episode_0162

Boom! [Aaaaah!]

Along with the sound of striking thunder, a gigantic scream echoed. It was a monstrous shriek that no human could possibly make…

“Whoa.”

It was a giant. I, who had been dozing with my eyes half-closed, quickly pushed my upper body upright.

My injuries were still present, but I could now use a certain amount of magic.

Lee Seo also quickly regained her stance and held a dagger in her hand. I exchanged glances with her and slowly approached the cave entrance.

I had been on guard in case of a surprise attack, but it seemed there was no need for it after all.

Crash! Rumble rumble rumble!

Outside, a battle was in full swing. Golden flashes intermittently shot forth, the sky was dyed black, and rising plant stems entwined the giant’s body.

Reading each mana signature, I couldn’t fail to recognize their owners. Cheon Soyul, Ryu Jinseong, Ryu Seeun.

“It seems everyone has finally arrived.”

“……Phew.”

I chuckled and muttered, and Lee Seo also seemed completely relieved, sweeping a hand over her chest.

Now it would be fine to leave this cave.

Snap! The moment I snapped my fingers, the ice wood that had meticulously blocked the entrance instantly melted away, clearing the space.

I was the first to step onto the outer surface of the cave, sweeping my arm high diagonally.

Crraaaash!

Accordingly, a fan-shaped mass of ice, starting from the dirt ground, gleamed with a fierce light and rushed towards the giant.

The giant’s body was instantly fixed in place by the pile of ice, which resembled a tsunami.

BOOOM—!

Once again, accompanied by a cannonball-like explosion, the golden lightning, so familiar to me, streaked across the sky and pierced the giant’s body.

[Roaaar……!]

Was that a direct hit this time? The giant cried out with a different voice than before, groaning in pain, and the assault intensified.

As the teal-haired girl floating high in the sky swept her hand down, house-sized plant roots poured from the air, largely crushing the giant’s skull as they passed.

The moment the giant, having lost one eye, clutched its opposite temple and staggered.

“Hmph.”

Lee Seo, taking a short breath, kicked off the ground and soared high into the sky. It was indeed the leap of an A-rank close-combat Awakener.

The dagger, engulfed in red flames, flashed multiple times. The sword strike, swung leaving a thick trajectory, even took the giant’s remaining eye.

Whoosh……!

Next was the Great Mage’s finisher.

Ryu Jinseong imbued his arm with darkness.

That spiraling darkness, ominously rotating with a fierce sound, was soon launched straight ahead, flying towards the giant’s heart.

“……Vanish.”

Ryu Jinseong’s brief incantation was the signal.

The surging darkness, as if alive, opened its maw wide and ravenously devoured the giant’s upper body.

[…….]

That was the end of it. Under the combined assault of one Special S-rank, two pseudo S-ranks, and Awakeners of Special A-rank and A-rank, the giant finally fell silent.

CRASH……!!

Since its body was so massive, it took time for it to collapse.

The giant, having plunged its head into the middle of the mountain range, collapsed in such an undignified manner.

S-rank monster, subjugation complete.

Gate dissolved.

“……Hm.”

As soon as the giant stopped breathing, I calmly gazed up at the dark blue vortex that began to close eerily, and briefly regulated my breathing.

In a way, this was an overqualified force here in Cheorwon, which allowed the S-rank gate to be closed without significant objective damage, but…

‘What if it were somewhere else?’

If a Great Mage wasn’t stationed there, and by chance two or three mages of comparable power weren’t present. What if it were a region where not even one such force existed?

An S-rank gate appearing in such a place would inevitably bring about a great disaster.

Considering Ryu Jinseong’s words before the gate appeared, he implied that such incidents would occur frequently in the future.

“…….”

For some reason, my chest felt heavy.

Is the true end really coming?

If it was just Haru spouting nonsense by herself, it would be one thing, but with Ryu Jinseong also giving his affirmation, it was now difficult to deny it any longer.

Thus, as I was profoundly feeling the need for more systematic preparation.

“……Huh?”

Something was shuffling along at the edge of my vision. It was light brown hair that I couldn’t help but recognize, and a pallid complexion unlike usual…

It was Cheon Soyul. She wasn’t particularly tall to begin with, but for some reason, she felt even smaller.

‘Oh, right.’

And the moment I realized the presence of Lee Seo, who flinched and began to watch Cheon Soyul from behind, I also gulped dryly.

While I briefly glanced behind me, Cheon Soyul, who had approached right under my chin, stared up at me blankly.

“……Soyul?”

Her reaction was strange. No, perhaps her state. I had expected her to surely rage if she noticed that the freezing ability was dispelled.

“L-Lee Hyunjin……”

What was with this choked-up voice? And her eyes, which had been dull, suddenly beginning to regain their vitality the moment she saw my face?

Unable to deal with her perplexing attitude, I turned to Ryu Seeun.

It was because I thought she, who had likely been with Cheon Soyul until now, might know something about her state.

-She merely stuck out her tongue.

Ryu Seeun merely darted her dainty tongue out past her lips, as if telling me to deal with it.

“……??”

No, what is it? I need an explanation to understand.

It was then, while I was frozen in such a puzzling state.

