Chapter 76: Kim Ryung’s method
The moment he dropped in the river, before he could even sink deeper, a hand gripped his arm and he was promptly fished out of the river. Knowing who it was, Cheon Areum clung onto Yoon Seoyul’s shirt like a whimpering dog in fear.
"Don’t just recklessly jump in when you can’t swim!"
"You can let go of him now, Cheon Areum. They’re all gone."
Yoon Seoyul spoke perturbedly but still shielded him with his arms. Hearing Lee Nari’s words, Cheon Areum suspiciously peeked from Yoon Seoyul’s neck. The swarm of dragonflies was nowhere to be seen. He wiped his face against Yoon Seoyul’s chest before lifting himself on his feet unsteadily.
"You know I can’t swim?"
Cheon Areum asked confusedly, but before he could get an answer, Lee Nari gripped him by the shoulders and transferred him to the cleared-out area.
"Stay here. There aren’t any bugs here unless something flies over... I think the bugs are attracted to you. They keep wanting to fly towards you."
Not sure if it was meant to reassure him or terrify him, Cheon Areum obediently sat down on the patch of bare earth—dry, cracked, and stripped of even the smallest blades of grass. Yoon Seoyul and Lee Nari towered over him, their figures splaying long, looming shadows across his face as he spoke solemnly.
"This isn’t working. I need to get out of here as soon as possible."
"Just think of them as your own black butterflies. You’re not scared of them, are you?"
Lee Nari suggested. Cheon Areum tilted his neck backward to glare at her specifically.
"It’s not the same thing. Those butterflies are an imitation created by my energy."