EVS Chapter 101

A chill enveloped the child’s body. The boy, his heart frozen by the frost’s power, no longer breathing, wore a peaceful smile that seemed unbelievable for someone facing life’s end. Anyone who saw him might think he was having a happy dream.

“Are you comfortable?”

Sa-yoon stroked the head of the one in his arms. He disliked how the boy, who had cried loudly like a child when they first met, pretended to be an adult at the end. Annoyed by the child’s unwavering composure, Sa-yoon pinched Noah’s nose before lowering his hand, observing the unchanging face.

It was a rather empty ending compared to the time invested, the struggles endured, and the Waves survived.

One that could be ended with just using a skill.

Did this truly bring you peace?

The boy who departed with just one minute left before forced execution looked more stable than anyone. He didn’t revive, nor did he writhe in pain. He simply inhaled the sleep fragrance Sa-yoon had sprayed and fell asleep, freezing to death. It was an end both futile and noble, if one could call it that.

As Sa-yoon silently gazed down at the motionless boy, he let out a bitter laugh at the voice echoing in his ears.

‘Thank you, hyung.’

Following the tiny expression of gratitude came shallow sympathy.

‘I feel sorry for you, hyung.’

It was absurdly ironic sympathy.

Who was feeling sorry for whom, when he was about to die by Sa-yoon’s hand? Chewing over these staggering words, Sa-yoon took a deep breath and waited for the system to recognize and process the situation. Finally, the familiar notification sound rang out, and the repulsive blue window appeared in his vision.

It was the quest clear notification window.

“They’ll be coming soon…”

Since two people had entered the dungeon, two would receive the notification. Sharpening his senses, Sa-yoon heard someone rushing over from afar. He gently laid Noah down in the lush grass and slowly turned towards the castle.

“Noah!”

He seemed thoroughly shaken. Geon-joo burst out of the castle gate recklessly, as if about to wake everyone, and rushed over upon spotting Sa-yoon. His footsteps, louder than usual, conveyed his emotions vividly.

The distance closed rapidly. Geon-joo’s pace, which had started as a sprint, noticeably slowed when he discovered Noah lying on the ground.

“…Noah?”

A voice filled with confusion was heard. The irregular footsteps stopped. Geon-joo, looking down at Noah with eyes as wide as saucers, soon seemed to grasp the situation and contorted his expression.

In an instant, Sa-yoon’s collar was grabbed. Although he could have dodged the nervously extending hand, Sa-yoon willingly offered his neck to the angry opponent.

“…Did you kill him?”

“…”

“I asked if you killed him.”

Geon-joo’s eyes trembled. Every time his pupils moved erratically, various emotions were reflected, contrasting with Sa-yoon’s dry expression. Instead of answering, Sa-yoon raised his gaze to the system window floating in the air. Geon-joo, unknowingly following Sa-yoon’s gaze, took in the blue window and exhaled the breath he had been holding.

“…You really killed him?”

His face, which had been wrapped in doubt, twisted. As Geon-joo frowned at him, Sa-yoon quietly and slowly swallowed, so subtly that Geon-joo wouldn’t notice. His head felt heavy. It was damp and stuffy, as if filled with water-soaked cotton.

Words kept slipping away in his mouth, so he remained silent. Perhaps interpreting this silence, the force lifting his collar intensified. Eyes full of betrayal and contempt bore into Sa-yoon.

“Are you crazy?”

It was a statement without exaggeration or mitigation of emotion. Hearing what sounded like teeth grinding, Sa-yoon glanced down at the hand gripping his clothes and blinked.

He had nothing to say.

Both killing Noah and being crazy were true.

The numbness in his head was now descending to his ears, swallowing his hearing.

“You said we’d find another way. That there would be another way… that you had no intention of killing him.”

“…”

“You said it yourself.”

The polite speech he had maintained finally crumbled. Feeling as if this signaled the loss of even a thread of respect towards him, Sa-yoon grabbed the hand that had risen to his collarbone. Although it was to urge him to let go of his collar, Geon-joo instead gripped Sa-yoon’s clothes more fiercely and pressed closer.

The eyes he had always thought calm now looked like flames. The unfiltered gaze revealing resentment and disappointment made Sa-yoon’s throat sting. Every time he tried to speak, it felt as if thorns were pricking him, causing sharp pain. When Sa-yoon closed his mouth, Geon-joo’s eyes wavered. The more Sa-yoon remained silent, the fiercer Geon-joo’s anger grew.

“Say something!”

The shout he let out, face pale, resembled a plea more than a rebuke.

“You said there would be another way!”

It was the first time he had looked Sa-yoon in the eye and shown anger like this. Rather than avoiding his gaze, Sa-yoon found himself wanting to look away. His breath caught. Noah’s words and Geon-joo’s words intertwined, echoing in his ears.

“Why did you do it?”

