“...You!”
Lee Hamin grabbed Kang Sihyun's shoulder with a fierce expression. Unfortunately, it was the dislocated shoulder, causing Sihyun to press his lips together to suppress a groan.
“Let go.”
At Sihyun's uttered command, the boy finally realized his mistake and released his grip on Sihyun’s shoulder, looking bewildered. He momentarily stared down at his own hands that had just grabbed the shoulder.
“...Shit, I wondered why you were so quiet.”
The boy looked at Sihyun with a defeated expression. The emotions in his eyes were chaotic: emptiness, sadness, regret, and despair were all there, not a single positive emotion visible, which troubled Sihyun, who felt unjustly treated himself.
He understood the sentiment.
He knew it must have been startling. He would have reacted similarly if he were in Hamin’s position, so he understood.
But still.
“There was no other way.”
“What?”
Even though Sihyun stated the fact, Hamin incredulously retorted. Sihyun, distracted by the turmoil here, pushed Hamin's shoulder with his free hand, not held by the chain, as he tried to keep an eye on Seowoo and Jonathan, who were under attack.
There wasn’t much time. He had finally managed to heal them, and he couldn’t afford to lose Seowoo and Jonathan in a dispute.
“Go, Lee Hamin.”
“......”
“I know you have a lot to say, but let’s sort this out first. Those two are reaching their limits.”
If things continued this way, both might collapse, leaving Hamin alone to face the remaining Irregulars. It could lead to the worst possible scenario, Sihyun warned as such, making the boy understand the gravity of the situation. Suppressing his rage, Hamin glanced at Sihyun and then ran towards where the two were.
Kwaaaaang!
Two swords crossed, blocking an attack swung by an Irregular. Seowoo and Jonathan, who had been desperately fending off the attack until now, steadied their breathing upon seeing the boy in front of them.
“I’ll help.”
Seowoo, quick to assess the situation, took out his sword with his left hand and offered his support. Hamin took a step forward, pushing back an Irregular.
“Both of you, back off.”
Despite his considerable anger, the boy spoke with a deeply subdued voice as he swung his sword.
Kwagagagagak!
His body had recovered, and with it, his mana, which now surged up like fierce flames in a purple aura, slicing through the monster's weapon. Seeing his momentum, Seowoo and Jonathan stepped back.
They knew better than to interfere at this point.
Sihyun tried to muster his divine power once more but gave up, exhausted. These cursed chains just wouldn’t break.
Normally, he would have healed them by now.
The desire to heal was overwhelming, but he couldn’t, which was frustrating. In the meantime, Hamin clashed with two Irregulars.
He aimed to end it quickly; Hamin’s sword strikes stormed through like a tempest. In the blink of an eye, an arm of an Irregular flew into the air, and Sihyun, startled, watched as another Irregular lost a leg and toppled over. Hamin then focused his attack on the one-armed Irregular instead.
Kwang! Bang! Kwaaang!
Three powerful sword strikes hit directly, and the one-armed Irregular died. Hamin, who could have been mistaken for a berserker, quickly dispatched the two catastrophe-class Irregulars and was breathing heavily, covered in their blood. Having fought their leader just before, he knew their attack patterns, habits, and weaknesses, which made the victory possible.
He had exerted himself to such an extent that he had to catch his breath, bent over momentarily. Sihyun watched him with relief. He had expected him to rush over immediately after the battle, but it seemed there was enough reason left in him to prioritize more urgent matters.
It was Seowoo who was more severely injured. Possibly not knowing how badly off he was, Seowoo stood firmly on his legs until Hamin came over, at which point he collapsed, losing strength.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“...I can’t even move a finger.”
Responding softly to Hamin’s rough inquiry, Seowoo dropped his sword and crumbled to the ground. Hamin supported him and checked on Jonathan.
“Are you okay?”
“Eh? Yes! Yes, Seowoo worked much harder!”
Jonathan, covered in blood and dripping from his head, replied, hardly credible. Realizing how serious their condition was, Hamin apologized to them.
“I should have come sooner, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay!”
Jonathan exclaimed in shock, waving his hand. Seowoo merely chuckled.
“Really, what can
you do about a talent gap.”
The platinum-haired boy quietly said.
“I did my best too, but I can’t be like you.”
