* * *
His demeanor was playful, a stark contrast to the lethal intent this side was grappling with.
Kang Yigeon clenched his fist tightly.
“I feel an instinctive urge to eliminate you.”
“…Wow, that’s harsh.”
For a fleeting moment, a wounded expression crossed the young man’s composed face.
That brief flash of emotion comforted Kang Yigeon and gave him a small sense of exhilaration—purely from the realization that he had managed to hurt that abhorrent existence.
He wanted to hurt him more. He wanted to torment him, to crease that pristine brow.
“I knew hatred could accumulate over time, but this isn’t what I expected. It’s not just doubling; it feels exponential. Unfortunately, all I can say is, manage that hatred on your own… Fighting!”
The young man quickly regained his composure, reverting to his playful attitude.
Clenching his fist in mock encouragement, he even added with a carefree sigh, “I only called you, Mr. Kang Yigeon, because explaining this multiple times would be annoying. Now that I’ve confirmed the truth, you can handle the crowd that’ll come swarming in. By the time I wake up, everything will be resolved, right? Our wise Commissioner Kim Eunji will figure it all out.”
“You’re going to sleep?”
“I might not look it, but I just finished an intense battle an hour ago. It’s been four days since I last slept. I’m starving and so sleepy I could die. Let me get some rest.”
He pulled out a soft pillow, blanket, and comforter from his inventory, slid into the blanket, and rested his head on the pillow.
Pulling the comforter over his head, he promptly fell asleep.
The comforter, adorned with a cutesy snake character, seemed absurdly out of place.
Could anyone be so defenseless?
He was the very source of this murderous fury, yet he carried himself with such reckless irresponsibility.
‘You know I’ve said enough that you won’t dare kill me anyway.’
That was the subtext, and it infuriated Kang Yigeon even more.
But why, then?
Unlike the others who cursed under their breath and averted their eyes, Kang Yigeon found himself unable to look away from him.
He wanted to rip that snake-patterned comforter to shreds yet also drive everyone away so the young man could sleep undisturbed.
The sight of him, exhausted and peacefully asleep, felt strangely familiar.
The thought repulsed him.
∗ ∗ ∗
[1st world]
‘Time Limit Exceeded’
Progress Rate: ■■■■■□□□□□
Dungeon Conquest Failed… ૮₍˶ó﹏ò ₎ა
‘Hidden Mission Failed!’
Penalty: World Destruction Applied
Time to Destruction: ’05:00′
We’re sorry. ( Ĭ ^ Ĭ )
Spend your last moments with someone dear to you.
The system claimed it used cute emojis to avoid looking intimidating, but right now, those emojis felt less like kindness and more like mockery.
Faced with imminent destruction…
Humanity had been arrogant when confronting a Grade 6 dungeon for the first time.
And now, as punishment for failing to be humble before the absolute entity known as the “System: Devotion,” humanity faced extinction.
No one wailed in despair.
There were only two survivors here.
Seohwa and Kang Yigeon.
Out of the 130 who had entered, only the two of them remained.
“Spend your last moments with someone dear in just five minutes? That’s barely enough time to eat instant ramen.”
Kang Yigeon muttered, and Seohwa smirked.
“Exactly. You can’t even finish a cup of ramen in five minutes.”
He paused before correcting himself.
“Actually, you could probably manage. Add a kimbap roll, and you’d still have time for a walk.”
“…”
“Honestly, I’ve always wondered why you eat so fast. Why do you eat like you’re being chased? And yet, when it comes to—”
Kang Yigeon let out a deep sigh.
“Is this really the time for jokes?”
His tone wasn’t angry—it was more resigned, as if saying, ‘You’re impossible.’
Seohwa knew full well that this wasn’t an appropriate conversation to have with the end of the world looming.
But watching Kang Yigeon, he felt an inexplicable urge to say something irreverent.
The unflappable Kang Yigeon seemed as composed as ever, even in the face of death.
It wasn’t just because he had expected this outcome.
From the moment the hidden mission announced “Failure = World Destruction,” he had been calm and calculating.
Teammates had marveled at his composure, some even resenting him for it.
But Seohwa knew better.
The faint twitch in his cheek and the trembling of his clenched fists betrayed an ocean of grief beneath his stoic exterior.
‘So even Kang Yigeon can’t stay completely composed in the face of death.’
Of course. Who wouldn’t grieve at a time like this?