‘I’m glad you said that.’

“Why didn’t you say anything to me…”

‘But I also feel sorry for you.’

“I asked because I was worried about this. I asked you to tell me if anything was wrong.”

‘Thank you, hyung.’

“Fuck, really!”

The ringing in his ears and the two voices mixed, making it hard to understand what was being said. For a moment, his vision seemed to blur, causing Sa-yoon to frown. He cursed and strongly pushed Geon-joo away. As he removed the hand and shoved, the opponent with lower strength staggered. Sa-yoon looked at him with a grim face.

Beep, beep.

The ringing in his ears wouldn’t stop.

“Know your place.”

“You said you’d help. Didn’t you want to help?”

That integrity he had always thought admirable was particularly grating today. Ruffling his hair at the persistently clinging person, Sa-yoon pressed his palm against his temple and swept back his hair. In his vision appeared Geon-joo with an expression as if his soul had left him. As the anger subsided, disappointment seemed to be rushing in now.

A bitter laugh escaped at the eyes filled with betrayal and disappointment. Those eyes, seemingly feeling betrayed by someone they had trusted, were absurdly funny.

He had never trusted him in the first place.

“I helped in the best way I could.”

“Killing him was helping?”

“Noah asked me to kill him.”

“What kind of crazy bastard actually kills someone just because they ask?”

The one who spoke as if grinding his teeth wrinkled his nose in confusion. His eyes demanded a detailed explanation of why Noah had asked to be killed, but Sa-yoon was thick with accumulated fatigue. He didn’t want to waste time arguing with Geon-joo in the insufficient time for mourning.

“Demand a detailed explanation after making the kid’s grave.”

“…You killed him with your own hands, and now you’re talking about making a grave?”

“Then should I not make one?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then.”

“…”

When Sa-yoon retorted bluntly, Geon-joo closed his mouth. Rather than having nothing to say, it was the expression of someone at a loss for words. The man, pale down to his neck, shook his head as if shivering, then walked past Sa-yoon.

Although Sa-yoon felt more tired, judging by appearances, Geon-joo looked like the more exhausted one.

Exhaling a complicated breath that was hard to predict what emotions were mixed in, he passed by Sa-yoon and crouched down, reaching out towards Noah. Noah’s body, consumed by the frost’s power, was clearly filled with Sa-yoon’s chill that anyone could recognize.

Geon-joo touched and caressed the cold cheeks, lifeless lips, and the pulse that no longer beat. He then pulled Noah into his arms. The man holding the boy remained silent for a while. The atmosphere sank heavily.

They couldn’t stay like this forever.

With the quest cleared, the dungeon would soon disappear. Before that, they needed to make Noah’s grave.

Even if he was just a virtual character, it was undeniable that the boy had left his mark on their lives.

Moreover, hadn’t he promised? That he would make a grave no one would envy and bury him, so he should look forward to it.

The young boy had smiled even at Sa-yoon’s meaningless joke. Remembering that smile, Sa-yoon frowned. After a long silence, Geon-joo, with his back to Sa-yoon, spoke.

“Hypocrite.”

“…”

At those words, Sa-yoon’s breath stopped. His body, about to move to make the grave, stopped, and his thought process halted. After a moment, when sensation returned, Sa-yoon blinked and looked at Noah’s legs, barely visible in Geon-joo’s embrace, and smiled self-deprecatingly.

“Maybe so.”

Even to himself, Sa-yoon felt quite hypocritical in how he had treated Noah. Unable to deny it, he shrugged once. Geon-joo looked back, holding Noah tightly, and cast a dry gaze. No emotion was visible in his eyes. With neither betrayal nor contempt present, Sa-yoon expressed his puzzlement, and the one who scanned him let out a bitter laugh. It was a laugh just like Sa-yoon’s own.

“…I was wrong.”

“…”

“You’re just that kind of person. I thought maybe you had some story too.”

The words that started mockingly ended with a sense of emptiness. Geon-joo, revealing an inexplicable void, stared at Sa-yoon for a moment before turning his body.

Staggering precariously while holding Noah, he walked towards the forest. As his figure seemed like someone trying to distance themselves from Sa-yoon, who had been dwelling on Geon-joo’s words, Sa-yoon raised his head.

The sky was cloudy. It was evidence that the dungeon was in the process of disappearing.

It’s pointless to go that way.

Sa-yoon was about to call out to him, thinking they would meet at the Gate anyway after the dungeon disappeared, but decided to keep quiet, judging that Geon-joo needed time too. In truth, it was closer to being at a loss for words upon seeing the small boy’s two legs swaying in the air.

‘Thank you, hyung.’

The voice that had become familiar after living face to face for a few days seemed to repeat, as if etched in his mind. Realizing that the ringing in his ears had subsided, Sa-yoon closed his eyes and clenched his fist.

It was all just virtual anyway.

Just virtual, not real.