Defiant Glare
Defiant eyes.
"Then we all die."
Kim Se-wi flicked the nail of his right thumb. The blackened nail exploded right in front of Go Cheolmin. The guild master, who had been gritting his teeth and glaring at Kim Se-wi, writhed in agony.
Kim Jun's gaze lingered on the nail before shifting to the body.
"Right. Dark Acid Nail is... a suicide skill. If you don't want to die, you'd better restore him to normal."
"You'll die too."
"Better to die than catch dungeon sickness."
Kim Se-wi meant it. He had no confidence without Jushin. If his internal energy and mana vanished, he'd rather kill himself first.
The man's eyes wavered as he looked at Go Cheolmin.
The guild master nodded slowly at Kim Jun.
Kim Se-wi smiled. As expected, staking his life opened a path to survival.
Kim Jun glared at the thug. The bastard was demanding they shove the master back into a pit of torment.
Or they'd all die together.
He hadn't suspected a thing until now. Looking back, there had been plenty of odd signs with the master. Yet dungeon sickness hadn't crossed his mind.
Why had the master hidden it?
It was a truth too heavy to reveal easily. Even he would've struggled to tell his friends.
The sickness had transferred from the master's body to this thug's without him even knowing. A brilliant move. No regrets.
The problem was the suicide skill. Refuse the demand, and all three died. Comply, and the master suffered dungeon sickness again—while Uramata Guild walked the path to dissolution.
Like it or not, Uramata stood on Go Cheolmin's pillar.
He needed a way out.
What if I take on the dungeon sickness? Let's try it!
He shoved Thunder Heart Technique into Kim Se-wi's body. The reaction was immediate. Kim Se-wi's internal energy coursing through the meridians attacked the Thunder Heart Technique. At this rate, it would lose power before reaching the dantian.
"Do it right."
The nail from Kim Se-wi's left pinky flew and exploded. A fragment stuck to his cheek, melting the skin. He ripped it off in a hurry, but the mark remained.
One nail packed this punch... A full-body explosion? Survival seemed impossible.
Saying restoration was impossible due to his internal energy would make the thug snap. Lose control, and all three died.
That couldn't happen.
Several ideas flashed through his mind. One appealed. It offered the best shot at survival.
Kim Jun glanced at the master. Still locked in the internal energy clash, unable to speak, Go Cheolmin had been watching him.
Their eyes met. The master nodded slowly—grant Kim Se-wi's demand. Kim Jun forced a bitter smile and nodded back.
To fool the thug.
Another glance: satisfaction spread across Kim Se-wi's lips. That face would crumple soon.
Steadying his breath, Kim Jun drew the Thunder Heart Technique to its limit and poured it into Kim Se-wi's meridians. As the body shook from the impact, he unleashed Wood Blend Step: Tan.
Propelled forward, Kim Jun slammed into Go Cheolmin.
With Kim Jun and Kim Se-wi's energies colliding and tangling, the relatively freed Go Cheolmin was flung out of the whirling vortex of qi with a high-pitched whine.
Yoo Min-jeong, Choi Muhyun, and the others grabbed him and retreated.
Kim Jun nearly lost balance from the recoil but braced with Wood Blend Step: Chu. Pride swelled—he'd properly applied today's footwork lesson in real combat.
Kim Se-wi's face, glaring at him, turned pitch black.
As Kim Se-wi opened his mouth, Kim Jun summoned the Thunder Brain Sword embedded in Yoo Gwan-ho's instep.
"You tricked me!"
Thud.
The Thunder Brain Sword plunged into Kim Se-wi's shoulder.
Kim Se-wi's face twisted. His blackened ear detached and exploded in front of Kim Jun. Still tangled in internal energy, he couldn't fully evade.
Before his eyes, Kim Se-wi's body began to slowly disintegrate.
Black veins bulged from skin cracking like parched earth. Then, piercing the qi vortex, one man entered.
Kim Jun froze, speechless.
It was Choi Min-su!
Choi Min-su extended his fingers, rapidly striking Kim Se-wi's body. He hit major vital points across the body—wherever his fingers touched, the disintegration slowed.
Even Kim Se-wi, resolved to suicide, spotted Choi Min-su. His smile deepened.
"Long time no see, Senior."
"You're overplaying your hand. Does it have to be this way?"
Even as he spoke, Choi Min-su jabbed fingers into the shoulder, neck, chest, flanks—key spots.
"I was unhappy sharing my path with trash like him. Perfect timing. Going to the afterlife with you eases my mind."
"I don't like you. No intention of going with someone I despise."
"Heh, won't be your choice. Point acupuncture can't stop Dark Acid Nail. Only someone with your precision, striking the 36 vital points in reverse order exactly, can halt this suicide skill."
Choi Min-su's eyes gleamed.
"Thanks. For telling me. Moon Yeosa, you hear that?"
"Okay."
Moon Hyorin, Moon Guild's buffer, had slipped behind Kim Se-wi.
Their combo play began. Moon Hyorin struck Baekhui; Choi Min-su targeted Gyeokyu at the solar plexus. Geokwol, Gokji—fingers danced over vital points across the body.
The disintegration reversed.
Even the black veins sank beneath the skin.
Kim Se-wi screamed, but he had no way to block the two top raiders' acupuncture.
And that wasn't all.
With Choi Min-su handling Kim Jun and Moon Hyorin taking Kim Se-wi, the internal energy clash ended. They channeled their own energy and mana to quell the qi vortex.
Moon Hyorin paralyzed several points before hurling Kim Se-wi aside.
Kim Se-wi tumbled across the floor... and shed tears.
