Chapter 21: The protagonist has to be kind

Burying his face into Yoon Seoyul’s chest, he felt a touch on his back and then a rapid stream of energy flowed into it. Peeking out, he saw Han Kakta standing in front of Yoon Seoyul, who was about to exit the dungeon through the gate, to stop him and recharge Cheon Areum’s energy.

“All of the monsters are dead. You won’t be able to get more energy after this, Master. You should really save it.”

“I just had two S+ Class cores. I won’t be needing more energy for a while… well, if there are no more surprises and we get out of here, at the very least.”

“An S+ core? You never had that before.”

Yoo Jihyeon smiled briefly. It was the softest smile Cheon Areum had ever seen, so he was staring at Yoo Jihyeon intensely. Yoo Jihyeon turned and hid behind Han Kakta upon noticing the intensity of the stare. Only then did Cheon Areum realize why he liked Yoo Jihyeon: he resembled Yoon Seoyul, though not completely. It was quite apparent at a second glance.

“You should call the others too. I’m not in the mood to talk with them.”

By “them,” Yoon Seoyul probably meant the Voidwalkers. Cheon Areum’s bodily aches had subsided, though he still had that headache and felt nauseous. He could at least keep his consciousness as he lay in Yoon Seoyul’s arms. Opening his inventory, he checked to see how many energy boosters he had used, but he couldn’t find a single one.

All of them?

“…..”

He suddenly felt afraid of the effects. Not daring to break the news to the others—especially Yoon Seoyul—he kept his mouth shut as Han Kakta came in between Yoon Seoyul and the gate again.

“Wait just a bit. The gate might close before everyone can get out… also, Choi Giseok can’t get the knife out…”

“I did try to heal it, but I can’t do that either because of the energy present in the area.”

Yoo Jihyeon also added in a lower voice than Han Kakta’s. Cheon Areum didn’t know what they were talking about, but he had a feeling it was related to him.

“If he can’t walk on his own, leave him.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

At Yoon Seoyul’s response, Cheon Areum was doused with a bucket of cold water, springing up.

“Whoa… whoa. After I tried my best to keep everyone alive, you want to leave him in the dungeon?”

Cheon Areum couldn’t believe his ears. Was Yoon Seoyul being influenced by him? Where did the kind-hearted protagonist go? Cheon Areum tried to stand on his own two feet, but Yoon Seoyul tightened his grip on him as soon as he moved to do so. He glanced at Yoon Seoyul at the resistance, who only gave him a chilling look.

“I did it, didn’t I? The knife must be from my energy. I can remove it.”

“No. You will have to use your abilities again.”

“Let him try, Seoyul. He was already starting to look pale when I left him there.”

Han Kakta backed him, but Yoon Seoyul was resolute on leaving, not even letting Cheon Areum walk on his own until Cheon Areum spoke out, matching his tone.

“I will have to use my energy if you don’t let me go, Yoon Seoyul. If I say I can do it, then I can.”

The one thing he hated the most was when someone thought of him as weak. Yoon Seoyul should be the one to trust his words, so why was he acting as if Cheon Areum was incapable of doing so?

“You only get one try. I’m taking you out of here whether you like it or not afterwards.”

“I don’t need chances.”

Cheon Areum replied as Yoon Seoyul lowered him but still held onto his wrist, and he had to walk with a weight called Yoon Seoyul. Choi Giseok stood surrounded by his guild members, their faces drawn tight with panic. He looked unmistakably paler than before, lips tinged blue, a black knife lodged deep in the side of his abdomen. Blood seeped steadily through his fingers, dripping into the sand below in dark, spreading stains. The more Cheon Areum walked, the dizzier he got. His vision blurred at the edges, but then his gaze drifted past them. The sand was soaked red. Worm remains, shredded flesh, splattered blood—he found it interesting.

“Master, can I just stop the bleeding for now? I will have to use my skill to heal the liver… I’m tired.”

Yoo Jihyeon complained to Han Kakta, who grabbed his neck from behind.

“I gave you a recharge. Just use your skill.”

“Yes…”

Receiving the hostile eyes that weren’t lifeless yet from Choi Giseok, he stared at the knife—definitely formed by his energy—and lifted the hand shackled by Yoon Seoyul, since he was right-handed. Breaking down the energy, he glanced at the gruesome scene in the other direction.

“Yoon Seoyul, can I take some pictures of that?”

“Why?”

“Doesn’t that look like a scene from a movie set? It’s cool.”

“No.”

He would just take the pictures anyway. Focusing back on the knife, he frowned. Just how much of his energy did he use to form it? He kept chipping away the energy, but the knife was still very much the same. Concentrating, his headache worsened, and the time stretched with no signs of it disappearing. Yoo Jihyeon sat there waiting to heal the wound.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Choi Giseok gave a weak, crooked smirk, clearly convinced this was some grand scheme of Cheon Areum to act like he couldn’t extract it. Cheon Areum didn’t bother correcting him. He strode forward and, without hesitation, grabbed the black knife and yanked it free. With a squelch, blood splattered everywhere in a sudden burst. Yoo Jihyeon reacted instantly, rushing in as golden healing energy flared to life, hands already moving to seal the wound. Cheon Areum, meanwhile, staggered back a step. His breathing turned uneven, chest rising and falling too fast. He lowered his head as a violent wave of nausea hit him, the world tilting sharply beneath his feet.

The edges of his vision darkened, voices around him dissolving into distant murmurs. The knife slipped from his fingers and fell into the sand with a dull thud. And then—Cheon Areum collapsed, consciousness cutting out completely as his body finally gave in.

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