Free Web NovelLee Hyunmook immediately stepped on Yoon Seungryong's neck, mercilessly subduing him. Yohan, who had let out a silent scream, quickly began his purification. If he hoped to ease Yoon Seungryong's pain even a little, swift purification was the best course of action.
Carefully, Yohan placed his hand on Yoon Seungryong’s body. Brilliant white light poured out in a corona and flowed into him. Yoon Seungryong, who had been growling viciously and squirming, suddenly stiffened.
As the light seeped in, his darkened skin gradually returned to its original color. His harsh, incomprehensible growls softened, turning back into a human-like voice. The rigid centipede armor began to soften and fall off, and the burns caused by high-voltage currents started to heal. It was a sign that his regeneration was returning.
“Ugh...”
Yohan panted heavily. It was harder than when he had purified Lee Hyunmook, which had happened so quickly and unconsciously. This time, he could feel it. Sweat began to form on his forehead as his breathing grew ragged. But seeing Yoon Seungryong’s body transform back into something human made him so happy that he squeezed out even more power.
“Ah, aaah, aaah...!”
Was the purification causing him pain? At some point, Yoon Seungryong began to scream. His arms flailed wildly, scratching at his body. But now, even his screams sounded human. The scratches healed almost instantly. The contamination was fading. When his fangs fell out and his once-black eyes turned back to white, his screams stopped.
Ha...
He took a deep breath and exhaled with an expression of complete relief. Lee Hyunmook lifted his foot off Yoon Seungryong’s neck.
The terrifying, monstrous appearance was gone, and in its place lay a strong, muscular young man, breathing peacefully in his sleep. Seeing his purification work so effectively on Yoon Seungryong, Yohan couldn’t help but raise his arms in triumph.
“It’s done! It’s a success, Lee Hyunmook!”
When Yohan turned around, Lee Hyunmook was silently looking down at the now-normal Yoon Seungryong. His gaze, full of mixed emotions, lingered on the face and body of his team member, who had returned to normal. Then, a faint, deep sigh escaped from his lips. Yohan couldn’t even begin to understand what he must be feeling.
“Thank you, Yohan.”
Lee Hyunmook’s simple yet heavy words of gratitude reached Yohan. Sweating and still a little out of breath, Yohan looked up at him, not saying anything like "It’s nothing" or "It was just something I had to do." Instead, he smiled brightly, then promptly fell backward.
“Oh no.”
Lee Hyunmook quickly reached out and caught Yohan before he completely collapsed. Exhausted from squeezing every ounce of his energy for purification, Yohan’s face was sagging, and he, too, was breathing heavily. Just like Yoon Seungryong, his breaths were shallow and steady. Lee Hyunmook, treating Yohan with more care than he had shown Yoon Seungryong, gently held him in his arms to keep him from touching the acidic swamp.
After disassembling the makeshift bench, Lee Hyunmook used a spear to cut a raft big enough to carry a person. He placed the unconscious Yoon Seungryong on it like a piece of luggage and began retracing the path they had come from, leaving behind the crumbling cave.
* * *
“Wow, this looks delicious!”
Yohan’s eyes sparkled as he exclaimed. In front of him lay a buffet overflowing with all sorts of appetizing food. Hungry, he quickly grabbed a plate and began filling it when suddenly, Yoon Seungryong burst through the door.
“My meat! Mine! I’m hungry!”
“Wha—?!”
It was Yoon Seungryong from Sunrise! Amid the surprise of his appearance, Yoon Seungryong snatched the seasoned crab that Yohan had been eyeing and devoured it in seconds. Before Yohan could react, the sweet and sour pork he was going for was gone too, swallowed up by the massive figure.
“My, my sweet and sour pork...”
Then, Yoon Seungryong proceeded to eat all the fried food, cold noodles, bulgogi, and even kimchi, consuming everything without leaving a trace. In the end, Yohan found that he hadn’t managed to get anything. He was so upset that he almost started crying when he suddenly woke up.
...What kind of crazy dream was that?
Yohan frowned as soon as he woke up, feeling the heavy, humid weight covering him. Looking around, his eyes widened in shock when he saw a familiar face.
Lee Hyunmook was sleeping very close by. His chest rose and fell gently, his eyelids fully lowered, and his slow, steady breathing seemed foreign to Yohan. He didn’t know how or why they were sharing a bed, but it seemed like Lee Hyunmook had pulled him into an embrace while asleep. Yohan found himself mesmerized by the sight of him sleeping for the first time.
“He’s handsome...”
His forehead and eyebrows were perfectly straight, his nose sharp and elegant. The slightly parted lips were aesthetically pleasing, and even the tousled white hair on his forehead looked like a magazine cover. The shade between his eyelids and nose was even handsome. If he didn’t need to pee so badly, Yohan would have stared at him endlessly until he woke up.
