Runaway Esper

Description

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Espers are guaranteed sufficient guiding in exchange for serving the state.

Except for runaway espers.

Runaway espers, due to their unstable metrics, are like ticking time bombs that could go on a rampage again at any moment.

Shin Joo-hyun, who went on a rampage immediately upon manifestation and spent 11 years being used by the Association like a dog, lived a life far removed from guiding despite being an esper.

In front of him appears Cha In-ho, a famous actor who manifested late at the age of 26 as a guide.

And he has come to be matched with a runaway esper.

“From now on, I will be your matching guide, Joo-hyun. Please take care of me.”

But this guide, for some reason, keeps acting like he knows Joo-hyun…

“I am the only person who knows Joo-hyun.

And you are the only one who knows me.”

Will Shin Joo-hyun be able to uncover Cha In-ho’s true identity?

Read If:

You want to see a cold, prickly, handsome Bottom hopelessly fall for a mostly gentle Matching Guide, and a beautiful, warm-hearted Top who eventually throws away his plans and regrets his hesitation once he accepts his true feelings.

Highlight quote:

“Shin Joo-hyun. Don’t make me really angry, come here.”

Associated Names
One entry per line
폭주 에스퍼
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Damn My Guide (2)
Traces of the Sun (2)
Success Oriented Guide (1)
I Confessed To You By Mistake (1)
Dawnlight (1)
The Life of Low Level Espers’ Max Level Guide (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. BL List {Kr} 3
  2. completed BL's
  3. BL Dungeon/Guide verse
  4. the best in my opinion
  5. Next Reading List 17

Latest Release

Date Group Release
06/14/25 Peach Tea Agency c313
06/13/25 Peach Tea Agency c312
06/12/25 Peach Tea Agency c311
06/11/25 Peach Tea Agency c310
06/10/25 Peach Tea Agency c309
06/09/25 Peach Tea Agency c308
06/08/25 Peach Tea Agency c307
06/07/25 Peach Tea Agency c306
06/06/25 Peach Tea Agency c305
06/05/25 Peach Tea Agency c304
06/04/25 Peach Tea Agency c303
06/04/25 Peach Tea Agency c302
06/02/25 Peach Tea Agency c301
06/01/25 Peach Tea Agency c300
05/31/25 Peach Tea Agency c299
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5 Reviews sorted by


Kakipii13
Kakipii13 rated it
October 8, 2024
Status: c54
In a Guidverse world, conflicts arise because of both monsters coming out of Gates and because of shady organizations doing ethically questionable things (an understatement). "Runaway Espers" are espers who lost control of their powers, bringing destruction and death all around them and either dying themselves or becoming a prisoner/forced su*cide Squad member to the shady Association.

Our runaway Esper MC's position is "prisoner since he was a child, treated like he's less than human, forced into dangerous missions and assassination jobs, and being ab*sed by basically everyone without them facing... more>> any consequences". He's well aware of his position as a dog for a vaguely evil organization but is resigned to his fate, and his guilt leads him to even believe that his terrible situation is a punishment he deserves. Interestingly, unlike a lot of other dystopia-set Guidverse stories, the Espers are the ones at the mercy of the Guides, and boy does that play a tragic part in the story. The real treatment of runaway espers by the Association is strictly hidden from the outside world, but the MC's match with the celebrity Guide ML, although under questionable circumstances, leads to events that are slowly starting to bring this mistreatment and shady actions of the Association into light.

The description I gave sounds kinda grimdark, but I assure you it isn't that bad - the MC and his fellow runaway espers are all not in great places mentally (another understatement), but they haven't lost their humanity. They feel guilty and responsible for any destruction or death they've caused, and the MC in particular goes out of his way to save people if he can. There's hope, not only because of the "revealing the secret organization" plot going on in the background, but because of the MC's character growth and changing mindset over time. And while the MC is either oblivious or choosing to ignore it because he's resigned to his lot in life, it's clear that outside forces are trying to help him.

The first arc of the story focuses on establishing the setting and characters, with scenes focusing mostly on the interactions between MC and ML, and their complex relationship as Esper and Guide. The next arcs not only elaborate on the MC's character but also begin to slowly ramp up the plot, bringing action and fights with the MC's missions and slowly revealing more of the "probably evil conspiracy that's definitely going to spark societal discord" plot.

The MC's changing emotions about the ML play an important part of his character growth, but it's only part of it. The story is more than a romance, and the relationships between the MC and other characters matter. The story shares a similar settings to other guideverse stories, but the point of view of the MC as he's inadvertently tossed into the center of a greater conflict is the focus around which the story revolves.

