They were all words Raven had heard in the past, when his self-esteem was at rock bottom.
Even though it wasn’t by his own will, but pushed by the circumstances that led him to open the Gate, seeing him act like a criminal broke his heart.
He was a child the spirit guardian had watched from the very moment he was born. The spirit guardian, who had always harbored biased thoughts solely toward Raven, had invested great effort in raising the child who mistreated himself.
This statement was also one of the many he had pronounced during that process.
Raven’s trembling eyes were dyed with a bright green glow. The spirit guardian, who had lent him his vision, smiled softly.
“[And asking for my help isn’t being shameless, it’s responding to my wishes. Because I prioritize your wellbeing above all else. It’s not good to abuse it, but it’s better to call me in a dangerous situation than to endure alone.]”
“…….”
“[Now go. I’ll take care of this little one.]”
You’re going to close the Gate, right? I can’t close it, and you’re carrying a child, so this is the best option.
Tap.
The hand that gently pushed him on the back was incredibly warm. Raven stared at him for a moment.
…The voice of Death rang clearly in his mind.
[Are you not curious? After all this time together, why has your spirit guardian never revealed even his name to you?]
[Why does he care so much about you? What is his true identity, what is his purpose? Surely you’ve thought about it at least once.]
…True. Why are you so kind to me?
Not just in your words, but even in your voice, there’s a warmth and blind affection, and yet, inexplicably, it scares me.
Damn Death, dropping unnecessary comments…
‘…No matter how much I think about it, I’m not worth that much.’
Pointing directly at the wound he was trying to ignore inevitably made it resurface.
He silently clenched his fist.
“[……Little one.]”
“No, it’s nothing.”
…When Death proposed the bet to discover the spirit guardian’s name, he had gotten angry.
Was it anger directed at the one trying to probe his identity, or at the one daring to touch Raven?
‘…Better to stop thinking about it.’
He had only reduced the number of monsters coming out of the Gate, he hadn’t closed it yet.
The longer it stayed open, the higher the chance another Gate would open somewhere else.
There would be time to think deeply later.
Those heavy and deep thoughts stopped there.
Quickly relaxing his expression, Raven smiled mischievously as always.
“More importantly, since you’re going to protect, don’t just take care of Didi─”
“[?]”
Raven suddenly disappeared. Shortly after, he reappeared carrying none other than Dan in his arms.
Before he could understand what was happening, Dan blinked in confusion while a playful voice fell over his head.
“Take care of him too. You can handle two even without eyes, right?”
‘What is this…?’
Dan frowned as he finally grasped the situation.
He was about to explode, but a cold voice froze the air.
“[…That boy is Dan?]”
“Yes.”
“[Why precisely…? No, never mind. If it’s what you want.]”
…It sounds like he doesn’t want to. Although he tried to wrap it in kindness, the repressed discomfort was evident in his strained voice.
Raven scratched his head awkwardly. He understood that Dan wasn’t very likable, considering he was partly the cause of his injuries.
Seeing him blindly turn his head but point directly at Dan was somewhat unsettling.
Looking at the spirit guardian’s tense lips, Raven quietly added.
“Don’t kill him.”
“[I would never kill someone I must protect.]”
“Don’t hurt him either.”
“[That’s obvious.]”
With those answers, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about…
‘But why do I still feel uneasy…?’
He couldn’t leave the Gate open forever, so after hesitating a moment, Raven finally turned toward it.
He walked naturally, as if he had no wounds, and his voice, calm but firm, pierced everyone’s ears.
“I’ll be back quickly.”
──The blade of the spirit guardian’s sword pointed at Dan’s neck right after Raven entered the Gate.
***
The spirit guardian didn’t feel any sympathy for Dan.
If it had simply been about Raven getting injured while trying to save him, or about Dan scratching his precious body with his nails when trying to stop Raven from killing his sister, perhaps he would have just found him internally unpleasant without showing it outwardly.
After all, it had been a choice his boy made by himself, and it couldn’t be considered entirely Dan’s fault.
However, Dan had shown hostility toward Raven.
“[Don’t move unnecessarily.]”
That’s why the spirit guardian didn’t hide his animosity toward him.
A voice as cold as a sharpened blade fell upon him.
“[If you don’t want to, I might just not protect you.]”
Was it just imagination that those words sounded more like a threat than a warning?
Dan, who had unknowingly begun to follow Raven, stopped and looked at the spirit guardian, more confused than afraid.
‘……Your protected just entered a Gate alone.’
Why wasn’t he showing even a hint of agitation? Shouldn’t he follow him immediately?
He knew Raven was stronger than him. He had demonstrated it by subduing him like a child.
But that didn’t mean he was strong enough to close a Gate alone.
Someone who barely seemed like a young farmer, except for being able to manipulate a Soul Fragment, how could he win by himself? Dan had lost against him, but that was only natural.
Closing a Gate was something even well-organized teams didn’t always succeed at.
If Raven had that kind of strength, his name would already be famous.
‘If he were that strong, I would have heard of him at least once…’
Thinking about the fact that he had never even heard the name “Raven,” the possibility of him coming out alive from that Gate was practically zero.
And yet, leaving his spirit guardian behind, he entered alone.
[I’ll be back quickly.]
