FLIA 85

***

“It’s been so long since I had squid. Isn’t there any chojang? Chojang¹?”

Seo Yakrin smacked her lips as she stared at the squid Yoon Seungryong was slicing. The flesh bounced up with a soft pop with every cut. Even Yohan, who had recoiled earlier at the grotesque monster’s appearance, found himself swallowing hungrily in front of the perfectly blanched squid.

Instead of vinegar, a spicy-sweet sauce had been served with it. After being purified by Yohan, the squid’s flesh was thick and chewy, with a satisfying texture. There were also the nameless fish and shellfish that Seo Yakrin had stubbornly pulled from the lake with her telekinesis, they had been cleaned and prepared as sashimi, grilled, and for spicy stew.

After enjoying a full-on seafood feast, Yoon Seungryong handed the remaining ingredients to Ju Hoyoung and said seriously,

“Hoyoung-ah, I’m counting on you.”

“Just leave it to me!”

Ju Hoyoung, in high spirits after eating fresh seafood, quickly froze the ingredients as Yoon Seungryong had asked. Yoon Seungryong packed the frozen seafood with a satisfied smile. As everyone else rested, Lee Hyunmook spoke.

“We’ve confirmed Chanha’s ability, so I think it’s worth making another attempt. Let’s take three full days to rest, and then we’ll go for it.”

Three days later, they’d launch the offensive. The anticipation and tension made Yohan’s chest tighten. While resting and being purified by Yohan, the team occasionally gathered to exchange thoughts. Watching them plan out how to form ranks and how to proceed with the assault made Yohan’s heart tremble in a different way this time.

‘So cool…’

A scene from the Sunrise Team documentary he’d once seen suddenly came to mind. He remembered thinking how amazing it was that they would discuss and plan so thoroughly before attacking a rift, and now, he was with those very people. It didn’t feel real. A hopeful thought struck Yohan out of nowhere.

‘When I get out of here, could I become part of the Sunrise Team too?’

Just imagining it filled him with joy. His eyes sparkled with focus as he let himself dream. When suddenly, Seo Yakrin, who had been beside him, reached over to gently ruffle his hair.

“For this raid, I’d like to get purified last. The more out of my mind I am, the stronger my firepower. I want to stay at a nice level of crazy while I fight. Think that’s doable? What do you think, Team Leader? Sound possible?”

“If anything goes wrong, it could lead to friendly fire.”

“Yeah, true.”

Friendly fire. Just the thought of it was terrifying. Yet Lee Hyunmook agreed without hesitation.

“I’ll make sure there’s no teamkill, so handle it well.”

Yohan, who knew well how terrifying Seo Yakrin could be when she lost control, found it incredible that someone would so readily let her run wild.

Yohan’s heart began to stir as he watched them discuss these things. A flicker of hope lit up inside him, he started to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could make it. That they could escape this dark, stinking abyss and return to Earth. His heart beat faster at the thought.

On the third night, after three full days of rest fueled by fresh seafood, Yohan quietly approached Lee Hyunmook. One upside of having announced their relationship was this, he could openly walk up and talk to him in a low voice, up close.

‘For a couple, we’re weirdly low-key.’

But honestly, that couldn’t be helped. In a group of awakened people with senses sharp enough to hear a pin drop, doing anything even remotely intimate would’ve been mortifying. So aside from the occasional kiss, there wasn’t much else they could do. Yohan simply lay down beside Lee Hyunmook, who had made room for him, and asked quietly,

“Do you think we can make it out of here?”

He tried to keep his voice calm, but a desperate hope slipped into his question without him realizing. Lee Hyunmook pulled Yohan into his embrace.

“I want to tell you that we can. But honestly, Yohan-ah, I don’t think our chances of success tomorrow are very high.”

“I see… I get it.”

Hearing that even tomorrow’s chances weren’t good made Yohan’s voice drop. Still, he was grateful for the honesty. Lee Hyunmook consoled him in a gentle tone that brought tears to his eyes.

