* * *
“Do you know where he’s been training?”
“They said the S-01 training ground.”
“Hmm.”
At Raon’s question, Juwon promptly offered up the information he had.
Raon gave a short hum in response.
S-01 was the dedicated training ground for the elite special forces unit.
It was the same space Alpha-1 team—Raon’s previous unit—used to train.
Only the best of the special teams were allowed in.
Korea and the Union had been actively cooperating, regularly dispatching espers to each other.
After Alpha-1 had successfully suppressed the Red Gate, Dojin, the team leader, had personally gone to the Union.
Mikhail had also visited Korea before.
However, that was before Raon joined Alpha-1, so they hadn’t crossed paths.
Back then, he likely trained at S-01 with Dojin’s guidance, so his current use of it wasn’t out of place.
“As team leader of the guide unit, I suppose I should check in.”
“Right?”
“Yeah.”
Juwon’s eyes sparkled as if excited by the drama to come.
Raon gave a short laugh and nodded.
Even if Raon went to check things out, Juwon would be staying behind to continue training anyway.
But news always traveled fast, and it would reach his ears soon enough.
Raon understood Juwon’s curiosity as he turned to leave.
“I’ll be back. Keep training, you two.”
“Understood!”
Having gotten used to Raon’s sudden departures, Juwon and Taehyuk prepared to continue training without complaint.
Raon watched them briefly, then quietly slipped out of the training ground.
He’d been planning to speak with Mikhail before their next gate mission anyway—this was perfect timing.
The irritation from earlier faded, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
“Hyung, where are you going?”
“Oh, just to another training ground.”
“I’m coming too.”
“Alright.”
Somehow, Siwoo had found out Raon was leaving and appeared beside him like the wind.
Raon had already planned to bring him along—per Seokhyeon’s request—so he nodded without hesitation.
The S-01 training ground wasn’t far.
The center had all its training areas clustered together.
In the early days, when the guide team’s zone wasn’t well-secured, other espers and staff had come and gone freely.
Now that the higher-ups recognized the guide team’s importance, they had tightened security, per Raon’s request.
The same went for other training zones—especially S-01, which was frequently used by S-class espers.
“Team Leader Han Raon of the Guide Special Unit, and Esper Yoon Siwoo. Identity confirmed.”
Raon’s rank had risen considerably.
He could now enter the training grounds without much hassle.
He walked forward confidently.
“What the hell, what are you doing here?”
“Hey, long time no see?”
“Ugh.”
As soon as he stepped into the training center, Raon came face to face with Taegeon.
Seeing Taegeon’s face twist in displeasure had become so routine that Raon could now wink at him just for the fun of watching him recoil.
When Raon gave a playful wink, Taegeon scowled like he’d just seen something filthy and turned his head away.
“Mikhail Esper—he’s training right now, isn’t he?”
“What, you came here to see that guy?”
“Yup. Why? You jealous?”
“The fuck—jealous, my ass!”
Taegeon snapped, visibly annoyed by Raon’s sly teasing.
Raon grinned and calmly watched him flare up.
“He’s going into the next Irregular Gate too, isn’t he? Gotta see what he’s capable of.”
“Tch. This way.”
In truth, Raon already knew Mikhail’s abilities well.
Before his regression, they had entered a gate together.
Today was just an excuse—he wanted to chat with Mikhail, mess with him a little for being such an arrogant jerk, and maybe find a bit of inner peace in the process.
Hiding his mischievous intentions, Raon followed Taegeon.
“Ooh.”
Inside, Espers were already in the middle of training.
The facility was divided into sections: solo practice areas, group training zones, and sparring arenas for one-on-one or group duels.
Mikhail looked like he’d already finished warming up and was about to start a one-on-one spar.
He stood across from another Esper in the dueling zone—perfect timing.
When Raon got a closer look at Mikhail’s opponent, he recognized Jeong Hyunseung—an Esper Raon remembered with nothing but irritation.
His last memory of Hyunseung was during the early days of Guide Team training, when he’d kicked up a fuss about Juwon being overworked.
He’d made such a scene, only to nearly get killed by Siwoo. Inho had to carry him off in the end.
Remembering that little mess, Raon couldn’t help but chuckle quietly to himself.
