189 Unexpected Savior
“But, Jeong-Hui…Would it be so bad for things to end here?”
The question came randomly from the lips of the gravely afflicted young man, taking him by surprise as he glanced over with his tired, emerald eyes.
“Huh?”
“I just mean…What’re we fighting for, exactly? I’ve lost so much…Ma, my dad…You’ve lost a lot, too, haven’t you? Doesn’t it just feel pointless? What’s the point of fighting and going on…if we have no family to return to,” Xiaodan asked.
“–“
Xiaodan looked straight into his eyes, glancing at his dagger, “…I don’t want to be eaten alive, Jeong-Hui.”
“Yeah, me neither,” he stoically replied, trying to dissuade this conversation.
“–If it comes to it…” Xiaodan began to say.
“…You’re not thinking straight right now–get some rest,” he interrupted.
Xiaodan stared at him for a moment with dreary eyes before closing them and doing his best to relax against the wall.
“Maybe you’re right. I’m not thinking straight, am I?…I hope this feeling is just temporary,” Xiaodan spoke quietly as a small trail of tears ran down his cheeks.
He looked over, quietly watching as Xiaodan seemed to fall to slumber, breathing quietly. Once he made sure the silver-haired boy was asleep, he held his own face in his hands, gripping his frizzy, vermilion locks.
…It’s nauseating. A world like this…it’s an endless cycle of suffering and loss. All we can do is win small battles, insignificant victories that only allow us to continue pushing on for another day. Just losing one of those minuscule battles can result in death. How many are there? Hundreds of these battles? Thousands? When will we be able to rest? He questioned.
It was difficult for him to pinpoint why he continued dragging his feet along the cold gravel of the fallen world, or why he held onto his daggers with his trembling fingertips each day.
He felt it as well; that small voice inside of him, placing the idea in his mind, reasoning with him on why he should simply give up.
If it wasn’t suffering, it was death. If it wasn’t death, it was despair. If it wasn’t despair, it was suffering.
This perpetual cycle did nothing but wear him down, but he found himself moving despite the dreary world constantly taking jabs at him.
“…A reason to continue moving forward…” He remembered those words from the late Dae-Seong on the burial day of his fallen companions.
Thinking of what Xiaodan had just told him about, he felt a mixture of anger and grief boiling inside of him, though it was quelled by the nature of the situation around him.
I didn’t go through all of that…to save you…only for you to give up, idiot, he thought.
While pondering to himself, he caught on to a noise persisting beyond the vermin-tested walls.
Clang.
It was distinct amongst the melody of high-pitched, ravenous squeaks that never seemed to stop amongst the rodents.
Clink. Clang.
Now, it was obvious–it was the sound of steel striking asphalt, being hammered down violently as the squeaks of vermin being eviscerated met his ears, though muffled through the walls.
He put it together quickly; there was somebody in the streets, sweeping through those rotten rats.
“…Who would…? Are they suicidal?!” He muttered to himself.
Of course, the thought occurred to him to help whoever this person was, but as he instinctively reached for the door handle, he stopped himself.
Even somebody as brash as him knew well–if he opened that door, there would be no benefit from it, only loss.
Beyond that door was a sea bearing waves of millions of rodents. And, even if he somehow managed to evade their wrath, and keep Xiaodan out of their reach while simultaneously saving the person outside, that person was likely infected many times over by the plague.
Clink. Clang.
“Raagh! Outta the way, bastards!”
The masculine voice he heard roaring outside was deathly familiar to him. Though for just a brief moment, it was relieving like the soothing warmth of a fireplace to him, that was quickly replaced by a cold shock.
“…Korain…?” He mumbled in disbelief.
Even if he wanted to reject it now based on the sway of his heart, the logical part of his mind couldn’t look past it: Korain was likely on borrowed time now.
Why is he here? Did he get separated from the group, too? Then why would he be out here…? He questioned.
Another yell came from the street, echoing loud with the strong but desperate tone of the burly man carrying it throughout the block, “–Jeong-Hui–!!! Xiaodan–!!!”
