By Zephyria Yoon Ga-eul leaned against the firmly closed door and sighed. She was adapting quite well, considering she had suddenly joined the Memorial Dungeon. In fact, there was nothing to adapt to.
‘Maybe it’s thanks to the me in this world….’
Because the information of this world came to her in order.
The Destroyed world is busy beyond words. The areas turning into wastelands increased every day, Rifts were created endlessly, and Hunters had to deal with Rifts and Monsters without rest. They curled up and fell asleep haphazardly throughout the library. Because they didn’t know when they would have to go to the field.
The number of patients seeking the Seowon Guild also increased. From minor scratches….
To humans who had begun to Mutate.
The Guild Leader of the Seowon Guild, Doctor Nam Woo-jin, had prepared a separate space to accommodate the Mutants. The symptoms of the Mutants were as follows: frequent coughing, spitting out white liquid while coughing, and twisting or Mutation of various parts of the body. Just before complete Mutation, aggression increased, and they lost their reason.
Hunters directly took the lives of patients who had reached the stage just before Mutation. So that they could remain human before becoming Monsters. And to prevent them from becoming Monsters and harming civilians. But most people were reluctant to take lives….
Creak, the door opened. Ga-eul held out the towel she was holding.
“H-here’s a towel.”
“…Ah, thank you.”
Most of the work was handled by Jung-bin and Lee Sa-young. Jung-bin volunteered out of a sense of responsibility, and Lee Sa-young was selected because he could handle things cleanly without leaving a trace.
It seemed that Jung-bin was the handler today. He wiped the white blood that had splattered on his suit with the towel Ga-eul handed him. His expressionless face was unfamiliar. He was always a friendly and smiling person. He sighed briefly and then smiled at Ga-eul. It was a rather stiff smile.
“I’ll incinerate the towel. Go on and get to work.”
“Ah, yes….”
He turned and walked away. The sound of his shoes faded away. Ga-eul peered through the slightly open doorway. A translucent white liquid was pooling on the floor, and the shape of a person lying prostrate deep in the room could be seen. They weren’t moving.
“…….”
Ga-eul squeezed her eyes shut and quickly turned her head away. She walked away from the door at a brisk pace. It was when she arrived at the collapsed library after walking for a while. The library was more chaotic than usual. Hunters were changing bandages on their wounds and rushing out of the library with weapons in hand. Had something happened? Just as Ga-eul was looking around, someone grabbed her. It was the librarian of the library.
“Ah, I found you. Ga-eul! What was the name of the high school again? And your house?”
“Huh? High school?”
“Hey! Don’t say it! …Never mind, Ga-eul.”
“Huh? Ah, ah. Yes, that’s right, never mind! It just slipped out.”
The librarian walked away with a troubled face. The voices of people whispering could be heard. A Gate has opened. Whitening is also in progress. Wasn’t the Monster Wave over? I know. What should we do? They probably couldn’t even evacuate. We need to go quickly…. I wonder if there are any survivors?
Ga-eul clutched her chest tightly. An uneasy feeling stirred within her. She knew what would happen next. She had seen it all. With the Fragment of Dream.
Why did it have to be now?
The thought suddenly occurred to her. But Ga-eul had to move. Because she had a role to play.
Eui-jae moved his limbs. They moved quickly and lightly. He finally felt like he could move a little. After the sudden news of the Monster Wave, his body miraculously regained its condition. The reason was obvious. It was probably because the sense of duty to save people took precedence over the fear of death. Or perhaps it was the System’s consideration to fulfill his role.
‘Well… I still can’t see.’
Eui-jae checked the red numbers that appeared in his dark vision.
[00:01:03]
Time left until death.
But it wasn’t as painful as before, to the point where he couldn’t move his body. It might be thanks to his Poker Face trait, but perhaps….
Eui-jae turned to the side. He could hear Sa-young rustling. Eui-jae carefully asked.
“…Are you really going to be next to me?”
“Then would I be lying?”
Sa-young replied nonchalantly. Eui-jae pouted and spread out his hand. Soft ash brushed between his palm and fingers. The words he had whispered came to his mind in order.
Die in front of me.
Don’t think about dying alone.
It’s lonely to be alone….
Eui-jae clenched his fist tightly. His fingernails pressed painfully into his palm. The wound he had sustained while wiping away Sa-young’s tears had completely healed the moment he regained his ability.
Sa-young, I may not be lonely….
‘But you?’
What about you, left alone?
Eui-jae knew Lee Sa-young after Cha Eui-jae disappeared. He knew Lee Sa-young, who had locked himself in a dark room. He knew Lee Sa-young, who was foolishly waiting. Eui-jae tentatively asked.
“…You’re not supposed to do anything, are you?”
“I know.”
“You just have to watch. You can’t interfere.”
