By Zephyria Yoon Seung-ryong was too busy gnawing on the wooden platform stained with the smell of pork to react. Lee Hyun-muk found a large piece of cave wall debris rolling around nearby and picked it up. He tested its hardness by gripping it in his hand, then hurled it directly at Yoon Seung-ryong. Instead of a thwack, there was an explosive sound, and Yoon Seung-ryong’s back of the head burst open.
Kiiiaaaak!
It must have hurt terribly, as the Centipede Monster writhed, half-collapsing on the platform. Yohan, who had been watching from behind a tree, winced involuntarily, the pain almost palpable to an observer. Only then did Yoon Seung-ryong creakily turn his head to look at Lee Hyun-muk. The venomous fangs, spread wide menacingly, gleamed sharply.
“Last time, I gave you my thigh meat, didn’t I? I’ve come to repay you today.”
“You, ▉▉… ▉▉▉ ▉▉▉▉…. Chuuk, uh……”
A voice, utterly bizarre, flowed out, startling Yohan. Compared to Yoon Seung-ryong, Lee Hyun-muk in his madman phase was practically mild-mannered.
“Hu, n, ▉, ▉, ▉, ▉, ▉…?”
Despite having just eaten a mountain of pork, Yoon Seung-ryong’s eyes glinted with hunger. His massive, elongated body coiled, and his upper torso rose high. Yoon Seung-ryong’s hand moved beneath his carapace. After fumbling around, something long and sharp emerged with a disgusting sound. Though its shape was hard to discern, covered as it was in viscous fluid, it clearly looked like a spear.
His raised upper torso lunged towards Lee Hyun-muk as if falling, the spear drawing a wide arc. The tip, which had been slicing through the surroundings, was blocked with a sharp sound. Lee Hyun-muk’s spear was precisely blocking its end. While bearing the weight of the giant Centipede Monster, Yoon Seung-ryong was the one trembling, not being pushed back.
Kaang! As Lee Hyun-muk parried the spear and pushed forward fiercely, the Centipede Monster staggered and retreated. Simultaneously, the tip of the monster’s tail, which had suddenly appeared, aimed for his head. Kwaaang! When the tail accurately struck Lee Hyun-muk, Yohan let out an involuntary scream.
But for some reason, it was Yoon Seung-ryong, not Lee Hyun-muk, who was in pain. His tail tip had been severed. Yohan hadn’t even noticed when it was cut. Despite his head being struck by the massive tail, Lee Hyun-muk spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and stood up, laughing as he nimbly swung his spear, shaking off the acidic fluid clinging to its tip.
“Seung-ryong, your regeneration is really failing these days, huh?”
“U, ▉, ▉, uu…!”
His body, which had been curled up in pain, straightened out again, and Yoon Seung-ryong charged. The momentum created waves in the swamp. He swung his spear at Lee Hyun-muk, who was charging towards him, creating distance, and spat yellow acidic fluid from his mouth.
Chiiiiiik…! Everything around them melted away in the acidic fluid, and a toxic, acrid smoke rose. The giant Centipede Monster concealed itself within the poisonous fog. The creatures living in the swamp thrashed once and then melted away.
Seeing this, Yohan was horrified and climbed higher up the tree, releasing his ability. A bright cluster of light enveloped his body. He purified the smoke before it could reach him, anxiously trying to check on Lee Hyun-muk’s condition.
Is Lee Hyun-muk alright in this toxic fog? If only I could purify all this poison, but Hyun-muk told me not to do anything until the fight was over, so I couldn’t even try. What if I inadvertently draw Yoon Seung-ryong’s attention and make things harder for Hyun-muk?
As Yohan stood there, stamping his feet endlessly, Lee Hyun-muk’s calm, steady voice was heard from within the poisonous fog.
“Seung-ryong, I’ve told you countless times to always observe your surroundings when we fight. No, perhaps dozens, hundreds of times…”
Soon, within the dim, hazy fog, a dark light flashed. High-voltage current flowed through the water pooled on the ground. Moisture was an excellent conductor, more than enough to electrocute the Centipede Monster, thoroughly soaked by the swamp.
Pajijijik! A deafening roar echoed. The relentless current surged through Yoon Seung-ryong, inflicting extreme pain. The smell of burning flesh vibrated all the way to Yohan, who turned pale and covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve.
Kiiiaaaak! Gaaah!
Kwang, kwaang! Kuuung! The giant, elongated centipede’s body thrashed, shaking the very ground. Whenever its blind thrashing happened to head towards Yohan, Lee Hyun-muk would kick it with terrifying force, twisting its direction. The glowing body tried to crush Lee Hyun-muk, but it was all in vain.
