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Runaway Esper
Type
Web Novel (KR)
Genre
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Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 141 votes)
5    60% (84 votes)
4    15% (21 votes)
3    9% (12 votes)
2    8% (11 votes)
1    9% (13 votes)
Language
Support Book (#ad)
Author(s)
One entry per line
Artist(s)
One entry per line
N/A
Year
Example: 2012
2022
Status in COO
Status in Country of Origin. One entry per line
329 Chapters (Completed):
-Main Story: 316 Chapters (completed)
-R19 Side Story: 13 Chapters (completed)
Licensed
No
Completely Translated
No
Original Publisher
One entry per line
English Publisher
One entry per line
Release Frequency
Every 22.4 Day(s)
Activity Stats
[Graph]
Weekly Rank: #3232
Monthly Rank: #6977
All Time Rank: #6004
Reading List
[Graph]
On 2519 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #24304
All Time Rank: #4261

Description

Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.

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
Esper Overload
폭주 에스퍼
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Damn My Guide (3)
Traces of the Sun (2)
Success Oriented Guide (2)
Dawnlight (1)
Are All Guides Usually Like This (1)
Beyond the Control (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. BL - Guideverse/Hunterverse
  2. Action BL
  3. Hunters/ Awakeners korean BL
  4. BL novels #2
  5. self-sacrificing mc... the kind that must be prote...

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11 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
27 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
ebryetas
ebryetas rated it
August 28, 2025
Status: Completed
Broken but strong, tall and broad, feral cat, full of heart esper MC (shou)

x

Tall and incredibly beautiful, mysterious and kind, secretly broken as well, guide ML (gong)

------------------------------

TRIGGER WARNINGS

... more>>
Spoiler

trauma, ptsd, explicit torture, brainwashing, mentioned SA (implied full r@pe), loss of loved ones, grief, raw depiction of mental illness, very negative thought loops, suicidal ideation, manipulation, self harm, loss of identity, child ab*se, child neglect

[collapse]

------------------------------

gahhhhhhh I loved this SO much (I quite literally devoured the whole thing in 2 1/2 days). If you're a fan of angst and green flag MLs then THIS BABY IS FOR YOU!!!

This was genuinely so incredible.

Now, this story won't be for everyone, it is an INCREDIBLY difficult read, especially the first 150 chapters. It's filled with trauma after trauma for our precious MC Shin Joo Hyun. It is not for the faint of heart and there will be many times you ask yourself "how much more can he f*cking take" and "there's no way this could possibly have a happy ending", but rest assured Joo Hyun's circumstances get better and the story not only ends in a satisfying and incredibly happy way, but it also wraps up everything and all the main and side character's stories in a more perfect way than I could have ever imagined.

*chef's kiss*

Despite all of Joo Hyun's suffering, this is a story about found family and persevering despite literally the entire world being against you. It's a slow burn love and slow burn happy ending and it's amazing to see a broken MC fight for his chance to be free. There is no instant healing, and the ML does not automatically cure Joo Hyun's trauma. In fact, unfortunately as rare as it is, Joo Hyun did so much of his healing himself without the ML even being present. This story is a "I've learned to live for myself" rather than "the ML is all that keeps me going" like so many BLs out there.

------------------------------

WORLDBUILDING

It's your pretty standard guide-verse, but throw in runaway espers (espers who's abilities have reached their limits due to a lack of guiding and have basically exploded with power, oftentimes killing people around them) being absolutely condemned and treated as sub-human by the ENTIRE world... despite the fact that no esper has ever intentionally gone runaway. It was tough to read how Joo Hyun and his small circle of comrades (and eventually family *sobs*) were treated by civilians and the Association alike.

What I liked a lot though was the very fleshed out Association and Rebellion. The Rebellion was not so simple as "theyre the good guys" and some idealistic organization. There was termoil and strife within their ranks, and despite doing "everything for the sake of espers" youll come to realize that nothing is black and white.

Admittedly, the Association had basically brainwashed the public's opinion of runaways to be incredibly negative. And though the espers who haven't become runaways will anger you with their nonchalance and ignorance of what the runaways go through, just know that most espers manifest as young teens and are essentially put into an Association military school to work and fight for them. The story is honestly just as much about overcoming strife as it is about the issues with placing all your trust in organizations and taking what they say (manipulation) at face value.

