HSF 69

Seeing Artirens slowly open its mouth after gathering all its energy, Cheong-hyeon leaned back in his chair. Artirens wouldn’t move while using this pattern, so the party members would be able to deal damage more easily. Cheong-hyeon playfully opened his mouth to lighten the mood.

“I deliberately used the restraint on it. Huh? You should be thankful.”

-Haha, thank you. Dark Assassin skills are really good.

-Ittorang, I’ll remember that! I won’t forget!

-Hyung, I’ll give you anything good that drops!

-I’ll give you my rewards too.

Hearing those words from Tae-young, who was the most money-grubbing in the guild, made Cheong-hyeon think that dying with Artirens like this wouldn’t be so bad. As he sighed with complex emotions, Hee-won next to him looked at Cheong-hyeon.

“Hyung…”

“What can I do? Are you going to save me?”

“How can I save you when you’re caught in that pattern…”

“I guess there’s nothing I can do. Sob sob.”

“Ah, really…”

Cheong-hyeon pretended to wipe away tears and feigned crying, causing Hee-won to react with distress. Even so, he swapped out a few pieces of equipment and began to devise a way to save Cheong-hyeon.

“Yoo Ji-min, put a shield on Hyung.”

-It won’t work. Even a tank dies if they take that full damage.

“Just do it. Everyone, use any skills that might help.”

-I’ll use a damage reduction skill.

-I’ll heal you too, should I give you a speed buff?

“It was a joke, don’t waste your skills and just focus on clearing it.”

Artirens, ready to attack, began to emit light. Despite Cheong-hyeon’s protests, as healing and buff skills came in, Cheong-hyeon’s health bar fluctuated wildly. Cheong-hyeon’s heart began to pound as it repeatedly dropped almost to the end and then filled up again. He began to have a little hope that he might survive. But that was only for a moment. As the party members’ skills were all used up and their mana began to run low, Cheong-hyeon’s health only dropped steadily. Artirens was still emitting light without any sign of stopping its attack.

“Ah, this isn’t going to work…”

As much as he had hoped, a regretful voice came out. There were no more resources to save Cheong-hyeon. He gave up because there was no hope, but Hee-won didn’t seem to be able to give up. He frantically opened and rummaged through his item and skill windows. But no matter what he did, everything that could help had already been used.

“Hee-won-ah, I’m okay, you can stop.”

Seeing Hee-won, more regretful than Cheong-hyeon himself, trying to save him no matter what, made his chest feel a little warm. He wiggled his curled toes and looked at Hee-won’s profile. He felt a ticklish sensation somewhere. It wasn’t the first time Hee-won had tried to save him, but he couldn’t help but be moved in such a dramatic moment. Cheong-hyeon’s heart softened.

“I really don’t think I can save you.”

“I know, thank you.”

“Why does it have to be Hyung…? There are so many other people.”

“……”

“Or I wish it was me instead…”

Hee-won’s expression, who was speaking with genuine regret, changed in an instant. Hee-won, who had been pouring out heals until the end, frantically pressed the keyboard to bring up a new window. It was a couple window that users who had formed a couple in the game could use. Hee-won quickly moved the mouse and pressed a few buttons, shouting.

“Hyung, press enter. Quickly!”

“Huh? Uh.”

At that momentum, he pressed the enter key without knowing what it was, and a pop-up window appeared on both Hee-won and Cheong-hyeon’s screens at the same time and quickly disappeared. As he looked at the screen, bewildered, a red heart effect appeared in the center of the two characters and burst. At the same time, the places where they were standing changed. In the blink of an eye, Cheong-hyeon moved to the safe location where Hee-won was standing, and Hee-won moved into Artirens’ hand. His health was also plentiful, as if it had been exchanged with Hee-won’s.

[Couple] Seohee1 is requesting to use the [Sublime Sacrifice] skill.

[Couple] Seohee1 is using the [Sublime Sacrifice] skill.

Cheong-hyeon, with a dumbfounded face, checked the notification message and turned to look at Hee-won. He smiled brightly, showing his eye smile, and faced Cheong-hyeon. Contrary to his happy appearance, Hee-won’s character in the game had long since become a gray corpse and fell from Artirens’ hand, which had been holding him. As he stared blankly at the scene, Hee-won shouted from the side.

“Hyung! What are you doing just standing there? I saved you, are you trying to die?”

“……”

“Now that there’s no main heal, we have to catch it as quickly as possible.”

“…Ah, okay.”

-Wow! Seo Hee-won is crazy, I can’t do that.

