* * *
“Everyone, to your positions!”
Dojin’s booming voice echoed across the area.
Raon was left speechless as he looked up.
“Shit.”
This was a giant monster that should’ve appeared right before reaching the stone building — the next phase.
But it was here, at the Gate’s entrance.
This was impossible.
‘No, impossible things don’t exist anymore.’
The timing of the 7th District Gate’s appearance had already been abnormal.
Variations like this could happen.
Swallowing hard, Raon hurriedly gathered his team.
“From now on, we may need to assist the combat team. Stay sharp!”
“Yes, sir!”
At Raon’s command, the guides drew their weapons — pistols designed for monster combat that they had just recently trained with.
Rumble!
Just the giant monster spreading its wings sent violent winds crashing down.
Siwoo’s deployed barrier wavered wildly.
Raon watched the monster clash with the combat team, tense.
This monster wasn’t stronger than the final boss guarding the Gate’s core, but its massive size made the initial encounter rough.
“Attack!”
Fortunately, the combat team seemed to be holding their own, likely because the Espers hadn’t yet taken heavy damage.
Raon gripped his pistol tightly, feeling a slight sense of relief.
Shiiik!
“……!”
But then, Raon heard an ominous sound.
When he turned around, he saw monsters clawing at the barrier, their screeches sharp and grating.
Keeek!
“Damn it, more of them coming from behind.”
The smaller monsters they’d just dealt with were now swarming toward the guide team’s rear.
This was exactly why Raon had rushed to find the stone building — to avoid this scenario.
Grinding his teeth, Raon looked at Siwoo and Yeojoon.
“We’ll handle these monsters ourselves.”
“Yes, sir.”
Siwoo nodded, leading Yeojoon toward the horde of monsters.
Siwoo’s barrier dissolved, replaced by a surge of water shooting upward from his ability.
Keeeeeek!
The monsters screeched as the water struck them.
But that wasn’t the end.
“Ha! Take this!”
Yeojoon’s cheerful voice rang out as his ability activated.
Electricity rippled across the water, zapping the soaked monsters all at once.
Crackle!
The monsters burned to ash in an instant, like they’d been hit by a bombing run.
It was hard to believe this level of power came from just two Espers.
‘Just as I expected.’
Siwoo’s water ability and Yeojoon’s electricity had perfect synergy.
With Siwoo’s improved stats, he could now hit even the fast-flying bird monsters, making their combined attacks far more effective.
“Wow, this is insane…”
Even Yeojoon looked impressed, his tongue clicking in disbelief.
Together, they quickly wiped out the monsters attacking the guide team.
“Should we go help the combat team too?”
Yeojoon shrugged, but Raon’s voice was firm and cold.
“Stay put. It’s dangerous.”
“Yessir…”
Yeojoon drooped his shoulders like he’d been scolded.
Taehyuk gave him a solid smack on the back.
“Ow.”
“Just stay still.”
“Ah, alright, alright. You always only nag at me, hyung.”
Raon averted his gaze from Yeojoon, who was pouting, and checked the battle team’s situation.
What Yeojoon said wasn’t entirely wrong. If the battle team’s situation worsened, Raon planned to move to the front with Siwoo to guide them directly.
“But… isn’t the monster moving kind of weird?”
“Weird?”
Raon tilted his head at Hamin’s words while keeping an eye on the massive monster behind them.
“Yes. At first, I thought it was just because of its size, but its movements are sluggish… And it looks like it’s searching for something…”
“Searching?”
A chill ran down Raon’s spine at Hamin’s words.
For a brief moment, the incident at the Irregular Gate flashed through his mind.
‘No, there’s no way something like that is happening again.’
Raon shuddered, remembering how the monster guarding the final core had specifically targeted him from a distance.
He still chalked that up to coincidence.
As he swallowed nervously and instinctively hunched his shoulders, he suddenly felt warmth envelop his back.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
“Ah, yeah. I’m fine.”
At Siwoo’s concerned voice, Raon quickly came to his senses and nodded.
It wasn’t time to panic yet.
Staying tense, Raon fixed his gaze on the monster fighting the battle team.
“Keaaaargh!”
“Ugh!”
The giant monster spread its wings wide and let out an ear-splitting screech.
Though wounded from the espers’ attacks, its ferocity hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
Should I step in after all?
Raon hesitated, but just then, his eyes met the monster’s once again.
“…!”
The monster’s pitch-black eyes locked squarely onto Raon.
A familiar sensation ran through his body, causing him to tremble faintly.
“Everyone, maintain formation!”
“Y-Yes!”
