His mind raced, through many possibilities in just a moment,
"what do I have? What can he do?, Extras World is just a resting place, I doubt it can heal, Akasha Archive seems like some information kind of skill
Melt and Bind are destructive abilities, not restorative, Energy Sense is a passive awareness skill"
Frustration was starting to build up
"I can't find any useful ability.
Unless..."
A light bulb formed in his head, it probably wouldn't work, but doing nothing was equivalent to watching his father die.
Akasha. Can I bring Dad into Extras World?
"Unknown. Previous testing inconclusive. Risk: dimensional instability, consciousness fragmentation, death."
For him or me?
"Both."
If I don't try, he dies anyway. If I try and fail, same result. If I try and succeed...
"Then you've performed unprecedented spatial manipulation and possibly discovered healing application of pocket dimension."
Exactly.
"Odds of success: 3.7%."
Better than zero.
"Barely. Recommendation: reconsider. Host father accepted his fate. You should—"
I'm doing this. Help me or get out of my way.
Silence. Then:
"...Acknowledged. Preparing dimensional transit protocols. Warning: this will exhaust host energy reserves completely. Potential side effects include: loss of consciousness, developmental regression, permanent damage to spatial abilities."
I accept the risks.
Yoo focused everything, his consciousness, his will, his desperate need, into a single purpose:
Save my father.
The Pull
Jae-sung was bandaging his shoulder when the surrounding shimmered.
"What the—"
A small gap opened, he could feel the familiar feeling of safety, and a little bit nostalgia of his old life, but none compared to the urgency of the matter at hand.
Jae-sung looked very confused, I mean there was a hole in space and his only son was staring intensely at him from the crib, what else could he think at the moment
He's doing this.
The gap widened, till it became large enough for a person.
Jae-sung suddenly felt a tug targeting his consciousness
"Kid, what are you—"
The pull intensified.
Everywhere blurred at first, then the tent around him faded, everything narrowed to that gap
He's trying to save me.
Against all logic, Jae-sung let go, he stopped resisting and didn't question, he just trusted
SNAP
Inside Extras World
Jae-sung crashed onto soft grass that hadn't existed moments before,
gasp
he rolled onto his back, stared up at... nothing?
It was an empty space, no sun but not dark either, soft illumination from no visible source, and A comfortable temperature
"Where...?"
A sound of an infant crying, Jae-sung quickly sat up, he saw that his son's, physical body, not just consciousness, lying on the grass five meters away, crying weakly, he scrambled over and picked up the baby.
"You okay? What did you do?"
Yoo's Shivered, exhausted beyond measure.
"Emergency transit successful," a voice said—not aloud, but directly in Jae-sung's mind.
"Host father has been relocated to Extras World. Dimensional stability: 67%. Host body energy reserves: depleted. Consciousness: fragmenting."
"Who's talking? What is this place?"
"I am Akasha Archive. Component of host consciousness. This is Extras World. Personal pocket dimension. Host brought you here to save your life."
Jae-sung looked down, his son just pulled him through dimensions to...
"Save my life? How does this... "
He stopped, because his shoulder wasn't really hurting anymore, Jae-sung pulled back the bandages. The infected wound was still there, but the pain had vanished.
The fog in his head was clearing. His breathing coming easier.
"What's happening?"
"Extras World's properties included: accelerated healing for biological entities. Not instant regeneration. But recovery rate increased by factor of approximately 8.5. Your infection will clear in hours rather than days. Wounds will close in days rather than weeks."
"That's... that's impossible."
"Yet occurring. However, cost was severe. Host body has expended all available energy creating transit aperture large enough for adult human. Current state: critical. Recommendation: remain in Extras World for minimum 6 hours to allow host recovery."
Jae-sung held his son closer, the baby's skin was pale, his breathing was shallow.
"He's dying?"
"Negative. But close. Host pushed beyond safe limits to save you. This is consequence."
"How do I help him?"
"Warmth, Contact. Wait, his body will recover naturally. He is remarkably resilient."
"Resilient?, just what have you put him through without my knowledge."
Jae-sung sat on the simulated grass, cradling his son against his chest, around them, Extras World existed as a pocket of safety carved from nothing by a two-month-old's continuously improving willpower.
"You're insane, kid," Jae-sung whispered. "Risking yourself for me, I really don't know what to say, this was reckless of you."
Yoo made a small sound, probably crying, or just awake.
"But thank you."
Jae-sung looked around the space, he saw the apartment furnishings, desk, chair, bed, objects that shouldn't exist here.
"What are you?..." he asked again. "Really?"
No answer came.
Just his son's breathing, slowly and gradually stabilizing, and Jae-sung's own body healing faster than he ever thought it could normally,
Outside
Ji-hye returned to check on them at dawn, and found the tent empty, both Jae-sung and baby Seung-yoon, gone, no signs of struggle, blood spray or evidence of entry or exit.
But there was an empty space where two people had been, she stared at the empty crib for a full minute then quietly closed the tent flap and walked away.
Some things, she thought, I don't need to understand.
Return
Yoo woke laying on his father's chest, strong and steady beneath his ear, different from his own calm and healthier racing pulse,
"Welcome back. Host energy reserves: 23% recovered. Sufficient for basic function. Recommend: remain dormant for additional 12 hours."
Did it work? Is Dad okay?
"Affirmative. Host father's infection: 87% cleared. Wound healing: accelerated. Survival probability: 94%."
Relief flooded through Yoo
We did it.
"Correction: YOU did it. This achievement: unprecedented. No recorded instance of infant-stage hunter manifesting spatial healing domain. You have created something unique."
I didn't create anything, I just... needed him to survive.
"Need is the mother of ability. Remember this: desperation unlocks potential that training cannot reach."
Yoo couldn't nod so instead he just moved closer to his father and laid there.