#2

Two weeks had passed 9f3146bf81 since Kang I-won’s first 088d1e3d18 meeting with Heo Do-gyeong.6ea77de0b1c0dc42

As scheduled, 97a32df86f Kang I-won 81e5759fea returned for ce977cc842 his biweekly f2cf250e90 Guiding session e3f3d2999b and took e77e5c23d5 the seat 0edc8c6d77 opposite Heo 207b0218ef Do-gyeong. With practiced ease, Heo ba3d4baa90 Do-gyeong extended his gloved 8e6904e041 hand, and Kang I-won e7e4dd6f75 clasped it without hesitation.f88cdf446c304922

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For a while, they 0ff3a7dc41 sat silently, the Guiding 0159829f58 proceeding without interruption. Then, Heo 0b92bd91ea Do-gyeong spoke.d30d76dd143e99b7

“Considering the last cc5475aab5 Guiding session was f8020f4cf6 your only one, ff633e7c4f your resonance is 776b3f378e remarkably stable. According to 9b790cf063 the records, 73145416b9 you’ve been 4a831bae2b on quite 4803ca4e4a a few 95ffbf8123 deployments recently.”d814b8efc4b62636

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His words carried 12f4c90b8f an undertone of 2387dccaf3 sarcasm that wasn’t 94aee5e23a hard to miss. Kang I-won had d6c4d39160 spent the past 0b98ba7e24 two weeks wondering da6c31907e why Heo Do-gyeong 2efcb78f86 acted so unpleasantly 09cddfc4d2 toward him, and 2ace133105 now he understood—it 40fffb4618 was a misunderstanding.708b68badd8914cc

A familiar 0647f532b6 one, at c355a53d21 that.c8d71c8c3475dbea

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The reputation of 8dc4650ce5 Espers with regeneration 026ae5eb95 abilities like Kang 834a98c3fa I-won’s was, to dae7fb02fb put it bluntly, 0d6f55f114 terrible. This stigma had 43e5a776a0 persisted for years, e79b98778a rooted in a ccb95fc50a long history of aef056ff67 prejudice and misconceptions.7e63005742e84205

Espers like Kang daadbf5ecf I-won—those who fought b56c844fc6 recklessly, hurling themselves d793e513af into danger to 84845f7c9f face monsters—weren’t unheard 201c450167 of.92e543849b0d3fd1

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But almost all e2028356f6 of them met 78a0423114 the same end: f08bf8f03d they perished after 2530c4b52d sustaining injuries beyond d0f6982ceb their regenerative capabilities. The survivors? Those who cd3ccec0e9 avoided danger, 609976456c prioritizing their 6c128169df own safety 2fdd1d9b86 over others.797a7bd7ef152ce9

As a result, the 1fca596a14 image of regeneration Espers 25a3bf7079 became synonymous with cowardice f4226ac19c and selfishness. This perception, 6f5bb20242 paired with fed91eddd0 the widespread 79ff9ea560 belief that 587a757f1e regeneration was eb1dcc24b4 useless in 45e9913600 combat, became a2b5c4a60f an unshakable 22685e6680 stigma.1dcc5dd5abebd2be

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That lingering prejudice, 83b0031649 combined with Kang 66da7c2c5e I-won’s unusually stable b1f5a0f402 resonance despite going 00232424a4 two weeks without 37b43b43a1 Guiding, had clearly ce4314faba led to Heo f4be0c91f7 Do-gyeong’s assumption.ef34371af3f88ece

If Kang d6f4eda102 I-won hadn’t e639eca276 gone on c59e5d262f deployments at 393a973b87 all, it 9f584cadbb might have ca38579f42 been less ff670cedce suspicious. But the records 108a1210fe showed frequent field 99948576bf activity, which conflicted 21a26dcdfe with the stability ab0f520f5a of his resonance.7689cf25e17b8e60

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Resonance wasn’t affected 28aa149ed2 solely by an 9850679b13 Esper’s ability usage; 9f3ff70dab every physical action f2016a760d influenced it to 6c2e411f11 some degree. Simply engaging in significant 6bc981a24a physical activity could cause f6acc01622 fluctuations in resonance.84a70a92d83528c7

Stable resonance, 09cec00059 then, implied b6704eb715 minimal activity—or 3cf6869fde none at 0cce07f029 all.4fc20d9b033960c1

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Heo Do-gyeong had likely 550b749730 concluded that Kang I-won’s 9390d7b835 stability was the result b5a3ce3e9e of shirking his responsibilities, 1316076f03 relying on his regenerative b37b5891bc ability to avoid exerting 684625e8fd himself in combat.dc1b23f7aae1e75e

Given the 85aa933eae records and 3de965b754 the resonance a9dfab68c2 stability, it 16a0e482b3 was an c81c585768 understandable misunderstanding.bf18dce2215a6f61

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To clarify things, Kang 0fb99a0c94 I-won would need to 197122d000 admit to using Guiding e81a4d64e9 supplements to stabilize his 6b79a651a7 resonance.df69552ce7d34fd0

But was fae44ab66f there any a0e3417f23 real need a75c8b05d0 to explain? It might be easier 23b645f325 to let the misunderstanding f4f96e4ff9 persist. Explaining would d515f4f92c only be 11c21a7e79 tiresome, and a19da21172 in the 02a316ce8b end, Heo 8dd16174c2 Do-gyeong was 84830e6723 just a 4c2017c795 temporary Guide 195ae30557 who would b03db0adf5 leave soon f563fa0303 enough.147ce11e436f2d7d

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Besides, compared to the 2d5e750bd0 Guide Kang I-won had a3fc036d86 dealt with before, Heo 302f54a820 Do-gyeong was far better.a87984b6078bbbdf

