# Chapter 25
Kang Muwon talked non-stop the entire way there. He kept saying this was an unprecedented situation and that they had never deployed so many S-class espers before.
According to the initial gate measurements, the disaster rating should have been “Mu,” and A-class espers should have been able to clear it completely. But everyone who entered the gate returned injured, and it was only after S-class espers were dispatched that it was finally resolved.
The problem was the western gate. Four A-class espers and one S-class esper had entered and come back with serious injuries.
As the gate clearance time lengthened, citizens grew anxious. That’s why the Association deliberately dispatched Kim Haewon, who was considered the most powerful. Though the gate was actually far below Kim Haewon’s level, the Association felt it was important to make a show of force.
In the barracks near the gate, I, an S-class, and one A-class guide would be on standby. Additionally, a D-class esper who lived nearby would enter the barracks saying they wanted to help in any way possible, and end up getting caught up in the gate incident.
There were two options. One was for the situation inside to be resolved before the gate expanded. This wasn’t something I could do.
The second was to evacuate people, including myself, before the gate expansion began. This would protect both the people and myself. The key was whether people would listen to me. First, I needed to convince the most important person.
“The Association says this is a gate phenomenon they’ve never seen before, right?”
“Yes, they’re concerned that some non-governmental armed group might be involved. Though we’re hoping that’s not the case.”
Kang Muwon said, wiping his sweat. The Management Department was the field-related department that was first deployed in emergency situations. He was a veteran who had been deployed to the field with me several times. But even for him, this kind of situation would be a first. I continued in a slightly more serious tone.
“There’s a high probability that this is happening simultaneously not just in our country but overseas as well. Moreover, if they could precisely set the location to open the gate entrance, they might also be able to move or expand it. The barracks must absolutely be positioned far away from the gate.”
“Excuse me?”
“Especially for the western gate barracks, please restrict entry to anyone below A-class espers or guides. Wouldn’t more casualties be troublesome for the support team? More paperwork would pile up, and higher-ups would pressure you without reason.”
Section Chief Kang Muwon opened his mouth slightly at this unexpected opinion and stared at me. The bulletproof Association SUV was speeding down the road regardless of what we were saying. Before, we used to ride in dented gray vans, but S-class support vehicles were indeed different.
It was quite amusing, but more important was his answer. As the situation controller, if he agreed with my opinion, he could adjust the barracks’ location.
Kang Muwon, who had been talkative until now, seemed to have disappeared somewhere, as he gave no response to my words. I shook his arm and asked again.
“What do you think, Section Chief?”
“…”
“Section Chief?”
“Ah, no. I-it’s just that since you became S-class, it seems your intellect has also become sharper. I don’t think we’ve had such strategic conversations before…”
That was obvious. Before, I didn’t care what happened to other espers or guides. I was just an employee who needed to be diligent in my own work according to schedule.
I hadn’t been deployed to such dangerous fields very often to begin with. I decided to use that as an excuse to change the subject.
“I’ve never been deployed to a field like this before.”
“That’s true. Even when it was dangerous, the gates were only disaster level ‘Gi’… And not many at that. With no experience, it’s hard to judge whether your current opinion is right or wrong.”
Kang Muwon showed slight disbelief about my opinion. To him, I was still just a C-class guide, no different from before. Even if my rank had changed overnight and I had become Kim Haewon’s pair guide.
It made sense that he wasn’t confident in my opinion. But I had to convince him unconditionally. Right now, he held all the control.
“A-class espers have been injured, and now even an S-class esper is hurt. The Management Department clearly judged that they could handle this gate sufficiently on their own. We need to make a more conservative assessment. Being cautious never hurts.”
“But…”
“Oh, Section Chief. What’s the harm in being careful? If something goes wrong, the Association will only blame us. Especially for you, it won’t just end with a written explanation. At the very least, a pay cut or promotion restriction or…”
I decided to touch on the practical aspects. Section Chief Kang Muwon’s eyes widened. Now that reality had sunk in, his mind seemed filled with the consequences he would face rather than doubts about me.
I looked at him as if I felt sorry for him. He seemed greatly shaken. I delivered the finishing blow.
