FI CH 1

Chapter 1: The Out-of-Control Guide (I)

Bai Hua had just completed a difficult special mission and was granted five days of leave. He took a flight that lasted over ten hours to reach an outlying island. Just as he stepped out of the airport, ready to enjoy his much-deserved break, he was caught off guard by an urgent call summoning him back to the Sentinel Guild Headquarters. Needless to say, his mood plummeted.

Wearing a dark expression, he turned around against the flow of passengers and immediately booked the next available flight home.

By the time he arrived at headquarters, it was already the following afternoon.

Composing himself, Bai Hua made his way toward the combat meeting room with practiced ease. This was the most soundproof room in the entire Sentinel Guild — even the top-tier Sentinels ^[1]couldn’t hear a thing through the walls. The tightly shut door ahead signaled that the meeting had already begun.

He walked up to the iris recognition system. In less than a second, the sensor light turned green, granting him access. Gently pushing open the door, he stepped inside.

Four Sentinels were already present. One of them was his good friend, Deputy Sentinel He He.

Bai Hua gave a respectful nod to the superior hosting the meeting, then quickly made his way over and took the seat next to He He.

Just as he put on the special wireless device over his ear, He He’s voice came through immediately, “You finally made it.”

The five senses of a Sentinel were extremely sharp — even the slightest sound could be picked up. Because of this, the Sentinel-Guide Association developed a special communication method: as long as one wore a neural sensor device, they could engage in silent conversations. The technology was based on a Guide’s mental perception abilities.

Bai Hua asked at once, “What happened?”

“Another mission.”

“If it were just a regular mission, they wouldn’t have pulled me out of my vacation.”

“You guessed right.” He He showed a helpless expression. “But this one’s a bit different—it’s about an out-of-control Guide.”

Bai Hua immediately asked, “What happened?”

As the world evolved, humanity stepped into an entirely new realm. Unexplainable phenomena didn’t decrease with the advancement of science—in fact, they became more common. Among the most baffling were the emergence of people with supernatural abilities. Whether due to innate talent or environmental triggers, these individuals were generally classified into two types: Guides and Sentinels.

Guides excelled in mental perception, such as manipulating memory, consciousness, or emotions. The most powerful among them were even said to possess precognitive abilities—those chilling visions of disaster or doomsday predictions were all examples of this. But as the saying goes, extreme power often leads to disaster. Those with exceptional abilities rarely lived long and often died under mysterious circumstances.

Sentinels, on the other hand, possessed enhanced physical senses and an acute awareness of their surroundings. They had exceptional physiques and strong regenerative abilities. In terms of combat, Sentinels were ideal for frontline deployment. However, their biggest flaw was the tendency to become mentally unstable—either zoning out or going berserk due to overstimulation of a single sense. When that happened, only a Guide’s mental regulation could bring them back.

Because of this delicate balance, Sentinels and Guides rarely formed lasting bonds with ordinary people. Instinctively, they were drawn to those whose compatibility was high—often with the aim of producing more powerful future generations. Some never found a match and settled for someone nearby, while others quickly discovered their ideal partner, creating legendary battle records together.

It’s easy to see that whether it’s a Sentinel or a Guide, if either loses control, the consequences can be catastrophic. No wonder the higher-ups are taking this so seriously.

Seeing that Bai Hua was still piecing things together, He He summarized the core of the meeting and pointed to the file in front of him.

“She’s an untrained rogue Guide named Jing He. Her family treated her like a lunatic since she was a child. We looked into her parents — neither of them has any abilities, so she likely awakened later in life.”

Bai Hua frowned. “If she’s untrained, her offensive capability shouldn’t be that strong. Why would it cause such a stir?”

“Exactly. That’s what everyone thought too. And that’s where we let our guard down.” He He continued, “The director of the Southeast Branch of the Sentinel-Guide Association initially tried to cover it up. They sent a full Sentinel-Guide team to deal with her… but none of them came back alive.”

Bai Hua’s expression darkened.

He He’s voice grew serious. “According to the investigation, she created a mental landscape^[2] and pulled all the Sentinels and Guides into her psychic world. Then she picked them off one by one… and wiped them all out.”

Bai Hua said in a low voice, “That’s a systematic attack method.”

“Yes.”

“There’s someone behind this?”

“It’s only a suspicion for now. We’ll only know the truth once we capture that Guide. You understand how the human mental world is—profound, unpredictable, and incredibly dangerous. It changes in an instant.”

“I understand.”

“From the moment we received the order to apprehend her, to her luring tactics, and finally to the total annihilation of the team—it all happened in just twenty hours. That’s why the boss urgently called you back. Jing He’s Guide-related abilities are still a mystery, and the Sentinel-Guide Association can’t afford to take any more risks. So they plan to send in an elite team to invade her mental landscape and bring her back. That’s why we’re all here.”

“So the Guide Guild will be sending people too?”

“That’s right. As soon as this emergency meeting ends, we’ll head to the Southeast Branch to meet up with them.”

Bai Hua thought for a moment, then asked, “Any idea which Guides they’re sending?”

“The list hasn’t been released yet, but from what I’ve heard, to ensure nothing goes wrong, Kurosawa has been assigned to this mission as well.”

Bai Hua’s brows furrowed slightly. “Kurosawa…”

He He understood what his friend meant. “Headache already? I remember you’ve used missions as excuses for years just to dodge the matchmaking setups arranged by the Association.”

Aside from coordinating mission compatibility, the Sentinel-Guide Association had another key function—if not its main goal—which was to actively arrange meetings between Sentinels and Guides, in hopes of pairing highly compatible individuals. The more compatible a pair was, the more gifted their offspring would be.

Bai Hua added, “Can’t they send someone else?”

He He chuckled. “You know the boss has already helped you block a ton of pressure from the Association. Don’t make things harder for him. Besides, it’s just another mission—treat it like that. Who knows, that person might not even be Kurosawa.”

Bai Hua shook his head. “You know that’s not what I’m worried about…”

“Still, the strongest Guide of this generation teaming up with the top-ranked Sentinel? Sounds like something worth looking forward to, don’t you think?”

(To be continued…)

Translator’s Note:

In this story, mental landscapes refer to a person’s inner spiritual or mental domain.

Much of the worldbuilding in this novel is based on the author’s own creations (作者私設, or “original settings”). These elements may differ from other Sentinel/Guide works, but they won’t affect your reading experience. Just sit back and enjoy the ride—the author’s imagination goes all out!

Also, a quick reminder: Sentinels and Guides are equal in status. Their bond is built on compatibility, not dominance or submission.