---- Nox ----
"Guide 609!" Nox pulled away from the Esper biting and sucking on his neck, "Let one of the other guides cover him, we just had an S-class clear the test in under fifteen minutes, he needs you more right now."
Nox nodded and pressed on the Espers head, trying to break free from his grasp. When it became clear the gentle route was useless Nox pinched the Esper's nose closed causing him to reel back gasping for breath.
"Cruel 609!" The Esper wheezed out glaring at Nox even as he reached out for the other guide taking Nox's place. Nox flashed a passive smile as he turned away.
"Just following protocol Esper, I suggest you do the same."
The guide who replaced Nox choked out a poorly disguised laugh and Nox smiled to himself. He approached the testing staffer and politely nodded.
"Name, consent forms, and bio-monitor code please."
The staffer pressed a few buttons on her own watch and nodded to Nox.
"Sent."
"Received." Instinct and habit took hold of Nox's voice as he stared at his watch.
Welcome Deadalus Kane S-Class Esper
The image of his bashful smile and his awkward stilted speech flashed in Nox's memory. The gentle flush on his cheeks when Nox joked with him. Every single thing from their encounter was burned into Nox's memory. At the time Nox hadn't known why he'd been so drawn to Dae.
A little seed of relief began to take root in Nox's chest. Maybe they weren't testing Nox. Maybe it was a challenge meant for Dae.
S-class huh?
Nox guided S-classes before, his universal compatibility made it unavoidable. He should have been able to recognize that endless vessel filling out Esper Kane's core. Guiding meant opening up the empty space that stored an Esper's power. That power turned to corruption as it was used. The more space for power, the more space for corruption.
Nox was almost embarrassed for failing to notice what that boundless vessel meant. But he'd been so caught up in Esper Kane's gentle demeanor. His soft boyish charm and his unassuming gaze.
When Esper's got a taste of Nox's guiding they always sought more. Nox knew how poor his control of his energy was. It would have filled the room while Nox kissed Cas. But still, Esper Kane hadn't said a word.
He sat quietly and spoke only when spoken to. He made no attempt to enquire about Nox's relationship with Cas even after the scene Mac and Layla made. It made Nox curious, so curious that he offered guiding, by taking Esper Kane's hand, without being asked for the first time in his professional career.
Everyone else treated Nox's guiding as an over the counter painkiller. Convenient and plentiful. Esper Kane's comment about being a battery, drained over and over again until it was too damaged to hold a charge was very accurate. It was strange to have someone upset about an aspect of Nox's life that he'd never considered with anything more than neutrality. The shock and surprise stopped Nox from seeing Dae's clear potential.
It was a happy surprise. There were no S-class guides at the center. So, at least until Esper Kane's inevitable recruitment into a private guild, he would be under Nox's care. Nox was almost giddy at the prospect of seeing Esper Kane again. Even the idea of another total drain sounded appealing. Nox wouldn't hate a white streak if it came from him.
Nox hoped he'd get to tease Esper Kane more, see his ears turn red and the corners of his lips twitch in discomfort. Thinking of his lips made Nox wonder what kind of guiding he signed off on.
Nox scrolled through his consent forms and tried not to feel disappointed that hand-in-hand and embracing were the only boxes checked. Guiding an S-class was difficult enough without being limited in the level of intimacy.
It was always possible that after his testing Esper Kane would adjust his forms in consideration of his potential guides. It seemed like something he might do. His gentle, non-confrontational nature led Nox to guess he was a pushover.
Next, Nox scrolled to Esper Kane's live corruption level. He stopped in his tracks, hovering outside the training room door.
3%
Less than fifteen minutes and Esper Kane, a metal manipulation Esper, was only at three percent corruption. Nox thought of the feeling of that vessel. The vastness of it. It was no wonder a simple testing facility didn't have a significant impact on his corruption levels. Nox tried to shake off the itchy uncomfortable sensation sneaking up his spine.
It was protocol to have newly tested Espers receive guiding. They would have a few moments together. A handshake at the very least. Nox could congratulate Esper Kane on his rank and ask him about his future plans.
