Chapter 30
When he called for Baek Rak outside, he glanced back briefly.
Baek Rak confirmed that everyone he needed to protect had entered inside, then explosively burst blue energy throughout his entire body. The creatures staggered and were pushed back by that force. During that brief moment, Baek Rak leaped into the iron door and closed it.
Bang, bang bang!
It was a close call.
“…”
“…”
Seo Won and Baek Rak breathed heavily while watching the closed iron door warily. Just in case the bunker entrance might be breached.
With the continued attacks, thudding sounds echoed, but the iron door was firmly withstanding their assault.
Only then did Seo Won let out a sigh of relief.
“Wow, I really thought I was going to die.”
Baek Rak also wiped his face and began to catch his breath. Seeing this human side of him for the first time, Seo Won quietly observed Baek Rak. Perhaps he was tired from fighting non-stop from the moment the creatures invaded until now. Baek Rak couldn’t hide his fatigue.
He had seemed fine until they entered this building. It seemed like he had used a lot of strength dealing with the creatures right in front of him.
After resting briefly like that, Baek Rak soon got up from his spot. Following him and lifting his head, Seo Won belatedly realized there were lights inside the door. The soft lighting illuminating the surroundings continued all the way down the stairs.
“Get up, we need to go downstairs.”
Outside, creatures were still banging on the iron door with thudding sounds. Hoping it would hold out well to the end, Seo Won struggled to get up from his spot.
However, his arms and legs wouldn’t cooperate properly, so he could barely stand while holding onto the wall. Perhaps because he had used all his strength opening the door, the feeling of exhaustion was tremendous.
Meanwhile, Baek Rak began moving while carrying Poong-i and Yu Sol. He was silently staring at his back gradually moving away when Baek Rak suddenly called for Rang. Then Rang, who had been between him and Baek Rak, approached.
Looking at Rang who stuck close to his side and gave him support, Baek Rak, who had stopped at some point, said, “Come down slowly with that one.”
“…”
“I’ll go ahead and treat these guys.”
Was he acting like this because he felt guilty? Even without saying anything, he knew who was in urgent need right now.
“Yeah, go down first.”
Baek Rak stared at him intently. He could see his blue-glowing pupils ripple slightly. When he tilted his head wondering why he was looking at him like that, Baek Rak turned around and began going down the stairs.
“…What.”
He should only do that eye-talking thing with people who understand it.
Seo Won shook his head slightly and slowly went down the stairs with Rang.
The sound of creatures attacking continued from beyond the closed door, making him look back several times. Fortunately, by the time they reached the entrance to the underground passage, the creatures’ attacks had also ceased.
Only then did he feel like he had reached a safe place.
Seo Won sat on the last step and leaned his head against the wall to rest for a moment.
From when he went to find Rang and the pups with Yu Sol until now. It definitely hadn’t been long, but strangely that time felt lengthy.
‘I didn’t want such spectacular daily life.’
Seo Won rubbed his cheek against the cold wall and pulled the blanket he had been carrying on his back to the front. When he spread the blanket on the floor, five puppies curled up in a ball were visible. Seeing them whimpering weakly, they seemed quite tired too.
He was petting them pitifully when Rang sat on the blanket and lay on her side lengthwise. Then she began pushing one pup toward her belly with her snout.
“…”
Seo Won watched this and helped her get all the pups to nurse. At first he wondered if they had no strength, but as soon as they latched on, they began sucking vigorously. Only then did Rang lie down comfortably.
Seo Won quietly watched that peaceful and beautiful scene, confirming that Rang had finished nursing and was licking the pups before slowly closing his eyes.
His eyelids had been drooping since earlier, which he had barely been holding back, but it was no longer possible.
He tried to open his eyes several times, but it felt as difficult as lifting the heaviest thing in the world. Eventually, Seo Won leaned against the wall feeling his consciousness fade away.
‘I’ll just sleep a little and wake up.’
Muttering words that wouldn’t reach anyone to himself.
Seo Won fell fast asleep.
***
At voices heard from somewhere, Seo Won felt his consciousness gradually awakening. Two people with familiar voices were having a conversation.
Slowly rousing his body and mind that had sunk like waterlogged cotton, he slowly opened his eyes. Then he could see a ceiling with light fixtures embedded in it. After staring at it blankly, he rolled his eyes toward where the sound was coming from.
At the end of his gaze were Baek Rak and Han Seong Hyeon.
Seo Won blinked and stared at the two for a long while. His ears felt stuffy so he couldn’t hear the details, but their expressions were serious, so it didn’t seem like they were having a pleasant conversation.
‘Why can’t I muster any strength?’
When he tried to get up, his body wouldn’t obey. Should he say he was properly exhausted and couldn’t even move a finger? Everything felt bothersome.
