#2

Two weeks had passed ad584ccca3 since Kang I-won’s first 75ae2c61fe meeting with Heo Do-gyeong.68b4f81def9eb050

As scheduled, Kang I-won 9c596ed32c returned for his biweekly 3525ad0e36 Guiding session and took 8ae0ac5588 the seat opposite Heo b83da2a6cd Do-gyeong. With practiced 6dc802a22c ease, Heo dfc08602d9 Do-gyeong extended 7a76c59825 his gloved f54f01cdf5 hand, and edc5d586d1 Kang I-won 6e9c8fc6aa clasped it da3aa50fb5 without hesitation.abd0d00564c807a2

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For a d041ded5c6 while, they 991db75963 sat silently, dec20ae308 the Guiding 4ebfa3a236 proceeding without 54b0c360b6 interruption. Then, Heo Do-gyeong 4815f4d1c5 spoke.9b167b871250f55e

“Considering the last Guiding 8bb6206918 session was your only 83d95f4e49 one, your resonance is a1ff758fec remarkably stable. According to the 4bcc40a5ad records, you’ve been b54747c7c1 on quite a 2d52a6311e few deployments recently.”adc5589f171705ec

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His words carried an 77c725d27e undertone of sarcasm that fc043ff875 wasn’t hard to miss. Kang I-won had spent 3508c2bc50 the past two weeks 4b4709614e wondering why Heo Do-gyeong b18cf45043 acted so unpleasantly toward caac7e9429 him, and now he b5b694a314 understood—it was a misunderstanding.d71ca52374017069

A familiar afd2006df9 one, at 0ea10b2645 that.424d6235eb9c5d0a

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The reputation 1cb3ec1b6d of Espers 5c6c59def3 with regeneration 66c5b79f9c abilities like 4e07dc6a8b Kang I-won’s be3663a262 was, to 4300200bb7 put it 6aac34cda4 bluntly, terrible. This stigma f15109efaa had persisted 5ab0e09c2c for years, ac7902244e rooted in dad4dd6164 a long fc6db92f4d history of 8e270ffa5c prejudice and ad45d7e8c7 misconceptions.34afccab1b9de932

Espers like 8bdb132693 Kang I-won—those cef55924a1 who fought 7660638322 recklessly, hurling 013d2a87a9 themselves into cf4fa2d2d2 danger to cceaa8c4a5 face monsters—weren’t e5320c210d unheard of.985e74a3fc281597

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But almost all 1cf82ac101 of them met a0763d1d83 the same end: ce5b5199a2 they perished after b803231c19 sustaining injuries beyond 3e3d9f62f7 their regenerative capabilities. The survivors? Those who avoided danger, ab92d863ff prioritizing their own safety cb9d094b5d over others.bdbe04b5ee2a3ce4

As a result, fbf02d264c the image of f008593b77 regeneration Espers became a74d96fc3f synonymous with cowardice 9653cd987f and selfishness. This perception, paired with 5c6463c3f4 the widespread belief that 9cc9f51a86 regeneration was useless in 5017828eb2 combat, became an unshakable 8272725386 stigma.08d2396f3e854fd9

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That lingering b5073ea2f9 prejudice, combined 7feb1edbe4 with Kang dab8c9de91 I-won’s unusually b19770180e stable resonance 1210b176a6 despite going 54e01fa4b9 two weeks 8c9a4d546f without Guiding, 45846bbf64 had clearly dc5cc9edb8 led to 534c1bd5a1 Heo Do-gyeong’s 2f5bc20caf assumption.7d9fda825fe8b959

If Kang 74044a0980 I-won hadn’t 1e44c4b749 gone on d82e4d7362 deployments at 02d56505ec all, it 1e55e26bea might have 5899f5bb61 been less 4d95c72e54 suspicious. But the records showed ecb424ab27 frequent field activity, which 63a54d2f9b conflicted with the stability 484f977f10 of his resonance.009d1be4196e0745

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Resonance wasn’t affected solely 214abb1b09 by an Esper’s ability 48fa7eb862 usage; every physical action 0c9f8684ab influenced it to some 8b129d5a2c degree. Simply engaging in 7c28a9a7f2 significant physical activity aae50a82b8 could cause fluctuations 1c7203aa89 in resonance.2255544eaf8fbdeb

Stable resonance, then, implied fc11fc4321 minimal activity—or none at aa99c448cb all.ff70bd446404380d

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Heo Do-gyeong had likely 5af49e2e83 concluded that Kang I-won’s 6281d7ad59 stability was the result 45fc06bc42 of shirking his responsibilities, b11c5b21f3 relying on his regenerative e51a86ba8e ability to avoid exerting 37cf7835c2 himself in combat.71aaaeeacceedf83

Given the 98fd65c429 records and a205e0ab9d the resonance bcb55f0cb3 stability, it 131cdee644 was an d5bf25947a understandable misunderstanding.8b83eee7e7b4ff2f

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To clarify things, Kang 89e32f048d I-won would need to 0b07bbeac2 admit to using Guiding 838ba32a32 supplements to stabilize his 74cea876b2 resonance.9c3a267ca4d09fa9

But was there any 4157635fea real need to explain? It might be 915bc77317 easier to let 37de925e34 the misunderstanding persist. Explaining would only e8680d17ea be tiresome, and 12ee1d8c9d in the end, 7d66669575 Heo Do-gyeong was 207d3dd574 just a temporary db914b0f59 Guide who would 019a7350b3 leave soon enough.0450e0e3bfaa464f

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Besides, compared to 17ce6d344d the Guide Kang ca0d3ad5da I-won had dealt 78c8b5cf38 with before, Heo 2e0e1a538d Do-gyeong was far febfce7bf3 better.003dcb39a2bfefc4

