The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]-Chapter 235: Showing Off

Lane parked his car in one of the bunkers built after the formation of the Forbidden Zone, one that required another code to enter.

"What, curious about it?" he asked, noticing Damien’s expression, but Damien only shook his head in response.

"No, I... I’m not sure if I want to know."

At his words, Lane couldn’t help but burst out laughing. "Why, afraid to hear about more law-breaking?" Then, when Damien remained silent, he added, "There’s no law against parking your car in Forbidden Zones. As to how I know the code, is very simple: I just rented this parking space. Anything can be done with enough money!"

Well, maybe not ’anything’, but a lot of things for sure.

"...Is that so?"

"Yeah!" Lane nodded his head, his eyes curved into crescents. "That’s why you should stick with me, since I’m loaded!"

Damien gave him a long, serious look in response. "You know that I’m not with you for money..."

"I know, I know. I’m just telling you about the benefits of being with me, and that you shouldn’t hold back and just enjoy it!" Lane just waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, let’s go now, we don’t have the whole day!" freeweɓnovel.cѳm

As they walked out of the bunker, the fields stretching in front of them were eerily quiet and motionless, even the wind rustling the grass seemed to have died down a bit, suppressed by the tension hanging in the air. Lane and Damien exchanged looks.

"Well, I guess it’s time for me to start the show, huh?" Lane stretched his back...

And then, he wrapped his arm around Damien’s waist, shooting up into the air, while making a large motion with his free hand. A large patch of grass, or crops, or weed or whatever was immediately set on fire, red flames dancing on the field and sending light gray smoke up to the sky.

There wasn’t much reaction from the monsters though. They stirred, of course, and started moving around, since their hiding spot was under attack, but they were otherwise unaffected by the raging fire.

So they were fire-resistant, huh? Well, then...

Lane closed his fist, squelching the fire. Or at least most of it. While his ability allowed him to control the fire to a great extent - he had absorbed several fire-type abilities, which after merging created a rather interesting hybrid - it was still much easier to start the fire, than bring it under control. Especially when the flames had something suitable to consume. Then, he waved his hand again, sending a wave of rain toward the singing, scorched glass, and activated Mana Scan to see the monsters better in the darkness.

The critters were crawling on the ground, their antennae twitching lightly as they chirped softly, communicating with each other. Lane’s earlier attack, although it didn’t hurt them, startled them greatly, and left them confused, so they needed a moment to reorganize...

"Um, Lane?" Damien spoke all of a sudden. "Are you... going to carry me like that?"

"Yeah?" Lane looked back at his boyfriend. "Why, are you uncomfortable? Sorry, I would carry you like a princess, but then I wouldn’t have any free hands..."

"I’m fine, but aren’t you uncomfortable?"

"Nope, how could I possibly be?" Lane denied, even though he was, actually. After all, Damien was a tall and muscular man. And while his weight was not a problem, not when Lane was in his real SS-ranker’s body, with superior strength that would allow him to easily carry around several Damiens, it didn’t change the fact that Damien was still large. Moving around while hugging his waist wasn’t the most convenient...

And Damien could tell that as well, so he suggested, "Wouldn’t it be better for me to move around on my own?"

"With the fire? Your ice would just melt!"

Damien looked over on the ground. The fire was almost completely extinguished, and even if it was still going on strong, that wouldn’t be a problem - Damien could just make more ice! He was an S-ranker, after all, doing that much was nothing!

He didn’t say it out loud, though - not like he needed to. Lane surely must have known it as well! - and instead suggested, "Then how about you carry me on your back? Wouldn’t that be easier?"

Lane’s lips twisted with displeasure.

Carrying Damien by the waist looked much cooler! On the back was much more convenient, yes, but so what? Lane wasn’t the type of person who wanted to make his life easier. Rather, he preferred to pick what seemed more fun!

So, he shook his head. "No, I’m afraid you won’t be able to see well then!"

It was a bullshit excuse, and they both knew it, but Damien let it go for now.

"But why are you running in circles?" he asked instead.

"Oh, that." Lane paused for a moment, and they almost immediately started to descend, first slow, and then picking up speed.

"That’s how this ability works, see?" he said, as he started running again, dodging one of the monsters that jumped up, trying to bite his ankles. "It’s called Sky Step, and it’s an A-rank ability. It allows me to step on air, but not levitate, so I can only maintain my elevation by moving constantly."

"Ah, I get it. But what do you mean by ’A-rank ability’?" Damien couldn’t help but ask, furrowing his brows in confusion. "Is it... because you took it from an A-ranker?"

"...Yeah." Lane nodded.

The Esper abilities weren’t classified by rank. That was because their strength always matched the Esper’s rank, and as they got stronger, so did the ability. But it was a bit different in Lane’s case, since he had possessed a lot of plundered abilities... He still could advance them through training, of course, but it depended on how much he used them. The speed of their progress was about the same as that of any other Esper - unless he plundered a similar ability that he could merge with another one he already had - which meant it was incredibly slow. It took years of intense training for anyone to advance, especially in the higher ranks, and so, most of the abilities Lane possessed were still around the same rank as when he originally plundered.

Except for his innate abilities, Possession and Plunder, of course, which matched his rank.

There was no need to explain it all in detail to Damien, or at least it wasn’t the best moment for that, so Lane just dismissed the topic, and waved his hand, continuing his display. There was a sharp swish as something invisible cut through the air, and a split second later, one of the critters let out a loud, pained screech, as blood burst from its wounded side.

"And this is one of my C-rank abilities," Lane explained, "called Wind Blade."