NOVEL NEXT chapter 23
“Attack! Attack!”
“Uaaagh—!”
The battle was chaos. The formation collapsed in seconds, soldiers scattering in panic.
Even if this was better than in the original timeline, they’d only managed to recover barely half of their total fighting force—and the creature before them was a monster that had originally appeared at the very end of the Gate. Its power was overwhelming.
“Our attacks aren’t working!”
“Damn it—”
Even Dojin’s psychic strikes—powerful enough to crush tanks—did nothing. Every blast simply broke apart against an invisible barrier surrounding the monster.
Of course. That thing’s got an impenetrable shield.
In the original, Alpha-1 had suffered devastating losses before finally reuniting with Seokhyeon and the Guides, only to fail to stop the beast. Seokhyeon had likely died there.
Later, with Hamin’s guiding, Dojin’s psychokinesis had destroyed the barrier and killed the monster—but by then, half the team was dead.
Raon gritted his teeth. The novel had never described a clean way to break that barrier. Dojin had only shattered it by brute-forcing psychic energy after his stats skyrocketed from guiding.
So, once again, they’d have to rely on Dojin. Raon’s eyes flicked toward Hamin, who was being half-dragged by another Esper while trying to dodge the creature’s blows.
“Siwoo.”
“What?”
The monster’s sudden appearance had made evacuating the Guides impossible. Its attacks were so wide-range that to escape safely, they’d have to leave the entire field—and who knew what other monsters were waiting out there?
The Espers were stretched thin, splitting their strength to defend the Guides. They needed a reformation of ranks, fast.
“Take Guide Hamin to Team Leader Dojin.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“…”
Raon’s tone was calm but firm—he was entrusting Hamin to the one person he could count on. Siwoo’s face, however, darkened.
“No. I’m not leaving you.”
“Siwoo.”
Raon’s voice sharpened. Siwoo’s jaw tensed, but he shook his head hard. He couldn’t bear the idea of letting Raon out of his reach.
That suffocating dread from before—when he hadn’t known if Raon was alive or dead—still hadn’t faded.
“I’ll be okay. I’m not going to die and leave you behind. So hurry.”
“…”
Raon’s words, low but steady, finally made Siwoo falter. There was no strength in him to disobey his Guide’s command.
“Then wait here. I’ll be right back.”
“Go.”
Siwoo passed Raon to another soldier, then vaulted forward, hauling Hamin with him—straight toward where Dojin was still holding the front line.
Raon exhaled, tension easing slightly. Once Hamin started guiding Dojin, his psychokinesis should amplify enough to crack the barrier. Then they could end this quickly.
Watching Siwoo’s back as he carried Hamin over his shoulder, Raon almost laughed. The main top carrying the secondary like luggage—ridiculous, but at least it meant everyone was doing their part.
“…!”
Then he froze.
Across the battlefield, the monster’s enormous yellow eyes turned directly toward him.
Even from that distance, he could feel the killing intent in its gaze. A chill crawled up his spine.
Kwah-booom!
“Ugh!”
In the next instant, the creature struck. The attack came so fast Raon barely registered it. Even from far away, the trajectory was unmistakable—it was aimed right at him.
Thanks to the nearby soldiers, he survived the first blow. But as soon as he looked up again, those yellow eyes were still fixed squarely on him. It wouldn’t stop.
Why me?
His mind spun.
He hadn’t done anything. Even as an S-class Guide, he hadn’t displayed power enough to draw its attention. Yet it was focused on him—him alone.
That had never happened in the original. The monsters had always targeted attacking Espers first. If they noticed Guides, it was only because the Guides were supporting those Espers.
But now, this creature wanted him.
“Han Raon!”
Someone shouted his name from afar.
Driven by raw instinct, Raon released guiding energy in all directions. The Espers near him, their readings spiking from the sudden radiative guiding, immediately formed a wall around him and fought back.
“Kh!”
“Urgh!”
But for non-S-class soldiers, the difference in power was crushing.
The creature’s long tail slammed down, splitting the ground wide open right beside him.
Crack—!
The earth tore apart beneath his feet.
“Damn it, are you trying to die standing there?!”
“Ugh—”
A rough hand yanked the back of his collar. Taegun—his forehead bleeding, matching the color of his crimson hair—glared down at him.
“Nam Taegun.”
“What?”
The snap in Taegun’s tone brought Raon’s focus back. No time to question the monster’s motives now.
As Taegun twisted and dodged another blow, Raon’s eyes darted toward the front line.
Did Hamin reach Dojin safely? If the monster’s attention was here, that should’ve given them a chance—right?
“Where are Hamin and the Team Leader?”
“…”
Taegun, being a psychic Esper, could read the whole field even while moving—but he didn’t answer. His silence made Raon’s skin crawl.
“What happened to them?”
“Hamin’s down.”
“…What?”
“When that tail hit earlier…”
“…”
So he’d been caught in it too. Dojin might have shielded him, but still—unconscious? Before even starting the guiding?
Raon’s chest twisted. The one time the monster’s focus should have helped, it had somehow gone worse.
“Shit!”
The curse tore out of him.
What now? Wait until Hamin woke up, running in circles just to stay alive? How many would die in the meantime?
All around, the landscape was burning red, scorched and cratered by the monster’s attacks. Ordinary soldiers—everyone below S-class—were already falling one after another.
If this went on, history would repeat itself exactly.
Raon clenched his fists.
“You—can your psychic control break that damn shield?”
“What?”
Taegun blinked at him, incredulous—then immediately shook his head.
“No way. I didn’t even realize there was a shield, but I’ve tried mind control a dozen times already—”
His voice trailed off. For once, the ever-cocky Taegun looked small, unsure.
Raon’s tone hardened.
“You’ve never tried it while guided.”
“…”
In the original, Taegun had rarely received guiding. The old Raon had refused to guide anyone but Dojin, and Taegun—being psychic—had no reason to beg for it.
He’d only once shown interest in Hamin, taken a bit of guiding from him—but with a low-match B-class, it had barely mattered. Less than the autosuggestions Taegun could cast on himself.
Maybe if he’d had S-class Hamin from the epilogue, it would’ve been different. But right now, the idea that guiding could enhance ability probably hadn’t even crossed his mind.
A Guide’s power didn’t just stabilize contamination—it could amplify an Esper’s strength to the extreme. ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ And Raon was the only S-class Guide in the country. No one else in Korea could raise an Esper’s potential higher.
“You think a little guiding will change anything—”
“It will, so shut up and give me your hand.”
“…”
Raon’s tone cut like a blade. He flicked his fingers impatiently.
Taegun hesitated, speechless.
Before he could decide, Raon grabbed his wrist himself.
“Too slow.”
Clicking his tongue, he unleashed guiding energy into Taegun without restraint.
Taegun’s red eyes went wide.
“W-what the—”
His whole body shuddered, a tremor running through him.
Raon smirked faintly.
For the first time since becoming an Esper, Nam Taegun was tasting what a real world felt like.