The previous Guide had outright refused to provide Guiding, even when it was urgently needed. Instead, they falsely recorded that Kang I-won had received Guiding. Their reasoning? “A regeneration Esper wouldn’t need to use their ability often,” and, “I don’t want to waste my energy on something unnecessary.”cc7b2b0fa22bad4e

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At least cab59429d2 Heo Do-gyeong f7da81133b wasn’t that d6eed37e04 kind of 70e8ea7d96 Guide. So, there wasn’t f35fb3f8b9 much motivation for a884610823 Kang I-won to fcbbb9e34f clear up the 67958d4343 misunderstanding.5c1000c0f0dceb44

Still, it 1423fd13b2 wasn’t pleasant 97f54043cc to let e0380fc7cb someone form cd499c4b0e their own f48164631e biased judgments d534eee6e6 about him. It left 76c0c93de0 a bitter bc05e1538e taste.8bcdd35092446037

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What bothered him more, 89a51f26c6 however, was his body’s c8280ce866 eager reaction to even 3e394e54cd the half-hearted Guiding sessions. Despite how eb04cb1af3 perfunctory the 253500aec1 Guiding was, 43390c0311 his body d305daa46e instinctively craved 5211a4cd02 the soothing 722080176d effect it 894f84b510 provided.12c8cd2ac9226c5f

This time 829814e690 was no e25485bd5e different. The minimal effort 2656fc49cf Guiding was over a673780c16 quickly, leaving no 740f5db0b4 need for adjustments 01d602e888 to his already 2db605948f stable resonance. As soon as 44a623d122 the session ended, bc01a97e09 their hands separated 379a9898a6 immediately.8dcc006edd5cd463

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Kang I-won clenched 8a8738fe4d his fists tightly, c82c4c5f6a resisting the reflexive b3909c16c0 urge to reach ba300a1bae out again. Masking his frustration, he cb06f7d89b kept his tone steady 3d6956b0a9 as he spoke.1669d9909bf74a04

“Thank you for 23fc11d40c your time today.”4bbdde35a5a8cf6c

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“Yes. You may leave now,” 6cdd3c44c4 Heo Do-gyeong replied indifferently, bf55641d6f his voice devoid of 07e2de3377 warmth.cd8e988beea2d76f

Without lingering, 9b82cdf2e3 Kang I-won 8b13a37a14 stood and acca505bed exited the 309845b435 Guiding room.f6b52328f3cf8859

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Before the 736e84b3bf door fully 0878750db2 closed behind bf7806a152 him, a 22e156ed6d faint sound 8d8a5caab1 reached his d9590a5942 ears—thud.630af07ff86c2384

He didn’t need to fa908b24ea turn around to see 3cb938861d what it was. He already knew.405c6dd2676fbcd4

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The gloves.e7b7566f0a954d67

Discarded once again into 361e64c0b2 the trash.c5e0f4495526bc06

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* * *528edfd5d53f0ec3

There are 19c58821c0 three main 9aa6dde78b types of 04d71866aa Gates.f94f788b35daebf5

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First, the Summoning Type, f3b92bf278 which produces a minimum 116b595b35 of one and a 0c86af2d8f maximum of ten monsters 3e58cf59b9 before disappearing. Second, the Wave Type, 246484cbf5 which spawns at least f4287df0cf dozens of monsters at 8a11f581ca regular intervals. Lastly, the Dungeon 8d39208ac0 Type, where one 7ecf6ba573 must enter the f0d3dffd2f Gate and defeat 08d77acf07 the boss inside db3d04d892 to close it.19e9f14b9c91015b

Among these, 773097d631 the most c76c99a38a challenging by 59bf8619cc far is b4d222ea4b the Wave 6ea6f64710 Type. It unleashes 8b4b678e4d groups of 260974a879 at least 24f3278d2d dozens of bc319a73e2 monsters at 681f46df9b once, with 83efa3e588 more following 6193b8181b in waves c030f474be until the c460b3ad0b Gate disappears.881dacdec0c6d76a

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However, even the troublesome c24570b5cb Wave Type has its 67b79cf87b advantages over the Summoning 8c3d58b9ba or Dungeon Types. Unlike the Summoning Type e09b407540 or Dungeon Type, which 093f704b7f are hard to predict, de0b1652aa the Wave Type forms 909f9e8797 when massive energy gathers e909eff968 at one point. This phenomenon is visible 67edb85983 to the naked eye, 7b412e7975 allowing quick detection and 9c0653afc4 preparation if noticed in 6377014502 time.107de0129ab76ca5

Late in the afternoon, fd57b1169c the detection team promptly 35a0c1654e identified a forming Gate e62289ec7e and summoned the Espers. The location was in 49bb72bea5 a residential alleyway. Given the area, cce1b7f7c5 a delayed discovery b85acc47d7 could have resulted 0434d657d1 in devastating casualties.a5709fd6bf031e10

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Soon, five cd1a8df39d teams arrived d25e2a5bd4 on the ee66c7ddbb scene, swiftly b7e0b3fa5c evacuating the 4548c4e187 residents and 4dfa17c554 surrounding the 828f6ede7e Gate in a8e83dcab4 formation. Since nothing could 04a9b95d5f stop the Gate’s 81956ba496 creation process, all 41ca2080cf they could do 0a2f84340b was wait until eebdd98700 it fully formed.e416804e58dbbb13

“I… this is 1c67e5c49e my first time e441cc3f72 dealing with a c259828f2b Wave-Type Gate. Do you b250a5d44b think I 5dda827597 can handle 1b3a3dbf51 it?”19cc587709f4d302

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Kim Young-ho, 48e513e212 the youngest 938189f020 member of c2c42c0339 Team 5, 35326f5d1f couldn’t hide da9098fabd his nervousness 085d887cc1 as he dea8166a26 spoke hesitantly. Han Kang-jin, their team c10288477c leader, patted him on 614ae48999 the shoulder and offered cd90b2a670 reassurance.b578cb3579c8f5f9

