The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

They settled into the ring and began training in earnest.

Vesper and Sabel squared off first, trading blows that rattled the reinforced barrier surrounding the ring. Kane pulled out a small device from his bag and set it on the ground.

"This replicates a Sentinel’s raw psychic pressure," he explained to Aisha. "It’s used for training Guides to build mental barriers and eventually work on stabilizing their chaotic energy."

He activated it and stepped back until he was a foot away from it. Then, a faint shimmer spread outward from the device, a humanoid figure forming from it.

Kane closed his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. A moment later, a translucent bubble formed around him, wavering slightly at the edges.

Aisha watched closely. This was the first time she’d seen someone use their guiding ability against a simulated threat, and she found herself studying every detail of what he was doing. An ordinary person might not even see what he was doing. Only a guide or a sentinel can pick up the translucent wall that rose around Kane.

Kane’s face grew paler as the seconds ticked by. Sweat beaded along his hairline and his hands trembled slightly where they hovered near his chest, as if bracing against some invisible weight.

Then he reached forward and pressed his palm flat against the shimmering surface of the replica’s projected form.

A small holographic readout appeared above the device, numbers ticking downward.

Mental Pollution: 61%... 55%... 47%...

Kane’s breathing grew ragged. The barrier around him flickered, threatening to collapse entirely. It looked like a bubble about to pop, but he held on with teeth gritted.

Mental Pollution: 39%.

An automated voice announced the result of his training when he finally stopped. Kane staggered back a step and nearly collapsed.

Aisha caught his arm before he could hit the ground.

"Are you okay?" she asked, steadying him.

Kane nodded weakly, catching his breath. "I’m fine. Just... give me a second."

That had been exhausting, but he was not discouraged by it. He got a result of 39 percent, a drastic 10 percent difference from his previous trial a month ago.

He straightened after a moment and managed a tired smile. "Your turn."

Aisha guided him to sit down before approaching the device herself. She picked a fresh replica and activated it the same way she’d watched Kane do.

"Build your mental barrier first," Kane called out, still catching his breath. "Before you try to touch it."

"I understand," Aisha replied.

Guides generally channel their aura or energy to calm, stabilize, and replenish Sentinels to prevent them from being overwhelmed by chaotic psychic energy. This was different from purifying, which only aims to purify and cleanse miasma.

However, a guide should always have their own protection against Sentinels and miasma. And to do this, they must use mental barriers before even using their guiding and purification abilities.

She closed her eyes, trying to recall the sensation of pulling her guiding energy inward instead of releasing it outward. This was something she hadn’t done when she first guided Nykos. Back then, she’d thrown herself directly into his mental landscape without any kind of protection first. No wonder she’d nearly been overwhelmed by the chaotic psychic energy and corrupted miasma clawing at her from every direction.

Several seconds passed. But nothing happened.

"Think of it like forming a bubble inside your own mental sea," Kane said, watching her carefully. "Start small, then let it widen gradually."

Aisha frowned slightly but did exactly as he described. Still, nothing visible appeared around her.

A couple of students from the other class, who had wandered over to watch, snickered.

"Look at that. She can’t even manage to do the basics."

"Guess the rumors about her rank weren’t exaggerated after all."

Kane shot them a sharp look before turning back to Aisha. "Don’t listen to them. Just focus."

Inwardly, he wondered if what happened yesterday had shaken her more than she let on. Maybe that was why she couldn’t even form a simple barrier right now.

Before he could dwell on it further, a loud crash from the other side of the ring drew everyone’s attention. Vesper and Sabel had gotten more intense in their sparring, sending sparks flying as their attacks collided, and the crowd’s focus shifted entirely toward them.

Aisha couldn’t afford to get distracted by all of this. She kept her eyes closed and breathed steadily, allowing herself to put all her concentration into forming a barrier around herself.

Something suddenly began to stir from within.

It started small, a faint ripple at first, barely noticeable even to her. But then it began to spread, slowly at first, then it moved faster. She felt it expand outward, unfurling like something waking from a long sleep.

With everyone’s attention still fixed on Vesper and Sabel’s fight, nobody noticed the change happening around Aisha. She felt her barrier grow larger, wide enough that she could sense the entire training field within its reach.

Suddenly, she was curious about something. She’d never tried something like this before, and now that it was actually working, she wanted to see how far she could take it.

Rather than stopping, she let it keep growing like a child who had just discovered an interesting toy.

She could feel the edges of the academy now, the training grounds, the classrooms, even the outer walls near the Resources Department. Her barrier had stretched to cover the entire school grounds without her fully realizing how far she’d pushed it.

She was still lost in the strange thrill of discovery, wanting to see just how much further she could stretch it, when a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Aisha."

Kane’s voice broke through her concentration. Her eyes snapped open, and the sensation vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Vesper and Sabel finished their match," Kane said, looking at her worriedly. "We should head back. The next class is starting soon."

Aisha blinked, feeling her vision spin for a moment before she steadied herself. A sudden sickening sensation surged inside her, as though her head was ground into paste. She bit the sides of her cheeks until they bled, stopping herself from vomiting.

She knew that building her first mental barrier wasn’t going to be easy. She got too ambitious and ended up suffering from the side effects of it. Fortunately, it was only mild, and she was more tolerant of pain than others.

As they walked back toward the classroom building, Kane fell into step beside her, his voice gentle.

"It’s okay that the barrier didn’t work today," he said. "These things take practice. We can train some more later and build up your strength little by little. Nobody gets it right the first time anyway. So don’t feel too bad."

Aisha glanced at him and offered a small smile.

She didn’t tell him that she’d actually succeeded. That back at that training ring, for a brief handful of seconds, her mental barrier had stretched wide enough to wrap around the entire academy.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!