As Yoon Seo found it harder to focus while thinking only about the two of them, he stood up. Taking out the bottle of tranquilizers, he saw that it was half full. 'So this is the last of it,' he thought, swallowing three pills without water before speaking to the air.
"I'll make my choice now."
[The God of Life suggests you take a look around.]
[The God of Death says you should enjoy a leisurely stroll.]
[Ga]
Ga?
Yoon Seo furrowed his brow as the second character appeared.
[Gai]
And 30 seconds later.
[Gaia System Notification!]
Surprisingly, only nine characters appeared.
Yoon Seo patiently waited for the incredibly slow Gaia message to continue.
[This]
[This place]
.
.
.
[This place is a selection-type dungeon.
The strategy and explalnation…]
[I will correct the typo.]
You don't have to fix it. I understood it.
[Ga]
Starting from the first character again?
[The God of Life says Gaia made a mistake because of your impatience.]
[The God of Death says humans should always take their time.]
[The God of Life suggests you sit down.]
[The God of Death advises you to take a nap.]
"...."
Yoon Seo squinted and read through the log with a strange feeling.
Gaia and the gods seem to be stalling… It feels like they're deliberately wasting time while waiting for something. Could they be waiting for the distorted beings to approach? What happens if I get killed by them before I make my choice?
Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine.
As Yoon Seo began to consider the possibility that the gods might not be on Earth's side, he was about to urge the Gaia System again.
"…!"
Suddenly, a strong force grabbed his shoulder, causing him to stagger. A solid arm reached out from behind, turning him around.
"Hyung."
A cold, rough voice spoke. Yoon Seo spun around quickly, his eyes widening.
"…Kwon Jihan?"
Kwon Jihan, who was supposed to be on Earth, stood before him, stepping through the still-active black portal. He glared at Yoon Seo with dark, fierce eyes.
"Never."
"..."
"Never do something like that again."
The intensity of Kwon Jihan's anger sent shivers down Yoon Seo's spine, making his lips tremble.
"Why… why are you here?"
At that moment, as if waiting for the right time, the dungeon sealed shut, and a system message appeared.
[Gaia System Notification!
This is a selection-type dungeon.
Which will you choose: conquest or destruction?]
As Yoon Seo stood there, stunned, Kwon Jihan shouted loudly.
"We choose dungeon conquest!"
[Selection complete: You have chosen conquest.
No time limit.
Make sure to survive!]
In an instant, the choice had been made.
Yoon Seo wondered if he was dreaming.
However, the fact that Kwon Jihan was gripping him so tightly that it hurt made Yoon Seo realize that this was indeed reality. Kwon Jihan, who held him firmly, spoke in a chilling voice as Yoon Seo stared blankly up at him.
"Answer me. Promise me you won't do that again."
"How… How did you get in here…?"
"Answer me."
"..."
"I said, answer me!"
As his emotions—rage, betrayal, hurt—erupted, a wave of magical energy surged from Kwon Jihan's body. The forest beyond trembled, and the eerie growling sounds momentarily ceased.
In the silence, Kwon Jihan growled, his voice low, releasing his anger.
"How dare you try to die without me? How dare you leave me a final message and plan to kill yourself? You know exactly how that feels! How could you do that to me…!"
Yoon Seo gradually regained his senses upon hearing the accusation.
"…Are you insane?"
"What?"
"How could you come in here! I don't know how you did it, but you always preach about being rational, and yet you're the one acting recklessly! How could you come in here!"
"Are you seriously mad at me right now?"
"Of course, damn it! How could I not be? What do you think I'm feeling right now? Why are you here?!"
Yoon Seo's shout pierced the silence.
Kwon Jihan's anger hadn't disappeared, but he was rendered speechless by the emotions clearly visible on Yoon Seo's face. Tears were streaming down Yoon Seo's brown eyes.
"I… I already used a Gaia skill earlier… I can't use
"..."
"I can't protect you!"
"..."
"How could you come in here? Why did you…"
Yoon Seo's strength gave out. If Kwon Jihan hadn't been holding onto him, he might have collapsed completely.
"Hyung."
Though still angry, Kwon Jihan knew that this wasn't the time for that. He pulled Yoon Seo into an embrace. Yoon Seo, without resistance, melted into his arms like a lifeless doll.
As Kwon Jihan held him fully in his arms, he realized, once again, how small Yoon Seo was for an S-rank hunter. This was probably why he had earned the title of 'Small Savior.'
Kwon Jihan, holding the trembling Yoon Seo, gently patted his back.
Yoon Seo buried his forehead into Kwon Jihan's shoulder, holding back the sobs that were threatening to escape.
Though the eerie cries of distorted beings could be heard in the distance, the two of them remained as if they were the only ones in the world. It took a long time for them to regain control of their emotions, but no creatures attacked them. The gods, and even the Gaia System, remained silent. In that moment, their world consisted only of the two of them.
