The air was thick, nearly crushingly so, and with the collapse of her body to the ground, her head severed and staring into the void, the oppressive aura lingered, suffocating every breath the party dared to take. The entity, still in full command of Akira's body, shifted its glowing white eyes toward Cha-Jong and the others. No longer entertained, it was cold, unbending, and full of scorn—a god looking at ants.
Its voice sounded like the distant rumble of ancient thunder, reverberating through the thickness of silence.
Entity commanding, cold."Let me say this—not as a threat, not as a warning... but as an order."
Now its eyes blazed like two bursting suns, forcing the company to their knees."Forget this ever happened.Understood?"
Cha-Jong, despite his usual bravado, found himself trembling. His lips quivered as he forced himself to respond, his voice breaking under the weight of fear.
Cha-Jong shaking."I… I understand. We shall do as you please."
Garret, the proud warrior who would typically challenge anyone and anything, clenched his fists tightly. For a brief moment, his pride flared, and he opened his mouth as if to protest—but no sound came. His throat felt strangled by an unseen force, and the words died before they could form. He glared at the entity, his jaw tightening, but even his defiance crumbled under the weight of its gaze. He lowered his eyes, his fists trembling at his sides.
"This isn't right," Garret thought, his mind racing. I've faced all kinds of monsters before even a wyvern,and worse—but this? This thing isn't just powerful. It's… beyond us. Beyond anything I've ever known." The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. For the first time in his life, he felt small. Insignificant. And it terrified him.
Even the girls, Mira and Lyra, who never showed weakness no matter the situation, couldn't lift their heads now. Mira's hands shook at her sides, her mind a whirlwind of fear and confusion. "What just happened?" she thought, her breath shallow. "Akira… he's not just some kid, is he? What if he's dangerous? What if we've been walking beside a ticking time bomb this whole time?"
Lyra bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, her eyes glued to the ground in terror. Her usual composure was shattered, replaced by a gnawing dread. "We're not supposed to survive things like this," she thought. "We're not supposed to see things like this. What does this mean for us? For him?"
The entity read their answers as meaningless, a flicker of pleasure in its otherworldly eyes."Good."
It shifted away, as if their gaze had become too bleak to warrant further attention. But then it stopped, as if recalling some trivial yet essential detail."Oh, I almost forgot…"Its voice dropped, colder than ever.
"Take care of my vessel. See that he gets back safely. And not a word of what happened here to him."
The words struck the party like an iron gauntlet. Its tone was final, admitting no argument or interpretation. The light around Akira's body dimmed, and the presence of the entity began to fade. As it vanished, it left one last whisper, softer now, almost human in speech, before disappearing without a trace.
"Brat… take care of yourself."
Before anyone could respond, the air around them began to warp. A low hum filled the room, growing louder until a swirling portal of ghostly blue flame erupted into existence. The edges crackled with raw energy, and within its depths, shadows twisted and writhed like living creatures. This was no ordinary exit portal—a byproduct of the dungeon's clearance. It radiated an unnatural mana, unmistakably created by the entity inside Akira's body.
The entity's voice echoed one last time, distant and disembodied."This dungeon is far from cleared. What you've seen is but a fraction of what lies within. You are not ready for what awaits. Consider yourself lucky you were with him."
The words sent a chill through the group. Cha-Jong's mind raced. Not cleared? What could possibly be worse than what we just faced? But there was no time to dwell on it. The portal pulsed, as if urging them to move.
The crushing weight in the room suddenly gave way to an empty feeling in the air. Akira's body slumped to the floor, unconscious but fully healed. Cha-Jong's instincts took over, and he knelt beside Akira, checking his pulse. It was steady, but his face was unnaturally serene, as if the horrors of the past moments had never occurred. His body was still and unscathed to an impossible degree.
After that, it was silent.
Garret hesitantly, whispering."What's going on? Did he... did he really defeat her just like that? Who... who was he—or what was he?"
Cha-Jong heaved Akira's limp body onto his back, his knees almost buckling under the weight—not from physical strain, but the sheer gravity of what had happened. His voice was firm, though it shook with barely suppressed fear.