Information redacted, guiding canceled
Nox felt sick. Esper Kane rejected guiding. It was possible he rejected Nox specifically. Nox tried to shake himself out of his haze. It wasn't possible that Esper Kane knew enough to intentionally reject Nox. The two hadn't exchanged names. The only reason Nox knew Esper Kane's was Lila addressing him so aggressively. Even IF he'd learned Nox's name the guides were only referred to by their numbers.
All Nox's self soothing dissolved as he noticed his badge while looking down at his watch. A badge which lay twisted backwards and displaying his number.
Espers were notoriously perceptive, especially when they felt anxious or threatened. Esper Kane had been a ball of nerves from the moment he stepped into the waiting room. He must have seen it.
While these thoughts swam through Nox's mind the door to the training center swung open. Nox was barely able to step to the side in time to avoid being hit. The door stopped Nox from seeing who was exiting. He could hear the gentle voice of Dr. Cunningham giving congratulations. Then he saw Esper Kane.
The Esper was just as striking as the first time Nox had seen him. Strong but rounded features, slender wire framed glasses, and thin delicate lips. Nox felt his gaze linger on the Esper's lips in the split second before he turned away. Nox tried not to think about how Kane's clothing wasn't wrinkled. Or how his fluffy hair still held the shape it had before the test. Or how there was not so much as a drop of sweat on his brow.
Nox's main duty was guiding newly tested Espers. They had less control of their powers and overreacted to the test. It was what he had the most experience with. He took pride in his capability to fulfill the role. But at the end of the day it was just a test. Even if its difficulty had been adjusted, it was a controlled setting. What could Nox do for an Esper like Daedalus Kane? Nox wanted to pull on the single fragile thread stretching out from his chest and connecting him to Esper Kane.
I'm a good guide. I can help you. I can-
But Nox couldn't bring himself to call out. He feared the string would snap the moment he applied any tension. Nox had always been good at compartmentalizing. That's why he viewed Cas' pathetic pseudo love triangle with utter neutrality. Why he dedicated himself to guiding as many Espers as he could. Donning an impenetrable mask of professionalism.
Guides could not afford to show too much affection. Especially not Nox, whose guiding was often compared to miracles and addiction. If Nox ever offered his hand first he knew it would be bitten off. A corrupted Esper was no different from a rabid wolf. Guides were lambs, sacrifices to protect the rest of the herd. Nox hadn't minded until this moment. Or maybe it was the moment he admitted to himself that he was aware of his inevitable obsolescence.
Nox would let the thread stretch out, let it meet his own breaking point. He couldn't find the strength to draw it towards him or to sever it with his own hands. So he stood like a coward, hidden behind the door. Watching Esper Kane walk away.
His cowardice was nothing in the face of his burning curiosity. The moment Esper Kane was out of sight Nox tried checking his file. Of course it wasn't available to him. Nox was a new employee with minimal clearance. He wasn't even able to view Esper Kane's stats. He thought it might ease his mind if he didn't see the percentage tick down, proof that it was guiding itself, not Nox, that was rejected.
No such relief was afforded to him. So he slowly made his way back to the medical center, trying to solidify the air of professionalism required to deal with young Espers. By the time he reached the doors he felt confident he had properly schooled his expression into a stony but pleasant mask of indifference.
Esper Kane was gone the following day. He made no attempt to reach out and Nox returned the favor. Nox shrouded himself in comforting neutrality and reassured himself there was no use in trying to pet a hostile dog. Not when there were plenty of puppies barking for his attention.
----Dae----
Laigon was a small guild. They'd been thrilled when Dae accepted their offer. Blissfully unaware that the only reason they'd been picked came down to their proximity to Dae's home town and position on the pile of offers. Contracting with the first guild that seemed half descent in a desperate bid to avoid 609 was shockingly a terrible choice on Dae's part. Apparently deciding on a job to avoid your first love was just as reckless as choosing it to follow them.
Laigon wasn't corrupt or overly controling. The guildmaster was a kind C-class Esper who probably should be retired by now. He praised Dae easily and gently corrected him when necessary. The other members were welcoming and kind to Dae. The problem lay strictly in the large ability gap between Dae and the rest of the guild.
