DMG Episode 4

Heo Do-kyung said, his lips curling into a smirk, though his cold eyes made it seem more like a mocking sneer. It was indeed a sneer, filled with subtle disdain, and Kang I-won, sensing the unprovoked hostility, awkwardly replied.

“…Yeah, I’m happy.”

“Hm? Oh… I see.”

Heo Do-kyung muttered, seemingly coming to some conclusion of his own, before walking past Kang I-won and leaving the room. He didn’t even glance at Choi Soo-bin on his way out.

Kang I-won followed him out shortly after, where Choi Soo-bin wrapped her arm around his shoulder and asked in a curious voice.

“What did Hurdo say?”

“He asked if I was happy about the high matching rate.”

“Because of the matching rate, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Choi Soo-bin glanced over to where Heo Do-kyung had left and commented.

“It looks like he’ll probably be assigned to our team, given the situation and the matching rate… But wow, he’s prickly. I don’t think we’ll be getting close to him anytime soon, right?”

“No need to get close.”

Kang I-won responded bluntly.

“That’s exactly why I’m your only friend, you know that, right?” Choi Soo-bin teased.

“I don’t need any more friends.”

Kang I-won replied indifferently.

“So cold.”

She sighed.

“Well, I don’t know how long he’ll stick around, but hopefully, he’ll stay at least until we find another Guide with a high matching rate.”

The test supervisor overheard the conversation and tilted her head in confusion.

“What do you mean by that? With the team’s average matching rate being this good, wouldn’t he be assigned to your team permanently?”

Choi Soo-bin chuckled and explained.

“He’s S-class, you know? There aren’t many S-class Guides in the country. Even putting him with an S-class Esper would be considered lucky, so do you think they’d assign him to a team like ours with only A and B-class Espers? I’m willing to bet he’ll be sent back to Seoul soon. A few months, tops.”

“Oh, really?”

The supervisor said, sounding surprised.

“Yeah, really. By the way, have you only been working here for a short time?”

Choi Soo-bin asked.

“Yes, it’s been about three months now.”

“Ah, then you’ve still got a lot to learn.”

Choi Soo-bin said with a grin as she sat down next to the supervisor and started enthusiastically explaining more insider information.

While the supervisor listened with interest, Kang I-won left the room, leaving them to their conversation.

His stomach rumbled again, as the chocolate bar he had eaten earlier was no longer enough to satisfy his hunger. Scratching his belly, he pulled out a pack of jelly snacks and popped one into his mouth as he headed for the cafeteria on the first floor.

Kang I-won’s regeneration ability allowed his body to heal rapidly from injuries, but the downside was the immense hunger that followed every use of his power. Despite his slim appearance, he ate far more than most people.

It wasn’t just after using his abilities, either. Ever since his power had awakened, his regular appetite had also increased significantly, making his food expenses a constant strain on his finances.

By the time he had finished his third jelly, Kang I-won arrived at the cafeteria. He paid via his wrist device at the entrance and grabbed a tray.

The cafeteria was buffet-style, allowing unlimited portions at a low price. Though the food wasn’t the best, the quantity made it Kang I-won’s go-to dining spot.

With his tray piled high with rice and side dishes, Kang I-won found a seat in a quiet corner and began eating quickly but neatly.

Even though he ate fast, his eating wasn’t messy. A few late-night cafeteria staff glanced curiously at him, amazed by how much and how quickly he was eating.

Ignoring the stares, Kang I-won went back for more food three more times before he finally felt full. Still rubbing his flat stomach, he left the cafeteria.

He planned to head to the training room next to continue his routine when a beep sounded from his device—it was the notification for his paycheck deposit.

As he made his way to the training room, Kang I-won quickly managed his finances through the device.

More than half of his paycheck immediately went toward paying off his debt. The rest was divided across multiple accounts.

He allocated portions for rent, utilities, food, and necessities, leaving only a small amount of money left. Even that was transferred into his emergency savings account, just in case.

By the time there were only a few thousand won left in his main account, Kang I-won had arrived at the training room. He turned off his device and entered.

With practiced ease, Kang I-won took out a 1-liter bottle from his personal locker and filled it with the protein powder provided by the center. After adding water, he shook the bottle to mix it thoroughly.

After a brief rest in one of the chairs, he stood up, stretched, and climbed onto the treadmill, quickly setting the speed and beginning his run.

Training was an essential part of Kang I-won’s daily routine.

For someone like him, whose only ability was regeneration, the fact that he had managed to reach A-class was entirely due to his consistent and intensive training efforts.

An Esper’s rank was determined by a combination of factors.

The most important factor, of course, was the Esper’s ability. The reason Woo Young-seon from the Seoul branch, who could only create barriers, was ranked S-class was because of the sheer strength of his ability.

However, having a strong ability didn’t automatically guarantee a high rank.

Kang I-won’s ability was regeneration. It wasn’t particularly rare, as many Espers possessed regenerative abilities, but Kang I-won’s regeneration was unparalleled—by far the most extraordinary in existence.

Just how extraordinary? Even if his head were severed or his heart pierced, Kang I-won wouldn’t die. No injury, no matter how fatal, could kill him.

Had human experiments on Espers still been common practice, his remarkable regenerative power would have landed him in a laboratory immediately.

In terms of sheer ability, Kang I-won should have been classified as an S-class Esper. However, regeneration in and of itself was a combat ability with very limited practical applications.

Unless he could heal others, Kang I-won could only regenerate his own body, making his power a rather selfish one. It was often considered useless in team battles—a common critique of regeneration abilities.

The prevailing opinion on regeneration abilities was that they were ultimately self-serving, allowing one to survive while others perished. Kang I-won agreed with that assessment. His power was undeniably selfish.