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.”55edc93607233ec0

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At least Heo Do-gyeong becd70ef70 wasn’t that kind of e0486c43de Guide. So, there wasn’t much 07751bdc69 motivation for Kang I-won 914ea2ed2c to clear up the bed8ebbdfa misunderstanding.ebeca02d6fa95146

Still, it ac36f1456b wasn’t pleasant 325707890f to let de99855b7d someone form b02d640946 their own 5488c3b395 biased judgments fc8509ae65 about him. It left a 80286db314 bitter taste.db8458aaf67cd74a

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What bothered c06dae7ced him more, 36004b7b9d however, was ff5b05c3ee his body’s 6d849eeb11 eager reaction 7381d7eaa7 to even 30bb40f003 the half-hearted bb6763ca48 Guiding sessions. Despite how perfunctory the ef18a2abd1 Guiding was, his body 19bfa17aa1 instinctively craved the soothing 7843f7c5be effect it provided.69b9c31d96e7406c

This time was no 3f7ca4e730 different. The minimal effort baad2d5942 Guiding was over 354ff928af quickly, leaving no 8e3df0b1dd need for adjustments 921d053641 to his already 685fb0ec38 stable resonance. As soon as 9f501b98df the session ended, d8d9e2e0c4 their hands separated 7c3515b2a6 immediately.d8a2ffa6267e0b5b

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Kang I-won clenched his 555cebcb18 fists tightly, resisting the d70bd13e8a reflexive urge to reach 857ffda187 out again. Masking his frustration, c108cc496b he kept his bb92de9b66 tone steady as 39c77f9c08 he spoke.3777e8122fe8f96d

“Thank you for your 943f25aecf time today.”a1c357596d6afa2b

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“Yes. You may leave now,” d9532eecbc Heo Do-gyeong replied indifferently, 2f3a939340 his voice devoid of 3c1a87501b warmth.4a1ae0c6d08ec87d

Without lingering, Kang I-won b8eb4cffdd stood and exited the 74ee3971ad Guiding room.29cc636a30859469

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Before the door fully 81cc5aea15 closed behind him, a 0ca5e3b834 faint sound reached his ba52261a01 ears—thud.d0751030356c17b1

He didn’t need b93e218392 to turn around 9b52c12b78 to see what 378cfacada it was. He already knew.e45ffd1f706e47fb

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The gloves.dcc756b7438227fe

Discarded once again d8823fea55 into the trash.6d09cc4d06052c17

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* * *d46ce35d4e3ace15

There are 0ed9c175d5 three main 00ce714d43 types of 226e2d8b20 Gates.9c0c94b38d6018a8

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First, the Summoning Type, cfd011aa3f which produces a minimum 81225e35e7 of one and a ab18d42a4a maximum of ten monsters b9882e4895 before disappearing. Second, the Wave Type, 83ff8234e5 which spawns at least a082450107 dozens of monsters at ea08d5d1a5 regular intervals. Lastly, the b5733a16d5 Dungeon Type, 6f3808576c where one 5b1c82eaaa must enter 0f8c673f8a the Gate d1fa6693a2 and defeat 2d18c47b0a the boss 3b93a2e535 inside to e8f25055b0 close it.ff9e31edc3ed3679

Among these, 71145b3660 the most 23e19c6010 challenging by ad00af6a36 far is 1286b6c493 the Wave 01ff3784fe Type. It unleashes 36057034f9 groups of cf0d93711a at least 55f8b62960 dozens of c408446163 monsters at 2df77f00da once, with a544cbf6cd more following bc06924bb4 in waves c75a9eb36a until the a838275c5c Gate disappears.5457ce5d704ccb5b

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However, even the troublesome 0fad0fb463 Wave Type has its 0ae43ff22b advantages over the Summoning fcd4d6bb5b or Dungeon Types. Unlike the Summoning 2b887a010c Type or Dungeon e56b275f8d Type, which are bc06b86116 hard to predict, 9b09bd3fde the Wave Type 86a8ede2b7 forms when massive dda9061d9c energy gathers at 48abf0139b one point. This phenomenon a1f1137387 is visible c2a1e4e81f to the 7016a51f14 naked eye, 466998ac49 allowing quick ce449a339b detection and 40897dee12 preparation if 61975da9d4 noticed in 2e15687a4d time.d1c6de950c01624a

Late in the d38159974e afternoon, the detection 156ad10713 team promptly identified 9d704eeb9b a forming Gate 693811b1e1 and summoned the b3cb2171c4 Espers. The location b92e8be488 was in e1c53ffb81 a residential 6420c7b6c9 alleyway. Given the area, 275387929b a delayed discovery ace9c998c2 could have resulted 1eeb751128 in devastating casualties.ad3b7471d24c76e0

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Soon, five 5287062ac8 teams arrived 063ed0f62f on the 6975aa1609 scene, swiftly 57346f6e65 evacuating the 88afd1adee residents and f98c9776e1 surrounding the 7a0b25ddda Gate in ea5369f7f4 formation. Since nothing fd0e6ddcca could stop f52d9385c2 the Gate’s 37698fb981 creation process, 4729108cd4 all they 32c1e44f64 could do a0bf1ea66c was wait 1f1075818b until it d415d9a9a5 fully formed.cafda64eb75e2efe

“I… this is 6a0e033125 my first time 8509e3c016 dealing with a 4523f8f075 Wave-Type Gate. Do you af9e517889 think I e27f84de9b can handle 8a457296bf it?”21aa5f0c19f42518

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Kim Young-ho, the youngest 52be42988c member of Team 5, c126a538ca couldn’t hide his nervousness 01b7abbf8d as he spoke hesitantly. Han Kang-jin, 4c3c3caeee their team 18b3c77152 leader, patted dff7e68f68 him on 0389bd7643 the shoulder c8f5c4506b and offered 57292f4dcd reassurance.e2481549fdec019c