Cha-Jong to everybody."We don't have time to stand around. Move. Now."
The group hesitated, staring at the portal. It was both a lifeline and a mystery, its eerie glow casting long shadows across their faces. Garret took a step forward, his usual bravado replaced by unease.
Garret muttering/"This doesn't feel right. What if it's a trap?"
Cha-Jong shook his head, his expression grim.We don't have a choice. Staying here isn't an option. And I don't think it's a trap. Even if he doesn't care about us, he definitely cares about the boy's safety."
With no other choice, they stepped into the created exit portal. The world around them dissolved into a blur of light and shadow. Time seemed to stretch and warp, twisting reality for a moment before violently throwing them back toward the entrance of the dungeon. Strangely, they didn't find themselves back inside the C-rank dungeon. Instead, they were standing outside of it, the very place they had entered before back at entrance of the dungeon.
The first steps outside brought fresh air and sunlight upon their skin. Cha-Jong gently laid Akira on the ground, his face scrunched up with worry as he knelt beside him.Lyra immediately began to examine him, her hands shaking as they worked.
Lyra whispering."His scars… they're gone. Completely gone."She looked up at Cha-Jong, her voice cracking.
Garret, his composure fraying, sat down heavily on the grass, running a hand through his hair."What kind of monster takes over someone's body, fights like that, and just… leaves?"
Cha-Jong sighed heavily, his eyes fixed on Akira's peaceful face. The group's shared silence spoke volumes. They all knew their journey forward would be fraught with questions and uncertainties. But for now, their sole focus was Akira.
The portal had vanished behind them, the dungeon now cleared—or so they thought. The entity's words echoed in Cha-Jong's mind: This dungeon is far from cleared. He shuddered, the weight of that knowledge pressing down on him like a physical force.
"If this ever got out... if the higher-ups ever caught wind of what happened here... Akira would never know peace again. They'd dissect him, study him, turn him into a weapon, or the worst case possible-who knows what else that monster could do? It was crystal clear: protect the boy, make sure he's safe, and don't let him know any of this."
He clenched his fists, his mind racing. "I'm the only one who can protect him now. The only one who can carry this burden. Because I own him my life regardless what happened."Cha-Jong adjusted Akira's unconscious form on his back, standing a little straighter as he turned to face the others.
Cha-Jong firmly "Leave him to me from now on. All of you... just forget what you've seen. Not a word of this to anyone. For the report to the guild and T.E.R.R.A agents, I'll take care of it myself. Neither to your superiors nor your families—nobody. I need some time to sort this out myself, so don't even expect me to give you any answers. I'll be in touch when the time is right."
He stiffened his arms, his face pale and puckered in a frown. After a moment's pause, he spoke again.
Garret hoarsely."Hey, be careful with him, Chief. That kid… whatever is inside of him, it's not normal. I think he doesn't mean it, but he can do some real damage—even to you."
His voice, firm and sure, shook ever so slightly as he tried to conceal his terror. His eyes flickered toward Akira's tranquil expression before darting swiftly away, as if a longer look might invite an evil spirit.
Garret bitterly."I don't want him near me anymore. Not after this. I've fought monsters half of my life, but this? This is something else."
Cha-Jong forced a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Mockingly"Never thought I'd see the day Garret would back down from his savior like this... It's true what they say—fear shows us who we really are."
Garret's face soured, and he said nothing before striding away toward the horizon. Mira and Lyra exchanged uncomfortable glances and quickly followed after him—neither dared to look at Akira again.
As their figures vanished into the distance, Cha-Jong let out a deep sigh, his expression softening as he turned to face Akira. He bent slightly to adjust the boy on his back and muttered softly.
Cha-Jong low, contemplative"Truly, kid… what are you? I've seen and heard a lot of strange things, but this? This is something else entirely."
He turned and stopped, looking into Akira's face."I only hope you aren't carrying bad omens within you. Whatever you're carrying inside, let's pray that it won't bring doom upon our heads."
He took a deep breath, ruffled his hair, and started walking.
"But for now… let's get you somewhere safe."