Whether Sa-yoon was watching Geon-joo’s battle with a throbbing headache or not, the fight raged on relentlessly. It was a universal truth that a tide turned this late in the game was almost impossible to reverse; the Bone Dragon‘s chance at a comeback seemed distant, at best. To make matters worse, Han Geon-joo’s skills had taken a quantum leap forward, erasing even the faintest glimmer of hope for the beast.
It was as if Geon-joo was siphoning its energy; the faster he moved, the slower and more sluggish the Bone Dragon became. The creature, drooping like wet cotton, finally lost a wing to Geon-joo’s sword. Its balance shattered, it began to plummet.
“Uh, uh…!”
A shadow larger than a skyscraper fell over the battlefield. The panicked hunters scrambled desperately to escape the predicted crash zone.
As dozens of hunters fled like ants, Han Geon-joo pursued the falling monster, sticking close before landing squarely on its back. His sword, drenched in his own blood, flashed with an eerie light, like a cursed blade. Standing atop the plummeting incarnation of death, he drove the weapon down.
Jjeojeojeok!
The tip of the blade pierced the creature’s cracked forehead, sinking deep. It was exactly at the moment the ten-minute duration of his Shadow Skill was ending.
Hwaaaaaak!
As if pouring every last drop of his remaining divine power into the strike, a blinding light enveloped the falling Bone Dragon.
Kwagagagagak!
A massive whirlwind erupted around the two beings. The surrounding sand was whipped into a blinding storm. Sa-yoon shielded his eyes with his arms, swallowing a cough. Judging by the violent tremors sweeping the Gate, something extraordinary was happening, but he couldn’t see clearly.
Squinting through the grit, he saw Han Geon-joo raise his sword one last time within the pillar of light. And the moment he brought it down, the cursed dragon of bone shattered into a million pieces, scattering in all directions. Ash-gray dust drifted down like snow.
“…”
Those who witnessed death dissolve into light swallowed their awe in silence. The ash settled slowly on the sand, carried by the wind. Around the same time, the revived Wyverns also crumbled into dust. As every monster returned to death, the Gate was left empty. It was as if nothing remained but a profound void.
It was unbelievably quiet and desolate, hard to reconcile with the fierce battle and overwhelming spectacle that had unfolded just moments before. The hunters experiencing their first SSS-Rank Gate looked around, dazed, as if possessed. Every monster was not just dead but utterly annihilated; only the bloodstains on the sand proved a battle had taken place at all.
Without that blood, it would have felt like a mirage.
“Is it… is it over?” a hunter asked, unable to fully relax.
“…Yes.”
Min-cheol, scanning the Gate with a similarly dazed expression to check for any remaining presence, answered quietly. Everyone stood frozen in the silence. Like statues, like passersby caught in a photograph. In that picturesque stillness, the only things moving were Sa-yoon and Geon-joo.
Tadat!
Sa-yoon sprinted toward the falling Han Geon-joo. Having exhausted all his strength and suffering the penalty for using divine power, Geon-joo was plummeting in a state that was visibly bad. Sa-yoon roughly tore off his jacket, using it to cover Geon-joo’s face as he caught the falling man in his arms.
“Han Geon-joo!”
He called his name, holding him tight so he wouldn’t slip. His sick face might be caught on the video stone. Covering him meticulously with the jacket, he met Geon-joo’s eyes. Heat radiated through the fabric—a high fever. Geon-joo blinked his unfocused eyes, looking up at Sa-yoon.
“Hyung-nim!”
The Night Rats executives came running.
“Is he okay?”
“Did Han Geon-joo pass out again?”
“You should probably turn off the video stone first.”
Their words were a mix of worry, advice, and simple curiosity. Sa-yoon, holding Geon-joo—whose eyes had rolled back before squeezing shut as if he were about to faint—terminated the recording. He turned his gaze to Lee Han, signaling him to handle the rest. The man nodded. Even if he had become an incompetent scarecrow of a President, he could surely handle this much.
Besides, after this clear, no one will be calling him incompetent anymore.
It was obvious what the forcibly mobilized hunters would say when they returned, how they would react, and what they would think of the old men sitting heavy-assed in their offices, engaging in armchair theories.
In fact, this Gate might just be the turning point where Lee Han seized real power.
Whether he succeeded or failed was his business. Sa-yoon lost interest and looked up at the empty air. He asked to be let out immediately, and the System announced the clear of the second SSS-Rank Gate of the End. Festive music, like a congratulatory fanfare, began to play as BGM. Various notification windows popped up announcing the clear and quest success, but none of them registered in Sa-yoon’s eyes.
“Haa… ha…”
The heat radiating from the body in his arms hadn’t abated.
With groans of pain this naked and raw, how could he possibly care about some notification windows?
“Enough, just send us out quickly.”
His voice dropped low and dangerous, and only then did the notification for transport to the Room of Rewards appear. Sa-yoon held Geon-joo tighter, looking down at him. The fever showed no signs of breaking.
“Potions won’t work on this, right?”
“Yeah.”
