FI CH 6

Chapter 6: The Out-of-Control Guide (VI)

Bai Hua had only been a second too slow—and Kurosawa had already caught her.

He burst up from the water, shaking off his clothes that were now thoroughly soaked. Because Sentinels possess extremely heightened tactile sensitivity, their uniforms are specially tailored—made from materials that are both soft and highly durable. The set of sentinel wear he had on, crafted from special synthetic fibers, was lightweight and form-fitting. Once soaked, it clung to his body, outlining the sharp lines of his physique—defined chest and abs, narrow waist, and long legs.

Due to years of intensive training, Sentinels generally had impressive builds.

Perhaps it was because the mission had succeeded, but Bai Hua noticed that Kurosawa’s gaze was fixed on him—and hadn’t looked away since. He had experienced being stared at before, but the way Kurosawa was looking at him now felt… different.

Unable to resist, Bai Hua asked, “What is it?”

“No, I just thought…” Kurosawa made no effort to look away. “Aren’t Sentinels supposed to be muscular, beefy types?”

“That’s a misconception.” Now understanding what Kurosawa was thinking, Bai Hua didn’t bother to mind it. After all, the material of the uniform would dry quickly.

In truth, being a Sentinel was a role that prioritized agility and speed. Excessive muscle mass could actually become a burden. Of course, there were also those known for their brute strength. Bai Hua’s build was on the leaner side—he even looked slimmer than Kurosawa at first glance—but the explosive strength hidden beneath those slim muscles could only be understood by someone who had witnessed it firsthand.

Kurosawa suspected this might be related to Bai Hua’s spiritual form^[1].

He hadn’t seen it yet—and asking outright wouldn’t be appropriate. A spiritual form determines a Sentinel or Guide’s special abilities. Under normal circumstances, it’s considered an advantage, but it’s also their most glaring weakness. That’s why, unless absolutely necessary, most Sentinels or Guides never reveal their spiritual forms.

Aside from their closest partners or comrades in arms, one could also discover another’s spiritual form by forcibly invading their consciousness. It might also appear when someone is gravely injured or near death. Additionally, there was one more special condition under which this could happen—when two people with high compatibility experience emotional arousal, they could perceive each other’s spiritual forms. But this mostly occurred in moments of intimacy.

Bai Hua didn’t know what Kurosawa was thinking. Seeing that he had fallen silent, Bai Hua lowered his gaze to check on Jing He’s condition.

Now that she had been captured, Jing He sat quietly on the ground, her eyes hollow and lifeless like a walking corpse.

Bai Hua asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

“Her consciousness is in disarray.” Kurosawa had seen the memory fragments when he touched her mind—those unbearable, tragic past events. “Her Sentinel is dead.”

Guides possessed powerful abilities, but those abilities often came with heavier burdens. Negative emotions, feelings, unforgettable memories—all of them became immense psychological weights. Without strong mental discipline and awareness, a Guide could easily suffer a mental breakdown, ending up just like Jing He.

This mission, truthfully, hadn’t been a particularly difficult one. Having Kurosawa handle it was probably overkill.

Bai Hua gave her one final glance and didn’t ask anything more. The follow-up would be handled by the proper authorities. Their only task was to bring her back unharmed.

From start to finish, the whole operation had taken just fifteen minutes. Only now were the other teams arriving.

He He had also just arrived. He walked up to Bai Hua, curiously asking what had happened. In the middle of the conversation, he accidentally bumped into Bai Hua. Bai Hua, who had zero defenses up around his close friend, staggered back a step—right into Kurosawa, who instinctively reached out to steady him.

Bai Hua froze for a brief moment, but quickly composed himself.

Kurosawa let go naturally, as if nothing had happened.

Their contact lasted only a second. It was unintentional, but in that fleeting moment, Kurosawa still managed to catch a glimpse. He had to admit—when he asked to partner up with Bai Hua for the mission and even suggested pretending to be a couple—it was largely because he was curious about what kind of person Bai Hua really was.

But now that he finally had a moment of contact, he realized: Bai Hua’s mental barrier was solid as a rock. All he could sense was pure darkness. And in that darkness, something definitely lurked—but it was impossible to make out, as though an impenetrable black fog had swallowed the entire spiritual world.

It was Kurosawa’s first time encountering something so strange. Perhaps he simply hadn’t seen deep enough yet—or maybe Bai Hua’s subconscious was deliberately hiding something.

But there was no rush. They’d have plenty of chances to meet again. He had time to slowly uncover the truth about this man.

Thinking of that, another matter came to mind. Now that they had resolved the out-of-control Guide case, what came next… was the issue of their compatibility.

Even if they didn’t address it now, eventually it would become a problem. For example—any accidental triggering of heat due to compatibility^[2] could be deadly on the battlefield. It was a dangerous, unpredictable factor. That was why both of them would need proper safety measures.

When Kurosawa looked toward Bai Hua, he noticed the other man was also looking at him. It was obvious—they were thinking about the same thing.

Bai Hua walked toward Kurosawa.

Kurosawa was the first to speak. “Have you made your decision?”

“No matter what I decide, you’ll accept it?”

“Yes. I’m leaving the choice entirely to you. If you decide to keep it a secret, I won’t press you. If you want to pretend, I can play along.”

