Chapter 190

As he gathered the puzzle pieces surrounding him, the entire picture was completed.

"..."

When Tae-un didn't give any answer, Soram lowered his head, tightly gripping Tae-un's sleeve with an anxious expression, as if he had gone off on some strange imagination of his own again.

"What's wrong..."

Tae-un's gaze finally found its bearings. After taking a few breaths, he cupped Soram's shoulders with both hands.

"Soram-ah."

Hearing his name called gently, Soram didn't show it much, but he seemed relieved.

"Yeah."

"You..."

Tae-un couldn't speak right away and moved his lips silently a few times.

How should I resolve this situation?

How can I save you, and myself?

After pondering, he found what he needed to say.

"Do you remember the lyrics of 'The Magic Castle'?"

"...What?"

Soram frowned, then said "Ah, the animal sounds..." as if understanding on his own.

"Yeah. Of course I remember it all. I've heard it hundreds of times. But I don't think I have the luxury to think about that now."

Because this isn't the small annex in Guncheon. Soram added with a bitter expression.

It was true that he couldn't plug in earphones, cover both ears, and crawl under the blanket now. But that wasn't what Tae-un wanted to confirm.

"Do you remember everything from the first verse to the end?"

Ha, Soram let out a laugh.

"Yeah. Every single bit from the intro to the outro is in my head. Thanks to someone, I can't forget it even in the next life."

"..."

"Instead of worrying about me, take care of yourself first. Why did you leave your injuries as they are?"

Saying they should go a bit further back, Soram pulled Tae-un's hand. The blood that had started to dry and become sticky mixed in their hands. Tae-un was dragged along for a couple of steps before stopping Soram by holding his hand.

"Let me ask one more thing."

"What is it?"

Soram turned around. His face showed a mix of questioning Tae-un's strange behavior in this tired situation and some fatigue.

"Do you love me?"

"What are you saying, you crazy bastard!"

However, as soon as the next words came out, Soram instantly regained his color and jumped up.

"Are, are you crazy? It's the first time I'm glad the mutants' sounds are loud. What are you saying all of a sudden!"

"..."

"At a time like this, really so suddenly..."

Strangely, after bursting out, he stared blankly at the other's face and fidgeted on his own. Even though Tae-un was just standing still without saying anything, Soram's arms and legs kept twitching incessantly.

"Uh, ugh..."

Soram glanced around briefly, then slowly moved closer to Tae-un. He leaned his forehead on Tae-un's shoulder and grabbed his waist, putting himself in an embraced position. In that state, he whispered as if mumbling.

"...Ahem, hmm. I love you, a lot."

"..."

"That I've only loved you in my entire life... you, you know that already, why are you asking?"

All Tae-un could see was the brown crown and ear. Both ears were dyed even redder than the face color he had seen just before.

The moment that solidified his resolve came firmly at a time only Soram didn't know. Tae-un slowly embraced Soram with both arms.

"Yeah. I love you a lot too."

"...Of course."

Soram stayed quietly in Tae-un's arms, as if the satisfaction of this moment had overcome his shyness.

For a while, words disappeared between the two. After voicing the confession at a moment when they sensed the end, it seemed various emotions had come to Soram's mind as well. He felt like he understood why people couldn't separate from each other in crisis situations in disaster movies, even though a greater crisis would come if they wasted time. The hands holding each other didn't move, as if they had frozen in place.

Because this moment might be the last.

So they just couldn't let go.

Anxiety, fear, and lovingness. All of them made their hearts pound.

"Soram-ah, Jin-Han Treaty Article 1."

Soram raised his head that had been buried in Tae-un's arms.

"Why that all of a sudden. I didn't get annoyed."

"Doesn't 'not getting annoyed' include not getting angry too?"

"...Why do you keep talking nonsense since earlier? Are you sick? Ah, you must be hurting all over... Ugh, hey!"

Tae-un pulled Soram a bit more tightly into his arms.

"Don't get angry."

"Ah, shit. Aren't you hurting? You have cuts and bruises all over. Haah..."

But still, Soram didn't push Tae-un away. Tae-un whispered once more while holding Soram like that.

"Don't get angry."

"...I got it. How could I get angry at you?"

"Yeah. Make sure to keep that promise."

Tae-un received assurances again and again for what was to come.

Affectionate contact with a loved one was sweet enough to make one forget reality. But the moment they separated, the huge sounds made by the monsters and the sight of the black towering crack unfolded the forgotten reality again.

"...Han Tae-un, you know. The director told us to rest, but I'm sure he's going to rush out there himself."

He had said not to move until birds appeared next time, but... it was uncertain whether they could even get past this phase. Would there even be a "next"?

