FLIA 41

***

“I’m sorry.”

After spending several days slumped in a haze with no will to do anything, Yoon Seungryong had finally come to his senses today thanks to Yohan’s purification. Bowing deeply, he pressed his forehead to the ground in apology.

“I really have no excuse. I’m truly sorryyy.”

“It’s okay, Seungryong-hyung. It happens. Come on, come eat.”

“Do I even deserve to eat…”

Yohan coaxed him with a wave, and though his voice was weak, Seungryong rushed to the table. Today’s meal was a spicy tuna kimchi stew. Cooked with Seungryong’s culinary skill and infused with Yohan’s purification, it tasted so good it was almost impossible to describe. After clearing a bowl in one go, Seungryong sighed as he picked at his dessert.

“Ugh, ever since I got swept up by the Flood, I can’t even look at it anymore… You must be fine looking at it head-on because you’re a purifier. I’m jealous.”

He shuddered, clearly still haunted by the experience. Yohan’s eyes widened as he nibbled on a nameless tropical fruit Hyunmook had somehow procured.

“You were swept up in the Flood?”

It was hard to believe. The Flood was repulsive and terrifying just to look at, and Yohan had seen with his own eyes what happened to any living thing that came in contact with it. Seungryong nodded as he took a large bite of the tropical fruit.

“That’s how I turned into that centipede monster. If the Team Leader hadn’t pulled me out midway, I would’ve looked way worse.”

Yohan’s jaw dropped in disbelief as more unimaginable stories spilled out. Seungryong chuckled and popped a fruit slice into Yohan’s open mouth.

“Our team leader … Every time a member got swept up in the Flood, he dove in after them. Again and again… So he’s the one who’s gone into the Flood more than anyone else among us. I’m grateful. But also…”

He lowered his voice almost to a whisper. It trembled faintly.

“…he’s the one I fear most.”

What could have happened to make him fear the very man who had saved him? Yohan couldn’t bring himself to ask. Even polite phrases like “You must’ve been through a lot” died on his lips. When someone had suffered pain and torment beyond imagination, no words of comfort dared rise. Seungryong gave a crooked smile and popped another fruit slice into Yohan’s mouth, this time from the sweetest, most flavorful center.

“Eat up, Yohan. I’m gonna start calling you hyung now. You chased the Flood away, didn’t you? That’s amazing.”

“I-it just kind of happened that way while I was trying to help…”

Yohan squirmed, flustered by the honeyed look in Seungryong’s eyes. At the same time, his cheeks and ears flushed pink with embarrassment and joy. Being able to actually contribute among such incredible people made him feel proud. He’d never felt this kind of camaraderie or sense of achievement before. Seungryong looked like he was ready to treat him like royalty when—

“Yohan-ah, come over here for a sec.”

Right after the meal, without even touching dessert, Hyunmook, who had been busy working on something, gestured to him. Yohan jumped up and scurried over.

“What is it?”

He tried to sound casual, but his posture was just slightly off. Ever since that rescue-kiss incident, Yohan had become painfully conscious around Hyunmook. Even though it had happened twice now. The man didn’t seem to remember clearly, so Yohan didn’t bring it up, but it still made things awkward and embarrassing. Most of all…

‘His eyes were black. Doesn’t that mean he was in his right mind?’

If his eye color was normal, how could he not remember kissing him? That nagging doubt kept poking at Yohan as his gaze fell on the object Hyunmook handed over.

“…What’s this?”

Yohan tried his best to see it in a positive light, but no matter how he looked at it, it was basically a primitive stone tool. Not even a proper tool, more like a chunk of rock. Hyunmook let out a low hum, looking slightly sheepish. He brushed his messy bangs aside, and even that simple motion looked effortlessly cool to Yohan.

“I refined it as much as I could, but this was the best I could do. It’s your weapon, Yohan, so it’s kind of embarrassing it turned out like this.”

“Uh – wow! It’s… really cool… and looks great for attacking!”

There was a short metal rod embedded in it, but even the sharpest-looking edge seemed more suited to being used as a blunt weapon. Yohan turned it over in his hands, doing his best to appreciate it. At first it looked like just a shiny black rock, but up close, it shimmered with a strange luster. A hunch struck him, and he lifted his head in surprise.

“Wait… is this what I think it is? Eternal Stone…?”

Occasionally dropped by monsters, this mysterious material hadn’t been fully analyzed. Not found anywhere on Earth, it didn’t decay like normal weapons when taken into dungeons. It was a solid material that appeared to be crystallized from a living creature, impervious to corruption, never changing.