“If the guide of Esper Kim Haewon, whom the Association barely discovered, gets injured… And if I happen to revert back to C-class!”
“…”
“Your burden might become even heavier, Section Chief.”
In response to my words, he hurriedly picked up his phone and contacted the barracks. The gate had not yet expanded. Could it be this easy to prevent?
Knowing the future was a terrifying thing. But if two people’s lives could be saved with such an easy lie, how valuable was that? And without a scratch on my body.
Thinking about this made me smile contentedly. I might not be able to take down monsters like Kim Haewon, but I could save many lives in the future. It didn’t matter if they never knew.
That was the only thing the novel wanted. A C-class hero known only to one reader—me—even if no one else recognized them. That was enough. That’s why I was so angry about the ending where everything was lost and disappeared.
While I was recalling the novel’s content, Kang Muwon next to me screamed sharply.
“What? A D-class esper forcibly entered the gate?”
I quickly turned my head to look at Kang Muwon. A D-class esper was one of the people who died in the novel. I tried to speak urgently, but he was already in a state of panic. He was clutching his head with one hand while focusing solely on the phone.
“What did you say? An A-class guide was also swept in while trying to stop them? How did you manage the gate entrance for this to happen! Are you crazy?”
He was screaming like a madman into the phone, demanding an explanation for what happened. I watched his profile and covered my mouth.
There was a variation in the novel’s development. The two people had entered the gate before it expanded. Inside a disaster level ‘Gi’ gate was very complicated, and for a D-class esper, it was even difficult to detect the location of monsters.
‘What on earth were they thinking?’
Did they think they were Kim Haewon or something? I couldn’t believe the reckless choice of that D-class esper. It was pitiful for the A-class guide who got caught up in trying to stop him.
“To make matters worse, they should have done guiding first before letting them in! Even if it’s Esper Nam Ihyeon, they should have checked his condition… Fine. Fine. First, relocate the barracks and request another A-class guide. We’ll arrive soon.”
Section Chief Kang Muwon hung up the phone and let out a long sigh. His hair was a mess, and his face was flushed red.
If they had already entered the gate, there was no way to pull them out. The best option was to ask the espers inside to extract them, but it was unclear how well communication was working.
The only thing I could do now was move the barracks and prevent people from approaching the area around the gate that would soon expand. Avoiding more injuries was the best course of action.
Soon, two people will die. Knowing this and being unable to prevent it was heartbreaking. But as Kang Muwon said, I was someone who was just a C-class guide until a few days ago. It meant my physical abilities and technical aspects hadn’t yet matured to S-class.
So there wasn’t much I could do. Sad as it was, reality was reality. With a dejected heart, I also let out a long sigh. Then, Section Chief Kang Muwon spoke up.
“Garam-ssi.”
“Yes, I heard the conversation. Things are getting complicated. The only option is to ask for help from Esper Kim Haewon or Esper Nam Ihyeon…”
“Esper Nam Ihyeon has entered the gate while injured.”
“What?”
“It seems he was injured while dealing with the northern gate, but he entered the western gate again without guiding.”
“R-really?”
This was something I didn’t know. Had there been such an incident? I couldn’t remember clearly. Actually, I only remembered the part where the C-class guide vented his frustration, but details like which S-class was injured and how difficult it was weren’t in my memory.
At least in that novel, the people who died were an A-class guide and a D-class esper. But what if Nam Ihyeon returned in a near-death state? What if that was the original development of the novel? I tried to remember. But it was impossible to recall such specific developments from a novel that had more than 100 chapters.
As I was racking my brain, Kang Muwon grabbed my shoulder and said:
“There’s an order from above to enter the gate immediately upon arrival.”
“What?”
I was so surprised it felt like my organs might jump out of my mouth. However, Kang Muwon’s expression looked more solemn than ever.
“A-class guide Han Miyeon and D-class esper Jeong Sanghyeop. Please, ensure they return safely!”
The section chief bowed deeply to me, as if I were an S-class esper. I could only stare at the back of his head, unable to stop him.
I actually have to enter the gate? The western gate, which is the highest level among the four currently open gates?