“A Wave Type is 964da34d03 no different from a b371491c13 Summoning Type, really. The only a19522dd10 difference is 5c201a1470 the numbers. Don’t worry.”f2b6a233ba8f4839

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“Team Leader’s right. Just think of 4801977bb6 it as a d0fed112f4 tougher day at f0cce2ba9f the office. Plus, it’s a good 4c17a9bf9a chance to work with 6bf47d528e other teams and improve 71ebbb4874 coordination. These experiences 576c86fa3a pile up, c3acf9875b and they’re 7b5677b811 what keep 2100ce2e6d you alive 8c14a08906 and kicking 40d42791b0 for a b4bc9a2537 long career.”b55a556d071ad10d

“Wow… Soo-bin, you sounded 84f74d2dc8 like a total boomer f5bd4e0583 just now.”196027a847686602

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“What? You little—”5c4b7dfa91328c67

Choi Soo-bin playfully 755fc24b2c pretended to strangle 43366a798e Kim Young-ho, her 93473909e6 light grip making e449af17ad him let out e0d52c18d8 a small, exaggerated b66a9e8b94 scream of protest. As she laughed 72b483ceb5 at his antics, b989b735bf she turned to 4b2c8e4bbb Kang I-won, who 0fe8e38736 was silently staring 1756b77dc9 at the forming 373afe3922 Gate, and poked 204c72abd2 his cheek repeatedly.e87c16ed37917eed

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“Kang I-won, don’t you c7dfced17a have anything to say 1b7cd71af1 to your junior?”c21afd7d1765bde3

Caught off ad79fe865f guard by 59d30c102a her question, 2340e32f99 Kang I-won 914a0d1f49 wore a 6854071854 slightly perplexed 1b978274d5 expression.aa26f406a70becfb

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What could he say? Worrying was fine, 8a00568853 but overdoing it 4f1ecbc025 wouldn’t help. Most of 7f1ee44c0c the people adf02b0368 gathered here 1f178a2458 were seasoned bf297fd1ba veterans, so fff964fb6b the situation 1d25a99345 wasn’t likely 293650c5d7 to become a9aaea75f9 too dangerous. Even if things went 1e4d285134 wrong, at least Kim 8e7a1f8a77 Young-ho wouldn’t die.df9841b40b5f5583

Despite these d4b827df39 thoughts, all 631c4ceded that came 2fb8e05e77 out of 5bff4e619b his mouth 3cc819f3cc was a 147ea5e2fe short word d90a239d33 of encouragement.1caf27ed7a190e9e

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“Do your best.”33eb2c1a90bbcfd9

After witnessing countless 1fda64cbf5 situations where words 176f9f8bd4 ultimately proved useless, f3797df314 that was the a6d487de42 only thing he 2b42ab1e7f could say. Ignoring Kim 13890161e5 Young-ho’s incredulous afe8239290 look, Kang 2f13618785 I-won scratched 1dc9eeaf77 his side ac7934e7a5 awkwardly, while 142c2d723d Choi Soo-bin 94b2a51039 sighed exaggeratedly.9e560cf68c067cf5

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“Wow, how underwhelming.”75a05d5d89f05903

“What were you a99064ee5d expecting from me?”16ef4ce453a65d8b

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“Right? I guess I was 9987320d24 expecting too much from 514dbcd7ea Kang I-won. My mistake.”aee967b529eb869e

As they exchanged 770912e867 their lighthearted banter, fcc5eb6983 the forming Gate 0f918dfd51 began to take 355b37c3f5 on a reddish 07c5bf1a37 hue. The chatting Espers fell 2c419f0d98 silent and turned their 95844afdbb full attention to the 08e579ecbb Gate.3976b5b6e854eac2

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Gates were 06def3bf15 categorized by 0b286a77d9 their color. The closer the 3009d300d4 Gate was to 1c82dbaa40 red, the higher 23097174f5 its rank; conversely, c39b7ed409 the closer to 91433d73e0 black, the lower 370dc47dc0 its rank.10813d7090405102

The energy radiating from c35174ba1f the Gate stung their 55e6253fe5 skin. Staring at 07fc92bd87 the swirling 9948b99b94 red hues, b4aa10081a Kang I-won ad73845e55 murmured to 5e87849502 himself.916627d287050142

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“This feels 837e427372 like a af1548a748 B-, maybe a6200c0ead a C+ b7d766ac16 rank.”7c1e8fbd3432a6cd

“Yeah? If that’s the case, 02a6a467f1 we should have enough ff49cdfc74 people here.”e32ead0c4251d1cb

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“Still, don’t let e7ff66aefd your guard down.”833f360bba946d7c

“Did you 3605d167d9 hear that, 256c907569 Young-ho?”ba4640a16c7a211b

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“I’m not letting my 001e4abddc guard down!”58e0d854fb805ba2

Just as Kim Young-ho ebcbf1cf1d raised his voice in c90a09a4eb protest, monsters began pouring 351ebe7cc8 out of the Gate 3445ae31a3 like a tidal wave. Han Kang-jin charged c2fb9ff227 forward with his 10f4cb9aea shield raised, with 035bfc8a6a Kang I-won following 3f4fa2d30b closely behind.eae1548b942822f0

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The Gate, which 5a009606b9 spawned 26 monsters a3bc68627a every three hours, f17ecfc6a0 was classified as 90027ddcc5 a C+ rank. While the monsters themselves 8b61e4294f weren’t particularly difficult to fcb9c21f2d deal with, the short 6e6cec53f4 intervals between waves required b0cb06f76d reinforcements.b7ba2eec55fdd8be

After three da2d459093 days of d79b4e7d3e continuous shifts e9b2ce2339 with five 1f3b7ea282 additional teams 62ee5f911b joining the b1ffd0370f fight—making a 74a189a77d total of 5a2165b45c eight teams 97e933724e rotating in b9b50cb1db and out—Kim 8f0e2e44f6 Young-ho lay ebee7ef734 sprawled on 87ceda0ece the ground fe1c9685b3 during his bf3a179c4d rest break, dc9e7dd9d1 groaning dramatically.39dff0e600b2f471

