Chapter 1 Esper and Guide

The world suddenly turned horrifying. Giant, terrifying monsters filled the city and made hundreds of buildings collapse. They looked dark, disgusting, and frightening, and they would devour every human they saw.

A little girl named Nixie sat trembling beneath the ruins of a building, hiding. Her heart pounded wildly as the world changed in the blink of an eye. Her body shook, her eyes darting everywhere in fear that the monsters would find her.

"Is anyone there?" asked several people from outside. But instead of feeling relieved, Nixie grew even more terrified, cold sweat pouring down. The monsters could mimic voices too.

"Hello, this is the special task force! Is anyone there? We’ll take you to the North! There’s a safe place to live there!" one of them called out again.

Their footsteps became visible beneath the rubble. It made Nixie hug her knees tighter. Until one of them crouched down, checking underneath to see if anyone was still alive.

Then the young man’s eyes met the sight of a terrified little girl looking back at him. Her eyes and nose were red from crying in fear. "Hey, there’s a little girl here!"

His words made his teammates, who were also helping the victims, turn their heads. "Is she alive?"

"Yes."

"Save her quickly! It’ll be dark soon and the monsters will come to attack!" said one of them.

The man looked at her with a gentle smile. "Hey you! Come home with me! We’ll see our home again, not this terrifying place!"

Nixie didn’t believe him. The monsters’ fast revolution could even make her hallucinate. They would probably eat her.

"You’re lying!"

"No, I’m not lying! We have to go from here or the monsters will come again!"

His big hand reached for Nixie. Just as she wanted to believe him, a shadow of a monster made her eyes widen in fear. "B-b-behind you!"

The man looked back. How shocked he was when he saw a towering monster with huge eyes and a mouth full of thorns. He swallowed hard in fear.

"RUN!" one of them shouted, saving themselves.

Everyone ran, but the man in front of Nixie looked back at her instead. "Come on, let’s go!"

"Ziven! Run fast!" The tall monster impaled anyone running far away with its fingers. But Ziven ignored it. He kept looking at Nixie beneath the rubble.

"Come on!" he said. That made Nixie finally agree to Ziven’s offer and come out from there.

The monster was so terrifying that Nixie clung tightly to Ziven’s body. Meanwhile, the man ran as fast as he could to avoid the monster.

A loud sound echoed through the ruined buildings. The two of them hid behind a large bench. Nixie’s body trembled violently from the terrifying scene.

Ziven clenched his own hand, his gaze empty as he remembered his comrades who had fallen during this rescue mission. Their screams of pain still echoed in Ziven’s ears.

"Are we going to die?" Nixie asked quietly.

Ziven smiled at the little girl, then gently ruffled her hair. "I won’t let you die!"

The monster’s footsteps grew closer, making Nixie hug Ziven’s body again. Both of their hearts beat fast and their breaths were short from fear.

Suddenly the bench flipped over. Both of them were thrown quite far. Ziven felt pain and couldn’t move his body. He saw Nixie, who had fainted far from him.

His crushed hand tried to reach for Nixie, but then the monster stabbed his body. At the exact same moment, the little girl opened her eyes.

---

13 YEARS LATER!!!

The world was better now. Superpowered humans had appeared to fight the monsters, and they were called ESPERS.

Several regions had built high fortresses so monsters couldn’t enter. Though that would’ve been impossible without the help of Espers. Technology had advanced too, even amid the fear. And some people didn’t starve even without food.

Food was expensive too because supplies were scarce. Luckily, water in their region was abundant. Scientists estimated it wouldn’t run out for the next 100 years.

Now, in the school laboratory, all the students gathered for further testing to determine their type. Because scientists had learned one thing: their identity would show when they turned 20 years old.

Whether they were an Esper - a human with superpowers, a Guide - an Esper’s partner, or a normal human. For the last one, they were free to work any job they liked. Humans had managed to rebuild small cities amid all the chaos.

"What do you think I am?" her friend asked. It made the grown-up girl named Nixie shake her head in amusement.

The pretty girl who always wore a heart necklace looked at everyone laughing and joking. Some were as loud as her friend, Keira.

"Nixie, aren’t you nervous about the results?"

"No, I’m fine!"

"If you’re an Esper, what power would you want?"

"To turn anything into food," Nixie answered jokingly. It made Keira roll her eyes at her. She had no seriousness at all. "Besides, you’re so loud, Keira! But I have a feeling I’m just a normal human."

"Why?"

"Because I’m lazy," Nixie replied with a small laugh.

Soon, some students’ voices came from behind them, making both girls curious. "Did you hear about the SSS+ level Esper?"

"That level is basically god-tier, right? If there’s a human with power that strong, the monsters should be wiped out fast."

"Yeah, but that’s also the problem. His power is too high. Almost no Guide is compatible with him."

"Then how does he suppress his power? Isn’t that just becoming a new threat to us?"

"The scientists made a device to suppress Espers who don’t have a Guide. But the higher their level, the more painful it feels."

Nixie and Keira looked at each other, confused. "Nixie, do you believe in this SSS+ level Esper?"

Nixie shrugged, not sure. Not long after, it was their turn to go in for the follow-up test.

The doctor who examined them handed over the results from the blood test earlier.

"Congratulations, Nixie! You’re an S-Level Guide. Submit this result tomorrow so you can be tested for compatibility with the Espers."

Keira stared at Nixie in disbelief. An S-Level Guide was rare. And crazier still, she could partner with multiple Espers at once and get a huge salary.