Chapter 13: Compatibility

Seeing him not answer and seem lost in his thoughts, the two did not press the matter and so returned to what they were doing.

Ayen was confused, but at the same time, he was not ignorant enough not to consider that possibility. Although he could barely sense esper energy since he fully awakened as a guide, he had studied how to guide for years, which he had never put into practice.

He would not mistake what he sensed from the two with something else.

Ayen narrowed his eyes and looked intently at the two, but only a split second later, he averted his eyes, licking his lower lip. An unfamiliar panic surged inside of him.

His heart skipped a beat as his hand trembled, and he clasped them together.

This could not be blamed on him, and this was not an exaggeration either. Ayen found it hard to calm himself. This situation was something he never expected.

Chewing on his lips, Ayen looked at his clasped hands, fidgeting. A particular piece of information echoed inside his mind, telling him of what he just witnessed.

If only he had forgotten about it, but the teachings of being a guide were engraved in him. Laughable for someone who has never guided an esper, yes.

’A Guide can sense an esper’s energy and, through it, will use his wavelength to connect and guide them. But if both parties reached a certain compatibility, the guide will be able to fully see the esper’s chaotic energy with his own eyes. This is called Wavelength Manifestation, a rare phenomenon unique only to a few pairs.’

Huh?

Ayen could not believe it. If that information was true, then his compatibility with the two was high enough to even trigger wavelength manifestation…

Crazy. This was truly crazy.

Ayen could not find a word fitting enough in this situation.

How did that happen? In the first place, the two were bona fide SS-class Espers. They were the strongest espers in history and should be guided by an S-class Guide at least.

Ayen was only an E-class Guide, whose energy barely guided one D-rank… Well, that was in theory, but he personally thought even an E-class esper was hard enough.

He slowly calmed down at that thought. His distraught mind settled, and he began to look at this with more rationality. Even if their compatibility was high, Ayen’s energy would not compensate for that, and so it was still useless.

Ayen’s clasped hand loosened slightly after that realization. Everything was still normal; nothing would change. This was what made him panic inside. The thought of being paired with two SS-class and having his life turned upside down was unbearable for the current him.

He had already adapted to this life, always being tossed around but quiet and peaceful… except in some emergencies.

Should he tell them? Ayen pondered then… shook his head inwardly. What for? It was not like he could guide them. Technically, he ’could,’ but also not, with his pitiful energy.

“So lost in thought?” Devion’s voice sounded, disrupting his thoughts. Ayen looked up and made sure not to concentrate too much lest he see their wavelength manifested in front of him again.

If he ignored it well enough, then it was not there.

The two exchanged their positions; Devion was the one being massaged. Judging by how they acted, they appeared to regularly do this.

“Not really,” he responded, lacking focus.

Ayen wanted to evade their stares again. It was because now that he acknowledged it, the wavelength of the two suddenly became harder to ignore.

And Ayen’s hands were getting itchy; his urge to guide became stronger.

If he remembered it right, that was the compatibility pull, a guide wanting their espers in the right condition. An Esper and A Guide were always a pair, indispensable to each other.

Ayen bit his lips… and nearly cursed himself. How could he forget that? That situation would fuck him up in more ways than one.

An Esper needed Guides to dispel and purify the mana toxins in them so as not to lose control. And what about the Guides? Of course, it was not that they did not have needs of their own. It was only subtle and mostly responded to espers they have high compatibility with.

The greater the compatibility, the higher the effect on the Guide. And the effect varies, but guides were often advised not to overexert themselves or neglect guiding at least to their pair.

Ayen had only heard about it before and also did not bother to look for more details. He did not imagine having a pair before, after all.

And this did not even consider if the guide overexerted themselves, which was called Backlash. The other way around was called Guiding Strain, when a Guide’s energy was restrained and had not guided their esper for too long, given that they had already met them.

This information quickly flashed inside his mind, and Ayen almost shut his eyes and was probably close to running away from this place. What had he gotten himself into?

Espers were known as obsessive creatures, especially for their guides, the ones with the highest compatibility with them. And these two… were SS-class Espers.

Maybe… He could still salvage the situation, as their interactions were not deep enough.

Ayen began to panic again, an emotion he had yet to experience in years. Even when he was escaping in the yellow zone with Keeran, he was not this disturbed.

Guiding Strain… Ayen was now thinking of suffering alone with this. There was definitely a way to suppress the effect. And since he had E-class energy… Perhaps the effect was not too bad.

Ayen thought optimistically; it was the only thing he could do, or else he might really crash out here.

“Hey.” A hand touched him, and Ayen became so startled that he immediately slapped that hand away. However…

Ayen’s eyes widened, and he met the same shocked eyes looking at him. There was silence, and then Ayen slowly looked at his hand, which had slapped Khal’s hand…

Then back at Khal, who also stared suspiciously at his hand, surprise written on his face. He slowly looked up and met Ayen’s gaze, listlessness nowhere to be found.

It’s over…

Being lost in thought, he did not manage to suppress his urge, and so in that slap… Ayen unintentionally connected to Khal’s wavelength.

In fact, it was only a second, but… It could not be denied. Ayen had managed to do what no one had ever done before.

“Ah, well…” Ayen was lost for words, but bit his lips. What should he say?

“What’s going on?” Devion looked at the two back and forth, confused.

Khal swallowed and clenched his hand, still feeling the lingering sensation of what Ayen did, and it was not the slap.

“He…” Khal also did not know how to say this straight.

Before he could finish, Ayen sighed and finally accepted his fate. Not like the two could force him to guide them… They could, but he was an E-class Guide, so it would be futile.

There was nothing to fear. Thinking of this, he became firm. He looked up and stared at the two, admitting something he also only realized earlier.

“I can sense both of your wavelengths. In other words, guiding both of you is possible. In theory, that is. Because, in reality, I can’t do that. I’m merely an E-class Guide.” Ayen became relaxed as soon as he spoke this; the growing burden on his shoulders was released at once.

When the two looked at him, dumbfounded, especially Devion. Then he ended his confession.

“It’s a useless discovery… isn’t it?”

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