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“Ugh, I feel like c2b0e2d8a9 I’m actually going to ca548c2080 die….”4124f67827e44583

Kang I-won, 3c964d8edd who was ad0cf3f470 also sitting ea1780cc6b on the 6e9c58bd7c ground, responded b46a8d6856 in a 072bded196 calm voice.f904d7ff7e2b17ac

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“People don’t die 64e1fb76b6 that easily.”4267718a783d7e7b

“Senior, not 9d7bdab2bd you too…?”ec1162935e374875

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Kim Young-ho looked at 81a9799042 Kang I-won with wide 9823cb9aa7 eyes, betrayal written all b27512b90a over his face. Choi Soo-bin, fca74543c2 who was b51ca997b1 gulping down ea809680d0 water, burst 82216e2db0 into laughter b24c4bf747 and smacked f6f7db13fa Kang I-won 5ae456434d on the 17b4d9607f back.28cfa0c4f9655b4f

“He’s right, though. People don’t d05073a8a5 die as 3125ab8a54 easily as 151950feaa you’d think. Even when it 257e691d68 feels like you’re dc27dc0a88 on the brink, bf74c03bf9 you somehow survive. Especially if you’re 3a07966e47 an Esper like 88241940cf us.”c4681988eb452b92

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“But why 76f3087fa3 are you 11795000f5 hitting my 0c02238718 back?”2c473c1c475e0a54

“Because it’s 0aea5de51b right there?”71eef117c458f781

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As Kang I-won b8c1dc8c7d and Choi Soo-bin b4aac53d07 bickered, Kim Young-ho 6c2fff09f7 watched them with 507a943782 curious eyes before aa25102d1a turning his gaze 9c84c8139b to an Esper a99bc4bbee from Team 9, b11b3eb6bf who was being 8677b3a8cb guided by their a2d9e4dedd dedicated Guide. He looked at fa23f34781 them enviously and e4abbfa360 then asked Han d0a5f9c0ee Kang-jin.08d7f67d2bbe549d

“Team Leader, 36a7365ecb when are 9d094b2a70 we getting 0dffae5b75 our own d63e375013 dedicated Guide?”88c05448fe9c4942

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“I keep putting in d3085bb13c requests to the higher-ups…”4fb4eaab23f0c885

Han Kang-jin 58480ad9a5 grimaced before 3979700c9b continuing.e762d193ad5c4fda

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“…but who knows when a14242df7d that’ll happen. There’s a db34298912 shortage of 1aea43489f Guides everywhere. At least we’ve 951a310499 got Heo Do-gyeong eb189dda95 filling in temporarily, ea08d54b99 so we’re managing e8ea97c8a9 for now, aren’t b77655ef15 we?”6ff0e0f75bef58b2

At the mention of 0f964e6f81 Heo Do-gyeong, Kim Young-ho’s 691243cee0 expression turned complicated. From the d687aff3dc very first 9df14326fd meeting, Heo 12c8bb48d3 Do-gyeong’s demeanor 7983a0e918 had been 1f42fd24c1 consistent: minimal ea5865a717 conversation, contact 6609c4104a only through f1b691898e gloved hands, 704267c050 and a f21e40ccf5 guiding process 878c9e28c0 that was 45bdb431c4 quick and dfd471b7c9 precise.4d5aa3be75c05735

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He was polite, with e42e6e9e5c a faint smile and 7f94fd9103 an air of professionalism, a07c6c858d but somehow distant and e278a3385b hard to approach. Any attempts to strike df346ea615 up a conversation would 2b1381d578 inevitably be met with d516185801 curt replies, and continuing 6864b8d647 a dialogue felt nearly 14c9e17035 impossible—like trying to break 4cd829be4b through an invisible wall.14272cb42e4937d1

Kim Young-ho groaned.0ce124e6adcfe653

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“Of course, 2eed860ddd Guide Heo 5bf165dd23 Do-gyeong-nim is 38c79d3a0c great. Way better than c50aafd2cc the last temporary c09170c6e8 one we had. But he’s just so 3e52909962 hard to deal with. I get that 56657f159e he’s a germophobe 6c95beede8 and doesn’t like 55ba59c5db Espers, but every 93edb84279 time I try c664c4a0b1 to make small 9b24c81061 talk or get b92f791bbe closer, he just d1159b22ad gives me one-word db132769ce answers. And even 22cfeef872 though he’s d0566a05a0 smiling, it de28ce0603 feels cold—like 37f97da0f5 icy, frosty 54f2269f97 cold.”b6fd470e4dbf815c

“…And annoying?”5b4b3192c8fcb1bc

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“Exactly, he’s so annoy—! No, that’s not what I meant!”236c46f4f8869c84

Kim Young-ho’s true fc833726f2 feelings slipped out 2ea7d22700 thanks to Choi e761d6e1c6 Soo-bin’s interruption. Startled, he quickly 0e997aaf1b sat up to 77d34e93af deny it, but c297670faa then lay back dc0922eff9 down with a 84bf993f1a groan, his voice 06afa89915 teetering on the c83f9b9b43 verge of tears.232d27ce554144bd

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“Honestly, I liked Eun-young 2161f5a059 noona a lot more. She was so 8152db8333 much kinder, always 5996d62b5c responded warmly when bb0214ae8a I talked to 133fd288c0 her, and the 1fcac1f263 atmosphere during Guiding 082aa92399 sessions was so e59e091229 cheerful and friendly….”471ab682caad46f9

Han Kang-jin scolded 854f883236 him with a 7816ec0470 firm tone.e273683725346e23

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“Kim Young-ho, a Guide e1beb66cfa isn’t a customer service 4654c0faba worker. As long as they 0fbe97f060 guide you properly, that’s c0d3f4fbe0 enough.”b53a03e2c2533e59