I'm a sucker for "su*cide Squad" - like settings with sympathetic MCs, and I like this MC in particular. The MC is a realistic depiction of someone with trauma and depression, and his mental health affects his actions and relationships with others in realistic ways. At the same time, despite being OP the abilities the MC can use are limited because of the danger of "running away" again, restricting his actions and making fights actually have tension. It makes me emotional from the human drama but also excited to see how the plot develops. It gets a 5/5 from me. <<less
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yukirye
yukirye rated it
October 12, 2024
Status: c58
I found myself hooked to this book and felt so bad for the MC on the things he's being subjected to.

Unlike the usual Guide x Esper story where Esper is the one being lauded as the savior, we are treated to completely different twist where the Esper is treated like a criminal with no rights at all.

The story is well written, exploring the effects of guilt and trauma on the MC that was shaped by his environment.

I hope the TL for this will be completed. &Gt;.<
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Essence45
Essence45 rated it
June 8, 2025
Status: Completed
I'll give it 5 stars for world-building, character development, angst and relationship development. Joo-hyun especially is well-fleshed out and my heart bleeds for everything he goes through. Unlike many web novels, there are also many well-developed side characters too, which also really adds to the story. The plot has a ton of tension, and I love the moral ambiguity - the world is dark and gritty, and the good and bad guys aren't always clear. My one criticism is the final battle fight scenes. Some authors are able to write... more>> fight scenes with remarkable vividness and tension, where you sit on the edge of your seat completely enraptured... This unfortunately was not like that. The final battle wasn't terrible, but I feel like it had so much more potential. It was described in enough detail that I feel like it should've been heart-poundingly exciting, but instead it just fell kind of flat.
Spoiler

At the end, even Inho says, "that felt anti-climatic" and I could not agree more.

[collapse]

Still definitely worth reading and a very enjoyable novel overall though. <<less
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fimbeeso
fimbeeso rated it
June 5, 2025
Status: c304
This story dives deep into the harsh life and suffering of runaway espers, making it impossible not to feel frustrated and hurt alongside the MC. His pain is raw and intense that I feel like I'm breaking with him in every chapter. Even the title speaks for itself and constantly reminds you of what he is.

Runaway espers are treated worse than animals. Ordinary people ab*se and control these powerful beings, and the facility they're kept in (Building C) is basically a nightmare. The Association strips them of their rights and... more>> humanity, using them like hunting dogs to make society see them as monsters. And the rebels..? I fcking hate both sides!!

Guides hold all the power. Though they look ordinary, their unique ability to heal Espers gives them complete control. Without a Guide, an Esper is basically doomed. The story explores how this power imbalance traps runaway espers at everyone's mercy.

(The real enemy here isn't the monsters beyond the gates, it's the humans.)

The MC (Shin Joo-Hyun) is one of the most tragic characters I've read in a long time. He's endured physical and mental ab*se, humiliation and is still suffering. Completely broken, suicidal, barely hanging on but somehow still fighting. Even with everything stacked against him, he still comes across as strong and likeable.

I can't help but to imagine the potential he'd have if he wasn't a runaway esper. He'd probably have a much happier life in another guideverse story.

The ML (Ch In-Ho) is a complicated figure. At first, he seems kind, but there's something suspicious about him, you won't really understand his hidden intentions. He disappears and reappears, which gets frustrating, and you might even start to resent him. But once you see things from his perspective, everything starts to make sense, and you begin to understand him more deeply.

Their relationship starts off messy, full of pain and misunderstandings. Even though they find comfort in each other, you can't help but feel sympathy for both. They're scarred, but they help each other heal.

The romance isn't the main focus, but it's there and definitely worth it.

I'm not usually into ab*se-heavy stories since they're tough on my mental health, but I never thought I'd read one past 100+ chapters and actually like it. The writing feels so real and raw, it pulls you right into the characters suffering. It's not about flashy fights (though there are fight scenes) but it's more about the harsh reality runaway espers face. And when the things you've been hoping for actually happen, the payoff hits hard. It's a realistic rollercoaster of emotions.

Appreciate the author and translator so much for this! <<less
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b0nk
b0nk rated it
May 27, 2025
Status: c244
Very good, but it's a tough read. MC might be the most pitiful character I've ever read about. They are constantly putting him through the wringer. Every time you read a section and think "wow it has to get better after this" it only gets worse. And every time you think that it can't possibly get worse it gets worser.

The romance is good, but the story is definitely more action driven, so if you're looking for pure romance this is not for you. Also, there is constantly angst and problems... more>> between the MC and ML. It gets a bit frustrating constantly reading about how the MC is suffering. Very few good things ever happen to him. It gets to a point where you start to think that the author genuinely dislikes the MC and makes him suffer for fun. Anyways, this story is NOT lighthearted at all and is basically a torture diary of the MC. It's still good though. You just might have to take some breaks for your emotional well being. I'm just hoping things get better for him. <<less
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