FLIA 56

Yohan let out a belated “Ah!” as he suddenly realized something. When Hyunmook had shown up to rescue him earlier, he’d been so overwhelmed with joy that he’d called him Hyunmook-hyung.

Before he could say anything else, Lee Hyunmook lifted Yohan into his arms and stood up. Yohan was about to ask him to put him down, but instead, he closed his mouth and wrapped his arms tightly around Hyunmook’s neck. The fear and loneliness he’d felt over the past few days were too great, he never wanted to be separated again. And they were still in the Black Mountain.

“Since Yohan wants to leave too, shall we head out?”

Yohan felt a little awkward at how openly Hyunmook was treating him differently, but surprisingly, Yoon Seungryong and Ju Hoyoung didn’t seem to mind at all. Hyunmook leapt lightly through the hole he had made. It was easily several meters high, yet he escaped the cavern in a single jump. The others followed without much effort. Even though Yohan was a high-rank awakener, every time he saw the three of them pull off moves like this, he couldn’t help but wonder if he could really keep up.

As Hyunmook carried him, Yohan glanced back and saw the hole they had escaped from slowly closing, as if healing itself. It looked like it was handling something precious. Or maybe that was just how it felt.

Still, what is all this…? Yohan’s eyes widened in astonishment. A long passage stretched out before them, not just any tunnel, but one engulfed in thick, dark ice. He summoned a light and asked,

“How did you dig all this?”

There were no drills or shovels. Even for awakeners, it would’ve been hard to do by hand. More than that, it didn’t look like it had been dug out by people, it seemed more like something long and huge had gnawed its way through. Not a worm, but something like… a centipede?

“At first we tried digging it normally, but you know how the Black Mountain moves, right? It kept resetting everything, so it was a pain. The Team Leader did recon, I did the digging, and Hoyoung froze it to hold everything in place.”

At Yoon Seungryong’s explanation, Yohan was moved to tears again. Having been isolated for days, he had become much more emotional than usual.

“You all went through so much because of me… Thank you so much…”

“For our adorable Yohan, what wouldn’t we do? Let’s get out of here and eat something good.”

Seungryong ruffled Yohan’s hair affectionately, then dropped a bomb.

“Hoyoung’s just about at his limit, so this tunnel won’t hold for much longer.”

“What?!”

Yohan gasped in panic, right as snow-like ice dust began to fall. At that moment, all three of them suddenly took off running. Yohan’s scream echoed faintly through the hastily dug ice cave inside the Black Mountain.

They were nearly buried alive again, but after a long, chaotic dash, the four of them finally made it out safely. They moved past heaps of rotting monster bird carcasses until they reached an area no longer under the Black Mountain’s influence. Only then did they stop to rest.

“Oh my god… the sky…”

Even though it was still dark red, it was a sky nonetheless, and it felt like a blessing. With tears in his eyes, Yohan tilted his head.

“Um, but… doesn’t the sky seem a little brighter than before?”

Compared to the pitch-dark, crimson skies they were used to, darker than any sunset, today it seemed just a touch brighter. Or rather, it felt like… something filthy had been removed. It wasn’t something he could quite describe, and Yohan furrowed his brows. Yoon Seungryong looked up and tilted his head.

“Really? I don’t notice anything.”

“Maybe it’s just a little bit brighter, like Yohan-hyung said?”

Yohan looked to Hyunmook, who smiled warmly at him and said,

“If you think it’s brighter, then it is.”

He said it as if he’d believe Yohan even if he claimed soybeans were made from red beans. When Yohan looked back up, the sky didn’t seem any different from usual. Embarrassed, he dropped his gaze. He must have imagined it after being stuck in the mountain too long. Either way, now was the time to enjoy the joy of escape.

***

After Yohan purified the corrupted ingredients, which had grown limbs and facial features, Yoon Seungryong quickly whipped up a full meal. The main dish was shockingly… samgyeopsal (thick slices of pork belly that are grilled at the table). Unlike the Japanese zone, this area was truly “wild,” so there were plenty of wandering “animals” nearby.

A massive boar, easily the size of a small hill, was swiftly butchered and laid across a grill. They brought out precious condiments like ssamjang and gochujang, and even the perilla leaves and greens that Seungryong had managed to save when they fled the Japanese zone.

