Chapter 100: The Flooded Forest and a Gathering Storm

‘Would you willingly give up someone you’re dating just because someone asked?’ The attendant, though pale with fright, momentarily found their superior pathetic before steeling their resolve. This was not the time for such thoughts.

“I’ll send some people. News must have reached Credit by now, so there will likely be some movement.”

The attendant was a B-rank physical enhancement type. The Association and Credit Guild buildings stood side-by-side, practically within arm’s reach. Most of the buildings’ walls were made of glass, allowing a glimpse of the opposite corridor through the windows if one pressed close to the pane.

They squinted, their gaze fixed on the Credit building. Inside, personnel could be seen bustling about frantically. Something was certainly amiss.

“Perhaps there’s no need to worry after all.”

The Association President turned to look at the attendant, as if asking what they meant.

“If the Credit Guild can’t stop them, then no one in this vicinity can.”

There was no argument to be made. Groaning softly, the Association President issued another command.

“First, evacuate the people.”

“To where?”

The tone was cynical. Once again, the Association President found himself speechless.

“Leaving the city would be a suicide mission. The wasteland offers no suitable place to hide. How many citizens do you think Grisha has? It’s impossible to control and protect all of them.”

It was a sound argument. The middle-aged man fell silent, lost in thought. His gaze shifted sideways. The attendant assumed he was looking at the Credit Guild, but they were mistaken. The Association President was staring into the gap between the buildings.

“…The Flooded Forest.”

“Pardon?”

“The deeper parts still have a lot of magical energy, but the entrance is fine. The plants there have almost recovered. More importantly, all the gates are gone, and now there’s no Black Mist.”

“…!!”

“The dangers are few, but there are many places to hide. There’s no other place quite like it.”

The Association President was right. While the living flora was a concern, even low-rank Hunters could handle that much.

“They won’t be of much help if a battle breaks out anyway. Send everyone below B-rank into the Flooded Forest with the citizens.”

The attendant tapped on their terminal. A moment later, sirens blared, and an evacuation announcement echoed throughout Grisha.

Baekdam lay half-destroyed. Half the city had crumbled, and the casualties were countless. The survivors were attempting to salvage what they could, but it seemed to be an impossible task.

Upon hearing the news, Yeowon’s first thoughts went to Park Myeong-seok and the Aftermath Processing Department. A heavy feeling settled in his chest, as if something was lodged there.

He had no way of knowing if anyone he knew was among the survivors, or among the bodies being recovered.

Not long after, the evacuation announcement blared. Grisha’s citizens plunged into a panic. Protesters once again threw themselves towards the Credit Guild. Sagyeol was utterly dumbfounded by the protesters’ behavior, as if they considered him some noble sacrifice for history.

They were pushing the logic of sacrificing one innocent person to save many as if it were an unblemished justification. It made his stomach churn. If he had his way, he’d freeze one of them to the ground for a few hours.

Yeowon stood close by Sagyeol’s side. It seemed the “muscle hamster,” who usually remained indifferent no matter what antics Sagyeol pulled, had come to nuzzle him first after a long time. Feeling a somewhat melancholic warmth for his lover, Sagyeol offered a gentle smile.

Yeowon no longer spoke of sacrificing himself. More accurately, his words themselves had vanished. He wouldn’t utter a sound unless it was absolutely necessary. Sagyeol felt as though Yeowon’s internal clock was running backward. As if forcibly rewinding the minute and hour hands, Yeowon was steadily receding into his past self.

Each time Sagyeol tried to speak to him or shake him to distract him, the part of Yeowon that had already retreated would not return. The vacant stare in his eyes was eerily similar to how he had looked at Sagyeol in the Baekdam hospital, sending a pang of dread through Sagyeol’s heart.

“You….”

Yeowon turned, a bewildered expression on his face. Seeing his reaction, Sagyeol chose silence.

“No. It’s nothing.”

‘He’ll come back once this is over. He’ll definitely come back. I’ll make sure of it.’

He repeated those words to himself, gritting his teeth. This was Yeowon’s self-defense, a way to protect himself and remain unshakeable in battle. He had merely reverted to the time when his heart was strongest. Sagyeol, too, steeled his resolve. This was war.

“Hyun-su.”

“Here is the item you requested.”

Lee Hyun-su handed him a wireless headset. It was a custom-made piece, crafted overnight by Credit’s engineers. When worn, it blocked out most sounds, allowing only designated voice communications.

“Direct combat is forbidden. You’ll be at a disadvantage in a fight if you can’t hear. Just provide elemental support from a distance.”