Remember kids, always question your government!

CHARACTERS

Shin Joo Hyun - He might just be one of my favorite characters of all time. We don't have any simpering, damsels in distress here. He's incredibly tough, he's angry and unafraid to show it, he's hurt and broken and has been tread on his entire life AND YET HE'S SO STRONG AND PERFECT (my baby). His inner dialogue hurts so much, even when his circumstances are so much better. He constantly looks down on himself and calls himself "bad" and "not a hero" despite having the BIGGEST heart and risking his life numerous times for people who don't give a sh*t about him. Genuinely such an incredble and fleshed out character.

Cha In-ho - He comes across at first as very gentle and kind, but with this mysterious air about him as you try and figure out his motives throughout. He's gonna seem very wishy-washy for a bit, and at times you're gonna wanna shake him and tell him to just love Joo Hyun already, but he's such a deep character as well. And once his past and his reasonings are revealed, he's becomes a very understandable and sympathetic character as well. He's also gone through much more than he ever should have. His love for Joo Hyun is incredible and hearing his inner dialogue when he talks about Joo Hyun makes me wanna cry ;-;

Runaway Espers - They lived with Joo Hyun in a desolate prison all start off as distant comrades; all the runaways know their days are numbered and so they all try to stay as detatched as possible to stave off the hurt of losing someone important. But ultimately, they are love and care for each other so very much, and they all care for poor Joo Hyun who, unlike them, never had a normal life before manifesting as an esper. Seeing them taking care of him in their own little ways was lovely.

Everyone else - They are all diverse and so interesting to read about. Sometimes the POV will be from any number of them and it was always fun to read their thoughts. No one in this novel is truly a perfect person or whatnot, everyone (including the MC and ML) can think selfish or cruel thoughts, care more about themselves, or lack the will to do what is right. It's nice to see a**holes flourish, or kind people be secretly cruel as the story progresses. Also everyone felt VERY fleshed out and realistic. Not really any throwaway characters either, as everyone pretty much has a moment to shine and improve. (Jun is my other baby)

PLOT

It's quite a long story but I felt that very little was wasted. I get annoyed with stories where characters supposedly have lots of missions to run and then the story only shows you them like twice. The first half of this story is all about exploring Joo Hyun and the conditions he's faced the past 11 years. I felt that most plot points and characters introduced in this first half have an important role to play in the second half. The only thing is that the first 150 chapters, as I mentioned before, are completely heartbreaking : (

The second half however becomes so action oriented; loyalties are revealed, pasts uncovered, secrets thoroughly expunged. Things suddenly aren't all that they seemed, and through it all Joo Hyun gets some time to heal and it's beautiful watching him start to flourish. You see a man who in the first half was COMPLETELY broken at points, start to open up and smile. You get to see him become a pseudo-hyung (and that might just be my favorite part), learn to live on his own and become independent, and see him get to experience things he'd never gotten to experience before. While also there is a war brewing in the background and some crazy plans in play.

My only qualm is that the entire f*cking planet should've bowed down and apologized to Joo Hyun and the other espers. God they will PISS YOU OFF. Like wdym Joo Hyun just risked his entire body to prevent a disaster (out of the goodness of his heart) and all these other espers don't even acknowledge it. WDYM HE PREVENTED WHAT COULDVE BEEN THE BIGGEST DISASTER EVER and the news is only like "damn maybe we shouldve treated runaways better" and NOT "this man is an angel and we should all kiss his feet"... the mf audacity. Also there are certain characters
Spoiler

*cough cough* Shin-Woo

[collapse]
that should have suffered a little more.

Needless to say, all of this was amazing. It was deeply psychological and traumatic, while soooo uplifting and genuine, with a beautiful and perfect ending.

------------------------------

Please read it, give it some love (it really deserves it)

The translation was also amazing thank you Peach Tea Agency <3

------------------------------

Some of my fave moments:

  • Spoiler

    When they've FINALLY ended the climactic fight and Joo Hyun picks up In-ho princess style to hide him from the press. Only for In-ho to pick him up princess style right after and carry him around.

