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

Downtown Aurelia

In one of several residences he had around the globe—this one being a high-rise penthouse—Valentine stood before the tall glass walls, staring down at the city.

The space wasn’t just furnished but screamed of retro luxury wealth. There was a tall lava lamp at the centre of the living room with shifting coloured lights.

A chandelier shaped as a seashell dangled from the ceiling, its white rays bouncing off the polished white marble floor.

He had a cup of tea in one hand, but had barely taken a sip from it. He was too occupied, his eyes closed as he reached out to the Necrotic Mark he placed on the soul of a certain C-Rank Guide.

’What has made him so emotionally distressed right now?’ he grinned when he got a pulse of emotions through the mark.

In his thirty years of being an Esper, he’s had the chance to place marks of this calibre on several people. Most without their knowledge—but that wasn’t the point.

The point was, out of all those marks and people... he’s never felt their souls in such intense ways as he did with Ambrose right now.

Every fluctuation in his feelings. Every ache his physical body got... was sent straight to Valentine in a repeated cycle.

This helped support the theory he had blooming in his head.

Ambrose did something while he was creating the mark. Something deliciously mischievous.

"Ah," he opened his eyes with a sigh. "You manage to intrigue me with each peel I unravel from you. But how long will it take to finally strike a secret at least?"

He recalled that weird scene where Viktor Morozov barged into the suite, saying he was going berserk. Throwing all sorts of accusations that might seem delirious at first—until he compared them with suspicions he already had.

Valentine lifted the teacup to his lips. Just a sip made him scowl. "I knew I should’ve taken something stronger."

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he spun toward the kitchen. However, he barely took a few steps when his phone buzzed.

Pulling it out, he arched a curious brow when he saw who the text came from.

Gabriel.

>You’re in that tacky penthouse, right?<

Tch.

Valentine typed back with a blank expression:

>Finally want to help with decorating?<

Gabriel replied instantly:

>You’d have to pay me for that. But no. I know you’re in Aurelia city because of that C-Rank Guide.<

>And? Are you jealous, Mr celibate?<

>Fuck you, Val. I’m only curious. I think we need to talk in person for this one.<

>... I was planning to enjoy the rest of my day in solitude. But oh well. The door’s open.<

A few seconds passed without any signs of Gabriel typing on the screen. Valentine squinted—then paused when he felt a shift in the air.

One that made the hair behind his neck tingle.

"I don’t need doors, remember?" A smug baritone resounded from his kitchen, forcing him to swerve his head there.

Of course, there sat Gabriel on one of the stools beside the island, his head tilted as he assessed Valentine. The Hunter was dressed in a surprisingly simple black t-shirt that highlighted his strong biceps.

He also wore a pair of blue denim jeans—a look that might’ve fooled anyone into thinking he was nothing but a normal civilian if they only glanced once.

"I’m beginning to think this is your version of hitting on me, Gabriel." Valentine’s lips curved. "The constant need to be around me since the Echo Rift. It’s—"

"That tea messing with your thinking now?" Gabriel didn’t even take his words seriously, drumming his fingers on his lap. "Come on. Hit me. You know us SS-Ranks barely have jobs good enough for our level."

"Isn’t there a literal Cataclysm level entity on the loose?"

"The Federation is on the lookout for that thing." Gabriel waved his hand dismissively. "So? Did you get to talk with the Guide? Warn him about Josiah and all that."

Valentine decided not to beat around the bush further. "Yes. And I offered my help."

"Oh, that’s good. At least now he’ll have a head—wait, what?" Gabriel’s eyes bulged halfway through those words. "You offered him—"

"You heard that right." Valentine shrugged. "What’s the big deal? I just gave him misdirection tips on avoiding letting out his secrets... and may have placed a Necrotic Mark on him. Nothing world-ending."

Gabriel got on his feet so fast that the stool scraped against the floor. "A Necrotic—Val, why are you involving yourself so much?"

"Because I can." The Necromancer was unfazed as he strode past the living room and then into the kitchen. "And if I’m being honest... I’m genuinely curious to see how far that Guide can go without outside interference."

He made a pause at the sink, a grin cracking his lips. "Plus, it would be nice seeing that self-righteous president of ours unable to bend someone under his control for once."

He emptied the bland tea into the sink, dropping the cup once he was done. He could feel Gabriel’s gaze on his back, making him glance over his shoulder.

"What’s gotten your boots in a twist?"

Gabriel blinked twice before bringing his focus back to Valentine’s face. "The Federation has people following those who took part in the Echo Rift raid." He paused to let the words sink in. "I mean, I can sense that they have someone on my tail. So it’s safe to assume they’ve done the same for the rest of you."

Valentine’s grin fell, twisting into something distorted. "They’re spying on us?" His eyes gleamed with a cold light, the shadows in the kitchen reacting to the stir in his aether.

"Again—I’m not sure. I noticed it since we left Chicago." Gabriel lowered his voice. "I fear the President has become too invested in Ambrose. You saw how desperate he was that night."

Silence stretched between them like a net.

For the first time in years, Valentine felt truly caught deep in Hunter politics. And he didn’t like how that tasted one bit.

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