The aftereffects of a demigod transformation weren’t something that could be smoothed over with potions or skills. Maybe an L-Rank potion like the one from the last Gate reward would work, but existing high-grade potions were insufficient for recovery. Just like paying the price for using divine power, he had to endure it on his own. The best Sa-yoon could do for Geon-joo was provide a comfortable place to rest.
That place would not be the Association. Crowded places were a hindrance, and with Geon-joo in such a weakened state, a place known to anyone other than his trusted circle was out of the question. Realizing that the destination was, once again, the torture villa, Sa-yoon patted the man breathing in hot, shallow gasps.
“We’ll be out soon.”
It was meant to be a soothing murmur.
Flash. Han Geon-joo’s eyes snapped open. Startled, Sa-yoon flinched, then immediately scowled.
“Fuck.”
“Swearing the moment you see me? That’s harsh.”
“Get down, you bastard.”
It was still Han Geon-joo’s appearance, but it wasn’t Han Geon-joo. The will residing in the divine power had awakened again. Clicking his tongue, Sa-yoon set Geon-joo down. The man, sweeping back his annoyingly long blond hair, moved nimbly to stand on his own two feet. The one small mercy in this misfortune was that Han Geon-joo, when possessed by the divine power, wasn’t sick. He was perfectly fine.
At that moment, everyone was transported to the Room of Rewards. The Night Rats guild members, who had seen this strange version of Han Geon-joo before, glanced at the blond figure a few times before looking away. But the Association hunters were different.
“What the… wasn’t he just sick a second ago?”
“Must have used some skill. But more importantly…”
The atmosphere feels… different.
Whispers broke out everywhere. Sa-yoon shot them a glare that said ‘Shut up’, and like dogs tucking their tails, they averted their gazes and started heading toward the reward chests.
There were three golden reward chests in total. Not a random selection—all three were rewards. Sa-yoon sighed at the gazes directed at him.
“The Association takes one, Swallow takes one.”
“Then there’s one left over,” another hunter cautiously pointed out.
Sa-yoon’s eyebrows shot up, his expression one of sheer incredulity.
“Do you have a conscience or not? Who took down the Bone Dragon?”
“…It was Han Geon-joo-ssi.”
“Then you should give it to the kid. You call yourself an adult, and you’re just thinking about robbing a young guy?”
“Woah, woah, Hyung-nim. Calm down, calm down.”
Seeing Sa-yoon’s tone turn rough, the executives laughed awkwardly, creating a barrier and gently herding him into a corner. Sa-yoon signaled with his eyes for someone to collect Geon-joo’s chest, then glared at the blond Han Geon-joo. The guy, smiling harmlessly as if he were innocent, accepted the box handed to him.
“Should I check it?”
“Open it and put it quietly in your inventory.”
“Well, since my body is Han Geon-joo, and Han Geon-joo is me, there’s no reason not to.”
Shrugging, the blond man opened the golden chest and took out its contents. Revealed within the light was a golden cube.
We can hear the explanation of what item it is from Han Geon-joo later. Sa-yoon told him to stow it immediately. The blond man shrugged again and put the cube into his inventory. Only then satisfied, Sa-yoon grabbed Han Geon-joo by the collar as the notification of their expulsion from the Room of Rewards sounded.
“Keep your mouth shut when we get outside. It’ll be troublesome if Han Geon-joo gets misunderstood for no reason.”
“Isn’t the treatment a little too different? You were holding me so preciously before I woke up.”
“…Then go to the bastard who cherishes you.”
He was upstairs, last I checked.
As Sa-yoon glanced upward, recalling his Original Soul, the blond man’s eyes crinkled into a smile.
“You met him. Your Original Soul.”
“Yeah.”
“You must have heard a lot.”
“I was planning to ask you about the stuff I didn’t understand anyway, so since you popped out, hold on a bit longer.”
“That’s cruel. Only thinking about using me. Treat me kindly. And let go of my collar, too.”
I hate pain.
Speaking softly, he placed his hand over Sa-yoon’s, applying pressure to make him release his grip. Sa-yoon could have resisted, but sensing the curious gazes around them, he complied, delivering a silent threat with his eyes instead. The blond man shrugged nonchalantly, acting just as sly as the first time they’d met.
Hwaaaaak!
At the notification and the onrushing light, Sa-yoon squeezed his eyes shut, then snapped them open. The moment he felt the air change, he scooped the blond Geon-joo into his arms. Kicking off the ground, he leaped into the air, glancing back at Lee Jae-hee.
“To the villa.”
He murmured the words so quietly they were almost just mouthing the shape, but Jae-hee nodded. Having signaled their destination, Sa-yoon soared high into the sky.
“What? It’s already cleared?”
“Just take the picture! Even if you can’t see them, we’ll get something!”
He could hear the reporters buzzing and causing a commotion below, but by the time the camera shutters clicked, he had already left the ground far behind.
Looking down at the noisy earth beneath his feet, Sa-yoon headed for the villa. Holding the fake Han Geon-joo.
“I told you, I’m not fake.”
“Stop reading other people’s thoughts, you bastard.”
“You were talking to yourself.”
“Live with your ears shut.”
“You’re really too much.”
He decided to pretend he hadn’t heard the whining.