Seok! After a chilling slicing sound, the centipede’s body was invariably severed. Even with his vision blurred by the poisonous fog, Yohan could discern the centipede shrinking as it moved, a wavering outline and shadow.
The swamp was gradually stained with repulsive colors by the gushing acidic fluid and blood. No monster in the forest dared approach this area. Yohan could sense the hurried, noisy movements of creatures fleeing as far away as possible.
While Yohan trembled, pressed against the tree, the horrific and one-sided battle finally ended. He could truly feel, deep in his bones, that Lee Hyun-muk had gone to such lengths, using this convoluted plan, solely to draw Yoon Seung-ryong out for him. Chapak, chapak, chapak. The sound of footsteps crossing the swamp could be heard. Lee Hyun-muk, having finished the battle, was returning to Yohan.
“Ugh, ughhh…!”
Terrified, Yohan quickly scattered his purification ability and leaped down from the tree. Wherever the light clusters touched, the swamp, mixed with acidic fluid, turned into clear water.
“Are you alright?!”
Lee Hyun-muk, who had been continuously burning and regenerating without batting an eye, frowned and pulled back as Yohan rushed towards him.
“Yohan, don’t touch me, you’ll get hurt. Just purify.”
Yohan’s eyes welled up with tears again, out of fear and dread. As he poured out purification, the horrifying burning sound finally ceased. Lee Hyun-muk casually wiped a tear running down Yohan’s cheek with his finger.
“Crying again.”
“No, no…! Do I look like someone who wouldn’t cry? I was really scared. I didn’t know Mr. Yoon Seung-ryong was that incredibly huge.”
Sobbing, Yohan circled Lee Hyun-muk. As he looked around, checking for any unpurified areas with concern, Lee Hyun-muk lightly picked him up and held him. Having seen him not yield even slightly against the giant Centipede Monster earlier, Yohan no longer worried about whether he might be too heavy. It was just embarrassing every time.
“Can you purify it? If not, we can do it later.”
“Huh? You want to do it again later? I absolutely can’t do it twice!”
Yohan strongly protested the idea of doing it later. However, instead of leaving immediately, Lee Hyun-muk glanced at Yoon Seung-ryong, who was wriggling in the poisonous fog, reduced to a fraction of his former self and groaning in pain, then said,
“Then it might be better to close your eyes.”
“Why, why?”
“Because it’s not a pleasant sight?”
Indeed, Yoon Seung-ryong’s volume had noticeably decreased compared to before. It was clearly going to be a brutal and agonizing sight, so Yohan nodded reflexively, then stopped. Staring intently into the poisonous fog, he closed his eyes tightly and shook his head left and right.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just go.”
After all, living in the Abyss meant he would see many terrible things in the future, so Yohan intended to get used to it as much as possible. He didn’t want to be a burden for being too disgusted or scared to watch.
“…Alright, if you’re okay with it.”
Lee Hyun-muk stroked the back of his neck, damp with sweat from watching the battle with bated breath, and started walking. Yohan, held in his arms, leaned back slightly and said,
“No, wait, I meant I’d walk there myself!”
Lee Hyun-muk paid him no mind. The poisonous fog was now spreading outwards, gradually thinning. Yoon Seung-ryong’s horrific form slowly began to reveal itself.
“Hhup…”
Yohan gasped softly. Yoon Seung-ryong, his large, elongated body severed, was crawling on the ground, drooling. Yohan tried hard not to look at the severed ends. Yoon Seung-ryong seemed to want to hide his body, even in the partially destroyed cave, but Lee Hyun-muk blocked the path towards the cave, and the monster menacingly revealed its broken fangs.
“▉▉, ▉….”
He mumbled something, and upon listening closely, it sounded like “Too much” or “Hungry.” He glared at Lee Hyun-muk, his body blackened, but with his remaining hands, he continuously scooped up the disgusting, dirty mud and put it in his mouth.
Seeing this, Lee Hyun-muk kicked him hard in the solar plexus with a ppok sound, and Yoon Seung-ryong rolled away, screaming silently. Then, with a weck, he vomited out the mud he had been eating. Yohan, aghast, stopped him.
“Ah, no! Stop hitting him!”
“…But isn’t it better than letting him eat dirty things?”
Lee Hyun-muk said, stepping on Yoon Seung-ryong’s wriggling arm to hold him down. Only then did Yoon Seung-ryong’s gaze slowly shift, as if he had just registered Yohan’s presence. His eyes, entirely black with no distinction between white and pupil, blinked obsessively, tracking Yohan. Acidic fluid dripped more heavily from his mouth. As he writhed, trying to muster strength in his upper body, it was.
“Seung-ryong, don’t be rude.”