Chapter 1: A High-Paying Job
I was swept by the steamy tentacles, the groaning being held in my mouth by a grain of flesh that had filled my mouth.
The monster had been wrapping around me for three days straight, causing me to constantly have to come out with lots of "water" everywhere on my body.
Surrounding me was the broken flesh and blood of my ugly teammates who had walked with me into this A-level Gate.
I was the only one alive, but I was also caught by a hideous tentacle monster that couldn't get out.
It felt like all the energy in my body had been drained.
Unbeknownst to me, it was the day I was caught up in a superpower world I had never belonged to, falling into the control of the most terrible monster - SS rank Esper - one of the strongest in this world.
It's just a normal day like any other...
...
The night in Stima City was cold and gloomy.
From time to time, a few howls echoed somewhere in the darkness, yet no one seemed frightened or surprised. Because in this world, that was perfectly normal.
I looked up at the ashen sky. A few people in strange outfits shot across the sky above me, and several others dashed through the streets like gusts of wind.
They were Espers, those who possessed supernatural powers.
In the year 1xxx, when the [Gates] appeared all over the world, the monsters that had once existed only in imagination spilled out, nearly wiping out humankind.
Fortunately, the first Esper appeared. He ended the half-year of darkness that humanity had been trapped in.
But soon, people realized that superpowers were both a gift and a curse.
They allowed Espers to slay monsters, yet also caused them to be assimilated and lose control, turning into mindless beasts.
The strongest Esper was also the most terrifying monster.
Then, those known as Guides appeared.
They had the ability to regulate and soothe the flow of energy within an Esper's body, helping them maintain their sanity.
That was the relationship between a Guide and an Esper.
But it had nothing to do with me.
Because I was Dalim, just an ordinary person.
Not an Esper, and not gifted with the ability to Guide. I belonged to the ninety-five percent of the population protected by them.
The only difference was that I was poor.
"Big sis, remember to take all your medicine."
I spoke softly into the phone.
"Mm, Dalim, don't overwork yourself, okay?"
My sister Nano's voice was weak and intermittent. Every breath she took made my heart tighten.
I tossed the garbage bag in my hand into the bin and brushed the dust from my sleeve.
"You too, sister Nano."
Nano was my older sister and my only remaining family.
Our parents had died in the first monster outbreak ten years ago, along with all our property, money, and hope.
We survived thanks to a rescue camp.
I once believed that when I grew up and found a job, everything would get better. But then, my sister fell ill.
The Half-Esper Syndrome.
Aside from Espers who possessed powers and Guides who could regulate them, one percent of the population was discovered to be "Half-Espers."
A deadly condition.
Their powers developed, but their bodies could not withstand it. It was like normal people with bombs planted in their chests, ready to explode at any moment.
They were forced into isolation, forbidden from using their powers, and had to depend on expensive medication to suppress the development of their abilities.
My sister was diagnosed at seventeen. For the past three years, she had lived in quarantine, sustained only by medicine.
The worst part was that she was an S-rank Half-Esper.
Suppressants for S-rank cost five times more than those for A-rank.
I had been working since I was fifteen, but the debt kept piling up. Now, I could hardly bear it anymore.
"Even though I have been working three jobs at once…"
It still was not enough.
"Brother Lea, I don't know what to do anymore."
I sighed, letting out a weary murmur in the dimly lit bar. This was the place where I had worked for a long time, thanks to a kind-hearted owner who accepted underage workers.
Lea, the bar owner, was behind the counter polishing glasses. He had a beautiful face and eyes that carried both a smile and a quiet melancholy, like someone who already knew every secret of this world.
He looked at me and smiled.
"In this world, the highest-paying jobs are only for Guides and Espers. You are not one, and neither am I."
That was true.
The world had changed.
Guides and Espers held nearly all the power and wealth. Every public project, welfare program, or social aid relied on the goodwill of some benevolent Esper.
If you were not born as one of them, then you were just a shadow beneath their tower.
"There's nowhere left that will lend me money…" I said hoarsely. "Next month, Nano will not have any medicine left."
Lea knew my situation well. Otherwise, he would not have hired a kid to work here for three years straight.
He was silent for a while, then spoke slowly.
"But right now, there's only that job left."
I lifted my head and looked at him.
"That job?"
Lea pondered for a moment, then asked softly.
"Hey, what do you think about becoming a 'carrier'?"
I froze.
He pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket and scribbled a string of numbers on it.
"He owes me some money. He will take better care of you. But it will still be dangerous. Are you willing to do it, Dalim?"
I knew exactly what that job was.
Having studied the world of Espers, I knew well how dangerous carriers were.
My fingers tightened around the paper.
"I… thank you, brother."
Lea only shook his head.
"That's your choice. Money and life. I hope you will get to keep both."
I would not tell Nano. If she knew I planned to go into a Gate, she would lose her mind.
I quietly gathered information, asked around, and prepared for my first trip this weekend.
Carriers were those who followed Esper hunters into Gates, doing all sorts of work: hauling loads, collecting ores, transporting monster corpses.
The mortality rate was high, but in exchange, the pay was enormous.
Many ordinary people chose this job, for it was the only way to earn big money quickly, or to gamble their fate for a chance to get rich overnight.
That day came faster than I expected.
When I arrived at the Gate's entrance, the man Lea had mentioned was already waiting.
He was Jonas, a B-rank Esper hunter.
He had formed a small independent expedition team, unaffiliated with any Guild, just enough to survive and make some profit.
I heard that Lea once lent Jonas money when he was in trouble. Perhaps that was why I had this chance today.
I took a deep breath.
The wind blowing from the Gate was so cold it made my skin crawl.
My hands trembled, not from fear, but because, for the first time in my life, I felt like I was stepping into their world.
The world of the strong.