* * *

“Finally, I’m heading to the field…”

Unlike Korea, where gates are managed under the strict control of the government, specifically the Esper Administration Bureau, this country operated under a mercenary system.

This meant that Espers, Guides, and even ordinary civilians with combat capabilities could contribute to gate suppression efforts either individually or as part of a team.

The team I temporarily joined this time was a multinational group of civilians.

Their main tasks were suppressive fire from the rear and herding operations.

“Is this the one you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes. It’s practically their first time on-site, so please take good care of them.”

“Hmm… Since it’s a request from Maria, I’ll oblige. But they do look pretty fragile.”

“Don’t judge just by appearances. While they might lack finesse, they’ve got grit.”

“Is that so? If you say so, I guess I’ll look forward to it.”

Hearing the conversation back and forth, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Me, someone barely scraping a passing grade of 70 and hastily thrown into the mix—how could they possibly have expectations?

Expectations!

Confidence, once overflowing, seemed to vanish into thin air.

“Why are you frozen like that?”

“Huh? Uh, ah!”

Already tense, I nearly fell flat on my face when someone smacked me hard on the back.

Barely managing to regain my balance, I looked up to see Maria grinning mischievously.

“Heewoon, don’t be so nervous. Just do what you always do. You’ve got this!”

“…Yes, I’ll do my best.”

Maria wasn’t the type to offer empty compliments, much like Elliot, who would only knock someone down with cold, hard facts.

If she brought me here, introduced me to the team, and even encouraged me like this, it must mean I was capable of contributing in some way.

As Maria walked off to handle other tasks, I steeled myself.

“It’s okay. No one expects anything extraordinary from me. I can do this.”

Experienced Espers and Guides pinpoint and strike a monster’s vital points to kill or critically wound it.

My team’s mission, however, was limited to suppressive fire.

Simply hitting the torso would suffice.

Of course, even hitting it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

The target moved, and fear often paralyzed you, knowing it might attack you back.

Still, given that most monsters were several times larger than a human, the skill gap wasn’t as demanding as it might seem.

For now, all I had to do was ensure my practice-level accuracy of scoring 70 points translated into the field.

“Hello, I’m Jessica. No need to bother with my last name—just call me Jessie.”

“I’m Yang Heewoon. N-Nice to meet you!”

“Is ‘Yang’ okay, or should I call you something else?”

“Heewoon is fine. If the pronunciation is hard, you can call me Hiun.”

“Hiun it is. Do you know what we do here?”

“Yes, we provide rear support during gate suppression.”

“Correct. Then hop in the car. Let’s get started right away.”

“Huh? Right now?”

“Yes. Gate occurrences have been increasing lately. If you’re up for it, we can handle three in a day.”

Maria truly was a capable person, having worked for the Polwel family for so long.

The fact that I could join a team and head straight to the field so soon after deciding to step outside my comfort zone was remarkable.

The sound of my racing heartbeat seemed to echo in my ears, a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

“An East Asian, huh.”

“Which country do you think he’s from?”

“What’s his connection to Maria Polwel? She’s not one to work with just anyone.”

“Maybe he’s Korean. Elliot Hooper is in that country too.”

“Elliot Hooper, huh? Haven’t heard that name in a while.”

As I got into the vehicle, the others, already seated, glanced at me and began exchanging comments.

Though the language was automatically translated for me, the foreignness of the setting and their words left me feeling out of place.

During Maria’s business trips, I was always accompanied by bodyguards, so this was my first time completely alone, surrounded by unfamiliar foreigners.

Could I get along with them?

“Well, isn’t it strange to be this nervous about adapting to another country when I already managed to adjust to another dimension?”

Compared to another dimension, this should be much easier to adapt to.

With my trusty translator at my side, I didn’t have to worry about the language barrier.

Resolving to face them head-on, I stepped forward.

“P-Please take care of me! It’s my first field mission, so I might not be much help, but I’ll try my best!”

Though I tried to sound bold, my nervousness seeped through my voice.

The team members looked surprised for a moment before bursting into laughter and extending their hands for a handshake.

“Don’t be nervous.”

“It’s okay to make mistakes.”

“We’re here to help each other.”

“If anything happens, we’ll set up barriers. Don’t worry about getting hurt.”

“You’ll pick it up quickly.”

Maybe they noticed I was using a translator, as they spoke slowly and clearly, their smiles warm and full of genuine kindness.

“These are good people…”

My chest tightened with emotion.

Of course, if Maria entrusted me to this team, their skills and character must already be proven.

Facing my first field mission, I set a humble goal.

“Don’t be a burden. That’s all.”

---

“Hiun! Great job today!”

“That last shot! Spot-on! Perfect!”

“I-It was just luck…”

“Don’t be modest. On the field, luck is a skill too.”

“That one shot helped minimize property damage. The shop owner will be thrilled.”

For three days, I worked alongside them.

As I expected, they were exceptional teammates.

Especially for a novice like me, still grappling with a lack of confidence.

Their generous praise, even for small successes, was sometimes embarrassing but gave me the confidence to step up and do more.

On the first day, I couldn’t hit a single target, but now, one in five shots found its mark.

“At this rate, maybe I could join a field control team back in Korea, even if not as a combat Guide.”

From what I’d read in articles and comments, Korea’s field control teams were currently experiencing a manpower shortage.

Until six months ago, these teams didn’t directly engage in combat with monsters but still earned hazard pay and enjoyed good treatment, making them highly sought-after.

But that seemed to have changed recently.

“Well, with the frequency of gate appearances being insane now…”

After all, gates didn’t appear conveniently around people’s schedules.

Living with the constant tension of possibly being called back to work must be exhausting.

What used to be a cushy job was now anything but.

Still, it was fortunate for me. If competition was as fierce as it used to be, I wouldn’t be sure of landing a spot.

Now, I stood a better chance.

“Good work today, everyone.”

“Hiun, want to grab dinner with us?”

“I passed a Korean restaurant earlier. Should we check it out?”

“Hiun, what’s good in Korean cuisine?”

“What does Hooper like?”

“Speaking of which, didn’t he gush about traditional Korean food in interviews?”

“Well, um…”

It seems like the guest status makes people pay extra attention to me.

I’m not used to being in the spotlight, so I freeze up under their gaze.

…Still, I can’t help but crave Korean food.

I’ve been meaning to visit a Korean grocery store, but the timing hasn’t worked out, and I’ve just been putting it off.

“Oh, right, Heewoon. Your phone’s been ringing a lot. You should check it.”

“Ah, has it? Thank you for letting me know.”

I switched to a phone that only has call and text functions because I kept endlessly scrolling through articles about Eunsoo.

But now I barely use it, so much so that I didn’t even realize it was ringing.

I quickly pulled out the phone from my bag.

[Please call me when you see this message.]

The first thing I saw was a message from Maria Polwel. There were also a lot of missed calls.

The number of people who know my phone number is extremely limited. Maria is the only one who’d call so persistently.

I immediately dialed Maria’s number.

She was probably worried since I didn’t pick up while being left alone at the scene.

I had been so preoccupied with self-reflecting on my earlier performance at the site, doing extra training, and passing out the moment I got back to my room that I hadn’t reported back to her.

I planned to thank her for introducing me to such a great team, to share how I managed to redirect a monster’s path today and prevent any damage to a store—at least some small accomplishment.

With a slightly excited heart, I waited for Maria to answer the call.

• Heewoon, please don’t be alarmed and just listen.

But as soon as the call connected, I realized how wrong my assumptions had been.

* * *