Chapter 63

Even so, bringing someone suffering from acute paranoia into an anomalous dungeon felt profoundly dangerous. Kim Si-hoon’s mental stability was hanging by a thread.

“I told you over breakfast. We’re bringing him,” Hae-gun murmured back.

“Still…”

“Ha! Are you doing that on purpose?! Healer Kang, are you trying to provoke me with that ajussi?! Get away from him right now!” Si-hoon shrieked.

His brain is completely scrambled from the debuff. Never mind guiding us, won’t he just be dead weight?

“Healer Kang! Aren’t you going to answer me?!”

Reluctantly shifting his gaze, Eui-rim saw Kim Si-hoon leaning halfway across the table, thick purple veins pulsing along his neck like cords.

“My apologies. There was a matter I needed to confirm with counsel,” Eui-rim said calmly.

Straightening up, Eui-rim steadied his breathing and drew upon his resolve.

Right. It’s already been decided, so there’s no turning back. No matter how unhinged he was, Kim Si-hoon remained a durable A-rank vanguard; if worst came to worst, he could always serve as meat shield.

Only one task remained: delivering the decisive strike that Hae-gun had queued up.

“I know this is a delicate situation. But I, too, sincerely hope you will join us, Guild Master Kim,” Eui-rim said, softening his tone.

“…Huh?” Si-hoon blinked, dumbfounded.

“Unlike the other strike members, you managed to emerge without crippling injuries. With the guidance of the vanguard who knows the terrain best, our expedition will proceed far more safely.”

Stealing a sidelong glance, Eui-rim saw Hae-gun give a tiny nod of approval. Clearing his throat lightly, Eui-rim curved the corners of his lips into a warm, gentle smile directed right at the stunned hunter.

It was the sweetest, most disarming expression he could possibly summon.

Though the negotiation had lasted barely two hours, Eui-rim felt as thoroughly depleted as if he had pulled three consecutive all-nighters. Rubbing his throbbing temples, he leaned against the cool passenger window.

With the mask removed and his disguise dispelled, Hae-gun’s eyes had returned to their natural deep navy. The harmless, nondescript illusion had vanished, replaced by an aura of predatory sharpness.

“Are you all right?” Hae-gun asked.

“Pardon?”

Having been quietly studying the lines of Hae-gun’s profile, Eui-rim flinched at the abrupt question. Turning toward him, he found Hae-gun’s eyes curved in a soft, attentive arch.

“You looked rather sick to your stomach toward the end.”

“Ah…”

He’s like a phantom. How did he notice?

“Was it that obvious?” Eui-rim asked with an embarrassed smile.

“To me, yes. Kim Si-hoon was far too dazed to notice, so don’t worry.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Was it the psychological toll of putting on such an oily, syrupy smile to coax Kim Si-hoon? Toward the end of the meeting, waves of visceral nausea had clawed up his throat.

“About seventy hours remaining, wasn’t it?” Hae-gun asked, turning the steering wheel.

“That’s right. But… I’d still prefer to clear the raid within those seventy hours if possible. That is the only safe route,” Eui-rim replied.

Calling up his status window, the section dedicated to Rewind caught his eye immediately. Beneath the glowing rune, a digital counter ticked downward in real time.

“You can’t extend the duration, right?” Hae-gun asked.

The question came just as the car cleared the underground gate and merged onto the boulevard. Glancing at the brooding storm clouds hanging low over the skyline, Eui-rim replied, “No. Extending it is impossible.”

Because the narrow window had troubled him since dawn, he had thoroughly tested the mechanic back at Hae-gun’s residence. Being able to extend the deadline would have granted immense flexibility, but his attempts had yielded nothing.

The countdown ticking toward the expiration of the maintained state was inexorable, permitting no manual alteration whatsoever.

“Then what about letting the timer expire and rewinding it a second time? You could always re-enter later,” Hae-gun suggested.

“I considered that, but we cannot risk it. There is no guarantee 〈Rewinding Hand〉 will work a second time on the same entity.”

Though he had caught the parasite off guard and temporarily frozen it, that was merely a stopgap. The core within the host had to be severed directly.

This was no ordinary dungeon beast; it was a Fragment of the Origin. Reckless assumptions were an invitation to slaughter.

“Won’t it be fine this time since I’ll be fighting alongside you?” Hae-gun pressed gently.

“…No. Please avoid making direct contact with the possessed host if at all possible, Hae-gun-ssi.”

At his adamant refusal, Hae-gun looked genuinely puzzled. He seemed entirely unable to fathom why an S-rank hunter should be kept away from a monster.

“Judging by that expression, you won’t give me a straight answer even if I pry.”

