.

  At that second, an explosive gunshot rang out.

  Behind the raised muzzle, a pair of sharp and focused raven eyes stared from behind, his hair unraveling from the momentum.