WHOFA 4

His attitude was playful. And here they were, fighting against an extreme murderous intent.

Gam Yigeon clenched his fists tightly.

“An instinctive gut feeling tells me you should not be kept alive.”

“…Wow, that is harsh.”

For an instant, a hurt expression flickered across his neat face.

That brief passing emotion comforted Gam Yigeon’s heart and made him feel a small sense of pleasure. It was elation sparked by nothing other than the fact that he had hurt that horrifying being.

He wanted to hurt him more. He wanted to torment him. He wanted to create wrinkles on that smooth brow.

“I knew the hatred accumulated with each iteration, but it seems the formula was different from my expectation. It must have been squared, not doubled. Unfortunately, I can only tell you to manage that hatred on your own… Fighting.”

The young man quickly composed his expression and returned to his playful demeanor. He made a fighting gesture with his clenched fists, then added with an “Ah—.”

“I called for Mr. Gam Yigeon because I am too lazy to explain things multiple times. Now that you have verified the authenticity, you guys can explain it to the people who will be flocking here from now on. When I wake up, a conclusion will have been reached, right? Since our Chief Kim Eunji is wise.”

“You are going to sleep?”

“Believe it or not, I was in a fierce battle until just an hour ago. The last time I slept was four days ago. I am hungry and dead tired. I am going to get some shut-eye.”

He took out a cotton pillow, a blanket, and a comforter from his inventory, then squirmed into the comforter and laid his head on the pillow. Then he pulled the comforter up over his head and really fell asleep. It was a comforter with a cute snake character drawn on it, which did not fit the situation.

How could he be so defenseless?

He himself was the source of their boiling murderous intent, yet he was so irresponsible.

‘I have said this much, so you know you cannot kill me even if you want to.’

That attitude was so obvious, which made him even more hateful.

But for some reason.

Unlike the others who turned their gazes away while cursing, Gam Yigeon could not take his eyes off of him. While he wanted to tear that snake character comforter to shreds, he also wanted to dismiss everyone so that he could sleep comfortably. He also thought that his exhausted, sleeping form looked strangely familiar. And he found himself, for having such thoughts, unbearably disgusting.

*

[Time limit has been exceeded.
Raid progress ■■■■■□□□□□
Dungeon raid has failed….. ૮₍˶ó﹏ò ₎ა]

[Hidden Mission Failed!
Penalty ‘World Destruction’ will be applied.
Time until destruction: 05:00
I am sorry ( Ĭ ^ Ĭ )
Please spend your final moments with your loved ones.]

The System had directly stated that it used cute emoticons so as not to seem scary. But right now, those emoticons looked less like consideration and more like mockery.

In a situation like this, facing destruction…

Humanity had been far too arrogant, even in the face of the first Grade 6 dungeon they had ever encountered. For the sin of not being humble before the absolute existence that was the System ‘Spirit-Body,’ they were finally receiving the punishment of destruction.

There were no people crying out in despair.

Because there were only two survivors here.

Seo Hwa and Gam Yigeon.

One hundred thirty people had entered, but now only the two of them remained.

“Telling us to spend our final moments with our loved ones when they only give us a mere 5 minutes, not even three hours…”

At Gam Yigeon’s mumble, Seo Hwa’s lips quirked up in a small smile.

“I know, right. You cannot even eat a cup of ramen in five minutes.”

He spoke bitterly, then immediately corrected himself.

“But you can, Assistant Gam. You could even add a roll of kimbap, finish it all, and still have time for a walk.”

“……”

“I have always thought this, but you eat way too fast, Assistant Gam. Why do you always eat like someone is chasing you? When it comes to eating me in bed, you come so slowly, you make a man cry every time.”

Gam Yigeon let out a sigh.

“Are you really making jokes like that right now.”

His tone was less angry and more like, ‘You are really something else.’

Seo Hwa knew that this was not the kind of conversation to be having while facing the end of the world. But looking at Gam Yigeon right now, he felt like he absolutely had to make this kind of vulgar joke.

Gam Yigeon, the man who was always like a block of wood, seemed to have not lost his composure even in the face of death. It was not because he had expected this outcome; he had been cool and composed from the very beginning when the hidden mission ‘World Destruction upon Failure’ first appeared. The team members had marveled at how he could be so rational even in such a situation, and some had even resented him for it.

But only Seo Hwa knew.

That the twitching of his cheek and the trembling of his fist held an immeasurable sadness.

