"We meet again, Dragon."
Barn leaped from the shore onto the ship and spoke to Dragon beside him.
"Yes, we meet again, Barn. I'm sorry about what happened today."
At Dragon's apology, Barn merely nodded and spoke in a low voice.
"How's that boy doing? I want to see him."
Dragon glanced at Barn, but could read no emotion on his face. He sighed, then answered.
"He's in the cabin. Ivankov and Tiger Hunt are both there."
Barn nodded, activated his Mind's Eye, and headed toward the cabin on his own.
Dragon watched him go and sighed before following him. The cabin...
It was much brighter here than in the meeting room last time. Wall lamps lit the entire room. Ivankov had already changed his appearance; he was no longer the enormous-faced oddball from before, but a tall, slender "woman"... if he could be called a woman. All five fingers on his hand had turned into syringes and were inserted into Sabo's body. Tiger Hunt stood beside the bed with his arms folded, his expression grave as he watched Sabo, who lay covered in bandages.
"What's this...?"
Barn asked, glancing back at Dragon.
"Ivankov has a very unusual ability. He's treating the boy."
Barn nodded, walked over to Ivankov, and asked.
"How is he now?"
Ivankov turned to Barn and answered gravely.
"His injuries are severe. Most of his body is burned. Fortunately, Tiger Hunt rescued him in time, so we managed to save his life. But he's remained unconscious. Whether he wakes up will depend on his willpower."
Barn nodded and walked to the bedside, gently resting his hand on Sabo's head. A soft green glow rose from his hand.
As he did so, Barn seemed to grow a little taller. If he had looked like a sixteen-year-old boy