    [collapse]
  • Spoiler

    Seeing Joo Hyun become an older brother to Jun literally brought tears to my eyes. They'd both individually gone through so much and seeing them go on a lil city sightseeing tour was so cute

    [collapse]
  • Spoiler

    When Joo Hyun just got finished battering his body up for people who did not gaf about him, and was dying in a corner, about to be killed faster by a rebel, and then In-oh pops up and says the craziest line AAAAAA kiss already uwu

    [collapse]
  • Spoiler

    Every. Single. Time. Joo Hyun. smiled. :')

    [collapse]
  • Spoiler

    Thank GOD Cococo had a happy ending too

    [collapse]
<<less
16 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
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;.<
10 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
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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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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Derpffff
Derpffff rated it
January 4, 2026
Status: Completed
I’m gonna be so honest, it’s lowk teetering on the edge of good angst and misery p*rn. On one hand, everything that transpired in the story makes sense, there’s no 13th reason bullsh*t happening here but then again, did my baby really have to go through allat (ToT)
3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
thewanderingdumpling
thewanderingdumpling rated it
January 8, 2026
Status: --
i don’t usually write reviews so u can tell how amazing this was.

i will say this though, it was brutal. I think some of the brutality hit more because it wasn’t transmigration, this was the protagonists reality.

Spoiler

don’t worry it’s HE

[collapse]

the ending didnt feel like a quick finish

the romance was well fleshed out

side characters also had actual distinguishing personality

the plot was layered in a blend of politics and love

its so interesting and you understand why they are the way they are

Spoiler

also the remorse arc was YUMMYYYY

[collapse]
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yumixusagi
yumixusagi rated it
December 19, 2025
Status: Completed
The first half is really depressing. I personally felt hopelessness and even disgust for some of the world organizations.

And the writing style is really vivid and graphic so you feel things very strongly. You honestly feel bad for the main characters.

The other half was one (too) long battle. Its resolve was not very satisfying but I was happy to see the characters healing after that. (The last epilogue chapter was a strange choice to end on)

The romance is a bit secondary to action but the main couple flirting is... more>> cute.

Spoiler

I feel a bit sad we don't see much of Jun in the end

[collapse]
<<less
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ChaosBirdETERNETY
ChaosBirdETERNETY rated it
August 16, 2025
Status: c316
Ok this is the first review I'm doing so if it's a bit odd please forgive me.

I want to start this with a fear I had. I Like angsty stories where the protag suffers but don't actually like tragedies. Because of that I was hesitant to read this since it has the tragedy tag. For others who feel similarly and are worried about picking this up, here's some non-specific info.

... more>>
Spoiler

The story has PLENTY of angst, hurt, and tragedy, but it has positive end. It's the kind of story where the MC suffers through hell yet finds light despite the pain, as opposed to the type where everyone dies in misery the end. So if you're concerned about a sad ending like I was then dont worry, it does end on an uplifting note.

[collapse]

Now for my actual review. It's hard to know where to start but I guess I'll start with my negatives.

  • First off, I feel like there were times, especially in the beginning hundred chapters, where things were repeated unnecessarily. Like it told the same info again and again. I realize that perhaps the reason was to help get you more immersed in the MC's mind since what's repeated is stuff he thinks about constantly. Still though, I found it more annoying and think there are better ways to do that type of thing if that's what was intended. It gets better as it goes on, with the middle I think being really solid and focused, but that issue sort of comes back a bit near the end.
  • Most of the time it was fine but near the end, I feel like the author described thoughts too much while the characters were in battle. It hadn't been an issue beforehand for me, but in the last hundred chapters I felt like the fights became too slow and focused too much on internal monolog. It was especially frustrating for me when
    Spoiler

    MC was fighting Cha Ki-heon on the Block A roof. Their whole philosophical talk at that moment while the others fought just beyond the door really took me out of it.

