Seducing the Guideverse With My System — Raising an Anomaly [BL]

Hale-Ferguson Residence

"Uhm, hey, Gabe." Ambrose had immediately dialled Gabriel’s number after getting permission to grab Orion out of school. "Are you busy right now or...?"

He’d managed to teleport him and the boy back to his house after hiding in an alleyway where no one would see.

"Rose." Gabriel sounded a little exhausted from the other end. "Yeah... I mean, no. Not really. You know my dad’s still here in Aurelia for his treatments."

Ambrose paused, signalling Orion to sit on a couch in the living room. "Oh. You’re at the hospital right now?"

"Yep."

"Has his... condition gotten any better these past few days?"

Gabriel chuckled dryly. "I wish. The treatments have started making him lose his hair. He’s also losing weight and honestly? The whole thing has made him more of an asshole."

Ambrose bit his bottom lip.

Now he felt bad for calling to begin with.

He’d originally hoped that Gabriel would be able to stop by and watch Orion while he rushed to go check on the S-Rank Rift Devon and Viktor went into.

Although he still wasn’t sure how he’d enter without getting seen... he knew he’d find a way.

"Daddy?" Orion called just then. "Can I take some ice cream from the fridge?"

"Buddy, it’s barely noon," Ambrose said quickly, lowering his voice when he brought his mouth back to the phone. "Listen, Gabe, I’m sorry you’re going through all that. I was trying to confirm if you’ve got spare time to come stay with Orion for a bit."

There was a short beat of silence from the other end.

Then, "Is something wrong?"

"... I think Devon and Viktor are in trouble right now." Ambrose made his voice even lower, turning away from Orion. "I felt a huge stream of fear from their links."

"I mean, it’s an S-Rank dungeon. Maybe they’re just fighting a beast."

"This one’s different, Gabriel." The Guide arched his head to the ceiling. "What if it’s another anomaly? You know those have been popping up more globally these past couple months. What if they’re trapped or lost or... worse?"

He folded his arms across his chest. "I’ll just call Valentine or Loki and see if they can come watch Orion. He blocked the powers of the kids at school today. I’m afraid he’ll—"

"Wait, what?" Gabriel’s attention suddenly piqued. "Christ, how did you get out of that one?"

"We just did." Ambrose glanced back at his son. The boy had picked up the remote and was now watching a cooking documentary. "I just want to be sure someone will be around to watch him in case something—"

Spatial awareness flared, making him lower the phone.

Standing right before him, as though he’d always been there, was none other than Gabriel, wearing a black t-shirt and jean pants.

And he wasn’t alone.

Loki and Valentine were also beside him, both throwing their heads around with clear disorientation and confusion.

"Wait..." Loki was the first to catch on, head turning to Gabriel. "How did you even know I was at that restaurant?"

Valentine glared. "I was just about to contact my friend Sophia for some potion tips." He searched his pockets. "And of course, you left my phone behind."

"Those can wait." Gabriel brushed past them, nodding at Ambrose, who still stood there with surprise. "Go. Mama always said it takes a village to raise a child. But with that little gremlin..."

They all spun to Orion, who was too engrossed in the cooking show to notice them.

"... It’s going to take prayers and three powerful Espers."

★★★★★

S-Rank Snow Dungeon

"It would be great optics for our Guild, darling. When was the last time you partook in such a thrilling mission, Viktor?" Somewhere in the dungeon, Viktor made a disgruntled imitation of his mother’s voice as he ploughed through the thick snow. "Hmph. I knew I should’ve ignored that summons call."

Viktor trudged onward, boots sinking into the snow with every step as he scanned the forest around him, his breath forming faint clouds before his face.

"This is ridiculous."

He had no idea where the others were, no idea where the Rift had deposited them and, judging by the eerie silence surrounding him, no idea what the hell else might be lurking beneath the snow.

His lips parted to mumble again when his eyes caught something that made him stop.

Footprints. Not human either.

They were large, unmistakably feline paw prints pressed deeply into the snow, each one leading toward the dense cluster of trees ahead.

Viktor frowned, already considering taking another route when a thunderous roar erupted from the forest.

"Shit—"

A massive creature exploded through the trees.

Its body resembled that of a snow leopard, except it was easily twice the size of an ordinary one, with enormous sabre-like fangs protruding from its jaws and glowing blue eyes fixed hungrily on him.

Viktor immediately raised both hands, summoning a huge wave of frost around himself and the leopard.

The beast lunged.

Its claws barely missed his face as Viktor twisted aside, sending a wave of ice upward that slammed into its flank and threw it sideways.

"Stay down!" He snapped his fingers.

Several spears of ice erupted from beneath the beast.

It roared, twisting its body unnaturally before smashing through the frozen projectiles and charging again.

Viktor’s expression hardened.

He increased the temperature drop around them, freezing the air itself as thick layers of frost crawled across the beast’s limbs.

Yet the creature kept moving even faster.

Viktor’s eyes widened. "An S-Rank..."

The realization came with a terrible weight.

He had fought S-Rank beasts before, but this one was different. Its movements were too precise, its resilience too absurd, and every impact forced him farther backwards despite the advantage his abilities gave him in this environment.

The beast suddenly lunged.

Viktor barely raised an arm before its claws tore through the ice barrier protecting him.

He stumbled backwards. "Fuck!"

The creature prepared to strike again.

Then something flashed behind it.

A figure emerged from the trees like a blur, their weapon slicing through the beast’s lower legs before it could react.

The monster crashed into the snow with a deafening roar.

Before Viktor could process what had happened, glowing energy chains erupted from beneath the ground, wrapping tightly around its limbs and torso.

"What the—"

The figure planted themselves between Viktor and the beast, a spear suddenly appearing in their grasp.

Viktor could barely make out their silhouette.

With one brutal thrust, it plunged directly through the beast’s skull.

The S-Rank monster went still.

For several seconds, all Viktor could do was stare silently, disbelief and relief coiling in his chest.

Then slowly he turned toward his unexpected rescuer.

"I... appreciate the—"

THUD!

Pain exploded across the back of his skull.

His vision immediately blurred.

The last thing Viktor saw was the figure standing over him as darkness swallowed everything.

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