He carefully crawled out from under Lee Hyunmook’s arm so as not to disturb him, and headed for the bathroom while retracing his last memories. He must have been so exhausted after purifying Yoon Seungryong that he collapsed right where he was. Thinking of how Lee Hyunmook had carried both him and Yoon Seungryong back, Yohan felt guilty.
“Looks like I’m the one who’ll be carried around like luggage.”
As he pondered this while using the bathroom, he stared at the stream of water, his thoughts troubled.
Yes... it really is just water.
Ever since awakening his purification ability, Yohan had been feeling like he was releasing purified, almost distilled water every time he went to the bathroom. It didn’t feel like just a feeling either. The stream falling into the toilet was exceptionally clear. While he was glad he didn’t need to waste precious water, it made him uneasy. freewēbnoveℓ.com
“From a human air purifier to a human water filter...”
He hadn’t been having any major issues recently, but he also wasn’t constipated... Could purification make pure nutrients be absorbed again? Did other advanced Awakeners go through this too? What exactly was happening to his body? He couldn’t go anywhere for a checkup, so Yohan felt a little troubled as he finished.
After confirming that Lee Hyunmook was still sleeping, Yohan opened the bedroom door. He then noticed Yoon Seungryong, sprawled out on the floor in the living room. His appearance was that of a rough, scruffy delinquent, but his face was incredibly peaceful as he lightly snored. The blanket had been carelessly thrown over his lower half, making him look like a drunk passed out after too much to drink.
“It’s been a while since I saw a teammate, but this treatment feels a little too much...”
Even so, Yohan decided to {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} at least cover him with some pants. As he looked at Yoon Seungryong, who now looked slightly pitiful, Yohan grabbed a blanket from another room. When he spread it out to cover him, Yoon Seungryong suddenly woke up with a jolt.
Yohan’s heart nearly stopped as their eyes met.
The dimly opened eyes of Yoon Seungryong stared at him with an unnerving darkness, reminiscent of the abyss. Yohan froze, tense, while Yoon Seungryong blinked, and the eerie gaze softened as he turned over and went back to sleep.
Yohan, clutching his racing heart, glared at him.
“...Pig.”
Muttering softly, Yohan headed toward the room he used as a storage space. Although the food he had gathered from the convenience store was gone, there were still plenty of supplies he had collected from the market.
“We’re three guys eating, so maybe I’ll prepare four servings.”
He grabbed a few cans of food and, feeling bold, also took the precious fried kimchi. After gathering the remaining onions and spring onions from the garden, he headed toward the kitchen. He carefully opened a can of ham. Though it tasted fine on its own, today, he wanted to cook it. The problem was that he had never cooked before.
After some thought, he awkwardly chopped the ham and onions and threw them into the pan together. As the burner heated up, Yoon Seungryong, who had seemed sound asleep, suddenly sprang up.
Startled, Yohan nearly tipped the pan over. His heart raced as he looked at Yoon Seungryong, who stared blankly at him and the pan.
“...What’s going on?”
“Did you sleep well?”
Yohan awkwardly greeted him, but there was no answer. Yoon Seungryong stared at the kitchen and at Yohan, looking confused.
“What am I looking at?”
Muttering to himself, Yoon Seungryong rubbed his eyes hard and blinked. Yohan, worried the food might burn, began stirring again.
“...A person?”
Yoon Seungryong, still muttering, suddenly raised his fist and repeatedly struck his own head with a loud thud. Yohan stared in shock as Yoon Seungryong, seemingly unaware of the pain, stopped and looked down at his hands.
“Huh...?”
After staring at his hand intently and flexing it several times, Yoon Seungryong suddenly jumped up and began feeling his body. He awkwardly grabbed his crotch, causing Yohan to quickly close his eyes. After confirming something, Yoon Seungryong tilted his head and then turned to Yohan.
“Who are you? Am I dreaming? Is this a hallucination?”
Panicking, Yohan hurriedly turned off the stove and dashed toward Lee Hyunmook’s bedroom. Bursting through the door, he thought Yoon Seungryong was following him, but suddenly, Yoon Seungryong grabbed Yohan by the neck and brought his burning eyes close.
“What are you?”
“Ah! Lee Hyunmook!”
Frightened, Yohan struggled and screamed to wake up the deeply sleeping Lee Hyunmook. In an instant, a loud noise rang out, and Yoon Seungryong’s hand fell away. Turning around, Yohan saw Yoon Seungryong in the living room, silently screaming as he clutched his head. It was the same disturbing sight Yohan had seen before in the black forest.
