Chapter 304
Thud. The man in a black suit collapsed. A pool of red blood began to spread across the white ash. A familiar sight. He had seen it countless times in the West Sea Rift. Mackerel rushed forward and grabbed Minggijeok. Uijae stared blankly at the scene. Then, a dark shadow loomed over the two of them.
The lion’s front paw slashed through the air once more. His body moved instinctively. And then—
Thwack!
A strangled gasp escaped before he could swallow it. A terrible pain struck his head. But Uijae steadied his staggering body, using his spear as support, barely managing to stand on both feet. His vision wavered into a chaotic mess. A piercing ringing sound shook his skull. The surrounding noise faded, replaced only by the high-pitched ringing and the pounding of his own heart. The taste of blood filled his mouth—he must have bitten his lip.
"Hyungnim!"
Uijae pressed his throbbing temple. It was wet. When he pulled his hand away, his palm was soaked in bright red blood. At the sight of it, the emotion that seized him was—
‘It’s still red.’
Relief.
A hollow chuckle escaped him. Each laugh made him sway dizzily, but he couldn’t stop. Through the terrible ringing, Mackerel’s voice echoed in his ears.
"Hyungnim! Are you okay?"
Uijae slowly turned his head. Mackerel and Minggijeok blurred into two, then three figures. But through the distortion, he could see Mackerel’s wide, trembling eyes clearly. The younger man pointed at him with a shaking hand.
"Hyungnim… your mask…"
"……."
Uijae reached up to touch his mask with bloodied fingers. The left side around his eye was broken. No wonder his vision was a mess. Hong Yesung, that bastard, boasted so much about his craftsmanship, and yet one hit was all it took to break it? Uijae turned his gaze forward.
The lion stood there, front paw still raised, staring at him in puzzlement. Drops of red blood dripped from its pristine white paw and claws. Its stark white eyes questioned—
Why did you block it?
Uijae didn’t bother answering the monster’s confusion. Instead, he staggered forward and knelt beside Minggijeok. The lion lowered its raised paw, no longer exuding hostility. It simply observed him in silence.
Uijae spoke carefully.
"…Minggijeok-ssi."
His real voice slipped out. The mask’s voice modulation function wasn’t working anymore.
Minggijeok clutched his chest, gasping. A gush of blood surged out from between his fingers, dripping from deep, clawed wounds. Especially the one on his chest—it was so deep that his bones were visible. He wouldn’t last much longer at this rate. Through the cracked lens of his sunglasses, his black eyes kept fluttering open and shut. Uijae endured his own dizziness and murmured,
"Don’t lose consciousness."
"…Customer…"
Minggijeok wheezed. The pool of blood spreading around him grew wider.
"Are… you okay…?"
"I’m fine."
"I’m… sorry… I should have… stopped it…"
"It’s not your fault, Minggijeok-ssi."
The blame lay with Cha Uijae, who had sent monsters to where Minggijeok was. He had shoved him aside, calling him a distraction—and yet, he failed to protect him. Uijae muttered under his breath.
"It’s my fault."
At that moment, Mackerel hurriedly pulled out several potions from his inventory.
"There are potions, but they won’t be enough for a wound this deep. We should get him to the doctor—"
"Yeah, take him right away."
"What about you?! You got hit too! Why did you block it with your body— No, I mean, it’s a miracle your skull isn’t cracked, but if you get a concussion, it’s serious!"
"My body moved on its own… I’ll follow soon, just go first."
"…Will you be okay alone, hyungnim?"
"Get him treated. Now."
Uijae gripped his spear and pulled himself to his feet. A quiet whisper followed.
"I’ll block it properly this time. Sorry."
Mackerel bit his lip hard. Then, carrying Minggijeok on his back, he started running. Behind him, a trail of blood stretched out like a path.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
The lion, seeing its fleeing prey, let out a long roar. But it didn’t move recklessly. A sharp spear tip was pointed at its throat.
"……."
Uijae squeezed his eyes shut, then forced them open again. The tip of his spear wavered, splitting into two, then three. But his grip remained steady.
Don’t hesitate.
Uijae bit down hard on his tongue. The sharp pain jolted him awake.
[Title ‘Sovereign of Solitude’ has been activated.]
Thud.
The air twisted. The monsters lined up behind the lion stirred uneasily. Through the persistent ringing in his ears, he heard their anxious wails. But only for a moment—
From the back of the horde, one by one—
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
They knelt.
Uijae lifted his head. At last, even the master of the dungeon, the lion itself—
Thud.
It crouched down on all fours and bowed its head.
"……."
They awaited their sovereign’s judgment. Whether to take their lives or spare them— It was entirely the sovereign’s decision. Uijae adjusted his grip on the spear.
[Skill ‘Strength Enhancement (S+)’ has been activated.]
