ICG 76

By following the Espers around the site, I was able to get a more detailed grasp of the situation.

Whether there had been several bouts of combat or not, all the Espers moving around the scene were suffering from injuries, some large and some small. Even a simple turn of my head revealed monster corpses that had yet to be cleared away.

“Captain! The Association has requested a report on the current situation!”

“Ignore them!”

Judging by the title the passing Esper used to address the man, he seemed to be the one commanding the site before Vasily arrived. If so, he likely had a high rank and extensive experience.

Perhaps a veteran A-Class Esper. If that were the case, I surely would have encountered him in a Gate before, but his face was unfamiliar. He probably retired or died before I met him. It hit me once again that being an Esper was a profession close to death.

As I continued walking, I eventually reached the vicinity of the Gate entrance. Right beneath the entrance lay the monster Vasily had dealt with, dead with its head pierced by ice.

Seeing it up close, its massive size and the aura it radiated were overwhelming. Even if I were reborn, I could never face such a thing alone. Every time this happened, I realized how vast the gap between an ordinary person and an Esper truly was.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why the Vasily from before my regression always took me into the Gates. Even if he trained a Guide and made them fight monsters, there was a limit to what a body that wasn’t an Esper could achieve.

“You look young. Have you only recently started your activities?”

“Yes… I awakened recently.”

Technically, since it hadn’t even been a year since this body awakened, it was indeed recent. The “activities” he was thinking of and what I was referring to were entirely different realms, but I nodded anyway.

“Then let me give you a piece of advice. If you ever go into a Gate with Vasily, do everything in your power to stay away from him.”

“…Why?”

“When you enter a Gate with Vasily, more Espers die by Vasily’s hand than by the monsters’. A C-Class like you would be disposed of right at the entrance for holding him back. I’ve seen more than a few people lose their lives with a single wave of his hand because they were in the way.”

“….”

I was speechless.

Yes, I knew. It was a scene I had witnessed firsthand numerous times. Every time, I think I struggled and fought the monsters even more desperately, thinking that I would be next.

“The Association has polished his image, but Vasily is a lunatic. Of all people, the President had to bring in a guy like that… They should send him to another country quickly, but there are still three years left on his contract…”

The Esper clicked his tongue.

I’m sorry, but that was impossible. Since I had become Vasily’s Guide, there was little chance Vasily would leave Korea.

Feeling a prick of conscience, I avoided his gaze and remained silent before asking.

“Is he still like that these days…?”

“Hmm… come to think of it, has anyone died recently?”

As expected. It seems Vasily is diligently practicing the clause in the contract stating he would not harm others.

I felt a slight reduction in guilt, but I was also disappointed. If it had come out that Vasily violated the contract terms, I might have been able to use that as a pretext to terminate the contract.

I arrived in front of the Espers who were clearing the monster corpses near the Gate.

“Do you know anything about site cleanup?”

“Do you mean the task of sorting the dead monsters?”

“Yeah. Move the valuable ones to the lab, and the ones that are heavily contaminated or useless must be thrown back into the Gate after the conquest is over. This one is useful, so move it toward the road.”

“Understood.”

It would have been much easier if there had been an Esper capable of manipulating gravity among the personnel dispatched to the site, but unfortunately, it seemed there was no such Esper here. Or perhaps they had already been injured during the battle and carried away.

Together with the Espers, I moved the monster corpses onto wheeled stretchers. Since it was a large creature, several people had to combine their strength to barely move it.

I felt a hard, heavy sensation through my thick gloves. I was careful not to get splashed by the blood that occasionally dripped.

It felt like it had been a long time since I’d used my physical strength. I continued the work, thinking that I might suffer from muscle pain tomorrow.

“Whew…”

After barely moving one to the roadside, I was about to return to my spot when I paused, noticing a monster lying next to me.

‘Why is this…’

This type of monster is known for its corpse rotting and decomposing rapidly upon death, but this individual’s hide was still intact.

Cold sweat ran down my back. This monster might still be alive.

Gulping, I quietly walked back to where the Captain had been. Fortunately, the Captain was still guarding that spot.

“…Captain.”

“What is it?”

“That monster back there, I think it’s still alive.”

