"If you space out again, I warned you I'd leave you behind..."
The man, narrowing his brows, let out a groan. He muttered something about not wanting to come with these naive kids, but Kang Sihyun had no words to offer in response.
From Hahyuk's shoulder, blood was literally pouring out. It was only by a hair's breadth, right before the spear hit, that they managed to change its trajectory to this extent. Had it hit directly, the man standing here wouldn't have been spared.
Yet, Kang Sihyun gazed dumbly at him, who was calmly lamenting, and finally moved his lips.
-Screech!
There was no time to be moved. Without a moment to be astonished by Hahyuk's prowess, Karis rushed towards Hahyuk. A sword made of dark feathers charged at him.
-Click!
"...Tch."
Hahyuk, now having to face him with only one arm due to his shoulder injury, clicked his tongue. Kang Sihyun saw his hand trembling.
-Creak.
Even the ground under his feet started to give way as Hahyuk exerted more strength, and the sound of the ground breaking could be heard.
Feeling his body pushed back, he exerted more strength into his hand. The back of his hand under the black glove twitched. With a thud, Hahyuk thrusted his sword, causing Karis to falter momentarily. Seeing this, Hahyuk's veins bulged with effort.
"Ever since summoning the spear, your energy has waned! I'll finish it here, so don't lose focus and regroup!"
His shout, like a command, snapped everyone back to reality. Ban Haru, protected behind Hahyuk, kicked off the ground and aimed for the crow's head.
-Tat, tat!
One by one, others joined in. Hahyuk made sure Karis couldn't escape by grabbing his wrist and plunged the knife into his abdomen.
-Screak!
Karis, letting out a ghastly scream, thrust the spear deeper into Hahyuk's shoulder as a last resort. Hahyuk spat out dark red blood under the hammering blows. Kang Sihyun hesitated momentarily before using a healing skill.
The spear was still embedded.
It couldn't be treated as is.
Not wanting to see Hahyuk become one with the spear, he bit his lip.
-Scratch!
A dull slicing sound was heard.
Ban Haru, seizing the moment Karis was distracted, cut off his wrist with a sword enveloped in a ferocious aura, draining all his mana.
-Flow.
Black blood flowed incessantly.
-Splash!
Only then did Hahyuk violently remove the spear from his shoulder, staggering, and Kang Sihyun quickly used a healing skill.
There was no time to calculate maximum efficiency. Urged by desperation, he used the strongest single heal skill available, rapidly healing Hahyuk's wound.
Despite the excruciating pain, the man who endured without a moan tightly grasped the spear that had pierced his shoulder.
"Winged spine..."
Ban Haru said, as blood trickled from his eyes. Swish! Hahyuk vanished from sight for a moment. Then, appearing behind Karis, Hahyuk returned the spear, summoned by the ruler of the night, back to him.
-Puuk!
The tip of the spear, once soaked in Hahyuk's blood, was now drenched in Karis's blood. The spear, aimed at a weakness, pierced through Karis's spine, crumbling the bones and penetrating his heart. The same was true for the others' swords.
Was summoning the spear a mistake?
Karis, weakened significantly after summoning the great spear, allowed the onslaught of attacks. It seemed foolish, but Kang Sihyun felt a chill of death, as if it was etched onto his skin.
If not for Hahyuk, he would have been dead.
Karis's choice was wise.
If he and Ban Haru had been killed by the spear, the group wouldn't have been able to recover from the injuries, losing a main dealer equivalent. The team would gradually weaken and crumble. Karis had clearly planned to devour the humans in this weakened state.
It was quite a decent plan.
Except, Hahyuk was faster and stronger than he anticipated.
A single mistake by Karis led to a perfect opportunity for victory. Even the formidable catastrophe-class irregular could cause his own death with just one mistake, instilling a subtle sense of alertness even in battle.
-Kekeke, Kiii...
Gurgling, the catastrophe-class Irregular, spewing blood from every limb, seemed to exert his last energy, then finally tilted and fell.
-Thump.
The massive creature made a heavy sound as it fell.
-Sssss.
The splendid wings lost their light and turned to ash, drifting away. Deprived of its wings, Karis twitched a few times as if seized by post-mortem rigidity, then became stiff.
Silence enveloped the surroundings.
Intermittent cries of birds, the sound of metal clashing, and the noise of impacts ceased to be heard. Kang Sihyun quietly observed the corpse of Karis.
It was an anticlimactic end to a lengthy battle.
Or was it truly anticlimactic?
Kang Sihyun and Ban Haru had nearly been impaled, Hahyuk had his shoulder pierced through, the sky bore a huge hole in its abdomen, and Lee Hamin had nearly died. Everyone had crossed the threshold of death at least once.
Could such a battle really be considered anticlimactic?
The death of the catastrophe-class might have seemed pitiful, but the process of bringing it to death was anything but smooth.
Everyone silently held their breath. As if watching the end of the catastrophe-class that had pushed them to their limits, or perhaps keeping in mind its possible resurrection.
"Is it dead...?"
Lee Hamin, after removing the sword deeply embedded in its body, cautiously uttered those words. Kang Sihyun immediately glared at Lee Hamin, who boldly raised the so-called resurrection flag.
He had always been setting up flags - roommate flags, death flags, and now, even daringly, a resurrection flag.
Kang Sihyun sent him a look that meant to keep quiet as the sky gradually lightened. The distant night summoned by Karis was retreating.
Whether the battle had consumed a considerable amount of time or not, the black curtain that had covered the twilight was lifted, yet the world was still engulfed in night. However, it was a brighter night, filled with the pulsing of life, unlike Karis's night.