***
After Yoon Seo's despair faded and Kwon Jihan's anger subsided a little…
[The God of Life clears their throat.]
[The God of Death glares at you.]
With these messages from the gods, their long embrace finally came to an end.
The two of them sat on a nearby tree stump, starting to process their current reality. Yoon Seo first accepted the dagger that Kwon Jihan had been holding the entire time. The blue jewel embedded in it shimmered brightly. He couldn't bear to turn it into an animal form—imagine how much it would peck at him…
"It's okay, Hyung. We're going to clear this dungeon without dying."
Kwon Jihan said, looking at Yoon Seo's troubled expression. Yoon Seo furrowed his brow sharply.
"Where is this confidence coming from?"
"Because I still have five cooldwon potions left…"
"Are you actually insane?"
"That's harsh. I'm just constantly reminding you that I'm your ideal type."
"You've made that point loud and clear, now stop it."
"Oh… So it worked. Does that mean you like me too?"
"You are my ideal type, and yes, I like you. Now, I have 30% of my mana left. I can barely use
Yoon Seo's voice was filled with anxiety and worry. At that moment, Kwon Jihan cupped Yoon Seo's cheek with his hand. Then, to Yoon Seo's bewildered expression, he suddenly leaned in and pressed his lips against Yoon Seo's.
Their lips touched for just a brief moment before parting.
[The God of Life frowns.]
[The God of Death cheers.]
[The God of Life says that's not how family should behave.]
[The God of Death spreads the news far and wide.]
[The Watcher laughs.]
"W-What… just…?"
Yoon Seo stared at Kwon Jihan, his eyes as wide as they could go.
Kwon Jihan calmly returned to his original posture and said.
"I told you to think about your trait."
"…What?"
"I got a hint: Think about your trait."
Yoon Seo's eyes shook wildly. Reflected in his trembling gaze was Kwon Jihan, smiling with a sense of satisfaction.
As Yoon Seo pondered over the current priority, he blurted out suddenly, before even reaching a conclusion in his mind.
"Did you just kiss me?"
"Yup. We've confirmed that we like each other, so let's start dating. It's time."
"…"
"What? Is there a problem?"
"This feels like a death flag."
"So, are you rejecting me?"
"I'm not rejecting you. Let's just clear this dungeon first, then we'll think about it. But what about my trait? Who gave you a hint?"
"I'll tell you after we clear this."
[The God of Life opposes this relationship.]
[The God of Life says this isn't right.]
[The God of Life insists that, while not by blood, you're still family.]
[The God of Death is sending out wedding invitations.]
Yoon Seo, too stunned to fully process the system messages, didn't catch the fact that the God of Death was sending out invitations. That wasn't the most important thing right now.
They needed to get out of this dungeon first.
Then, whether or not he actually dated this guy could be decided.
"My trait, huh."
Yoon Seo had four traits: Survivor, Creator, Protector, and Chosen One.
"You must be talking about the Creator trait."
"It's definitely that. Hyung, is there something you want the most right now?"
"Of course, to clear the dungeon."
"That's not it."
"…"
"What you really want isn't clearing the dungeon. You're wishing for something else. Think about it. If you figure it out, your trait will definitely activate."
Kwon Jihan's gray eyes gazed at Yoon Seo warmly.
Despite not having a solution yet, his calm and composed demeanor allowed Yoon Seo to think more clearly.
What do I truly wish for? For a moment, Yoon Seo thought of something soft and sweet like 'romance,' but he quickly shook his head.
He hardened his expression and focused on figuring out what he truly desired.
[The God of Life warns you to stay alert.]
Yoon Seo already knew that without needing the God of Life to tell him.
It seemed that the peace was slowly coming to an end. The eerie cries were getting closer.
"Hyung is still thinking. I'll protect you."
Kwon Jihan, holding 'Heavenly Sword,' stood in front of Yoon Seo.
As Yoon Seo looked at his back, he thought—though it was ridiculous—he looks small.
Isn't that right?
No matter how strong he was, wasn't he too small to protect an entire planet?
"...."
From the opposite side of the forest, a shadow began to emerge.
Grrrrrrr….
The shadow was deep, dark, and grotesque, unlike anything they had seen before.
Facing the distorted entity, Kwon Jihan stood his ground without the slightest hint of hesitation.
Looking at his back, Yoon Seo thought about what he truly wished for. Several things came to mind.
A powerful attack skill to defeat the monster.
A strong shield capable of stopping the antimatter bomb.
An item to resolve his healing resistance.
The extermination of all monsters.
The clearing of the dungeon and peace for Earth.
'…That's not it.'
Blue energy surged around Yoon Seo.