Softly—

At some point, I realized that Cheon Soyul was carefully embracing me. She wrapped both arms around my back and buried her head.

This time, while I stiffened, unable to comprehend the turn of events(?).

“……How did you end up like this?”

Her voice was quite hoarse.

“H-Huh?”

“……That wound, what is it, exactly……”

“……Oh, this.”

She rubbed her forehead against my chest, sniffling. The direction she subtly indicated was my side, so I quickly understood what she was talking about.

“Ahem. It’s nothing much. It’s almost fully healed already.”

Since her voice was filled with concern, I spoke as nonchalantly as possible.

But did this mean she mentioned my injury first because she was worried about it?

Inwardly, I felt touched yet also a fluttering sensation. I awkwardly scratched my cheek and subtly probed Cheon Soyul.

“So… besides the wound, anything else you want to say?”

“…….”

“……Since I’m the one who committed the offense first, I’ll gladly accept any curses you might utter now.”

“……No need.”

“Huh?”

An unexpected answer came out. I reflexively uttered a voice mixed with bewilderment, but Cheon Soyul merely hugged me tighter.

“It’s fine, there’s no need… Because you’re alive, I’m okay. A living philanderer is much, *hic*, better than a dead husband…”

“H-Huh, huh…?”

She hiccuped, then sniffled… I, I thought you were surely dead… *Hic*, *Waaah*.

Emergency. Cheon Soyul began to wail. She was holding me tight, bursting into tears, but what on earth was I supposed to do now?

Should I hug her back? I was already doing that. Should I caress her? The moment she showed tears, my hand was already patting her back.

Cheon Soyul was crying, but it was I who felt panicked, my head spinning.

Cheon Soyul, who had been sniffling without letting go of me, spoke again.

“You, you bastard, like a host bar worker…”

“?”

And that was an insult of a different caliber than her words just before. In other words, it was extremely direct and blunt abuse.

“S-Soyul-ssi?”

“Shut uuuup!”

Though I, flustered, called out to her, what came back was a shriek that felt like it would tear my ears.

I reflexively covered my ears and shut my mouth.

And the more I did so, the more Cheon Soyul began to pant, as if even angrier.

“Do you know how much I, I worried about you? When your freezing ability suddenly disappeared, I even thought you might have died.”

“…….”

“It’s a good thing my junior told me, otherwise, otherwise, I definitely would have…!”

Grrr! Cheon Soyul, gritting her teeth, finally pushed me away, her arms trembling violently.

The words she couldn’t bring herself to say next, though not certain, I could vaguely guess.

Powerless, I became solemn and bowed my head humbly.

“I apologize for causing you distress.”

“Don’t apologize, you bastard…!”

No, what on earth was I supposed to do? Unable to hide my bewildered feelings, I looked up at Cheon Soyul, and she wiped away her tears and smacked my shoulder hard.

“Hey, you idiot. If you were so confident getting swept away by a landslide, you should at least come out unscathed, what kind of state is this?!”

And what she was glaring at with the saddest eyes in the world was my side. If I were to say that this is actually much better now, would I get yelled at more?

I firmly closed my lips to prevent any unnecessary words, and Cheon Soyul just kept sniffling and crying, regardless of what I did.

I hugged her again without a word. This time, Cheon Soyul didn’t refuse my embrace.

How many more minutes passed like that?

“……You.”

Cheon Soyul, who had been sniffling for a long time in my arms, spoke again in a much calmer tone.

“You’re going to keep fighting like this, aren’t you? Whether it’s S-rank gates or Special S-rank gates, until that ‘destruction’ comes, just like this time…”

“…….”

No, I don’t really intend to go that far?

I awkwardly gulped.

True, I had gotten entangled in various incidents, starting with the Moonlight Sect terrorist attack a year ago, and had been recklessly putting my body on the line.

But that didn’t mean I was some guy equipped with a great spirit of sacrifice.

Naturally, in dangerous situations, I would prioritize my own safety, and then the people within my fence.

If there was a way to survive without preventing the world’s destruction, for example, if that moon colonization plan gained feasibility… I’d probably take all my acquaintances and leave without hesitation.

“Hey, you.”

For that reason, just as I was about to open my mouth to clear up the misunderstanding, Cheon Soyul suddenly tickled my thigh with her fingertips.

At that sudden touch, I flinched and trembled at the waist, looking down at Cheon Soyul.

“……So, just make one promise with me.”

She blurted out to me, her face considerably less tear-streaked.

“That you won’t die. Whether you suffer serious injuries or critical injuries, that you’ll return alive like today and live your life seeing my face.”

“…….”

“……We haven’t even had our wedding yet.”

At that sudden addition, I inhaled sharply. But Cheon Soyul merely blushed slightly, then calmly and indifferently pulled my nape closer.

And then, a bird kiss, short and without any exchange of saliva, lips touching lips.

Ryu Jinseong subtly turned his head away, Ryu Seeun’s eyes were half-covered as her mouth slightly gaped, and Lee Seo exclaimed ‘Oh my, oh my’ around the same time.

“……I’ll come to your room tonight.”

Cheon Soyul dropped a bombshell.

“Let’s speed things up, you and I.”