Before refining, it was called Eternal Stone; afterward, it was known as Absolute Steel.

What Yohan held was the raw ore. What Hyunmook and Seungryong wielded were refined versions. Yohan stared at his new weapon in awe. What once looked like a dumb rock now gleamed like a billion-won diamond. Eternal Stone and Absolute Steel were priced based on what people were willing to pay.

“When did you even find this…?!”

Not long after Seungryong recovered, Hyunmook had disappeared for a couple of hours. That he’d managed to beat up some terrifying monster and retrieve such a rare material in that short time was staggering.

Yohan grinned wide, too happy to hide it.

“Wow, thank you! I’ll make good use of it!”

Yohan’s ability was purification, so technically, he could carry any ordinary metal weapon and be just fine. Nothing would corrode from contamination in his hands, and he rarely had to fight anyway. Still, after what had happened a few days ago, it seemed Hyunmook had given this a lot of thought.

“Even if you can purify the Flood, it’s best to keep as much distance as possible. Nothing good comes from touching it.”

“I’ll keep training my ability so I can protect both of you!”

Yohan shouted proudly, clutching his weapon like it was a treasure. Hyunmook smiled, his eyes softening as he leaned forward slightly.

“That’s reassuring.”

Meeting Hyunmook’s gaze only to quickly drop his own, Yohan felt his cheeks flush with heat. He fumbled to cover it up and tried channeling his purification into the weapon as a test. It buzzed with white light, the Eternal Stone embedded within it glowing brightly. Though Yohan was happy with it, he had to admit, it looked more like a glowing vintage lamp than a weapon. Judging from Hyunmook’s face, he seemed to think something similar.

“If we ever get a chance, it’d be great to improve the weapon… I hope we do.”

As he murmured, someone suddenly came to Yohan’s mind, Seo Yakrin, one of the Sunrise Team members.

‘That person… I’m pretty sure they could refine Eternal Stone.’

Was Yakrin still alive somewhere? Did hoping for that chance mean Hyunmook believed she was? Not knowing who among the team had survived, Yohan hesitated, unsure if he should say anything. At that moment, Hyunmook’s thumb pressed gently to his lips.

“Had dragonfruit for dessert?”

He spoke casually while wiping a bit of fruit from Yohan’s lips, and popped it into his own mouth.

“So that, so that was dragonfruit, ha ha ha…”

Yohan’s face turned red as he recalled the last time something like this had happened, when Hyunmook had told him only he was allowed to do things like that with him during their ‘rescue activity.’ Now he wasn’t sure if he was imagining things or if this really was a meaningful moment. It had felt way too intimate.

Yohan’s emotions pulsed outward, and his weapon flared like a beacon. That caught Seungryong’s attention, even as he chewed the last scraps of dragonfruit rind and wandered over.

“Yohan got a new weapon? That thing’s bright. No wonder the moths were flying in…”

“…Huh? Moths?”

Only then did Yohan realize the faint flapping sounds and screamed in alarm. Clearly, Hyunmook and Seungryong weren’t the only ones drawn to Yohan’s purification. The moth-like monsters that had begun flying toward them were zapped midair by Hyunmook’s lightning, bursting with a nasty burnt smell. Yohan quickly stopped channeling power into his stone weapon.

“Well, that was some light post-meal exercise. Shall we get going?”

Hyunmook stood, using electricity to sear the leftover gunk from his spear. Meanwhile, Seungryong, having now eaten even the dragonfruit peel, scratched his cheek as he asked:

“By the way, Team Leader… are we still heading toward the Russian zone?”

“Hmm…”

Hyunmook didn’t answer right away and seemed to drift into thought. Yohan glanced between the two men in confusion. Then Seungryong pushed again.

“Let’s just go to the Japan zone instead.”

“Why? Is there something good in Japan?”

Seungryong, who normally wouldn’t shut up about this sort of thing, glanced nervously at Hyunmook and stayed quiet. Yohan tilted his head and gave him a pointed, curious look. Eventually, Hyunmook gave a wry smile and explained:

“First off, to get to the Russian zone, we’d have to cross a river. Considering the Flood, that route’s best avoided.”

“Ugh… I never want to go through that again.”

Yohan shuddered. He’d barely stopped the Flood from devouring the other two. If not for that desperate situation, he would’ve run without looking back. The Flood was a terrifying force that struck at the core of survival instinct.

“And Hoyoung is in the Japan zone.”