… Fuck.

It was endless. Looking at the corpses strewn across the desolate ruins, he muttered a complaint. It felt like his whole body was going to break. The raindrops that had been falling one or two at a time were now pouring down terrifyingly. It felt like a hole had been punched in the sky. From the sky, which was burnt gray rather than black, dark clouds were gathering again. The rain running down his head blurred his vision. The ground was already filled with puddles of blood.

'Ryu Minseok! Come back right now.'

A familiar voice came from the quiet radio. Minseok pulled the radio out of his pocket, shook it a couple of times, and spoke slowly.

'...I haven't found them yet.'

'Is that what's important right now? You're going to die at this rate. There's no answer if you go into a rampage, and besides, they've already been missing for—'

The researcher seemed to be trying to say something, but the radio communication was cut off with a burst of static. Minseok let out a deep sigh and looked up.

It started a year ago, after his only Guide disappeared. He acted like someone who had lost his mind. They were the only Guide who could control his fluctuations. And as soon as he heard that person had disappeared, Minseok acted like a soul-less man. He couldn't control his abilities like a rookie and blew up entire buildings, or charged into enemy lines like a madman. Seeing Minseok acting like he was ready to die right then and there, the attending physician shook his head.

'Seriously, what's wrong with you? It might be hard to find a matching Guide, but we can just get another one.'

The words were meant to be helpful, but Minseok didn't even pretend to listen.

'… Hyung. The problem is that I don't have many matching Guides to begin with.'

When he spoke sullenly, the doctor shut his mouth and pressed his temples firmly. Even if Ryu Minseok's arm was broken and dangling, even when he was rendered combat-ineffective, he went out on missions like he was being forced to swallow bitter medicine. It stemmed from a desperate hope that surely, he could find them.

But now he was at his limit. His fluctuations were ruined, and his mind was drifting in and out. His blood felt like it was boiling, as if he were on the verge of a rampage. His legs refused to move. The comrades who had confidently gone ahead were all wiped out. Indistinguishable corpses rolled around. Everything before his eyes went dark.

… What more am I supposed to do here? He just glared at the useless radio in his hand. The radio, which had been leaking voices just minutes ago, only emitted crackling static as if the communication was completely severed. Minseok, who had been repeatedly pressing the communication button, threw the radio in a fit of rage. The radio smashed into pieces as it hit the ground.

His eyes slowly closed. Forget the mission, forget everything. He wanted to give up and run away.

… I really can't take guiding. Not from Guest…

He struggled to let out the fragmented words before losing consciousness right there.