FLIA 28

Too busy gnawing on the platform soaked with pork scent, Yoon Seungryong didn’t respond. Lee Hyunmook spotted a large chunk of cave wall lying nearby, picked it up, and tested its weight in his hand. Then, without hesitation, he hurled it straight at Yoon Seungryong. It didn’t just go thwack, it landed with a sound like an explosion as it smashed into the back of Yoon Seungryong’s head.

SCREEEEECH!

The centipede monster flailed violently, half-collapsing over the platform in pain. Even Yohan, who had been watching from behind a tree, winced instinctively, it looked painful just to witness. Only then did Yoon Seungryong slowly creak his head around to face Lee Hyunmook, venomous fangs bared and gleaming with menace.

“Last time, I offered up the flesh of my thigh, didn’t I? Today, I came to return the favor.”

“Y-yo… u… a-re… a-a-all… m-i-iiine…”

A strange, distorted voice spilled out, and Yohan jumped in surprise. Compared to Yoon Seungryong, Lee Hyunmook in his crazed state had been practically tame.

“Hun… gry… you… tast… y…?”

Even after devouring a mountain of pork just moments ago, Yoon Seungryong’s eyes still glinted with hunger. His massive, elongated body coiled and his upper torso lifted high into the air. His hand reached under his own armored carapace and, after some groping, pulled out a long, sharp object with a revolting squelch. It was hard to tell due to the slime covering it, but it was clearly a spear.

His upper body, now towering overhead, suddenly shot down toward Lee Hyunmook, the spear slicing through the air in a wide arc. It slashed through everything in its path with a sharp hiss, but it was stopped. Lee Hyunmook’s spear met it head-on, perfectly blocking the attack. Despite the monstrous centipede’s weight, it was Yoon Seungryong who trembled, not Lee Hyunmook.

KANG! As Lee Hyunmook smacked the spear aside and charged forward with explosive force, the centipede monster stumbled and reeled backward. At the same time, its tail suddenly lashed out toward Lee Hyunmook’s head. KWAANG! When the blow landed, Yohan let out a startled scream without realizing it.

But strangely, it was Yoon Seungryong who screamed in pain, even though Lee Hyunmook had been hit. The tip of the centipede’s tail had been cleanly severed. Yohan hadn’t even noticed when it happened. Even after taking a hit from the massive tail, Lee Hyunmook merely spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and stood, quickly flicking his spear to shake off the acid clinging to its edge with a grin.

“Seungryong, your regeneration’s really gone downhill, huh?”

“Uu… ugh…!”

Curling into a ball from the pain, Yoon Seungryong suddenly snapped back and charged. The impact sent high waves through the swamp. As Lee Hyunmook ran to meet him, Yoon Seungryong swung his spear to widen the gap and sprayed yellow acid from his mouth.

SSSSHHH…! Everything the acid touched began to melt, releasing a toxic, suffocating smoke. The centipede monster concealed itself in the poisonous mist. Creatures in the swamp thrashed once, then dissolved and disappeared.

Seeing that, Yohan scrambled up a tree in horror and released his ability. A halo of bright light surrounded him, purifying the air before the toxic gas could reach him. He anxiously tried to check on Lee Hyunmook’s condition.

Was Mr. Hyunmook okay in all that poisonous gas? I wish I could purify it all, but… he told me not to interfere until it’s over. If I draw Yoon Seungryong’s attention, I might just make it harder for him…As Yohan fidgeted helplessly, a calm, even voice emerged from the deadly fog.

“Yoon Seungryong, how many times did I tell you? When you fight, always assess your surroundings. Actually, it must’ve been dozens, hundreds of times…”

A sudden flash of black lightning split through the dim fog. High-voltage current flowed along the puddles on the ground. Moisture made for an excellent conductor, and in this swamp, it was more than enough to electrocute the monster thoroughly.

CRACK-CRACKLE! A scream pierced the air, sharp enough to split eardrums. The current didn’t let up, it continued frying Yoon Seungryong in agony. The smell of burning flesh reached all the way to Yohan, who turned pale and covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

ScreeeEEE! THUD, CRASH, BOOM! The massive, long centipede thrashed, shaking the earth. When its blind flailing veered toward Yohan, Lee Hyunmook would deliver a crushing blow, twisting its trajectory. No matter how wildly the body writhed, it couldn’t so much as scratch Lee Hyunmook.

