Chapter 30

Seo-un could hardly stand. Through her blurred vision, she saw a DK guild member rolling on the ground, his body on fire. Kim Han-sol tried to use her ability to treat the burns, but her ability was only up to level 5. Kim Han-sol shouted at the other guild members to run. Chahaya drew out the energy of the ice core planet used in the amusement park and extended it in all directions, but the salamander's flames showed no sign of retreating.

Seo-un realized that Chahaya was desperately blocking for her. It would be better to turn around and run rather than get in his way. She wasn't sure if it was already too late to escape safely.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud! The salamander, moving its four legs, chased Seo-un madly. "Don't run straight, go to the mountains!" Chahaya shouted, stabbing his sword into the salamander's body. His once blue sword turned a deep red, and soot rose from Chahaya's hand.

Even Chahaya would find it difficult to face a level 6 mutant alone. Until now, level 6 mutants had been dealt with by a group of top-tier individuals. If he were seriously injured, he would have to survive until Jo Kyung-min arrived. Could Chahaya really survive without dying?

Roar! The beast, pierced through the body, roared and produced even more intense flames. It felt as if it was determined to oxidize its own body and burn everything to the ground.

Even if I go back now, I'll just be a burden, but if I run, it would be much easier for Chahaya...

Seo-un pulled out Matahari from behind her back.

One of Chahaya's arms was burning with a fire that couldn't be extinguished by any coldness, like the flames of hell.

I wish I could use my ability today instead of tomorrow, or even if I can't use it for a week, I want my cosmos back. Seo-un couldn't run away anymore, seeing him suffer from terrible burns.

<'Elephant Shrew Seo-un' denies the 'Master of Escape' who abandons friends and runs away! Ability unlocked!>

I don't know what that means, but it's good that my ability is back. Seo-un, expecting her cosmos to activate, tightened her grip on her sword.

<The new ability is called 'My Person, I Protect!' The activation condition is 80 decibels or more!>

There was no time to ponder the absurdity of the message. As the salamander's tail struck the ground, flames shot up from the cracked earth. The road beneath had turned to lava, and the flames were spreading to Chahaya's body. What did the messenger say? What did he say just now?

"Got it! Do something!"

Seo-un, agitated, raised her voice.

"Shout from my sword! Violet Rain! My person! I protect!"

She hastily shouted anything, hoping something would manifest. In her anxiety, she counted to two seconds, but the sword remained silent.

"What more do you want me to do here?! My person!!! I protect!!!"

<Wow! 100 decibels! Level 6 healer ability unlocked.>

Seo-un, shouting so loudly her head rang, stabbed Matahari's blade into the ground and barely managed to stand. Crack, crack, crack, from that point, purple energy spread through the cracks in the ground.

The purple cosmos, extinguishing the lava beneath the broken road, spread like blood vessels to where Chahaya and the mutant were. Something began to bloom from the cosmos that filled the cracks.

What is that...

Not the plum blossoms from the volcanic plum sword technique, but tens of thousands of violet buds burst forth along the path of the cosmos. The purple light poured into the body of the DK guild member, who was rolling on the ground, his body on fire. The cosmos that extinguished the flames was not rain but something warm, like Seo-un's cosmos.

The body of the person, almost entirely burned, with even his eyes melted, began to regenerate as if rewinding.

Chahaya's arm, consumed by the fire, returned to its original firm flesh. Seo-un felt as if her own life force was seeping out. The cosmos on the ground felt like it was sucking the life out of her.

Now, standing was a struggle.

<Self-healing complete! Violet Rain is now ready for one use!>

Can I use it...

Seo-un's pupils rolled back.

***

Seo-un felt a deep sense of injustice.

Chahaya killed the toad, so why blame me? How could she feel so wronged that she thought of this as soon as she opened her eyes? The engine roared, and the green landscape of the northwest, with its many mountains, flashed by.

Not only was Matahari slung over her back, but her hands were tied to Chahaya's waist. Looking down, she saw the awkwardly patterned red and white delivery motorcycle footrests. Her sneakers were gone, and her feet were bare. Chahaya and her ankles were tied together with shoelaces, probably to prevent her feet from getting caught in the rear wheel. The position was very uncomfortable.

Seo-un, who had been slumped on Chahaya's back, suddenly sat up.

"Hey! What happened? The mutant? The DK kids?"

She was awake, but the changing scenery left her disoriented. Her body ached as if she had just recovered from a severe illness. Chahaya, not hearing her voice, continued to drive. She had no energy to shout, and she was thirsty from having shouted 100 decibels before fainting.

Chahaya was not heading back from the northwest to the southwest but was heading straight for the central gate. Seo-un leaned back against Chahaya's back.

