Saved the Heroine? Cuddle Time!
The storm of pitch-black emotions finally subsided, and my vision cleared up before me.
"Seoul's evening sky... Seeing it alive feels really welcoming."
The surroundings were a total mess—no sugarcoating it—but the city itself hadn't been completely obliterated.
"Good thing it ended before total annihilation. For real."
I stroked Luna, cradled in my arms, while scanning the area. Anyone around? Right now, me and Luna stuck out like sore thumbs. A blood-soaked guy hugging a tiny girl—if anyone saw that?
'It'd mess up my life motto of living easy after all that hardship!'
First things first, get Luna somewhere safe.
'Not like we have anywhere else but our cozy little home.'
Whether I should be thrilled or not, Luna's black sphere had neatly vaporized everything around us, so no one lurking and watching seemed likely.
I pulled my gaze from the surroundings and looked down at Luna. The girl in my arms, beaming the happiest smile in the world.
"Hehe... Si-hyun, Si-hyun...!"
Rub rub. Like a cat in heat, she nuzzled her face all over my chest.
"Si-hyun's scent... I missed it so much... So happy... Heehee."
"That happy, huh?"
"Yeah...! I'll never, never leave your side again!"
Rub rub. Luna kept nuzzling, marking her territory.
'A top-tier beauty this obsessed with me—eat your hearts out, you losers!'
Posting this on the community forums would cause an explosion.
"......Just imagining it, and all I see is the forums burning. Our pure Luna getting dragged through the mud by those degenerates? Nah, never posting."
"Si-hyun...? What's a commu...?"
"Hahaha, our pure Luna never needs to know about that stuff."
Luna's golden eyes sparkled as she stared at me, then wriggled back into my chest.
"Kinda curious, but... I only need to know Si-hyun anyway... Heehee." Thump!
'Ugh...! Emotionless Luna was cute, but this expressive beauty's power is... insane.'
Experiencing her this bold firsthand hit different. Some profound emotion swelling up?
'My girl's changed so much—like live-action "My Kid's Amazing Now!"'
I smiled warmly, stroking her hair. Her silver locks gleamed beautifully against the red sunset.
"Pretty. Our Luna."
"Heehee... Si-hyun, am I pretty...?"
"Yeah. Prettiest in the world, feels like."
"Si-hyun's... the coolest in the world too! Hehet."
'Eh... Saved the princess against all odds, so yeah, let's roll with it today.'
Luna kept beaming, nuzzling nonstop.
"Now we can always be together... Heehee."
Just a day apart, but considering what went down, her clinginess made sense.
'That happy about it? Haha.'
Even emotionless, she'd shown tiny reactions—now overflowing, she was basically a catgirl in girl form.
"Eh... Cute wins anyway."
First, get my catgirl Luna outta here.
'Honestly, dicey spot. Luna at Bosingak's center is way too risky.'
Narrative Reestablishment wiped Greed, stopped Luna's mengmang transformation. Netherworld gone, black sphere gone.
'Civvies clueless, but Dawn's Light Guild and Monster Countermeasure Headquarters are 100% rushing here.'
Gotta bail before that. But... one little problem. Nah, big problem.
'My body's been frozen since earlier—what, no warranty?'
Squish. Splurt.
Every time Luna nuzzled, my wounds reopened, blood gushing.
"Luna, just for a sec, let go—"
"N-No...!! Don't wanna...! Never letting go...!"
—Squeeze!
She clung harder at my words. Splurt!
Meant to stay close, but it just ramped up my pain.
'Arghhh! I'm legit gonna die!'
Couldn't voice it, though. Those golden eyes were welling up again.
'No pain earlier, why now?'
All over, tension gone—adrenaline crashed. Time to pay the pain debt.
'Fuuuuck... If she sees me hurt, Luna'll destabilize again?!'
Couldn't shadow her happy face again. No way I'd allow—
—Wobble.
"Huh...?"
Vision shook, limbs trembling wildly. Body not mine anymore. Like a marionette with cut strings, collapsing.
Willpower couldn't hold it.
"Looks like blackout incoming..."
I toppled sideways, still holding Luna.
"S-Si-hyun...?! N-No... H-Hate it...! Nooo...!"
