The Guide is Actually a Body-Switching Esper [BL]-Chapter 56: A Trap...?

Aidan’s body was still very achy when Lane woke up after the switch.

It was no surprise - his body had just gone through the Awakening. A process that alters the body structure on the cellular level, developing manachondria, new organelles, responsible for synthesizing Mana. Or something along those lines. Ava explained it all to him once in the past, but as Lane had never been good at biology, or any academic subjects for that matter, he didn’t really get it.

What was important, was that now Aidan’s whole body was receptive to Mana, making things easier for Lane.

He reached out underneath the couch, taking out the spatial bag. Aside from the Fertilizer, it also contained various essentials. Such as the Recovery Pills, for example. With it, it only took a moment before Lane started feeling better.

His clothes were still damp, and so was the couch. First thing, he needed a shower. Then...

Drrrr! Drrrr!

The phone lying on the table vibrated. Incoming call from ’Team Leader’.

Lane momentarily froze. The ’Team Leader’ saved in Aidan’s contacts was naturally just the leader of his team in the office, in his boring corporate desk job. He had nothing to do with Lane, Lane had never met the man. He had only seen him in Aidan’s memories - a big-bellied man with a balding head. It was not his former Team Leader. There was nothing the two had in common, aside from the title they shared.

Still, Lane couldn’t help but instinctively tense up.

Only when the call ended, he exhaled with relief, his shoulders relaxing.

He grabbed ’his’ new phone, pretending that his odd reaction a moment ago never happened, and checked the notifications.

11 missed calls, 36 messages.

Well, it was a weekday, after all. Past 11 AM already. And Aidan was late for work. Very late.

Lane tossed the phone to the side, going back to what he was doing, that is getting ready to take the shower. Work stuff could wait, since he was quitting anyway.

He quickly got ready, and went out, grabbing a light breakfast at the cafe nearby, before catching a taxi to the Association Headquarters.

Although he was a Guide again, this time, he didn’t go to the Union. He was planning to register as a member there as well, of course, but a bit later. It simply seemed more in character for Aidan - based on what Lane had seen in his memories, he would most likely go to check his rank first thing after his awakening, before even telling anyone what happened. So, Lane decided to do the same.

It felt like it was just yesterday when Lane entered the foyer at the Association Headquarters together with that chatty Guide from the Union. He had run into Damien back then, and the state of the man was...

Lane shook his head, letting out a quiet sigh. Why was he constantly thinking about Damien? It was all over now, there was no need for that much concern.

Dismissing all the intrusive thoughts, he headed toward the reception counter.

Everything went as always, following the same, boring and lengthy procedures. This time, Lane managed to stay focused, and tested as a C-rank, just like he planned. He signed the contract with the Association, and registered for the next Basic Guide Training...

Only once he was out, did he bother to finally call the ’Team Leader’ again.

"Aidan Jenkins! Where the hell have you-"

"It’s terrible to hear you as well, Team Leader. Or, should I say, FORMER Team Leader?"

"...What the-"

Lane chuckled lightly. "Yeah, well, I’m quitting."

"You’re... what?" the Team Leader repeated, completely dumbfounded.

"I’m quitting. I’m an Awakened now, so."

"...You’ve actually awakened?"

"Yup! So you can go to hell."

Having said that, Lane ended the call, not waiting for an answer.

He didn’t have anything against the man, personally. And it was perfectly understandable that he was pissed, when one of his subordinates didn’t show up to work out of the blue, and when they were all busy at that.

That wasn’t Lane’s problem though.

And Aidan hated that man. He despised him so much that it was almost unreal. The reason? That Team Leader of his awakened as a C-rank Esper not long ago. Something Aidan desperately wanted. And yet, he let it all go to waste, remaining in the company, without even obtaining the Basic Esper license.

And then he still had the gall to joke about it. The jokes were innocent, at least from Lane’s point of view, but Aidan seemed to have taken them personally, developing a lot of animosity toward his Team Leader as a result.

So, that was more or less how he’d behave in this situation, most likely.

The phone vibrated again, but Lane didn’t pick up. He had already said everything he needed. There was a long and boring week of Basic Guide Training ahead of him, when he would have to sit quietly in class... So he really didn’t need any more frustrations.

***

Everything was going well. Just as it should. As it had been every time Lane possessed a new person, before he met Damien.

The dull and boring beginning of a new life, spent sitting behind the desk, and trying not to fall asleep because of the lecturer’s monotonous voice going on about the things Lane already knew. This time, there was no interruption, no Team Leader or whatever coming to look for Guides to join their team.

Not that it mattered. Unless Lane could be certain the team in question wasn’t Damien’s, he wouldn’t dare to volunteer.

Everything was going well.

Until.

On the fourth day, after lunch, the practical training finally started. Instead of going back to their lecture hall, the instructor took them to the guiding room.

All of this was still familiar to Lane - that’s how it usually was. Newbie Guides received tutoring as a group, trying out their abilities one by one on one of the Esper instructors, in front of the whole class. The last time, when he was ’Noah’, things were a bit different, but that was only because he skipped most of the training to join the team early.

Perhaps it was this sense of familiarity that dulled his vigilance. But how could he expect what was waiting for him?

Bored out of his mind by the lectures, he hasn’t been paying much attention. He didn’t think much of it, when the instructor who led the practical part was overly excited.

It only made him chuckle with amusement, as he gave her an absentminded glance. Was she perhaps a newbie instructor, getting so emotionally invested in this job?

He truly didn’t expect anything special. So, his brain barely registered the words, as the instructor said in a thrilled voice,

"You are all lucky today! Our S-rank Esper volunteered to help out with your training..."

Only when the door opened, and Lane turned his head, his gaze sweeping briefly through the room, before all of a sudden, it paused...

His smile vanished from his face, as if wiped away with a sponge. Scrubbed clean, until not even a trace remained.

In the training room, at the very front, on the seat prepared for the Esper meant to be given guiding, sat Damien.