FI CH 2

Chapter 2: The Out-of-Control Guide (II)

That evening, the Sentinel Guild’s private aircraft landed at a military base in the southeast region.

As Bai Hua and the others stepped off the plane, a driver from the Sentinel-Guide Association was already waiting for them in the arrival hall. Everyone got into their assigned jeeps and immediately set off toward the local branch office without delay.

The destination wasn’t far, and they arrived shortly after.

While still in the vehicle, Bai Hua caught a faint, fragrant scent in the air. The closer they got to the branch, the stronger it became. He had assumed the others had noticed it too, but apparently not—even He He, whose sense of smell was among the sharpest, didn’t react at all.

After getting out of the car, the fragrance intensified. Almost instinctively, Bai Hua found himself drawn to its source.

Noticing Bai Hua standing still with his eyes closed, clearly focusing on something, He He grew concerned and quickly asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Bai Hua replied, inhaling deeply and keeping a calm expression. “You guys go ahead. I need to take care of something.”

The phrase “take care of something” could mean a lot of things, but to them, it was a familiar expression — one that simply meant: “I’ll be right back.”

“Be careful.”

“I know.”

After patting Bai Hua on the shoulder, He He led the others inside.

Bai Hua remained in place for a moment longer. Following the direction of the wind, he quickly located the source of the scent — Behind the building, three hundred meters away, stood a person.

Bai Hua moved swiftly around the building, his ability to move silently so well-trained that even other Sentinels would have trouble detecting him. Yet, to his surprise, the person still noticed him — a sharp wave of psychic energy suddenly shot straight at his brain like a blade.

Bai Hua instinctively activated his mental shield, blocking the attack with precision.

The clash lasted only an instant before both of them stopped. They had immediately realized — the other wasn’t an enemy, but one of their own.

From the corner of the building, a tall figure stepped out. What appeared first was a strikingly handsome face — neatly parted black hair, light golden eyes. The man wore a dark green military uniform with a long coat, short combat boots, and a United Forces medal on the left side of his chest. It was the standard outfit of a high-level Guide.

The moment Bai Hua saw him, his pupils contracted sharply. The scent in the air seemed to intensify, and his own pheromones began to stir restlessly from within.

As Bai Hua assessed the other man, he too was being assessed in return.

Their eyes met briefly — then the man spoke first.

“Sentinel, what’s your name?”

Since this was the Guide Guild’s territory, it made sense for Bai Hua to introduce himself first. “Bai Hua.”

“So you’re Bai Hua. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The man smiled lightly and took a step forward, extending his hand with polite formality. “I’m Kurosawa.”

Bai Hua stared at the offered hand without moving. He shook his head and refused, “You shouldn’t…”

His hesitation was completely justified. A Guide could easily read someone’s thoughts just by making contact. That’s why, except for their bonded Guide, Sentinels generally avoided unnecessary physical contact. Even with his special training, Bai Hua had no intention of risking it casually.

“My apologies, I forgot,” Kurosawa retracted his hand with an apologetic tone, as if it really had slipped his mind — though the lack of any awkwardness on his face made it clear he was testing the waters.

“It’s fine,” Bai Hua didn’t want to make a fuss out of something so small. “Just remember next time.”

Kurosawa murmured under his breath, “That might be difficult.”

At such close range, even the most average Sentinel would’ve heard that clearly. Bai Hua wasn’t sure if it was said on purpose, so he simply pretended not to hear it.

Kurosawa then asked, “Were you looking for me?”

That was a bit of a rhetorical question. Bai Hua gave him a sideways glance, then still answered, “I smelled a scent and followed it here.”

Kurosawa chuckled. “But you had the intention to attack me earlier. Did you think I was the enemy?”

“You thought so too, didn’t you?”

“No—I was deliberately testing you.” Kurosawa still wore that same smile, making no effort to hide it.

“Actually, just before your group arrived, I smelled something similar as well. Looks like… you really didn’t notice, huh?”

“Notice what?”

“That was the scent of pheromones.”

***

When the two of them returned to the operations command room, everyone’s attention immediately turned toward them.