He wasn’t talking about surviving; he was talking about time.
Dan felt confusion wrap around him. With a look full of distrust and anxiety, he glanced between the spirit guardian and the Gate.
A low voice immediately fell, as if perceiving his unease.
“[I am a spirit guardian. Regardless of my personal feelings, as long as that child asked me for protection, I will protect you as long as you don’t do anything unnecessary. So stay still and wait.]”
“…….”
That wasn’t what worried Dan. He shook his head.
Unlike the spirit guardian, whose ability was undeniable even compared to the Awakened, Raven had not demonstrated his strength.
Although he had stabbed the palate of a monster, he had almost died.
When fleeing while carrying Didi, he had prioritized evasion over attacking. He had even violently coughed up blood not long ago.
‘I still have that image very present…’
He knew that the spirit guardian wouldn’t stay behind without a reason, but he couldn’t just trust and wait calmly.
—Sir Raven… is he an Awakened?
As someone who wanted him not to die before he could kill him himself, Dan asked, pushing through the hostility he felt.
The spirit guardian, after a brief silence, shook his head.
“[No. Not only the Awakened can close Gates.]”
In the early days of the Gates, it was true that only a few could face the monsters— the “Awakened,” who had acquired abilities by sheer luck, and the “Soul Fragment holders,” who were born with natural talent.
But as a constantly evolving species, humans found ways. The “shamans” devised methods to face monsters. And over time, after inhuman efforts, the “Warriors” emerged: ordinary people who reached the minimum level to resist.
Raven had taught all of them. How could someone who had instructed such people be weak?
The spirit guardian, recalling this, spoke dryly.
“[Raven is a shaman and a warrior.]”
“……!”
“[And I would like you to stop talking to me.]”
He didn’t like him, and besides, coming out like this to talk to the living placed a burden on Raven.
‘…Though there was no need to warn him.’
The spirit guardian looked away. Dan, who tried to calm his surprise at how impressive Raven was, followed his gaze and opened his eyes wide.
Hardly any time had passed, and there was Raven, coming out of the Gate and landing softly on the ground.
The Gate, behind him, was beginning to close.
Apart from a slight wound on his finger, his appearance was clean, just like when he had entered.
Meeting their eyes, Raven casually waved his hand.
“Hi, Dan. Hi, Didi. Do you remember me?”
“…….”
It was impossible to forget someone in such a short time, but surprisingly, Dan didn’t feel irritation at his almost insulting comment. The stunned Dan, noticing Raven’s patient gaze, slowly nodded. Didi, with wide eyes, also nodded after a moment’s hesitation.
Only then did a relaxed smile appear on Raven’s face.
“I told you I’d be back quickly, didn’t I?”
…Indeed.
Had even five minutes passed? Maybe not even that.
‘What kind of person is he?’
Even teams failed to close a Gate, and he had done it alone. Dan, seeing him, began to doubt reality.
It was impossible for someone with that ability to remain unknown.
‘Warrior…?’
Suspicions arose again.
Generally, reaching the level of Warrior required being around 30 to 40 years old.
Even among the fastest, it wasn’t normal to achieve it so young.
Raven seemed barely in his twenties. Such a talent should have been coveted throughout the continent.
And yet, everything about him was silent.
‘Definitely, this guy is not normal.’
Even though the spirit guardian said he was human, it was hard to completely believe it. No matter, Dan thought. He wouldn’t let him go anyway.
Meanwhile, Raven, unaware of the sticky stares following him, casually turned and muttered something to the spirit guardian, then waved in farewell.
“Talk to you later, Hyung. Thanks for the help.”
“[……It’s fine.]”
The spirit guardian, silently nodding, quickly disappeared.
Raven took a step away, covering his mouth, and immediately began to cough blood.
“Ugh… Cough!”
…Seeing him like that, he looked fragile again. Dan, seeing the blood on the ground, felt his emotions tangle.
‘He said it wasn’t a contagious disease… could it be some kind of war veteran’s illness?’
But he didn’t seem that old.
Though, thinking about it, serious illnesses don’t respect age.
‘Anyway, at least I confirmed his strength.’
With the Gate closed and the monsters eliminated, Dan cautiously stepped back to keep some distance.
***
Fortunately, Dan and Didi did not forget ‘Raven.’
But I left as soon as I could, and had the spirit guardian, who was part of me, stay with them, so it’s natural.
The spirit guardian returned, and Raven, having endured the pain of resettlement and coughed up regurgitated blood, laughed upon seeing the anguished Dan.
It was a great place to lodge. I thought I was going to bounce away.
‘It wouldn’t have mattered if you ran without anyone taking you, but if you drew the attention of a leaking monster, it would have been troublesome.’
Instead of me, the spirit guardian.
He focused on covering his mouth, turning his head, and vomiting blood, without thinking that the spirit guardian would have put his sword to Dan’s neck and bound his feet to prevent inconvenience.
The spirit’s eyes were clearly touched by the fact that he had covered the ground, but the blood falling to the floor was inevitable.
I’m not as shocked as a child, but I’ve been looking at my complexion for a while.
‘……I’ve done enough to worry about this, well.’
More than that… Strange. Raven lowered his tired eyes.
“Cough, cough—.”
Why… Why am I feeling so bad?