IRNH C38

Chapter 38

Sihyeon furrowed his brow deeply, trying to discern the true nature of the monster. After carefully observing, he began piecing the details together again.

So… the thing wasn’t using internal energy or any kind of aura. It was swinging that massive hammer purely with brute physical strength.

‘Brainless bastard.’

“Hhh….”

At that moment, he noticed Yujun lying in front of him, holding his breath and trembling violently.

Only then did it strike Sihyeon that this might be a sight too horrific for the younger ones. He bit down lightly on his lip.

His gaze, fixed forward, shifted slightly to the side. There, Taewoon was staring at him directly, his face calm as ever. Their eyes locked.

The fact that a mere twenty-year-old could look so unshaken by such carnage—Sihyeon felt a pang of guilt, as if it were his own fault.

He could no longer allow the scene to go on.

Two more people were crushed under the hammer. Just as it was about to fall on another, Sihyeon gathered internal energy at his fingertips and fired it forward in an instant.

Kaaang—!

“rklsoey!!”

“I don’t understand a single word you’re spitting, you lunatic.”

Rocketing forward alongside the blast of force, Sihyeon closed the distance in an instant, lips twisting in a grin as he slashed his blade diagonally.

Ssshhhk!

Compared to the strength behind the hammer, its speed was pitifully slow. To Sihyeon’s eyes, it was like a slowed-down video.

In a flash, one of the crudely stitched arms was severed, arcing through the air before hitting the ground and rolling away.

“sddddd!!!”

The creature bellowed in agony, hideous sounds spewing from its foul mouth.

“Y-you… who are you…! Ghhk!”
“…What?”

Easily overwhelming the rampaging monstrosity, Sihyeon suddenly froze at the sound of a familiar sentence.

But before he could process it, a pale blur streaked past. The robed man was split clean in two from head to waist, collapsing in halves as if the situation had been neatly resolved.

‘Damn it….’

Clicking his tongue at the unexpected turn, Sihyeon drove his swordpoint deep into the monster’s head.

The thrashing body went still. He yanked the blade free, and the hulking mass toppled forward, raising a cloud of dust.

“Taewoon… that—”

Sihyeon hesitated, unsure how to address the fact that Taewoon had slain the enemy before they could extract any information.

He had acted to help—scolding him didn’t feel right. Yet Sihyeon had wanted to tell him not to move without orders.

But the words died in his throat when he saw Taewoon’s sorrowful expression.

Those long, flawless fingers slipped between Sihyeon’s, clutching tighter than usual.

“Master… there’s blood on your face….”
“Huh? This isn’t mine, though?”
“It’s filthy….”

Though blood stained his own clothes as well, Taewoon tore a strip from the clean edge of his garment and gently wiped the droplets from Sihyeon’s face.

No, Taewoon—you’re worse off….

Sihyeon let out a strained laugh at the sight, smoothing down Taewoon’s slightly mussed hair and wiping at the splatters on his nape with the back of his hand.

Taewoon lowered his eyes halfway, lips curving into a shy smile.

“Ugh! Urrgh!”

A gagging sound came from behind. Sihyeon flinched and quickly turned toward Yujun and Kyu-min.

“You okay?”
“Y-yeah, I’m fine….”
“God… urgh. Hyung, you’re incredible….”

Kyu-min averted his gaze, speaking from a distance. Yujun, pale-faced and covering his mouth, tried to look composed but his trembling eyes betrayed him—clearly shaken by what he had just witnessed.

‘Hmm….’

Sihyeon scratched his cheek, unsure what to do. He hadn’t expected such a scene, and it was especially hard on Yujun, who was experiencing his first real gate beyond tests. He felt guilty for exposing him to it right from the start.

Seongbin, too, stood frozen, suppressing the gasp threatening to burst from his throat.

Above all, the ruthless, hesitation-free strikes of the two—especially the impossibly unreal man in black—were too brutal. Even he couldn’t bear to look straight at the mangled corpses.

…If those scattered chunks even counted as corpses anymore.

