FLIA 69

“Ah.”

Seo Yakrin let out a faint sound. Her voice was hoarse, worn out from screaming for what felt like an eternity. Just like Yoon Seungryong once had, she stood there, shameless and naked, gazing blankly up at the sky. Then, as if she had never resented Lee Hyunmook for keeping her alive, she muttered to herself.

“…I’m glad I stayed alive.”

The dome of light that filled the vast space filtered not only the rain but even the ominous light pouring down from the crimson sky, making it shine like sunlight. Though there was still a faintly foreboding golden glow, her once-beautiful face now held no trace of anger.

Then, the one who had once been crawling on the ground returned, taking shape again as Yoon Seungryong. Even as he spat out the dirt he’d been gnawing on, a smile spread across his lips. It wasn’t the mad laughter he used to unleash in the face of the Flood. It was a genuine smile, his body sprawling out on the ground with relief. Watching the three of them in a daze, Yohan slowly turned around.

Lee Hyunmook’s face still showed nothing. A hollow void, pitch black, with not even a hint of his features, as though a deep shadow persisted even in the sunlight. Yet Yohan could still feel that gaze fixed quietly on him.

Anyone who falls into the Flood can never return to how they once were.

And this person standing here had gone into the Flood, again and again, just to save his teammates. Even in that living hell, he never gave up, he fought with everything he had to bring them back. He was someone who protected everyone with quiet, gentle determination, even here.

So he was… a human.

“Hy-Hyunmook hyung….”

Yohan, weeping, called the name of the person he loved and kissed him. The moment his tear-streaked lips touched the void, lips formed there. Then appeared a sharp nose as if washed clean by tears, and gloomy eyes cast in shadow.

When Lee Hyunmook returned to his normal appearance, Yohan’s sobs only grew louder.

“Waaah, uhhuhuuung! Ngh, ugh, heuhuhuh….”

He cried so hard, Lee Hyunmook’s whole face was getting soaked. Looking helpless, Hyunmook gently pulled the weeping boy into his arms to comfort him. Now even his own collar was starting to get wet.

“Yohan-ah, just a second. Try to calm down…”

But instead of calming down, Yohan clung to him even tighter, bawling his eyes out. Beads of light sparkled like jewels as they ran down his flushed cheeks.

“This time, sob, I, sniff, I really… ngh, I thought it was over, I knew… sob…”

More than the Flood itself, Yohan had been utterly terrified seeing his companions rendered helpless before it. So when he broke down sobbing like this, even the other team members – who had been basking in the light and rain – turned to look. Among them, the now-recovered Seo Yakrin blinked in confusion and asked,

“…Who the hell is this crybaby?”

***

Amid the radiant light flooding the surroundings, the soft sound of sobs continued faintly.

“Sniff, ngh… hic, hic.”

“Yeah, I know. Here, have some water. Eat something too.”

Yoon Seungryong busily pulled out a water bottle, fruit, and some dried jerky, placing them into Yohan’s hands. Sniffling, Yohan still stuffed the food into his mouth and chewed. The air was filled with the fresh scent of reeds sprouting all around.

“Seungryong hyung…”

After swallowing a bite of jerky, Yohan spoke with a trembly voice. Yoon Seungryong replied warmly, like a truly caring older brother.

“Yeah, what is it? You need something?”

“Sniff… please put on some clothes…”

Only then did Seungryong sheepishly take some clothes out of his “pocket” and hurriedly dress himself. When he had turned into that crawling thing, his clothes had been shredded completely, leaving him utterly naked.

Meanwhile, Ju Hoyoung – who had not been touched by the Flood – was acting oddly despite being the most “normal” one among them.

“Listening to Yohan was the right call! He said we shouldn’t run, that there was a way to fix it, and now look, we came here, there’s a shining umbrella of light, it’s raining, everything’s sparkling like rainbows, it’s so pretty, the Flood can just go away…”

He was practically bouncing around, spouting words so fast they were hard to follow. Overexcited by the relief of everything being resolved, no doubt. Seo Yakrin, who had been trying to get a handle on the situation by listening to him, sighed and crossed her arms.