Instead of her burned clothes, Chahaya was wearing a windbreaker-style tracksuit. The warmth of his skin was felt through the fabric.

Was he always this big and solid?

He had always been tall since high school, but he wasn't this rock-like. His body had been tempered through long battles with mutants, unlike when he used to roll around on the playground.

On the other hand, she had lost weight from her reclusive life, which might make Chahaya seem even bigger. She pretended to be asleep, fearing he might find her leaning on him disgusting.

Through her half-open eyes, she saw the black gate, but Chahaya ignored it and headed south. The south, with its many alleys, had many barriers. The seat where she was sitting, probably where the delivery bag was placed, was deeply sunken.

The motorcycle, slowing down, coughed like an old man facing death. When they arrived in the south, the motorcycle, having used its last drop of fuel, finally stopped.

Chahaya glanced back and untied Seo-un's wrists. He lifted her hands and wrapped them around his shoulders, then cut the rope that tied her legs and placed it on her arm. After preparing to carry her, Chahaya got off the motorcycle.

He walked down the alley without a word. It would take at least 30 minutes to reach the hideout, so Seo-un planned to get up in five minutes. She regretted pretending to be asleep, but the gentle way he took care of her felt strange.

"When did the DK kids become your people, you idiot?"

Chahaya, comforting Seo-un, quickened his pace. The scolding sounded surprisingly good.

"...Idiot, it's the technique name."

Getting too lost in the sweetness would only hurt her. Seo-un stopped pretending to be asleep.

"The mutant?"

"Call me the ultimate immortal Chahaya."

"Did you handle it alone?"

"It would have been tough without you. Should we take on the ultimate together?"

"Put me down."

"Can you walk at my speed?"

"...I used my life force to save someone, and I'm tired. What about Woo Gwang-seok?"

"He's tied up with Matahari."

She thought Matahari was heavier because she was feeling unwell, but it was because of Woo Gwang-seok.

"Hey."

She opened her mouth, still feeling weak.

"You..."

Chahaya lifted Seo-un's body again. Despite the slight shaking, the aching sensation in her body continued. She held her wrists together to prevent her arms from slipping off Chahaya's body.

"Are you not resentful of me?"

"What's the point of saying it?"

It was a straightforward answer without a hint of hesitation.

"But why are you so nice to me?"

When you're weak, you tend to remember the good things. Even though it had been years since she distanced herself from Chahaya, he treated her as if the gap didn't matter. She didn't realize that their awkwardness had been saved by Chahaya's indifference.

"You said it yourself."

"What?"

"You left the guild and went into hiding, but you still called me a friend."

When did I say that? Seo-un, about to speak, soon chuckled.

'Leaving the guild is fine since it's not your family. But am I just one of the guild members to you?'

'No, you're a friend, idiot.'

She thought it was a kind thing to say, but it was a grave she dug herself. It proved that their relationship would never change.

"Put me down, I feel like I can survive now."

"I'm going to brag to Brother Abdul that I carried the unconscious Seo-un, tied and loaded."

"You also benefited from me. Without me, you would have been roasted."

"Yeah, no problem. I have the one who can revive a roasted idiot on my back."

"...Don't you want to know how I did it?"

"Didn't I guess it right?"

"Half?"

Seo-un, pressing her elbow into Chahaya's shoulder, lifted her body.

"You said my technique name would have 'Violet' in it. But I didn't expect 'Rain' to be added. Is Seo-un's cosmos a purple rain? Shouldn't it be a sky where the sword sings? My sky, sing, Violet Rain!"

If I had the energy, I would have yelled at him for being crazy. Seo-un, letting her arms go limp, looked at the hideout of the Tacheon.

"I'll name your cosmos technique too, look forward to it."

"Look forward to it becoming a non-event like 100 churros?"

"You guys blew up the churro shop."

"When we go to Seoul next time, let's put a guild restaurant there."

"Let's start with the northwest."

The car and pink bag they came in had disappeared without a trace. She was curious about what happened to the DK guild members in the tunnel, but sleep overtook her again.

She thought the sleep gas had been removed, but Chahaya's steps toward the hideout were steady.

<Chahaya's cosmos is a black hole.>

Chahaya's cosmos is closer to a white flash, not a sword...

She wanted to argue with the messenger, but her mind was getting fuzzy.

<'Elephant Shrew Seo-un' knows that Chahaya has the ability to consume other immortals' cosmos.>

<This ability manifests unconsciously, so 'Elephant Shrew Seo-un' should be careful!>

"..."

<Are you listening? Be careful!>

Seo-un, half-asleep, nodded heavily.

<'Meng Chuya', even if you're careful, it's hard to stop. Are you sleepy?>

It was a pointless worry. Why would Chahaya eat my cosmos?

<...He already did once.>