WHOFA 46

The sixth 6th-rank dungeon was the toughest out of all the previous timelines.

I am not talking about the dungeon progression. If we were to judge it solely on the strategy, it was actually going smoothly because the hunters’ abilities had improved more than ever before.

However, for Seo Hwa personally, the perceived danger level of the dungeon was about two hundred times higher than for anyone else.

Gazes thick with killing intent, hatred and disgust displayed without concealment, harassment and ostracism.

Furthermore, as if the dungeon itself was a material belonging to this timeline, just like a friendly puppy would try to bite only Seo Hwa on sight, or a calm cat would try to scratch only Seo Hwa, the dungeon also put its entire soul into killing Seo Hwa.

Perfectly fine ground would form a sinkhole the moment I stepped on it, a heavy fruit would happen to fall right on my head while I was sleeping in my sleeping bag, and the weather, which had been good, would happen to turn foul right when it was my turn to go out…

It felt like I was fighting the entire universe.

“Ugh…”

Seo Hwa entered his personal tent, clutching his left arm. It was a spot far from other people, and since it was drizzling outside, he did not bother to hold back his groan.

His left arm kept causing trouble. When he took off his clothes and unwrapped the bandage, his swollen left arm was revealed. When he poked it with a finger, a sharp, stinging pain shot up.

“Oh… fuck…”

It was broken, this thing. He wasn’t one to swear easily, but he couldn’t help but let a curse slip out. After swallowing a painkiller, he applied a splint and tightly wrapped it with a new bandage.

After taking a full thirty minutes to finish the treatment, Seo Hwa lay down as if collapsing backward. He had brought his sleeping bag packed full and fluffy with cotton, but now all the cotton was flattened, and he could feel the hard floor right through it. He took out three heating items, placing one by his head and two at his feet. Warmth rose up, but it was still not enough.

“I can’t catch a cold…”

His body was shivery, and his lungs ached every time he breathed; it was clearly a body ache from a cold.

Seo Hwa had started talking to himself more. When he was with people, he kept his mouth shut as much as possible, so there were many times when he wouldn’t utter a single word for days. Fearing he would forget how to speak, he would talk to himself out loud when he was alone.

“What kind of S-rank gets body aches…”

This was the first time he had ever had a cold with body aches in all the timelines. He had inadvertently proven the fact that no matter how strong a body one has, if the mind weakens, it affects the body as well.

“What a mess…. My arm hurts, I have body aches, and I’m hungry…”

Before coming into the tent, Seo Hwa had seen the person on duty taking out Korean-style lunch boxes.

Although more than half the members were Korean, it was a multinational expedition team of sorts, so the meals prepared by the organizing committee were of various nationalities. They were mostly healthy meals with a good balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, and the occasional Korean food was a special treat.

Steam rose warmly from the soybean paste stew, and there was spicy stir-fried pork, seaweed, ham, and kimchi…

“Let’s not think about it.”

Thinking about it would only make him hungrier. Seo Hwa let out a groan and got up again to rummage through the first-aid kit. In preparation for any unforeseen situations, he had brought everything, even things he thought, ‘Surely I won’t need this,’ and among them was medicine for body aches.

As he was struggling to tear open the packaging with his weak fingers, he sensed someone approaching.

That person unhesitatingly unzipped the tent and opened the entrance.

A large, dark man came in, filling the small tent.

“Mr. Gam Yigeon, why are you here…”

“What is this, Yigeon.”

What Gam Yigeon was holding in his hand was the piece of paper Seo Hwa had stuck to the front of his tent.

[Hate inside]

“I put it up as a warning in case you forgot and came in. How nice of me.”

Gam Yigeon placed a hand on his forehead, let out a sigh, and then—whoosh—burned it to ashes.

“And what is that.”

Gam Yigeon’s gaze was directed at the pill he was about to take.

“It’s medicine for my body aches.”

Gam Yigeon reached out his hand. Seo Hwa flinched in surprise and backed away. Gam Yigeon took the medicine, looked it over, and then tossed it to Seo Hwa. Under that dark surveillance, Seo Hwa swallowed the pill. Unable to lie down again or sit comfortably, he awkwardly stared at the area around Gam Yigeon’s chin.

“Is something wrong?”

“When was the last time you slept.”

“Was it four days ago…”

“You must be tired.”

“It’s the same for everyone, I guess.”

Actually, it wasn’t the same. The other members of Epsilon trusted their colleagues and took turns sleeping. Seo Hwa had no colleagues to trust, so he was always sleeping lightly.

“Have you eaten.”

“I was just about to.”

“I brought you a lunch box.”

“……”

“Because it’s Korean food today.”

It felt as though he could hear the words, ‘Because I know you like Korean food.’

Seo Hwa accepted the lunch box with a bitter smile.

Why is Gam Yigeon… so kind to me at times?

Even though he clearly hates me, and sometimes, in a fit of uncontrollable anger, he even puts his hands on my neck.

How can he show such kindness at times like this?