Nevertheless, he worked hard. Regardless of its selfishness, it was the only ability he had, so what choice did he have?

Kang I-won was burdened with significant debt, and his only way of repaying it was to earn money as an Esper by hunting monsters.

Thus, Kang I-won threw himself into the harsh training regimen at an Esper-only academy, where all Espers underwent intensive training at least once. He pushed himself to the point of near collapse, to the extent that even other trainees, who thought they were training hard, clicked their tongues in disbelief at his relentless effort.

Thanks to his grueling routine, his previously emaciated frame, which had once been little more than skin and bones, became toned with solid muscle. Though his only ability was regeneration, his physical growth as an awakened Esper was rapid.

In addition to building his body, Kang I-won learned to wield every weapon he could get his hands on. After realizing he had no aptitude for shooting, he quickly gave up on firearms and picked up a sword. After experimenting with several weapons, he eventually found the one that suited him: the dagger.

There were many close-range Espers like Kang I-won who wielded weapons, but most of them did so because their ability was “weapon mastery.”

Weapon mastery, as the name implied, referred to an ability that allowed the user to skillfully handle specific weapons. Each person who awakened with weapon mastery would intuitively understand the weapon that suited them best and could quickly learn how to wield it with greater proficiency than others.

As a result, few Espers without weapon mastery bothered learning to handle weapons. Even when they did, it was usually just firearms for basic self-defense.

Those with other abilities had no need to use weapons, and Espers without combat abilities had no reason to go to the battlefield, so they didn’t pick up weapons either.

Despite not having the weapon mastery ability, Kang I-won picked up weapons anyway. He gripped his chosen dagger so many times that the palm of his hand split open hundreds of times in his pursuit of proficiency.

Unfortunately, the efforts he put into mastering the weapon left no visible scars, thanks to his perfect regeneration. As a result, no one could see the evidence of his hard work.

Still, Kang I-won didn’t care. He didn’t need anyone to acknowledge his efforts.

Two years passed like this. When he left the academy and underwent his first formal ranking evaluation, Kang I-won was classified as a B-class Esper. The evaluators admired his tenacity—his willingness to dive deep into the heart of a monster and stab it, paying no mind to the injuries he sustained along the way.

Though he became a B-class Esper and was assigned to a team in a provincial area, his role on the team was ambiguous at best.

Close-range Espers who wielded weapons typically served as support for Espers with body-enhancing abilities, holding the front line against monsters.

However, without weapon mastery, Kang I-won was not able to play that role effectively, despite his B-class designation. No matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t keep up with those who had combat-related abilities.

This led to moments where he became a burden, holding back the body-enhancing Espers. Whenever his inexperience caused another team member to get injured, Kang I-won would blame himself. His guilt only grew as he noticed that, while others were wounded, his own skin—revealed through his torn clothing—remained smooth and unscathed.

After enduring his teammates’ complaints and resentment for some time, Kang I-won spent countless hours pondering how to make better use of his ability. Eventually, he arrived at a simple but bitter conclusion.

He had been assigned a B-class ranking in the first place because of his reckless determination—the fact that he charged in without fear of injury.

So, he realized, the best way to utilize his ability was to continue behaving as recklessly as possible.

With that understanding, Kang I-won developed his own unique combat style.

Give up flesh to take bone. He would throw himself into danger, allowing himself to be injured if it meant delivering a decisive blow to the monster.

Though his regeneration was fast, it didn’t mean he was immune to pain. He often suffered from phantom pain even after his wounds healed. But as time passed, Kang I-won gradually refined his fighting style.

Following someone’s advice, he also learned parkour. The faster and more agile his movements became, the more often he could catch monsters off guard. His relentless training molded his body into one that could support this dynamic combat style.

As he saw more results from his efforts, Kang I-won pushed himself even harder.

Although he wasn’t naturally gifted physically, his awakening as an Esper had made his body fundamentally different from a normal human’s. And as if to reward his ceaseless efforts, his body slowly but steadily improved.

With his combat style firmly established and his constant training honing his abilities, Kang I-won’s growth accelerated over time.

As he became more accustomed to battle, he began responding to emergency calls—something he hadn’t dared to attempt before. The more he answered these calls, the more people started to recognize his abilities.

The most important factor in determining an Esper’s rank was their ability. After that came the level of mastery over their ability, and lastly, their performance on the field.

However, those weren’t the only factors. Evaluations from colleagues, stability of power waves compared to ability use, and several other criteria were also considered when determining an Esper’s rank.

Over the years, Kang I-won’s desperate efforts and accumulating records of his performance had become substantial evidence of his growth.

Eventually, Kang I-won’s rank rose from B-class to A-class, causing quite a stir at the center.

While it wasn’t common for an Esper’s rank to rise, it wasn’t unheard of. Espers who had initially been given low ranks due to their lack of control often saw their rank adjusted upward after gaining field experience and learning to master their abilities.

But in Kang I-won’s case, his rank rising despite his lack of a combat-oriented ability was unusual. Many people resented and envied his promotion, but Kang I-won paid them no mind.

After his promotion to A-class, Kang I-won intensified his training regimen to maintain his new rank. There was one reason for this—the base salary for an A-class Esper was nearly double that of a B-class Esper.

Money. It was all about the money. He needed money to pay off his debts, and he needed money to satisfy his endlessly growing appetite.

That was the only reason Kang I-won endured everything. Unlike others, his undying body made it easier for him to endure.

And so, by simply enduring, ten years flew by.

The bottle he had filled with protein powder was now empty, and his training clothes, soaked through with sweat, clung to his body. Sweat dripped onto the floor as he wrapped up his training session.

“Good work.”

He said, nodding to his sparring partner.

“Good work.”

They replied, as Kang I-won returned the rubber training knife to its place and headed straight for the showers.