DPGR 78

And so, at present—

Having finished their preparations, Dojin and the espers of Alpha Team had gathered at the Taean coastline.

Dojin, having just finished a phone call with his mother, was now spending a brief moment with Jiho, wrapping him tightly in a blanket.

“It’s cold here, so please wait at home.”

“Mmngh…”

“Please, listen to me.”

For this Taean dungeon, only espers would be entering.
As with the Gangwon dungeon, the operation was time-critical and the battle expected to be brutal.

Geonwoo and Sena were also worried for their espers, but they weren’t so immature as to insist on going in during a dangerous combat operation.
They had no choice but to ease their unease by guiding up their partners to the max before the mission began.

Jiho was no different.

“Even if we rush the attack, it’ll take a day or two. I’ve asked Guide Geonwoo to help, so just ride with him and get some rest at home.”

Ordinarily, Pair Guides were expected to wait at the dungeon entrance, even if they didn’t go in—just in case.
But Dojin insisted there was no need this time and was trying to convince Jiho to head home.

After pouring out so much guiding power the night before, Jiho hadn’t slept at all, and his complexion was noticeably paler than usual.
And now it was midwinter—on a windswept coastline, no less.

His body was far too fragile to be made to wait out in the freezing sea breeze.

“I… want to stay here…”

“No. If you catch a cold, it’ll be serious. Please, just go home.”

This time, Dojin didn’t give in to Jiho’s stubbornness.

Eventually, Jiho, after a few more pleas, sulkily lowered his head.

Seeing his puffed-up cheeks, Dojin gently stroked Jiho’s face.

“I filled the fridge, so even if I’m not there, make sure you eat properly. Be careful with the stove. And never, ever open the door to strangers. Understood?”

It was endless nagging. Jiho gave him a sharp look, puffing his cheeks out even more.

He’d felt it before—this man seemed to treat him like a ten-year-old.

‘Not that he acts like it when he’s manhandling me every chance he gets…’

Even just last night—

As Jiho’s thoughts drifted to the night before, Changwook, who’d been standing a short distance away, approached Dojin and spoke.

“All set?”

“Ah, Esper Director.”

“Looks like you were right. Japan’s dungeon won’t break for a while—about a month and a half, they say.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Right. But it’s still a high-difficulty dungeon. You’ve seen the footage, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“They haven’t even cleared the first floor yet. We don’t have enough data.”

“……”

“So the Japanese side wants to begin an investigation. Korea’s agreed to send espers for that, so Beta Team and Gamma Team are heading to Japan first.”

“Ah… Gamma Team…”

Originally, only Alpha and Beta Teams were to be dispatched to Japan. Gamma Team had only gotten involved because Alpha Team was redirected.

But before Dojin could feel too apologetic, Changwook cut him off.

“Gamma Team was supposed to handle the Taean dungeon in the first place. And sure, an A-rank and an S-rank dungeon aren’t exactly comparable—but even they said they’d rather be sent to assist in the Japan investigation than take full responsibility for Taean alone. So there’s no need to feel guilty. Got it?”

Still, Dojin felt grateful to Gamma Team. He made a mental note to thank them personally later.

“Yes.”

“Good. For reference, Alpha Team will have a three or four-day break after Taean before heading to Japan.”

That would be right around Christmas.
Dojin felt a little bad knowing he wouldn’t be able to spend it with Jiho—and maybe not New Year’s either, depending on how long Japan’s dungeon took.

Still, it wasn’t something he could delay.

“Yes, that’s more than enough time.”

“Thanks for saying that.”

Changwook gave him a faint smile and clapped him on the shoulder. Dojin smiled back, hesitating a little before speaking.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“Please pass along a message to the Beta Team leader.”

“A message? What kind?”

“Tell them to be careful… and not to trust the Japanese espers too much. To stay vigilant.”

Changwook’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected warning.

But he could tell it wasn’t said lightly.

His gaze flicked toward Jiho, who was standing quietly at Dojin’s side.

It seemed something had happened to Beta Team’s leader in the previous timeline—Changwook could sense that much.

“Captain Baek! We’re all set!”

It was then that Yulchan, who’d been chatting with Sena in the distance, waved over at Dojin.

Behind him, a portal had formed—likely the entrance connecting to the dungeon’s interior.

It was time to begin the assault.

“Esper Director, then…”

“Ah—yes. Good luck in there.”

