DPGR 153

Kwak Jiheon, who had been assisting the escort team near the safe zone, came looking for Dojin after hearing his radio transmission.

In front of everyone who had gathered around him and Jiheon, Dojin explained the weakness of the monster he had seen.

“I saw its core. It was located deep in its throat, near the esophagus.”

He pointed to a spot on his neck. It was a place that couldn’t be seen unless the creature’s jaw was completely blown off, just like before.

The monster’s body was made of a dense material, so attacking its neck from the outside wouldn’t work. The only way was to destroy the jaw first and then target the exposed core.

“But Dojin, if you’re talking about that mana stone, its size and hardness must be no joke,” Jiheon said, concern in his voice.

Typically, the size and hardness of a mana stone corresponded to the amount of mana a monster possessed. Judging by the monster now, its mana stone had to far exceed the standard.

In fact, when Dojin had thrown fire into the creature’s mouth and detonated it, the resulting force should have been enough to shatter even an S-class monster’s mana stone.

But the monster’s stone hadn’t budged. That was what worried Jiheon.

“It’s okay. I have a way,” Dojin replied, trying to reassure him.

Then his eyes turned to Jiho, who was still silently crying.

His expression twisted in pain. After a long pause, clearly reluctant, he finally spoke to Jiho.

“Guide Jiho. Do you have enough guiding energy right now?”

“Huh? Uh, yes, yes! Hyung, if you need guiding again, I can–”

“No. Not for me.”

“What…?”

“I think the ones fighting over there need it. Do you think it’s possible?”

Dojin gestured toward the monster.

It was still resisting, throwing espers aside, swatting them with its arms, and trampling them with its feet.

To the monster, humans were nothing more than insignificant ants, but even ants become irritating when there are too many.

The espers who had heard Dojin’s transmission didn’t fully understand his plan, but they were relieved to know he was still alive, and they followed his instructions.

They worked to keep nearby monsters at bay and stop the main creature from absorbing them. The espers threw themselves into the fight with desperation.

But their numbers were visibly dwindling, and more and more were falling behind due to delayed recovery.

‘This won’t do.’

It had reached the point where the decrease in espers could be seen with the naked eye.

“They need guiding, but given the situation, I doubt they’ll be able to come get it themselves.”

That was why he needed Jiho’s radiant guiding. In addition, Dojin had already gathered guides capable of radiant guiding.

“I-I can do it too. Radiant guiding, I mean.”

“Me too…”

“I’ll help!”

There were only a few guides around the world who had researched and attempted radiant guiding.

Not a large number, but including Jiho, Geonwoo, and Sena, about ten guides gathered.

“Yulchan.”

“Captain…”

Dojin called out to Yulchan and asked for his help as well.

“Do you think you could make one more safe zone?”

Yulchan had already experienced the collapse of a safe zone once, so his face went pale. It felt almost cruel to ask again.

“But there’s no one else who can do it. Please.”

“Yes, I can do it. Leave it to me!”

Dojin knew Yulchan would find a way. Yulchan, in turn, wanted to rise to the trust his captain had placed in him.

Dojin explained where and how the space needed to be created, and then spoke to the defensive espers and the escort team.

“The ten guides here will perform radiant guiding for the offensive espers. But we’ll need to move over there to do it…”

“So we just need to protect these guides, right?”

“Leave it to us!”

Dojin had expected people to hesitate, since it meant getting close to the battlefield, but he was relieved to see how willingly they accepted his request.

“We all feel the same as Esper Baek Dojin. Even if we die here, we have to take that bastard with us.”

Someone’s words brought a small smile to Dojin’s face.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

The path to the destination wasn’t particularly dangerous. That was because Dojin had already asked Yulchan to create a passageway along with the zone.

Yulchan connected the path in a suitable place, and with the help of other espers, they had already secured a safe zone.

As Jiho was preparing to leave, Dojin pulled him into a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry to ask you for something like this.”

“It’s okay. I can do it well. Don’t apologize.”

Jiho mumbled with his face buried in Dojin’s chest. Dojin gently pulled him back and kissed him lightly.

“Do you remember what I said at the lake?”

“What?”

“I said I’ll be fine, so let’s make sure we meet again.”

Jiho didn’t fully understand what he meant, but he nodded with tear-filled eyes.

Dojin kissed his cheek and then left with Jiheon and Team Leader Yoon.

“Sniff…”

Watching Dojin walk away, Jiho wiped his tears away vigorously.

‘Get a grip, Seo Jiho.’

Dojin was going off to do something far more difficult. He couldn’t just sit there crying.

“Guide Jiho! Time to go!”

