DPGR 71

“…That’s not magic, right?”

Yulchan was doing things he hadn’t been able to before.

First, he made what used to be a semi-transparent Safe Zone barrier completely invisible.

But it wasn’t as if the space inside became visible either—it was as if it had been cloaked with magic.

Even espers with sharp vision wouldn’t notice there was a wall there unless they were looking for it.

To monsters—whose eyesight was known to be worse than a human’s—it was undetectable.

“Holy crap.”

“Did that just bounce off a monster’s attack?”

What’s more, the transparent wall Yulchan created had durability that rivaled Kijoon’s shield.

Even when a herd of bison-like monsters from the Gangwon dungeon charged multiple times with their massive horns, the barrier stood firm.

“I think Yulchan’s stats have gone up. The barrier area looks bigger, too.”

Jiho nodded, overhearing Geonwoo’s awed mutter beside him.

Compared to the Safe Zone space they’d seen before, this one was clearly larger—and Yulchan’s expression remained completely calm as he maintained it.

Both the Alpha Team and the observing Delta Team were stunned at Yulchan’s growth as the training ended.

“Chan, what happened?”

After training, Dojin called Yulchan over as he wiped off sweat with a towel.

Yulchan glanced over awkwardly at Sena, who was still sprawled on the waiting room sofa like the dead, then scratched his cheek with an embarrassed look.

“Well… I’m not totally sure, but… I think it’s because of the guiding.”

“Guiding?”

Espers get stronger from guiding?

Dojin tilted his head, and so did the rest of Alpha Team who’d gathered around to listen.

But Yulchan nodded with conviction. He had no other explanation for what had happened to him.

“Yeah. I, uh, got guided for a longer time than usual… past my limit, really.”

“Past your limit, meaning…”

“I went over 100%, and then just… kept going. So, yeah.”

Recalling the events of the night before, Yulchan’s face flushed red and his voice trailed off.

Flustered, he quickly tried to explain more clearly.

“Uhm… at some point, it felt like our souls were in sync. After that, it felt like energy circuits in my body just… opened up. Then I got a good night’s sleep, and when I woke up, my mana had increased.”

“Hmm… then how about we run a test?”

“A test?”

“A stat test. Feels like you’ll need a re-evaluation.”

At Dojin’s suggestion, Yulchan headed straight to the testing room.

And soon after—

The researcher who had been half-asleep as they ran the tests came running out, wide-eyed, shouting at the top of their lungs.

“S-S-S-Rank! He’s been promoted to S-Rank!”

Yulchan’s available mana had increased.

His stats, which had been barely scraping A-Rank, had now crossed just enough to barely scrape S-Rank.

He was now the second S-Rank esper in South Korea.

A new S-Rank had emerged from Alpha Team.

As soon as the news broke, the center was flooded with reporters.

The Center Director, delighted by the influx of sponsorship offers, granted Alpha Team a three-day paid vacation.

Thanks to that, Jiho and Dojin finally had time to follow through on Geonwoo’s suggestion and go in for a health check-up.

“While we’re here, let’s do a blood test and a urine test too.”

Nod nod.

When Jiho had first brought up the idea of going to the hospital, Dojin had stared at him in shock and asked in a trembling voice if he was sick.

That’s because even when Jiho had fevers at night or was wracked with muscle pain, he had never once suggested going to the hospital.

To Dojin, who thought Jiho viewed hospitals as a place you only go to before dying, it had been a terrifying moment.

But after hearing Geonwoo say Jiho might be getting taller, Dojin suddenly became very enthusiastic about going.

“I thought so too. I’ve kind of noticed for a while now, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions… Still, it’d be best to get some numbers and confirm.”

“Mmh…”

After quickly finishing the blood and urine tests, Jiho finally stood in front of the height measuring device.

Even though it was Jiho’s height being measured, it was Dojin who looked nervous and talkative beside him.

Jiho half-listened to Dojin’s chatter as he took off his socks and stepped onto the machine, following the nurse’s instructions.

And a moment later—

“…?”

Jiho’s eyes widened so much they looked like they’d pop out of his head as he stared at the number on the monitor.

And for good reason.

His height—something he hadn’t even expected—had increased by a full 3 centimeters.

“.…!”

Dojin, too, had thought Jiho might’ve grown a bit, but he hadn’t expected this much.

Surprised, he pulled Jiho into a tight hug with a proud expression.

“Three centimeters in such a short time! So those nightly leg pains weren’t muscle aches—they were growing pains. Amazing. You did great.”

