DMG Episode 3

But the flames were already nearing the giant snake monster, melting the sticky threads that had been holding it in place. The intense heat caused the snake to thrash and scream in agony.

Though Hyun Ho-jun tried to rein in his power, his strained expression showed he was struggling to do so. The Esper who had been restraining the snake reached out, attempting to spin more thread to hold it down, but they were too exhausted, their face contorted in pain.

The flames continued to burn, and the cocoon-like webbing that had been holding the snake was on the verge of snapping. Seeing this, Kang I-won dashed through the fire, ignoring the searing heat that melted his clothes and scorched his skin. He bit his lip hard as he headed toward the finned tail of the snake.

The tail, likely thrashing from the pain, flailed like a freshly caught fish. There, at the base of the thin tail, the smooth, bulging surface of the core was visible.

Just as Kang I-won was about to drive his dagger into the tail, the threads restraining the snake snapped. The fins fluttered like a fan, dodging his strike. Kang I-won clicked his tongue in frustration—the timing was terrible.

Soon, the scorching heat that had tormented him dissipated. One of the snake monster’s heads spotted Kang I-won and let out a deafening roar.

The snake transformed its tail into a sharp weapon. The fin, which had been fluttering like a fan, folded inward to protect the core, then reshaped itself into a sharp, conical weapon that shot straight toward Kang I-won’s abdomen.

Though he could have dodged it, Kang I-won deliberately accepted the blow. The sharp tail pierced through his abdomen and out his back.

Coughing up blood, he felt it spill over the snake’s tail. The monster’s three heads seemed to grin, even through their pain, as they tasted his blood.

But their satisfaction didn’t last long. Without hesitation, Kang I-won grabbed the fins impaling him and tore at them. Though the fins were tough, he managed to rip them at just the right spot, exposing the core.

Kang I-won’s dagger dug into the core, cutting into the surrounding flesh. He drove the blade deep and then slashed downward.

Not stopping there, he plunged the dagger even deeper into the wound, twisting it sharply. The sound of tearing flesh echoed as the core, still attached by a few strands of tissue, dangled halfway out.

Sensing danger, the snake quickly withdrew its tail, flailing it wide in an attempt to strike.

The force of the tail being pulled from his body caused Kang I-won to stumble, and before he could dodge, the snake’s tail slammed into him, sending him flying. He was about to crash into a building wall when a telekinetic Esper’s power stopped him mid-air.

“Man, having a lousy ability sure makes your body suffer, doesn’t it?”

A voice said, laced with sarcasm.

Kang I-won, now back on his feet, ignored the remark and staggered backward. The Guide from earlier rushed over to help him, gently seating him against a wall.

“Esper Kang I-won, good work. Leave the rest to us and take a break,” the Guide said.

Kang I-won nodded in response and pulled out a small tin case from his pocket. Inside were tiny pills, each the size of a fingernail. He chewed and swallowed two of them, the bitter taste lingering in his mouth. Then he pulled a chocolate bar from his pocket, chewing it to stave off the hunger brought on by using his abilities.

As he rested, the burns on his skin began to heal, leaving no scars behind, and the gaping wound in his abdomen slowly closed up as well.

Unfortunately, his clothes did not regenerate, leaving a gaping hole that exposed his stomach. A long scar crossed his navel—a scar that would never fade, even with his regeneration.

Kang I-won glanced down at the scar, scratching his belly absently, before continuing to watch the battle.

The telekinetic Esper successfully removed the snake’s core, weakening the creature and slowing its movements.

Sharp ice spears pierced the snake monster’s heads, and with a loud crash, one head fell to the ground and began to split again.

However, without the core, the severed head’s division was much slower. As the split began, Hyun Ho-jun’s flames burned the heads and necks, filling the air with the scent of roasting meat, which only made Kang I-won’s hunger grow worse.

As he watched the battle, his device beeped. It was a message from Team Leader Han Kang-jin.

The remaining two heads of the snake were still thrashing, but the battle was almost over. Knowing there was no need for him to get involved any further, Kang I-won quickly checked the message.

[Team Leader Han Kang-jin: Come to the Center for a matching rate test as soon as you arrive.]

It seemed that the rumored Guide had arrived.

As Kang I-won was reading the message, a shadow fell over him. He glanced up to see the special Esper who had been restraining the snake standing before him.

“Esper Kang I-won, are you okay?”

“Yes, as you can see.”

“You don’t look okay.”

“I’ve healed.”

Kang I-won held out his smooth, unburned arm through the tatters of his clothes. The special Esper, unable to hide their gratitude, said.

“You’ve really saved us again. Thank you.”

“No problem. But I should go now—I have a matching rate test.”

“Oh, right. Team 5 doesn’t have a dedicated Guide yet, do they? Did a new Guide arrive? Well, you should go then. Thanks again for everything today.”

With the special Esper seeing him off, Kang I-won left the scene.

Upon arriving at the Center, the first place he headed was the shower room. He couldn’t show up to the test covered in blood. After quickly showering, he put on the training clothes provided by the Center and, with his hair still dripping wet, went straight to the matching rate test room.

“Hello, I’m Kang I-won from Team 5. I heard there’s a matching rate test scheduled.”

The test supervisor, who had been staring straight ahead, greeted him warmly.

“Ah, Esper Kang I-won, you’re just in time. Esper Choi Soo-bin is currently in the middle of her test, but you’ll be next. Please wait a moment.”

“Got it.”

