Chapter 61: The Lunatic Who Was Trapped in Absolute Darkness

Jin-woo woke up and knew instantly from everyone’s faces: Haejin hadn’t come back. Unable to ask what happened to him, Jin-woo turned away and let out a hollow breath.

The summoned A-rank guide removed the pads from his body.

“Fortunately, no major injuries. It was intentional fainting-level. Attack and defense are fine, so rest well today and you’ll be okay tomorrow.”

Silence fell over the treatment room. No one dared mention Legion’s missing captain, Cha Haejin. They couldn’t just waste time when they didn’t even know where he was. Jin-woo broke the silence first.

“Thanks for worrying, everyone. Sorry, but… Jae-hyung stays, everyone else out?”

“Yes, recover quickly.”

“We’ll come again later.”

The espers left one by one, faces shadowed. Legion’s motto was “the individual is humanity”—minimizing sacrifice. The weight of a captain who sacrificed himself for them crushed the members.

Jin-woo watched their backs and swallowed bitterness. Everything felt like his fault.

Jae-hyung spoke cautiously.

“Hyung… it’s not your fault. I would’ve done the same.”

“I know. But…”

They sighed at the same time, then teared up looking at each other. Jin-woo turned away first.

“Stop being so damn dramatic. Negative thoughts off. You know what kind of lunatic Cha is? Throw him in hellfire and he’ll crawl back.”

He was hiding worry behind volume and exaggeration. When Jae-hyung’s face didn’t brighten, he raised his voice more.

“He’ll limp in whining he’s dying from a scratch like always. Then to Japchae—oh shit, what about him? This is bad.”

Jae-hyung’s eyes widened too.

“We have to tell Japchae.”

“…I-I can’t. I’ll cry.”

“When’s he coming?”

“Schedule says around now… no, past now? Classes ended early today.”

The treatment room door burst open— Yong-yong (baby form) dashed in and hid behind Jae-hyung. Lee Chae stormed in, face red, glaring at Yong-yong.

“Come out right now! Who taught you to say such horrible things? Who told you to lie?”

“D-dragons don’t lie. It’s true. Captain d-dead…”

“Shut up!”

Lee Chae looked half-crazed. Jae-hyung frantically covered Yong-yong’s mouth and forced an awkward smile at Lee Chae. He knew this wasn’t the time to laugh, but calming Lee Chae came first. He shot Jin-woo a desperate look for help.

Jin-woo slowly stood in front of Lee Chae. Lee Chae’s eyelashes trembled violently.

“Jung Lee Chae, don’t freak out—listen carefully.”

Lee Chae glared like Jin-woo had murdered Haejin himself.

Lee Chae had seen wounded high-rank espers at school and run straight here. Then the damn dragon blurted the second he saw him:

Captain didn’t come back. Maybe eaten by Kelvetero.

At Yong-yong’s tearful words, Lee Chae’s heart dropped. His mind went blank. He stood frozen, then suddenly grabbed Yong-yong’s shoulders and shook him like a madman.

“What do you mean only hyung didn’t come back? No way. Everyone together…”

“K-Kelvetero showed up… too dangerous, so captain went alone. That means he’s really dead.”

“No, that’s too cruel a joke! You’ll get in trouble for lying!”

Lee Chae babbled nonsense and hit him. Vision blurred, strength drained. Dragons were bad at lying—if it was a lie, it’d show. He knew it was true yet desperately denied it. He just wanted someone to say it wasn’t.

But the blunt dragon wouldn’t even give a white lie—he panicked and fled to Jae-hyung. Following him, Lee Chae found Jin-woo and Jae-hyung’s grim atmosphere.

He clenched his teeth and glared at Jin-woo. Jin-woo lowered his head.

“First… sorry.”

“Why sorry? Don’t apologize just to calm me. This joke isn’t funny!”

Lee Chae roared. Jin-woo hesitated, then steeled himself and met his eyes.

“Haejin didn’t come back. He’s missing. But I don’t believe he’s dead.”

“I said stop! This isn’t funny. He’s S-rank—how does he not come back? Cha Haejin, come out! F*cking enough with the games!”

Lee Chae bolted out like a lunatic. He flung open every door—Haejin’s bedroom, meeting room, living room, bathroom—searching. No trace of Haejin’s energy anywhere. Nausea rose, but he couldn’t stop.

“Cha Haejin, where are you!”

He ran through Legion meeting espers who only bowed and passed—no one stopped him.

Confirming with his own eyes that Haejin wasn’t in the building, Lee Chae finally collapsed. The world went black.

Haejin had always said they could die any day, so enjoy life while alive. Lee Chae had called it rich-kid nonsense, told him to plan for a future where he didn’t die tomorrow. Death had always felt distant—something he never considered.

But death was much closer than he’d thought.

In his dream, Haejin was back on that yacht with Lee Chae. Endless ocean, horizon far away, seagulls (the ones that pooped on him) cawing overhead.

Lee Chae was laughing at the sky; Haejin stared, entranced. He wanted to poke those slightly flushed cheeks.

Suddenly Lee Chae turned.

“Why do I like hyung?”

“Because I’m insanely sexy?”

Dream-Lee Chae giggled. Definitely a dream—real Lee Chae would’ve tsked in disdain.

“Not because you’re insanely sexy. Because you’re really strong.”

“Huh? Because I’m S-rank?”

“There are lots of S-ranks.”

“Then?”

Dream-Haejin tilted his head.

“Your power is cool.”

Wait—this isn’t a dream. It was exactly what Lee Chae had said on the yacht. Back then Haejin had only half-listened, mind elsewhere. Now every word replayed clearly.

“Wind and fire, right?”

“I do control wind and fire. So?”

“Wind is air flow—you can make it day or night, hot or cold. Nothing can block it. Invincible.”

“And fire loses to water, no?”

“Not if there’s wind. Wind makes fire bigger.”

Cheesy now, but he remembered. He’d been too distracted by a sudden hard-on to listen properly.

“Our Lee Chae says the prettiest things. I already know I’m insanely strong even if you don’t say it.”

He’d only thought it—now he muttered it aloud and snapped his eyes open.

“…Where am I?”

Still pitch black. Yet he could clearly feel rain falling, sun rising, thunder, wind—everything. They said in crises, unused senses awaken.

Haejin felt every drop of blood in his veins. Rain, thunder, sunrise, wind—but he had no idea where he was.

One thing was certain: something else was here with him. A sinister, evil, overwhelmingly strong presence seeping into his skin.

He wanted to destroy it instantly, but couldn’t see coordinates. The enemy was too powerful to attack blindly. Yet strangely, it wasn’t attacking him either.

Why? Kidnapped and neutralized me but does nothing? Illusion?

No—Kelvetero, master of light, dark, and shadow, wouldn’t use humanoid tricks. Simple conclusion: Real darkness had swallowed reality. His anxiety and helplessness weren’t real—just illusions created by darkness. If true, any attack would land. But attacking without certainty was foolish.

Haejin closed his eyes and calmed his breath. In the darkness, his only guide—his lover—appeared clearly. Confidence surged from his toes to the crown of his head.

Right. No way I die wronged. Haven’t imprinted with Jung Lee Chae yet. Haven’t seen our kids. How could I die!

The moment he resolved— WHOOSH. Wind suddenly blew.