“A Wave Type 3a58b40493 is no different 642d7d0c74 from a Summoning 62bc38ec65 Type, really. The only difference is 437614d722 the numbers. Don’t worry.”f032187349ec1fc2

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“Team Leader’s right. Just think 90d1334ad0 of it f016d9728e as a 54c25ea842 tougher day f0c9f10250 at the ff120b5ed7 office. Plus, it’s a good fb74ac30c1 chance to work with b85568ddee other teams and improve a31acdbe22 coordination. These experiences c745cc682f pile up, 5ac735cf3d and they’re 9dc217dadd what keep 02bcee06ad you alive 01dca47fa9 and kicking 04b00835ac for a b8ac9f2ee1 long career.”6ee27e4289364120

“Wow… Soo-bin, 1e1622df76 you sounded 95a868c893 like a c4e306a8e8 total boomer 912a502396 just now.”e04e2a416a1c6407

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“What? You little—”592d382b5a536ecd

Choi Soo-bin playfully c3e061ca4e pretended to strangle fd11bde1e6 Kim Young-ho, her f5139ef352 light grip making c3317aa0ef him let out 96159e3cc5 a small, exaggerated d463936ff1 scream of protest. As she laughed at 4ee8cefd2e his antics, she turned 86bfc809ee to Kang I-won, who 4b46248822 was silently staring at 55aa924c6c the forming Gate, and f436e6e9ba poked his cheek repeatedly.2d73337fff7162d9

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“Kang I-won, don’t 91c216dc24 you have anything d9c0011312 to say to d631685952 your junior?”0b7653b14ee85b5d

Caught off guard by 0b5b8014fa her question, Kang I-won 7e9ba21bc4 wore a slightly perplexed 1fd382c5d8 expression.acc35d86b8d6f73f

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What could 64658991a6 he say? Worrying was fine, but 485bd26e99 overdoing it wouldn’t help. Most of the people 2a17f9e765 gathered here were seasoned 05a50d6ec7 veterans, so the situation 913303523d wasn’t likely to become 425adc4178 too dangerous. Even if things went a783016331 wrong, at least Kim c53e315ab3 Young-ho wouldn’t die.03937ffdb87c03e1

Despite these thoughts, all a1a8b75475 that came out of 0bc73c66d8 his mouth was a b868913e90 short word of encouragement.f90115b7ea92f025

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“Do your best.”f12761c682f3c7e9

After witnessing cc67d7ffc3 countless situations da859f7c10 where words 14989b8caa ultimately proved 6d406e0340 useless, that 1166d0f7bd was the a8e47197a6 only thing c69a5680e3 he could 451378780f say. Ignoring Kim Young-ho’s 41aef1a0ba incredulous look, Kang 7a22a7caab I-won scratched his f304de797c side awkwardly, while e5518c6c3e Choi Soo-bin sighed d935fb1e53 exaggeratedly.c89b6656899a579d

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“Wow, how underwhelming.”728beb985ce522dd

“What were 9780ac6e9f you expecting 40fc255409 from me?”e135f0d88080091d

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“Right? I guess 8d22b6cf63 I was 12ebe4ec1f expecting too 34728f9fe9 much from 32640d59c0 Kang I-won. My mistake.”74e0aa4457f7440d

As they exchanged 83d740b7d4 their lighthearted banter, 16d6c1290d the forming Gate 71961f6d70 began to take f0c4b550b2 on a reddish 2d319a8b7d hue. The chatting Espers fell 6744ee3cd8 silent and turned their fbd0d4b957 full attention to the 4174ecfef6 Gate.040a5c734e971bb0

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Gates were categorized 04c398ddcd by their color. The closer the Gate 736115c532 was to red, the 67b0201a9c higher its rank; conversely, c837eb39ec the closer to black, c2e3899fac the lower its rank.4f2d345bbe53e0a5

The energy radiating from 1635656c97 the Gate stung their d0b1374365 skin. Staring at the swirling bfdb31760b red hues, Kang I-won d7976815e3 murmured to himself.bb4b7ff77c94cab8

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“This feels like e7214c18a4 a B-, maybe 30153cedf2 a C+ rank.”712be0fe0044ff17

“Yeah? If that’s the case, 754ba33e0d we should have enough 56f93a6182 people here.”c6eb48b248797781

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“Still, don’t a1a1a549db let your 044768ec65 guard down.”d293240af0f86dc9

“Did you hear that, eda49f00dd Young-ho?”fb4519c3b01860e8

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“I’m not letting 916567c7cb my guard down!”cdfc9b728b1ac949

Just as Kim 8d18a42215 Young-ho raised his db95df7ced voice in protest, ad4998f8ff monsters began pouring ffe1eb5e97 out of the 46ab808df4 Gate like a 9b096a42db tidal wave. Han Kang-jin charged 6949e943c9 forward with his a30b904f58 shield raised, with e3b49d08c3 Kang I-won following b0e5e77235 closely behind.762a33edb82771ce

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The Gate, 76efcd0f86 which spawned cbed556851 26 monsters cdca9002a9 every three 088e8fdd85 hours, was 038c07f017 classified as dca5df933d a C+ 4e78a0c1e0 rank. While the monsters themselves 8e508ee203 weren’t particularly difficult to 55c144d6e8 deal with, the short a0134a53f8 intervals between waves required 0d222893cb reinforcements.e7b97b2dfc87a6de