Kurosawa casually walked back to join his team.

He He, however, gave Kurosawa a quick once-over before leaning in to quietly ask Bai Hua, “You two…”

“We ran into each other outside,” Bai Hua replied.

“Oh, then…”

Bai Hua remained silent — it was clear he didn’t want to explain.

He He figured Bai Hua was holding back because members of the Sentinel-Guide Association were present, so he suppressed the questions bubbling in his mind.

Once everyone had gathered, a Guide entered the room — the field commander in charge of the previous mission to capture the rogue Guide. He was responsible for briefing them on the operation’s outcome.

Ten Sentinels and Guides were seated around a round table. Bai Hua and Kurosawa happened to be sitting directly across from one another. Their eyes met briefly, then both looked away as if nothing had happened.

A holographic projection device on the table activated, recreating the battlefield scenario. It showed that six Sentinel-Guide pairs had entered Jing He’s mental landscape. Among them, one pair had been bonded partners.

After entering, the six were immediately separated. Only the bonded pair managed to find each other again—but they were the first to die, and in the most horrific way.

Analysis of their brain tissue showed they were in a state of intense emotional agitation before death, suggesting they had suffered severe mental torment. Based on the physical evidence on their bodies, it was determined that they ended up killing each other—slashing each other to death. The scene was described as unbearable to witness.

The remaining four bodies were less disturbing by comparison. After their minds were affected, each died from a swift, clean blow.

The commander glanced around at the ten elite members present, then continued:
“According to psychological analysis, Jing He may harbor hostility toward bonded Sentinel-Guide pairs. That’s why, for this mission, we specifically chose individuals who are currently single.”

One of the Guides suddenly asked, “Was it… because of a heartbreak?”

The commander replied, “We can’t rule out that possibility.”

At that moment, He He also spoke up: “But this kind of operation comes with a certain level of risk.”

“Yes, it’s true that asking unfamiliar Sentinels and Guides to work together poses a risk. But none of us can guarantee that in every emergency, our trusted partners will always be by our side. Especially now, when situations like this are becoming more and more frequent, the ability to trust and coordinate with other teammates becomes increasingly important…”

His words silenced the room.

When the Sentinel and Guide Guilds were first established, aside from sheltering and training those with abilities, they were also the most suitable force to maintain global order. Initially, their missions focused on resolving disputes among ordinary humans—taking down powerful arms dealers, criminal syndicates, or untouchable political figures. For them, those missions were minor work.

However, in recent years, conflicts among ability users themselves had become more common—deserters, drifters, and even rumors of someone working in the shadows to gather and control them.

The incident with Jing He was only the beginning. Only by following the clues left behind could they uncover the truth.

Breaking the heavy silence, Bai Hua spoke up first. “Other than that reason, is there any useful intel?”

The commander looked at Bai Hua with mild surprise. This Sentinel was powerful, calm, and almost entirely unaffected by external emotional interference.

At the same time, Kurosawa was also looking across the table at him.

The commander quickly answered, “Yes. Jing He’s mental landscape is filled with large amounts of water—likely related to her childhood environment.”

Sentinels and Guides can shape their mental landscapes however they choose. But without proper training or experience, most people subconsciously default to something familiar—whether it’s a memory, a dreamlike place, a deeply imprinted image, or even a lingering piece of will. It can be good… or bad.

“She grew up by the sea. It was only last year that her whole family moved to the city. Her current residence is near an artificial lake—reportedly, she visits it often.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Hua finally thought to ask, “How old is she?”

“Sixteen.”

“So young…”

The commander smiled. “By ordinary standards, yes, she’s very young. But among ability users, that’s not considered early. According to the Sentinel-Guide Association’s records, the youngest operatives to ever take on missions were just thirteen at the time. And if I recall correctly, the average age of everyone here isn’t even over twenty.”

He He suddenly glanced at Bai Hua. But Bai Hua didn’t react at all.

“That concludes my briefing. If there’s anything unclear, feel free to ask now. Jing He may be untrained, but don’t underestimate her for that reason. Whatever you do—never let your guard down.”

(To be continued…)