Since pigs weren’t commonly found there, Ju Hoyoung, who had never eaten samgyeopsal in the Abyss, stared wide-eyed. He drooled as he fixated on the sizzling meat, and Yohan sat down beside him, swallowing his own saliva.

Maybe the others hadn’t eaten well for days either, because over twenty kilograms of meat disappeared into their mouths as fast as it cooked. Even when Yohan was full and gasping for breath, the others didn’t stop.

“Where is all that food even going?”

Suspicious, Yohan lifted Ju Hoyoung’s shirt to peek. He’d seen him eat all that with his own eyes, but his belly didn’t even look full. As Yohan poked Hoyoung’s flat stomach, Hyunmook gently placed a fruit slice in Yohan’s mouth. Hoyoung shrugged.

“My digestion’s just fast, hyung.”

Is that really just fast digestion? Yohan still had his doubts, but his attention was quickly stolen by something else, Yoon Seungryong had pulled something from his “pocket.”

“Yohan-ah, look at this.”

“Gasp–Seungryong-hyung…!”

Yohan covered his mouth in surprise and joy. Despite everything, Seungryong had managed to save a bunch of plant seeds and seedlings from the Japanese zone, clutching their leafy stems like he was holding them by the hair as they squirmed in his hands.

“Once we settle down, we can farm again!”

“That’s… that’s such a relief…”

Eyes misty, Yohan gently stroked the vegetable seeds that tried to bite him. He’d thought he’d never taste perilla leaves, garlic, apples, or bananas again. As he beamed, Hyunmook slipped another fruit slice into his mouth. Seungryong, muttering to himself, stuffed the still-squirming plants back into storage.

“Damn… We barely escaped the Flood, and then we ran straight into that old hag Yakrin. I thought we’d lost Yohan for good.”

Yohan froze, fruit still in his mouth. After gulping down the piece, he asked in a trembling voice,

“You met Seo Yakrin? Where?”

Immediately, the image of that massive, terrifying bird came to mind. No… it couldn’t be. Not that terrifying bird monster… Ju Hoyoung shattered that hope.

“You know that huge bird in the sky? Yohan-hyung saw it too, right?”

As soon as he said it, Yohan squeezed his eyes shut. He had a terrible feeling that dealing with Seo Yakrin would be even harder than dealing with Seungryong or Hoyoung.

“That… that giant bird was really Ms. Seo Yakrin?”

“Yup. Creepy huge, isn’t she? Of course she’s a grumpy old fart.”

Yoon Seungryong’s tone made it clear he had no love for Yakrin. He grumbled,

“Do we really have to bring that old hag with us, Team Leader?”

“You and Hoyoung came too. Yakrin’s no different.”

At Hyunmook’s calm reply, Seungryong grumbled again but didn’t argue. It seemed Hyunmook’s authority was as towering as a mountain. Or maybe… they were afraid of him. Yohan remembered what Seungryong had once said, how scary the team leader was after going into the Flood several times. Even while eating delicious food, the bitterness stuck in his mouth.

After the meal, they scouted the area to prepare a new shelter. Sticking close to Hyunmook, Yohan glanced around. It had been a while since they’d passed through the Black Mountain, but this was his first chance to really look at the new zone.

Unlike the city zone, forest, swamp, or jungle, this area was a vast plain. Faded grass swayed like waves in the wind, reaching up to their calves or thighs. It would’ve looked picturesque, if not for everything else.

There were no buildings, only the occasional massive, twisted tree. Emaciated, bony birds with pale gray eyes sat atop the branches, scanning their surroundings.

Whenever the grass rustled, the birds dove instantly, driving their spear-like beaks into the ground. Sometimes they pierced prey and carried it off; other times, the birds themselves were devoured by unknown forces. Yohan, watching the bloodstained grass, shivered and muttered,

“This place seems… really dangerous…”

“This? Nah. It’s not even that bad. Pretty chill, honestly. I’d say it’s beach-tier at best.”

Seungryong casually stabbed his spear into the ground. When he lifted it, a long, writhing creature with its head skewered dangled from the tip. He whistled cheerfully and tossed it into his “pocket.”

“Sweet, snake meat.”

Despite the flocks of birds and mysterious creatures lurking all around, none of them dared to attack the group outright. Yohan was deeply grateful that Hyunmook walked close behind him. Nearly being buried alive in the Black Mountain had taught them all a valuable lesson. Outwardly, they looked calm and composed, but their watchful eyes were razor sharp.