TGIC Ch 120

Chapter 120

Gidam’s pupils trembled violently. It seemed he had sensed something amiss. Vasily, fearing that Gidam might soon realize he had never entered a Gate before, hurriedly tried to soothe him.

“You were in a coma for a whole month and only woke up yesterday. Your body probably just couldn’t keep up.”

Only after Vasily’s words of comfort did Gidam, as if finally convinced, nod weakly.

Vasily felt a pang of disappointment observing the exhausted Gidam. Such a reaction over capturing a single enemy…

But, after all, today was Gidam’s first time entering a Gate. As an ordinary person with no prior training, it was natural for his body to falter. Vasily had already noticed how quickly he became fatigued even in bed; his physical weakness was no surprise.

With daily visits to the training grounds and rigorous conditioning, he could soon reach a level comparable to low-ranked Espers.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…No.”

“Oh, there’s some blood here.”

Bending down, Vasily gently wiped the blood from Gidam’s cheek. When their eyes met at close range, Gidam averted his gaze with a hint of discomfort.

Gidam had already exhausted himself; continuing the fight was out of the question. Considering his frail condition and the fact that this was a B-rank Gate, it would be prudent to start with lower-ranked Gates gradually.

“Guide Kwon Gidam, rest now. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Understood.”

“Though, would you mind standing up for a moment?”

Gidam wavered, struggling to rise. Without hesitation, Vasily opened his arms and held him close. Gidam stiffened in surprise as a powerful guiding flow coursed through him.

“Ah…”

It was warm, and exquisitely pleasant. His body felt as if it might melt away entirely.

Until now, Vasily had been content with the warmth of Gidam’s mere body, but experiencing proper guiding revealed how foolish that previous satisfaction had been. He could never go back.

With such guiding, nothing seemed impossible. Even something as grand as freezing the entire Gate…

“Stay like this for a little while. It’ll be over soon.”

“Excuse me? What…?”

Gidam could speak no further. A strong chill rapidly spread through the cave, seeping into his mouth and nose.

Ice formed from beneath Vasily’s feet, extending through the entire cavern and encompassing the Gate. Trapped in Vasily’s embrace, Gidam could see nothing, yet the resounding cracking and freezing of the ice allowed him to gauge the situation.

After some time, the distant cries of monsters echoed from deep within the Gate, only to quickly fall silent.

Vasily remained still for an extended period. Believing him still to be using his powers, Gidam kept quiet, determined not to interrupt.

“….”

Vasily embraced Gidam silently, receiving guiding, yet one concern nagged at him: Gidam’s body was beginning to tremble.

It seemed the frigid air escaping from the frozen cave was too much. For an ordinary human, it might have been unbearable. He could not allow Gidam to catch a cold; it was time to stop.

Watching Gidam exhale white puffs of breath, Vasily spoke quietly.

“It’s over now.”

“Are there no remaining monsters?”

“No. Want to go check for yourself?”

“…No, that’s fine.”

In truth, the monsters had been dealt with long ago. Only Vasily and Gidam remained alive within the Gate.

Having cleared the Gate without venturing too far in, they could leave quickly.

Upon passing through the exit and experiencing the spatial shift, a few staff members waiting outside hurriedly rushed over. The sudden commotion furrowed Vasily’s brow.

“What’s the matter?”

He asked with mild irritation, but no response came. They simply stared at Gidam blankly.

“Why… is he unharmed…?”

One muttered under his breath, as though it were impossible for Gidam to have survived the Gate.

“Why such reactions? Are they afraid I might have killed my guide?”

“….”

Silence fell. No one spoke, but their expressions betrayed that they had expected as much.

Ha. Vasily let out a hollow laugh. He noticed an ambulance standing by in the distance.

Casting a cold gaze around, he withdrew his eyes.

Today, in a good mood, he chose to overlook their rudeness. After all, this was likely their first time witnessing a guide enter a Gate; they simply did not know how to react.

But they would have to grow accustomed. From now on, he would enter every Gate with Gidam.

“Guide Kwon Gidam, go change your clothes.”

“Understood.”

Gidam responded curtly and turned toward the changing room.

Watching his retreating figure, Vasily thought, almost absentmindedly, how well Gidam looked in combat attire. No wonder the Espers mistook him for a fellow operative.

The site manager approached cautiously, unable to take his eyes off Gidam.

“Esper Vasily, how far has the clearing progressed?”

“Do you think I would leave without finishing?”

“Uh…? Already finished?”

He asked again, astonished.

Vasily glanced at his watch. It had taken less than two hours to clear the B-rank Gate.

Even more incredible was his own condition. Despite exerting so much power, his body was not cold. In fact, merely holding Gidam had stabilized his own flow even more than before entering the Gate.

From now on, Gate expeditions could proceed in this manner every time. There was no need to bring unnecessary Espers, the clearing time would be drastically reduced, and guiding could be received at will within the Gate.

A truly perfect situation.

Upon returning home after the expedition, a small delivery box awaited them at the door.

It was light and compact. Vasily, checking the Association address on the label, handed it to Gidam.

“Looks like a new smartphone.”

Gidam’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the box. For the first time since waking, his expression brightened.

Eager, he returned to his room without looking back.

Vasily watched the firmly closed door in silence, a slight gloom settling over him. After the expedition, Gidam went straight to his room without even asking for guiding.

Vasily had been tempted to let him rest a little, yet now felt an overwhelming desire to receive guiding immediately.

He stood before Gidam’s door. Knocking, the rustling sound inside instantly ceased. Waiting patiently, no response came.

Ah… so this is how it would play out.

Vasily opened the door and stepped inside.

Looking down, he saw Gidam seated on the floor, having just opened the delivery. The screen of the phone in his hands remained black, untouched. Unfortunately, Gidam would not be able to power it on today.

“…What is it?”

Gidam asked tensely, wary of Vasily. Yet to Vasily, he resembled nothing more than a cat bristling its fur in threat.

Vasily smiled warmly and spoke brightly.

“Guide me.”