“To be honest, partnering with you is surprisingly easy…”

“Mhm.”

The atmosphere fell silent for a few seconds before Bai Hua finally said, “Tomorrow morning at eleven—let’s go to the Compatibility Center and get tested first.”

Kurosawa smiled when he heard that. “Alright.”

Bai Hua couldn’t help asking, “Why are you so casual about this?”

“Because if the partner is you, I think it might be fun.”

***

The next morning, the Compatibility Center of the Sentinel-Guide Association indeed welcomed two high-profile guests. When the staff heard their reason for visiting, the mediator was so shocked their jaw nearly dropped, and they immediately called the higher-ups.

While waiting for the test arrangements, Kurosawa even had the mood to joke, “See? You scared them, you eternal draft-dodger^[3].”

Bai Hua retorted with a straight face, “We still don’t know what the results will be. It might only be 80%. No, maybe just the minimum 70%.”

The compatibility threshold between Sentinels and Guides is 70%. Those who exceed this threshold can apply for an official partnership—but that number still isn’t considered high. With compatibility over 80%, combat synergy becomes significantly enhanced. Pairs with compatibility over 90% are extremely rare, but nearly every one of them has accomplished something remarkable. Maybe not enough to go down in history—but enough to make an impact. That’s why the Sentinel-Guide Association takes it so seriously.

Bai Hua had once mocked their kind—these ability users—as if they were part of some endangered species breeding program. But from a broader worldview, it wasn’t wrong either. Every step in human evolution and transformation happens for a reason. If the world were to end someday, perhaps only those with strong survival abilities—like them—would be left standing.

Although the Compatibility Center was actively committed to genetic optimization, they never forced, coerced, or broke people apart. At most, they were just a bit… persistent. In the end, it all came down to this: would you convince them, or would they convince you?

The rebellious phase of resistance was often short-lived, because the sad truth was—most Sentinels and Guides simply couldn’t fight their own instincts. The higher the compatibility, the harder it was to resist the pull. But of course, there were exceptions, and those exceptions remained legendary to this day.

Bai Hua didn’t have a strong stance either way, nor did he carry a “rebel till the end” mindset. It was just that his own circumstances were… complicated.

“But even if it’s just 70%, I think that’d be good enough for them.”

Bai Hua glanced at Kurosawa, clearly not wanting to continue the topic any further.

By then, the testing staff had finished preparing, and the two of them were led into the lab to undergo various attribute-matching tests.

The results would take 30 minutes, so they waited in the lounge, passing the time by watching TV or flipping through magazines. With his sensitive hearing, Bai Hua caught whispers from the hallway—someone was saying a high-level official was on the way over.

He glanced at Kurosawa, who smiled at him mysteriously. Bai Hua figured he probably already “heard” this information from someone’s inner thoughts.

But when the results came out, they were completely stunned.

“Oh my god! Oh my god!! OH MY GOD───!!!” The mediator clutched their head and screamed in excitement. “94% compatibility! Have you two been holding yourselves back this whole time?!”

Holding back?

Bai Hua looked at Kurosawa. In some ways, sure—he had been tolerating this man’s overly flirty personality. So he replied, “I guess you could say that.”

Kurosawa laughed. He knew Bai Hua misunderstood what the mediator meant, but he had no intention of correcting him. Instead, he played along. “If he is, then I probably am too…”

The mediator continued shouting joyfully, “Then what are you waiting for?! If you expedite the paperwork, you two could be officially partnered by tomorrow! One day is all it takes!”

Bai Hua finally realized something wasn’t right. “What paperwork?”

“Why, your marriage registration, of course!” The mediator was practically delirious with joy as they launched into an explanation of all the benefits of bonding—how combat coordination would improve, how sensory synchronization would strengthen, how they’d never have to worry about going berserk or entering fugue states again. Oh, and of course, mental soothing, and most importantly—a harmonious and fulfilling sex life…

Bai Hua wasn’t listening at all.

He shot Kurosawa a glance that clearly said: this is all your fault.

Kurosawa gave a helpless little smile, offering no explanation.

In the end, Bai Hua politely declined the mediator’s enthusiastic offer, brushing it off with, “We’re still strangers—we need time to get to know each other.” Using that excuse, he shut down the matchmaking spiel, grabbed Kurosawa by the arm, and all but bolted out of the Compatibility Center.

Oddly enough, both men were remarkably calm about the outcome—almost as if they’d already known what the test would say.

Kurosawa’s attitude hadn’t changed at all. “Given what you just told them, the Association is definitely going to assign us to every mission together now.”

“Got a better plan?” Bai Hua asked.

“Nope.”

Bai Hua spoke bluntly. “I can partner with you in the field. Anything beyond that isn’t on my agenda.”

“I know,” Kurosawa said, completely unfazed. “I told you—let’s just take things as they come.”

Bai Hua shook his head. “I don’t even know how to describe you. You look carefree and flippant, yet that’s clearly not the whole story. Honestly, I can’t read you at all…”

“You’re not the only one,” Kurosawa chuckled. “We’ve got plenty of time ahead of us. Why worry about it now?”

“True,” Bai Hua agreed softly. “There’s no point over-thinking it right now…”(To be continued…)
T/L: OH MY GOD!!! I FEEL THE CHEMISTRY ALREADY AAAAAHHH!! ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-