‘Could merely covering his ears truly block the contract of subordination etched into his soul?’ Despite the thought, Yeowon obediently accepted the headset.

“Understood.”

“No matter what happens, you must never rush into the fray. Don’t forget that they’re targeting you.”

“I won’t.”

“Such good answers. How lovely.”

“….”

Yeowon’s impassive expression wavered slightly. For a moment, Sagyeol caught a glimpse of the Yeowon he knew, peering through his past self. Just as he started to ease his worries, thinking that bringing him back might not be as difficult as he imagined, the hesitating man spoke.

“You always seem to forget. I’m older.”

“What?”

Come to think of it, he was right. Though only by a year, Yeowon was indeed older. Sagyeol smiled gently. ‘What am I going to do with this adorable man?’

“Did that bother you? Shall I start using honorifics from now on?”

“…Just do as you’ve been doing.”

Yeowon shivered, as if a chill had run down his spine. It seemed he had completely forgotten the early days when they had casually used honorifics with each other. Sagyeol chuckled. A faint smile touched Yeowon’s lips, only to fade away moments later.

Both their gazes turned to the same spot.

“They’re coming.”

The sky was heavy with dark storm clouds. From beyond them, an even darker shadow, and a more ominous white than the shadow itself, soared into view.

Finally, Kratus’s constricted pupils registered his form.

It truly was Yenis. A resonant shock, like being struck on the crown of the head by a massive bell, reverberated through his entire body. It was a sliver of certainty he hadn’t achieved, even after hearing from the Shadow and feeling their strengthened connection. Now, he had it.

Simultaneously, all the bloody fantasies that had unfolded in his mind crumbled to dust. Kratus yearned to hold Yeowon in his arms, to feel his warmth. He wanted to kiss his cheeks and his lips. Though he didn’t understand why he felt this way, he was overcome by an irresistible urge to do so.

The dragon, who had lived his entire life only to destroy, did not know the name of this emotion. Nor did he realize that all his obsessions with Yeowon were but a single thread leading to this very feeling.

“Yeniiis!”

For now, his only thought was to bring the one who had strayed from him back to his side immediately.

Innumerable figures appeared at the Credit Guild. They stood on the building’s rooftop, in front of windows, and across the entire first-floor lobby. Some even hovered in the air on drones. Their numbers were staggering. It wasn’t just Credit Guild members, but also members from other guilds who had come to offer support.

While some large guilds, opposing Credit’s decision, had gone into the Flooded Forest with the citizens, several other guilds who had maintained close ties now gathered at Credit, seeing how dire the situation had become.

“Where’s Amulet?”

“They’ve gone to the Flooded Forest. I heard the old man resisted until the end, so they had to knock him out and carry him there.”

“Good. They absolutely must be safe there.”

There were only two places in Grisha capable of processing magic stones to create antidotes for magic poisoning: the Amulet Guild and the Credit Guild, which received technical support from Amulet.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Amulet Guild was virtually responsible for the lives of all magic-poisoned patients within Grisha. Even those who viewed Credit with displeasure due to the Returnee issue readily lent their strength to escort the Amulet Guild.

“Several S-ranks are assigned to them. They won’t be engaging in direct combat, so you can put your worries aside.”

Lee Hyun-su looked up at the sky, a weary expression on his face.

“Rather, it would be better to worry about us.”

“You’re right.”

“….”

Yeowon quietly stood beside Sagyeol. Sagyeol felt a profound sense of stability just by having him near. It was as if Yeowon’s high body temperature radiated into the air around them.

Everyone fell silent, gripped by tension. Even veteran Hunters, who had experienced all sorts of extraordinary events in their lives, found themselves in an unprecedented situation.

As a result, there was almost no movement. If not for the faint white mist that occasionally escaped their lips, it would have been a chilling scene of hundreds of mannequins.

Sagyeol, the only one whose breath didn’t mist in the cold air, smiled faintly.

“Perfect weather for using ice magic.”

A rumble.

The sky thundered. It had begun to darken around noon, and now, as the afternoon wore on, it was entirely overcast with storm clouds. Through them, a dragon approached, appearing and disappearing as if riding the waves. Now, it was truly upon them.

The white dragon’s wing bones, its sharply protruding talons, and its fiercely glowing golden eyes were close enough to be seen at a glance.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

The motionless Hunters moved in unison. Like statues awakened all at once in a ruined castle, the scene was both slightly chilling and somewhat moving. One Hunter looked around at the assembled faces. Honestly, it was an absurd amount of power.

They had heard the news from Baekdam and knew the situation was perilous, but frankly, with this many people, it felt like they could take down one dragon and six shadows.

“Attack!”

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