-You guys are serious…

-What should I do, I’m so touched!

-We really need to finish this before we all dry up and die.

Cheong-hyeon belatedly came to his senses at Hee-won’s voice and the guild members’ buzzing. The fingertips he had placed on the keyboard trembled. In a half-dazed state, he frantically pressed the available skills. Artirens’ remaining health, which was like a thin thread, dropped to 0%. Artirens, who had lost its life force, solidified like a stone statue, and then cracked diagonally and split. It fell to the floor with a thud and crumbled away like sand dust.

[CLEAR]

[Notice]

[Seohee1, Ittorang, Jimni, Heekkom, Tiramisush, Hyutzzi have cleared the first banished celestial Artirens. Congratulations.]

-Waaaaah!

-Wow… Everyone, you’ve worked so hard!

-Ugh! It’s finally over!

-Keuek…

[Guild] Marachip: OMG!!!!!!! It worked? Congratulations!!!

[Guild] Capybara: Wow! You’re so cool!

Leaving behind the noisy cheers of the guild members, he turned to look at Hee-won. His heart was pounding violently, but he couldn’t tell where this overwhelming emotion came from. It seemed to be because they had reaped the rewards of their efforts, working day and night for weeks, and it also seemed to be because of Hee-won in front of him. Hee-won, as if he had no regrets, still met his gaze with a happy face.

“Hyung, you’ve worked hard. Congratulations on the clear.”

“Why, why did you die instead?”

“You… told me to save you.”

“……”

Hee-won, who had turned off his microphone, looked at Cheong-hyeon with gentle eyes, as if he wanted to be praised. When Cheong-hyeon realized that his eyes were filled with that blind gaze, a tingling sensation ran through his hair once again.

“Then what are you going to do about the new weapon…”

“Ah, it stings a little, but it’s okay.”

“But, you’ll be later than everyone else… There will be a big difference in the next crusade and skirmish.”

“Yes, I’m going to be a has-been now, so Hyung has to take responsibility for me and take me with you.”

“……”

Hee-won sighed deeply and said sadly, pretending to be pitiful. Cheong-hyeon could feel his softened heart melting away. He felt like something was about to pop out of his mouth.

“Even if a better healer than me is born, you can’t abandon me.”

“……”

“Are you listening? If you dump me because I’m useless now, I’ll really…”

“I… I’ll definitely take responsibility for you.”

His stomach was strangely churning as if it had become mushy all the way inside. His voice trembled slightly, perhaps because of his pounding heart. The emotions that he had not properly identified and had pushed away as something he disliked were constantly trying to escape their place.

“I really, you…”

“Hyung?”

Feeling like something was about to spill out, he covered his mouth and stood up. Hee-won stood up with a surprised look. He took a step back, avoiding Hee-won, who was looking at him with concern. The thoughts that had been suppressed beneath his consciousness kept rising to the surface due to his pounding heartbeat and churning stomach. In the end, the emotions that he had been frustrated with because he had not been able to properly define them were once again on the judgment table.

“Are you okay?”

“…I don’t feel well.”

“Suddenly? Did you get indigestion?”

He wanted to leave because he wanted to escape, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Hee-won. As if drawn to him, he reached out his hand. Soft hair wrapped around his fingertips. He stroked his hair as if praising him, then cupped his soft cheeks. Warm warmth was transmitted through his palms.

“Maybe… it’s because of you.”

Hee-won stopped as if he had hardened at the sudden contact. However, he did not avoid it and lowered his gaze as if to check the hand that touched his cheek, then blinked his eyes wildly and looked at Cheong-hyeon again. Cheong-hyeon reached out his other hand and wrapped it around the back of his head. The emotions that he didn’t want to face poured out. He pulled him in impulsively. He felt like words he had never thought of would pop out, so instead he pressed his lips hard against Hee-won’s lips, who had been helplessly pulled in. When the two touching lips were pressed together and became the exact same temperature, Hee-won grabbed Cheong-hyeon’s wrist with a trembling hand.

“Wait…”

Cheong-hyeon, who belatedly came to his senses, was startled and took a few steps back, but the wrist that was grabbed was not released. The confusion was compounded by the actions he had taken before his mind was settled. He only thought that he had to leave this place in a situation that was too much for him to handle, even though he had caused it himself. He desperately backed away as much as he could, but Hee-won followed closely without giving him any distance. Because of him, who looked like someone who had lost his mind, he was eventually pushed to the end of the room and his back hit the wall.