The X Guide

Khal had a certain possibility in his mind. He always suspected something was at play when Ayen’s records were not submitted to them.

It had become a standard procedure over the years. Only the Nevaris Clan had the capability to shelve Ayen’s records.

Khal stared at the dazed Aicel, processing his question. Could it be they already noticed Ayen’s uniqueness? His face turned solemn, thinking of this.

"They... need him." After a few seconds, close to a minute of pause, Aicel finally managed to answer, albeit in slightly incoherent words.

"Need him for what? And who are they?"

Again, there was a pause. Khal was not impatient; he let his mind wander as he waited for answers.

Aicel frowned, expression twitching. He was having a hard time answering the question, both because of his state and because the question itself was sensitive.

Khal increased the pressure on him, fighting distractions with another distraction. Aicel’s face kept on twitching; his eyelids fluttered between passing out and staying conscious.

"I... don’t know their purpose," Aicel answered with difficulty; blood dripped from his nose, and he continued. "Ayen... isn’t an ordinary E-class guide they said."

Kha’s mouth parted as he exhaled.

He knew it. Someone in the Nevaris clan knew Ayen’s uniqueness. Then what was their purpose in hiding this matter? Khal could not comprehend the point at this moment.

If the Nevaris clan knew, why did they let Ayen suffer outside and even constantly assign him dangerous missions? This only incurred resentment and did not help them if they wanted to benefit from Ayen’s uniqueness.

"Who are they?"

It could be assumed they were the higher-ups of the Nevaris clan. Yet, Khal could not stop this nagging feeling that there seemed to be something more involved in this.

It was not that simple. Khal did not see the need to assume when there was someone here who could answer his questions. While it needed verifications later on, it was still a lead nonetheless.

"They..." Aicel’s gaze became clouded, and he suddenly vomited blood.

Khal simply stared at him; his eyes carried no waves or sympathy for his pain.

Aicel vomited a few more before he took a deep breath. The pressure around him did not even lessen. Khal did not intend to help or stop.

"They... want Ayen."

Khal’s brow moved. He did not intervene and let Aicel form his words. His gaze was fixated on Khal, but it was unfocused.

"They..." his bloodied mouth arched up a bit. He seemed amused. "They are cowards but insane." After vomiting blood, his tone and voice became stable. "Truly the craziest fellows I’ve ever known," Aicel let out a deranged laugh. His eyes were drifting side to side, looking like someone about to snap.

Khal maintained his solemn expression.

The blood from his nostrils continued to drip down to his mouth, but Aicel seemed unable to notice it.

"They can’t get a hold of those terrifying monsters, Khal and Devion. They are capable of killing them with a glance, but that did not stop them from coveting the SS-class espers." Aicel’s lips widened. "Too insane. Who dares plot against the SS-class espers? They only dare imagine it."

Khal frowned slightly.

"What can you expect for those who even dare to research curses? Truly, the madness you can only admire." Aicel’s expression became twisted with his words.

Khal’s expression quickly became serious.

His hunch was right. Something... far more sinister was hidden within.

"They can’t touch Ss-class espers... then." Aicel’s expression became subtle. "That bitch Ayen seems unique, according to them. Hahahaha! They became interested in him."

Aicel’s implications were clear.

If they could not touch SS-class espers because of their power, how about a potential SS-class guide who had no combat power?

Khal’s gaze turned darker. The temperature in the room dropped further. The frigid air seemed to manifest as it surrounded the room.

Aicel’s laughter stopped, and he shivered. Yet, the deranged look on his face remained, or it was also frozen. He was too far gone to even sense the dangerous area he had been standing on.

Aicel’s lips shivered, but he still forced himself to put on a stiff smile.

"Ayen will surely have a good time with those madmen."

In short, once they got hold of Ayen, everyone knew that he would suffer a fate worse than death.

Aicel was about to laugh again, but his whole face suddenly became covered with ice. His eyes widened inside it. Khal touched his face, his eyes turning dark blue.

At his feet, smoke rose from the chill his body was emitting.

"Madmen... huh?"

Khal paused and looked at Aicel, struggling to breathe inside the ice. His glowing eyes became more prominent in the darkness. He stared calmly at Aicel.

As much as he wanted to kill him, the clues might end here if he did.

This was not a simple clan affair anymore. Somehow, a group of madmen had risen among those fellows. This was the reason he shifted his attention from the institute to forming his own team.

He could not trust the institute.

All of these were only researchers. There was no doubt about it.

Khal was only half surprised at this revelation. After all, he had heard of an emerging force before, but they were not of his concern. As Aicel said, even if the madmen targeted them for research, they needed to overpower them first.

None of the current humanity was capable of doing so.

And they were not exactly a threat to his eyes.

Yet, a few years had passed, and it seemed they had underestimated them too much. It was his oversight, but also because he did not care.

For years, his focus was only on one person. Their absence in the human world had made everyone rampant. This was also to be expected.

The reason the higher-ups hated them was this: they were simply too strong. If Khal and Devion decided to rule the world and be dictators, no one could resist them.

"They are too bold now."

Khal murmured, eerily calm despite the look of a predator.