That gap created certain expectations of Dae.
Dae was warned of this probability by the testing center director. She smiled at him and cooed over how proud she was. Told him he was a miracle, destined to save the world. Babbled saccharine praises until Dae became dizzy. Dae didn't feel like a miracle. He felt like a failure.
When the director took his hands between hers and looked into his eyes, suddenly serious, Dae didn't need her to open her mouth to know what she was about to say.
"Your mother is a guide, correct?" Dae nodded. She nodded along with him, smiling with misplaced sympathy, "You must know about the increased…strain, S-classes are put under."
The understatement of the century. Dae's heart had been pounding since he got the classification. Images of a mousy man falling to his hands and knees in Dae's childhood home filled Dae's head. They twisted into a pimple-faced man in his twenties collapsing into Dae's lap at the infusion center. And finally a nineteen year old with red eyes looking up at him with fear and pain. White streaks defiling black hair. Sweat slick skin going pale and limbs going limp.
"When you're in the field you'll have to wear sedative collars. You've never shown any violent tendencies and your powers aren't particularly dangerous so you shouldn't have to worry about kill collars any time soon."
Dae nodded blankly. His vision went hazy and his mind wandered. He felt the corruption 609's energy had so adequately excised creeping back in. A constantly ticking clock counting down the time until Dae would be deemed too dangerous. Not an if, a when.
"It would be wise for you to snatch up an exclusive guide as fast as possible. Unless you snag an S-class you'll probably be needing a new guide every four to five years. I've heard some S-class Espers will contract multiple at a time so they last a little longer."
The hand 609 had held twitched in Dae's lap. He looked down at it and tried his best not to envision chipped black nails coming to rest on his knuckles.
"We'll be more than happy to run your compatibility with everyone at our center and if you sign here we'll check the entire government employee database." She flipped her tablet around to face Dae. The cursive X telling Dae where to sign looked like a death warrant.
"We want to help you as much as we can! Oh! That reminds me! We also have a universally compatible guide. As much as it would pain me to let him go, he's all yours if you need him."
The 'pained' expression she donned was her worst performance yet. Dae couldn't stop himself from grimacing. An action she instantly misread.
"Ah- No worries then! Just sign this and we're sure to find you a match somewhere."
Dae slowly shook his head and gently pushed the tablet back towards her. Her smile faltered and she tilted her head in annoyance.
"I'm sorry? Do you already have someone in mind? A young romance perhaps? I know how it is at that age, but as an Esper of your calliber-"
Again, Dae shook his head. Harder this time. He finally broke through the anxiety binding his tongue, "I'll worry about that once I'm contracted with a guild."
Of course, she hadn't appreciated his answer. Training centers were given grants when they produced S-class Espers. Dae later discovered that this grant was nearly tripled if they also successfully paired said S-class with a government guide.
The director's clear annoyance barely registered in Dae's memory. It was instantly overshadowed the moment Dae returned home that night. The lights in the apartment were off and when he stepped through the door he found the entire space empty.
It seemed like a blessing at first. Anything to stall the conversation Dae knew would occur the moment he came face to face with Helena Kane. A conversation might have hurt less than the reality.
There were two suitcases in the living room. Dae's fears were confirmed when he checked his room. His bed had been stripped and all his belongings were gone. He wouldn't know which items Helena threw away until he unpacked in the Laigon dorms.
Old projects, childhood journals, notes passed between Dae and Simon. All of it scraped at the edges of the empty pit in Dae's chest. But the thing that hurt worst? Dae's biggest regret? It hit when the scent of woodsmoke faded from Dae's clothes. It dug deeper than any petty vengeance his mother could ever attempt.
Helena Kane couldn't escape her fate. There was always a guide better than her, even to her own son.
After a week at Laigon Dae was given his first mission. The guildmaster wandered into Dae's office and waited patiently for him to look away from his lines of code.
"Daedalus, we have a mission for you." At Dae's hesitant expression the guildmaster smiled encouragingly and put a hand on his shoulder, "I know we don't have a designated guide for you yet but with your vessel and your current levels you should be more than fine."