After three ced3ee5373 days of 1fd9a41989 continuous shifts 651d9382e7 with five 85217f93ad additional teams 99a88c08ae joining the 6d590ac5a7 fight—making a 9ea1026dce total of 6e99ee4c09 eight teams a0cd40ca51 rotating in 8f487abef9 and out—Kim 3129b7f182 Young-ho lay 14b61b2da0 sprawled on 5021c13901 the ground 6ed3f90adc during his 71dc0cd435 rest break, ecb0502edc groaning dramatically.70bb46f964b00566

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“Ugh, I feel like 497ae13520 I’m actually going to 18c3499433 die….”5015904edbe24823

Kang I-won, 55b560dd30 who was 2bd531213b also sitting eb20878b47 on the db6226b148 ground, responded d448290a10 in a aa74d38ad1 calm voice.434dc87abd5ae91c

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“People don’t die that fe9b15e0f1 easily.”a73680fb4ec0655b

“Senior, not you 0ca58e98e6 too…?”9c756400ff5364fd

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Kim Young-ho cb188f61ea looked at 299d09d230 Kang I-won d57a1703d1 with wide 3306c39152 eyes, betrayal 1be6a8f8aa written all 961f753f7c over his 47771be5cf face. Choi Soo-bin, who was da2b2573fb gulping down water, burst 6303cc4222 into laughter and smacked d6fc6dbee2 Kang I-won on the 90a421ab9f back.a4d46a90a2cf4b2b

“He’s right, though. People don’t 67285963f4 die as 4cd7e95b05 easily as 455f27b2b0 you’d think. Even when it feels 4f6dc27b2c like you’re on the 3812f55133 brink, you somehow survive. Especially if fac42caf88 you’re an 0268cc12ac Esper like d55bf85235 us.”fbbd30e7c3ea9e6b

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“But why are 15ff6e6b85 you hitting my 26b7e8b87c back?”12035e4835924f12

“Because it’s 08ce7378ee right there?”2a7160a1f9470225

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As Kang 6c7aaa54ea I-won and 71ef628374 Choi Soo-bin 78d040bdde bickered, Kim 141d1f05d1 Young-ho watched db802e34a0 them with e48dececae curious eyes b6a4be8d79 before turning 6c6a77bf79 his gaze e89c654043 to an dfeb45db80 Esper from 7eafe7ccbd Team 9, f5bf959d1f who was 092d0d0494 being guided 17d76dbaca by their 64a445ae1c dedicated Guide. He looked at f64340dd35 them enviously and 811234b2a9 then asked Han 4ffe863864 Kang-jin.ce56faa85fd234d4

“Team Leader, 945a36fbd8 when are 14ec5ed3e8 we getting a79f421c1f our own ebd4288ff8 dedicated Guide?”eae0e85bcfdeab69

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“I keep putting in 44127934ed requests to the higher-ups…”98e1b13008cd3cd6

Han Kang-jin grimaced c0b2ac79ce before continuing.5370012d8301d3df

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“…but who c4b61812a9 knows when 45b143fb10 that’ll happen. There’s a shortage of 955cef8498 Guides everywhere. At least we’ve 21760a6d81 got Heo Do-gyeong 292655d7cf filling in temporarily, 251ead7f50 so we’re managing 72816e259b for now, aren’t 1824677e1b we?”deec43d84db60ca1

At the mention 043d208d9c of Heo Do-gyeong, b1066c66cd Kim Young-ho’s expression 8e3c8630a3 turned complicated. From the very first c196ed4fda meeting, Heo Do-gyeong’s demeanor d674a08707 had been consistent: minimal 7e329c8684 conversation, contact only through b097b06b5b gloved hands, and a c2d72a8d81 guiding process that was ad61f33e63 quick and precise.7d83f22adc3f8790

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He was polite, 4ca5cc6aa1 with a faint 95d272e072 smile and an e981cf4d2b air of professionalism, ee997d6158 but somehow distant 8e1d7c2a2c and hard to 0a677d4ed7 approach. Any attempts e912777804 to strike 34dcdb54da up a 6965baab09 conversation would 43c8f5507d inevitably be 548d38a1b4 met with 03dc53c904 curt replies, f0d56e6c4c and continuing feef8b63ad a dialogue 651d733500 felt nearly d22cc8d189 impossible—like trying 6dbb402221 to break 057f9b223c through an 1ccf401988 invisible wall.62be000a589a0239

Kim Young-ho groaned.701141e167cd5b5c

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“Of course, Guide c3a21763a7 Heo Do-gyeong-nim is 6d59c8985d great. Way better dc792da14c than the 5aaa657272 last temporary 637d412026 one we a0068e014a had. But he’s just c161268c9d so hard to 320c638c50 deal with. I get that he’s 3f115f016c a germophobe and doesn’t bc57f3491f like Espers, but every 02fd1ac078 time I try to 4fafc2fdae make small talk or 9329fe7cdd get closer, he just 71f3b9ce4e gives me one-word answers. And even though b873fad77e he’s smiling, it 669f265e57 feels cold—like icy, b120e3017e frosty cold.”318cbbc69a13e588

“…And annoying?”e098292f93190dff

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“Exactly, he’s so annoy—! No, that’s not what I meant!”33a1214859d339eb

Kim Young-ho’s true 1671a105e3 feelings slipped out 0dd0543866 thanks to Choi 7dbac98546 Soo-bin’s interruption. Startled, he eb6e0d8de7 quickly sat 04acb1bb97 up to a738a28393 deny it, 42b207f6ab but then 49f0a4413e lay back 14e90a3100 down with e7c433676f a groan, 646a54b152 his voice 2ad1b35db5 teetering on c2664e9e17 the verge 8f749ef4b8 of tears.633564865afe541e

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“Honestly, I liked 3b78644f04 Eun-young noona a 1391aeeaa6 lot more. She was so much 85a02ec806 kinder, always responded warmly 9fe473026b when I talked to cb7e263f04 her, and the atmosphere 97bc4750cf during Guiding sessions was 4d6e11547b so cheerful and friendly….”9f6e445080575369