“W-we should wake the guild members first, shouldn’t we?”

Sihyeon forced an awkward smile and moved to shift the subject. He had no idea how else to handle the tense mood; better to focus on work than let his expression stiffen further.

[System: Quest Updated — Congratulations! You have discovered a Hidden Route. Defeat the Prince Corrupted by Evil.]

Sihyeon scowled at the window that popped before his eyes, disgust in his gaze.

Whatever its intention, the quest was meaningless now. He had already found the guild members. The only task left was to gather them and escape.

“Um… you’re Jeong Sihyeon, correct? We’ve just been told everything. Thank you so much for not giving up and coming to rescue us.”

Guild members, still shaken and nursing injuries, approached and bowed deeply to him.

Awkwardness crept into Sihyeon’s stance. He gave a small nod, uncomfortable with gratitude then as now.

‘It’s nothing worth thanking for….’

He shook his head at old memories and sent energy into the wounded, sealing their pressure points to staunch bleeding.

A stir rose among the group, but Sihyeon ignored it, keeping silent.

Taewoon, however, watched keenly.

Once again, his master was tending to others in secret. He had forgotten, in their brief separation, just how broad Sihyeon’s compassion ran.

‘What if he could no longer see anything… what if he could no longer help anyone?’

Dark thoughts stirred in him. Yet Taewoon masked them, glancing over his untouched, unscathed body and clicking his tongue softly. The foes had been far too weak, leaving him without a single scratch.

Without hesitation, he swept his energy-coated fingertips across his own side, tearing into the flesh.

“Hhh….”

Blood poured freely from the gash, crimson spilling down his body.

He had avoided a vital spot, focusing only on making it bleed heavily. Smiling in satisfaction, Taewoon approached Sihyeon, who was still tending to others.

“Master.”
“Ah, Taewoon—huh? Wait, you’re bleeding!”

Taewoon waved lightly, as if to say it was nothing.

“It’s fine.”
“Fine, my ass! How did this happen?!”

Sihyeon nearly panicked at the sight of the wound, unable to even touch it as he stamped his foot.

In truth, Taewoon had been hurt before during battles. But now, with diminished stats in this world, injuries would only grow worse. It was careless of Sihyeon not to anticipate this.

If he had thought just a bit harder, he would have realized the robed man had carried no sharp weapons. But faced with such a bleeding wound, his mind was swept away.

“This won’t do. We need the healer—have them patch you up.”
“Master, really, I’m fine. I’ve already stopped the bleeding.”
“But still….”

Taewoon swayed lightly, leaning into Sihyeon’s chest, and spoke again.

“I… still feel uneasy around strangers. Forgive me….”

Sihyeon bit his lip. Every time he fixed on one problem, he forgot another.

Chastising himself silently, he stood and fetched a small vial from Kyu-min.

“Here, it’s medicine. At least put this on.”
“…More than that, please just stay by my side, Master.”
“Tch. Hold your side out, then.”

Even as his voice trembled childishly, Sihyeon forced himself to answer firmly.

Turning Taewoon around, he poured the potion over the wound.

At least it wasn’t vital.

“Yes, thankfully.”

Still, as he treated him, Sihyeon’s eyes roamed, checking for any other injuries.

‘When did he get this big…?’

Taewoon’s broad frame struck him strangely—both proud and regretful, like something precious had grown too quickly.

Emptying the vial entirely over the wound, he sighed and embraced Taewoon tightly when the boy clung to him again, waiting for the guild members to finish their preparations.

“Buffs incoming! Gather up!”

A call rang out among the stirring guild members. Curious at the term, Sihyeon asked Kyu-min:

“What exactly is a buff?”
“Ah, you don’t know, hyung. Normally, before entering a gate, we cast buffs to strengthen ourselves. That’s what they’re doing now.”

Suppressing his odd excitement at the game-like system, Sihyeon turned his gaze to the handsome buffer preparing to cast.

But he noticed something strange. Despite the call to gather, the guild members avoided looking directly, distractedly turning away and fiddling with other things.