What would happen once the System disappeared?
K seemed to view the System as the source of all the problems.
And Raon’s opinion was similar to his.
It was clear that the System was the one that brought him from another world and made him transmigrate.
The problem was, what would happen to him if the System disappeared?
K and Apophis seemed intent on destroying the System to prevent repeated regressions and escape this world.
‘Then Siwoo…’
Raon suddenly thought of Siwoo.
If the System was destroyed at the Black Gate as Apophis wished, his and their transmigration would end.
And he would return to his original world.
A world without Siwoo.
His breath was suddenly caught in his throat.
Raon barely managed to breathe and let out a long sigh.
“Team Leader Raon wouldn’t want to keep regressing and staying in a world like this, would you?”
“…”
“How about it? Won’t you join us to destroy the System?”
K reached out his hand towards Raon. Raon stared blankly at his hand.
They were fellow Transmigrators, and unlike him, they had already repeated countless regressions.
If they were in the same situation, joining hands would be the right thing to do.
However, the uneasy feeling didn’t go away for some reason.
While it was partly because of Siwoo, K fundamentally gave him an unsettling feeling.
He just couldn’t pinpoint the reason.
“Do you happen to know the reason why the System disappeared after the regression?”
“The System disappeared?”
“…?”
Raon tilted his head at K’s questioning reaction.
Naturally, they were talking about transmigration, regression, and all sorts of things because they weren’t being interfered with by the System, were they?
Or perhaps…
‘They don’t know that the System disappeared after the regression?’
But how could that be?
If they were in the exact same situation as him, they couldn’t possibly not know.
Before regressing, they must have been compulsively required to play the role as written in the novel.
If that wasn’t the case…
‘They were never forced into a role by the System from the beginning.’
Raon’s eyes instantly turned cold.
As if sensing his gaze, K smiled awkwardly and withdrew his hand.
“Ah, of course, I know. The System disappeared after one regression.”
“…”
“I just forgot because it’s been so long, you see.”
K said, as if making an excuse with an awkward smile.
He didn’t know how many times they had regressed differently from him, but if they had lived through countless repeated years, they could certainly forget.
But was it even plausible that K, the leader of Apophis, would forget something like that?
Raon’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“Team Leader Raon, you have to trust us.”
K said, flustered, as if he realized he had made a mistake.
But Raon’s suspicion had already deepened.
Trust, once broken on a first meeting, was not easily recovered.
“Well, anyway, I listened well to what you had to say.”
Raon sighed and nodded. K let out a hollow laugh, looking at Raon’s strangely calm demeanor.
“Team Leader Raon can’t leave here anyway. Certainly not until you promise to cooperate.”
Perhaps judging that the skepticism Raon had developed couldn’t be overcome, K awkwardly attempted to threaten him.
Raon also knew his situation well.
Since he opened his eyes, his hands and feet had been tied up so he couldn’t move, and Espers with at least A-Class abilities were standing in front of him.
He, a Guide, wouldn’t even be able to untie the ropes binding his body, let alone overpower them.
“It must be almost time for him to arrive.”
“What is coming…”
However, that wasn’t what Raon was relying on.
As he muttered, looking at the faint light seeping in from outside, a loud bang echoed through the container.
Bang!
“Ugh!”
The Named members retreated, protecting K.
Raon calmly watched the water droplets scattering everywhere.
The jet of water that poured in as the ceiling was breached dripped down in front of Raon.
“Hyung, I’m sorry I’m late.”
“It’s alright.”
“Since there was a perception-disruption barrier here, it took longer to find than I thought.”
Siwoo, his face pale, uncharacteristically offered an excuse as he cut the ropes restraining Raon.
Raon nodded, as if he had expected it.
The watch he always wore on his left wrist was missing since he woke up.
Seeing that the terminal was also not in his pocket, Apophis must have deliberately taken them.
It didn’t matter if they were taken since they wouldn’t work without his fingerprint anyway.
Raon rotated his wrist, which was tingling from lack of blood circulation, and stood up.
“Let’s go now, Siwoo.”
“But those guys…”
“You’re in danger alone. Let’s just go for today.”
“…Understood.”
Siwoo nodded at Raon’s calm persuasion.
However, an enraged voice immediately came from beside them.
“Showing off even though you’re just one person! Do you think we’ll just let you go easily?”