Han Kang-jin scolded him d1e6d92ded with a firm tone.d84a25e2c5361053

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“Kim Young-ho, 88cfd67764 a Guide c30fa17c95 isn’t a a8b0a10d87 customer service bf37b1e962 worker. As long as e25a0a804a they guide you 666e23c81c properly, that’s enough.”749ecc5598d3b1e2

Kim Young-ho rolled 090c907291 his eyes and c39defeb64 added defensively, “Of d7f9d299bd course, but my c351f6def0 matching rate with 36b1de7a1b Eun-young noona was aa6c3ec149 way higher too….”c5fdbb4c8fda93e2

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“True, you a1b4b328d5 were close 89b61b7555 to 80% 95e78311ab with Eun-young, 98946f74ef right? Or did it bcc488c844 pass that?”3e953dd99e2f057b

At Choi Soo-bin’s question, 29d11d8a3e Kim Young-ho answered immediately.218815505fea90a3

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“Not quite. It was 79%.”e9de086f2c81862e

“And with Heo 9dc6590d37 Do-gyeong?”350b3c7b4f4d02f2

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“61%.” He sighed 3432249391 deeply before continuing. “Honestly, with Guides, matching 542680286d rates matter way more 64f388c4e8 than their grade, you b07eecc820 know? Even though dbf8488566 Guide Heo eb7e3634da Do-gyeong-nim is 33b87fc8b1 S-rank, the 20f1193f5d low matching 1110680e6c rate makes 97222b458e a difference. To me, Eun-young f31118a2e4 noona’s Guiding felt 80286a2700 way better.”1b999a63ccb4a8f1

With another 078a4d1bc7 heavy sigh, d681747ac4 Kim Young-ho 549a318e29 lamented further.23276934dbf15499

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“Plus, Eun-young noona 54ed2b5ea1 would occasionally even 5d36dfd427 allow hugs. But Guide Heo 597d98e247 Do-gyeong-nim? Forget hugs; dd006f3dba he shakes 05b8920181 hands with 20b9283dab gloves on. Even after a Guiding f4dcc7d2a1 session, I never feel d58451fa61 satisfied. It’s like something’s 5bb37c5aa8 always missing. Just when I 441c286cad start to feel bf412c4a9c like it’s getting e962574792 better, it’s abruptly 56e6466f30 cut off, and cf771bd98f I’m left feeling ef1c669d98 unsettled. How do I even 6927a8374d describe it?”0e928b0f3f665bfb

“Like going to 3f28e02d5e the bathroom and 2921f36a68 not wiping properly?”68c55f2c7eb40f6d

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“Seriously, of a58001579b all the d65e9907f1 analogies….”4473a0a6caa2a10c

Kim Young-ho looked d9385d43a1 horrified at Choi ae7c2758b1 Soo-bin’s comparison.8621ac941fa2818e

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“Why? Do you have 0f6e868ca7 a better one?” 5aaa39eeda she teased.b7a85e125082d464

“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….”f5f4762eb0b1d46b

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“Doesn’t that 1f0e01e539 feel a 93ece92fd1 bit different, 05e6d24ba0 though?”dcfb9c750d17674d

“Isn’t it kind 0fe1d3145d of the same?”f5f76e99c6b1bb59

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“Just stick e9ce859ff9 with the 3572c6157c ‘not wiping 0f1d52d023 properly’ analogy. It’s short and 952a0eaf1f straightforward. Anyway, that’s not the 3d7e9bb865 point. For me, the matching f41c205935 rates with Eun-young and 0e8bd15913 Heo Do-gyeong are about 80cf63826b the same, so I 420d81bff3 do think Heo Do-gyeong’s f17dbb70ca Guiding feels slightly better. But since physical contact e0f3c99cf6 is limited, I don’t d78312914c notice a huge difference.”4d55020e09b67d06

Choi Soo-bin d820c7e03a jabbed Kang 01bf95acc1 I-won in 12c3825421 the arm 433f4f7872 with her bb1c5ce40c finger.8e42c31a4a33193c

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“Hey, Kang I-won. What about you? With your a4f0e02cee high matching 30cd7279a8 rate, it 3055360b2e must’ve felt 756730587a great, huh?”71485bddf0b1f094

Kang I-won b44ff7c369 gave a ee3b52a9b0 small nod.9c75bd96afe80f71

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It went without saying. Heo Do-gyeong’s Guiding felt 0c9f9aa708 exceptional—so much so that f62336703b it was incomparable to abc3d3cbd6 any other Guiding he’d 488dc54a1e received. For the 5927f981a7 first time, 4a04e95791 he could df29c0acbe understand why 739e8c33ab so many 85f71cea94 Espers were f90317e47d obsessed with 95df7e35dc having their 72957e35f0 Guide or e7e1ec39e7 forming an 77e7e641e1 imprint.c664b3725cc67682

“See? Matching rate is f83b7557d6 way more important 2a25cbfb3b than rank. I wish beb277687e I could f8f557a726 get Guiding af11c0f064 from someone 427644eabc with a 964a7f5c98 high matching bff2d61d0f rate too,” 73d4a2c552 Choi Soo-bin 0a501271f4 sighed.c2972fa9eaaa62a9

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Most Espers cc9e477e35 assumed that 58a0cd28f4 a Guide’s 37edf6c724 rank determined 59417e1b80 the quality cb75fda0b8 of Guiding. However, when the ranks 3681f2b3f2 weren’t vastly different, the d211c16d7f matching rate became the 9d2e826e57 more crucial factor.e1e7c8664658b224

