DPGR 138

The future plans Jiho and Dojin had shared had been full of hope, but reality didn’t match.

“Captain Baek!”

“Urgh…”

“Are you okay?”

“…I’m fine.”

Dojin, his face pale, checked his left arm. The wound left by a monster’s claw was healing quickly.

Clicking his tongue at his torn clothes and the bloodstains, he took out a water bottle and washed off the blood, then gripped his spear again.

“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

Jihye asked with a worried expression. But Dojin didn’t answer, he just rushed forward.

Bang! Fwoosh!

His spear slashed through the air, sending flames flying and burning the monster. At the same time, he barely dodged another monster’s attack from the side, rolling across the ground.

Jihye let out a sigh as she watched him. Dojin fought like a man being chased by something, unable to rest even for a moment.

And it hadn’t just started recently.

‘Why is he pushing himself like this…?’

***

As Dojin’s condition worsened, so did the number of his injuries. Even during dungeon raids that he used to handle easily, he began making occasional mistakes.

He tried to hide his state from Jiho, but he couldn’t cover up the bloodstains he always came back with or his tattered combat suits.

Eventually, it was only a matter of time before Jiho found out.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

“…Yes. Don’t worry.”

“But…”

“I’m fine.”

Dojin’s response was deliberately curt. Jiho didn’t like it, it felt like Dojin was drawing a line between them.

Like he couldn’t rely on Jiho just because he was too young.

‘If I were about ten years older, maybe hyung would open up to me more.’

While Jiho blamed himself, Dojin was silently cursing his own weakness.

The colder the weather got, the more frequent his nightmares became. And with that, he criticized and belittled himself more and more.

‘I didn’t think my mental strength was this paper-thin.’

The past was eating away at his present. And the more it did, the more he craved greater strength.

Strength that would let him protect Jiho no matter what monsters appeared or what misfortune struck. Something solid and unbreakable.

‘I’m still not enough.’

He felt an insurmountable wall in both his mental and physical abilities.

He was already an S-rank esper and a multi-ability user, but aside from his main fire ability. His other powers, telekinesis and shadow manipulation, were slightly weaker.

To improve his mastery of those, he pushed himself relentlessly even outside of dungeon raids.

He fought monsters using only telekinesis and shadow manipulation, avoiding fire altogether. He studied combat footage of foreign espers with the same abilities, trying to improve their practical application.

As his use of those powers increased, his guiding compatibility dropped.

Even though Jiho guided him more frequently than ever, he didn’t feel proud or happy about it.

“Hyung, on days without raids, can’t you take it easy for once?”

“I’m fine.”

“But every time…”

“It’s not time to rest yet.”

“…”

“If I can just get a little stronger… Just a bit more. The Final Dungeon is coming soon. I’ll hang in there until then.”

Dojin tried to reassure Jiho, who was clearly worried. Jiho nagged him a few more times, but Dojin wouldn’t listen.

Then one day, as Jiho guided a visibly exhausted Dojin whose stats had dropped even further, a thought came to him.

‘This can’t go on.’

This wasn’t training, it was self-destruction. You couldn’t grow stronger through such self-punishing methods.

Jiho could clearly see that Dojin was hitting his limit. He knew the signs, he’d been pushed to the edge mentally and physically before, too.

When people became overwhelmed, their vision narrowed.

‘I just wish hyung could regain some confidence in himself…’

Getting stronger wasn’t everything. But right now, it seemed the only way to stop Dojin’s reckless drive was to let him grow stronger just enough to believe in himself again.

Jiho, not being an esper, didn’t know how to help him grow stronger – but he knew someone who might.

The new Center Director, Grandpa Kwak Jiheon.

“Um…”

“Guide Seo Jiho?”

“Yes. Would it be possible to meet with Grandpa– I mean, the Director?”

Kwak Jiheon had been so busy lately that even after Jiho reached out, he hadn’t replied.

So Jiho took the chance to visit the Director’s office directly while Dojin was holed up in the training room.

Luckily, a secretary recognized him in the hallway. He smiled brightly and nodded several times.

“The Director is in. Would you like to go in?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Jiho bowed politely and knocked on the door.

“Grandpa, it’s me, Jiho.”

It was his first time meeting with Kwak Jiheon alone, so his voice trembled with nervousness.