At that, Hamin closed his mouth and moved Seowoo towards Sihyun.
As they got closer, only their breathing could be heard. It was hard to believe that a fierce battle had just taken place here, such was the calm in the silence. Hamin then laid Seowoo down on the ground.
Dddddd.
Before long, the ground and walls around them shook, and the walls that had blocked their path groaned heavily as they returned to their original positions. It was the moment Sihyun's prediction—that they had to eliminate all the Irregulars to escape the confined space—proved correct.
Sihyun let out a long sigh on the now-open path.
We survived.
He hadn’t quite believed it, seeing the bodies of five Irregulars, but now that an escape route was visible, it felt real.
His heart raced.
He had been terrified that they were going to be annihilated.
Relieved, he bowed his head, and someone approached him from the front. A shadow fell over his head, and a strong presence was felt, undeniable. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
Jonathan was resting against the wall, and Seowoo lay on the ground, too weak to walk, so there was only one person it could be.
“Now that it’s over, can we talk?”
“......”
Lee Hamin.
After finishing the battle and wiping off his sweat, he was staring at Sihyun. Sihyun nodded, and Hamin immediately scowled and retorted.
“Are you insane?”
As he swung his sword, the confusion had cleared from his face, replaced by disappointment, anger, and a sense of betrayal directed at himself.
“Was this why you told me to give it my all? So I should thank you profusely for that?”
Sihyun swallowed his breath and pointed out the truth.
“There was no other way.”
“There could have been another way. We might have found one if we looked. But shit!”
His calm demeanor clearly irked the boy, who even cursed as he glanced at Sihyun’s shoulder. The shoulder was dislocated, and his body was covered in blood.
Hamin’s expression twisted. Seeing guilt and indebtedness mix in his eyes, Sihyun swallowed a bitter saliva.
“...But you rush into decisions like this on your own? If the healer in you gets hurt, who’s supposed to heal?”
Sihyun had no rebuttal and just fumbled with his mouth. Could he have anticipated such a situation?
As he remained silent, Hamin continued his reproach.
“Do you know what I thought while receiving your support? But you…”
“......”
“...You never think about me.”
That self-mocking remark was enough to overwhelm him. Sihyun, unable to bear Hamin’s gaze any longer, lifted his head and stared back at him.
“Do you think I wanted to use it? If I wanted, I would have used that skill long ago. When was it created? Have I ever used it on you guys before?”
“Never. Until then, you were the one getting hurt.”
“......”
“Honestly, I was relieved inside when I heard your divine power was sealed. It was driving me crazy worrying about you always pushing yourself to the limit and getting hurt. But this time, I thought we wouldn’t have that problem. I gritted my teeth and endured because I thought we could finally protect you this time. But if this is the result, then what?”
Hamin poured out his words without taking a breath, clutching his sword.
“We could have made it through with more effort. Wouldn’t it be better to clear this place and send you out unscathed rather than you getting hurt because you couldn’t make that decision?”
What kind of dungeon is this?
When Sihyun heard that, he couldn’t hold back his rising emotions.
“So, you know what kind of decision I made when I used that skill?”
“......”
“To be honest, was there really another way to escape from this standoff? My divine power won’t return for a while, so what could I do in battle? What’s the point of me getting out of here unscathed? Should I go out and be a burden again? If I can’t do anything with my power sealed, shouldn’t I at least do this? Or should I just watch you guys get hurt while I’m chained up and cry? I’ve never lived so helplessly, Lee Hamin.”
Sihyun continued pouring out his words, refusing to be defeated. However, Hamin opened his mouth as if he had a lot to say, but Sihyun ignored him and kept talking.
“I can’t use my abilities right now. No matter how hard I try, the chains won’t come off, and that was the best decision I
could make in my situation. So don’t laugh at me, just go, Lee Hamin.”
“Kang Sihyun.”
“Take care of the people and join another team. It seems I’ll have to kill Primus for these chains to come off.”
“Are you telling me to leave you here alone?”
“What else can I do? Do you want to take a burden that’s been sealed off with all its power used up?”
This time, Sihyun laughed self-mockingly.
Silence fell.
The atmosphere inside the dungeon was tense, and Sihyun desperately suppressed his urge to cry.
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