“An S-rank Gate, huh…”
“I think the last time one showed up, I was seven.”
The entire Center was in chaos the next day.
It didn’t matter whether someone had been assigned to enter the Gate or not—everyone felt the tension.
“What if I mess up in there…? What if I don’t make it back?”
“Don’t be stupid. You’ve got to go in thinking you’ll make it out in one piece, no matter what.”
Seo-ha gave Joo-chan a firm pat on the back.
Though both were still rookies, not even a year into the job, they’d been selected for the Gate mission based on their ability types and metrics.
“Talking like that’s just asking to bring bad luck.”
“But still…”
While the two youngest Espers bickered and tried to keep their nerves at bay, the more experienced ones sat with serious expressions, combing through past S-rank Gate records.
Since Korea’s last S-rank Gate had occurred 21 years ago, they were forced to hastily gather reports from other countries.
“This is brutal. Says here not even half of the Espers made it out alive.”
“Please don’t say stuff like that. Joo-chan’s already about to die of fear.”
Some of the documents included hopeful endings, but just as many ended in absolute disaster.
If monsters escaped from a Gate, the consequences could reach far beyond the host country and impact neighboring nations too.
Countries that couldn’t handle Gates alone would sometimes receive outside help.
But there were also cases where, out of foolish pride, governments refused to request backup—and their entire Esper force was wiped out, with civilians taking heavy losses.
“This one took two weeks to fully suppress, both inside and outside the Gate… and over 10,000 casualties in that time…”
They tried to stay positive, but their eyes naturally gravitated to the more shocking cases. The Espers reading the files couldn’t hide their unease.
“Which is why we have to do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen. Even if something goes wrong with us, the people left outside will finish the job.”
“Let’s just make sure they won’t have to.”
Hyeon-seo gave a light shrug as she spoke. One of the S-rank Espers selected for the mission alongside Rion, Hyeon-seo set her files aside and addressed the group.
“Instead of thinking about the worst-case scenarios, let’s focus on the best possible outcome. Enough panic—start by thinking about how to link our abilities and attack together.”
Rion nodded, impressed by how cleanly she had organized the situation.
Hyeon-seo was shaping up to be a strong candidate for team leader. He’d originally considered Ji-seo, who he’d been in a Gate with before, but her playful personality didn’t suit a leadership role.
“Also, some veteran Espers from the Central Center are coming in tomorrow, so we’ll need to sync with them as well. No time to waste. Everyone, up.”
At her words, the Espers stood.
All except for one, frozen with fear.
“Do I… have to join too?”
“Of course you do. If things go south, we’ll need you to run in and heal us. You gonna just sit on the sidelines and watch?”
Min-hyeon was trembling so badly, it was hard to watch.
He hadn’t imagined—not in a million years—that he’d be assigned to an S-rank Gate.
“It’s guaranteed to be a long-term battle, and we don’t know what might happen inside. That makes you our most important card.”
“…Okay.”
“And Seo-jin got up without a word, so you can’t be the only one acting like this.”
Min-hyeon glanced at Seo-jin, his shoulders sagging.
Among the team, there were two Espers with non-combat support abilities:
Min-hyeon, a healer, and Seo-jin, whose ability was sleep induction. Both had been chosen as core personnel, essential for the long, grueling fight ahead.
“Don’t be so hard on him. I mean, I might not be able to fight, but I can put one or two monsters to sleep if I have to. Min-hyeon can’t even do that.”
Seo-jin spoke up for him. And he had a point—sleep wasn’t a lethal ability, but it could be used defensively when needed.
But Min-hyeon was different.
Healing-type Espers were valuable and welcomed everywhere, but they were especially vulnerable inside a Gate.
And Min-hyeon wasn’t the bold type either. He was timid, and it showed—his whole body had gone stiff from fear.
“Don’t stress too much. I’ll stick close and cover you.”
“Okay…”
Rion tried to ease his nerves. It didn’t seem to help much, but it did break some of the heavy tension in the air.
“Same goes for the Guides. We’ll keep you in the safest places possible, but if things go sideways, you might have to move into dangerous zones.”
Hyeon-seo turned to look at the Guides.