Her sobbing voice. Thinks I'm dying? Just fainting.
"Luna, I'm not dying, don't worry—"
Ding!
Don't die... Don't dieee—!! Sob sob sooob...!!
Ah. Message, but why so loud? Notification Window thought I was dying too, bawling in the saddest voice.
"S-Si-hyun...! D-Don't die...! Hic... Waaah...!!"
We promised... You said no dying...! L-Liar—!! If you die... I'll kill you—!!! Waaah—!!
'Kill me if I die? What kinda logic?'
Left: Luna. Right: Notification Window. Both girls wailing, worsening my already wrecked state.
'Head hurts sitting still, now surround-sound sobs—brain's vibrating.'
Was fading fast, but this snapped me alert. Good or bad...?
'Lucky, though. If I pass out now...'
Luna'd cry nonstop, blood or not. Window? Unpredictable, scarier. Might spam Narrative Reestablishment like 'No world where you die has meaning...!!'
Could turn into a bigger time bomb than Luna. Chill.
'Can't let that happen. After all I went through saving her!'
No dodging via blackout. Hate avoidance types who cause chaos then bail!
Then, sinking sunset caught my eye.
'Almost. Just a bit more...!'
From escaping the black sphere and seeing the sunset, I'd been counting down inwardly.
'Not much left. About 10... 9... 8...'
Sunset countdown. Sky darkening, moon brightening. Night—beginner package time—approaching.
'3... 2... 1...!!'
Sun fully set, pitch darkness fell.
—Whoosh!!
Black energy swirled, enveloping my fallen body.
'Knew it! Beginner package!!'
Black energies thrashed wildly, like reuniting with master, surging through me.
—Shuuu.
Shadows swept my body, healing gashes and broken bones.
'This is what I waited for. Beginner package's auto-heal!'
Precisely, its black energy. Package holds mengmang power, keeping host at peak condition.
Same as when Luna went mengmang, self-harming but auto-healing to forget guilt.
'Irony relying on mengmang power to end the mengmang tale... but survive first.'
About 30 seconds in.
"Luna, told ya? Even if killed, I don't die. Think I'd leave my princess? Hahaha."
I stood, fully healed, reassuring her.
"Ah... Waa... S-Si-hyun...!"
Tears welled in her golden eyes.
Pat pat!
Sobbing, she bolted into my arms.
—Squeeze!
"Arghhh! L-Luna, sudden tackle cracks ribs...!"
"Hic...! Th-Thought Si-hyun was dying...! Waaah...!"
She bawled harder. Looked every bit the kid.
I gently wiped her tears, locking eyes.
"Promised, Luna. Won't vanish without a word."
"Y-Yeah...! D-Don't go... Si-hyun...!"
Pat pat. I soothed her shoulders and hair till sobs stopped.
'Feels like I forgot someth—'
Ding!
So glad you're safe...!
Oh right. You too?
'All thanks to that world-best beginner package you gave me.'
Of course! I made it for you, Si-hyun! Ahem!
Perked up instantly, showing a new emoticon I'd never seen.
☆★☆Ding!☆★☆
'Emoticon...? Not a new update feature, right...?'
Gotta express my feelings to you more actively! Prioritized the update! Heehee.
'......'
'Y-Yeah... Good job.'
Sigh escaped, but with both girls calmed, no point griping now. Later issue.
Wounds healed, Luna and Window soothed—time to bounce.
'Window, Shadow Step please. Destination: our maxed-out-on-loans home.'
—Whoosh!
Black energy swirled on the ground, wrapping me and Luna.
"Luna, hold tight, no letting go. Got it?"
"Yeah, Si-hyun! Never letting go!"
"Heading home now. Our place."
After Si-hyun vanished with Luna via Shadow Step,
"Did you... see that, Elissa...?"
"Yes... I saw it clear as day, sis."
Elissa Hayes and Victoria Crawford arrived to investigate the vanished mengmang-grade ghost story.
"Only caught the vanishing moment, but... that black energy and noble silhouette? Only one in this world."
Victoria hopped down from Elissa's arms, brushing the spot where Si-hyun disappeared.
"Found you... Phantom."