Unfortunately, Dae was in no position to argue. He may have been S-class but he was also only eighteen. An awkward barely adult working his first real job. When the guildmaster said jump, Dae was only to respond with "how high?"
So he found himself at the mouth of a gate. The coordination team consisted of four members. The mission commander who would be watching Dae's vital reports which transmitted from inside the gate every two hours. Two guides who were both only C-class but with whom Dae had >60% compatibility with. And the guildmaster.
"Who else is going in with me?" Dae asked, readjusting his bullet proof vest. The guildmaster laughed and the guides joined in. Dae stared at them blankly.
"Why would anyone else go with you? C-classes like us would only slow you down."
Dae tried his best to take this information in stride. He nodded and swallowed thickly. He masked the way his hands shook by pretending to readjust his gloves. Either he succeeded or the others didn't bother addressing it.
So Dae stepped through the portal alone. As his physical being compressed and his vision swam he made a mental note to create a device that could broadcast through the gate more reliably. An achievement he would manage less than six months after this very mission.
Not that future accolades and advancements mattered as Dae's boots hit loose dirt and his eyes soaked in the worst possible theme the pocket dimension could have taken on. Around him tropical trees stretched up and blocked the bright sunlight. Thick vegetation, colorful flora, and humid air, all ingredients to Dae's downfall.
Nature settings were some of the worst for Dae. He became extremely limited when it came to his ability. All the training in the world couldn't help Dae conjure metal that just wasn't there.
Dae's green eyes reflected the jungle around him. His thick dark hair instantly began sticking to his forehead. Sweat collected under Dae's combat vest and chafed his skin uncomfortably.
Luckily, there were no gate beasts in the immediate vicinity of where the gate. For a half a second Dae considered stepping right back through. Telling the guildmaster he'd need to find another Esper to handle this gate. The flickering and cracking of the gate behind Dae called to him sweetly.
But before Dae could give in, 609's face came to mind. Smiling as he talked about how good it felt to help people. Reframing the white streak in his hair as a symbol of achievement. So Dae took another step into the jungle.
His safest bet was to find a stream. Riverbeds often contained metal in the real world so Dae hoped the same could be said of this gate. And unlike natural deposits in the earth, running water made noise.
The trek through the thick underbrush took up whatever focus Dae wasn't using to listen for water. It consumed it so absolutely that Dae failed to notice the trap. Spikes hidden under plant matter, a pitfall trap. One that Dae tumbled into idiotically.
It was only large enough for one foot to go through. When Dae's heavy boots snapped the wooden spikes, protecting his feet and relegating damage to shallow cuts along his calf, the only thing Dae felt was regret that the spikes weren't made with metal. A foolish thought? Most likely. But Dae was growing tired of fighting his way through thick vines and plentiful vegetation. He longed for a blade. Anything that could carve out a path for him.
Monotony and arduousness should have been the last of Dae's worries. Something Dae was reminded of three nanoseconds later when a snarling sloth shaped beast fell from the trees above Dae and latched onto his torso.
One foreclaw latched into Dae's shoulder and the other caught in the corner of his mouth. In a blind panic Dae reached up and tried to wrench the beast off of him. His efforts only succeeded in enraging it further. The claw caught on Dae's mouth dug and tore at Dae's flesh, carving out the corner of Dae's mouth and searing down his chin and lifting away after scratching his neck.
Tears formed in Dae's eyes as he rolled forward. He ducked his body in and crushed the beast under his back. It let out a strained shriek before going still under Dae's torso. Dae hauled himself up and clapped a hand over the corner of his mouth. Blood pulsed through Dae's fingers and dripped down his forearm. He pulled a large plaster from his pockets and pulled his flesh together before slapping the bandage on.
The gatebeast below him was roughly the size of Dae's upper body. It had no back limbs, just the long hooked forelimbs that had cleaved through Dae's flesh. Its face was a flat circle with rows of teeth spiraling down into a gaping mouth. It reminded Dae of the mouth of a lamprey.