    [collapse]
  • The translator overall did a great job and I'm very thankful. Still, I want to mention this. Throughout the whole story there were occasional, but constant, issues of names getting mixed up, pronouns being switched, and some sentence structures being confusing. It's not enough for me to feel too frustrated but it was really confusing at times. It also led me to unfortunately overcorrect at times. Like I got used to just correcting names in my head when things didn't seem right that when a sentence didn't immediately make sense to me, I'd correct in my head, only to see a few sentences later that the original WAS correct. Again it's not horrendous, but I do feel like the translator could have used a second pair of eyes or reread through.
  • Spoiler

    At the very end, I felt like how the monster was handled was really anticlimactic 😭. I know theres a different review talking about the final stand against the "big baddie" and that being called anticlimactic, I disagree to that. I think the final fight with the big bad was handled well honestly. It wasnt an explosive ending, but considering the stories themes, I think it fit perfectly. He was a broken man running on fumes of hatred and sorrow. One who refused to face the harsh reality and who pointed his finger at everyone but himself for his miserys. I think him in the end being a pathetic and miserable man who cant even commit to his own misery/plan makes sense. What I'm MORE upset about was the monster. 😭 They had this big, potentially world ending monster in this gritty, death soaked story... only to have it be resolved in a way befitting a comedy... And I know MC and his team were tasked with focusing on the rebels but when MC just sat there watching and waiting for his group to wrap up I got SO STRESSED. And WHAT was the point of the info about the poisonous plant if it was never going to be used?? Like I guess it's to make the rebels more of a threat since the rebels dont have to worry about the monsters, but still. Why was that never relayed to the others or.. just something?? The monsters wrap up really just felt like a comedy bit... Did not fit the stories feel imo.

    [collapse]
Beyond those things, I really loved this story a lot. I can't give it a 5* because the above points, and I was debating giving it a 3*. I honestly might be closer to a 3.5* than a 4* rating, but I overall really enjoyed this story and do recommend it if you can handle this kind of thing. It made me care enough to write my first ever review on here.

I don't think I have enough specific points to make bullet points for good things like I did the negatives, but I really loved reading this story and am excited to read the epilouges! My favorite point was probably in the stories middle but I also really loved how it amped up and how everything connected to eachother. It used the idea that things mentioned should be used really well and continuously raised the stakes and emotional impact. All the characters, not just the MC and ML, were also really well done. The world feels properly alive which is something I really appreciated.

In the end, I's say its a quality read. Not exactly one you just pick up on a whim, you do need to have a certain stomach for misery, but the author did an amazing job and the translator did well for such a daunting story.

Thank you to the author and translator for your hard work!! <<less
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Eunsam
Eunsam rated it
February 7, 2026
Status: --
This novel is beautifully painful. Before reading, read the tags carefully because it's a tough read. I cried so hard reading this, both of them are pitiful but I pity MC so much.

The world is too cruel to him. Just when he have nice things, it's taken away. And it happened repeatedly, he lost hope. Thinking he's just a waste of space. The description of his depression is so raw, that I found myself cheering for him everytime he's depressed.

The whole esper-guide system is interesting with a bit difference from... more>> the usual guideverse system. The fight scenes are described in detail, almost feel like watching movies. The conflicts, the characters 10/10.

The side characters aren't just npcs, they have their own story. Even the ones that have little appearance.

Highly recommend if you want to read pain. But please do pay attention to the tags, because it can be triggering (that's just how good the writing is). <<less
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Uhei
Uhei rated it
April 16, 2026
Status: Completed
Most Guideverses are written as if the appearance of dungeons are a recent phenomenon. But here, life has stabilised to the point that the Awakened management association is practically as established as the government. There’s no plot trying to understand why gates started or anything, but the novel focuses on “berserk espers” who are treated as living nuclear bombs by the public and even worse than criminals by the association.

MC’s life is truly a tragedy, in that everything that can define him as human is stripped away through no fault... more>> or conscious choice of his own. From his perspective, ML is simply another person out to use him. He cannot fathom why on earth this person seems to care unconditionally for him, yet draw the line several times.

It feels like social commentary because it is scary how this situation could actually occur in reality. MC has already lived in hell for 11 years so his self-esteem and mind is a mess. The writing is incredible but it takes a long way to a happy ending. <<less
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