SLICE! A chilling sound rang out, and another section of the centipede’s body was severed. Despite the clouded visibility from the toxic fog, Yohan could still make out the shifting outlines and shadows. The monster was shrinking.

The swamp was now splattered with acid and blood in grotesque hues. Not a single creature dared approach. All around them, Yohan sensed chaotic scurrying and fleeing, everything was running away as far as possible.

As Yohan clung to the tree, shivering, the horrific, one-sided battle finally ended. He could feel with certainty now, Lee Hyunmook had gone through all this trouble and drawn out Yoon Seungryong for his sake.

Squelch, squelch, squelch. Footsteps crossing the swamp. Lee Hyunmook was returning to him.

“Uwah, uwaaah…!”

Panicking, Yohan jumped down from the tree, flooding the ground with purifying light as he landed. Every patch touched by the glow turned the acid-mixed swamp back into clear water.

“Are you okay?!”

Despite his body smoldering and healing in real time, Lee Hyunmook hadn’t flinched once. But when Yohan rushed toward him, he finally furrowed his brow and backed away.

“Yohan, don’t touch me. Just purify, otherwise, you’ll get hurt.”

His voice trembling with fear, Yohan’s eyes welled up with tears again. He poured purification over Lee Hyunmook, and only then did the awful sizzling sounds finally stop. With a casual motion, Lee Hyunmook wiped away the tears running down Yohan’s cheek with his finger.

“Crying again.”

“N-no…! Do you think I want to cry? It was really scary! I didn’t know Mr. Yoon Seungryong would be that huge!”

Yohan sniffled as he circled Lee Hyunmook, checking for any unpurified wounds. Lee Hyunmook gently picked him up. After watching him take down that giant centipede monster without flinching, Yohan no longer worried about being too heavy. He was just embarrassed as always.

“Think you can go purify him now? If not, we’ll wait.”

“What? You want to do this again next time? No way, I’m not doing this twice!”

Yohan protested fiercely at the mention of postponing it. But instead of moving right away, Lee Hyunmook glanced toward the toxic fog, where the mutilated, twitching Yoon Seungryong lay in agony, and said,

“Then maybe… you should close your eyes.”

“Why? Why would I do that?”

“Because… it’s not going to be a pleasant sight.”

Compared to before, Yoon Seungryong’s body had clearly shrunk. It was obviously going to be a gruesome, painful sight. Yohan almost nodded instinctively, but stopped. He stared silently into the mist, then closed his eyes tightly once, and shook his head.

“No, I’m okay. Let’s go.”

Living in the Abyss meant he’d see terrible things again and again. He wanted to get used to it. He didn’t want to be a burden just because something was gross or scary.

“…Alright. If you’re sure.”

Lee Hyunmook patted the back of Yohan’s damp, sweat-soaked hair, he’d clearly been tense the whole fight, and began walking. Yohan, still held in his arms, leaned back slightly and grumbled.

“Wait, when I said ‘let’s go,’ I meant on my own feet!”

Lee Hyunmook ignored him completely. The poisonous fog had begun to thin out, spreading outward and fading. Gradually, Yoon Seungryong’s horrifying form came into view.

“Hrk…”

Yohan sucked in a sharp breath. The giant, elongated body lay in chunks, with Yoon Seungryong drooling as he dragged himself across the ground. Yohan did his best not to look at the severed stumps. Yoon Seungryong seemed to want to crawl back into the half-collapsed cave, but Lee Hyunmook blocked the way. Yoon Seungryong bared his broken fangs in defiance.

“■■… ■…”

He muttered something. Yohan strained to hear, maybe “that’s mean” or “I’m hungry.” Even as he glared at Lee Hyunmook, charred pitch black, he kept scooping disgusting mud into his mouth with his remaining hand.

Seeing that, Lee Hyunmook delivered a brutal kick to Yoon Seungryong’s solar plexus, making him roll away silently. He gagged and vomited up the mud he’d been eating moments ago. Horrified, Yohan intervened.

“N-no! Stop hitting him!”

“…Isn’t this better than letting him eat filth?”

Lee Hyunmook pinned Yoon Seungryong’s flailing arm underfoot as he spoke. Only then did Yoon Seungryong finally seem to register Yohan’s presence. His jet-black eyes, with no whites or irises, blinked not even once as they locked onto Yohan, tracking him with disturbing intensity. Acid drooled from his mouth. His torso tensed, starting to rise.

“Seungryong, don’t be rude.”