Chapter Text
In 20xx, suddenly the gates started to open and monsters slipped through the dimension gates into our world. At first they created so much chaos and depleted nations’ military power in just a few weeks. Then as nature would have it, people with special powers awakened. They are called the ‘Espers’, awakened people with special powers such as telekinesis, teleports, super strength, element control, etc. They have the power to beat the monsters in and out the gates. They also started to enter the gate to beat the ‘Boss’ monster of a dimension gate, thus closing the gate entirely.
However, those powers came with loss of control and mental health. The more an Esper uses their power, the more likely they will lose their control and go berserk. When an Esper goes berserk, they can only be saved by a Guide or shot until they are dead. A Guide is an awakened person with the ability of calming Esper by naturalizing the chaotic power inside Esper. Guide doesn’t have any other ability outside calming Esper, so they are basically normal humans.
As the time passes, discoveries about the Esper and Guide surfaces. Espers population numbered 1 : 100 normal humans. They are divided into levels, from F-rank up to A -rank, where F is the lowest and basically just like normal people with slight power, and A is the highest. There is also a special rank, the S-rank, Espers with special ability that is stronger than 100 A-ranks combined. These S-rankers are very rare, with the population of 1 in 100,000 espers. They are hailed as the top of the food chain.
Meanwhile, Guides are divided into three ranks : F ranks, B ranks and A ranks. This ranking is based on the number of Espers they can guide in a day, and also with their calming capacity. There was no S rank for Guide. The Guides ability to calm Espers are still under research, because not all Guides perform the same with the same guiding manual. Compatibility matters for Guide, the more compatible a Guide to an Esper, the quicker and more efficient their guiding session will be. Unfortunately, Guides are way lesser in number, with a ratio of 1 guide per 1,000 espers.
While Guides are basically normal humans, they are very essential to Espers. With their smaller numbers, even F-rank Guides need to accommodate as many Espers as they could, sometimes not even having a day off because so many Espers need Guiding. Many Espers also get obsessed with their preferred Guides. Some even killed their guide because of obsessions and jealousy. This made being a Guide very important, well paid position yet very dangerous as well. Being a registered Guide brings quite a lot of money for their families, thus creating a hidden black market for Guide trafficking.
The government came out with a system for Espers and Guides. All Espers and Guides need to register into the system and the government will match them. F to C rank Espers can only match with F rank Guides and they will be handled on a case by case basis, with no specialisation or dedicated personnel. Meanwhile, B to A rankers can select their preferred guides, but still share with other upper rankers. Lastly, the S-rank Espers have the privilege to get up to three dedicated Guides.
The guiding process typically needs skin contacts. The more contact, the more efficient it becomes. The higher the rank of the Guide, the more efficient the process. The higher the Espers level, the more tiring it will be for the Guide. That is why S-rankers are allowed up to three Guides, because of too much chaotic mana inside. Most often than not, the contact became sexual, and some even became lovers. In contrast, since sexual encounters become common, jealousy and obsession increasingly become rampant between Espers, making it hard and dangerous for Guide to have relationships.
As the number of dimension gates opening increases, the number of Espers increases as well.
Surprisingly, the number of Guides do not.
Some of the Guides secretly refused to register or tell others they awakened because of the fear of being used to death–literally. Many were kidnapped after they registered / awakened and ended up used as slaves to black market deals. Others are sold by their own family and end up guiding till they lose their lives. As the guiding process ended up in sexual intimacy, a lot of trafficked Guide ended up tearing and died from infection. Some of the black market Espers have limited access to Guiding, so they mostly lost themselves and (mostly unintentionally) hurt the black market Guide, ending up in broken ‘goods’. This contributes to the flat number of Guides, which combined with the increased number of Espers, increases the needs for Guides until some low ranked Espers desperate enough to pay for trafficked black market Guide, and then it becomes a feedback loop.
With the increasing needs for guiding, some inhibitors- drugs which can help to postpone the berserk process–are developed. It is most optimal for F to B rankers, while A and S rank Espers still need a normal guiding process to be normal again. These inhibitors are regulated by the government, only available for registered and working Espers, encouraging Espers to register and work for the government. It becomes one of the ways of the government to control the Espers.
The most prominent companies producing these inhibitors are X-Pharmaceutical (owned by X-Holdings), Sheng Fang Bio and recently, a new company called HS Group. The three companies are headed by some of the most famous high level rankers in the country, and everybody knew of them. X-Pharm is headed by a mysterious A-rank Esper called Chang Yu, while Sheng Fang Bio is controlled by the S-rank Esper Sheng Shaoyou and the youngest company, HS Group, is headed by S-rank Esper called Shen Wenlang. They were very popular amongst the Guides.
