NOVEL NEXT chapter 24
"You idiot, move!"
But there was no time to stand there stunned. The monster’s assault was still ongoing.
At Raon’s shout, Taegun jolted back to his senses and threw himself aside.
Boom!
"Kh–!"
"Can you do it?"
"……"
Even while being thrown around roughly with a civilian’s body, barely protected by Espers, Raon demanded sharply.
Taegun glared up at the monster’s massive head with a serious expression.
Something had changed. He couldn’t pinpoint what, but the creature that had seemed so overwhelmingly vast and terrifying before now looked… different.
Almost without realizing it, Taegun nodded.
"I’ll try."
In a flash, he cast mental domination at the monster. He hadn’t expected perfect control—this wasn’t one of the smaller creatures.
But since Raon had told him there was a barrier, he was aiming to neutralize that.
"Kreeeahh!"
Whether it actually worked or not, the monster let out a long, distorted scream.
The stubborn barrier that had cloaked its body—finally vanished.
"It worked!"
Raon clenched his fist, eyes bright.
Even with Hamin unconscious, without that barrier, Dojin’s psychokinesis would be more than enough to crush it.
It’s over, Raon thought, exhaling a long breath of relief.
***
“Damn it, Lee Hamin!”
Dojin shook the limp guide and clicked his tongue.
When he had first opened his eyes in an unfamiliar area with only a few squad members around, even he couldn’t help but be rattled.
He forced himself to regain composure and began scanning the surroundings. Fighting alone against swarming monsters had been grueling, but not impossible—he had managed to press forward.
Then that thing appeared. Far larger and stronger than anything he’d faced before.
Even Dojin had gone blank at the sight of it.
For the first time, he felt the absolute difference in power between himself and a monster.
At this rate, we’ll all die.
The chilling thought flashed through his mind.
And right then—after ten long years—Guides entered the Gate again.
Hamin, though only B-rank, had a high match rate. A competent Guide.
Seeing him had brought Dojin relief. He’d been on the verge of collapse from overusing his ability; he needed guiding desperately.
"Urgh!"
But before their hands even met, a shockwave from the monster swept them up, and Hamin was knocked out cold.
A Guide’s energy could not flow when unconscious; guiding didn’t work during sleep or fainting.
"Damn it!"
Dojin cursed again, his usually composed face twisting.
His body and ability were at their limit.
He couldn’t see any way to defeat this monster.
After conquering countless Red Gates and capturing countless terrorists, all that meant nothing in the face of death.
"Team Leader! Get a grip!"
"……!"
A low voice snapped him back—Siwoo, blocking the monster’s movement alone with his ability.
But Siwoo’s gaze kept flicking toward something far away. Someone.
Right, there’s another Guide.
Remembering belatedly, Dojin turned his head.
Raon, for some reason, had become the monster’s main target—dodging attacks with Taegun beside him.
Siwoo looked like he wanted to rush there immediately but couldn’t abandon his unconscious Guide—or Dojin himself.
"Lee Hamin won’t be any help."
Siwoo’s expression tightened.
"You’re supposed to secure the Guide’s safety before—"
"There’s no time. I need guiding now."
"……"
Siwoo scowled deeper.
But Dojin was right.
On the battlefield, you had to be cold. Otherwise, there was no defeating that thing.
Rationally, Siwoo knew that.
But he still couldn’t stomach the man who treated Guides like disposable tools.
"Hm?"
Then Siwoo, still holding back the monster with streams of water, suddenly frowned.
The torrents weren’t striking with killing intent, merely binding the target—but from the start, they hadn’t been able to touch the monster at all.
Something invisible had been blocking them.
Now, that resistance was gone. He could feel it. The water could pierce through.
"Team Leader!"
"……!"
Siwoo turned, shouting to Dojin.
Dojin sensed it too—the shift in the air, the sudden opening.
He drew on his power instinctively.
Siwoo didn’t stop him; that was exactly what he wanted.
It was most efficient to let Dojin deliver the finishing blow.
Siwoo’s attack power was always weaker due to guiding deprivation; he was used to yielding the decisive strike to Dojin. It had become habit.
