IDSEGI Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Flames surged from Ihan’s hands, flowing toward the one-eyed being like molten lava. The burning red eye was swallowed by the fire, spat back out, and engulfed again, as though it were being tempered in a forge.

“Graaaagh!”

The torn scream echoed through the cave, as if it would bring the walls down. But the one-eyed being didn’t just sit there and take it. It faltered for a moment, then swelled until it filled nearly the entire wall, shaking the cave and sending shards of rock dust—sharp like broken glass—flying toward Ihan.

The fragments were so small and fine that even Ihan couldn’t dodge them all. He moved swiftly, but in the cramped space, there was only so much room to maneuver. In the end, countless shards embedded into his skin, leaving small cuts on his arms, legs, and neck that bled in thin streams.

Still, Ihan didn’t stop. He kept unleashing his flames against the one-eyed being. Yet every time the creature was trapped and burned, its cells regenerated at a frightening speed, healing the damage almost instantly.

Yeoul had been right.

The one-eyed being’s recovery rate was astonishing. No matter how much damage it took, it was restored in the blink of an eye, making the attacks feel like a waste of energy.

But Ihan possessed more than raw ability—he had honed tactical instinct from years of training and combat. He redirected the air currents toward the creature, turning the cloud of rock dust back on it instead.

“Uuugh!”

Thousands of shards tore into the one-eyed being, turning the tide. It could no longer mount an attack. Unable to see and now under counterattack, it had no choice but to thrash helplessly.

“Stop! What is it you people want from me?”

A sharp grin spread across Ihan’s face.

“Now we’re talking. Guess a good beating really does work on bastards like you.”

With that wicked, almost feral smile, he could have been mistaken for the villain himself—but to Yeoul, there was nothing more reassuring. Seeing Ihan’s power firsthand was awe-inspiring.

I always knew he was strong.

Because of the danger, it was rare for Yeoul to be brought along to the front lines. This was the first time he had seen Ihan fighting seriously. And it wasn’t only Yeoul who was impressed.

Yoon Geon, with his sharp vision, was tracking and analyzing every movement. Ihan’s fighting style was efficient, clean, and seamless—no wasted motion. Yoon Geon already knew his control was exceptional, but seeing it in action was even more impressive.

As everyone marveled at Ihan’s abilities, he finally spoke.

“Turn back time. To before the imprinting.”

The one-eyed being snorted, frowning.

“You just attacked me, and now you’re asking for a favor?”

“Maybe you don’t have ears. Does this sound like I’m asking?”

Flames flared again in his palm, making the one-eyed being flinch.

“Kill me and it’ll be your loss. You’ll never turn back time without my help.”

“If I hurt you enough, you’ll want to listen. Don’t worry. If there’s one thing I’m good at besides fighting, it’s control. I can make it hurt right up to the point of death.”

His smirk tilted into something colder.

“So much that you’ll wish you could die.”

Without another word, Ihan broke the flames into smaller bursts and peppered the creature with them. Fast regeneration didn’t mean it couldn’t feel pain—its twitching and writhing showed the heat was unbearable.

Finally, unable to endure any longer, the one-eyed being shrank into a black speck and hid in the shadows. It was so small it could barely be seen, and its speed was incredible—tracking and hitting it would be nearly impossible. So Ihan switched tactics, heating the air itself until it burned.

With Yoon Geon shielding Yeoul in a dome of water, this method was possible. But Ihan had overlooked one thing.

The one-eyed being was far more cowardly than expected. In an instant, it vanished completely. The black speck was nowhere to be seen, and Ihan cut off his power.

“You cowardly bastard! Not coming out? Running away ‘cause you’re scared? Don’t you have any pride?”

“I don’t want to die. I want you to make me feel so entertained that it’s worth risking my life. Kha-ha-ha!”

The voice echoed through the cave, but the creature itself was still nowhere in sight.

“Come out right now. I’ll make it fun enough that you’ll wish you were dead.”

But no further sound came from it. Ihan clicked his tongue and stomped his foot, sending a puff of gray dust into the air at his feet. Slipping free from Yoon Geon’s arms, Yeoul shouted into the empty air.

“Let’s make another bet. I’ll make it fun for you. What if the condition is that I’m the one who kills you—not Ihan or Geon-hyung?”

Apparently intrigued, the one-eyed being opened its eye from the wall again, the blinking pupil narrowing.

“A scratch won’t do. You have to actually kill me, and you can’t get help from them. Under those terms, I’ll accept your fight any time, no expiration.”

“Sounds like you can’t handle three-on-one,” Ihan sneered.

The one-eyed being trembled in anger, its eye opening wide.

“The fun is in having someone as weak as Han Yeoul kill me! If I die in a three-on-one, what’s fun about that?”

“No. It’s more fun that way. Winning an unfair fight is always the sweetest,” Ihan countered.

The one-eyed being was silent for a moment, seemingly conceding that the point had merit. Then it stretched vertically and curved upward into a crescent.