Instead of interrogating him, Hae-gun simply chuckled. Just as he had done when Eui-rim admitted he could not disclose his sources, Hae-gun let the mystery slide with graceful patience.

No. If anything, his trust in me feels deeper now than it did back then.

“I’m sorry,” Eui-rim murmured.

“It’s fine. It’s hardly the first time.”

“…”

“You promised you’d tell me when the time comes, so I’ll wait. Obediently.”

In those dark navy depths, not a shred of vigilance or suspicion remained. Only curiosity, affection, and a faint, endearing trace of exasperation lingered. The tense guardedness of their first meeting had melted into profound warmth.

It was as though he already recognized the weight of Eui-rim’s sincerity without needing a single word of explanation.

“…”

Tap

At the faint patter striking the roof, Eui-rim turned to see fat raindrops smearing across the windshield.

He had only entertained a few passing thoughts, yet an unsettling, prickling heat began to buzz in his fingertips.

Like those past days soaked in dread, or the frantic sprints where he ran until his lungs burst… a suffocating shudder struck his chest, sending his pulse into a frantic gallop.

Why am I suddenly like this? Did Kim Si-hoon trigger an acute panic response? Or is the nausea flaring up again?

“What’s wrong?” Hae-gun asked.

As Eui-rim dug his thumb frantically into the fleshy web between his thumb and forefinger, Hae-gun glanced over, arching an eyebrow in quiet concern.

“It’s nothing,” Eui-rim managed.

“Why massage your pressure points if it’s nothing? Indigestion?”

“Just… putting on that oily act for Kim Si-hoon left my stomach churning.”

“Dear me,” Hae-gun chuckled softly.

Still, the firm acupressure took effect, loosening the band around his ribs. As the static buzz in his fingers subsided, the nausea slowly ebbed.

“Did you despise it that much?”

“Well… it certainly wasn’t pleasant.”

“Still, you knocked him out cold in a single shot. You neutralized him faster than a tranquilizer dart.”

Tap, tap

Hae-gun’s fingers drummed against the steering wheel to the cadence of the rain. Between the swinging wipers and the streaming glass, shifting shadows swept across his sharp features like ink washes.

Eui-rim gazed blankly at the shadow playing across Hae-gun’s lips before catching himself and murmuring, “That… surprised me too. Honestly, I never imagined he could be swayed by a polite request.”

“It wasn’t an ordinary request.”

“Pardon?”

“You smiled when you asked.”

A crooked smirk curled Hae-gun’s lips, teasing amusement lighting his expression.

“Annoyingly pretty, too.”

“I smiled as syrupy and fake as I possibly could,” Eui-rim protested, his ears burning.

“That total lack of self-awareness is precisely why trash like Kim Si-hoon drools over you so blatantly.”

“Drools over me? That’s absurd. That man merely enjoys tormenting his subordinates as a hobby,” Eui-rim pushed back reflexively.

Hae-gun let out a dry, incredulous scoff. “What are you talking about? He was blatantly hitting on you. Couldn’t you see how pathetically he was lusting after you?”

“I only saw him throwing a violent tantrum with his eyes rolled back,” Eui-rim retorted.

“Right. And toward the end, he did nothing but stare hungrily at your lips while licking his own.”

When a person is struck with absolute revulsion, their brain truly short-circuits. Eui-rim had no idea what horrifying expression was frozen on his face.

He called Hae-gun a pervert… but was Kim Si-hoon the genuine creep all along?

“Could you be mistaken, Hae-gun-ssi? People naturally glance at someone’s mouth when they talk,” Eui-rim offered feebly.

“Sounds like you’re just in denial. Who looks at someone with such filthy, predatory eyes during a conversation?”

Damn it.

Eui-rim wanted to leap from the moving car and wash his ears in the rain. This was information he would have paid any sum never to know.

A fresh wave of visceral disgust churned in his gut, making it genuinely hard to breathe. Gritting his teeth, he felt ready to heave up his entire breakfast.

Swallowing down the bile rising in his throat, Eui-rim whispered, “Do you truly believe that? That Kim Si-hoon harbored… those kinds of desires toward me?”

“Yes.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“Because it’s written all over his face. What about you, Eui-rim-ssi—were you genuinely oblivious?”

“I have never once viewed anyone as a romantic or sexual object,” Eui-rim stated honestly.

“The same goes for me. Especially when it comes to other men.” Hae-gun let out a low chuckle before adding, “Even so, you can tell intuitively. The way someone looks at you. The filthy thoughts running through their head when they stand near you.”

“…I swear I truly had no idea. As I told you before, unlike you, Hae-gun-ssi, I am hopelessly dense when it comes to such things.”

“Why bring me into it? Do you think I’m especially experienced?”

“Well, you must be far sharper than me. You have plenty of dating experience, after all.”