NOVEL NEXT chapter 25
"…Hyung."
"Siwoo!"
Raon startled awake and looked down. Siwoo, half-conscious, was staring up at him, breath coming in ragged gasps.
"I really thought I was gonna die."
"Ha."
"Some guiding, please…"
Snow was still falling softly from the sky, absurdly gentle for the scene around them.
Where the monster had stood moments ago, everything was frozen solid—nothing left to see.
It had to be Siwoo’s work. So this is what happens when his limiter breaks…
Raon couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh, awe edging into reverence.
"Hyung…"
"Yeah, I know."
But Siwoo was still on the verge of death.
The blizzard that had obliterated the monster had probably been a reflex—an unconscious defense born from the threat to both his and his pair Guide’s lives.
Raon nodded and immediately pressed his lips to Siwoo’s.
The metallic stench of blood that had sickened him earlier now only felt precious.
"Team Leader Seo Dojin! Guide Han Raon!"
"……!"
Other Guides approached—the scattered group finally reuniting. Juwon, Taehyeok, Haedam, and the soldiers protecting them all seemed alive, if battered.
Raon exhaled in relief.
Fighting the core guardian earlier than expected had caused heavy injuries, but they had avoided annihilation.
Compared to the original timeline, the outcome was almost miraculous.
Fortunately, Siwoo’s wounds were healing fast under the flood of guiding energy.
The rest would recover with the help of a healing-type Esper.
While Raon checked on Siwoo, the other Guides—except for the unconscious Hamin—began guiding their Espers.
Those who could still move went to destroy the core.
"This incident will be fully reported to Command."
"……"
Raon’s voice was sharp as he spoke toward Dojin, who stood pale and still.
Dojin’s eyes lifted to meet his.
That same murky, possessive glint still lingered there.
Raon flinched inwardly but refused to let it show. He would sooner die than give ground to a man like this.
He glared back, his jaw tight.
That unnatural pause before Siwoo was attacked—Dojin had been deliberate.
He had ignored the perfect opening to strike the monster, choosing instead to stand still and let Siwoo die.
Raon was sure of it. His teeth ground together audibly.
Rumble.
"The core has been destroyed! Move the wounded, now!"
The collapsing Gate began to crumble rapidly.
Raon tore his gaze away from the frozen Dojin and looked down at Siwoo.
The Esper, overexerted and wounded, lay unconscious, limp as a corpse.
"We’ll take the Major."
"Yes, please do."
The soldiers would move faster and get him treated sooner.
Still, as that ice-cold hand slipped from his own, the chill that lingered felt even sharper.
He clenched his fist—his palm still tingling from pouring out every ounce of guiding energy moments ago.
And just like that, the irregular Gate was subdued.
***
When the last of the cleanup was done and Raon finally stepped out, dawn was breaking.
It felt like only half a day had passed inside, yet more than two full days had gone by outside.
Because the Gate’s time distortion persisted, the government and Center had already formed a secondary team while waiting for the anomaly to shrink.
Dragged straight into reporting before he could even rest, Raon learned all this from Seokhyeon.
A special task headquarters would be established, followed by a new team reorganization.
"You want me to lead the Guides in the new team?"
"That’s right."
Seokhyeon nodded gravely.
Raon had been among the last to emerge, barely conscious.
During his brief recovery, Seokhyeon had already received reports from the Guides and from the Espers through military channels.
It was almost hard to believe.
Raon had entered the Gate with suspicious confidence, but he had ended up leading the operation, subduing the irregular Gate, and achieving results beyond expectation.
Every witness—the external team, Alpha-1 members, and soldiers alike—had praised him.
One of the external team members who’d been assigned to protect him even apologized, saying they had only gotten in his way.
Normally, it should have been the other way around.
Meanwhile, Raon had led the Guides, executed radiative guiding perfectly, and shown composure and tactical wit even before the core guardian—while Dojin, who should have commanded from the front, had failed to do so.
Seokhyeon’s temples throbbed as he frowned.
"So it’s true Major Yoon Siwoo was injured because of Team Leader Seo Dojin?"
"Yes, sir."
Raon’s report was precise, backed by identical statements from Taegun and other witnesses.
However—
"Team Leader Seo claims he was immobilized by the monster’s psychic spell at that moment."
"Ha!"
Raon let out a sharp, derisive laugh.
An absurd lie.
That monster could only use physical attacks and defenses.
The only one who had used psychic control there was Taegun—empowered by Raon’s own guiding.
Raon’s mouth twisted.
If any other Esper had tried that excuse, it would’ve been dismissed immediately.
But Dojin’s position was still far too secure.
His years of success wouldn’t crumble over one failure.
And he was the president’s nephew—protected fiercely not only by the military but by powerful allies across the government.
Lucky bastard.
Raon hadn’t expected to bring him down completely in one move, but he hadn’t expected no consequences either.
He clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
"I’ll accept the position of team Guide Leader—on one condition."
"And that is?"
Seokhyeon asked, watching him carefully.
He already knew Raon’s tone meant he was dead serious.
"I want partial authority over personnel selection for the reorganized unit.
Especially my assistant Guide and the Esper assigned as team escort—I’ll choose them myself."
"Hmm."
A bold demand for a mere Guide.
But Raon was the country’s only S-rank Guide and the hero of the irregular Gate operation.
If he pressed the issue, even the higher-ups would have to yield.
Seokhyeon nodded without hesitation.
"I’ll take care of it."
"Thank you."
"Oh, and one more thing…"
"…?"
Raon paused, expecting the conversation to be over, but Seokhyeon had more to say.
"It’s about Major Yoon Siwoo."
"Is his condition serious?"
Raon’s tone sharpened.
He hadn’t yet visited—still trapped in debriefings.
Siwoo was hospitalized in the military ward, and Raon’s whole body itched with the urge to go see him.
"No, his body’s fine. He woke up a few hours ago."
"…Thank god."
"I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to perform insertion guiding with him."
"…What?"
Raon blinked. Then realization struck.
"Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t bring it up, but after what happened in Zone 3, we can’t rule out another irregular Gate."
"……"
The government clearly had reevaluated Siwoo.
Of course they had.
Dojin might still be impressive, but Siwoo’s feat had been extraordinary.
Now that they’d seen his potential, they wanted to push it further—raise his levels through high-intensity guiding.
Raon could understand that, but insertion guiding…
That meant sex.
God. He just turned eighteen.
Raon had never bottomed before, but that wasn’t the problem.
It was that Siwoo was too young.
Seeing his hesitation, Seokhyeon nodded slowly.
"I’ll give you time to think."
"Understood."
"Major Yoon has already refused, of course. But I hope you’ll reconsider…"
"Who refused?"
Raon looked up in confusion. Seokhyeon’s tone was calm.
"Major Yoon Siwoo did."
"He—he refused? Already?"
"Yes."
They must’ve approached Siwoo first—Espers were usually more likely to agree.
But he’d refused?
Refused?
A strange chill spread through Raon’s chest.
He forced his lips into a crooked smile and looked back at Seokhyeon.