TGIC Ch 3

Chapter 3

I was unable to pull myself out of the shock for a moment, but I soon pulled myself together. Right. What did the rank even matter? As long as I didn’t get matched with Vasily, that was all that counted.

Comforting myself like that, I tried to calm down. It wasn’t like I would be a C-rank forever—just until Vasily got a new Guide.

‘First, I’ll wait.’

Once some unfortunate soul showed up to become Vasily’s new Guide, I could remove the chip and take the test again. That way, I’d escape the fate of being Vasily’s Guide and return to my original rank.

Of course, there was no telling when that might happen, but I had no choice but to believe it wouldn’t be long. When an S-rank Esper found a Guide, the media would make a huge deal out of it, so all I had to do was wait quietly.

After a simple examination and a brief wait, a staff member from the Association came looking for me.

“Hello, Guide Kwon Gidam. Congratulations on awakening as a Guide.”

The Association employee, dressed neatly in a suit, politely handed me a business card. Seeing that made me briefly recall the past.

Six years ago, at this very moment, I felt like I was walking on air. But now, what mattered to me wasn’t reminiscing about the past but preparing for what was ahead.

Focus on what’s coming. I accepted the business card with tension and waited for what would be said next.

“While you were unconscious, Guide Kwon, we conducted a matching rate test at the Association. We’ve prepared the profiles of individuals among the C-rank Espers who showed the highest compatibility.”

Fortunately, since Vasily’s name didn’t come up, it seemed we weren’t matched.

Haah, I visibly let out a breath of relief as I received the profiles. But before I could even glance at them, the staff member continued.

“Guide, would you consider working as a temporary Guide affiliated with the Association?”

I paused, startled at the familiar term. A temporary Guide… they were the ones I’d often seen whenever I was sent to the gates.

“A temporary Guide?”

“Yes. A Guide who is affiliated with the Association without forming a dedicated contract with a specific Esper. According to your test results, Guide Kwon, you have a high compatibility rate with the majority of Espers. Especially among C-rank Espers, you showed over 50% compatibility with most of them. That’s why we’d like to recommend you for the temporary Guide position.”

As I listened to the explanation, I rubbed the back of my neck where the suppressor chip sat uncomfortably. Maybe because I was originally an S-rank Guide, my compatibility rates were still high even with the chip in place.

Though my waves were scattered, it seemed it didn’t interfere too much in this regard.

“Temporary Guide may sound unfamiliar, but it’s not much different from being a regular Guide. You stay at the Association and provide guiding to Espers who currently lack a Guide. Occasionally, you may be dispatched near the site of an opened gate, but otherwise, the duties are mostly the same.”

“Hm…”

When I seemed hesitant, the staff member hurried to elaborate.

“Since you’ve just awakened as a Guide, wouldn’t it be good to gain some experience here while looking for an Esper to contract with? Many Guides actually meet their dedicated Espers while working as temporary ones.”

I fell into thought for a moment. I’d seen temporary Guides occasionally when entering the gates, so I had a general idea of what they did.

Just like the employee said, their main role was to provide guidance to Espers who didn’t have their own Guides. The only difference from regular Guides was that they could be dispatched to places where a gate had opened.

Of course, they didn’t actually go into the gates but waited nearby to provide guidance if requested by Espers.

“Because there’s some risk involved with going out into the field, we offer this level of starting salary.”

The employee cautiously wrote down and showed me the initial salary for a temporary Guide.

It didn’t take long to decide. After hearing about the salary, I made up my mind right away.

“I’ll do it.”

For someone like me, who had died after suffering under the wrong Esper, being a temporary Guide was actually a decent job. If I went and signed a contract with some stranger and ended up with another Vasily, it would make my return from death completely pointless. Rather than take that risk, it was better to take the slightly unfamiliar but safer route of becoming a temporary Guide.

Besides, the most intimate form of guiding as a temporary Guide was just exchanging saliva, and even that required mutual consent. If I thought of it like mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, it wasn’t too difficult to manage. Since I used to be an S-rank Guide, most of the time, a hug alone would be enough.