Jiho, who hadn’t actually done anything, could only blink in confusion as Dojin praised him like he’d saved the world.

Other esper and guide patients in the hospital murmured among themselves as they stared at Dojin and Jiho.

Jiho blushed, wondering why he was the one who had to be embarrassed.

“Mr. Seo, please come in.”

Thankfully, the nurse’s voice called him into the consultation room just in time.

“Mm!”

Pushing against Dojin’s shoulder, Jiho fled inside with a red face.

Naturally, Dojin followed right behind him.

“Welcome, Mr. Seo. You too, Mr. Baek. You’re here as his guardian, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Please have a seat here. So, you’re here for a check-up, right?”

The doctor in charge of Jiho was the same one who had examined him when he was first hospitalized.

Adjusting her glasses, she looked at the monitor.

“Hmm… All your numbers are normal. Here, take a look.”

She rotated the monitor and continued explaining.

“On the left are your results from the last test, and on the right is what we got this time. See?”

“Ah…”

“The anemia’s gone, and there’s no sign of malnutrition. Liver function, blood sugar—all normal.”

“Guide Jiho still has a small appetite. He doesn’t eat much, and I worry about that. Should we be giving him supplements or something…?”

Even in front of the doctor, Dojin was proactive. He bombarded her with questions and concerns.

The doctor couldn’t help but think he acted like an overbearing parent.

She knew espers could be very protective of their guides, but Dojin stood out more than most—perhaps because of how skeptical he used to be about guides before meeting Jiho.

“He doesn’t need supplements. More important than quantity is variety—make sure he eats a balanced mix of different foods. And since Jiho is still young, it’s better for him to absorb nutrients through meals than through pills.”

She added that he should eat fruits and vegetables too, then smiled warmly at Jiho.

“Just keep eating well, sleeping well, and taking care of your health. You’re doing great.”

It was kind, reassuring advice. Jiho gave a little bow and murmured awkwardly,

“Th-thank youu…”

“Oh my.”

The doctor blinked in surprise. She had heard Jiho was starting to speak, but hadn’t expected him to talk to her.

Soon, her eyes curved with a gentle smile.

The boy before her had grown so much, she could hardly recognize the fragile child from before.

In every way—inside and out.

This kind of change… it’s probably all thanks to Baek Dojin.

Watching Dojin fuss over Jiho with practiced ease, the doctor smiled fondly.

She hoped she’d be able to keep watching the two of them grow, together.

***

The last night of their peaceful vacation came quietly.

As usual, Dojin had fallen asleep with Jiho in his arms—and he dreamed.

“…Sir. …Captain!”

“Huh…? Ah. Oh—Vice Captain?”

“Why do you look so spaced out?”

“…Ah. This place is…”

As the unfamiliar scenery came into view, Dojin’s eyes darted quickly around.

Luckily, Sehun—the one in front of him—quickly began briefing him.

“We’re on support duty at the Japan dungeon, remember? Looks like the theme is some kind of cursed castle… or maybe a haunted house.”

“Right. Japan. Yeah. This was the S-Rank dungeon.”

“Yes.”

Looking around, Dojin noticed people dressed in what looked like teal military uniforms—the attire of Japan’s esper military.

And in that moment, he realized.

This was a dream—a reenactment of the future event at Japan’s S-Rank dungeon.

His scattered mind snapped back into focus.

“Let’s begin sweeping the inside of the castle.”

A Japanese esper who had been talking with his group approached Dojin.

It seemed the Japanese and Korean espers were working separately, each searching for the boss monster rumored to be somewhere in the castle.

“What should we do?”

After the Japanese espers entered first, Yoon—the Beta Team captain, who had been standing silently—walked over and asked Dojin for direction.

Dojin looked at Yoon’s face and swallowed his unease.

According to Jiho… Captain Yoon dies here.

If it were up to him, he would’ve stayed by Yoon’s side to prevent it.

But this was a dream.

His body followed the events of the past, moving on its own, no matter how hard he tried to resist.

“Alpha Team will move independently. I believe Beta Team usually splits into three sub-units?”

“Yes. Then we’ll stick to our standard formation.”

“Alright. Radio us if you need support.”

“Yes, understood.”

Unlike Alpha Team’s small numbers, Beta Team had fifteen members and divided themselves into three groups to search the castle.

Dojin watched them split up and move deeper inside.

His eyes lingered especially on Captain Yoon’s back.

Perhaps it was because he already knew the man was going to die.

The helplessness of being unable to act, of not being able to change anything, weighed heavily on him.