Even knowing how a tragic novel ends, tears still fall when you reach the last page.
And this story was devastatingly sad.
So much sacrifice had been made.
Countless hunters had thrown themselves into the flames and into the jaws of monsters.
They had burned their lives away like moths to a flame, knowing they wouldn’t succeed.
It was thanks to their sacrifices that the two of them had made it this far.
Now, standing on the brink of the end, one thought consumed Seohwa’s mind.
They had rushed things too much.
If they’d only known sooner—if they’d had just one or two more years to prepare—everything could have been different.
They could have succeeded.
They could have cleared it.
And so…
They reached this point.
‘Time to Destruction: 03:34’
As the seconds ticked down, everything in the dungeon began to disintegrate into fine particles—plants, rocks, monster corpses, even their equipment.
So that’s how it works.
After the time limit, there’s a brief reprieve, and then everything breaks apart.
The discovery brought no comfort.
Seohwa flexed his tingling fingers before clenching them into fists again.
“Guildmaster.”
Kang Yigeon stood before him, his violet eyes brimming with sorrow and anguish, making it difficult to meet his gaze.
“Seohwa.”
“…So now you’re dropping the formalities?”
“I’ve always wanted to call you that.”
“If you’re going to drop them, do it properly. Should I call you Brother Igeon?”
“Are your injuries okay?”
Kang Yigeon’s eyes shifted to Seohwa’s wrist, where blood trickled from a claw wound.
It wasn’t a minor injury, but it felt inconsequential in the face of the apocalypse.
Kang Yigeon pulled a clean towel and bandages from his inventory.
“I’ll treat you.”
“…”
When Seohwa didn’t resist, Kang Yigeon reached out and gently took his arm.
His treatment was swift and precise.
Looking at the neatly wrapped bandages, Seohwa chuckled bitterly.
“You’re always so composed, Kang Yigeon. Even now.”
“I love you.”
“…”
“From the moment I first met you, there hasn’t been a single moment I didn’t love you.”
“…”
“I had planned to confess once we escaped this dungeon…”
Kang Yigeon’s face contorted with anguish, a deep and unfathomable sorrow etched into his features.
The man who had always been so strong and unshakable was now breaking down as the end drew near.
Seohwa stared blankly at his face before scratching his cheek awkwardly.
“You must not know this, but confessions in situations like this are death flags. You’re not supposed to make them.”
“Don’t joke about this.”
“Fine, it’s a half-joke. This plan will succeed in the end. You won’t die, Kang Yigeon.”
“…Guildmaster.”
“Quiet.”
Seohwa raised a hand, signaling for silence, but instead of complying, Kang Yigeon clasped it.
His thick fingers intertwined with Seohwa’s, and his calloused palm pressed against his own.
Despite his fiery abilities, his hand was cold.
Kang Yigeon’s trembling fingers gripped tightly, prompting Seohwa to return the grip with firm resolve.
A small, white snake coiled around Seohwa’s wrist lifted its head, noticing Kang Yigeon’s hand.
It wriggled into the gap between their hands, as if asking to join.
Kang Yigeon subtly shifted his hand to let the snake nestle in.
Watching his snake nuzzle Kang Yigeon’s large hand, Seohwa activated his skill.
‘Skill ‘Flight of Time’ Activated.’
‘Your existence value will be absorbed.
Do you wish to proceed?’
‘”Apply it.”‘
Your existence value is being applied to ‘Flight of Time’.
The maximum time available for travel with the current energy is 1 hour ahead.
Would you like to proceed?
‘”No. Expand it.”‘
‘Flight of Time’ is expanding.
Your existence value is being applied to ‘Flight of Time’.
The maximum time available for travel with the current energy is 24 hours ahead.
Would you like to proceed?
“Expand it further.”
‘Flight of Time’ is expanding.
Your existence value is being applied to ‘Flight of Time’.
The maximum time available for travel with the current energy is 340 hours ahead.
Would you like to proceed?
“Keep expanding.”
‘Flight of Time’ is expanding.
Your existence value is being applied to ‘Flight of Time’.
The maximum time available for travel with the current energy is 8,700 hours ahead.
Would you like to proceed?
“Expand it to the limit.”
‘Flight of Time’ is expanding.
Your existence value is being applied to ‘Flight of Time’.
The maximum time available for travel with the current energy is 26,280 hours ahead.
Would you like to proceed?
‘”…….”‘
* * *
