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Even though he wasn’t a damage-dealer or a tank, Yohan was still a high-tier Awakened, so his broken arm had fully healed in under a week. When he cautiously removed the splint and moved it around, he didn’t feel any pain at all. Before they set out, Yohan packed a few days’ worth of food and medicine into his backpack. Just as he stepped out the front door, Hyunmook pointed to the old cart they’d brought back from the supermarket and asked casually,
“Want me to give you a ride in the cart until the road runs out?”
Yohan shook his head firmly.
“I’m too old for that, don’t you think?”
And yet, moments later, Yohan was riding that very cart, screaming—whether in fear or excitement, even he didn’t know. A cart pushed by Korea’s strongest Awakened was, of course, absurdly fast. It was terrifying, but also exhilarating. When the road abruptly ended, Yohan climbed out of the cart, breathless and flushed with excitement. What had felt like a three-hour journey had taken barely thirty minutes.
“That was scary... but kind of fun.”
Hyunmook, who had practically sprinted like a rickshaw runner and didn’t look the slightest bit tired, reached out and tousled Yohan’s hair again. This time it really did feel like he was being treated like a child, but Yohan decided not to make a fuss.
Mr. Hyunmook is thirty-three now, right? fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
That made them ten years apart. And somehow, this kid-like treatment didn’t feel bad at all. Yohan tightened his grip on his backpack straps and marched forward determinedly. The Abyss, once terrifying beyond words, now felt slightly less frightening, if only because he was Awakened.
It hadn’t been long since Hyunmook lost his spear, but he walked in a single direction without hesitation, as if he could sense where it was. They walked for some time before he finally stopped and tilted his head. Ahead of them stretched a dense, overgrown forest.
“...This wasn’t forest before. Looks like the swamp expanded.”
Then, with a thoughtful look in his eyes, he turned to Yohan. Even back when they were scouting the area around their shelter, Hyunmook had avoided going into the forest. That had to mean it was dangerous. After a moment’s thought, Hyunmook made a decision.
“From here on, it’s better if you walk in front of me.”
He must’ve decided that the risk of going in was worth recovering his weapon. Yohan gulped and looked nervously at the dark forest ahead.
“M-me, in front?”
“That way I can react immediately if something happens.”
Yohan was scared, but instead of backing off, he gathered his courage and moved in front of Hyunmook. The older man placed a reassuring {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} hand on his shoulder and added,
“And can you light the area while we walk?”
“Of course!”
Delighted to be of help, Yohan immediately summoned glowing orbs of light. Compared to purification, this illumination ability consumed far less energy and could be maintained for long periods. As the bright light spread out, grotesque things near the edge of the forest let out sharp screeches and fled. Yohan took a deep breath.
“Okay. I’m going in.”
Trusting entirely in Hyunmook, he stepped into the black forest. He hadn’t taken more than a few steps when he already noticed how soft and soggy the ground felt beneath his feet. In truth, even though he was “in front,” he was walking diagonally ahead of Hyunmook—close enough to ease his nerves.
Creak... screech... eerie cries echoed all around, like monkeys screaming in pain. The forest, now filled with light for the first time, stirred uneasily.
The untamed wilderness, corrupted by contamination, made forward movement difficult. Without his Awakening—and without light—he would’ve tripped and fallen countless times by now. After a while, Hyunmook reached out to stop Yohan with a low murmur. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
“Something’s off.”
“Huh? What is?”
“These trees... they’re not the same type as the ones near the house. And every tree around here... they all look exactly the same.”
Different tree types? Yohan glanced at the one nearest him. He flinched—its gnarled knot was twisted into a shape that eerily resembled a human face, staring directly at him. He turned his head and realized every other tree looked just as creepy. He couldn’t tell what made them different from the trees near their house, but the part about them looking identical he now understood.
The position of the knots, the twisted forms, the direction of the branches—every detail was the same. And the next moment, Hyunmook scooped Yohan into his arms and took off running. Just as he did, the trees moved.
“U-uhhh!”
Fearing he’d bite his tongue, Yohan clamped a hand over his mouth instead of screaming. From all around them, countless unseen eyes stared down. Those stares wriggled, shifted, and began to move. Branches tangled, roots twisted, and the trees started merging together. They were forming a barrier, surrounding them, closing in.
