Chapter 88: You Are at the End of a Shattered World

Stepping outside after a brief nap, I discovered a mountain now stood where the lake had once been. This towering peak was the very source of the deafening roar that had shaken the dawn.

It was not merely an ice mountain. The snow that had blanketed the forest had also transformed into transparent ice, glinting like scattered jewels under the penetrating sunlight. The entire landscape seemed utterly unreal, a scene plucked from a dream.

“……”

“Oh. I didn’t aim for this, but it’s rather beautiful, isn’t it?”

Sagyeol leaned back, shading his eyes with a hand as he gazed up at the ice mountain. A low whistle escaped his lips. The sheer absurdity of the situation gave me a throbbing headache.

It was fortunate we were in an isolated outpost. I dreaded imagining the headlines if anyone else had witnessed this bizarre spectacle.

‘[Sagyeol: A Lover’s Spat on Vacation? His Partner, a Credit Returnee!]’

‘[Two Leaders Spearheading Flood Extermination Revealed to Be in a Romantic Relationship….]’

Indeed, people were slowly beginning to catch on. Their discretion was merely a result of being wary of Sagyeol.

Beneath the surface, I’d heard whispers that our relationship was already considered an established fact.

“Why are you bothering yourself with such pointless worries?”

As if he could read my thoughts, Sagyeol wrapped an arm around my waist, letting out a soft chuckle.

“We’re going to make it public eventually, you know.”

“What?”

“What reason is there not to?”

‘There… there wasn’t a reason. Not really.’

“Are you ashamed of me?”

I found myself unable to utter a denial. When I instinctively hesitated, Sagyeol’s eyebrows arched upwards.

“I’m not ashamed,” I quickly asserted.

Though I spoke belatedly, the damage was already done.

“Why? Why would you be ashamed of me?”

‘Wouldn’t you know the answer to that better than anyone?’

“I told you, I’m not ashamed.”

“Weren’t you the type who never lies?”

“…It’s not a lie.”

‘I merely phrased it more delicately.’

“Certain aspects of you are most certainly not shameful.”

“So that implies there are indeed shameful parts among the rest, doesn’t it?”

I had dug my own grave. The arm cinched around my waist tightened its grip.

“Tell me. I won’t release you until I hear it.”

“Alright.”

‘If that was his game.’

I nodded compliantly. Then, with a swift turn of my body, I effortlessly lifted Sagyeol into my arms.

“What?!”

Sagyeol was more bewildered than I had ever witnessed him. His flailing arms instinctively wrapped around my neck.

As he wasn’t of small stature himself, my eyes were drawn upwards as I held him.

I offered a faint smile. Given my usual impassive expression, I couldn’t tell how much it registered, but the gradual widening of his eyes suggested something akin to amusement had indeed formed on my face.

“My arms. You don’t have to release them.”

“……”

He seemed to have forgotten that I was the stronger one. In that position, I purposefully set off on our planned walk. It took less than five minutes before Sagyeol conceded defeat.

After their three-day vacation, Yeowon and Sagyeol returned to the forefront of the flood extermination efforts.

There was one peculiar development. The drones, which had been showing signs of instability for some time, finally ceased functioning entirely.

They would operate reliably up to the previous base camp, yet venturing any deeper into the zone caused them to fail. Consequently, the value of both Rephtha and Yeowon surged once more.

Aside from that, operations proceeded remarkably smoothly. The leading extermination squad had advanced even deeper than anticipated.

The exploits of Rephthas, with Reph at their vanguard, were reportedly nothing short of dazzling.

“The flood gates have significantly diminished.”

“Even the gates that used to open in the city are almost entirely eradicated.”

All personnel, save for those required for emergency operations, had been deployed to the flood zone, yet there was still surplus manpower.

Despite their impressive achievements, the hunters’ faces betrayed little satisfaction. Instead, anxiety and unease clung to them, much like tattered Post-it notes.

Only two S-rank physical enhancement hunters, with their minds refreshingly clear, remained unaffected.

