Handler

Biodata

Role and Organization

• Handlers are the Mega City's first line of defense against calamity and Suffering Ones. The Security Bureau and City Defense Force can support their missions 4.
• Border City No. 3's department has regional branches. Its East City Branch assigns handlers to teams, including the First Team, formerly known as the Champions 11 44.
• Off-site support staff provide intelligence, strategy, mission updates, and requests for reinforcements through handlers' communication headsets 6.
• A handler team must remain stationed at the Black Prison, which holds Forbidden Items. Teams rotate through this duty 6 29 30.
• Handlers may take private jobs, but must report them. If they discover a psychic threat or Forbidden Item during one, they must address it; the department does not ordinarily provide mission support for private work 12 13 15.

Training and Abilities

Psychic Techniques

• Handlers train in close combat because psychic barriers can resist ordinary attacks; weapons wielded by psychics can neutralize those barriers 5.
• Psychic Barrier provides defense. Sky Stepping briefly solidifies air through the barrier to give a psychic footing for successive jumps 7 11.
• Psychic abilities differ by Path and awakening. The seven recognized Paths are Zeroing, Whisper, Divine Control, Myriad, Nether, Spirit Eye, and True Martial 12.

Awakening and Distortion

• Each awakening strengthens a psychic's original ability and grants another from their Path, but increases susceptibility to distortion 5.
• Handlers arrange guards during advancement to protect the advancing psychic from Void Realm influence and interference 26 27.
• A handler who loses control may become a monster. Fellow handlers are responsible for stopping them 26.

Equipment and Support

• Psychic Weapons — forged from material extracted from a deceased psychic's or monster's Soul Well. They grant an ability but increase distortion risk when used 6.
• Merit Points — earned through service and spent on equipment, weapons, and other department resources 6 12 23.
• Family housing — protected apartments are available to handlers' families; the complex described near the East City Branch has handler teams and an Iron Guard squad on watch 23.

Notable Handlers

• Yáng Chén — East City First Team captain; recruits Li Yèlái and guides his training 4 6 11.
• Cheese — First Team handler who trains Li Yèlái and later reaches her Third Awakening 7 11 25.
• Li Yèlái, “Night General” — joins the First Team after his initial training and completes his Second Awakening 11 12 28.
• Puppet — East City handler whose fear-inducing curse requires her to conceal her appearance and communicate by signboard 21 22.
• Moon Shadow, Melting Furnace, and Plague Doctor — captains who each try to recruit Li Yèlái after seeing his mimicry ability 6.

Notable Quote

“If your teammate loses control, your duty is to end their suffering.” — A veteran handler 26