Even the chance for honorable death stolen. Now dungeon sickness would gnaw at him, and Jushin—having expelled Yoo Wan-seop—would naturally cast him out.
Choi Min-su examined Kim Jun's body.
Numerous wounds scarred the vast meridians, but with proper care, full recovery was possible. Astonishingly, traces of Kim Se-wi's internal energy lingered in Kim Jun's body.
Internal energy absorption possible? Even foreign energies?
Expectation and worry hit simultaneously.
Freely wielding Yin-Yang Five Elements could make Kim Jun a monstrous raider.
But clashing energies inside could cause internal injuries, even risking qi deviation.
That's for later. No point worrying now.
Choi Min-su ruffled Kim Jun's hair.
"You nearly scared me to death."
"Whose 'kid' am I?"
Kim Jun grinned, and Moon Hyorin burst out laughing beside him. The mirth vanished when she saw his left arm. Torn clothes and external wounds caught her eye.
Sighing, Moon Hyorin sat him down and began serious treatment. A mega heal far beyond Yeom Sang-taek's. Kim Jun's body glowed white, absorbing the healing magic 100%.
"Gonna reset the bone. Hold still."
Before he could brace, she aligned the fractured left arm.
Crack.
"Aaaagh!"
Kim Jun's scream.
"Such a baby."
Moon Hyorin stepped aside. Pink Team had swarmed around Kim Jun. Their genuine worry warmed her.
Choi Min-su stood before Go Cheolmin.
"Thank you, Senior."
"I'm that guy's patroness. Duty to protect him. But why's he crying like that?"
Choi Min-su nodded toward Kim Se-wi, lost in despair and weeping.
"I get it. He just caught dungeon sickness."
"What do you mean?"
"Hard to believe, but Kim Jun transferred the dungeon sickness from my body to his."
Choi Min-su fell silent, glancing between Kim Jun and Kim Se-wi. Transferring dungeon sickness? First he'd heard. Never published in academia.
"A miracle, truly."
Tears rolled down Go Cheolmin's cheek.
"So you're cured?"
"Need tests, but seems so."
"Fortune's full reversal."
Choi Min-su eyed Kim Jun and Go Cheolmin. A plan crystallized in his mind. A brilliant one— a sly smile tugged his lips.
Surrounded by comrades, Kim Jun walked slowly to the wall and yanked out the embedded jackknife. He inspected it closely, then approached the fallen Yoo Gwan-ho.
Yoo Gwan-ho growled up at him like a wounded beast.
Kim Jun offered the jackknife.
As Yoo Gwan-ho reached suspiciously, Kim Jun gripped his wrist tight. He sensed the same unique energy from the knife in his right palm.
He sliced the palm's center with the jackknife.
Using carrier skills, he extracted two hidden micro-cores. Both unfamiliar.
He showed them to approaching Yoo Min-jeong.
"This is Spiridium. A core with self-awareness. Many scholars claim all items contain it."
"The other?"
"Optitarakum."
Lee Taeseop answered.
Kim Jun tilted his head. He knew Optitarakum: a unique core recording raid footage, extracting videos here.
Injecting a touch of Mukhon Gong into the bloody Optitarakum, he saw a trembling woman.
Yoo Gwan-ho tossed a coin before her. Her eyes followed in terror.
Moments later, Yoo Gwan-ho slit her throat with the jackknife.
Snapping back, Kim Jun realized why the Optitarakum hid in the palm.
This psychopath recorded murders for pleasure anytime. Examine the core closely, and he'd see Yoo Gwan-ho's victims—who, how many.
Kim Jun informed Choi Min-su about the Optitarakum.
Arms crossed in thought, Choi Min-su said,
"What'll you do with it?"
"What should I?"
"Got a good idea. Trust me?"
Kim Jun handed over the core without hesitation. Exhaustion, pain, and hunger crashed in. Especially... hunger.
"What time is it?"
He looked at Yoo Min-jeong.
Her watch burned when contracting the fire spirit, so she glanced at Choi Muhyun. His, Lee Taeseop's, Yeom Sang-taek's—all shattered.
"1:20 a.m."
Hwang Myeong-su checked his digital watch.
"Phew, good."
"No way."
Choi Muhyun caught on.
"Call now."
Urged by his friend, Choi Muhyun took his father's phone. No signal bars. Lockdown blocked comms.
Go Cheolmin stepped up.
"Let's go."
Uramata Guild evacuated Honor Hall en masse. At the entrance, Bang Su-cheol and the mobile strike team, who had watched the fight and prepped for counterattack, stepped aside.
Moon Hyorin, sticking by Go Cheolmin, asked,
"Who're you calling?"
"The kid's starving."
"Kid? You mean... ordering chicken or pizza for late-night snacks now?"
Go Cheolmin shrugged.
"Join us, Senior."
"Of course. But you're too stiff. Just call me sis."
"Pardon?"
"Why so formal? You ate plenty yourself. Say it. 'Sis.' Or I'll get mad."
Knowing Moon Hyorin's real anger, Go Cheolmin forced it out.
"...Suh, sis."
"Clearer."
"...Si, sis."
"Sounds good. Once more."
"...Sis."
"More natural."
"Sis."
As Go Cheolmin flushed, Pink Team burst into laughter.
* * *
My knees ached.
I went to the window and looked up at the sky. Night had deepened, shrouded in darkness darker and heavier than yesterday. Rain seemed imminent—heavy downpour.
Ma Jung-hyeon smiled faintly.
A decent-sized building collapsing would spew dust everywhere, a public nuisance. But the timely rain would minimize damage.