By Zephyria 
I clamped my mouth shut, swallowing the metallic tang spreading through my mouth.
I glared at him with a determination never to open my lips, but Vasily did not back down. He merely smiled coldly and tightened his grip on my cheek.
“Ugh!”
After a long war of nerves, I was the one who eventually lost. The moment I let out a short groan from the pain that felt as if my jaw would be crushed, blood streamed into my open mouth.
His powerful grip did not allow me to close my mouth. I struggled and grabbed his wrist to stop him, but my mouth was already filled with blood.
My Adam’s apple moved as I gulped the blood down. I could clearly feel the cold liquid flowing down my esophagus.
“Open wider. You’re spilling it all.”
“Ugh… mmp!”
“I wonder how much I should feed you… this seems like enough. But just in case, drink more.”
As Vasily spoke, he tightened his fist further. Squeeze. As he applied pressure, the thin stream of blood leaking through the gaps in his fingers turned into a thick flow.
For a long time, I remained with my mouth open, forced to drink his blood. It felt as if I had consumed an entire bottle of water, yet the stream of blood soaking my tongue did not stop for a while.
By the time the pungent scent of blood piercing my nostrils made my mind go hazy, Vasily let me go.
“Cough!”
Finally free from Vasily’s hand, I staggered and collapsed onto the ground. My stomach churned, and I felt as if I would vomit at any moment.
Barely suppressing the urge to throw up, I wiped the damp corners of my mouth with the back of my hand. My face, neck, and even my upper body were covered in blood. If I went outside looking like this, people would surely be horrified, thinking a murder had occurred, and call the police immediately.
Unlike me, who sat on the ground panting, Vasily was looking down at me, looking pristine without a single drop of blood on him. Looking up at his clean face, a sudden surge of anger flared up, and I shouted.
“Am I some kind of vampire! To make me drink blood!”
“So, how does your body feel?”
“…Tsk.”
Regardless of my anger at being forced to drink blood, my physical condition had miraculously returned to normal. Since the suppression chip had cooled down, I couldn’t even complain about that… I let out a deep sigh and spoke.
“There’s no need to drink this much. A single sip is enough.”
“I get it. I’ll adjust it next time.”
Next time?
The thought of having to drink Vasily’s blood again made my stomach churn. As I stood up with a reluctant expression and wiped the blood off my body and face, Vasily returned the medicine he had taken from me.
I glanced at his hand as I received the red pill wrapped in aluminum. Did he use his ability to stop the bleeding? There had been a significant amount of blood loss, yet it had already stopped.
Anyway, to think he’d cut his own palm to feed me blood… he really is no ordinary psycho.
“You have to enter the Gate soon; is it alright to lose this much blood?”
“Are you worried about me?”
Worried, my foot. As I scowled and glared at Vasily, he continued nonchalantly.
“This amount is nothing. If you’re worried, you can give me a bit more guiding.”
“I refuse.”
Ignoring Vasily’s nonsense as usual, I changed into a simple combat suit.
When I stepped out of the dressing room, I saw Espers gathered near the Gate, as if the conquest was about to begin. Watching them, I asked Vasily, who was following me outside.
“Are you going now?”
“I suppose I should.”
Vasily replied, straightening his slightly disheveled suit.
He glanced at his sleeve, which had been badly wrinkled because of me, and suddenly his arm reached toward me. Startled by the pale hand appearing abruptly before my eyes, I flinched, and his cool fingers lightly brushed along my neckline before pulling away. A bit of blood I hadn’t managed to wipe off was now on his fingertips.
“I’ll come for guiding tonight, so be waiting.”
Vasily said with a slight smile. He quietly departed, leaving behind a faint scent of blood.
* * *
After parting with Vasily, I wandered the site and found the tent where the temporary Guides were gathered and took a spot inside.
However, even the Guides I met only glanced at me; no one spoke to me. It seemed Vasily’s threat—that he would freeze the tongue of anyone who spoke with me—had spread to them as well. I thought it only applied to Espers and association staff, but he’s really determined to isolate me.
After being left in a corner for several hours, I felt like an outcast. To think I have to be like this for a whole week… I scowled, feeling my chest tighten already.
To make matters worse, since we were halfway up a mountain, the internet was terribly slow. I tried several times to read a webtoon but eventually gave up and put my smartphone down.
Eventually, night fell.