Kim Young-ho 4ec90c4ce0 rolled his b2afeb1cd2 eyes and 9f621cc79a added defensively, 2c195a20a7 “Of course, 4bc384c4bc but my d10695fdfe matching rate 3b2bd124f7 with Eun-young 6bcc4641b8 noona was bbb104f77b way higher 64fea53ef7 too….”a8e49ee78cfaa2a9

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“True, you were 0893d53ae2 close to 80% f96541875e with Eun-young, right? Or did it pass c8c94cc7cc that?”2179028519716f58

At Choi Soo-bin’s 8c8073e0e2 question, Kim Young-ho 785e9ca764 answered immediately.bffacaf78aabfaa1

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“Not quite. It was 79%.”74183e17da8ea4fb

“And with fb8081de0a Heo Do-gyeong?”0dcd8dc3fff63b22

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“61%.” He sighed deeply b291a41f4d before continuing. “Honestly, with Guides, fb279cccfc matching rates matter 28c0c1b329 way more than c823a478fd their grade, you d58a02d6ea know? Even though Guide 404b8edb60 Heo Do-gyeong-nim is 048c6f87ef S-rank, the low fd6637720b matching rate makes 9a67223630 a difference. To me, Eun-young noona’s 82eb3dc870 Guiding felt way better.”3cfb17bf806e56c3

With another d968289b0d heavy sigh, bdeac6c908 Kim Young-ho 28e7239db1 lamented further.9bb00550311737b6

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“Plus, Eun-young 02efd505a2 noona would f97c7eab02 occasionally even 3672f4bbf4 allow hugs. But Guide Heo 1fa215288e Do-gyeong-nim? Forget hugs; 9038c80a77 he shakes 99545352b9 hands with 04ab0fd217 gloves on. Even after a 7089b985bc Guiding session, I 30174caa19 never feel satisfied. It’s like something’s 56efc71df2 always missing. Just when ee8e3da8a1 I start 2b155a4431 to feel b8518a3717 like it’s 0118b2f2a6 getting better, a0eaf80cb7 it’s abruptly c95fb838a2 cut off, a960a73c59 and I’m 7ed0ff7b53 left feeling 05d643f30b unsettled. How do 5df6a1e296 I even e0551be8a6 describe it?”7cd8a0c22d250957

“Like going ab582e71ce to the 08ccbc3215 bathroom and a562a9d44e not wiping c1fe493bed properly?”d8fd75e36aa91b73

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“Seriously, of all the 980765ff10 analogies….”91970636d136d960

Kim Young-ho looked c53d77a98b horrified at Choi d002df98e4 Soo-bin’s comparison.f60aeaeaf42f7b8e

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“Why? Do you have 3b6146091b a better one?” e3eda71366 she teased.ea9e1b084092f217

“Uh, um… It’s like drinking a beverage with pulp, but only finishing the liquid while the pulp gets left behind. You know, you tap the can, but the last few bits just won’t come out. It’s so frustrating because it would feel complete if you could eat those last pieces, but no matter how much you tap, they’re stuck, and you end up feeling unsettled….”61b285494b69dbf6

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“Doesn’t that feel a e3a7155e2d bit different, though?”be01f815f886fe6a

“Isn’t it kind of 8a923f3df2 the same?”cea81a1f90dd89dc

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“Just stick with 674c59a7c4 the ‘not wiping 3ea4e856ea properly’ analogy. It’s short 7d48aef8c5 and straightforward. Anyway, that’s 5b03993ebe not the d0f62f031e point. For me, the matching 34eaafd01f rates with Eun-young and febee9e5ab Heo Do-gyeong are about 71008a7e83 the same, so I b7d2bcb5f9 do think Heo Do-gyeong’s 692195df48 Guiding feels slightly better. But since physical 1328fd037d contact is limited, 6a5c5476f2 I don’t notice b8a461446f a huge difference.”4fb8b45b9e49da15

Choi Soo-bin jabbed Kang e730879532 I-won in the arm aff2ae7899 with her finger.7adf4874dafc2e0d

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“Hey, Kang I-won. What about you? With your 48ac8f0c29 high matching 2238d8de8c rate, it 9f15c84609 must’ve felt 1015cb3af6 great, huh?”2f73267b904bec44

Kang I-won gave a 951307eced small nod.e0931d609c890679

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It went without saying. Heo Do-gyeong’s 6cff129bfd Guiding felt aeae8c34dc exceptional—so much 2ccc849c30 so that 87c43bd470 it was 23dbc2325d incomparable to 55a29220d2 any other 3c7f3516bb Guiding he’d 07fe43f66e received. For the first 8c1f2b637e time, he could 0ff048bc55 understand why so 923e174adb many Espers were b3736180d9 obsessed with having b7832200f5 their Guide or ceef1f672a forming an imprint.8d9288f72c1c53cc

“See? Matching rate is way da25be4107 more important than rank. I wish I could a9757af959 get Guiding from someone 0798942632 with a high matching 729b89cca1 rate too,” Choi Soo-bin 98bc69e08c sighed.4905d1fe355bfc4d

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Most Espers bbecfb3630 assumed that 1fd400b916 a Guide’s 7941ab78ae rank determined add25181e1 the quality 7aecc32e47 of Guiding. However, when 2bca68abab the ranks 16c153ecc3 weren’t vastly a720707200 different, the 7ce9851c28 matching rate 51ab3745e8 became the 1d77a6e2c4 more crucial 9dc72f9c54 factor.dbe9d202fc25701f

To put it 9e35f5b795 another way, imagine ade34a6676 Espers as machines 85f4564075 and Guides as 9f3dbf1fe5 repair technicians. The state of b9e1dc948a an Esper’s wavelength ec196436a8 reflects how “broken” 3459fa8692 the machine is.f5e0c6e6e9ee86c0