A, the Named member who had been wearing the yellow tiger mask, suddenly flared up and used his ability, as if he had expected the Intelligence Division to arrive in force.
Pajijik, an electric shock covered the two people.
However, the electricity instantly fizzled out against the water shield Siwoo deployed.
Siwoo knew better than anyone how to deal with electric abilities after training with Yeojun.
“Stop.”
K, realizing the unfavorable situation, stopped A first.
A clicked his tongue and stepped back.
“I hope you think carefully about what I said, Team Leader Raon.”
“…”
K said in a soft tone as a final word.
Raon stared intently at him, then turned his head to Siwoo.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Siwoo, who didn’t understand the situation, glared at K with displeased eyes.
However, thinking that he needed to get Raon to a safe place first, he obediently nodded.
And he instantly exited the container with Raon.
“Hyung, are you really okay?”
“Huh? Yes, nothing happened.”
Perhaps out of worry, Siwoo kept asking even after they had left the container.
He seemed even more worried because Raon’s face was more subdued than usual.
But regardless of that, Raon couldn’t help but be confused.
Although the existence of K and Apophis was suspicious, it was true that they knew his true identity.
Therefore, he had to be as wary of them as possible, regardless of their motives.
‘He suggested destroying the System at the Black Gate.’
On the way home, Raon recalled K’s proposal again.
Apophis’s final goal was to eliminate the System at the Black Gate, which would lead to humanity’s destruction.
Only then could they stop the continuous transmigration and regression.
However, Apophis was categorized as a criminal organization in this world.
The only way for them to enter the Black Gate would be to disrupt the military and seize the Gate.
‘They might be trying to use me for that reason.’
It might be that they approached him not because he was a fellow Transmigrator, but because he was in a position to help them seize the Gate.
Raon pondered over what to do about Apophis, his mind racing for a while.
“Hyung!”
“Hmm?”
When he snapped out of his thoughts, he was already home. Raon looked up in surprise.
“I don’t think I can do this anymore. I shouldn’t leave your side for a moment now.”
“No…”
Raon mumbled blankly, looking at Siwoo’s extremely serious face.
It seemed he had pressed Siwoo’s anxiety button while contemplating what to do about Apophis.
“Just calm down for a minute…”
Beep! Beep!
“…!”
Just then, a shrill sound rang out from the watch Siwoo was wearing.
Both their gazes went to it.
Since Raon’s watch had been taken by Apophis, the call seemed to have gone to Siwoo, who had been tracking Raon.
Siwoo frowned and pressed the button on the watch.
“Yes, this is Yoon Siwoo.”
– Esper Yoon Siwoo, what happened to Team Leader Raon?
It was Seokhyeon’s voice.
Raon was relieved, worrying that it might have been someone from the higher military command.
Raon sighed in relief and spoke instead.
“I’m safe, Director.”
– Team Leader Raon!
“Yes.”
Seokhyeon uncharacteristically raised his voice, as if he had been genuinely worried.
Raon chuckled at his reaction.
– What happened? What occurred?
“Hmm, would it be alright if I rested a bit and then reported?”
– Yes, are you okay now?
“Yes, I’m home with Siwoo.”
The house where Raon and Siwoo lived together was provided by the Center.
Guards were stationed on the lower floor, and the house was equipped with advanced technology everywhere.
Seokhyeon finally seemed relieved and let out a long sigh.
– Phew, I can’t believe something like this happened. I will make sure to focus more on your escort from now on.
“Understood.”
It was also his fault for deliberately leaving Siwoo behind, so it wasn’t Seokhyeon’s fault.
However, Raon simply smiled wryly and answered briefly.
– Alright, then rest well.
“Yes.”
Seokhyeon seemed to think that Raon’s indifferent reaction was due to fatigue and quickly hung up the call.
The room where the phone call ended instantly became quiet.
“Hmm, then I’m going to go wash up.”
“Hyung.”
“Huh?”
Raon took the first step towards the bathroom in the suddenly awkward atmosphere.
Then Siwoo approached him with a darkened face.
Raon looked at him with surprised eyes.
“You have many wounds on your body, Hyung.”
“Ah…”
When he lifted his shirt, the marks from the ropes that had bound him were clearly visible.
Raon looked down at his body, flustered.
