The blazing red flames shifted into brilliant hues of yellow and white. The Viking Ships, which had been battering the area to eliminate the annoying human and expand their territory, abruptly pulled back.
…37, 38, 39… Then, in synchronized bursts, the ships began to strike at Kim Sibaek with relentless force.
Flames surged from all directions, ready to devour him whole. Kaaang, kang! Kang! His sword rang out with crisp metallic clangs, slicing through the fire as it deflected the Viking Ships. If not for his Divine Power, the blade would’ve melted long ago.
…74, 75, 76… Sweat rolled down from his forehead, dripping onto his lashes and stinging his eyes. He reflexively squeezed them shut, and the moment he reopened them, the prow of a ship was spinning toward him. He ducked low to the ground—almost pressed flat—and the ship’s hull whooshed just above his back, sending a gust of wind roaring past. A wave of stifling heat followed, stealing the air from his lungs.
It was almost time.
…89, 90, 91… Kim Sibaek clenched the hilt of his sabre, healing the burns that throbbed across his palms. The Fire-Resistance Enchant had worn off faster than expected. The overheated steel beneath his feet had already begun melting the soles of his sneakers.
100.
His sabre sliced through the chasing flames like a whip, splitting the motor clean in half.
“……!”
Something felt wrong. He’d dealt with split-type Twin Monsters before, even in Mak Slechth. Back then, taking out both Cores simultaneously had dropped the monster instantly. But now, the flames were still raging—wild and untamed.
Don’t tell me… Tae Woon hasn’t reached the roller coaster yet.
If both Cores aren’t destroyed at once, the remaining half draws in all the Demonic energy, amplifying its power several times over. The Hunters, who had barely been holding the line, would be overwhelmed. The entire amusement park would go up in flames.
But even before those grim scenarios, one thought dominated his mind: Tae Woon. A horrifying image of Tae Woon collapsed in the fire flashed through his mind—and Kim Sibaek was already running toward the roller coaster.
Then it happened.
The flames, once raging in brilliant yellows and whites, shifted again—then quickly began to die out.
[Quest 09 CLEAR]
[You could have waited for the support team and played it safe, but we knew a Returnee like you would jump straight into the hunt ^-_-^]
“Haa…”
He exhaled in relief, bracing his hands against his knees. Maybe he’d reacted a little late—but Tae Woon should be safe too. It wasn’t until the flickering embers scattered like dust that the clear sky finally revealed itself above.
Tae Woon sat astride the motor. Even the searing flames couldn’t touch him. They passed through the shadows but never dared invade. With his eyes closed, he traced the flows of Demonic energy and Divine Power. On the canvas of darkness behind his eyelids, he clearly saw Kim Sibaek fending off the Anxious Mist. That radiant current of Divine Power cutting cleanly through the dense fog of malice. That clarity.
A tingling throb pulsed from his left chest, ecstasy rippling through his entire body like lightning. The corner of his mouth twisted upward, and laughter burst out, wild and unfiltered.
“Ah.”
Still basking in the high, Tae Woon slowly opened his eyes. Demonic energy stirred. Kim Sibaek had taken out the Viking’s Core. He had felt it—truly felt him—but even so, 100 seconds was painfully brief.
Feeling the surge of dense Demonic energy gathering around the motor beneath him, Tae Woon casually flicked his hand. A mass of darkness swelled up and devoured the motor in one gulp. The hidden Core inside was crushed like clay in a child’s grasp—utterly wrecked and obliterated.
He dusted himself off and stood. Now that the rush had faded, the venomous pressure he’d been holding down during the battle began bubbling back up. Ah… Hyung’s gonna worry about this injury. He liked that Kim Sibaek saw him as gentle and fragile, but he really didn’t want him to see him actually hurt.
As he mulled over ways to heal himself without Kim Sibaek noticing, Tae Woon forced himself to swallow the dark, tainted blood rising in his throat. Pressing a finger to his brow, he steadied the pain.
Time to go back to being the sweet, obedient, soft, and lovable little brother forever etched in Kim Sibaek’s memory.
***
Edokers turned and ran. His plan to manipulate that human, Na Jungwoo, into killing the Apostle had ended in total failure. Worse yet, the Apostle’s team had taken Na Jungwoo from him.
He’d waited for a chance to snatch him back amidst the chaos of the monster attack, but that plan had crumbled too. Now, he had to escape before the Apostle returned from the hunt.
