The silver hair, neatly tied back into a single bundle, swayed—far longer than I remembered. But the face that emerged outside the shadow, and the eyes revealed as he slowly opened them, were far too familiar.
I let out the breath of relief that burst out of me and called to him.
“Mountain Keeper.”
Song Jiwoon opened his eyes, spotted me and the other team members, and looked startled—then quickly relaxed.
“I figured Hunter Cha Seohu would be here too after seeing your younger brother’s skill, and it really is you. I’m glad you’re safe. But....”
The loosened look on Song Jiwoon’s face hardened coldly the moment he swept his gaze around.
He’d recognized immediately—from the aura in the air, from the atmosphere—that this was serious.
There was no time to explain at length. I gave a short nod and turned my eyes back to the Catastrophe.
“Get ready.”
The shadow bird that had brought Song Jiwoon no longer showed itself.
Maybe... this time it really had gone back. Back to that man I could see in front of us.
Even so, the icy tension that had been creeping through my body until just a moment ago was gone, and my body felt lighter. The mess in my head—tangled up with too many emotions—cleared cleanly.
Yeah. Let’s keep it simple.
I didn’t care whether the existence in front of us was a fake Catastrophe the rift had created, or Cha Sahyeon being controlled.
My purpose was only one thing, and it was simple.
I was going to drive out that incomplete existence that had taken Cha Sahyeon’s body.
I was going to protect the team, take Cha Sahyeon back, and somehow get all of us out of this rift together.
The incomplete Catastrophe stood on a building with the red sky behind it, looking down at us—and we stood gathered together inside the white light I’d created.
“Don’t hesitate.”
It wasn’t like anyone would have the luxury to hesitate once the fight started anyway.
I warned them in advance so nobody would get hurt trying to go easy on him just because he was my younger brother.
“Right now, he’s just an enemy.”
The instant I finished speaking, the shadow moved.
Like before, the shadow surged in like a wave, trying to swallow us, but it blurred as it was blocked by my light.
In that opening, I clasped my hands together and used Meditative Prayer again.
[Meditative Prayer (Area Buff)]
When you clasp both hands together, the skill effect is amplified and the range increases.
《Skill: Bond of the Guardian (SS-rank) Activated!》
《Primary skill damage increases. (Area) (Duration: 14 minutes 59 seconds)》
《Base speed increases. (Area) (Duration: 14 minutes 59 seconds)》
《Stability effect is applied. (Area) (Duration: 14 minutes 59 seconds)》
An area buff.
It would’ve been better if I could’ve grabbed everyone’s hands one by one and buffed them properly, but we didn’t have time for that.
The moment the buff went in, shadows surged up from the ground and lunged like snakes hunting prey.
Even with my Divine Power skill active, the speed at which I pushed them back was slower than the speed at which the shadows formed and attacked.
More than anything, no matter how strong the light was, I couldn’t erase the shadows beneath our feet.
‘We have to close the distance, no matter what.’
Only dealing with the shadows charging in from far away was a disadvantage for us.
We had to narrow the gap with the Catastrophe—the owner of the skill—and try to suppress it.
“Let’s go!”
At my shout, Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun started running.
So I wouldn’t step outside the range of Divine Power, I hurried after them. Song Jiwoon took my side. The ice spikes he created disrupted the shadows rushing in to swallow us—even if only for a moment.
In that time, the distance between Kwon Taehyuk—running at the very front—and the Catastrophe closed in an instant.
Earlier, right before his blade could reach Cha Sahyeon, he’d been swallowed by the shadow. This time, my light was protecting him from it.
Catching the blade that flew back after him, Kwon Taehyuk didn’t hesitate and moved his arm.
“Hm.”
A strip of red cloth cut through the air.
Eun Woojeong, who had belatedly caught up along the path Cha Seohu’s group had taken, looked around the empty village.
The civilians had all evacuated after hearing the Heavenly Demon was coming, and the village was silent with no trace of people. Only the occasional animal cry echoed.
Walking through it at an unhurried pace, Eun Woojeong lifted his head. The sky was darkening like night. The shadow that had begun far in the distance had already swallowed this place, too.
Eun Woojeong kept walking toward the direction the shadow had started from, then soon spotted something and stopped.
As if someone had drawn a line, right in front of him was covered in pitch-black smoke.
It looked like the world had been split with a single step. Beyond the wavering black smoke, nothing was visible—only darkness existed.
Facing it, Eun Woojeong touched the corner of his mouth.
Should he go in?
Whether Cha Seohu was inside—if he was, whether it was truly dangerous. Whether going in would help them escape this rift.
Different methods and possibilities surfaced, then vanished.