His wish wasn't something like that.
What he had truly desired for the past ten years was simple.
'No one good should ever have to die unfairly right before my eyes.'
That had always been his one wish.
That good people wouldn't die.
That those who were good and righteous wouldn't perish unfairly.
The survival… of heroes.
At that moment, as if waiting for it, system messages poured in.
[The trait 'Creator' has been activated.]
[The traits 'Creator,' 'Survivor,' 'Protector,' and 'Chosen One' resonate with each other. The Gaia System responds to your traits.]
[You have acquired the skill .]
Yoon Seo's eyes glowed blue. The description of the new skill flowed into his consciousness.
L
A skill that grants the salvation the user desires most at this moment.
Yoon Seo didn't hesitate.
[You have used the skill ]
Kuwung…!
With a tremendous sound, the ground trembled. Yoon Seo's blue magic, which had been swirling like a storm, converged at one point, and a white light appeared there. The white light gradually grew in size, becoming so dazzling that it was impossible to look at. A distorted being let out a grotesque scream and fled, while Kwon Jihan quickly hugged Yoon Seo's waist and moved a safe distance away.
Moments later, when the white light disappeared… what appeared in its place was a house.
A very familiar shape…
"This… is our house."
Kwon Jihan gasped in surprise.
"Did we just move to Earth… to Earth?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"This house is… a safe house."
['The Safe House of the Little Savior'
A cozy sanctuary for heroes.
Only kind and righteous people may enter.
Nothing can harm a hero in this place.]
Only then did Kwon Jihan confirm the identity of the house with the
Yoon Seo had only been to his house once to sleep… how incredibly comfortable must it have felt for it to have been transformed into a safe house like this?
"Let's go inside for now."
Yoon Seo, surprisingly unfazed, led the still creaking Kwon Jihan into the house. The front door was open, and there were no walls leading outside, allowing the interior of the dungeon to be seen. The shadows that had fled earlier were now wandering around again.
Yoon Seo sat Kwon Jihan down on the sofa.
"So to summarize… it seems like being here makes us invincible."
"Ah… really, Hyung."
Kwon Jihan's voice was filled with admiration and emotion. It almost sounded like he was about to cry.
"Truly, it's such a Hyung-like skill."
"..."
"It's not a skill for attacking monsters or protecting the weak. It's a salvation solely for heroes."
"Someone has to protect the heroes."
"Haha…"
[The God of Life says this is what Seo Chaeyoon is like.]
As usual, Yoon Seo tried to glance over the gods' message, but he realized it was the first time the God of Life had mentioned his name directly.
Yoon Seo smiled.
"Shall we begin now?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Kwon Jihan stood up and faced the shadows.
He took humanity's last weapon from his inventory. Inside a cylindrical object the length of his forearm was an antimatter bomb the size of a fist. Though small, it had such a massive mass that he had to invest 10 billion experience points to expand his inventory.
Zing.
Kwon Jihan pressed the button on the surface to activate it and threw it far away.
The ultimate weapon, a combination of human technology and the byproducts of the Gaia System. It was capable of releasing energy equivalent to a 100-teraton asteroid collision, theoretically capable of annihilating not only this dungeon but also Proxima b. The power would be reduced by the defenses of the Gaia System, but it would certainly destroy the dungeon's boundaries.
One minute until the bomb detonated.
Kwon Jihan returned to Yoon Seo, his smile appearing calm, almost leisurely.
Yoon Seo took deep breaths, repeatedly inhaling and exhaling, overwhelmed with emotion.
Lee Domin.
Lee Kangjin.
Kim Hyungtae, Kim Seohae. Rita Switch, Hughes Sairo. Lee Kanghoon, Shim Sihwan, Linda Daisy, Shinda Lily, Na Jaemin, Kim Miji, Hyomi, Garis Romeo, Mark Farshim…
Countless names flickered through his mind.
"Hyung."
"..."
Kwon Jihan tightly gripped Yoon Seo's hand. Each time Yoon Seo held hands with Kwon Jihan, he thought about how much training it must have taken for even an S-rank hunter to have calluses on his palms. Every time he thought of this, he found Kwon Jihan to be a little more endearing.
In the distance, with a dazzling light, the bomb exploded…
It was then that the two awaited what would happen next.
[ ! Gaia System Notification ! ]
With a frantic message, everything within the dungeon came to a halt.
As if the pause button had been pressed, the shockwave of the bomb, the swaying of the forest, and the cries of the misaligned entities all came to a stop before another message appeared.
[The Gaia System is intervening to protect the planet.
As 'humanity's weapon' threatens the existence of this solar system,
the Gaia System has the authority to suspend the dungeon raid.
The dungeon has been cleared.
The final gate of Earth has been passed.]
It was a declaration of surrender from the Gaia System.
***