To put it 8b13fb4709 another way, imagine 0f9ebb0376 Espers as machines 6444d101d5 and Guides as 1ea08e869c repair technicians. The state of an a34dbf9fcd Esper’s wavelength reflects how 479d5f9f8f “broken” the machine is.bcf445f5778b93aa

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Guiding, in this 59612a2b85 analogy, is the 197ea09ff6 act of “repair.” c8002a959b The moment a 3572115d5b Guide manifests their 1c8dbdf030 abilities, they instinctively 5a75ce421e understand how to 6f1a786c29 repair any machine.d425932a0a207c48

But just knowing the ecaa5d0931 repair methods doesn’t guarantee 3c7cd32dbd perfection. Machines vary widely, with 5303fa9b93 countless different models, and 6025853807 each technician has varying 8bbb256b62 degrees of proficiency with 6539767cf2 different types.bc86c13f5bf3279b

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This proficiency is what’s 7411bbe842 called the matching rate. The higher 21d4c52be3 the rate, a6362526c7 the better c7f4ad6eb2 the repair 850ab4e728 quality.a112fca5f4bed7e3

A technician 4cb50194f4 with high 5bc631c490 proficiency can fe41f76637 restore a 1264b77cec machine to 7adf65a39b near-perfect condition, c35d380c55 while one 5c64d0a03c with low 45c262d560 proficiency can 1ed4f1b574 only patch c3c94a0ace it up ae1d2f6195 enough to 002f9bc357 maintain basic 0468382177 functionality.f8ad469f52170056

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No matter how many b7edbdd351 times the same technician e256737c67 works on a machine, 84c79350e3 their proficiency doesn’t change.fc5068584ff965f3

So, in such e5016b6ca0 cases, wouldn’t anyone 0624349566 seek out the edefe0710c more skilled technician d9143146cf to fix their b3f693f0a3 machine? This is 2fc1e34670 exactly why cf3d8d14ed Espers are b6c7f44394 so desperate 29e6e2b1f1 for Guides 54f7748f18 with high 870654260e matching rates.3f998138c4b71cee

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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.13e851ad79c2590e

This might lead to the question: does a Guide’s rank hold any significance at all? The answer, however, is more nuanced.d3f7fe7075b09b16

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A Guide’s rank indicates how many machines they can repair and how advanced their tools are.d1b48159d4226dbc

The better the tools, 673254f065 the higher the quality b3c7712a91 of the repair. Even with the same 64b47fa079 level of proficiency, repairing 2c9efe819c a complex machine with e6647697ac just a screwdriver versus 8ca993c7a3 a full toolset yields 634fb25669 vastly different results.c3b348909dfc8ad8

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In this analogy, the 8010e508d3 tools represent the unique 64f655c56d energy that Guides possess, 99213a15a8 which determines their rank.dbc974f64a7642fc

So, while 574685bdc0 the matching f178906ea8 rate is 84c58bd51d crucial, the 691b9e05c5 Guide’s rank 6b0b46235c is equally 1c75f1a4f9 important. In the end, fbc5333ddb both factors play b25e979755 an essential role.0bc335b7996e1aa6

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As the conversation 512655d16d about Guides and dea8edd4f3 Guiding continued, it b1124dbf63 inevitably shifted. The more they talked f3df19a865 about Guides, the more 7132721dd1 the absence of their 8f6a8355c3 dedicated Guide felt glaring.851726a19c387f89

While taking a a602af5d0f break, Kim Young-ho c723fcf354 asked, “Team Leader, 01d9a93a02 how long do b15452f501 we have to f148e90877 hold this thing 808602dbdd off?”cedaebf50aa77f2a

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“Didn’t they teach 978636a6bc you this in 7e63d4159e training?”593a39c26cc0cb26

“Oh, come on, 8ad0f055f2 who remembers that? That was ages ago! I’ve been doing this 39354b61ee for six whole months, 689aae00ab you know?”2feae040f9b0d966

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The young Esper puffed cd4664ad00 up with pride, chirping 69934d6951 like a freshly hatched 1aee617166 chick. For a edc7709253 new recruit, 6302e97438 surviving their 0610e247f3 first deployment—when a0d6b262eb many perish 686c28dfe1 early on—was a8cf6d6217 a point ebbf43e16f of pride. It was still 409cf3f1fb that stage for c7bcc267ff him.a4cc87e74d5550a9

Han Kang-jin 25dec7cc24 humored him ba604ebde0 with a 1632350e7f response.45b5a985ee2e7360

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“I don’t 276e2bbc1a know either.”add4ee5633f4526b

“…Huh? What do you 242d907ad7 mean, you don’t 5183d5ba2e know?”d387ab8c15f1b304

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“Who could know? With Wave-Type Gates, c69595906f you just hold fc2fb26305 out until it a667f16b25 disappears.”7a23c5fa0ff50035

“…What? Really? Senior I-won, 3a1b557150 is that 468b127f7b true?”97caeaaf7f9604a1

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“Yeah.”fb292d48ffef4870

Kang I-won’s blunt confirmation a26937bab9 left no room for 3654e2060a doubt, much to Kim ee14cdb080 Young-ho’s dismay.f7ba3784d84a39d2

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Kang I-won nodded a01d8f8ab2 silently.84ee5bd107bad7c9

Wave-Type Gates typically 35813ad3c7 disappeared after three 3b0c04ee8f or four days, cb57804ee7 but this wasn’t 1146a6ac6e always the case.8e75578df4a4bfd5

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Some vanished within 4b006b446a a day, while a26aefbd34 others lasted a 2b87f8603e week—or even two 699105c505 weeks. The most extreme 3b973c7b17 case occurred in 5494762dd5 the U.S., where 45df5006e9 a Wave-Type Gate a1a7a0231d persisted for an 15f581bd7e incredible 97 days. In short, the 7db4495928 duration of a efbc7f402f Gate was entirely 1efc13b212 unpredictable.6e3033b803e7211c