Kang Sihyun looked up at the sky.
Not just him, but everyone gazed at the sky, checking if the 'Night of Catastrophe' had indeed ended.
A bright moon was visible.
Faint stars were seen, and the sky was clear without a single cloud.
"It's over."
Hahyuk announced the end of the battle that felt like it had lasted days, though it was only a few hours.
March 1, 2020,
The defeat of the catastrophe-class Irregular, Karis.
Eleven years since the emergence of Irregulars. This was the fifth time that Korea had managed to defeat a catastrophe-class without Hahyuk, who had always missed the opportunity in his absence.
... ...
"..."
"..."
"Why are you all so solemn?"
After the battle, as everyone in the vehicle received treatment, they all seemed to have silently agreed to keep their mouths shut and heads down, exuding a gloomy aura, which puzzled Hahyuk. Kang Sihyun, dragging his exhausted body, looked at Hahyuk with half-open eyes.
Is he a person or a monster?
Even Haru and Hamin, known for their stamina, were sprawled in the corner of the car, eyes closed. It wasn't that they were sleeping; they simply had no energy to even open their eyes.
Unlike them, Hahyuk was comfortably seated in the vehicle, driven by a guild member, even crossing his legs while reading a book.
Yes, a book.
He had just been fighting an Irregular, and now he was suddenly reading a book with not a hair out of place. Unable to think of what to say about this situation, Kang Sihyun swallowed a sigh and voiced the question that had been growing inside him during the battle.
"Is it always like this fighting against catastrophe-class enemies?"
"It's not usually like this."
"Then..."
"Three of us would have been dead. We would have returned with sand soaked in blood and made three graves."
"..."
"But this time, we managed to return without any casualties. That's something to be happy about. Don't look as if we're at a funeral."
Although Hahyuk spoke calmly, those listening couldn't react in kind. Suddenly, everyone's gaze turned toward Kang Sihyun. Timing his words perfectly, Hahyuk spoke up.
"Without Mr. Sihyun, three of us would have been dead. And one of those could have been Mr. Sihyun himself."
"Ah..."
"If Mr. Haru hadn't been there, the battle would have lasted more than 30 minutes longer. Without Mr. Hamin, we would have lacked the aggro or supplementary damage, and without Mr. Sky, we wouldn't have even made it to phase two, let alone escaping after a defeat. The same goes if Ms. Haeyeon, Ms. Yeonjeong, and Mr. Seunghyun weren't there."
"..."
"Redem defended Incheon and saved lives. It's difficult to face a catastrophe-class enemy, even harder to return without any casualties. Be happy about that."
There's time to reflect and regret later.
His soft voice carried strength. Kang Sihyun, who had felt helpless during the fight with Karis, watched as the man closed his book and took off his glasses.
Without him, they wouldn't have even attempted to fight a catastrophe-class. He thought he was quite strong, but facing Karis put things into perspective.
Could he have performed as well as Hahyuk if he had fought alone?
The answer was obvious, so he bit the inside of his cheek.
"...S-class means you should be able to defeat a catastrophe-class Irregular on your own, right?"
Suddenly, he saw the wall. Hahyuk nodded gently.
"That's right."
"But why was it so..."
He trailed off, unable to finish, but Hahyuk seemed to grasp what Kang Sihyun wanted to say.
"If you're asking why the battle was so hard even though I'm here, who once defeated a catastrophe-class on my own, well, not all catastrophe-classes are of the same level. And when I received the S-class ranking, I was practically on my deathbed."
"..."
"I had to bring in an S-class healer from the US just to treat me after losing limbs. Now, I'm alive and talking with all limbs intact, so I guess it was a bargain."
Those words naturally brought about a solemn atmosphere. Kang Sihyun looked around, chewing over Hahyuk's words. When he reflected on the moment his shoulder was pierced by Karis's spear, his expression darkened involuntarily.
"Was I being too arrogant?"
"That could be one way to look at it."
Hahyuk wasn't just offering empty consolation. It was then Kang Sihyun's expression clouded over.
"But even if another supporter had come, it wouldn't have made much difference. Maybe it's because it was Mr. Sihyun that we did well. Was Mr. Sihyun the only inexperienced one in this battle?"
Twitch.
At his gentle voice, Hamin and Haru stirred. The other Redem guild members also quietly looked down. Only Hahyuk smiled comfortably amidst the slight tension.
"I'm sorry..."
Without singling anyone out, Haru and the others apologized. Only Hamin kept his mouth shut in frustration, while Hahyuk shrugged.
"What's there to apologize for? The first time is always hard. But you've gained experience this time, so it'll be easier next time, won't it?"
"Next time?"
Hmm.
As they nodded, accepting the words of encouragement, their
eyes widened a bit. Kang Sihyun felt a foreboding feeling creeping in and leaned back. Thud, his back hit the seat. With no room to retreat, Hahyuk spoke in a voice as gentle and kind as could be.
"Please take care of us next time as well. Redem now has a fixed member for defeating catastrophe-class enemies."
No one was unaware of what that meant.
Kang Sihyun rolled his eyes away from Hahyuk's gaze, despite having insisted on participating in this battle.
Of course, he had intended to face catastrophe-classes and gain more experience. But this was too soon, just after finishing a battle.
As he stealthily raised his gaze, he met Hahyuk's eyes. The purple irises curved into circles. Drip, sweat trickled down his spine as he dryly swallowed.
This seemed like a mistake.
His vision swirled. He felt slightly dizzy.
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