Chapter 18: The Guide’s Awakening

The guide.

It was an incredibly important role.

Although most attention was focused on espers, who directly protected humanity, guides—whose numbers were much smaller—were respected and valued everywhere.

Even though they were special ability users like espers, guides didn’t possess the same physical strength that came with esper awakening.

However, since they were the only ones capable of healing espers whose mana had become unstable or depleted, they were inevitably treated with great importance.

“…A guide, huh. A guide….”

After completely healing the man I met on the street earlier, I accepted the fact that I had awakened as a guide.

Even though I had seen and felt it with my own eyes, it still felt strange.

It was like living my whole life as an omega and suddenly turning into an alpha.

And when I thought about the fact that I had lost Black Flame, my heart ached even more.

It was the rare skill that had made me an SS-class esper….

And considering that the world was about to grow even more dangerous, not becoming an esper felt all the more regretful.

No matter how good my guiding skills might be, it would still be difficult to protect myself.

A cruel god must have been playing a joke on me—guides, despite awakening just like espers, possessed inferior physical abilities.

Just like omegas, who had less strength than alphas even if they manifested similar abilities.

Unless you were an esper with powerful skills or an alpha with a strong body, surviving in this world meant a brutal struggle.

And since I happened to be something like a mix of the two, life in this collapsing world would only get harder.

If there was any small consolation… it was that I’d gained one more strange ability this time.

“A healing… guide, huh….”

I sat blankly in the living room, turning my hand over in front of me.

I’d never heard of such a thing—a guide who could heal wounds.

Maybe… I had eaten too much of that Petra lately…?

If it were anyone else, they would have clapped their hands in excitement upon discovering this ability.

A guide who could both channel and heal would be an incredible help in conquering Gates—since they could treat injured and exhausted espers right on the spot.

Such a person could even hold an important position, and gain stability within the Special Ability Center.

But none of that applied to me.

I had no intention of entering any Gate again as a special agent.

Esper or guide, I hated both.

If word got out that I had a healing ability, it would only bring me trouble.

It was basically a useless skill I couldn’t even use freely.

“Phew… I don’t know anymore.”

The more I thought about it, the less sense it made, so I shook my head to drive out the thoughts clouding my mind.

I had no idea what was happening anymore.

The esper awakening I’d hoped for never came true.

Instead, I’d become a guide and gained some mysterious healing ability.

On top of that, I’d somehow revived a dying monster in the Gate—only for it to transform into a puppy.

“Yip! Yip!”

Even after we got home, the monster-puppy was bursting with energy, running around sniffing everything in sight.

I had been so caught up in my own problems that I’d forgotten about it.

Still, it seemed to play well on its own.

Now that I took a moment to look away from my worries, I realized that this little thing was also a big problem.

A monster puppy—what was I even thinking when I brought it here?

“Don’t bite that. That’s Jaeyul’s new clothes from yesterday.”

I’d never once heard of anyone taming a monster before.

Were monsters even capable of socialization?

Thinking back to all my battle experience, it seemed impossible.

They were the kind that ripped humans apart and stuffed the remains into their bellies.

Still, somehow… I had a feeling Jaeyul would like this little thing.

Something cute next to something else cute—it suited them.

It was gentle with me, but if it ever attacked Jaeyul, I’d throw it right back into a Gate without hesitation.

“Wait a sec. Why isn’t Jaeyul here yet?”

It was already long past the time Jaeyul usually came home, but there was still no sign of him.

He wasn’t the type to enter a Gate, and he’d only gone to school—so there shouldn’t be any problem.

But when I checked the clock, it was already past six.

I tried calling, but he didn’t answer.

The meal I’d prepared long ago had gone cold.

I’d been lost in pointless thoughts for so long that I hadn’t noticed how late it had gotten.

Maybe he was just playing with friends and lost track of time…?

That’s what I would’ve thought—if he were just an ordinary kid.

But something didn’t feel right.

I gave up waiting, grabbed my coat, and got ready to go out.

“Yip!”

“You stay here. I’ll give you something tasty when I get back, so don’t cause any trouble, okay?”

“Whine…”

Haah… so much for that.

The monster drooped its ears and looked pitifully up at me.

Thinking about it, it might actually be dangerous to leave it alone just yet.

What if it suddenly reverted to its true form and wandered outside?

With no other choice, I picked it up with one arm and stepped out of the house.

“Stop wagging your tail. You’re distracting me.”

But that only seemed to excite it more—it wagged its tail like crazy, snuggling happily into my arms.

It was… just a puppy. For real.

At least it wasn’t showing any aggression.

The sun had already set, and darkness was creeping in.

Even after lingering by the house for a while, I didn’t see any sign of Jaeyul, and anxiety began to take hold.

Of course, it didn’t help that the neighborhood was such a dump—barely any streetlights, giving off an eerie, gloomy feeling.

In the end, I decided to walk farther out and look for him.

While scanning my surroundings, I somehow found myself at Jaeyul’s school.

The gate was already closed—it seemed everyone had gone home.

“Where the hell did you go…”

Nothing came to mind.

I didn’t even know who Jaeyul was friends with or where he might hang out.

I retraced my steps to the arcade where we’d first met, but there wasn’t a single clue.

I’d taken his late return lightly, but now it seemed serious.

As night fell completely, anxiety grew heavier.

Should I call the police?

It might not help much, but it’d be better than searching alone.

Or maybe… I should check home again first, in case he’d returned while I was out.

“Yip!”

Just as I was walking quickly, trying to figure out what to do next, the monster-puppy suddenly jumped out of my arms and bolted ahead.

“Hey! Where are you going?!”

I was already stressed enough, and now it was causing trouble too—I could feel my temper flare.

Today just wasn’t my day.

For something with legs shorter than my fingers, it ran unbelievably fast—I could barely keep up, even with my enhanced body.

“Yip! Yip!”

“Haa… haa….”

After a long chase, the little creature finally stopped.

I was out of breath, barely holding myself upright.

Then it started tugging at the hem of my pants with its tiny teeth, desperate and insistent.

With no other choice, I followed where it led me.

It guided me to a small park that also served as a playground—nestled quietly between Jaeyul’s school and my house.

It wasn’t near the main road, nor was it large, so hardly anyone ever came there.

“I don’t have time for this, you know.”

The puppy trotted ahead again and slipped into the park’s restroom.

Only then did a thought strike me.

Could it be that this monster wasn’t leading me here for no reason…?

It hadn’t attacked me when I saved it.

It had even woken me up so I wouldn’t vanish along with the collapsing Gate.

Maybe… it knew something.

With cautious steps, I entered the restroom.

The dim light illuminated the interior just enough to see the running faucet—and a small, muffled sound of someone sobbing.

“Hic…”

There he was.

Standing in front of the sink, tears streaming down his face as he scrubbed his clothes in the running water—

Jaeyul.