Thankfully, the sound of a minor crash inside was followed by Jiheon’s voice telling him to come in.

Click, Jiho cracked open the door and peeked inside.

The Director’s office looked like a storm had passed through it, papers scattered everywhere in utter disarray.

“Oh! Kiddo, you came to see your old man?”

Amid the mess, Kwak Jiheon greeted Jiho with a wide smile, looking just as hollow-eyed as Dojin.

“Um… is this a bad time? If you’re busy, I can come back later…”

“No, no! Come on in!”

Kwak Jiheon quickly cleared off the messy sofa to make space for Jiho.

Not stopping there, he called his secretary and asked for milk and snacks to be brought in.

A moment later, Jiho found himself seated across from Jiheon, fiddling with a glass of milk.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Um, well… actually, it’s about hyung…”

At first, Jiho had intended to explain Dojin’s situation and ask for advice on how to help him grow stronger.

But because Jiheon was so warm and indulgent, Jiho ended up venting the frustrations he had been holding inside.

“Hyung is such a dummy. If he’s struggling, he should talk to someone instead of suffering in silence.”

“You’re right. That’s totally Dojin’s fault.”

“Right? And he’s already an S-rank esper and a multi-ability user. I don’t understand why he’s so obsessed with getting even stronger.”

“Seriously. I should call that rascal Dojin in here and give him a good scolding.”

Jiheon’s voice grew increasingly gentle. He soothed and comforted Jiho as if siding with him completely.

Thanks to that, Jiho suddenly found himself sounding like a child tattling to his grandpa about his older brother’s recklessness.

‘Ah, this wasn’t what I meant to do…!’

Realizing the conversation had veered off course, Jiho’s cheeks turned red.

“Ahem… No, no, you don’t need to scold hyung…”

“Really?”

“Yes. More than that, is there a way I could help him?”

“Help, huh…”

Jiheon narrowed his eyes. He leaned back deeply against the sofa, crossed his legs, and tapped his knee thoughtfully with his fingers.

Though he had sided with Jiho, he was still an esper like Dojin, so he fully understood what was driving Dojin’s worries.

“That boy just wants to protect you. That’s probably why he’s trying to get stronger.”

“Yes…”

Jiho already understood that much, so he nodded quietly. Jiheon’s smile deepened.

“You’re such a precious and beautiful kid. Of course he’s scared of losing you. Especially since he’s already lost you twice.”

“I… I’m not that precious or beautiful…”

“What nonsense. Dojin would be heartbroken if he heard you say that.”

Now Jiho’s entire face was red as he gulped down the cold milk. A little white mustache formed on his upper lip.

Jiheon chuckled and finally voiced the thought he’d been mulling over.

“You might actually be able to help him.”

“…Me?”

Jiho’s eyes widened. He had come here hoping for advice from a senior esper, but now, there was a chance he could help Dojin directly?

“How?”

His eyes lit up with hope. Jiheon hesitated, as if unsure whether to say it, then spoke in a slightly lowered voice.

“There’s a theory… not officially recognized yet, at least not academically.”

“A theory…?”

“Yes. It even happened with someone in your team, Alpha Team. An A-rank esper who reawakened into an S-rank.”

“Oh! You mean Esper So Yulchan!”

“Right. It’s actually happened a few times overseas as well. Espers leveling up a rank or two. Do you know what all of those reawakened espers had in common?”

“What was it?”

Gulp. Jiho swallowed dryly. Jiheon was speaking like he was revealing a secret, and Jiho held his breath, drawn in completely.

Jiheon looked at him with affectionate eyes and said,

“They all received guiding beyond their limit.”

“…What?”

Seeing Jiho’s surprise, Jiheon gently continued his explanation.

Normally, guiding was completed at a safe threshold, usually somewhere in the high 80s or low 90s percentile.

But those who reawakened continued guiding even after their compatibility hit 100%, pushing far beyond the usual limit.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean just over-guiding someone guarantees a reawakening. They’ve done trials overseas too. Some reawakened, and many others didn’t. So clearly, there are other factors at play.”

Though what those other factors were, no one had figured out yet.

“I can’t say for sure if it’ll work. But you and Dojin have great compatibility… so maybe it’s worth a try. What do you think? Want to give it a shot?”

Jiho, almost entranced, nodded.

It was an uncertain method, but there was no reason not to try.