The place where guiding took place during the day turned into the sleeping quarters for the Guides at night. Since I was Vasily’s exclusive Guide and had nothing particular to do, I unfolded a cot and lay down early.
Vasily said he would come for guiding at night, but I didn’t know if that meant midnight or dawn. It would be best to conserve my strength before starting the guiding. With that thought, I closed my eyes in the early evening.
Vrrr.
After some time, I was awakened by the vibration of the smartphone placed by my head. Checking the caller, it was a call from Vasily.
I answered the phone in a low voice inside the quiet tent.
“Esper Vasily?”
Where are you now?
“I’m in the temporary Guide tent.”
Come outside.
Without hanging up, I quietly put on my shoes. I stepped out of the tent and looked around, but it was hard to see due to the deep darkness.
I could only distinguish objects thanks to the lights placed here and there; all that entered my sight were the deep mountains and the long shadows of the tents.
Should I go toward the Gate? Hesitating as I thought of the Espers who would be guarding the Gate with their weapons, I asked into the phone.
“Esper, where are you?”
“I’m behind you.”
“Ack!”
A cold hand landed squarely on my shoulder. Startled by the voice that came without warning, I turned around and locked eyes with Vasily.
“Please make some kind of presence! You scared me!”
“I thought I made enough of one. You didn’t notice?”
Right, it’s all my fault for having normal hearing. Clutching my pounding heart, I hung up the phone that was still connected.
Grumbling, I stole a glance at Vasily’s condition. He looked so pristine that it was hard to believe he was someone who had just come out from the middle of a Gate conquest. He looked exactly the same as before he entered the Gate, making me wonder if he had actually hidden somewhere instead of going in.
He didn’t seem injured… and judging by his relaxed attitude, he didn’t seem to need guiding urgently. However, since he’d have to go back into the Gate soon, it would be best to hurry with the guiding and send him back.
“Where would you like to do the guiding?”
“How about the place where we did it this morning?”
“Fine.”
A few people, including myself, had changed clothes as night fell, but since it was now the middle of the night and everyone was asleep, no one should be using the dressing room. When I opened the dressing room door with Vasily, the interior was indeed empty.
Stepping into the dark interior, I turned on the light and asked.
“Would you prefer it if I took off my shirt for the guiding?”
“That would be better.”
Nodding at the expected answer, I took off my top. As I set my clothes nearby and turned around, Vasily was already sitting in a chair with his jacket off.
I’m sure there was one more chair.
Looking around the tent, I found a chair in the corner and approached it.
“Is that necessary?”
As I lifted the chair, Vasily asked suggestively. It seemed he quite liked sitting me on his lap for guiding earlier.
I usually have no idea what he’s thinking, but sometimes his intentions are transparent. With a smirk, I put the chair back down and approached him. Vasily welcomed me, opening his arms as if he had been waiting.
I settled myself on his wide, firm thighs. I’m getting used to this after doing it a few times. Adjusting my posture comfortably, I hugged him and began the guiding.
Feeling his firm body and cold temperature through the thin shirt, I spoke.
“What are you doing inside the Gate right now?”
“The Espers are already about to collapse from exhaustion, so we’re taking a short break.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t just throw them away for being useless. Will you return immediately after the guiding is finished?”
“I should. I don’t think the conquest will progress without me.”
While we were talking, a cold breeze blew through a gap in the tent. As I shivered, Vasily asked.
“Are you cold?”
“Since we’re in the mountains, it’s a bit cold now that it’s night.”
The air was already chilly, and Vasily’s body temperature was low, which made it worse. In the sweltering summer, his cool temperature was welcome, but the situation had changed.
Should I cover myself with a blanket during guiding starting tomorrow? While I was seriously contemplating this, a low voice echoed in my ear.
“Sometimes I wish my body were warm, like Guide Kwon Gi-dam’s.”
Vasily murmured quietly. I remained silent for a moment after hearing his words before speaking.
“…If you receive guiding consistently, you’ll feel better than you do now.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes. So don’t be too discouraged.”
It wasn’t an answer without basis. According to my memories from before the regression, it was entirely possible.
Vasily’s body, which was initially so cold it was hard to bear, gradually lost its chill as he received guiding from me. While it might be impossible for him to possess warmth like ordinary people, reaching a lukewarm state was possible. Of course, to achieve that, the suppression chip would have to be removed and he would have to return to his original matching rate.