“But I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”

“I will too.”

Yohan forced himself to sound brave. Then he turned and wrapped his arms tightly around Lee Hyunmook. Yohan found comfort and courage in his warmth. He drifted off to sleep to the sound of the crackling fire and his teammates chatting quietly nearby.

The next morning, he woke up without needing to be shaken awake, he’d slept that soundly. He felt great. His energy had built up so much that a soft, radiant glow sometimes shimmered from the crown of his head. His teammates had each snuck a little of that light during the morning prep without him noticing.

Breakfast was light. Following the advice that they shouldn’t overeat before battle, Yohan ate just enough to stave off hunger. Standing at the cave entrance with his spear, the only equipment he had, his heart felt like it might burst out of his chest.

“If we could make armor out of Eternal Stones, that’d be great,” Seo Yakrin said wistfully. But despite the mountains of Eternal Stones scattered around the abyss, there was a reason they weren’t used. If more than one came into contact with the body, it would actually interfere. The resulting power was hard to control.

For example, you might need to strike an enemy charging in from the right, but your energy could shoot off to the left instead. Or you could mean to support a teammate and accidentally launch your power into empty air. One stroke of bad luck, and you could end up dead. For damage dealers, it could even backfire and harm their own bodies. That’s why everyone relied on their regeneration and charged in bare-skinned.

“Don’t worry, Yohan-gun. I’ll do everything I can to protect you.”

“I’m counting on you, Chanha-hyung.”

Yohan took a deep breath. At last, Lee Hyunmook gave the command to begin the operation. Following his lead, they descended the long, dark slope and soon arrived at the entrance to the pit of horrors. The very heart of the abyss lay just ahead. The air was already heavy with malice and gloom. Yohan’s heart pounded.

“Buff up. We go in three seconds.”

Yohan met Lee Hyunmook’s eyes and nodded. Ju Hoyoung applied the buffs. Then Lee Hyunmook raised his hand and began counting.

“…Go!”

Led by Lee Hyunmook, they each jumped into the darkness one by one. They landed easily on the sloped ground a few meters below the entrance. The real battle began now.

It was so dark that the entire area was only illuminated by the light seeping out of the small sphere Yohan had made to shield the team from corruption. Unlike last time, the core was not exposed. Instead, it was completely buried under a mass of writhing monsters. Or rather, it looked more like disgusting wax melted from dissolved lifeforms. Yohan took a deep breath and hold back his nausea.

The moment they entered the core, the monsters reacted violently and charged in, just like before. Sweat soaked Yohan’s palm as he gripped his spear. According to plan, Lee Hyunmook struck first.

The shadow beneath his feet stirred. In the darkness, something even deeper and darker stretched forward in an instant. The monsters engulfed in the shadow vanished, opening a path. It was a terrifying, inexplicable power that never failed to unsettle. But now wasn’t the time to be scared.

“Ha ha, ha!”

Using abilities gained in the abyss intensified corruption. Lee Hyunmook was no exception. He laughed, and his face that had become a madman’s bore a faint smile. Crimson light gleamed through the spill of his white hair.

“Singing apple, uninvited guest, falling goat, dancing echo, mm, mm… chorus, chorus again! Dissonance, perfect! Applause for the hillside!”

He kept mumbling nonsense. His descent into madness was expected. Despite fearing him, the team moved as planned. Yoon Seungryong acted next. He opened his ‘pocket,’ and a torrent of brine collected from the salt lake came spilling out, forming a massive wave.

As the monsters shrieked and were swept away, Ju Hoyoung unleashed his power. Ice walls rose wherever he passed, solidifying the path Lee Hyunmook had cleared. Then Yohan sprinted forward and grabbed his hand. Lee Hyunmook followed obediently and called out sweetly,

“My little Yangyang.”

“Yes! Let’s run together, Yangyang! Hurry!”

1. spicy-sweet chili pepper dipping sauce ↩︎