Seducing the Guideverse With My System — Raising an Anomaly [BL]

Phoenix Flight HQ

Two hours.

It’s been two hours already since Ambrose dodged out of his own suite, saying he had to go for an errand—an obvious lie.

Devon thought about this begrudgingly as he turned past different channels. Orion was fast asleep, his little head on his lap and body splayed on the sofa.

He’d have to take him to his room soon.

"It’s almost eight in the freaking evening," he cursed for the umpteenth time. He might as well make it a chorus. "He’s being so immature, avoiding a simple conversation with me."

At one point he’d considered just texting the Guide and telling him about his DNA test on Orion. But he dispelled the thought quicker than it came.

This kind of thing was something they had to discuss face-to-face.

He parted strands of Orion’s silky blonde hair from his face out of habit. The boy seemed so... peaceful. It’s been so long since he’s let himself feel like this.

Like he had a child he could take care of as his own. Last time was with his nephew, Leo. And everyone knew how that turned out.

A part of him still blamed himself for the lad almost getting killed at Norfolk.

"Fuck it," Devon shook his head. The thoughts were getting so loud that even the battle-heavy Transformers movie on the TV screen couldn’t drown it.

So he pulled out his phone and did the one thing he’d been avoiding for the past two hours.

Dialling Ambrose’s number.

"Come on, Rose." He mumbled. "Don’t make me go out there..."

After two rings with no response, he decided to call one last person. Someone whom the Guide might’ve scurried off to.

"Well, this is a surprise." Viktor snorted the second the call went through. "Missing me already, Devvy boy?"

"Cut the crap." Devon rolled his eyes. "Have you... Seen Ambrose around?"

There was a pause long enough for Devon to hear him breathing from the other end. Then, "I literally only left there like... two hours ago."

"Yeah, and he stepped out not long after. Saying something about having to go on an errand."

"... What?"

"And he’s not picking his calls so..."

Viktor’s tension was almost visible despite the distance. "T–That’s not alarming at all," a pause. "Wait—did you two argue or something? Maybe he’s avoiding you."

Somehow Devon managed to grab some sarcasm in those words. Or maybe he was just stressed out. "We were perfectly fine." He didn’t need to tell him about Orion’s DNA results. That would be Ambrose’s cross to bear. "I’m starting to get worried."

"You’re telling me." Viktor scoffed. "Before we go out there and tear the city down trying to find him... just be patient. Maybe he’ll call back or—"

"Maybe?" He only realised he was getting too loud when Orion stirred in his sleep. Devon sealed his lips for a beat. Then he patted the boy gently on his back, hoping he wouldn’t wake up. "This is so unlike Rose."

"I know." The ice Prince’s tone masked the fear he didn’t let slip out. "But we need to think tactically here—I can’t believe I’m the one saying that but yeah. I mean, do we know where to look if he’s out there?"

Devon kept silent.

The obvious answer was a fat no.

"Shit." Viktor sighed. "Just... don’t do anything hasty. I’ll try calling him just in case."

With that, they hung up.

Dread tightened around Devon’s heart like vines. He clutched his chest, swallowing down the invisible lump in his throat.

"He’ll be fine." He told himself even though he didn’t fully believe it.

★★★★★

Black Key Forest Dungeon

"This is NOT fine!" Ambrose’s voice cracked through the forest, making flocks of birds fly away like they’d heard a natural predator.

Trees in this part of the forest were either flattened or burnt to a crisp—tongues of blue flames lingering on some spots. The smell of ash and burnt wood filled the air.

Ambrose hung from the neck of the Nightmare Falcon—one of the Dragon Fang blades sticking through a soft spot he’d found.

The bird screeched, thrashing around and flapping its wings violently in a desperate effort to get the pesky human off.

Futile.

Because this human was like a stubborn leech clinging to holy blood. Ambrose twisted the blade deeper into the falcon’s neck as his eyes flared with a blue light.

"Argh." He hissed when the bird rammed through a tree, the splintered bark nearly blinding him. "Just... die already!"

His roar was followed by a burst of blue flames rolling out of his curled fist—pulsing through the blade like it was alive. Its power was magnified tenfold, consuming the beast from the inside out.

"Ah!" With a maddened swing of its head, the beast managed to make Ambrose lose his grip.

He flew through the air like a rag doll, crashing into the ground some seconds later. Air escaped his lungs. His ear rang. He rasped, limbs trembling as he raised his head.

No way he was staying down.

Shrugging off the dust, stinging pain from every joint and dizziness—Ambrose managed to get back on his feet.

"Got ya." A grin curved his mouth as he watched the falcon struggle against his flames.

It flapped its wings, rolled on the dirt and even broke past several trees in an effort to get rid of the flames. The blue light grew brighter, reflecting off Ambrose’s silver orbs.

The badly injured bird was the perfect target to practice his new Esper ability.

Focusing for a few seconds on the image of frost and snow, he lifted a foot. With a heavy stomp, he brought said foot to the earth.

Ice spread around him in a burst, freezing plants and dropping the temperature drastically. Then—like a ravine, frost snaked toward the beast.

The frost entrapped its massive talons, rooting them to the ground before it could begin running around again. Ambrose’s fist clenched harder, adding an extra layer just in case.

A flick of his wrist fired a ball of flames at the beast.

BOOM!

As the flames swallowed it in an unforgiving, fiery blue storm, Ambrose stretched out a palm. His blade appeared on it, the system soon ringing with a notification.

[Nightmare Falcon defeated.]

Under the same beat, the beast stiffened. It fell with a heavy thud, the flames licking at its remains mercilessly.

[Aether core detected and intact. Would the host—]

"Collect and sell aether core."

A screen flickered into existence before him. A loading bar rolled for a moment before another ding rang.

[3000 seduction coins acquired.]

Finally, Ambrose got the chance to breathe. He let out a shaky exhale, hacking a cough as he rested his palms on both knees.

Sweat beaded down his face. Every pain he’d been ignoring came crashing back—making even breathing strenuous.

[Time left for mission completion is 1 hour and 35 minutes by the way.]

Shit.

So he spent the last twenty-five minutes trying to bring down just ONE beast. And he was expected to clear the entire dungeon?

"Just say you want me dead. I could make it so much easier for you." He scowled. "Ugh, I need to catch my breath. But the time—"

Unfortunately, there was no rest for the wicked. Or the morally grey in this case.

A low rumble echoed far ahead in the forest. Then another. Soon tens of similar monstrous rumbles stacked together, forcing him to straighten up slowly.

"... Yeah." His grip tightened around the blade. "Someone really wants me dead today."

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