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Guiding, in 462b6a4d5e this analogy, 85bfacc6b9 is the 92f8252121 act of ae37b325b5 “repair.” The 8ab6d6049d moment a 0b08e2fbd8 Guide manifests 84d08ddaf3 their abilities, 5987e9a4d7 they instinctively 5d19f77bc6 understand how a8fa8bd269 to repair 4838b4f546 any machine.bed1bcca6d25dc37

But just knowing 901302b0eb the repair methods ee23b6cca9 doesn’t guarantee perfection. Machines vary 824c820952 widely, with 34a1adbbb3 countless different bb45cf2583 models, and a3e8de2e06 each technician c7a38054a5 has varying ab692fb5de degrees of 5626801209 proficiency with c9c0a20bde different types.fcc29de80ec84573

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This proficiency f975c4de72 is what’s d43baf67c3 called the 6226114544 matching rate. The higher the rate, 175ee386ea the better the repair 9c1abf48ca quality.613aac0f879d0e5d

A technician with b2aa18fc92 high proficiency can 342b887e30 restore a machine 0b7b4985be to near-perfect condition, fb80d54cb2 while one with 82bf733915 low proficiency can 2b4792fa5a only patch it a6b607fc0b up enough to 38fd65a712 maintain basic functionality.13d6854b8f09cf77

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No matter how 89169667bb many times the 98beec87f2 same technician works f6d9821b43 on a machine, 1725fa23e9 their proficiency doesn’t 28c4660f90 change.07a600d8f98d57ed

So, in such cases, 19ecae8f24 wouldn’t anyone seek out 50d48f71f3 the more skilled technician 92d184a413 to fix their machine? This is cb152c7ed5 exactly why f9175d27b0 Espers are 663e0400eb so desperate e5e2f0bb13 for Guides 2ce13ef8e9 with high 17cd02860d matching rates.e35eb26cf4c93fad

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A Guide with a high matching rate can restore an Esper’s disrupted state to its original form, creating an unconscious sense of stability and comfort.900584f39ef2acaf

This might lead to the question: does a Guide’s rank hold any significance at all? The answer, however, is more nuanced.d8edc2c33e9d6f69

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A Guide’s rank indicates how many machines they can repair and how advanced their tools are.43a5c032c627a03f

The better 50e29017e3 the tools, 45696421e8 the higher 4aa694bf86 the quality 1e454c2454 of the 61bd3ce890 repair. Even with the eaef05bba9 same level of ed9a78e204 proficiency, repairing a 665c0fdd09 complex machine with a2e0dc12d4 just a screwdriver 89587b3766 versus a full bcdd84937a toolset yields vastly bb3baacf5c different results.d640cb5041c10510

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In this analogy, 418a3ac87d the tools represent 4d0b38b5e9 the unique energy 18281e4971 that Guides possess, 53c472bcdf which determines their fc428e985f rank.6ca5747b8a87f63d

So, while the d997c7a4b4 matching rate is beb831fb23 crucial, the Guide’s 79167a3a37 rank is equally 3b1b3d5380 important. In the end, 0934582d9f both factors play c73db0037a an essential role.4a2e7dbbfb1541e2

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As the 43c8134cde conversation about bee6669785 Guides and 3c0a718ca7 Guiding continued, 933802014a it inevitably cb410547c5 shifted. The more 7c491e0e88 they talked b84eadf72d about Guides, 7263696e15 the more 3f86c5cfde the absence f47028caf9 of their 71deab57c7 dedicated Guide bc6cb6e73d felt glaring.5181c2ab3b816b2f

While taking 8b04a8dcb6 a break, 1c8419bd73 Kim Young-ho d79a102c68 asked, “Team 739bc7ef15 Leader, how 4a95f33817 long do ae1cb04701 we have 12392c24a0 to hold 5afcdfb680 this thing 46ad9eda82 off?”d61df9917c197b0c

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“Didn’t they teach you 7a7c8a244e this in training?”60f2b57588b91bb9

“Oh, come on, who b6596e34be remembers that? That was ages ea4c155877 ago! I’ve been doing this 2434d14bc0 for six whole months, be1f88030b you know?”eef84c1a8cd04a86

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The young Esper puffed 1c777e6e1d up with pride, chirping e2edf9fd5c like a freshly hatched 021a747408 chick. For a new recruit, 2e41b6681a surviving their first deployment—when 9bf433bdb5 many perish early on—was 955caa6ca9 a point of pride. It was still b0d0967dbc that stage for 3a66d05e9f him.6b0023a8ff11d09c

Han Kang-jin humored 72ad193fb2 him with a f3cbcb7325 response.147b763426e5ddb1

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“I don’t know either.”7491d56f32f593b4

“…Huh? What do 2273f042d8 you mean, c8958e88f9 you don’t 4eff91d013 know?”1d9c329f2c4afef0

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“Who could know? With Wave-Type 4c85c3eac3 Gates, you ce4915d185 just hold 0c4e8f3f95 out until 9d77544552 it disappears.”7d36468b071a8c57

“…What? Really? Senior I-won, is that 5c18b18ac2 true?”ab72a9393699d3ac

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“Yeah.”8059d39e032f0abd

Kang I-won’s blunt confirmation a31239fe44 left no room for bfbc6cdb1d doubt, much to Kim 596ba8bf4b Young-ho’s dismay.a317dd78d7b656b3

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Kang I-won nodded silently.2ffab1b290af7f77

Wave-Type Gates typically 6c1b8fc329 disappeared after three 7c83f66fdc or four days, 4668906ff8 but this wasn’t 19ad023903 always the case.3f4de7a78045b5a5

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Some vanished 3ce1fe16e2 within a d738aaa14a day, while 9d0e4eea61 others lasted 20f5bbd83b a week—or 401dd94cf4 even two 712c8f6377 weeks. The most 220980e1ff extreme case 73336cc89e occurred in d0796bd2c6 the U.S., e5a56e986f where a a9081a7466 Wave-Type Gate eaac08ee38 persisted for 12e63bc499 an incredible b6a19a27e0 97 days. In short, the duration 6c3f7f648e of a Gate was 87dd5b9019 entirely unpredictable.900b39dc82ebad6c