Occasionally going on-site when a gate opens was a bit of a nuisance, but for someone like me who had been in and out of gates daily, even the entrance area felt as familiar and comfortable as home. And more importantly, as a temporary Guide, I could earn more than I would guiding a C-rank Esper.

Good. When I first heard that I’d awakened as a C-rank, I thought I was doomed, but I guess life doesn’t always head straight to ruin.

I immediately began the discharge process.

Normally, people who were brought in due to awakening pains regained consciousness within half a day, but unlike them, I had apparently been out cold for two whole days. Though the doctor said it was unusual and recommended I stay one more day, I refused and left.

The reason was obvious. It was probably because of the suppressor chip—or maybe the mysterious pill I took after inserting it.

After returning home, I read through the job manual for temporary Guides that the Association staff had given me.

The main duties included guiding Espers without permanent Guides and sometimes being dispatched to areas with active gates. There were a few unfamiliar tasks listed as well, but most of them seemed manageable.

Well, no matter what it was, it had to be better than what I went through as Vasily’s Guide. Violent and coercive guiding, and constant training to prepare for battles with monsters. Above all, the fact that I no longer had to guide him was the best part.

After reading the job manual, I also revisited the warning sheet that came with the illegal suppressor chip.

“Side effects include dizziness, nausea, headaches, fatigue… why are there so many?”

The side effects were listed endlessly in tiny, dense print. Just reading it gave me a headache.

On the back side of the warning sheet, there was a section about the medication. No more than one pill per day. If I ran out, I’d have to purchase more, and instructions on how to buy them were included.

“A month’s supply costs three million won($2250)…?”

As soon as I saw the price, a curse left my mouth. Ten thousand won($7) per pill? For these tiny red things? Figures, it is an illegal suppressor chip. Doesn’t even list the ingredients, and it’s ridiculously expensive.

For Espers who earn hundreds of thousands with each gate, this kind of cost would be nothing—but not for me. Damn it, I’m going to have to work just to pay for pills.

“Guess I’ve got to hustle like hell…”

I finally escaped Vasily, and now it’s financial ruin? What a sigh-inducing night.

Starting today, I go to work.

I barely managed to rest for a week. I wanted to take a longer break after being tormented by Vasily up to my return, but after spending all my money on the suppressor chip, I didn’t have the luxury.

Still, I didn’t regret spending everything on that chip. Without it, I’d definitely have ended up as Vasily’s Guide again.

Before leaving the house, I brushed the back of my neck. Maybe it was the trauma from Vasily—I had developed a habit of checking the chip whenever I felt anxious.

Tap.

When I touched my neck, I could feel the slight bump. The area where the chip had been inserted was still red and swollen, like it hadn’t settled yet.

Luckily, my hair covered it well enough that it wasn’t noticeable, and unless someone touched it, no one would know. As long as nobody touched the back of my neck, I could keep this secret forever.

“Well, not like that’s ever going to happen.”

I shrugged and stepped out the door.

As I emerged from the subway station, I saw the Guide Association building directly across the street. It was a bit smaller than the Esper Association building next to it, but still large enough to reflect its status as a national-level institution.

‘This place is always packed…’

The Association was just as crowded as ever. I wove through the bustling crowd and entered the building. Handing my Guide registration card to the receptionist, I was issued a temporary access pass and directed to take the elevator up.

I watched the slowly changing numbers on the elevator display as I waited.

Even though it was my first day, I didn’t feel nervous. Compared to going to see Vasily, my steps felt practically light. This was my first time working in a job where my life wasn’t constantly under threat. It felt unfamiliar—but kind of exciting.

Just then, the elevator arrived, and the doors opened. I got in and immediately checked the floor directory on the side. One whole floor was dedicated to the Temporary Guiding Department.

‘So the team is bigger than I thought,’ I mused as I got off on the fourth floor.

The first thing that greeted me was the scent of fragrant coffee.

The second—mountains of fatigue recovery drinks and coffee boxes.

“…Should I go back?”

For a moment, I could almost see a future where I worked myself to death.