Dae shuffled on his knees until he could pluck one of the wooden spikes from the trap he'd fallen into. He wrenched it from the soil and adjusted his hold on it before plunging it into the gate beast's chest. It would be unlikely for this creature to have the gate's core but it contained another resource that was equally useful to Dae.
Rich, red liquid oozed along the wooden spike. Dae said a silent prayer of thanks to The Beyond for giving this creature iron rich blood. Dae pulled the spike out and shoved two fingers into the hole he'd created. The warm pulsing feeling of the creature's innards made Dae gag but he did his best to focus on the task at hand.
Closing his eyes and breathing evenly, Dae tried to visualize the floating specks and molecules of iron suspended in the plasma. He willed every speck to gravitate towards his fingers. Power surged out of Dae and filled the creature's cooling corpse. It sifted through the blood like a fine siv. Each sweep brought Dae more and more usable material.
When he couldn't find any more he pulled his hand back out. It was less than a gram in total. Little more than a coating across the tip of his index finger. But it was a start. Dae used the iron to paint a thin coating along the tip of the wooden spike he'd stolen from the spike trap. If he focused his powers properly he should be able to strengthen the metal each time he struck.
Having a plan and a weapon eased Dae's mind somewhat. He stood again and surveyed the area around him. Something was off. The creature that attacked him was too small. Something like that should come in packs. Dae hadn't thought about it as he tended to his wounds and harvested iron. Anxiety spiked in Dae's chest, quickening his pulse and turning his blood to ice in his veins.
The trees above Dae rustled in the wind. Each movement and shift felt like drawn out notes on a musical saw. Fear prickled the back of Dae's neck as he whipped around. He couldn't tell if he was conjuring the feeling of being watched from sheer panic or if it came from Esper's rumored superior instincts.
It must have been those instincts kinking into place that compelled Dae to launch himself forward as a large shape split off from the sea or shades of green. Dae didn't have time to process what the creature was before fell face first. He rolled to his back as fast as he could, spitting up dirt and eyes frantically searching for the threat.
He didn't have to search far.
A large jungle cat, colored with green and black stripes, whipped around from where it landed past Dae to charge him yet again. Dae didn't have time to think. He forced himself to his feet and sprinted away. He had no chance against this beast armed with only a metal coated spike. His best bet was to put as much distance between himself and the cat as possible.
Luck was on his side, something adjacent to luck anyways. As Dae tumbled over roots erupting between two tall trees he found himself falling. Falling towards a rushing river. He had less than a second for comprehension to dawn in his dark eyes before they were forced shut and all the air was compressed from his lungs.
The raging water yanked Dae's body under and dashed him against the rocky sediment at the bottom of the river. Dae submitted himself to the current. After what felt like an eternity Dae's head broke the surface. He gasped and gulped as much air as he could fit in his lungs before his body was slammed against a large rock jutting out of the river.
Dae's shaking fingers latched into the slippery rock. His fingernails bent and stung, lifted from the nailbed as he frantically clutched the stone. Defying the gates, Dae managed to pull himself up onto the rock, out of the river.
The cat creature was nowhere to be seen. Dae half expected it to have some magical adaptation that allowed it to swim like a fish. The water around him churned but he saw no signs of creatures attempting to drag him under. Even as he'd been in the current, nothing had grabbed, attacked, or bitten him.
Small mercies, Dae thought to himself.
The metal Dae had scavenged from the sloth along with the spike it adorned were gone. Lost before Dae even fell into the river. Any hopes Dae had about harvesting metal from the riverbed had been dashed against the rocks with Dae's body. The current was too strong and the water too deep.
There were several other rocks jutting out of the water around Dae. If he could manage the jump and keep his balance he could make it to the shore. So Dae stood, legs shaking and hair smearing his glasses with water. Dae brought a hand to his face to touch the frames, shocked they were still on. Unfortunately, a large crack ran down the center of the right lens. Dae didn't know when it happened. It could have been from the first attack, his little kiss with the ground, or in the water. Not that it mattered much where he'd gotten it. He pulled the frames off and discarded them in the rushing current. Perhaps The Beyond would take it as an offering and go a little easier on Dae.