Chang Yu was an aloof, cold reclusive Esper who doesn't like too much attention. He is very famous for being secretive but very efficient and ruthless. Not much is known about him, but he is famous for a hands-on approach to the management of his own company, reducing the number of hours he spent fighting monsters. X-Pharms produces a wide array of inhibitors and was the first pioneer to mass produced inhibitors with affordable price. They also produce a lot of equipment for Espers to fight monsters and survive in the dimension gates, which makes them popular as a one-stop for all Esper needs.
Sheng Shayou, meanwhile, is famous as the playboy Esper who changes Guides every three months. Registered high ranked Guides like him though, because he is famously generous to his lovers of the moment. His company is famous for their inhibitor patch, an easy way to stop rampage for 4 hours, which is enough for normal Espers to go and find their Guides for proper guiding.
And lastly, Shen Wenlang is famous for his hot temper, ambition, and hatred for Guide. The Esper is the odd one out, refusing to get Guide and only consuming his own company’s inhibitors. That contributes to the popularity of HS inhibitors; since it is directly tested by their own S-rank owner. It has very good efficacy too, maintaining mana control up until 24 hours.
Shen Wenlang closed his eyes and injected the inhibitor into his arms. ‘Damn it’, he cursed silently. It has been a messy week. The raid he led yesterday was successful, however it took a toll into his mana control. He needed another dose of inhibitor just in 10 hours, unlike the usual 24 hours. His body feels very hot and uncomfortable, ready to blow up. He couldn't just rampage in his own building, Shen Wenlang did not want to pay the repair cost. S-rankers like him weren't included in the government damage coverage plan, as they have bigger income than the government's monthly tax revenue.
Two distinctive knocks on the door distracted him.
Without saying anything, Shen Wenlang opened the door with his telekinesis power. He knew who was behind it, his loyal personal secretary, Gao Tu. Gao Tu was his high school friend, and Wenlang saw his name inside the list of his employees. Gao Tu applied for a job in the finance department; Wenlang immediately transferred him into the secretary department.
Shen Wenlang remembered how serious and reliable the man was; Gao Tu always got the highest mark in class, deserving the scholarship. The S-rank Esper also remembered how Gao Tu was different from other classmates. Instead of worshiping Wenlang or trying to gain Wenlang’s attention, the boy silently kept Wenlang company and maintained peace between them. It felt good to be with Gao Tu, and it was what triggered Wenlang to take Gao Tu as his personal secretary. Gao Tu was also unawakened, so he never challenged Wenlang (like an Esper) or tried to seduce him (like a disgusting Guide).
Gao Tu entered the room with a stack of documents and a cup of tea. Wenlang smiled slightly and let Gao Tu put both items in front of him. Gao Tu looked at Welang for a moment, and suddenly said, “Sir, can I see your arm?”
Wenlang looked away.
“... Sir. Let me see.” Gao Tu said again in a sterner voice.
Wenlang pouted (but he wouldn't admit it) and let Gao Tu see his arm. He just couldn't go against Gao Tu’s direct order. It was blue to purplish around the injection marks, clearly not normal. Gao Tu looked concerned and touched the purple area, which immediately soothed Wenlang. Gao Tu always brought him this soothing, calming feeling, especially when they touched.
“This looks inflamed, Sir.” Gao Tu huffed and gently massaged the area. “Will you come with me to the infirmary?”
“Don’t worry. I just need more doses today.”
That alarmed Gao Tu, “But you already took it 10 hours ago! This is not supposed to be taken twice before 24 hours! Sir, please consider using…”
“Stop it there. I said I don’t need Guides. They are all annoying and manipulative.”
Gao Tu looked sad for a second before sighing. “Alright. I will bring some potions for you, please rest first before doing anything. I will reschedule meetings before noon. You can rest for three hours.”
When Gao Tu stopped touching him, Wenlang felt the heat come back, the soothing gone. He whined and without thinking grabbed Gao Tu’s hand. Gao Tu looked surprised.
“A…Ah. Stay with me until I sleep, please?”
Gao Tu corrected his glasses with his other hand and smiled. “Alright. Let’s get you to sleep, you are a very spoiled boss, you know?”
Wenlang knew if he was a real wolf, his tail would be wagging so hard. In reality, his power was related to wolf-like transformation, harsh bite and iron claws. Normally he just didn’t show his physical manifestation, preferring to be a normal human. However, his wolf tendencies sometimes came out without his control. And he ended up imprinting to Gao Tu, it seemed.