Dojin raised his hand.
The monster, distracted, didn’t even move.
If he unleashed his power now, it would be crushed instantly.
But Dojin didn’t move.
"Team Leader?"
"……"
He stared at Siwoo quietly.
He had no use for a Guide who fainted at a critical moment.
Someone perfect like him deserved something equally perfect.
In that instant, what Dojin wanted was Raon—an S-rank Guide worthy of him.
He alone should receive that guiding. Always.
"What are you—"
To achieve that, he needed to remove the obstacle.
Like, for example, the S-rank Esper standing right in front of him.
Dojin’s turquoise eyes fixed on Siwoo, closer to the monster than he was. Then he lowered his hand.
Siwoo’s eyes widened.
"What are you—"
"Kieeeeh!"
"……!"
The monster, regaining awareness, turned its vicious gaze on Siwoo.
It clearly recognized who had been binding it in those coils of water.
"Kh!"
Siwoo tried to dodge, but the monster was faster.
He could only watch as his vision filled with searing red.
***
"What the hell is he doing?"
Raon frowned, staring at Dojin, who wasn’t moving.
Why was he just standing there? His arm wasn’t broken. Even if it were, he could still use his ability.
A bad feeling crawled down Raon’s spine. His heart pounded, and he clutched his chest.
"Ugh, I can’t hold it much longer—what the…?"
Taegun, drenched in sweat, muttered in confusion while barely keeping the monster restrained.
Then the creature, fully conscious now, swung a massive foreleg—straight at the nearest target.
"Siwoo!"
Seeing him fall in a spray of blood, Raon screamed.
He grabbed the stunned Taegun by the shoulders and shook him.
"Go! Now!"
"O-okay!"
Taegun didn’t understand what was happening, but even he could tell something was wrong with Dojin.
"Siwoo! Yoon Siwoo!"
Raon shouted desperately toward the fallen Esper.
Thanks to Taegun’s renewed psychic hold, the monster froze again.
"Hey, I can’t hold this for long—"
"I know!"
Raon snapped, breath ragged, eyes fixed on Siwoo’s unmoving body.
The gash across Siwoo’s torso was deep, raw, and bleeding heavily.
If he hadn’t twisted his body at the last second, he would’ve been split clean in half.
Raon clenched his teeth until his jaw ached. His hands were trembling.
There was no time. He had to guide him—now.
He ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) reached out, fingers brushing for Siwoo’s wrist—
"Urgh!"
Someone’s grip clamped down hard on his shoulder.
He turned sharply, grimacing—only to meet those cold turquoise eyes.
"Guide me."
"What?"
This lunatic—what is he saying?
Raon scowled at Dojin’s brazen command. But Dojin’s face was deadly serious.
"You wanted to, didn’t you? Then do it now."
"You insane bastard—"
Raon slapped his hand away. He didn’t have a second to waste on this.
"Get lost, Seo Dojin."
"……"
And with that, he turned back and pressed his lips to Siwoo’s.
The taste of blood flooded his mouth—sharp and metallic.
Siwoo had lost a lot of blood, but he wasn’t dead yet.
If he guided him, Siwoo would recover. He had to.
Raon ignored the nausea creeping up his throat, forcing himself to keep moving his tongue.
"Please, Siwoo."
"……"
Wake up. Please. I need you.
He begged silently, pouring his guiding energy into Siwoo like a flood, praying to a god that didn’t exist.
"Siwoo, please—no, don’t."
You can’t leave me like this.
He remembered Siwoo’s dying voice calling his name before, and he shouted again.
"Yoon Siwoo!"
At the same moment, Taegun’s strained voice broke—and the monster roared.
"Kh—! I can’t—!"
"Kreeeeh!"
Raon felt the end coming and shut his eyes tight.
"……?"
But nothing happened. His body didn’t fly, didn’t lift.
Still clutching Siwoo’s body, Raon cautiously opened his eyes.
"Ah—"
The world was white.
Snow was falling from the sky.
Raon stared up, lips parted, at the blizzard swirling overhead.
A low voice called his name.