The unexpected situation threw the team into disarray.
The monster, having spotted Raon, began to unleash its attacks toward the guide team’s location.
‘So it wasn’t a coincidence after all.’
Just like at the last Irregular Gate, even now, the monsters were targeting Raon.
Not the ordinary ones—only those guarding the core or those as powerful as them.
“Ugh!”
Though Raon’s guide team had undergone intense training for the past few days, there was no way they had fully mastered everything in that short period.
On top of that, their real combat experience was sorely lacking.
“Siwoo, I’m fine, so fight properly with Yeojoon.”
“But—”
“Now!”
“…Got it.”
Siwoo, who had been solely focused on protecting Raon, finally nodded at Raon’s sharp tone.
Just like when he electrocuted the monsters moments ago, he joined forces with Yeojoon to attack.
“Keeeargh!”
The monster, which barely flinched under the battle team’s attacks, thrashed violently.
It looked like the two’s combined assault was finally working.
“Everyone, focus your guiding on those two!”
“Yes!”
With the guides reinforcing them, the attacks became even more powerful.
Crackle!
“Keeeaargh!”
The sharp, burning stench of scorched flesh filled the air as the monster’s enormous body began to collapse.
Boom!
The massive creature, which had been hovering midair like a bird, crashed to the ground, prompting cheers from the battle team.
“Wooooah!”
But it wasn’t over yet. Raon urgently shouted:
“Everyone, get away from the monster!”
“…Huh?”
Everyone looked confused.
Left with no choice, Raon quickly took charge of the guide team.
“Everyone, fall back now!”
“Yes!”
The team members, without time to question right or wrong, instinctively obeyed Raon’s command.
The grueling training they’d endured was paying off.
Kaboom!
“Ugh…!”
The monster’s body exploded upon hitting the ground.
That’s why these giant creatures were so dangerous—they unleashed relentless attacks even in death.
“Haah… Everyone okay?”
“Y-Yeah, w-we’re fine.”
Once the dust settled, Raon checked on the team members.
Thanks to Siwoo’s barrier protecting them just before the explosion, everyone was safe.
“Let’s check the battle team’s status.”
“Um, Team Leader…”
“Hm?”
At Taehyuk’s uncertain voice, Raon turned to look at him—then followed his gaze.
“…What the hell…”
Crack!
The ground was splitting apart.
The scene looked like something straight out of a movie, leaving Raon momentarily speechless.
“Aaaaaah!”
Moments later, the fractured ground collapsed entirely.
The already precarious cliff had been blown apart by the monster’s explosion, taking the very spot where Raon and the others had stood with it.
“Aaaaaah!”
“Yeojoon, snap out of it!”
Yeojoon, terrified of heights, completely froze as they plummeted.
Raon shouted at him.
“Are you trying to get us all killed?! Grab the guides!”
“Ah!”
Siwoo had already begun securing Raon and the nearby guides.
Fortunately, Yeojoon soon regained his senses and slung the guides over his shoulders.
“Everyone, hold on tight!”
The espers shouted as they clung to the guides.
Thankfully, Minjae used his mind-control ability on the airborne monster, allowing them to safely reach solid ground.
“Phew…”
“That… that was seriously close…”
“Is everyone really okay?”
The team exchanged quick checks, relief washing over them.
Raon calmly surveyed their surroundings.
Judging by the wild wind whipping around them, this wasn’t the ground—it was another cliff lower down.
Given how high they’d been, reaching true ground would be nearly impossible.
“We got separated from the battle team… What do we do now?”
“Hmm…”
At Juwon’s question, Raon looked up.
With so few wind-type espers, it was unlikely anyone from the battle team could come down to rescue them.
“For now, let’s look for a way to climb up ourselves.”
“Will we be okay doing that?”
“There’s no other choice.”
Raon spoke grimly, then turned to Minjae.
“Oh, and Minjae, try telepathy with Taegeon again.”
“Understood.”
Minjae nodded and closed his eyes.
He reopened them faster than expected.
“Connection established.”
“Good, then tell him—”
“Ugh…”
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing Minjae stagger, Raon’s eyes widened in alarm.
Had his mental stats dropped too much after using mind-control on the monster earlier?
Raon approached to guide him, but Minjae weakly mumbled:
“Ah… Taegeon… is yelling way too loud…”
“He’s yelling?”
“Yes… still yelling… Ugh…”
“Sigh…”
Typical—what a temperamental bastard.
Shaking his head in exasperation, Raon opened his mouth again.
* * *
Oooohhh that spitfire …. always yelling.