Chapter 63: The Lunatic Who Burned the Darkness Away

Lee Chae sat slumped on the lobby floor, staring into nothing. She’s still his mother… she wouldn’t just let him die, right? She’s probably searching in secret because of security… Hope flickered—then died. Too cold a reaction. If she was worried, she would’ve met me. Despair swallowed him again.

“Fck… everything’s fcked.”

He cursed headquarters and buried his face in his hands, finally crying.

The real culprit wasn’t headquarters—it was him. If he’d just imprinted when Haejin asked, they wouldn’t be this lost. He’d know his location. If he hadn’t tried to time it perfectly… If he’d never been kidnapped by Yeo-jun in the first place…

“If I didn’t exist…”

“Jung Lee Chae, knew you’d be here. Said you were going to work—why are you here?”

He looked up—Jin-woo staring down with pity. Not Haejin. Lee Chae turned away wordlessly. Jin-woo forcibly hauled him up.

“You said you were strong. Stubborn.”

“…”

“Let’s go to Legion. We’ll figure it out together.”

“What changes if we go?”

Lee Chae struggled, but Jin-woo slung him over his shoulder like a sack.

“Think coldly. Jung Lee Chae—if we don’t find Cha Haejin, who will? Government’s busy hushing it up so the public doesn’t panic. We’re the only ones who can.”

He was right. But how was the problem. Neither of them had a clue. Lee Chae nodded weakly instead of answering. Jin-woo kept talking.

“I went back to where we first lost him. Just in case… but he wasn’t there. Weird, right? We were inside darkness…”

Yong-yong, putting an ice pack on Jae-hyung’s forehead, suddenly cut in.

“K-Kelvetero! Darkness Kelvetero casts only disappears if Kelvetero lifts it himself… or dies.”

Lee Chae’s ears perked.

Right—Yong-yong was there!

If the dragon knew things humans didn’t about monsters, they could use it to negotiate with headquarters. A D-rank like him wouldn’t be believed, but Jin-woo—vice-captain and A-rank—couldn’t be ignored.

Lee Chae grabbed Yong-yong’s arm.

“Tell me everything you know.”

“Huh? Everything? Jae-hyung likes chocolate more than candy. Likes veggies more than meat but eats meat because of me. Good human…”

“Not that, damn it!”

Jin-woo stopped the excited Lee Chae.

“Don’t yell at the kid. I know what you’re thinking—let go of his arm. I’ll ask calmly.”

While Lee Chae calmed his racing heart, Jin-woo gently questioned Yong-yong about monster strength, any secrets they’d dug up from headquarters.

Mid-explanation, Yong-yong suddenly remembered.

“Oh right! There was a spy. Monsters sent to headquarters.”

“Name?”

“Yeah. S-rank Ko Gi-yeol. Name sounded like meat, so I remembered.”

“What did he say? Secrets he found.”

Yong-yong pouted.

“Don’t remember all. Just a few. The ones Yeo-jun was jumping about.”

If Yeo-jun was that excited, it was definitely a fatal weakness for headquarters. Better to threaten with dirt than beg with benefits. Hope swelled in Lee Chae’s chest.

“And there was one more spy.”

Everything Yong-yong said after that was pure gold.

Lee Chae scribbled frantically, then stood. He had to rush to headquarters and negotiate. Jin-woo stopped him, handed a neatly typed printout, and followed.

“We’re going together. I called my dad.”

“Your dad?”

“You thought only Haejin’s mom was on the board? My dad’s the same—equally annoying.”

“Wow…”

Lee Chae genuinely marveled. Jin-woo snorted.

“You were half-dead a minute ago.”

“I was never. Anyway—thank you so much.”

“Thank me after we find Haejin.”

On the way to headquarters, they ran without stopping—lungs burning, sweat pouring. Every second counted. Neither said it aloud, terrified of making it real—but both feared they were already too late.

Haejin was exhausted but clearer-headed than ever. Fortunately Kelvetero, as the lowest-tier boss, wasn’t very intelligent. The longer time passed, the more Haejin adapted to the pitch-black darkness and blinding light.

“Hey, you got abandoned by your own kind, didn’t you?”

No other explanation for Kelvetero’s behavior.

At first he thought—like when the humanoids kidnapped Lee Chae to lure him—this was about killing or capturing a threat. But no. If that were the case, Kelvetero would’ve already handed him to the cyclops boss or killed him.

“Feeling guilty?”

Still no answer from the dark. Fine—let’s see how long you stay silent.

Once he realized his techniques worked even here, hesitation was unnecessary. Haejin stopped taunting and gathered energy. Kelvetero’s voice returned.

[You said you would not negotiate.]

He kept the energy steady and answered,

“I won’t negotiate, but I can’t stay in darkness forever. Someone’s waiting for me. And…”

He didn’t bother saying there was no hostage now—he could attack freely. Though only a theory, Kelvetero had clearly gone rogue, dissatisfied with the pack. His attacks were working. Know your enemy and yourself, and you’ll win every time.

Kelvetero spoke again.

[Human, light and darkness do not vanish.]

Haejin snorted.

“Yeah, real light and darkness can’t be beaten. But you’re fake.”

Thin threads of light tangled chaotically in the darkness, mimicking scattering.

“Fakes get crushed by the real thing. Someone told me once: Air is everywhere and always moves. That’s wind!”

He raised his hand high—then slammed it down.

WHOOSH— A vortex erupted from his fingertips, charging the tangled light’s core. Even in the ferocious wind, Haejin didn’t blink.

Every time the light tried to coalesce into stronger brilliance, the vortex grew larger and pierced the center. Unable to unite, the light scattered powerlessly and dimmed.

“That all you got? Some boss.”

[Humans are always arrogant. That arrogance will one day lead to your extinction.]

“Shut up. Only one person gets to nag me.”

Lacking intelligence, Kelvetero plunged everything back into darkness when light failed. Simple—make fire. Lee Chae hadn’t randomly replayed that memory in his dream.

In total darkness with no focal point, eye attacks were impossible. Haejin focused, visualizing coordinates only. If he could make fire grow anywhere, visibility didn’t matter. He pointed at the estimated spot.

BOOM! Flames roared, devouring darkness. Heat filled the air; real light illuminated objects. Kelvetero’s light only blinded—Haejin’s fire revealed.

It’s working!

He whipped up wind to feed the flames and quickly scanned. Shockingly—he was only a short distance from Legion.

Kelvetero alternated light and darkness to block escape.

“Nice try.”

Haejin burned through darkness and advanced. Legion was right ahead. Emerging from the dark, he gathered every ounce of energy and fired at the darkness’s heart. Then summoned wind. The fire swelled; darkness shrank. Air and light currents shook violently.

Haejin sensed it. Kelvetero’s chaotic thrashing wasn’t growing strength—it was the final, greatest burst before extinction.

Finally, the suffocating darkness and blinding light faded bit by bit.

Sizzle, hiss— Unintelligible noises. Power fading… can’t communicate anymore?

Wails of grievance or curses vanished into the dark. Silence returned.

Haejin’s perfect victory.