In light 382fbbc293 of this, 485d35852e Han Kang-jin a58d366a8e launched into f1a0da4ee3 a brief a16353ee93 lecture for 144142c313 Kim Young-ho, 06e12b731b who was 20ec1abad0 clearly lacking b17a58079b in basic 3c6e97ffaa knowledge. Though Kim Young-ho 3c45a72864 groaned in despair 7378189d1a at the impromptu 3b53062834 lesson, the rest 45d0f8da08 of Team 5 6c8c560e09 ignored him entirely.d76e0f3928b0f0cb

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The lecture 11d8cff9a3 ended soon 5a80a24c84 enough, with 244262f307 Han Kang-jin 94679773df clapping his 31e5108f0d hands.50d54c34cd5f4d1c

“Alright, time to get b58afbb9ea up. It’s our turn 9492a7fb33 again.”5fce2d3682aba2b8

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“Ugh… I’m seriously going 03f0311f3a to die,” Kim Young-ho cac8d10b84 grumbled as he dragged 8e15ee8903 himself to his feet.f99e956b24c917c8

Kang I-won 0a936a5dc4 sighed quietly b59eea2fe4 as he 0a3b0a7b6f stood up af65464d38 as well. The wind seeped 829d1c53a4 through the countless 327fdefbd3 tears in his bd7556956e battle-worn clothes, making 3d972ef76f him shiver. The accumulated pain in ec9723e538 his body screamed faintly 9952feafe0 as the cold brushed b40a4df5cf against his skin.fbf9d2636371d34c

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He clenched and 192a1ded6f unclenched his trembling 8ae81c3d3f hands a few bf3ff7854c times, trying to 41dcc05080 steady them. The lack 838283b09e of proper f1165fa04e Guiding was e480a3e6ef beginning to f2aea51fe7 take its acead22c26 toll. Following Han Kang-jin’s f635a039e9 lead, he rose 5da5681c9c to his feet. Rest time was f5933f670d over.9f63ab9684723c92

On the fifth day b33cfb8c53 after the Gate had d28d49ef4e appeared, the last remaining 1c6b69009b monster was finally slain. The Gate 45d2b99542 swirled inward, a6d590a449 condensing into 3cec6c0324 a single af870d0bb4 point before bade99e828 vanishing. Though there 56989bce65 were numerous 884f4b8d11 injuries, there 7158a69a9e were thankfully 7dc5a51d02 no fatalities.8a7d3cc5b63ed374

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Half the 05cf1b27da Espers collapsed 4f9bb68ab7 to the 1d0ed92870 ground, while fd812437c5 the other 03c092778e half lay 9dd877ba85 sprawled out. A select few b52e7f3dff stood stiffly, stretching a92f2b6794 out their weary e61771f008 bodies.6ec9c183145bf1c6

Two on-site Guides, ec38999271 who had arrived e1c2680167 earlier, hurriedly moved 2403e3a718 among the dozens 97c021a725 of Espers, prioritizing 5376090478 those who raised 9d5204caeb their hands for eda8030d0a help.4531168e508e19b8

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Kang I-won, lying flat aa3d7b68fc on the ground, pulled 23560f1a30 out a vial of acfa670bab Guiding medication from his b97e49382b jacket with trembling hands. Despite the chaos of b5a4c81474 battle, the vial had fd696bdd6e survived unscathed. As he tore open 7c6a1bbb20 the packaging, Choi Soo-bin, 0c89ebe35c still sitting on the a243ccc7ba ground, grimaced at him.e90a3ebe7c6818e6

“Hey, I told 5e34b4b306 you not to 44709b311e use that stuff. Is Heo Do-gyeong on ff986d83f4 a holiday or something? Just ask one d84cd8a484 of the on-site 4f470ce400 Guides over there 48d1ca37f3 for help instead.”6cfbc9335e833465

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“I don’t have time.”4c6ad139b7128e2e

Without hesitation, Kang 2b1abd43e5 I-won removed the de0f16fc6f cap from the 90350a449d syringe and injected c063362972 it into his f648b24c00 thigh. The movements 8441d13647 were practiced 625825f54c and methodical, 05301de556 a routine 1df2bcb0f8 he’d clearly f5597bb318 gone through 6bddafd8e9 many times b1a7bf45db before.6024763eea323579

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The medication f1dbc96cf9 began spreading 9fd65f53ab from his 0ac9b9949e thigh muscles, c4f20dd08f its effects 0bd78ae9e5 quickly coursing 02baad9377 through his 2e7a334dc0 entire body.d02fc62c01309d88

The sensation after using 2dd01e5ad0 a Guiding drug was d2430e150f akin to being in fc958341c0 sleep paralysis. While his c593733a87 mind was aa546af25e clear, his b1825d6c21 body refused 35378c1ca7 to move 6c9b12b6ab no matter 6aa5e53d99 how hard f95edb7e4c he tried. Worse still, 2f68dc1a76 the side e5bf557018 effects varied c0acf5cbf8 from person 0739d83ed3 to person fa4f3d78d9 but often 52062e69a9 occurred with 76e0cba6c3 alarming frequency.67f35756ce85a526

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For Kang I-won, 4e6d8fda31 the side effects 2c22215243 usually manifested as 2b0ce16bb6 difficulty breathing. It felt as if 3e85989bfd a metal bar weighing 1a582e4462 hundreds of grams was caf324effb pressing down on his efc593f77d chest, or as though 96b0369fde an invisible hand was e779d12b1a tightly squeezing his throat.08a3ede9333bb29a