He knows that he is trying not to hate me.

That’s why it was even more of a mystery.

Because it wasn’t something that could be defied just by trying… it truly seemed as if he were defying the very providence of the universe.

“Thank you. I’ll eat it later.”

“You’re putting it in your inventory again. Have you consumed anything that I’ve given you?”

“Someone could secretly put poison in the lunch box without you knowing, Mr. Gam Yigeon…”

“Yigeon, I brought my own portion.”

“I’m sorry. You know I have to be a little careful.”

Among the fifty members of the Epsilon expedition, there was no one who would actually act on their murderous intent towards Seo Hwa. However, it was better to be cautious, as someone could put poison in not with the intent to kill, but simply to harass him.

“It seems you’ve injured your arm again.”

The topic shifted to a less favorable one. Seo Hwa tensed up and shifted his hips back slightly.

“Not really. It’s just the same as before.”

“I will check.”

“Ah, I already treated it myself.”

“So you were injured after all.”

Gam Yigeon abruptly grabbed Seo Hwa’s left arm. Seo Hwa didn’t even attempt to shake him off with force. He only trembled like a mouse caught by a cat.

Gam Yigeon rolled up his sleeve. He unwrapped the bandage, which had taken thirty minutes of struggle to put on, in just three seconds, and then squeezed his hand as if gauging how badly it was broken.

“Ngh…”

“It’s broken.”

Gam Yigeon stated it matter-of-factly, as if he were describing the color of an object.

“Yes. My arm is broken. It ended up like this after all.”

Seo Hwa had become a man of fewer words, and he often trailed off at the end of his sentences.

He would get startled whenever someone spoke to him, he couldn’t make direct eye contact, and he was easily intimidated.

But strangely, in front of Gam Yigeon, his original way of speaking would pop out. Because he treated Seo Hwa with a gentler attitude compared to others, Seo Hwa also felt more comfortable in front of Gam Yigeon than other people.

“It would be best not to let the others see the bandage on your left arm.”

“I know. I’ll be careful not to provoke them.”

Seo Hwa smiled faintly with his head down.

“But it’s funny you say ‘the bandage on your left arm.’ It sounds like I’m harboring a black flame dragon in my left arm or something.”

“……”

“So, what a black flame dragon is. It’s like a hidden power that explodes when you take off the bandage in a crisis. It may look insignificant on the outside, but when you peel it back, it’s massive. Of course, our Mr. Gam Yigeon’s black flame dragon looks huge even on the outside, but… Ack!”

Gam Yigeon applied pressure with his fingers, pressing down hard right on the broken part. Only after Seo Hwa jumped and apologized with tears welling in his eyes did the pressure cease.

But he did not let go of his arm.

Seo Hwa sniffled and only watched Gam Yigeon’s hand. He was gripping so tightly that his fingers dug into the flesh, leaving deep indentations in the skin.

“Why do you always—”

“I’m sorry. I won’t make any more crude jokes.”

He quickly apologized, and thankfully, the pressure eased. However, he did not release his hold.

“The inside of my arm is a little sensitive. You’re not rubbing it on purpose, are you?”

Having let another joke slip out without realizing it, Seo Hwa gasped and shut his mouth. One of Gam Yigeon’s eyebrows shot up like a mountain. His eyes were murderous. It was not a good sign. He had always let this level of joke slide, so why was he being like this today?

As he was sweating and cautiously observing him, Gam Yigeon suddenly squeezed his wrist with crushing force.

“Ah, ugh! It hurts!”

Gam Yigeon did not stop there; he pushed Seo Hwa’s shoulder, forcing him to lie down. Seo Hwa, who hit his head on the hard floor, let out a yelp. What’s with this guy, has his patience really run out? Just as Seo Hwa was thinking whether he should use a skill or magic, his mind went blank in the next moment.

Seo Hwa was bewildered.

“Ri, right now, is that, by any chance…”

“Be, quiet.”

Is this an illusion created by a monster? Or is it a monster disguised as Gam Yigeon?

The front of Gam Yigeon’s pants was bulging. The size was large. It seemed even bigger than he remembered. It had been too long.

No, that’s not what’s important, but why in this situation of all things… is he hard?

How… with me?

“Damn it…”

Gam Yigeon let out a grim sigh while on top of Seo Hwa. Seo Hwa’s eyes darted back and forth. The bulge at Gam Yigeon’s center boasted such a strong presence that his gaze kept returning to it.

“Why do you keep making such vulgar jokes?”

“Be, because you don’t hate them, Mr. Gam Yigeon…”

“You don’t say them to others, so why only to me.”

“Ack, wait, ngh…!”

Something even more baffling happened. Gam Yigeon started to take off Seo Hwa’s clothes. Seo Hwa struggled, but his posture was already at a disadvantage.

“I can’t stand it anymore.”

“What, can’t stand…”

“I have to do it with you.”

What does that mean.

Do what.

Are you really crazy?

Are you in your right mind?