Changwook stepped aside, giving Dojin and Jiho a moment alone.

“Guide Jiho.”

As expected, Dojin immediately leaned in and pressed his lips to Jiho’s soft cheek.

“I’ll come back as soon as I can. Please wait at home.”

“Mnngh…”

“Eat well. Take care of yourself.”

After that final reminder, Dojin placed one more kiss on Jiho’s cheek—then turned and ran toward Yulchan, who was beckoning him.

“Huuh…”

Jiho’s shoulders slumped as he watched Dojin’s figure grow smaller in the distance.

After Dojin entered the dungeon,

Jiho got into Geonwoo’s car and headed back home.

“If anything happens, make sure to call me.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Geonwoo, feeling uneasy about leaving Jiho alone, asked several times if he was sure he would be okay.

But each time, Jiho firmly nodded, assuring Geonwoo to leave him be, and Geonwoo had no choice but to leave.

“Take care on your way.”

“Thank you. You too, Guide Jiho. Rest well.”

Finally, Jiho was alone in the living room.

He looked around at the empty space, feeling oddly desolate. The thought of being completely alone made a wave of melancholy wash over him.

But Jiho quickly tried to force positive thoughts into his mind.

“Dojin said he’d be back soon, so he really will be back quickly.”

He was someone who never lied, and he would definitely keep his word this time, too.

“And I can follow him to the Japan gate….”

Though the Japan gate was S-rank and therefore highly dangerous, there was plenty of time to proceed with caution.

Because of this, the need for a Guide was undeniable, and Dojin couldn’t leave Jiho behind.

“I wonder what Dojin is doing right now.”

It had taken about four hours to get from Taean to home, so it had likely been four hours since Alpha Team began their dungeon assault.

“I hope they’re not getting hurt….”

Thinking about Dojin seemed endless. Jiho stood in place, lost in thought, until his legs began to ache, then murmured quietly with a faint voice.

“I want to see him….”

The quiet murmur echoed faintly in the empty living room.

Feeling even more lonely, Jiho mumbled again before entering the bedroom.

The bed that had kept him company last night—no, until dawn—welcomed him.

The freshly replaced soft blankets made him feel drowsy.

“Haaa~”

Yawning deeply, Jiho shuffled to the bed and collapsed onto it.

“I should wash up first, but….”

Despite thinking this, an overwhelming fatigue pressed down on him.

“Ugh….”

Jiho reached out and pulled Dojin’s pillow into his arms.

Unlike the blanket, which smelled of fabric softener, the pillow carried Dojin’s scent.

“Hmm….”

With the pillow hugged to his chest, Jiho buried his face into it, smiling contentedly.

In that state, as if intoxicated, he drifted into a deep sleep.

***

Meanwhile, inside the Taean dungeon, Dojin surveyed the surroundings with sharp eyes.

The dark water—just as expected, it was an environment akin to the deep sea.

“Chan, well done.”

But thanks to Yulchan taking control of the space as planned, Dojin had no trouble breathing or moving.

“Hehe, it’s nothing.”

Yulchan smiled shyly at Dojin’s praise.

Though he said that, the look on his face as he surveyed the space he had created showed a sense of pride and confidence.

The dungeon was vast, so they hadn’t covered the entire space, but creating a large enough area and filling it with air was an impressive feat in itself.

‘Normally, it would have been impossible to create such a space.’

Dojin reflected on Yulchan’s growth and evaluated his abilities.

Seeing that Yulchan looked calm and composed while maintaining the space, Dojin couldn’t help but think—S-rank was truly different.

“Should we try expanding the space? I think I can make it bigger.”

Yulchan, clearly proud of his progress, eagerly spoke. Though it was an impressive achievement, Dojin smiled and gently stopped him.

“No. Let’s keep it at this size for now. You said the space can move too, right?”

“Yes. As our team moves, the space will follow. I’m the center point.”

“Good. Then we don’t need to expand it. For now, save your energy for later.”

“Yes.”

Dojin’s advice came from experience. Yulchan understood and nodded, putting aside his desire to expand the space.

“Hey, Team Leader.”

It was then that Sehun, who had been keeping watch earlier, whispered and called Dojin over, as if he had found something.

Though it was dark, the espers with excellent night vision could vaguely make out shapes.

“What is it?”

“That way.”

Dojin ignited his flames, lighting up the area. As the surroundings brightened, the environment became clearer.