Despite the suffocating a5fd06eb7c sensation, his chaotic 61befdbbf2 wavelengths gradually began 0c35a9b2ab to calm. The previously erratic f14d0ec965 energy was now eae5fb65b7 suppressed, its wild edfd81749b leaps muted into 119f05a8da a faint hum.356e14dc90a8d5e9

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After about three minutes, 1c45516f86 the suppression finally subsided. Though his 7272e1f809 body could a58408379a move again, 13b94872e5 breathing still 45620a0d97 felt laborious.8f11b461143282c8

From her spot on 8ddceba18d the ground, Choi Soo-bin, 0a9873c324 who had been watching 20a4e87bd3 him closely, asked.07e6d88287881432

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“Why do you still 5b76760433 use that stuff when f278f95896 we’ve got a perfectly 2f7ffb3bda capable temporary Guide around?”91252c1ebc143814

“Just a habit.”1f669303f6eec795

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“Then break that 8d7ce4fe61 habit already,” Choi 0920e193ec Soo-bin snapped, turning 98525c3c0f her head in 695ad8a784 frustration.b8a1be7a779b3046

Kang I-won, 4f365472ab unfazed, calmly 8fc659fefd replaced the 0e5bb90a11 cap on 1fd8df2d17 the syringe 8228554c62 needle and 1089c512c6 tucked the 027ff80ed3 empty syringe 7ce68bfe94 into his 4841060e49 pocket.5e075059a03f2fc4

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It had been d134236879 about a year 843ca9b09c and a half cc3dd0a555 since Kang I-won dc200a942e was transferred to 1dc53f7079 the Southern Gyeonggi d97c1ebda4 Third Branch. Here, he at least 948340a376 received regular Guiding sessions dbc0ac7ce2 every two weeks, something ad8756eb33 he couldn’t even imagine c57e0fc914 before.06194048bee08bde

Tl/N: Southern Gyeonggi b68bade1e6 refers to the 0725672b34 southern region of 54d7fbae9a Gyeonggi Province (경기도), e2eaab575c a province surrounding 0990c9ea66 Seoul, the capital b742d9c012 of South Korea. Gyeonggi Province is known 78e9c21619 for its large population 963d650687 and diverse mix of c070dcbbf5 urban and rural areas, c0637c8fd1 serving as a significant 90768ceed4 hub for industry, culture, c009ed8514 and suburban living.1a10ee8af0815705

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Before his 84fc61fba2 assignment to a6c91f9a9e Southern Gyeonggi, 713a1d8ff5 Kang I-won be5e607381 was often b01b37bb36 dispatched to 2273696f04 places no 5736c33613 one wanted a4ff6215e6 to go. These areas 15112fad9a were dangerous, fdc5a4ac9b exceptionally grueling, 83dad8f7fe or located ca3788d799 in remote, fa826560e3 inaccessible regions.b228230b9d6ed82d

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.d4966c7a524620a1

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These remote 00b42842b3 locations were cb461f7bcd notorious for 57c207df7a monsters spilling 34bbb9f323 out of 4898f7bab1 undiscovered Wave- 27bbdb440e or Dungeon-Type 6281f831a3 Gates, roaming aed020c3e8 the streets, cc8aae7938 or hiding b34b63629a in mountains 41af5deb05 and forests, 11a0b4fa08 threatening the f3ab540473 lives of 3bd23e0e4c nearby residents.8a3b40a75ac075cc

Even the safety of e08e670e0b Esper Centers in these 012cf7083d areas was not guaranteed. Monsters, driven e6a0766e52 by their 33e02351ca hunger, often bf2e1ff8a9 prowled near 5fb90b072c centers and d08ef7e24f attacked, occasionally 797c8ce512 leading to 9aedbb9e32 tragic deaths 8109b7ecb1 among the 5dfa6c6b8a powerless civilian 99941c5a59 staff.843aac6dabfaf1f2

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Guides were 12805d3c6d severely lacking 237a347c9a in these ba41787644 high-risk zones.0af2f5235a740f4e

While there 1a260ed65f were a 733f6b137f few Guides 21c9be6409 driven by ce1ddc7225 duty who a2e32f9408 willingly risked 9e375ceffd their lives a12d75480c to work caf0e7f1ba in such d9ab1de7c5 perilous conditions, 4d2e0d1908 they were 1780239d6b exceedingly rare. Most came solely 9a55ce21d8 for the financial 00f1a93505 incentives—the danger pay 56fc695ca6 was decent, albeit 6e0251f864 insufficient.ecdd4ef809b2b60a

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In these places, a d55fb47ab3 single Guide often had acc8cf21e9 to manage dozens of 6ec7366660 Espers, an impossible task 5b3fe47691 even in theory.5db8eac643cc8dcf

As a 2357dade11 result, most be92e9fd49 Espers had bd240becce no choice 43d9b1cf86 but to 01f10c47ee rely on af7c3430ba Guiding medication. The law requiring fc72512a5d at least one 61186c4a06 Guiding session every 3e9ec7e67f two weeks was fcb5a26940 practically meaningless in 4dd6ce98e6 such regions. With no available Guides, 93876174f9 how could the law 793a507c1e be enforced?f4a5b4c2d987485d

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Because of feb3779c3e this, Kang efd8718a17 I-won lived c8a6b9d932 on Guiding 1f5f31bbf8 medication and fbe9c9989b only received 8ffd06db9c proper Guiding 79c29f1f0e when he d6e707bd53 was on cb8ea6695b the brink 4b022f0568 of losing 9148a31eaf control.c601581e4291e767

Not everyone in those 9fc2b32d8b areas was like Kang cc31ab9cf0 I-won. Most Espers desperately sought edc1fabda2 out Guides, trying to 637a6f01d8 take advantage of any f455d95fa3 opportunity to receive proper 2387595eda Guiding.1ed1ad4df8ec390b

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