Dae didn't give himself time to over think. The moment he was steady he crouched and leapt to the next rock. His feet slid forward, out from under him and forcing him to his ass. The impact rattled up Dae's tailbone painfully. But he didn't slip back into the river, so he decided to view it as a success. Somehow he managed the next two jumps without falling.
On the final jump Dae's boots hit the loose gravel of the shore. He cried out in relief before tipping forward to fall on his hands and knees. Blood dripped from his chin to paint the riverbed. Tears fell from his eyes next to it. Dae let himself weep for a moment before forcing himself back to his feet.
No backup was coming. The only way Dae would get out of this was by his own merrit. He surveyed the treeline, eyes narrowing in attempts to spot creatures that might be camouflaging themselves like the cat. No movement caught his eye but he knew better than to let his guard down.
Pain prickled along Dae's ankle and he was once again reminded of his inexperience. When he turned back towards the river he saw tendrils waving and reaching out of the water. One of them had snared his leg and started injecting some sort of poison. Dae used his free leg to stomp down on the offending appendage with all his might.
The damage was already done. Even as the tendrils retreated into the rushing river Dae felt his body going weak. He fell to the rocky shore, helpless.
A shadow fell across Dae's body and he blinked, trying to bring the approaching figure into focus. Something familiar, something like him. Two arms planted on the creature's lips, walking on two feet wearing combat boots almost identical to dae's. A mop of uneven black hair with a single white streak. Bright red eyes.
"Guess you just couldn't make it without me," 609's tone was teasing as he bent down over Dae, "If you make it out alive, and that's a big if, how many guides do you think you'll kill?"
Dae wanted to shake his head, open his mouth and defend himself, but he was hardly holding on to consciousness let alone speak.
"You wanted to bring me with you, didn't you?" 609 scoffed and poked Dae's cheek. The sensation was ghostlike and incomplete. No warmth, no woodsmoke, no 609. Whatever that creature put in Dae was causing him to hallucinate. Even knowing it was fake, Dae couldn't close his eyes. He watched the conjured 609 as if he was Dae's guiding star.
"Think they'll call for me? I'm not that far away. Three hours flight? You'd like that wouldn't you?" 609 brought one of his hands up to his hair and grabbed a handful of black locks. As he pulled along them they turned white, "Want to leave your mark on me, don't you?"
Dae made a pathetic 'no' sound in the back of his throat. 609 laughed again. Soothing and sinister all in one. 609 bent down next to Dae's face. His red eyes flitted down to Dae's lips.
"Oh, I see. You don't want to hurt me, is that it?" Dae nodded, his control slowly returning to him, "There's an easy way to see to that, Esper Kane."
"Please-" Dae's voice was hoarse and strained. He braced his hands on the gravel and tried to lift himself up, "Tell me how."
609 put a hand on Dae's back and forced him back down into the gravel. He leaned down and nibbled on Dae's ear then whispered, "Die here."
Tears fell from Dae's eyes. His breathing grew shallow and whatever fight he'd had drained out of him. 609's hand cupped his jaw and turned his head up. He followed along obediently. 609 came in close. He filled Dae's vision, blotting out the dimension around them and all its cruelties. 609's breath ghosted over Dae's swollen lip, the cool sensation was almost soothing.
"But you're selfish, Esper Kane." Dae whimpered but didn't disagree. 609 kissed Dae, briefly and with enough force to hurt, "You're going to make it out of here. Because you just have to see me again. Even though you know it's going to kill me."
609 dropped Dae back to the ground. Sharp rocks cut at his cheek and he curled into a ball. Clutching his knees to his chest and trying his best to steady his breathing. Crunching soil told Dae that 609 was leaving him. Dae reached a hand out but the illusory figure was already gone.
Hallucination or not, Dae ached to see him again.
The rest of the gate was a blur of pain and struggle. Dae remembered digging his fingers in the soil and trying to draw in any metal he could find. The sun never set in the gate. There wasn't a sun to begin with. When Dae crawled up one of the towering trees and broke the canopy he simply found a white empty expanse.
