Chapter 17: The Wolf That Became a Puppy

Slurp.

It’s wet.

Slurp, slurp.

And sticky. Something hot, damp, and rough kept brushing against my face, again and again.
Then something heavy thudded down on my chest.
Ah, wait… that might’ve cracked a rib.

“Woof! Woof!”

Where the hell is that dog barking from?
Make it quiet… No—hold on.
What the hell is going on here?
The sensation and the sounds around me all felt off.
I quickly opened my eyes.

“Wh—shit…!”

I almost cursed aloud.
Anyone would, after opening their eyes and staring straight into a pair of bright yellow ones.
I shot upright, shoving myself backward with my hands and scooting away.
When I finally gathered my senses, I realized that the creature in front of me was the wolf-shaped monster that had been dying earlier.

“Woof!”

The beast sat proudly on its haunches and barked.

“…You carried me all the way here…?”

Now that I looked around, the location had changed.
When I lost consciousness, I’d been further inside the gate.
But now, I was near the entrance.

“Woof! Woof!”

“You woke me up too…?”

I knew monsters couldn’t understand human speech, but I tried talking to it anyway.
Mostly because—I didn’t have a single weapon on me, and I needed time to think.
I was still wondering whether I should strangle it to death with my bare hands when the wolf suddenly flopped over and exposed its belly.

“Whine, whimper…”

What… the hell?
Was it… asking for a belly rub?
I must’ve gone crazy, but I cautiously approached.
Even as I got closer, it kept waving its front paws, showing its belly even more.
Keeping my eyes locked on its face, I reached out and brushed my hand over its stomach.

Remember this: when you meet a predator, never break eye contact or make sudden moves.
And petting its stomach? Even dumber.

“Woof! Woof! Whimper…!”

“…You’re basically just a dog, huh.”

As I stroked its belly, it squirmed and twisted happily, clearly enjoying the touch.
It even craned its neck to lick my hand.
I only meant to pet it once, but that soft fur was addicting.
It… felt nice.

I rubbed its warm belly for a while, sorting through the events in my head.
So… I somehow saved a dying monster using some power.
Then it didn’t kill me when I passed out from mana exhaustion.
It even dragged me to safety, woke me up, and now wanted belly rubs.
What the actual hell was this?

“Wait… what was that ability, anyway?”

Come to think of it, the power I used was strange.
The black flame I used to have was purely for combat.
But that energy that flowed from my palm earlier… it was more like a guide’s guiding.
But I’d never heard of guiding that could instantly heal wounds—or affect monsters.
Why was my ability different now?

Ever since I came back to the past, something’s been off.
The manifestation as a dominant Omega, the awakening that came with that weird new ability…
And now, Jae-yul—and this… puppy-like monster.
None of this existed in my previous life.

“Woof!”

The monster, who’d been letting me pet its belly, suddenly barked loudly.
Then it grabbed my pants in its mouth and tugged toward the gate entrance.

“What? What is it?”

Thud, thud.

It pawed at the ground near the entrance.

“…Oh, you mean I need to leave quickly?”

It nodded—actually nodded—as if it understood.
Now that I thought about it, I didn’t know how long I’d been unconscious.
If I was unlucky, the gate could be about to collapse.

“Well… thanks. Stay alive, pup.”

I turned to leave, but the wolf grabbed my pants again, refusing to let go.

“Grr…”

“…What? Don’t tell me… you want to come with me?”

Its golden eyes sparkled with such intensity that I almost imagined tears in them.
It was clear: unless I took it with me, it wasn’t letting me go.
This was a problem.
It wasn’t fully grown, but calling it a “puppy” was a stretch—its body was at least 1.5 times bigger than a Malamute.
It looked every bit a wolf, its fur shining silver-gray.
If this thing walked outside, people would think a gate break had occurred.

“You’re too big, buddy. You can’t come. Stay here and live well.”

It tilted its head like it was trying to understand.
And then—something unbelievable happened.

Pop!

“Yip! Yip!”

…What the hell…?
Its body shrank instantly—so small it could fit in my hand.
Now it was just a tiny puppy, bouncing around and barking adorably.