Yu-won, Jin-ha, Min-ho (paired with Su-jin), and Ye-ju (an A-rank Guide with high matching compatibility with Hyeon-seo) were all seated at the end of her gaze.
“It’s fine. If Su-jin’s in danger, I’ll go anywhere to guide her.”
“I wasn’t really asking for a declaration of devotion, but sure. Guess the reason doesn’t matter as long as the resolve is there.”
Unlike Rion and Yu-won, whose matching status was closer to mortal enemies than teammates, most Guide-Esper pairs actually got along quite well.
Su-jin looked deeply touched as she turned to her partner.
“By the way, I heard one of the senior pairs coming in tomorrow are a matched pair too. Is that true?”
“Yeah. Just a heads-up—don’t bother them. Be grateful and respectful. These are veterans coming out of near-retirement to help the next generation.”
Two Espers and one Guide had agreed to join the S-rank Gate team. Since they were stationed in other regions, they needed time to pack up and relocate, so they couldn’t be here today.
“If they mess up a bit, cut them some slack. It’s been a while since they’ve done this kind of thing, and it’ll take time to get their bearings. Be patient and explain things kindly, okay?”
“We’re not monsters, you know. You don’t even have to say that—we’d do it anyway.”
Seo-ha muttered with a pout, half-joking.
The sharp edge that had filled the room dulled slightly, the tension finally beginning to lift.
“Alright, I think that covers the briefing. Let’s get started with training.”
Hyeon-seo picked up a twig from the ground. The moment she gripped it tightly, it transformed into metal—then into a spear.
Her ability: metalization and metal manipulation.
“Pretend I’m a monster and come at me. Even if someone gets hurt, we’ve got Min-hyeon here, and two S-rank Guides, so don’t worry too much.”
With that, Hyeon-seo charged at Seo-ha.
The training officially began as her metal spear clashed with Seo-ha’s ice spear.
“This is intense. I bet the fights inside the Gate will be even crazier than this.”
Jin-ha turned to Yu-won, who sat beside him.
Yu-won gave him a slight glance, as if surprised that he was talking.
“I’ve never been inside a Gate before. But you’ve been in a bunch with Rion, right? I figured you’d have a good idea of what it’s like in there.”
“A Gate…”
Yu-won replied without even glancing at Jin-ha, his eyes fixed on the training happening in the center of the gym.
“I’ve never been in an S-rank one either, so I’m not really in a position to explain.”
“Really? But still, a Gate’s a Gate, right? What was it like the first time you went in?”
Jin-ha didn’t let the curt reply deter him. He smiled brightly, almost as if he were enjoying the situation instead of stressing over it.
“It felt unfamiliar, of course. But the senior members kept talking to me to help ease my nerves. That helped a bit.”
Yu-won’s tone wasn’t warm, but he still answered every question.
“Is that so? I heard you went into your first Gate pretty soon after joining the Center. Must’ve been even harder, not really knowing the other guys.”
“Not really.”
The short answer didn’t faze Jin-ha in the slightest. He kept chatting away, his smile never fading.
“Well, you’re a senior to me, Yu-won. So once we’re inside, show me the ropes, okay?”
“If it’s something I can help with, of course I’ll assist.
But I think the veteran Guide joining us and a few others will be more helpful than I am.”
“Maybe. But I still want to get along with you, Yu-won. Maybe it’s ‘cause you’re the same age as my cousin?”
Jin-ha kept chattering away, unfazed, sticking close to Yu-won like a friendly puppy.
From afar, it looked like a sweet moment between teammates—but up close, it was painfully obvious Jin-ha was the only one carrying the conversation.
“I’m seriously about to collapse. Can I just get a quick guiding session?”
Just then, in the middle of the training session, Joo-chan flopped to the floor with a groan.
His words weren’t just for show—he was drenched in sweat like he’d been caught in a rainstorm.
Seeing him like that, Hyeon-seo called for a break.
“Take five. Get some guiding, drink water. Catch your breath, and we’ll start again.”
At her words, several Espers crumpled to the floor like puppets with their strings cut.
Meanwhile, the Guides, who had been watching the training from their seats, stood up.