Damn it. Damn it! If they investigate, the Apostle’s gonna figure out I was controlling him. What the hell do I do?
Regret surged through him—he never should’ve gotten involved. But it was too late to undo it now. His only consolation was that his Demonic energy was so faint, it might go unnoticed.
Ironic. Weakness, of all things, had become his best shot at survival.
But who the hell made that monster just now?
Unlike in Mak Slechth, where Demonic energy was completely purified, this was a human settlement. It was possible the monster had naturally manifested. Still, Edokers couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the work of a Follower of Chaos.
He even considered tracking them down—maybe asking for help. But he gave up on that thought just as quickly. Apostles and Paladins worked together, sure—but Followers of Chaos were a different story entirely.
Like the very essence of Chaos itself—where everything exists and doesn’t, where all things are mixed and indistinct—their kin were no different. A Follower of Chaos born on Earth might just try to consume him. His Demonic energy, weak as it was, probably wouldn’t even be enough to register.
If I run into one, I’ll just beg. ‘Please don’t eat me. I’m not even enough to taste.’ …Ugh, forget that. What the hell do I do about the Apostle now?
Should he run? Or try again?
Trapped in a storm of confusion, dread, panic, and fear, Edokers fled—endlessly. Just like he had in the days when he’d still been human.
***
“Wooow…”
A Hunter, who’d clung to their weapon till the end despite blood and pus leaking from burst blisters, stared in awe at their now perfectly healed hand. Another, whose leg had been so badly mangled that the bone was visible and had only barely stopped the bleeding, broke down sobbing. Until now, Kim Sibaek had limited his healing to quick first aid to conserve his Divine Power while the mutation stabilized—but now, he was healing freely, without holding back.
Truthfully, more than a few had assumed his abilities were decent at best—enough to stop bleeding, sure, but nothing groundbreaking. But watching him effortlessly mend gaping wounds where flesh had been torn and blood poured freely, they couldn’t help but be stunned.
What moved the Hunters even more than the miracle-like healing was Kim Sibaek himself. A Hunter with a power that existed nowhere else in the world, using it generously without asking for anything in return—that kind of selflessness was rare.
“Thank you… thank you. How could I ever repay this…”
As one of their comrades, tears streaming down his face, gripped Kim Sibaek’s hand in gratitude, the surrounding Hunters felt a warmth spread through them. Surely, knowing Kim Sibaek’s character, he’d just smile gently and say no reward was needed—that he simply wished them a safe and full recovery.
And indeed, Kim Sibaek offered a kind smile and gave the Hunter a comforting pat. Then he pointed at the ugly baby crow perched on his own head.
“You can thank the crow.”
“Thank you so much… Mr. Crow…!”
While the other Hunters froze in place, struggling to process the absurdity of the moment, the grateful one bowed deeply to the crow, ready to go full prostration if needed. For some reason—who knew why—the crow actually seemed to understand human speech. It brought its bandaged right wing up to its forehead in what looked suspiciously like… a signature cult-mascot pose?
From that moment on, the crow happily flitted around between the Hunters Kim Sibaek had healed. Unsure of how to react, the Hunters exchanged glances—then, one by one, they started nodding respectfully toward the bird. After all, wounds that should’ve kept them hospitalized for weeks—maybe even months—had been completely healed in an instant. At that point, even if the crow was a cult mascot… or even the grandfather of one… they didn’t care. They were grateful.
Weird. I think I’m getting used to the crow…
Maybe that was why—even with its ominous, scruffy appearance—the baby crow was starting to feel strangely sacred.
Biendeoé, who hadn’t had this much attention in ages, was downright ecstatic. And Kim Sibaek, satisfied with how smoothly his Divine Power was recovering, was in good spirits too.
Still… Woonie’s taking a while. Should I go check on him?
Even after treating all the serious injuries, Tae Woon hadn’t come back. Kim Sibaek had assumed everything was fine since the Core had been destroyed on time—but maybe that relief had come too soon.
What if the wound from Na Jungwoo’s blade reopened during the fight…?
Uneasy now, Kim Sibaek started walking toward the area where the roller coaster Core had been. Before long, he spotted Tae Woon in the distance. He instinctively raised a hand, smiling with relief—then froze.
“Woon-ah!”
Tae Woon’s steps were slow. Unnaturally so. Something was wrong.