Boom!

Crash!

Nearby, they were relentlessly tearing through every inch of pristine ground, relentlessly battling magical creatures. These adversaries were colossal A-rank monsters, resembling cobras, yet they spewed viscous bodily fluids instead of venom.

A direct hit would instantly harden a target, rendering them immobile. These hardened forms were impervious to all but the most immense force. Already, several hunters had fallen victim, and their comrades were frantically working to rescue them.

“Ah, please don’t come this way!”

“Wh-what? Th-the fallen…!”

“Ugh!”

“Aargh!”

Crash!

A colossal, near-dead cobra toppled directly onto the petrified hunters and those attempting to rescue them. While they were all high-ranking hunters, unlikely to die from the impact, the probability of sustaining at least one broken bone was exceptionally high.

Sagyeol observed the scene, then nodded as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

“Well done. I shall assume command of the field operations from this point forward.”

The hunters, having delivered their reports, dispersed.

Lee Hyun-su, who had been issuing commands from a distance, finally drew near. Three and a half days had passed.

Having managed the unruly high-ranking hunters, he now sported a gaunt, deathly pale complexion, looking as though he might collapse at any moment. He fixed his gaze on Sagyeol with an expression of profound weariness, almost as if he were on the verge of achieving nirvana.

Sagyeol visibly winced, his brow furrowing.

“What now?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s just a bit surprising, that’s all.”

Lee Hyun-su let out a long, heavy sigh.

“When you’re around, it’s hell, but when you’re gone, I actually miss you.”

“…Are you insane?”

Sagyeol asked with genuine concern. Lee Hyun-su burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahahaha. Two S-ranks — if you tell one to close a gate, the other screams they can do better and charges headlong into an unreconnoitered part of the flood zone.

Then there are the B-rank members, weeping and asking, ‘Why are you herding magical creatures all the way back to base camp? Can’t we just go home? It’s too terrifying!’ And finally, the principled hunter, wielding an executioner’s blade, glares at me, demanding, ‘Why is the field in such disarray?’”

“……”

“—after spending three days surrounded by such chaos, if there’s a way not to go mad, I’d certainly like to know it myself.”

Lee Hyun-su’s face broke into a wide, brilliant smile. It was undoubtedly the most radiant expression I had ever seen from him, yet Yeowon, observing the situation calmly from beside me, felt an unsettling chill crawl down his spine. He instinctively tightened his grip on the handle of his axe.

“Y-you suffered greatly.”

Even Sagyeol found himself at a loss for words. He hesitated, then subtly gestured towards the nearby tent, a silent command for Lee Hyun-su to go and rest.

“Once this flood extermination is over, I’m truly submitting my resignation.”

With another profound sigh, Lee Hyun-su brushed past Sagyeol.

“My obligation extends no further than that.”

He stumbled, yet miraculously managed to remain upright as he entered his designated tent. The moment he collapsed onto his cot, all signs of his presence vanished, suggesting he had instantly succumbed to sleep.

Everyone, it seemed, had their own burdens. Yeowon, standing beside Sagyeol, feigned ignorance of Lee Hyun-su’s weary mumble. Instead, he gently took Sagyeol’s arm, which was still twitching restlessly.

“We, too, have our duties to attend to.”

“Indeed.”

Sagyeol let out a small laugh, then strode forward. He extended his hand, aiming it at the two enormous cobras that remained standing.

Crackle!

Massive shards of ice erupted from his hand, instantly engulfing the colossal cobras.

Kyyyaaaah!

The creatures, ensnared within the ice, thrashed wildly. Crack. Snap. Thick ice fractured, and fragments began to splinter away as if the entire structure might crumble. Sagyeol then stomped his foot.

A long sheet of ice, extending from the ground, surged upwards along the frozen forms, manifesting into menacing teeth aimed at the S-rank magical creature’s body.

CRUNCH!

Dozens of crystalline white spears impaled the cobra’s massive body. With an ear-splitting shriek, its violent thrashing gradually ceased. Slime and blood splattered onto the ground.