Sun or not, night or not, the treetop gave Dae enough security to sleep for two hours. He awoke to a sound close to monkeys chittering. It struck fear in his heart and nearly had him falling out of his perch. When he finally found the source he was relieved to find one of the five creatures had the trappings of a boss monster.
They were primate-like. The smaller ones resembled mandrills, though patches of scales along their spine and retracting fangs told Dae to watch for snake venom. The largest, the boss monster, looked more like a gorilla. It was at least twice Dae's size. Its face was elongated and a forked tongue licked out to scent the air around it. Dae had never been so grateful for the gate's irregular wind patterns.
A head on confrontation was sure to lead Dae to his death.
"Die here"
Dae startled and turned to the side where he swore he just felt 609's lips ghost over the shell of his ear. Naturally, the space was empty. Dae rubbed the spot where he'd been stung anxiously. He'd have to have a healer test his blood. The venom should have been out of his system by now.
Resolutely ignoring the feeling of red eyes watching his every move, Dae got to work setting up a larger version of the spike trap he fell into. He worked quickly and quietly. He used what little metal he'd excised from the ground to sharpen the sticks he planted in the bottom. The hardest and slowest step came as Dae collected and twisted together various thin vines, creating a net of sorts.
Maybe if Helena had named him after Arache the weaving would have been easier. Dae laughed to himself at the thought only to slap his hand over his mouth and peer out at the surrounding foliage anxiously. Thankfully, nothing came.
The entire endeavor took Dae six hours. Add on the two hour nap and the initial hour when Dae first entered the gate and Dae had been stuck for nine hours. Nine hours alone and scared. Nine hours oozing blood from his lip. He was beginning to worry about infection. But he couldn't spare any thought for it as his plan went into action.
As soon as the "net" was in place, Dae whistled as loudly as he could. He heard the sounds of multiple large creatures crashing through the forest towards him. Most concerningly, they came from different directions.
Dae had already planned for this possibility. He tightened his grip on the "rope" he'd made of multiple vines twisted together and used the small ball of iron to sever the other side of the pulley.
As the primates and cat burst into the clearing Dae went flying into the air. Unfortunately Dae hadn't accounted for the damage he would incur when putting the strain of his entire body on one joint. His shoulder violently tore out of socket but thankfully remained attached.
Dae cried out in pain as he was pulled up and out of range of the creatures gnashing teeth. Below him they tumbled right into his trap. A litany of squelches and cracks told Dae his trap had been successful. As he hurtled back towards the jungle floor, safely on the other side, he quickly sprung into action. He lowered himself into one side of the pit and began sorting through the creatures for the gorilla.
It was easy enough to identify since it was the only one moving. Unlike in Dae's test, he didn't bother cleaving the creature open. He sent his metal through the creature's body like a homing arrow. It found its mark with ease. The gorilla, in the process of grabbing at Dae's fragile human neck, turned to ash in the air.
The other creatures' corpses followed suit. Through the haze Dae watched their trail. When he identified which way they floated he used his metal to grasp the sticks and create a makeshift staircase up and out of the pit.
He stumbled through, following the boss monster's ash to the gate he'd come through. When he stumbled through the other side the two guides braced under his arms and hauled him to the waiting ambulance.
The next day he saw himself in the top news article. A version of himself he didn't recognize.
"I didn't look like that…" Dae pointed to the tablet the guildmaster had set in his lap, frowning. The 'Dae' in the picture had no blood, no bruises, no bandages, and no dislocated shoulder. He looked tired but that was the extent of it.
The real Dae's hand went to the new scar at the corner of his lip. How did they plan to explain that when they'd edited the wound out from the press release?
"You're young so I don't expect you to understand," When Dae frowned at the guildmaster, unimpressed, he hurriedly elaborated, "You're an S-class. People expect you to be untouchable. It's important that you make it all look easy. Or people will start to worry."
"They'll say we aren't taking care of you or that the gates are getting more difficult. Before you know it we'll have riots in the streets. Regular people are already nervous enough around Espers. I'm sure you don't want it to get so bad that you can't even leave your house without filling out an official request with the government."
Dae didn't argue. But he transferred to a new guild by the next year.