‘In the end, even Gam Yigeon cannot be completely composed in the face of death.’

Yes. How could any human not feel sad?

Even if you know the ending, you still shed tears when you read the last page of a sad novel.

This novel was a truly sad story.

There had been too many sacrifices.

Countless hunters had thrown themselves into the flames and offered their heads to the maws of monsters.

They had come this far thanks to their comrades who burned their lives away like moths to a flame, knowing they would ultimately fail to clear the dungeon.

Now, facing the end, Seo Hwa had only one thought.

They had prepared too hastily. If they had known sooner… if they had known even a year, or two years in advance, the result would have been vastly different. They could have definitely succeeded. They could have cleared it.

And so.

It had come to this.

[Time until destruction: 03:34]

The time continued to tick down. All the matter that made up the dungeon was disintegrating and scattering. The vegetation, the rocks, the monster corpses, and even the equipment he carried were being dismantled into small particles.

So when the time limit ends, a few minutes of grace are given, and then everything disintegrates.

He had learned a new fact, but he was not happy about it at all. Seo Hwa opened and closed his tingling hand into a fist again.

“Guild Master.”

Gam Yigeon stood squarely in front of Seo Hwa. It was difficult to face the deep sadness and anguish that resided in his purple eyes.

“Seo Hwa.”

“…Are you dropping the formalities with your superior just because it is all over now?”

“I have always wanted to call you that.”

“If you are going to drop them, do it properly. How about it, should Yigeon call you hyung?”

“Is your wound okay?”

Gam Yigeon’s gaze went to Seo Hwa’s wrist. Blood was flowing from a scratch from a monster’s claw. It was an injury that could by no means be called okay, but in the face of the world’s destruction, it was utterly trivial.

Gam Yigeon took a clean towel and a bandage out of his inventory.

“Let me treat it for you.”

“……”

When Seo Hwa remained still, Gam Yigeon reached out and took hold of Seo Hwa’s arm. He treated the wound quietly and swiftly. Seo Hwa looked at the neatly tied bandage and smiled bitterly.

“Our Assistant Gam is so composed. Even at a moment like this.”

“I love you.”

“……”

“From the moment I first met you, there has not been a single moment I did not love you.”

“……”

“I was planning to confess after we got out of this dungeon…”

Gam Yigeon’s expression twisted in anguish. It held a sorrow and pain of unfathomable depth. The man who had been so strong and composed was breaking down at the very end.

Seo Hwa stared blankly at that face, then scratched his cheek.

“You might not know this, Mr. Gam Yigeon, but confessing in a situation like this is a death flag, so you are not supposed to do it.”

“Please do not joke around, even in a situation like this.”

“Yeah. Well, it is a complete joke, really. Because this plan will succeed in the end. Mr. Gam Yigeon will absolutely not die.”

“…Guild Master.”

“Quiet.”

Seo Hwa held out his palm. It was meant to tell him to be quiet, but surprisingly, Gam Yigeon grabbed his hand. His thick-knuckled fingers intertwined with his, and their calloused palms touched. Despite possessing a flame-type skill of immense power, his hand was cold. Their clasped hands were trembling, so Seo Hwa squeezed his hand tightly.

The small, white snake that was wrapped around Seo Hwa’s wrist in the form of a bracelet noticed Gam Yigeon’s hand and raised its head. Then, as if asking to be included, it tried to squeeze into the narrow gap. Gam Yigeon slightly loosened his grip to let the snake in.

Seo Hwa watched his snake nuzzle its small head against his assistant’s large hand and activated his skill.

[Using skill <Flight of Time>. Absorbing your existential value. Apply?]

‘Apply.’

[Applying your existential value to <Flight of Time>. The maximum travel time possible with current energy is 1 hour from now. Proceed?]

‘No. Expand it.’

[<Flight of Time> is expanding. Applying your existential value to <Flight of Time>. The maximum travel time possible with current energy is 24 hours from now. Proceed?]

‘Expand it more.’

[<Flight of Time> is expanding. Applying your existential value to <Flight of Time>. The maximum travel time possible with current energy is 340 hours from now. Proceed?]

‘Keep expanding.’

[<Flight of Time> is expanding. Applying your existential value to <Flight of Time>. The maximum travel time possible with current energy is 8,700 hours from now. Proceed?]

‘Expand it to its limit.’

[<Flight of Time> is expanding. Applying your existential value to <Flight of Time>. The maximum travel time possible with current energy is 26,280 hours from now. Proceed?]

‘……’