Because it was an emergency, the guide team entering the irregular Gate was assembled far faster than expected.Unlike before his regression, this time the unit consisted of five people.Previously, the team had been led by Director Seokhyeon himself, composed ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ entirely of A-rank guides. But now the lineup was different:S-rank Guide Han Raon as team leader;Alpha-2’s exclusive guide Hyun Juwon;Team-3’s exclusive guide Kim Taehyeok;the Director’s secretary—and younger brother—Jang Haedam, a former active guide;and finally, Lee Hamin.In the original timeline, the team had been Seokhyeon, Juwon, Taehyeok, and Haedam—all A-ranks. This time, Seokhyeon was staying behind, replaced by Raon and Hamin.Truthfully, Seokhyeon entering the irregular Gate had been reckless to begin with. But when Raon had refused to go and the government insisted that a top-tier guide be deployed, he’d had no choice.“Is everyone ready?”“……”Raon turned back to check on them, his face calm despite the unsteady, writhing Gate before them.“Yes!”The only one who answered with any confidence was Hamin. The rest of the team looked anything but trusting.Even if he was an S-rank, Han Raon had spent years ignoring missions and causing havoc. For someone like that to suddenly be named leader of the first guide team in a decade—it was hard to feel reassured. Raon couldn’t have blamed them for doubting him.Still, I can’t let the Director die again.The irregular Gate would take many lives. In the last timeline, Seokhyeon’s team had managed to prevent the total annihilation of the Esper unit, but it hadn’t been enough to close the Gate. Only after Hamin forced his way into the second wave and helped Dojin recover had they been able to finally suppress it.After that, Dojin and Hamin officially paired, and the team centered around them—Raon’s opinions as the Center’s so-called tyrant completely discarded.“Guide Han Raon, we have a problem.”“What is it?”“We’re unable to establish communication with Alpha-1.”“……”The Espers assigned to escort the guides had been gathered hastily—likely the highest-ranked ones still left at the Center. Raon didn’t recognize half of them.So many had died after the last irregular Gate that, unless you were a main character, survival to the end was rare. He glanced at the reporting Esper, then turned his head.“Looks like the signal can’t reach through. No one here capable of psychic communication with Nam Taegun?”“No, sir. All mental-type Espers are stationed at headquarters.”“Then we’ll enter and track Alpha-1’s traces manually.”“Yes, sir.”The Esper hesitated, startled by how naturally Raon gave orders. Clearly, the rumors about him hadn’t prepared anyone for this version of him.Before I regressed, I did go into a few Gates myself.In the novel, Han Raon had never entered an irregular Gate, but after the Black Gate appeared, even normal Gates grew so difficult that he’d been forced to join suppression missions. He’d never been portrayed favorably—his role was mostly to highlight Hamin’s brilliance—but still, he’d seen and learned things.And he remembered the original story vividly—whether because of some “possession buff” or the System, the details had stayed sharp even over time. Back then, he’d wondered if it was all a cruel joke.“Let’s move in. Maintain formation.”“Yes!”Raon spoke the date and time into the comms log, then stepped through. The gray, ominous light swallowed them whole.“Front line clear.”The veteran Espers moved steadily, forming a protective ring around the guides as they advanced deeper.Inside, the Gate was eerily quiet. Only signs of battle—broken ground, monster corpses—hinted that Alpha-1 had been there.“Ugh…”The guides struggled with the sight. Simulation drills couldn’t compare to the smell and heat of real blood.“No time to be sick—hold it in.”Raon’s tone was clipped as he scanned the surroundings. They’d walked a long stretch already, but the silence was unnatural.“Strange. Their mission was recon; they shouldn’t have gone past this point.”“It’s an irregular Gate, sir. Anything’s possible.”Raon, who knew exactly what had happened in the novel, only nodded slightly and looked around again. The traces of battle abruptly ended. This must be the threshold to the next stage.The problem was that even he didn’t know what came after. He’d never reached this part before.“Guide Lee Hamin.”“Y-yes, Ra—uh, Team Leader.”Startled, Hamin hurried over. Raon motioned for him to stay close.“The device Team Leader Seo Dojin gave you—still not working?”“Ah, no. It’s dead too.”“I thought so.”Even though they weren’t paired yet, Dojin had favored Hamin for his high compatibility, gifting him a personal comm unit. Raon had asked anyway, knowing full well it wouldn’t function here. He just needed to keep Hamin nearby. The two of them would soon be scattered—he was sure of it.“Oh—there are footprints here…”“…!”An Esper crouched down ahead, examining something on the ground. Raon’s pulse spiked.“Wait—!”Too late. The Espers moved faster than his warning.Flash!“Ugh—!”A blinding light exploded outward. Raon flinched and threw an arm over his eyes.Damn it.He’d known this would happen from the story, but not exactly when. He’d misjudged the trigger point. As the glow faded, he blinked rapidly—at least Hamin was still beside him. That much was luck.“H-how did it… change like this?”Hamin’s voice trembled as he stared around, dazed. The scenery was completely different now.Not a single Esper left…Raon clenched his jaw and drew his weapon.Because the others had followed the footprints, he and Hamin had been warped elsewhere. He’d expected to stay near the protagonist—it was supposed to be the safest place—but he hadn’t counted on being left with no Espers at all.If monsters appeared, they were finished. His guide-issued weapon might handle a few, but beyond that…“Guide Lee Hamin,” he said firmly, “don’t leave my side.”“Y-yes.”Hamin nodded, gripping his weapon, his hands trembling.“Don’t worry. We’ll regroup with the others soon.”“O-okay.”This was exactly why even Alpha-1 had struggled here: the irregular Gate was riddled with spatial traps. Each one warped its victims to separate zones, scattering teams in an instant. Those who were split from their core units were picked off before they could regroup.The novel hadn’t gone into much detail about Seokhyeon’s first team, but when Hamin had entered later, he’d quickly run into another Esper. That gave Raon a sliver of hope.Rustle—“…!”Something moved nearby. Raon snapped his head toward the sound, weapon raised. If it wasn’t an ally, he’d have to fight.But then—“You’re…”Recognizing the figure who stepped out from between the shadows, Raon slowly lowered his weapon.

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