While breathing and spacing out, he finally made eye contact with Baek Rak.
Baek Rak, who had been talking with Han Seong Hyeon, stopped speaking and strode over.
“Can you get up?”
Seo Won didn’t even have the strength to shake his head, so he just closed his eyes. Then he felt Baek Rak carefully helping him sit up. When he opened his eyes again, his vision had finally returned to normal. Rolling his eyes to look around, his body was leaning deeply against the sofa backrest.
The first thought that came to mind was why Baek Rak had suddenly become gentle. Then, with memories surfacing one by one, he struggled to open his mouth.
“…Sol and Poong-i.”
“Treated and in the recovery room.”
Seo Won let out a quiet sigh. Yu Sol had been bleeding continuously on the way here, probably because her wound was deep. He had been worried, but it was fortunate that she seemed to have escaped the dangerous situation.
By the way, why is this guy being uncharacteristically careful?
Baek Rak, who had helped support his tilting body again, called Rang to sit beside him. Perhaps because there was a more reliable support than before, his body didn’t slide down.
“…What.”
“You can’t move because you used up all the energy in your body.”
“But I came down the stairs…?”
He remembered up to closing his eyes because he was sleepy.
“That must have been the last of it. You woke up now because your energy has recovered a little, so don’t try to move unnecessarily until it’s fully restored. If you get hurt trying to get up, I won’t treat you. Rang, keep good watch.”
Of course. Seo Won clicked his tongue inwardly and turned his gaze. But when had he approached—Han Seong Hyeon appeared from behind Baek Rak.
“I heard you had a hard time. I heard the story. How’s your body, are you okay?”
“…I have no strength at all.”
“It’s because you used up all the energy in your body, like Baek Rak said. It’s an energy depletion phenomenon, so the feeling of weakness will be severe. That’s why hunters always make sure to leave enough strength to avoid exhaustion.”
When he glared asking why he was only telling him this now, Han Seong Hyeon looked at him pitifully and said, “Even if you had known, you couldn’t have helped it. It looked like you barely managed to open the door.”
Fact violence was still violence. Seo Won let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. Both Baek Rak and Han Seong Hyeon were the same right now. Instead of worrying about him, they were gently getting on his nerves.
He’d rather go back to sleep. But as if that was out of the question, Baek Rak shook him awake.
“Stay awake. Energy doesn’t recover well if you sleep.”
“Sigh… really.”
How was the situation only unfavorable to him? Seo Won opened his eyes narrowly and looked back and forth between Baek Rak and Han Seong Hyeon.
‘Well, since it’s come to this, let me at least learn about the situation.’
If he couldn’t sleep, shouldn’t he at least satisfy his curiosity? His rolling eyes turned toward Han Seong Hyeon.
“…But how are you here?”
“Me? I’ve been here from the beginning.”
“Alone…?”
Seo Won’s face hardened.
Hunter Han Seong Hyeon had been hiding in the bunker from the beginning? …Could it be because he’s a leader? Is that how it originally works? Is this right? Baek Rak suffered so much outside catching creatures?
“Mm, don’t look at me with those eyes. I just had someone I needed to save.”
“…Someone you needed to save?”
He smiled readily and headed somewhere. Seo Won followed him with his gaze and belatedly looked around the interior of the underground bunker.
This place was full of various beakers and medicine bottles that you’d see in research labs or hospitals. There were liquids of unknown identity, and familiar plastic medicine containers and syringes were also visible. Looking a bit further inside, he could see familiar medical equipment in a room divided by glass walls.
X-ray and CT scanners, and other equipment he didn’t know well. Objects that had existed 300 years ago in this world were still intact. He couldn’t understand how this was possible, but he fully understood why Baek Rak had to bring Yu Sol to this place.
Seo Won was examining the medical equipment when he turned his gaze to where Han Seong Hyeon had stopped. That place was made of translucent glass, and he could vaguely see a human silhouette lying inside.
Han Seong Hyeon stepped aside slightly and introduced with a faint smile, “The most precious person to me. Currently in a coma, living as a vegetative patient for 10 years.”
“In a coma for 10 years?”
“Their heart stopped briefly earlier, so I rushed over urgently. I barely managed to save them now, but they probably won’t last much longer.”
Only then did Seo Won realize his mistake. There was no way Han Seong Hyeon would spare himself without reason, but he had made an unnecessary misunderstanding.
“…Sorry.”
“What’s there to be sorry about, it’s okay.”
When Seo Won offered a gloomy apology, Han Seong Hyeon waved his hand and deliberately answered brightly. He smiled awkwardly at the sunken atmosphere and turned his gaze to the hospital room where his precious person lay.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