“Looks like they’re gonna spar.”
“Hm.”
“Don’t get too close. Just stand here.”
“Got it.”
Unusually, Taegeon made a fuss and even traced a line on the floor with the tip of his foot.
At first, it sounded like he was worried about Raon’s safety, but his tone and attitude were more like someone dealing with an annoying pest.
Raon, well-accustomed to Taegeon’s prickly nature, gave a lighthearted response and stepped back.
His eyes stayed fixed on Mikhail and Hyunseung.
“Mikhail doesn’t spar often, does he?”
“Nope. Far as I know, this is his first time.”
“Huh.”
Raon nodded.
As expected, S-Class Espers were valuable assets to their country.
Even unofficial sparring matches would usually limit the use of their full abilities.
No doubt this duel had plenty of restrictions attached.
Still, once they were in the gate together, there’d be no secrets left—everything would be laid bare under extreme conditions.
For now, Hyunseung, not being part of the Special Forces, was the perfect match-up.
‘Hyunseung’s ability… was it earth?’
Hyunseung was one of the few S-Class Espers in Korea and the only one not reassigned to the Special Forces after the reorganization.
Since there were still areas outside of Irregular Gates that required regular suppression, Hyunseung and a few other high-classers were primarily tasked with those operations.
That’s why Raon hadn’t run into him much before regressing—and why his memory of Hyunseung’s power was fuzzy.
As a nature-type Esper with dominion over earth, Hyunseung could manipulate anything that came from the ground.
He could make dirt and rock harder than steel, using them for both offense and defense.
As long as his feet were on the ground, anything around him could become a weapon or a shield.
It was an incredibly versatile power—useful in nearly any gate.
Mikhail’s power was gravity.
Just like earth, gravity existed everywhere, making their powers evenly matched.
The outcome of the duel would depend entirely on who could wield their ability more skillfully.
“They’re starting.”
“…?”
Though both of them stood still, Taegeon muttered as if he sensed something.
Raon tilted his head—then his eyes widened.
The ground was subtly trembling.
The training center had been designed with natural-ground flooring specifically so Espers like Hyunseung could use their powers to the fullest.
Though underground, the center’s flooring was made of real dirt.
Suddenly, earth surged up around Mikhail, threatening to engulf him.
Both fighters remained motionless, relying solely on their powers.
They hurled tremendous force at each other without taking a single step.
Boom! Crash!
Massive clumps of earth hardened by Hyunseung shot toward Mikhail, but they crumbled into dust just before reaching him.
Mikhail had neutralized them using gravity.
To manipulate gravity in such specific, short-range bursts like that took extreme focus.
As much as Raon personally disliked the man, he had to admit—Mikhail’s control over his ability was exceptional.
“Ugh!”
At first, it looked like Mikhail was struggling under Hyunseung’s relentless assault, but the tide began to shift.
While pretending to defend, Mikhail subtly altered the gravity around Hyunseung.
Bit by bit, he created a field of zero gravity.
Hyunseung’s knee buckled—without gravity to anchor him, he couldn’t keep his stance.
He dropped to one knee, biting his lip in frustration.
“…I concede.”
After a brief struggle, Hyunseung admitted defeat. Mikhail immediately released his power.
Hyunseung exhaled sharply, breath rushing out all at once.
Mikhail approached with a smile.
“Good match.”
“Haaah… thank you for going easy on me.”
If Hyunseung had been a little more experienced, he might have armored himself in earth from the start and waited for an opening.
Everyone knew Mikhail’s power was gravity.
Of course, Raon knew that wasn’t all there was to it.
Still, had Hyunseung tried a different approach, he might not have lost so easily.
“Not at all. You were impressive as well.”
Mikhail replied with a businesslike smile, saying words he clearly didn’t mean.
To Raon, who saw right through him, the polite act was almost laughable.
Raon slowly walked toward the two of them.
Sensing someone, they both turned—and the moment they saw Raon, their faces twisted in identical grimaces.
The resemblance was so uncanny that Raon nearly burst out laughing.
“What are you doing here?”
Mikhail asked, voice sharp with hostility.
Raon shrugged at the prickly question, totally unfazed.
* * *