“I know, I told you.”
“…….”
“I’m prepared.”
What kind of expression was Lee Sa-young making now? Eui-jae suddenly wondered. When he gestured for him to come over, he heard Sa-young approaching obediently. Sa-young came right up to him. Eui-jae reached out towards his face. Instead of soft skin, he touched a hard and cold Gas mask.
“…….”
Eui-jae fumbled through the tangled hair and released the Gas mask’s lock. With a click, the lock was released, and the Gas mask that had been covering his face fell off. Eui-jae reached out and groped for his bare face. A sharp jawline, plump lips, and soft cheeks. When he raised his hand a little higher, long eyelashes tickled his fingertips. Sa-young deliberately blinked his eyes, fluttering his eyelashes even more.
Eventually, Lee Sa-young grabbed the hand that was groping his face. And he rubbed his cheek against his palm. When Sa-young opened his mouth, a small vibration and warm breath touched his palm.
“…How is it.”
“How is what.”
“Do you know a little… how I felt?”
“…….”
Ah.
When he inhaled in disbelief, a small chuckle was trapped in his palm. Eui-jae slightly lifted the mask that covered his face and tilted it to the side. A cold breeze brushed his nose and lips.
Soon, warmth came through the cold breeze. Something soft touched his lips. Eui-jae opened his mouth as if he had been waiting. A moist and soft tongue burrowed into his mouth. His body twitched as tongue intertwined with tongue. It tasted sweet. It was a sweetness he hadn’t felt in a long time.
The thick tongue rummaged in his mouth for a long time before finally pulling away. Eui-jae took a long breath and rubbed his wet lips. His neck and ears were hot. He rubbed his ears and said gruffly.
“He wasn’t this… promiscuous.”
“Humans grow.”
Sa-young joked.
“You’re not going to go with that bright red face, are you?”
“Shut up.”
Eui-jae put his mask back on. He could feel the presence of Monsters in the distance. One, two, ten, twenty, a hundred…. They just kept increasing endlessly. The time had come. Eui-jae took out a spear from his Inventory and gripped it. The heavy sensation awakened his instincts.
Fight.
Fight!
J slowly closed and opened his eyes. And, he grabbed Sa-young’s neck, who was standing next to him, and pulled him closer. After pressing his mask against his soft cheek, he whispered.
“I’m going.”
“…….”
The head held in his hand slowly nodded up and down. J chuckled softly.
“This time….”
“…….”
“I’ll be waiting.”
A gloved hand covered J’s hand. A small whisper replied.
“…I’ll be there soon.”
The roar of Monsters tore through the sky. J stroked Sa-young’s hair and then stood balanced on the railing. The wind brushed past his body. Hair and ash scattered. J took a deep breath. And.
Whoosh—
He threw himself towards the place where the presence of Monsters was concentrated.
Ga-eul ran away.
‘I’ll stop them here, so run away first.’
As he told her to,
‘I’ll finish quickly and go. Trust me.’
Leaving him alone.
‘When I give the signal, run without looking back.’
Just like Yoon Ga-eul in this world did.
But Ga-eul didn’t run away completely. Ga-eul, who was running towards the Seowon Guild, turned back and returned to that place. The place where the Monsters had been pouring out was already shrouded in silence. Ga-eul pushed her way through the corpses of Monsters piled up like mountains. Eventually, her steps stopped. There….
“…Hunter Lee Sa-young?”
Lee Sa-young was there. He was kneeling on the floor. The hem of his black coat was soaked with white blood. Beyond his back, she could see the legs of someone who was being embraced tightly. Ga-eul instinctively realized.
‘It’s J.’
Ga-eul tried to approach. But something stopped her feet. She listened carefully. She could only hear the breathing and heartbeats of two people. Even though there should be three people.
‘…Ah.’
She realized.
J had died. As fate had dictated.
However.
“…….”
Nothing had changed. The silent stillness, the floor soaked with the white blood of Monsters, the acrid smell of blood. Ga-eul slowly opened her eyes. J’s corpse, Lee Sa-young embracing J, and the corpses of the Monsters were all the same.
“Why….”
Ga-eul estimated the height of the mountain of Monsters. The end of the Monster mountain touched the sky. Whiteholes swirled endlessly at the edge of the mountain.
Nothing has changed.
Even though a hero died.
She muttered.
“Why… isn’t the world disappearing?”
“…….”
A cold voice replied.
“This place is a world reconstructed based on memories.”
“Then….”
“It means that even if J dies, the world will continue.”
Even if a hero dies, the world does not disappear. The survivors continue to live. Until Doomsday swallows the world. Ga-eul asked in a trembling voice.
“Then, does that mean… we have to stay here forever?”
“…….”
“Until… we all die?”
Lee Sa-young did not answer.
That was the answer.