“Ha… fine. Let’s go, then.”

I gave up on reasoning with it and tucked the little monster into my arms, stepping out of the gate.
Whatever happens, happens.

“Sir… you’re joking, right?”

“N-no, of course not!”

The bald old man—no, the dealer—was stammering.
He probably knew his offer made no sense.

“Can’t you see this? This alone is worth at least a hundred thousand won! How can you say thirty thousand, huh? How? Should I just take it all and go to that new dealer down the street?”

“Ah, fine! Fine, alright! You’re getting fiercer by the day, kid.”

This guy was trying to scam me again.
I’d tolerated him before, since he was the only buyer in the area.
But things were different now.
With another mouth to feed, every won mattered.

Besides, after awakening inside that gate, I was exhausted.
The least I deserved was fair payment for my effort.

“Yip!”

“Shh! Quiet, you!”

The little monster barked, as if chiming in.
Before the dealer could take a closer look, I shoved the silver-furred ball back into my bag.

“It’s—it’s a pet dog!”

“A dog? You’re taking a dog into a gate? Damn, kids these days are something else. Here, take it.”

Thankfully, he handed me the money without suspicion.

“See? Wouldn’t it have been easier to just do that from the start? We’ve known each other for ages. Take care!”

I pocketed the cash and left quickly.

“Keep your mouth shut, seriously.”

“Whine…”

I was still nervous.
If this thing turned back into a monster inside the city, we’d be in huge trouble.
I needed to get home fast.
It was Jae-yul’s first day at school anyway—I wanted to have dinner ready and hear how it went.
Not that he was the only reason I was hurrying, though…

“What’s a pretty boy like you doing walking alone here, huh? Waiting for oppa?”

I’d sensed it for a while.
Someone had been tailing me since I left the dealer’s shop.
When I turned onto a deserted street, the guy closed in and grabbed my shoulder.
Broad daylight, and still—what a psycho.
The neighborhood’s really gone downhill.

Even from here, I could smell the alcohol.
His speech was slurred too. Definitely drunk.

“Get lost. I’m dead tired.”

Why didn’t I run away even though I knew he was following me?
Because, thanks to my awakening, I could feel how weak his mana was—so faint it was barely there, flickering like a dying flame.
One look at his glassy eyes confirmed it.
He wasn’t just drunk—probably doped up too.

“You ignoring me too, huh? You little shit…!”

Must’ve had a hard life, this one.
So much anger for no reason.
I shoved his arm off me.
He was weaker than Jae-yul.
His mana flow was a mess—one more push and he’d collapse.
I’d seen too many like him before.

“If you’ve got money for drugs, spend it on a guiding session.
Otherwise, you’ll be dead soon.”

I’d seen countless Espers like him—too stubborn to get guided, too proud to accept help—ending up in mana overdrive and dying.

“Die? Hah! You’ll die first, bastard…!”

He staggered up, barely standing, and swung at me.
So much for trying to help.
Mana flickered faintly around his fist—probably a body-enhancement type Esper.
I couldn’t afford to take a hit.
With this weird new power, my body wasn’t exactly durable anymore.
If only I had my black flame back, this idiot would’ve been ash in one hit.

“Die!”

Smack!
I caught his wrist before his punch landed.
Luckily, his power was weak—it wasn’t threatening at all.
I pushed him back, and then—

“Wh—what the…! Let go, damn it…!”

He felt it too.
Mana was flowing out of my palm into his body.
It was similar to what happened with the monster earlier—but slower.

As my mana spread through his broken mana channels, his energy stabilized.
Even his eyes regained focus.

“What the… You’re a Guide?! But… how’s your effect this strong?!”

…Good question.
I was just as shocked.
Why was I able to guide?
Was I… a Guide now?

“Wait—how does it even heal me?”

The man, once wasted and delirious, now looked completely sober.
Even the scratches on his face and hands had vanished.

“…This makes no sense…”

I stared at my palm in confusion.
The same hand that once unleashed black flames was now… healing.
I wasn’t an Esper anymore.
I was a Guide.