[Unique Skill ‘Master’s Hands (S+)’ has been activated.]
[Unique Skill ‘One Who Pierces All (S+)’ has been activated.]
System notifications flooded in. A tingling sensation spread through his fingertips. He steadied his breathing. Unlike before, he didn’t feel liberated. Instead, the spear felt heavier than ever.
That was fine. He was more used to this. Uijae raised his spear. Then, he pulled it back. He held his breath. His blue eyes took in the scene before him. Instead of the people he had to protect, the only ones in front of him—were those he had to kill.
Uijae closed his eyes. Even so, his spear would not miss.
<Heart Pierced!>
BOOM—!!
A brilliant white light exploded outward.
…Eventually, Cha Uijae slowly opened his eyes.
"……."
Silence.
The small monsters that had been darting around excitedly—the mothers who had been tending to their young—the countless creatures he had passed by—all lay bleeding on the ground.
He pulled his spear free. A gush of searing white blood splattered over his head and shoulders. His heart pounded wildly.
Thud.
The giant lion collapsed onto the ground. As Uijae approached, the white lion struggled to breathe, rolling its eyes toward him. Its white pupils asked—
Why are you attacking?
Why are you killing us?
Confusion.
Uijae didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his spear high. The lion’s pale, blinking eyes slowly slid shut.
Thunk.
Once more, white blood splattered. Uijae turned away from the corpses of the monsters. The dungeon break was resolved. The seafood market would no longer be in danger.
‘That should be enough.’
He followed the scattered trail of blood—but before he could go far—
Thud.
His legs gave out beneath him. Uijae collapsed onto the ground.
He blinked slowly. The blue glow in his eyes gradually dimmed. For some reason, his body wouldn’t move. A heavy exhaustion pressed down on him.
‘…Tired.’
Through his hazy vision, white ash fluttered down. His rapidly beating heart gradually slowed. A stray thought drifted through his mind.
Would Lee Sa-young come?
He always had, at times like this.
He missed the black fabric that had once shielded his sight. The voice that had spoken to him. The warmth that had seeped through his clothes.
Uijae smiled faintly.
…Of course not.
He erased the fleeting hope.
In moments like this, when loneliness rushed in like a tide, Lee Sa-young had always been there. Never giving him the chance to feel alone.
But this time—
Lee Sa-young was not here.
He had to endure this, alone.
Like he always had.
‘It’s not so bad.’
His trembling eyelids slowly shut.
‘I should get used to it….’
Darkness fell.
***
A sharp scent lingered in the air. His vision wavered.
People in black suits had gathered in the shattered hall. Sniffles and quiet sobs filled the space. They were all holding something—it looked like flowers made of paper. White petals covered in black writing. Had they torn up a book to make them?
One by one, they placed the flowers on the desk. Soon, it was his turn. He set down the flower and lifted his head.
A smiling face met his gaze.
Jeong Bin’s photograph was adorned with two black ribbons. Gray smoke curled up from the incense. The murmurs of the crowd reached his ears.
How did he die?
I heard one of the mutated team members tore out his throat. He was trying to subdue them before they could hurt anyone else…
Was he injured so badly that even the doctor couldn’t save him?
That too, but… the mutation risk…
They’re developing a cure, aren’t they? They could’ve at least tried—
It failed.
……
What do we do now? Without Team Leader Jeong…
Who’s going to take command…
A deep, overwhelming despair swallowed the room.
It felt like the end had finally come.
It’s over now.
The soft scratch of a pen on paper echoed in the silence.
[Jeong Bin is dead.]
***
The lingering scent of incense faded from his nose.
Cha Uijae opened his eyes.
A stark white ceiling greeted him. It was oddly familiar. The sterile smell of disinfectant, the white curtains surrounding him—everything was a perfect replica of a hospital room.
A scene I’ve seen too often in the Memorial Dungeon…
Had someone moved him to a hospital?
Uijae carefully pushed himself up. And then—he realized something was wrong.
…Where’s my mask?
His hands flew to his face. No sign of the broken mask. Only smooth, bare skin. He scanned the room, but there was no trace of anything black that could be his mask.
A chill ran down his spine.
Just then, a voice spoke from beyond the curtain.
"Master, the patient has woken up."
That mechanical tone—it had to be the doctor’s boy assistant.
A dragging shuffle of shoes followed.
Panicked, Uijae yanked the thin blanket over his head.
At the same time, the curtain was abruptly pulled open.
"Oh, you’re really awake. And your head seems fine too."
Beyond the white fabric, someone crossed their arms.
A voice laced with amusement—yet dripping with sarcasm—asked,
"So, did you make good use of that Artisan Ticket I gave you?"
…Fuck!
Uijae realized there was no point in hiding and threw off the blanket.
Nam Woo-jin smirked crookedly.