The gate’s surface, as colossal as the creatures themselves, shimmered and subtly shifted in hue. It was an unmistakable sign that it would soon close.

Sagyeol returned, a bright, satisfied smile on his face. The hunters’ reactions, however, were decidedly lukewarm.

“Honestly, we had them almost completely subdued.”

“Why on earth did you need to go to such extremes…?”

“And that won’t melt, will it? How are we supposed to get it down? Are you planning to just collapse it?”

“Wow. However they get it down, the post-processing crew is going to be dead.”

The B-rank hunters, who were respectable hunters in the city but relegated to post-processing and supply duties in the flood zone, turned pale. Sagyeol’s eyes narrowed.

The high-ranking hunters, catching his gaze, instantly feigned disinterest and scattered in every direction. Only Yeowon remained, awkwardly greeting Sagyeol.

“That was incredible.”

That single sentence was enough. Sagyeol’s annoyance melted away instantly. Nothing else mattered; having his hamster-like lover was plenty. As he jogged cheerfully towards me, hugging me like a cherished doll, whispers drifted from behind him.

“Why did he do that? So amateurish.”

“I thought the usable parts were the slime and the tough hide… but the slime’s all over the floor, and the hide’s full of holes.”

‘These bastards, seriously.’

Sagyeol, still clutching Yeowon like a beloved plushie, finally spoke up. “What use is a hide that gets pierced by mere ice?”

“Then what about the slime?”

“……”

“It’s excellent, capable of being used for exterior wall reinforcement—”

Sagyeol raised a hand, covering Yeowon’s eyes. Simultaneously, the surroundings froze solid, turning stark white. He had ghost-like precision, controlling the range so Yeowon remained untouched.

Ice, spreading like deadly spores, bloomed in crystalline formations everywhere. The hunters who had been emboldened by Yeowon gasped in horror. ‘Such a dirty trick…!’

As they were about to protest, they belatedly caught Sagyeol’s expression. Eyes that promised to separate their upper and lower halves swept over the assembly. No one dared to utter a word.

Sagyeol mouthed a silent message.

‘I know you’ve got a bone to pick, but let’s keep it civil, shall we?’

‘Yessir!’

Sagyeol instantly seized control of the scene. The chaos that had reigned during his three-day absence, as if it were a lie, quickly returned to its original trajectory… or not quite.

“Th-that, why is it coming this way?!”

“Because the boss’s output is so strong, the magical creatures are scared…”

“Those guys are estimated S-rank! What are they scared of?!”

“He’s the boss.”

‘Well… that’s true.’

‘No, this isn’t the time to be agreeing!’

The one who had answered was already fleeing into the distance.

“This bastard, abandoning his superior and running?!”

“I only have one life!”

“Do you want that one life to end by my hand?!”

The scene remained a chaotic mess.

“Ugh!”

“Aargh!”

What had changed was the speed of extermination. It was even faster now than the schedule that had been accelerated by the deranged S-ranks over the past three days. Sagyeol swept through the area with furious intensity.

The core was now so close that magical creatures no longer emerged. They only encountered magical beasts of at least A-rank. S-rank creatures, typically colossal, appeared every other encounter.

The required hunter rank to contend with them instantly shot up. Rephtha were used only as a means of transportation, not deployed in combat. The situation was such that even S-ranks found it difficult to offer support carelessly. Nevertheless, the extermination squad did not retreat in the slightest.

Sagyeol was not their only joker.

From the midst of the disoriented hunters, a black line slashed towards an S-rank magical creature resembling a dinosaur. The sharp line, erupting from the ground, pierced directly between the monster’s brows.

Crack!

Its skull, thicker than most steel plates, split open. The magical creature died without even a scream. Its enormous body toppled sideways. It was so massive that its head and tail touched the black labyrinths on either side.

From a distance, Sagyeol, who was dispatching another creature, smiled contentedly, a look on his face that clearly said, ‘That’s my lover, alright.’

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