Kang I-won sat in one of the chairs inside the room and gazed through the thick reinforced glass. His stomach growled in hunger again, and without taking his eyes off the glass, he unwrapped another chocolate bar from his pocket and began eating.

Through the glass, two large egg-shaped capsules could be seen, connected by a central device with a large monitor attached to it. On the monitor, images of Choi Soo-bin and Heo Do-kyung appeared.

It was the first time Kang I-won had seen Heo Do-kyung. The man in the photo wore a soft smile, giving him a gentle and calm demeanor. Even someone as indifferent to appearances as Kang I-won paused for a moment—he was indeed a strikingly handsome man.

Kang I-won’s gaze briefly lingered on Heo Do-kyung’s photo before quickly shifting to take in the entire screen.

On the screen between the two pictures, there was a vertical rectangular icon, similar to a battery indicator. It slowly filled up, hesitating at a certain point before eventually coming to a stop. The three dots indicating progress alternated between growing and shrinking until the final number appeared: 68%.

68%. That was the matching rate between Heo Do-kyung and Choi Soo-bin.

“68 percent is pretty good! With the others above 60 percent, this should be more than enough to assign him as the permanent Guide. Congratulations in advance!”

The test supervisor said cheerfully.

Kang I-won considered responding but decided against it, feeling too indifferent to bother.

“It’s a relief, considering how long it’s been since Team 5 has had a dedicated Guide,” the supervisor continued. “Esper Choi Soo-bin should be finished soon, and then it’ll be your turn, so please be ready.”

Kang I-won nodded as he quickly finished the remaining bite of his chocolate bar. Just as he swallowed the last piece, the door to the test room opened, and Choi Soo-bin stretched as she stepped out.

“Ah, I finally feel human again! What’s this, you’re already here? Team leader said you might be a bit late.”

“I finished early, so I came straight here,” Kang I-won replied.

“You could’ve at least dried your hair. What’s with this mess?” Choi Soo-bin clicked her tongue, reaching out to pinch his still damp hair between her fingers. Kang I-won simply brushed her hand away, unconcerned, and got up to head into the test room.

Inside the room, sitting to the left of the open capsule, was Heo Do-kyung. He was rubbing his temples, clearly tired, and his expression was far more prickly than the calm, gentle face he had shown in his photo.

Heo Do-kyung glanced at Kang I-won and asked bluntly.

“You’re the last one?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s get this over with. I’m exhausted.”

With a nod, Kang I-won sat inside the empty capsule. After fastening the device to his wrist and reclining in the chair, the capsule lid closed. Soon after, he began to feel the Guide’s energy flowing into him indirectly through the device.

Even this indirect energy was enough to start stabilizing the unsteady waves in his body caused by using his powers. The sense of calm was something Kang I-won hadn’t felt in a long time, and he instinctively knew that his matching rate with Heo Do-kyung would be quite high.

Receiving actual Guiding from Heo Do-kyung would undoubtedly be even more effective. The constant dull headaches, nausea, and occasional ringing in his ears from lack of proper Guiding would disappear in an instant.

Any other Esper might have been thrilled by this realization, but Kang I-won felt only mild indifference.

On the monitor outside the capsule, pictures of Heo Do-kyung and Kang I-won appeared side by side. As the matching rate was calculated, the three dots blinked rhythmically until the final result appeared: 89%.

“Eighty-nine percent?”

Choi Soo-bin, who had been watching from outside, whistled softly in awe.

The average matching rate for a team Guide typically ranged from 60% to 80%. Anything above 80% was rare, and most Guides hovered around 70%. But 89%? That was an impressive number worthy of admiration.

“I’m so jealous. I only got 68%.”

“Hey, 68% isn’t bad at all,” the supervisor chimed in.

“Yeah, but compared to 89%, it feels kind of lacking. I can’t imagine how amazing Guiding at 89% must feel. My highest was 75%.”

“Does the matching rate really make that much of a difference?”

“Of course!”

Choi Soo-bin exclaimed, launching into an enthusiastic explanation about the benefits of a high matching rate, engaging the supervisor in conversation. Meanwhile, the capsule containing Kang I-won opened.

Choi Soo-bin, watching intently, was curious to see how the normally stoic Kang I-won would react to such a high matching rate.

But, much to her disappointment, Kang I-won simply stood up, glanced at the screen, and showed no change in expression. His face remained as indifferent as when he had first entered the capsule.

Seeing this, Choi Soo-bin’s excitement deflated, and she let out a sigh, feeling like the moment had been wasted.

“Is he even an Esper? I mean, an 89% matching rate and he doesn’t even react?”

Choi Soo-bin clicked her tongue as she spoke.

“There’s no other Esper who’d be this indifferent to Guiding. I’ve known him for a while, but I still have no idea what goes on in his head,” she added with a sigh.

“Yeah, he doesn’t seem to show much emotion,” the test supervisor agreed.

“Exactly. That’s just how he is.”

Choi Soo-bin said as she and the supervisor continued to watch Kang I-won, who remained as unperturbed as ever.

Despite his calm exterior, Kang I-won was actually feeling quite shaken on the inside after seeing the high matching rate.

“Our matching rate is pretty high, huh?”

Heo Do-kyung’s smooth voice echoed in Kang I-won’s ears. Heo Do-kyung had stepped out of his capsule and glanced at the monitor, sounding genuinely surprised. Kang I-won, avoiding eye contact, responded in a low voice.

“Looks like it.”

“What’s wrong? You’re not happy? Most Espers would be overjoyed with a high matching rate.”