And among all those rational plans, the one thing that made Eun Woojeong decide was this:
The thought that Cha Seohu might be inside, and the possibility that it might be dangerous.
After staring at the dense shadow filling the space right in front of him for a moment, Eun Woojeong made his decision. He moved his legs and was about to step in without hesitation—
“Wait.”
A strange voice from behind stopped him.
Eun Woojeong stood still for a brief moment, then slowly turned his head.
‘...I didn’t feel any presence.’
Not far away, a tall man was standing there, looking at him.
At this distance, it would be normal to sense either a presence or an aura.
The fact that he couldn’t sense either meant... the other party was hiding it on purpose. And it also meant the gap in skill was so huge that even an S-rank like him couldn’t see through it.
“Did you call me?”
Instinctive wariness surged up, but Eun Woojeong hid that tension behind a faint smile.
Seeing Eun Woojeong’s reaction, the other man let out a small laugh as if he’d expected it.
“Yeah. I called you.”
“What did you call me for?”
“Because you can’t go in there.”
The man pointed not toward the front covered in shadow, but behind.
“Go there. That way, even the human you want to protect so badly will be safe.”
“The place you were going to enter is already over capacity. Even if you force your way in, it won’t help at all.”
The smile vanished from Eun Woojeong’s mouth.
Eun Woojeong stared at him with an expressionless face, then asked again.
“Shouldn’t you at least tell me what’s there before ordering me around?”
“Me? Why would I do that?”
The man tilted his head. The long hair that fell down shimmered gold.
“I’m only giving you a choice. You can trust me and go where I told you, or you can ignore me and walk straight in the way you’d decided.”
“The responsibility is entirely yours.”
Eun Woojeong’s eyes narrowed.
With just that brief reaction, the man seemed to have read what Eun Woojeong was thinking, and asked again.
“So. Which path will you choose?”
A gust of wind blew hard, and the Catastrophe’s long hair swept back. The pale face that had been hidden behind it was revealed. The doll-like, emotionless eyes met Kwon Taehyuk’s.
Kwon Taehyuk’s hand hesitated—just for a moment.
In the green eyes that reflected him like glass, there was nothing.
Were these really a human’s eyes?
The face was exactly the same as Cha Seohu’s younger brother’s, one he’d seen over and over, but from the existence in front of him now, he couldn’t feel even the slightest trace of life.
Cha Seohu’s younger brother hadn’t been like this. Beside Cha Seohu, he was always—
“Guildmaster!”
At Cha Seohu’s shout, Kwon Taehyuk snapped back to himself. And he moved the hand that had paused for that instant again.
It was the moment the sharp, pointed tip of his blade pierced the Catastrophe’s shoulder.
Hwaak—black shadow swelled from the Catastrophe’s body and burst out as if exploding.
Kwon Taehyuk’s body, trying to hold on while gripping the blade he’d driven in, was swept away. Ryu Sunghyun, right behind him, startled and snatched his arm—then his brow twisted.
“Keugh!”
A burning pain climbed up from the hand that had grabbed Kwon Taehyuk.
“Ugh, cough—!”
Even through the fierce heat, Ryu Sunghyun was horrified.
Kwon Taehyuk’s condition—dragged out of the bursting shadow—was horrific.
Smoke was rising from his entire body, and he was soaked through with blood.
It had only been an instant. He’d pulled him out immediately, and even so—
A cold shiver crawled up his spine.
The one saving grace was that Cha Seohu’s Divine Power skill was continuously wrapping around their bodies without stopping.
He was soaked with blood that had already flowed, but the wounds closed quickly. Kwon Taehyuk panted roughly, sucking in air like someone who had barely surfaced from water.
“Hhk, hhk....”
Kwon Taehyuk’s hand trembled as he braced on the ground and tried to lift his upper body. His complexion was pale, and the back of his neck was damp with cold sweat.
Even Ryu Sunghyun—who’d only had his arm hurt—got chills just from looking at the shadow wavering outside the light. So what must it be like for Kwon Taehyuk, who’d been submerged in it from head to toe?
The pain had been brief, but the memory, and the shock of that moment, remained.
Seeing the wavering look on Kwon Taehyuk’s face—who always stayed calm and solid no matter what—Ryu Sunghyun finally understood.
What they had to do right now wasn’t the simple task of restraining an Awakener who’d lost his reason.
They had to face fear and terror that kept being born.
Cha Seohu stared at the Catastrophe with trembling eyes.
Even pierced by the blade, the Catastrophe still looked down at them with that expressionless face. An enormous amount of shadow poured out without stopping, stubbornly clinging as it tried to swallow the light.

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