Chapter 26: If You Run, I’ll Break Your Legs

Carrying a basket for wild greens and a pickaxe, Han-jun, who was walking ahead of me, suddenly asked,

“Since when do you not complain?”

“When did I ever complain?”

In truth, gathering wild greens was just an excuse to climb the mountain.

If we explored the area, the chances of encountering a monster would increase, and then we could train his superpowers.

Han-jun snorted and shook his head.

“You complain to yourself.”

He knew that I wasn’t exactly pleased with him.

And yet, he kept fawning over Grandpa, unable to refuse his requests.

That only made him more annoying.

“You know that, and you’re still doing this?”

“But… we can’t just ignore it. If Grandpa’s alone, it’s dangerous….”

“You need to draw a line! You’ve been running errands since dawn. Watching you is driving me crazy!”

No matter how good-natured Han-jun was, this was too much.

Making him work from early morning—damn that old man.

The anger was directed at Grandpa, but I kept snapping at Han-jun instead.

“Maybe I should just run away on my own.”

I snapped a tree branch in half as I grumbled.

Of course, if I left him, I might as well cross the River Styx, so I had no real intention of running away.

It just slipped out in frustration.

At my words, Han-jun, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped.

I, who had been following closely behind, stopped as well.

“Why?”

“Why would you say that?”

He slowly turned his head and looked down at me.

His expression wasn’t normal.

“What do you mean?”

Han-jun stared at me with a frightening face, grinding his teeth before speaking.

“…Just try running away. I’ll break your legs.”

After saying those terrifying words, he turned sharply and started climbing again.

I was so startled that even the fine hairs on my arms stood on end.

He wasn’t usually this rough.

I blankly stared at his back as he walked up with clenched fists, then slowly followed.

Even from behind, it was obvious he was seriously angry.

No, is this really the time for him to be angry?

The nerve! What did I even do?!

“W-what? Why are you so mad?”

“…….”

“You have to say something for me to know.”

“…….”

“Hey!”

His frustrating silence made my temper flare too.

The emotions I had been pressing down erupted like a volcano.

“…Fine, do whatever you want!”

I shouted and turned around.

In my anger, I didn’t even think about how dangerous it was to go down the mountain alone.

I just stomped off in the opposite direction.

Before long, he must have realized I wasn’t following.

When I disappeared from sight, I heard him calling from far away.

“Hyung…? Hyung!!”

His urgent voice made my feet stop mid-step as I was pushing through the brush.

I almost softened immediately and considered going back.

“Ugh, I’m the idiot. I’m the idiot.”

I should be the one to endure it—what else can I do?

With a small sigh, I turned to head back the way I came.

Then—

“Ah!!”

A sharp pain shot through my ankle.

Looking down, I saw a lizard-like monster biting my ankle and sucking my blood.

Its sharp teeth pierced my skin.

The monster’s body was transparent, so I could clearly see my blood flowing down its throat into its stomach.

“Ugh.”

Because it was transparent, I hadn’t noticed it until it bit me.

Thankfully, it was only about the size of an adult man’s hand.

Feeling the pain, I bent down.

As I reached out to rip it off, my body swayed.

“D-damn it.”

It wasn’t just a blood-sucking monster.

Maybe it had poison—my vision began to blur.

Gritting my teeth, I tore the creature off my ankle.

In that short time, it had sucked enough blood that its belly was swollen.

Its body was clear, but its stomach sloshed red like a plastic bag filled with blood.

I hurled it toward a tree with all my strength.

Thud.

Its head burst on impact.

The shock must have been great, because it fell to the ground and didn’t move again.

I gasped for breath, then staggered and collapsed.

My vision gradually grew hazy.

“Ju, Han-jun….”

What kind of poison is this?

Am I dying like this?

I need to call him, but my consciousness is fading.

I could hear Han-jun calling my name from far away, but I had no strength to answer.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying desperately to stay awake, but eventually my head drooped.

Like I had swallowed a powerful sleeping pill, I fell into a deep sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, it was slightly darker.

It seemed close to evening.

The first thing I saw was the dirt ground, and when I lifted my head, I saw the pale sky of around five in the afternoon.