“What?”

The Esper frowned deeply and whipped around. However, because there were so many corpses, it would be difficult to find the monster I mentioned at a single glance.

I pointed my finger toward a monster lying motionless on the ground in the distance.

Fortunately, the creature continued to play dead, perhaps not yet realizing it had been discovered. Because it looked perfectly dead without a single movement, the Espers and ordinary staff were passing by it nonchalantly.

“That monster usually decomposes quickly when it dies, but it’s still intact.”

“How do you know that?”

“I saw it when I entered another Gate.”

When I answered, the Captain looked at me with a puzzled expression for a moment. It must be strange that I knew the characteristics of a monster that only appears in A-Class Gates—something even he might not know. However, I had to say it this way to ensure it was handled properly without being dismissed as a mere misunderstanding.

Perhaps because it was an A-Class Gate, the monsters were intelligent and used their heads. It likely intended to escape when there were fewer people around.

“It’s a dangerous one for a C-Class, so step back. Hey!”

The Captain gestured with his chin to a nearby Esper. Communication seemed to be complete with just a brief exchange of glances.

As they told me, I quietly retreated to a safe place. Then, I held my breath and watched the Espers slowly approach, surrounding the monster with their weapons drawn.

“….”

Perhaps noticing that the atmosphere around it had turned ominous, the monster’s eyelids twitched. Soon, its half-open eyes scanned the surroundings.

The monster discovered the Espers surrounding it and tried to flee belatedly, but it was already too late. An Esper who had approached right in front of it aimed precisely at the glabella and drove the weapon in.

Thuck.

The sound of flesh being torn echoed eerily. The monster couldn’t even resist; its body shuddered as if convulsing, and then it went limp.

“Wow, this thing actually played dead. I guess there are some that use their brains since it’s an A-Class Gate.”

As the monster collapsed, the site returned to its noisy atmosphere.

“If we had sent this to the lab as is, it would have been a real disaster. Hey, C-Class, you’ve got a better eye than I thought.”

The Captain laughed boisterously and slapped me hard on the back. It would have been fine if I were an Esper, but as a Guide, I felt like my spine was about to break. I barely managed to stay standing on trembling legs and let out an awkward laugh.

* * *

The sorting of the monsters to be sent to the lab was nearly finished.

It had been a long time since I had worked this busily at a site. Espers, Guides, and Association staff had all been running around frantically, and only now, with the site somewhat organized, could they catch their breath.

I even ate dinner sandwiched between the Espers. I looked completely assimilated into the group of Espers. If someone who knew me had seen this, wouldn’t they have thought I had awakened as an Esper?

Suddenly, Vasily’s warning flashed through my mind. He told me to wait and do nothing. Although I couldn’t keep that promise, I helped with the work and even prevented an accident. I haven’t guided any other Espers… so it should be fine, right?

Becoming gradually anxious, I quietly hid in a corner of the site and waited obediently as night fell.

I wiped the monster blood off my combat suit and waited for the Gate to close. By the way, when on earth would the conquest end?

Just as I was preparing myself to spend the night here, a familiar voice reached me.

Gi-dam?”

“Ah, Guide Jo Woo-yeon.”

It was Jo Woo-yeon.

Come to think of it, while I was sorting the monster corpses earlier, the guiding tent I glimpsed as I passed by looked incredibly busy.

Jo Woo-yeon was also covered in blood, but fortunately, he didn’t seem injured. It looked like blood from the injured Espers he had been guiding. I could imagine how busy he must have been, so I intentionally didn’t ask.

Still, seeing him walking around like this, it seemed the peak of the busyness had passed. After exchanging brief greetings with Jo Woo-yeon, I asked.

“By any chance, have you heard anything about when the Gate is expected to be conquered?”

“They say the conquest is already over and they’re coming out now. They told the temporary Guides they could leave now as well, provided there are no more injured people during the conquest.”

I thought it would take a long time since it was an A-Class Gate, but the conquest was wrapped up much faster than expected.

‘Surely he didn’t overdo it again.’

Since he said he would guide me once he came out after the conquest, there was no reason for Vasily to overexert himself, but I couldn’t let my guard down. His actions were always unpredictable.