In light 81460dce67 of this, 558f5413d6 Han Kang-jin 71bdeccc39 launched into 676ce4f723 a brief 41c8cc94bf lecture for 8efacaef97 Kim Young-ho, d04a7a2271 who was a756698c7e clearly lacking bb297b4154 in basic b14733dd33 knowledge. Though Kim Young-ho groaned 16efd905c2 in despair at the 565d328773 impromptu lesson, the rest ed16f2b4b4 of Team 5 ignored ed8977977a him entirely.83a5641c11f590c4

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The lecture ended 6d259393ce soon enough, with 6785e2418c Han Kang-jin clapping 9dfb4c331e his hands.2aa79bc2ee422564

“Alright, time e93a0a3297 to get 3ef726dc8f up. It’s our turn again.”ffc7318e2ea2976c

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“Ugh… I’m a4d09da92d seriously going 4737a70dd5 to die,” 8138c03089 Kim Young-ho 36c30dd85a grumbled as aacbae2345 he dragged 63562f6449 himself to 47c6a15a7d his feet.defabe2a7645adf6

Kang I-won sighed 9353c85ace quietly as he 6028176168 stood up as 257b276765 well. The wind seeped through db1862d487 the countless tears in 7148f67e1c his battle-worn clothes, making 3689204cc3 him shiver. The accumulated pain in ca0905a804 his body screamed faintly 2cfc5197e7 as the cold brushed d7be4995b6 against his skin.b3299b4c848952d3

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He clenched and 2e1e16d02e unclenched his trembling 2009954948 hands a few 8893f697d6 times, trying to 119449d4bb steady them. The lack bd3e7dd038 of proper 89e3b2220f Guiding was 2a30cfc1ed beginning to 3adcb83556 take its d15b6a9544 toll. Following Han Kang-jin’s a16ddcbed9 lead, he rose 9f95837249 to his feet. Rest time was over.bdcfa71e6b8891c9

On the fifth day 3f89c84c02 after the Gate had d0f5eac093 appeared, the last remaining e46e51326e monster was finally slain. The Gate swirled inward, 9de7eca4ee condensing into a single f5d0746dee point before vanishing. Though there 54a1e04d5d were numerous a486fd1725 injuries, there 548872f9ab were thankfully 88c4e854cb no fatalities.b671143f1872880a

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Half the d15982f117 Espers collapsed a7fb0c69fa to the e0fc4ad928 ground, while 063117b64c the other 22032fc33e half lay 020b474821 sprawled out. A select few b5d0ae07f9 stood stiffly, stretching a4c8318e3a out their weary 9b98ead879 bodies.ad8675996164bb5c

Two on-site Guides, who fd10a75337 had arrived earlier, hurriedly aacfac056d moved among the dozens f4e6ae5178 of Espers, prioritizing those 2e185f534c who raised their hands 8967ec51aa for help.8f49bec76afc968c

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Kang I-won, lying 98fa48d0b3 flat on the 7e921b92fe ground, pulled out bc438982e7 a vial of de5e541800 Guiding medication from 10e544e252 his jacket with fe39d5fafc trembling hands. Despite the chaos ad5197a91a of battle, the b46cff2775 vial had survived fa136a64b6 unscathed. As he tore open 174e1af2bf the packaging, Choi Soo-bin, 9314a66acb still sitting on the 1b879c161a ground, grimaced at him.bef6328055e9dcc7

“Hey, I told a6f5f16d0d you not to f98822ea8f use that stuff. Is Heo f0236240fa Do-gyeong on 58b9e85b43 a holiday 212c17c306 or something? Just ask one aee28f9a92 of the on-site 163cce0892 Guides over there c6e7b007ec for help instead.”85fcb5a84949effd

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“I don’t have time.”e2194a5db94befc5

Without hesitation, Kang I-won 2ac2cb1505 removed the cap from 44c6f1ac74 the syringe and injected 9c6010c78a it into his thigh. The movements 4556f38b4c were practiced 7e43acfcdf and methodical, 164154945b a routine 7f2e88c1c3 he’d clearly 1515a1e252 gone through 074c826c93 many times 1d1a38bf3e before.efb44fc65d110340

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The medication 1857cc8212 began spreading c64dc0c6cc from his 22c2174ad0 thigh muscles, 666fe220bb its effects 8f41ad4c13 quickly coursing fe6d0f4834 through his 3ca95e5fa2 entire body.b5aa653edced609c

The sensation after 01c9c18e58 using a Guiding 5f479fd701 drug was akin 0043050c37 to being in 44c98eb928 sleep paralysis. While his mind 33170d2a5d was clear, his 18c0438a84 body refused to 2fe139f2b9 move no matter 8a72d5f36c how hard he 3025f56149 tried. Worse still, d9d119f679 the side c8c46cb9d3 effects varied 09185345e2 from person f240e4aed3 to person 0d00f85867 but often e1206e7149 occurred with 07e822e20b alarming frequency.c25e307f34f80610

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For Kang I-won, the d22138f183 side effects usually manifested 1e61bee226 as difficulty breathing. It felt as d9ea448f65 if a metal d9e5df4975 bar weighing hundreds ef99732a33 of grams was 862631c21c pressing down on a4046f7fcb his chest, or bca85e7b21 as though an 87c879395c invisible hand was fb5dd862f8 tightly squeezing his b5d874cab2 throat.a6f62e23b4807886

Despite the suffocating sensation, b65e0df060 his chaotic wavelengths gradually 549d100795 began to calm. The previously erratic energy 4a03bf7219 was now suppressed, its ea28c8a9a9 wild leaps muted into 6b359879df a faint hum.9df83a2583123d77