“…I’m not dead.”

It must have just been a sleeping poison.

My life really is stubbornly long.

Maybe I’m not destined to die until I turn Han-jun into a true savior.

“Ugh.”

Stretching, I twisted my body.

Aside from my left ankle being slightly swollen where the monster bit me, I didn’t feel too bad.

My neck was just a bit stiff from collapsing face-down.

Wait, but… there’s no one here?

Did he not find me?

Han-jun, your search skills are terrible.

He didn’t just leave me here because he was mad, right?

Thinking that, I shakily stood up.

Then—

Boom!!

“Whoa, that startled me!”

A thunderous sound like dynamite exploding echoed from afar.

The ground shook, leaves rained down, and dust rose into the air.

Startled, I hunched my shoulders and covered my head, then cautiously looked up.

And as soon as I did—

Boom!!

The earth trembled again.

For a moment, I thought it was an earthquake.

But it felt different.

It wasn’t a quake—it really sounded like bombs exploding.

Not a landslide either.

Was some enormous monster smashing the mountain apart?

I snapped back to my senses and started heading down the mountain.

If something could make that kind of noise, it had to be the strongest monster I’d seen so far.

Running away would be the smartest move.

I was also worried about Han-jun and Grandpa.

As I hurried down the path almost tumbling, I saw trees knocked over everywhere.

The ground was dented in huge craters.

It must be something massive.

I forced myself to calm my trembling body and moved quietly.

Strangely, the further down I went, the closer I seemed to get to the source of the noise.

Boom!!

This time it was definitely close.

If I got caught, I’d really die.

Just then—

“Hyung!! Kim Do-hoon!!”

It was Jun’s voice.

“Huh?”

Don’t tell me the one causing all this chaos is Han-jun?

I crouched low and crept toward the sound.

Like a coward, I hid behind a rock and peeked my head out to look down the mountain path.

“Ju, Jun? Is that you?”

I called his name timidly in a low voice.

Boom!!

No reply—just another loud crash.

Leaning out further, I looked down the path and saw Jun lifting a massive boulder into the air.

The mountain-shaking noise was coming from him tossing house-sized rocks around like a game.

Realizing he was the source, I screamed in horror.

“Jun!!”

What are you doing so dangerously?!

My mouth fell open in shock.

“Hyung!!”

At the sound of my voice, Han-jun’s head snapped toward me.

His reddened eyes and swollen eye rims showed how much he had suffered looking for me.

The moment he saw me hiding behind the rock, his eyes widened.

Embarrassingly, I got a little scared.

The sight of him running toward me with red eyes was terrifying.

“Kim Do-hoon!!”

He’s calling me by name now.

But I couldn’t really protest.

He looked furious because I had disappeared.

Oh no.

I swallowed hard.

To survive, I quickly started thinking.

At this moment, Han-jun felt scarier than any monster.

His reddened eyes.

His hair fluttering as if wind blew upward from below.

The stones floating around him.

It felt like standing before a tiger in the mountains, about to have my throat torn out.

When did he get this strong?

Does he power up every time I pass out?

Do I have to keep getting into danger?

Han-jun, breathing roughly, stood in front of me as I crouched behind the rock.

“Where did you go?!”

He grabbed me by the collar and yanked me up.

Couldn’t he at least worry gently?

Does he have to be this rough?

I dangled like a paper doll in his grip.

Even though I’m taller than most adults, I’m helpless in front of him.

Still, anger bubbled up, and I admitted silently that disappearing without a word was my fault.

To avoid getting scolded more, I had to calm him down.

“A monster bit me.”

“…What?!”

“Look. I really passed out.”

I lifted my trembling left leg.

Showing him my swollen red ankle, I explained what happened.

“A transparent lizard bit my ankle, and my vision blurred instantly. I passed out right away.”

As I acted pitiful, his fierce aura gradually subsided.

He released my collar, and I wobbled back onto my feet.

Han-jun let out a sigh and bit his lower lip while examining my body.

“Any other symptoms?”

“Not yet?”

“Get on.”

Without asking further questions, he turned and offered his broad back.