The remaining hunters had already clashed with the mutants up ahead. The expressions of those who had stood up with weapons in their battered bodies were filled with desperation. But there was also a streak of despair added to it.

Soram tightly pulled Tae-un's sleeve that was still touching him.

"Should we disobey and fight too?"

This might be the last time. Tae-un smiled.

"...Okay. I'll disobey too, following you."

Having finished their conspiracy, the two flew up.

The endless war continued. Meanwhile, the surrounding roads and buildings had completely collapsed, leaving no trace that this had been a city. Soram looked at the mutants gathered like clouds, while Tae-un looked at the black inside of the crack as they approached the battlefield.

Finally, their feet landed on the shattered asphalt. The swords raised above their shoulders each pointed at the mutants in front of them.

Muuu―!!!

A horned ox approached with an angry sound. Tae-un kicked off and deeply stabbed its side.

The frontline where hunters had been blocking had largely crumbled. Most of the roadside buildings that had initially blocked the mutants' approach had collapsed after being rammed by horned beasts. The surroundings had become ruins, making it difficult to find their original appearance.

"Soram-ah, let's go straight to the crack."

Hearing Tae-un's suggestion, Soram stared at him blankly before smiling.

"Why are you smiling?"

"It's so like you to work hard until the end. Yeah. Okay."

"..."

Even at a moment like this, Tae-un, who had no talent for lying, chose silence.

Pak!

The two leapt upwards while running towards the crack. Like before, mutants tried to block their approach to the crack, but as they both attacked the jumping mutants simultaneously, the process of breaking through became easier than before.

Finally, they arrived in front of the crack.

Their expressions facing the crack were very different from the morning. The fighting spirit had disappeared, knowing all too well that they couldn't win with strength. But a deep resentment and venom had settled, willing to gladly drag this to hell with a curse if they could die together.

"Like before, I'll go down and block the mutants, you attack the crack from above."

"Yeah. Got it."

"...Goodbye, Han Tae-un."

Soram smiled without raising his gaze and went down. He didn't look back at Tae-un again. Instead, he began attacking with his last remaining strength against the mutants scattered around the crack.

Soram, who had cried so much when Tae-un said he would follow to the next life, didn't mention that promise at the real last moment. So it was unclear whether the "goodbye" just now meant farewell or see you again.

"..."

Tae-un, left behind, gripped his sword tightly and then thrust it towards the crack with all his might.

Kadeudeudeuk!!!!!

The crack vibrated from the impact. Soon, the surrounding mutants became excited and turned this way to protect the crack.

Tae-un glared at the abyss without any light while keeping his sword deeply embedded. As he tried to push the long sword that matched his height further in, it resisted from inside, pushing back the sword with strong force.

Keureuk, keuk, kadeuk, keudeudeuk...!

The resistance came with threatening rough sounds. It was a sound amplified loud enough to shake eardrums. As Tae-un pushed the sword with all his might, even more mixed sounds came out.

"..."

Kadeuk!

The process of pulling the sword back was easy. Tae-un pulled out the deeply embedded sword.

Then he suddenly went down and landed on the ground. To the side where Soram was fighting alone.

Soram was in the middle of a struggle with a mutant.

"Han Tae-un, why did you come down..."

Tae-un was smiling gently as if soothing the other person. So, even though Soram had enough time to stop Tae-un's action, he couldn't react.

Because he didn't know Han Tae-un, who smiled so kindly, would do this.

Tak.

Tae-un turned his back to the mutant and pushed Soram.

Soram's widely opened eyes captured Han Tae-un and the mutants charging behind him. Sharp claws, teeth, the roar of giant beasts leaping towards prey that had entered their territory. They drew closer and closer to Tae-un's back. Soram could only watch this scene while being pushed away.

No.

Soram shouted like that with just his mouth shape, unable to make a sound.

And Tae-un's last words.

"Jin Soram."

A bright smile rose on his face. As if it was sincere without a single trace of falsehood.

"You have to live."

Heuk.

It felt like the inhaled breath burst all at once inside his body.

"Aaaaaaaaaak!!!!!"

Soram's face was completely consumed by terror. It felt like he was overlapping numerous scenes from past memories over himself.

This would be what you fear most in the world, Soram.

Along with the scream sinking into a nightmare, the black crevice vibrated violently.

The crack sensed the fear of the strongest person in this place.

There are three types of dungeons.

First, siege dungeons that pour out monsters in animal and plant forms transformed with high lethality.

Second, flood dungeons that spew liquids, gases, etc.

And finally third, mimicry dungeons that appear in the form of common fears held by people within the radius of the crack's occurrence, or.

The fear of the strongest person nearby.

A black shadow extended from the crack. It accurately targeted only Tae-un and wrapped around him tightly.

"Han Tae-un, Han Tae-un!"