Hearing his name be called, his heart sank as the pieces fit together on why somebody would make such a terrible, suicidal decision as to march through the Unending Plague.
He’s…looking for us? He realized.
With his hand hovering near the door handle, he didn’t know what to do. If he opened that door, there would be no stopping the swarm from pouring in. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
But, he couldn’t bear the thought of silently sitting there while the man risked his very being just to find them.
It wasn’t even a question; he was going to make his presence known.
Still, he couldn’t risk Xiaodan being caught up in his own hasty, dangerous decision, so he quickly explored the diner, looking for any way he could safely call back out to Korain.
“Jeong-Hui…! Ngh! Xiaodan!” Korain’s voice was heard again.
While racing around the diner, he finally realized it wouldn’t be possible to open any entrance without letting an ungodly amount of vermin inside.
He went over to Xiaodan’s side, slightly shaking his shoulder as he spurred the groggy, injured young man’s eyes to blink tiredly.
“…Jeong-Hui?”
“We have to go,” he said, “…Korain is out there. He came looking for us, I think…”
Xiaodan’s eyes widened a bit, “Korain…? Why would he…?”
“I don’t know, but…we can’t sit around, right? We have to make ourselves known,” he said, looking at the silver-haired boy.
For a moment, Xiaodan sat still, hardly moving as his body was still encumbered by the devastating effects of the washed-away plague.
But, another yell from outside seemed to ignite something in Xiaodan;
“Jeong-Hui! Xiaodan! Come on…! I know some little rats won’t beat you!” Korain yelled out again.
Xiaodan looked at him, nodding, “…Let’s go.”
“Alright,” he smiled slightly.
“Well…I’ll need a bit of help,” Xiaodan told him.
He already assumed so, quickly kneeling down and giving his back to Xiaodan, who wrapped his arms around his neck as he was hoisted onto the vermilion-haired assassin’s back.
Facing towards the wall, he placed his hand forward, focusing his breathing and the rapid thump of his heart.
“Hold on,” he said.
“Right,” Xiaodan replied.
It was a stupid plan–there was no question about it. There wasn’t much thought about it, and the risk of failure was much greater than the chance of success. But, if they were going to die anyway, this was their one chance to shift that outcome.
With Sage Period active, he held his palm towards the concrete wall that he was sure led to the alleyway.
I’ll have to execute this quickly. Luckily, Sage Period is just the tool for that, he thought.
“Cast: Flame Lance!”
The zero cost spell was manifested by his invocation, summoning a spiraling spear forged of flames that immediately launched forward with a heated flash.
“Hot…!” Xiaodan winced as his silver locks blew in the flame-generated winds.
As the flame-borne lance crashed against the wall, it blew it apart. He didn’t waste a single moment bursting forward with his first [Blink Step], causing both himself and Xiaodan, who hugged onto his back tightly, to leave the broken wall and enter the alley.
Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
Nipping towards his heels, the countless rodents were instantly aimed for him, leaping up and attempting to bite both of them, but he launched with another instantaneous step. This time, he brought the soles of his boots against the wall, jumping with one last [Blink Step] as the rats leaped up high like springs, nearly reaching them.
“Ngh!” Xiaodan clenched his teeth, feeling the swarm of abnormal rodents nearby.
With the final step, the two miraculously landed on the roof in an executed plan that extended across only a few seconds total.
“We did it…” Xiaodan breathed out.
“Yeah,” he said, standing on the roof.
With a new view of the street, he confirmed his suspicions: Korain was there in the center of the vermin-filled street, swinging his blade that was engulfed in spiraling winds as he eviscerated the surroundings rodents.
“Oh no…” Xiaodan muttered.
“–“
Korain was clearly filled with bites, though he pushed on, the number of vermin was too much.
“Korain!” He yelled out.
“Korain–!” Xiaodan yelled with him.
While battling the sea of rats, the mix-colored haired man glanced up, seeing the two on the roof as his bloodied, strained expression turned to a grin.
“…There you are!”
“Jump up! Come on!” He called out.
But, he realized there was a simply reason why Korain was stuck on the ground, despite being able to easily leap the height of the surroundings buildings with his immense physicality.