Just like a wolf, Wenlang believed Gao Tu was his mate. He silently wished to bind Gao Tu with him through marriage, but it was unfair for Gao Tu. Firstly, Gao Tu was a normal unawakened human, so he would be better off with other normies. Secondly Gao Tu was a fragile human, so being with an Esper exposed him to a risk of being hurt. Although Wenlang always took cautions in handling Gao Tu, he still couldn't control 100% of the time as he was always near rampage due to his refusal of Guides, and Wenlang feared he might unintentionally hurt Gao Tu. And lastly, Wenlang was a coward. What if Gao Tu didn't like him romantically? Their relationship would be awkward. He didn’t want Gao Tu to leave.
Gao Tu kept holding his hand while Wenlang slowly let himself sleep on the sofa. The soothing touch from Gao Tu made everything better. Wenlang wished he could put Gao Tu inside his pocket all the time, so that he could always protect Gao Tu. He knew he couldn't have Gao Tu, so he bound Gao Tu with him through employment and money instead.
It was his selfish love.
Gao Tu focused on guiding Wenlang. The poor S-rank has been clearing gates left and right, making the mana inside him chaotic and almost rampaged. As he could only guide Wenlang in secret, pretending he was just helping his own boss relax, Gao Tu needed to ration the guiding process to reduce Wenlang from immediate danger.
The handsome S-rank Esper looked so tired in his sleep.
Gao Tu let himself smile and tried to guide as much as he could from the skin contact. Hopefully Wenlang never realised that Gao Tu was a Guide, and that was why every touch they have felt soothing to Wenlang. The Esper’s hatred for Guide was too deep until he never had a real guiding process, and thus Wenlang did not realise the slow guiding Gao Tu kept having with him whenever he could.
The bunny-like Guide has fallen in love since he saw Wenlang for the first time. That time, Gao Tu was already hiding the fact he was a Guide, based on his own mother’s order. He also saw what happened when his F-rank Esper father sold his B-ranked Guide mother to the black market ring and mother never came back home. Some said she was ‘used’ to death. Some said she escaped. But nevertheless, mother never came back home. And Gao Tu was left to pick up the family. His sister awakened into a D-ranked Esper, however she was wounded in her first dimension gate raid, which rendered her paralysed spine and mana imbalance (Gao Tu has tried to guide her, but he failed. Her mana was just too chaotic. She ended up needing specialised inhibitors, which cost a lot, and several surgeries to cope with the pain of her severed spinal nerve).
Wenlang stated clearly from the start that he hated Guides. He was harsh to any Guide who tried to start a relationship with him. He ignored all of them whenever he could, or harshly pushed them away whenever they got too close. Wenlang also ignored the Espers, especially those who wanted to increase their own social standing by being closer to an S-ranked Esper. Since Gao Tu was pretending to be unawakened, he was never registered into the government system and thus never being called to guide anybody. However, Wenlang has been entering the gate since he was in high school. Every time he returned, he felt like almost bursting from chaotic mana. Gao Tu silently and secretly helped him regulate it through silent contact. Because of this, Gao Tu could guide Wenlang even through thin clothing, as long as they have a point of contact. With that, Gao Tu usually guided Wenlang throughout class.
Maybe Wenlang unknowingly liked his guiding, because the Esper started to follow Gao Tu to his part time jobs, and even sought out Gao Tu during the school holiday. It heightened Gao Tu’s feeling for Wenlang a lot, because the Esper was naturally protective of Gao Tu. Their high school years were some of the best years in Gao Tu’s life, up until Wenlang was deployed to international waters and then returned to his country (Wenlang was famous as the heir of the Shen Family from Country T) and left Gao Tu unable to follow him.
After graduating from university, Gao Tu intentionally applied to a job in Wenlang’s newly opened company he knew from the social media news, and was surprised when Wenlang actually made Gao Tu his personal secretary. Wenlang also raised Gao Tu’s salary, enough to support himself, his sick sister and his father’s gambling habit.
Wenlang’s addiction to inhibitors made Gao Tu worried so much. Knowing Wenlang’s hatred for Guides, Gao Tu could only try to lessen the inhibitor dependency by secretly guiding Wenlang through soft touch every time he could. Luckily Wenlang was used to Gao Tu since high school, so touching was normal between them.
So now there he was, sitting beside sleeping Wenlang, guiding the Esper as much as he could to keep the S-rank from collapsing or rampaging.
Sometimes Gao Tu wished he could be honest with Wenlang, but he was just a coward. He wanted to maintain this status quo as long as he could. He just wanted to be Wenlang’s side. Gao Tu didn’t need romantic gestures or relationship status. He just wanted to be useful to Wenlang.
It was his form of selfless love.