Thankfully, Hyunmook escaped just before the trap snapped shut. But the danger wasn’t over. Yohan’s eyes widened as he tilted his head up. A creaking, shadowy mass loomed above them.
Wuuuu... A chilling moan echoed as a massive tree grew even taller. The sight of countless small trees combining into one towering form—over ten meters tall—was grotesque and horrifying. It had scattered its “bodies” to search for prey and was now reassembling itself.
“Damn. Electricity doesn’t work well on wood.”
Hyunmook murmured casually, patting Yohan’s back to calm him. His gaze lifted to the treetop. A long spear was embedded diagonally in one of the upper branches. But even so, he didn’t immediately attack the creature. Realizing what was holding him back, Yohan took a deep breath and said,
“I’ll stay as safe as I can. You can’t fight like this, right?”
A deep crease formed between Hyunmook’s brows, but after a brief pause, he nodded. He set Yohan down at the edge of a clearing that had appeared when the surrounding trees merged.
“...I’ll finish this quickly.”
If Yohan hadn’t Awakened—or hadn’t been high-tier—Hyunmook would never have left him alone like this. Even if he wasn’t as physically strong as a tank or a damage-dealer, a high-tier was still a high-tier. He wouldn’t die easily. Even so, Hyunmook steeled himself to end the fight within three minutes.
The first thing he did was unleash a wave of powerful electricity in all directions. Crack! Black lightning struck roots and branches. The enormous tree, which had been surveying the area slowly, twitched in response.
Wuuuuoooh... Ooooooh...!
It let out a wail—half groan, half cry of awe—as countless branches lashed out at Hyunmook. Though the main body moved sluggishly, the branches came at him like lightning. But Hyunmook dodged them effortlessly. Anything he couldn’t dodge, he burned to ash with concentrated electricity.
Meanwhile, lightning crashed repeatedly into the creature’s trunk. Each deafening explosion reverberated through the clearing, each one packed with tremendous energy. The tough bark charred and cracked under the repeated strikes, exposing its softer inner core. A thick, dark-red sap—like blood—began to ooze out.
Yohan held his breath, watching the fight unfold. Just like when Hyunmook had battled that subway monster, no other creature dared approach. That was a relief. As Hyunmook had said, it looked like he really could finish this quickly.
And then—
Plop... A soft but unsettling sound reached Yohan’s ears. He turned his head toward the noise, and something erupted from the ground. Black, writhing roots.
“Ahhh!”
Yohan screamed and dodged just in time. A root whipped past, barely missing his head. Then—snap! A thicker root, as wide as a human torso, surged upward. Hyunmook, who had burned away half the massive tree by now, finally sensed something was wrong.
“Yang Yohan!”
Yohan threw himself aside, narrowly evading the crushing root. But his luck ended there. The third strike was impossible to avoid. Hyunmook was already sprinting toward him, and Yohan, on sheer instinct, released his power.
Flash! A blinding black-and-white light burst in unison—one from Yohan, the other from Hyunmook. Just before the branch and root could hit him, Hyunmook snatched Yohan away.
Pomf, pomf, pom... At the spots where Yohan’s light had touched, white flowers bloomed. The massive limb—branch or root, it was hard to say—was covered in sweetly scented blossoms. The great tree thrashed that branch in confusion, scattering pale petals to the ground. Yohan watched the falling flowers and muttered in awe,
“Looks like... acacia?”
The black forest, once filled with stench and decay, now carried the rich, blooming scent of spring—even though it was winter. The area touched by Yohan’s purification had returned to “normal,” appearing as just an ordinary tree. Realizing this, Yohan shouted urgently to Hyunmook:
“Mr. Hyunmook! The parts I purified—they can’t move! That means I can—!”
Because ordinary trees couldn’t move like this in the first place! Yohan thought that if he could just purify the roots, he could pin the creature in place. But before he could even finish speaking, Hyunmook shook his head firmly—almost as if he had read Yohan’s thoughts.
“I should’ve ended this faster in the first place.”
Yohan’s lips moved as if to protest—but stopped. Hyunmook had covered Yohan’s ears with both hands. Eyes wide, Yohan looked up at him. He saw the shape of Hyunmook’s lips forming words.
—If the attack isn’t working, hit it harder...
And then, a tremendous impact followed.