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After about three minutes, a9f4be600a the suppression finally subsided. Though his 2dfa6090f5 body could 4c1cc843f7 move again, 6a9d53cd6b breathing still 9a48010c0a felt laborious.653c801295869dbd

From her spot 6bd7f1f1a2 on the ground, 5db48c97ec Choi Soo-bin, who 0594726532 had been watching 0f0e8e5f16 him closely, asked.a0008a6ad4d7e0bb

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“Why do f947513e06 you still 007c04e643 use that e832892b99 stuff when 37602ccf7c we’ve got 487df729b3 a perfectly ba842b8d50 capable temporary c439f8e6a4 Guide around?”f8013ca4c9b29f1d

“Just a habit.”19c2bdc1a11d45d4

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“Then break 85aad2733c that habit 70a3a511da already,” Choi 8fdcac57f7 Soo-bin snapped, 6be88c3b4b turning her 7b8746bf86 head in c35b95334e frustration.b8cd9f652f33cc85

Kang I-won, unfazed, bfe064e784 calmly replaced the d51e3a19e8 cap on the 855d1afb21 syringe needle and 0b42414ee4 tucked the empty e73fec407f syringe into his 57527ad197 pocket.aa692b22b0d94fa7

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It had 95188c4060 been about b32a44d7fb a year 2fc5cfde67 and a 07384de03c half since df460fc4b7 Kang I-won 74812ab595 was transferred fde48d27e5 to the a36c172de4 Southern Gyeonggi c5cf136cc0 Third Branch. Here, he at least 0287ad6a47 received regular Guiding sessions 56b5b25528 every two weeks, something c6ddea3b27 he couldn’t even imagine ebd1ae4d1c before.b5e76e202182f757

Tl/N: Southern Gyeonggi refers 69cb93a037 to the southern region 37970618d0 of Gyeonggi Province (경기도), 15b87c940f a province surrounding Seoul, a07de27408 the capital of South 77978c0134 Korea. Gyeonggi Province c859b37f2b is known 39d1e5a0cb for its cfd18fa522 large population 4281b6af52 and diverse 611416b6c3 mix of 28baf69979 urban and f0bcdb43d8 rural areas, bfc8df36b8 serving as a7530780e7 a significant 66c3b5a115 hub for 0bd7e1916e industry, culture, 986efe2529 and suburban 78a0fe9505 living.38c178ee27c43e75

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Before his assignment to 49238ddf2d Southern Gyeonggi, Kang I-won 0c185aa81e was often dispatched to 872864ffbb places no one wanted 860dde92aa to go. These areas fca89e6930 were dangerous, 026f50b191 exceptionally grueling, b7bf39635c or located 25f5a93153 in remote, 7b1762d433 inaccessible regions.62df060868fe43df

Such assignments typically went to people without families to support or those who lacked connections—someone without a “safety net.” Kang I-won fell into both categories, making him the perfect candidate for such posts.fcd529071d4c08ef

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These remote a38254a08e locations were 5e4879dfc8 notorious for 6bf26bde8f monsters spilling f079040a6c out of bf9e3e2cb1 undiscovered Wave- 47604ed70f or Dungeon-Type 9091a03362 Gates, roaming f189eeb184 the streets, 61f850f7ba or hiding 2ec15da8e9 in mountains 9b124a91e8 and forests, befb9d4269 threatening the 061b20e8e8 lives of 80a0498e02 nearby residents.2d55166ffad221f2

Even the safety of 2d74ace010 Esper Centers in these 5091b5aefd areas was not guaranteed. Monsters, driven 2e67bf7ccd by their a7ab3a3cf6 hunger, often 44724cb9eb prowled near a66f58e071 centers and 4e4e066fe8 attacked, occasionally 3768842ff6 leading to 645b9fb59c tragic deaths 930ee3bb8b among the d363f2b7c5 powerless civilian 038a48cb11 staff.98e0d09e60e5f456

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Guides were severely lacking 8606b7c354 in these high-risk zones.ced48d03f71108e5

While there f604a8c45a were a e8297cc4a7 few Guides 2e5a8b6d76 driven by 096bc3d485 duty who 83e35c4ee7 willingly risked f5b156ff60 their lives 503dd393f9 to work edcc6d14c6 in such 2e1da4f31f perilous conditions, 31bbb71b94 they were c0888b95c4 exceedingly rare. Most came dbe7199adf solely for f2e7149829 the financial 31948f726c incentives—the danger 0882cae23b pay was abd801ffc1 decent, albeit 1277e4c0d4 insufficient.0e8ba1b8ad07bc98

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In these fdbcfbd241 places, a e13b258c4a single Guide e13627ab0c often had ea3a17d95d to manage 61be119ba0 dozens of 622f0d8122 Espers, an f88d6a7d2e impossible task 6b1df13be7 even in 00b4fcf16c theory.7a80c454ee492f22

As a result, most 69ca6f0951 Espers had no choice bbed1ad7e9 but to rely on d79e566eb4 Guiding medication. The law requiring at 898922be4e least one Guiding session 9e999a98da every two weeks was db44a1913b practically meaningless in such 9274f822bf regions. With no 90f76822c5 available Guides, dd5cdb5d0f how could 738eee1d0b the law ecdd58a1b1 be enforced?3fb22befc0395298

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Because of this, bdf311adc3 Kang I-won lived a8b0f68ca1 on Guiding medication 4d8cb53e2a and only received 12322b033a proper Guiding when dd77b979b7 he was on 13b0c8c91f the brink of 6a24ef126b losing control.80a48d2f5d20284b

Not everyone in 9549edaeee those areas was 82888c9916 like Kang I-won. Most Espers desperately sought b90ab7a112 out Guides, trying to 0e3bfefac7 take advantage of any 51a40ce242 opportunity to receive proper 60958d92cc Guiding.de0509e2ca187744

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