Am I… pitying Siwoo?Raon asked himself.Anyone who’d seen that kind of past would inevitably feel sorry for Siwoo. Raon wasn’t completely free of that emotion either.But more than pity, what gripped him now was helplessness. He’d just watched the younger Siwoo trapped inside the Gate with the other children—an unbearable sight. What infuriated him was that he couldn’t do a thing to help them.If only he’d been there with Siwoo back then, maybe he could’ve done something. Anything.“No. You’re not pitiful.”The words left Raon’s mouth before he even realized. Siwoo’s eyes widened, startled by the unexpected answer.“You were pitiful then, but not now. Because I’m here.”“...Ah.”The firm, decisive tone left Siwoo blank-faced. Raon forced a small smile.He was Siwoo’s paired Guide—the one meant to stay closest, by bond and by destiny. A Guide whose match rate was highest with an S-rank Esper was practically bound by fate.As long as he stayed by Siwoo’s side, Siwoo would never be unhappy again. No matter what came next.Damn system.But that thought quickly darkened. The unseen weight of the System—waiting somewhere, ready to return—tightened around him again.“You’re right. I’m not pitiful when you’re here.”“...Yeah.”Unaware of Raon’s thoughts, Siwoo smiled—bright, unguarded. Raon nodded faintly at that face.Creak, creak—“What was that?”A cracking sound echoed nearby. Raon turned just as the surroundings began to splinter apart.“What the—ugh!”Light flooded in without warning. Raon reflexively shut his eyes, feeling Siwoo’s arms come around him.“Uh...”When he opened them again, everything had changed. A transparent barrier surrounded them—Siwoo’s reflexive shield.“Siwoo, drop it.”“But—”“I think we’re back.”At Raon’s words, Siwoo hesitated, then let his power fade. Familiar scenery came into focus.“A door.”Before the rewind, when Raon had received Taegun’s psychic boost, even mental attacks hadn’t fazed him, letting him reach the next stage faster. The door before him now was identical to the one from that time.“If we open this, we’re out?”“Yeah. Probably.”Raon nodded to Siwoo’s question. The location was lower this time, so he couldn’t be certain—but close enough.Creak—They couldn’t just stand around. Siwoo pushed the door slowly open, hinges shrieking.“Team Leader?”“Hm?”A familiar voice came from beyond. Raon tilted his head and stepped forward.“Team Leader! Siwoo!”“You’re all safe.”Their teammates grinned in relief. The door Raon and Siwoo had emerged from vanished without a trace.“H-how is this possible?”“I swear I was dreaming just now...”“M-me too. I don’t remember clearly, though.”Apparently the others had been hit by psychic attacks in separate spaces. Thanks to Minjae’s ability, they’d probably seen only fragments before escaping.“This tower seems to hit everyone with psychic attacks.”“Ah, that’s why you told Esper Minjae to—”“Yeah. And the combat team has Nam Taegun, so they’ll manage fine.”Fine was an understatement—Taegun was S-rank; illusions couldn’t touch him. Remembering the previous timeline, Raon swallowed a sigh.“So it didn’t matter whether we went up or down?”“Seems that way.”Raon agreed with Dasom. Meeting here halfway proved the paths weren’t much different.Still… it doesn’t sit right.Siwoo’s illusion had been a simple psychic construct beyond Raon’s interference, yet what he saw hadn’t been that.It had felt too real—like he’d actually become Min Raon again. He couldn’t tell whether it was because he was a transmigrant or for some other reason.Not the time for that.He pushed the unease aside. What mattered now was subduing the Gate.“If we keep climbing, we’ll meet the combat team. Let’s take a moment to recover first.”“Uh, then I’d like some guiding...”Minjae, pale from heavy psychic use, raised his hand. Juwon stepped up to guide him at once.“Siwoo, you okay?”“Well...”“You’re not, are you?”“No.”There was no hiding his contamination level from Raon. Siwoo answered honestly and held out his hand. Raon chuckled and took it.Not long ago, Siwoo’s refusals had irritated him—but now, warmth fluttered in his chest. A Guide being swayed by his Esper—ridiculous.He’s cute, so I’ll let it slide.Thinking that, Raon sent guiding energy through Siwoo’s hand. Siwoo flinched at the flow.How could he have ever resisted something that felt this good, body and mind alike? Raon still didn’t get it—but right now, he didn’t really care.“Everyone ready?”“Yes.”“Then let’s keep moving up.”Still holding Siwoo’s hand, Raon gave the order. Contact guiding could continue on the move anyway. But Siwoo suddenly spoke, voice strained.“H-hyung.”“Hm? What is it?”“I think... I don’t need guiding anymore.”“Mm.”Trying to stop halfway again, huh.Just when the mood had improved, he had to pour cold water on it. Raon frowned.“Your level’s still too high.”“It’s enough to clear the Gate.”“And who told you to decide that?”Siwoo fell silent, jaw tight.What’s with him?He used to love even the simplest contact guiding—and recently they’d gone deeper than that. Practically begged for it like a dog in heat.The irritation came rushing back, and Raon almost snapped at him again—until he noticed something odd....Wait. Is he turned on?Raon prided himself on sharp perception. Before, annoyance had blinded him to the signs, but now he understood.Siwoo’s hands were usually cool from his ability. During guiding they’d warm up a little—but now they were almost hot.And his earlobes, which only flushed when he was embarrassed, were bright red. Instinct told Raon what that meant.“Hah... let’s go together.”“Ah.”Raon paused at Dasom’s breathless voice behind him. He realized the stairs had grown steeper without noticing, and even he was short of breath.“Let’s slow down a bit.”“Sorry, it’s because of me...”“No, all the Guides are tired.”Guides inevitably had weaker stamina than Espers. Raon glanced sidelong at Siwoo—who had quietly let go of his hand—then turned to check on the others.“Huh? Team Leader, what was that noise just now...?”“Noise?”Raon tilted his head at Hamin’s words.Had they finally reached the combat team?No one else seemed to hear it, but Hamin’s hearing had always been sharp—he’d noticed faint sounds since entering the Gate. Raon looked upward expectantly.Whoosh—“...?”The sharp, slicing sound wasn’t coming from above. It was getting closer. By the time Raon recognized it, he knew something was wrong.“Everyone, get clear!”Boom!The wall cracked as soon as he shouted, then shattered outright.“Screech!”“A—a monster!”Wild eyes scanned the tower’s interior. Raon gritted his teeth.“Everyone, move up!”“Y-yes!”He sent the Guides ahead first. Siwoo and Yeojoon covered the rear, weapons ready.Why are there monsters in the tower...In the previous timeline, no monsters had appeared inside. They were all birdlike flyers, unable to breach the structure.Yet now they were tearing through the walls as if mocking that assumption. Raon’s face °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° tightened as dust and stone rained down.“Raon!”“Urgh!”A talon slashed inches from his eyes, but Siwoo’s power shielded him just in time.A chill ran through him. He’d felt this before—during the last irregular Gate.It’s targeting me again.Just like the core guardian in that Gate, the monsters in the tower were aiming straight at him.And this time, Raon was certain of it.

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