“Fine! I’ll take the bet. I’ll turn the date back to before you two imprinted. But!”

Its lone eye quivered at the edges in delight.

“No three-on-one. My odds of losing right now are three percent higher. I want it exactly fifty-fifty—that’s when I’m motivated.”

“So all I have to do is make the odds fifty-fifty?”

“That’s right. But to do that, you’ll probably have to lose an arm. Without that, the odds won’t…”

Before it could finish, Ihan pulled a knife from his back pocket and sliced off his own right arm. Yeoul lurched forward in shock, crying out.

“No!”

Before the blood could spurt, Ihan seared the wound shut with fire, then tilted his head toward the one-eyed being.

“Now we’re even, right?”

“Kahahaha! You’re really something. Such a touching display of love—so touching it’s almost pathetic!”

The one-eyed being blinked slowly, answering,

“Fine! Now the odds are exactly fifty-fifty. I’ll accept the fight. But the one to kill me must be Han Yeoul. That’s the condition.”

“Ihan… why…?”

Yeoul staggered, staring blankly at his severed arm. Ihan gave him a calm smile.

“It’s fine. This much is nothing.”

An Esper’s recovery was extraordinary, but it meant only rapid cell regeneration—lost limbs didn’t grow back. Swallowing his tears, Yeoul stood tall. He couldn’t let Ihan’s decision be in vain. He would have to fight with his life on the line.

When Yeoul started forward, Yoon Geon blocked him.

“Han Yeoul, you stay here. You need to deliver the final blow. Save your strength.”

“But, hyung—”

“This is when you have to stay the most calm. Wait here for now.”

It hurt, but Yoon Geon was right. Yeoul clenched his teeth and stepped back.

“Hyung, I’m counting on you.”

“Got it.”

Yoon Geon strode forward to stand beside Ihan. Ihan glanced at him and muttered,

“Keep a solid shield around Yeoul. I’m going in hard.”

“I’ll handle defense. You focus on offense.”

Ihan rapidly raised the temperature in the cave, breaking his flames into countless bursts and firing them at the one-eyed being with crushing pressure. The creature fought back, scooping up dirt from the ground to block the assault, while hurling a storm of rock dust at them.

But Yoon Geon’s water wall swallowed the dust, nullifying the attack. At the same time, thin, high-pressure streams of water shot from Yoon Geon’s hands toward the one-eyed being. Where the scorching heat met the water, the attacks struck with deadly force.

At first, the one-eyed being seemed at a disadvantage, but the fight soon turned into a battle of endurance. The longer it dragged on, the faster Ihan and Yoon Geon’s overload levels spiked. Eventually, Yoon Geon’s watch emitted a piercing beep—89%. The device’s danger alert had gone off. Ihan shoved him toward Yeoul.

“Yeoul, give this guy some guiding.”

“Hyung, over here!”

Yeoul pulled Yoon Geon close and sent guiding energy into him. The flow was smooth and fast, calming his rampant Esper energy. Once his levels stabilized, Yeoul stepped back from his arms.

At that moment, the one-eyed being shook the cave violently, dropping stalactites in a deadly rain. Then it closed the distance to Yeoul, aiming to swallow him whole.

Sensing the surge of malice coming straight for him, Yeoul chose to meet it head-on, raising the knife in his hand to stab the creature. But Yoon Geon was faster—he grabbed Yeoul and rolled them both across the ground. Even shielded by a wall of water, a fast-falling stalactite pierced into Yoon Geon’s back.

“Kh…!”

He let out a thin groan of pain but still clung to Yeoul protectively. Ihan, still attacking, turned his gaze toward them.

“Yeoul!”

Thanks to Yoon Geon’s shielding, Yeoul was unharmed, but Ihan still looked worried. And in that split second when Ihan’s attention shifted, a long shadow shot out from the wall like a spear, piercing into his gut.

“Khuhk!”

Ihan clutched his abdomen and fell. Hearing the sound, Yeoul cried his name in panic.

“Ihan! Are you okay? Ihan!”

He wanted to run to him, but stalactites kept falling relentlessly. Grabbing Yoon Geon’s body, which was still being struck despite the water barrier, Yeoul shouted,

“Hyung, forget me—help Ihan first!”

“Ghh… You… first…”

When a stalactite slammed into the center of his spine, Yoon Geon coughed blood.

“Guhhkk!”

“Hyung!”

Yeoul screamed, covered in his blood, as Yoon Geon fought to stay conscious.

The one-eyed being roared with laughter at the sight.

“Puahaha! Finally got you! My victory!”

At that moment, Ihan vaulted into the air and drove a sword of fire straight into the creature’s pupil.

“Graaaagh!”

Blood dripped thick from the twitching eye as Ihan, staggering, let a sharp grin spread across his face.

“If you ask ‘Is it dead?’ that’s the surest way to make it get back up. Don’t you know that, you stupid bastard?”