“What are you doing, dummy? Hurry up!”

“Yes, yes! I’m coming!”

He still felt uneasy, but now was the time to trust Dojin and do what he could from his place.

Jiho stepped confidently toward the passage.

Meanwhile, Team Leader Yoon and Jiheon kept glancing at Dojin.

“Um, Captain Baek. This method you mentioned, what is it? We’re away from the guides now, so you can speak freely.”

“Yeah. You’re not… no, right? I trust it’s not what I’m thinking.”

Their voices trembled slightly. Deep down, they were sensing Dojin’s impending death.

“I’ll explain quickly, there’s no time.”

Dojin gave a bitter smile.

His plan was to destroy the monster’s jaw the same way he had earlier, then drain all of its mana by bombarding it with attacks.

After that, he would enter its mouth himself and go into overload.

“Overload? Overload?! Do you even understand what you’re saying right now?”

Kwak Jiheon leapt up in shock. Dojin nodded.

“There’s no other way. More than half of our force is already out of commission. If this keeps up, we’re all going to die.”

“Even so, overload…?”

“I can’t think of any other method.”

An SS-rank esper going into overload. Without that level of destructive force, there was no way to fully shatter that monster’s mana stone.

‘Can I even survive this?’

Dojin’s expression darkened.

Two days ago, when Jiho had told him, “Let’s meet again,” Dojin began to suspect that the Seo Jiho he had lost in his first life might be the same person as the Jiho standing before him now.

He had no proof, but he wanted to believe it. Thinking that way, everything began to make sense.

The Seo Jiho who had always avoided him.

The Jiho who one day suddenly agreed to guide him.

The Jiho who had taken his hand without hesitation when he absurdly proposed they become a pair.

The Jiho who, from that day on, started speaking, awkwardly, but surely.

The Jiho who left after saying they’d meet again.

It was possible to interpret it this way: Jiho had, for some reason, turned back time, saved Dojin, and returned to the present.

Of course, it was more likely that Dojin was just losing his mind and interpreting things the way he wanted.

‘Still, it can’t be helped.’

If he died here, he’d have regrets.

Not about anything else, but the fact that he wouldn’t get to see Jiho grow.

But if it meant saving Jiho, if he could let Jiho live through spring and summer, autumn and winter, then what happened to him didn’t matter.

“Teacher.”

“What, you brat!”

Kwak Jiheon shouted in frustration. He hated Dojin’s plan.

At his age, was he really going to lose both his son and his student? He wanted to scream that at him.

But Dojin understood. That was just how Jiheon expressed his sorrow. He smiled softly and spoke.

“Please drink less. And if the Center falls apart, don’t go live in some remote place again. Live where there are people, where it’s noisy.”

“Who are you to tell me what to do! No! I’m going to drown in alcohol and die!”

“Please don’t say that. This might be my last request.”

“You… you stupid kid.”

“And if something really happens to me… please look after Guide Jiho.”

“……”

“I won’t ask for much. Just, for a few years, check in on him. Make sure he’s doing okay. That’s all I want.”

Jiheon’s eyes grew red. Dojin looked away, pretending not to see, and turned to Team Leader Yoon.

“And Team Leader Yoon.”

“Y-yes?”

Startled, Yoon flinched, not expecting to be called at a time like this.

Usually, it was old teammates who heard this kind of final request.

“I have a favor to ask of you too.”

“Me? Really? No, surely the Alpha Team…”

“No. They won’t be able to do it.”

Do what?

Yoon looked at him strangely. Dojin gave a dry smile and said,

“If the monster’s mana stone is destroyed but I survive and remain in overload…”

“W-what?”

“I mean, if I end up hurting our allies…”

“Wait, y-you don’t mean…?”

“If that happens, please kill me.”

“Me…?”

“My teammates are all too soft-hearted. They won’t be able to go through with it. And aside from me, you’re the only other S-rank with multiple abilities.”

“Ugh! I’m soft-hearted too! And my new ability is just support-based, it’s a movement skill!”

“Please. I don’t have anyone else to ask for this.”

Dojin was dead serious. Yoon read his sincerity and ran a hand down his troubled face.

“…Fine. But if there’s any other way, you know, right?”

“Yes. I don’t actually want to die either.”

Saying that, Dojin looked ahead. The three of them had already gotten quite close to the monster.

“Then, I’m counting on you!”

Dojin pulled a pistol from his belt and launched himself at the monster.

Kwak Jiheon and Team Leader Yoon stared blankly after him, then started moving again.

‘There’s no time to mourn right now. We can grieve for the fallen after it’s all over.’

Resolve was etched into the faces of those scattering back to their positions.