“What’s up with him? I can’t get a single thing out of that explanation.”

Then she marched over and glared at Yoon Seungryong. Who, while peeling fruit to feed Yohan, glared right back.

Yohan, afraid they’d start fighting, abruptly stopped crying and quickly tried to draw Yakrin’s attention.

“Hello, I’m Yang Yohan. Sniff, I fell into the Abyss a few months ago. My ability is, as you can see, purification…”

As Yakrin stared down blankly at him without a word, Yohan’s voice got smaller and smaller. The only place he could turn to was Lee Hyunmook, who was sleeping peacefully with his head in Yohan’s lap. Shivering under her gaze, Yohan shrank back, until Yakrin suddenly beamed.

“Ohh, so our baby’s ability is purification? That’s amazing! I’ve never seen the Flood get purified in my whole life! You did so good! So proud of you! Your ability is the best in the world! You must’ve worked so hard to save your hyungs and noona, didn’t you?”

That once-terrifying Seo Yakrin showered him with praise so endlessly, Yohan looked visibly overwhelmed. Yakrin even shoved Seungryong aside with her foot just to come sit closer and pat Yohan on the shoulder.

“You cried so much ‘cause your hyung and noona turned all scary, huh?”

“I, I’m twenty-three, though. Not a kid…”

Yohan desperately tried to clarify he was not a baby, but Yakrin didn’t budge. If anything, she doubled down. Wasn’t she the same age as Yoon Seungryong? That made her twenty-five…

“What, twenty-three? You’re practically newborn! Hey, don’t you wanna see the Reed Sea, baby? Noona can show you around. When I first got here, it wasn’t even a sea yet, I think that was like, a hundred and some years ag-”

Just as she was about to start telling wild tales from the Abyss, she let out a shriek. Yoon Seungryong, frowning the whole time, had bitten her calf.

“Yoon Seungryong, you bastard! Are you out of your mind?!”

“Hey, boomer! You start lecturing the second you meet someone, who even wants to hear your life story?!”

“You little punk! You can’t just sit still for one minute, huh?!”

Yakrin grabbed a fistful of Seungryong’s hair and kicked him. He screamed and lunged at her, and the two of them started rolling across the ground, yanking hair and throwing punches amid the sprouting green shoots.

Yohan opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again. He didn’t have the energy to stop them anyway.

In truth, his purification power was not just drained, it was bone dry. The radiant field he had spread using Ju Hoyoung’s buffs was still glowing gently in the same place. By his estimation, it wouldn’t fade for a few more days.

Which meant this place would stay safe for a while.

Hoyoung was still giddy with excitement, and Yakrin and Seungryong looked like they’d be brawling for a good while longer. Maybe it was okay to get a little rest now.

Thinking that, Yohan rubbed his heavy eyelids.

He was gently touching Lee Hyunmook’s handsome face when he dozed off, and when he woke, his position had changed.

“Did you sleep well?”

Lee Hyunmook asked in a soft voice, cradling Yohan against his broad chest. Yohan instinctively reached up and touched the clear lines of his face again. That terrifying, empty void of a face flashed through his mind.

Hyunmook bent his head closer and spoke kindly.

“What is it, were you scared?”

“No… not at all.”

Lying, glumly, Yohan touched his lips one more time. They were soft. Definitely human lips. The chest he was leaning on, and the arms wrapped tightly around him, were warm, almost hot.

Relieved, Yohan checked his purification power. Barely a tenth had returned.

‘I can definitely store more now…’

He had known his power grew with each use, but this time, when he had pushed himself to the absolute limit, the growth was incomparable. Compared to when he first awakened, he had become many times stronger. With Seo Yakrin now part of the team and more purification needed, that was truly fortunate.