# Chapter 36
According to plan, that’s how it should have been. Lee Hwan would take the rear and move forward to block the monster, while Taesung would use flames—without letting the air get too hot—filling various spots with whirlwinds and explosions.
This wasn’t so much a predetermined tactic as it was a combat instinct of attacking at plausible timing, and Taesung had never missed such an opportunity before.
But this time, the attack Lee Hwan had been expecting didn’t happen when he thought it would.
That small misalignment became a butterfly effect. An unburnt tendril of the monster stretched out, grazing above Lee Hwan’s head.
While dodging that, he couldn’t use his Dolpeung, and because of that, an unblocked bud opened wide toward Taesung.
Crack! Snap!
The monster’s anther contracted sharply then burst, spewing out seeds covered with thorns.
The attack came in a shower—seeds protected by shells for reproduction and with resistance to both flames and cold, making them impossible to block by simply burning them in an instant.
If the person standing there had been a complete stranger, Lee Hwan honestly might have hesitated for a moment.
Of course, he always wanted to save people, but fundamentally, survival is every living creature’s instinct. That’s why he never intended to sacrifice his body needlessly in any situation.
Also, usually, even if others got hurt, it would be more helpful for future battles if Lee Hwan remained unharmed.
But what his eyes captured now was Taesung.
‘…!’
It was Taesung.
Lee Hwan didn’t think. Before he could even register it, his body moved first. He released the shield-type spatial control in front of him and used all his strength to envelop Taesung.
While doing so, though already too late, he did his best to alter the trajectory of the flying seeds.
With his concentration, the surroundings seemed to stretch slowly. Lee Hwan felt as if time had stopped.
Whi… rrr… rrr… zz-.
Ta-dadadadada-!
The shooting seeds were deflected in all directions without reaching Taesung, hitting the walls…
When Taesung’s surprised eyes turned toward him, Lee Hwan’s stretched sense suddenly returned all at once.
‘!’
An absolute moment of silence flowing.
“Ugh…”
Lee Hwan felt a throbbing pain in his waist as his strength drained completely.
As his knees bent deeply and he tumbled forward, a burst of hot heat exploded in front of him. Lee Hwan clutched his stinging side and caught his breath.
Taesung turned to look at his staggering form but was again unleashing his ability because of the monster ahead.
Lee Hwan struggled to lift his head. Quickly surveying the surroundings, he saw Taesung burning the monster and vines that were already charred. After assessing the immediate danger, Lee Hwan finally loosened his grip on his side slightly to check his injury.
Blood stained his hand red. It wasn’t flowing profusely, suggesting the wound wasn’t deep.
“Ah shit…”
Still, an injury was an injury, so after the groan came cursing.
Of all times, a whip-like tendril of the plant-type monster had grazed his side just as he’d released his protection. Plant-types usually had toxins, so whether he’d be okay remained uncertain.
The suit, torn widely enough to expose his side, looked pitiful. He’d worn one he’d been saving. Thinking about the price of this piece of cloth, Lee Hwan felt a bit upset even in the midst of everything.
As his mouth tried to pout on its own, he bit his lip hard.
‘Get it together…’
The first thing to do whenever problems arose during battle was to assess the situation. Lee Hwan grunted as he got up and surveyed his surroundings again.
Currently, one person injured. No difficulty moving but intense combat impossible. All monsters in the immediate vicinity incapacitated, but intact specimens would gradually gather after hearing the commotion.
Not a critical situation, but even to adjust their combat power, a temporary retreat was necessary.
While pressing firmly on the wound area to stop the bleeding, Lee Hwan slowly reconsiderated the situation. If they couldn’t fight at full strength until the end, they needed to retreat for now. But where to?
“Kang Taesung!”
Lee Hwan called his name instinctively, like in the past. At the sudden shout, Taesung turned his head.
“Set fire to the monster’s corpse and retreat! Move back about 200 meters and wait at the other fork in the road!”
The side wound might not be so light after all, as Lee Hwan felt awkward when putting weight on his legs. If that was the case, he needed to leave first and run in order to reach the fork at the same time as Taesung.
Lee Hwan immediately turned and sprinted.
The thirty-sixth stratagem: running away. Quick escape was one of the things Lee Hwan was good at.
Crunch.
But his body staggered as the sound of slipping on stones came from under his feet. He tried to quickly plant his foot again, but his legs felt unbearably heavy. Despite just a shallow cut, whether from the monster’s poison or because this was his first injury in this body, his body wasn’t listening as well as expected.
‘Damn it…’
While cursing again, he heard Taesung running behind him. Lee Hwan clenched his teeth tightly.
He’s catching up with his stride. And he’ll fall behind. Although injured, the fact that he couldn’t keep pace with Taesung in the end, despite working so hard to build his skills until now, was deeply frustrating.
Moreover, if he stayed behind like this, he would be detected by the monsters. So once Taesung safely escaped, he would need to find another hiding place to avoid leaving a trail.
Tap, tak… tak!
But surprisingly, the running sounds stopped behind him, and instead of the large figure passing by his side, it paused hesitantly. Soon, a hot hand slipped between Lee Hwan’s arms.
“Ugh.”
Lee Hwan made a strange sound in surprise. It was a completely unexpected contact.
Taesung’s hand, having continuously used his ability, was warmer than his body. With that large hand supporting him, Lee Hwan found it much easier to stand.
“Can’t make it to the fork. Hide through that gap.”
At the low whisper from behind, Lee Hwan felt goosebumps rising on his neck. Looking to the left, there was a large crack mark. It was a crevice that seemed to narrow as it went deeper inside, despite its large opening.
He could sense monsters gathering from afar. Without further thought, Lee Hwan grabbed Taesung’s arm and jumped into that gap.
* * *
To avoid being seen. To avoid being noticed. To avoid being discovered. Lee Hwan crumpled his body as much as possible with Taesung and pressed as close as he could, pushing as far inside as possible.
Only after catching his breath did Lee Hwan realize he was pressed tightly against Taesung. Whether due to his ability, the solid and large body was heated up as hot as his hand.
There was no room to move back, let alone create space. It was so cramped that Lee Hwan had no choice but to overlap his body on top of Taesung’s chest.
‘Hah…’
For a moment, as anxiety slightly eased, his rapidly beating heart seemed to settle down. Lee Hwan unconsciously closed his eyes gently.
This guy was warm. That warmth felt incredibly pleasant against his injured and tense body.
‘…Hot pack.’
If he knew about this ridiculous thought that didn’t match the situation, would he be angry?
But it was impossible to resist how his body melted softly like receiving a massage from the languid heat felt through the pressed parts and the familiar scent that tickled his nostrils.
Taesung’s arm wriggled. Opening his eyes halfway and looking down, he saw Taesung examining Lee Hwan’s side. The suit was still getting slowly soaked with blood.
Lee Hwan stared blankly at it and then raised his gaze with a groan. Only after calming his urgent mind did the stinging pain wrap around his body.
‘What now?’
With roughly that kind of look in his eyes as he faced Taesung, the latter’s pupils froze at close range. Then his arm moved again, and there was the sound of a zipper being opened with a zzzik.
After a moment, there was a feeling of pulling and tearing the suit, and unexpectedly something sore touched his side.
“Argh…”
Lee Hwan, who had cried out in surprise, quickly shut his mouth when he saw Taesung shaking his head slightly. The sound of monsters passing by was heard nearby.
A stinging, burning pain scorched his side. Lee Hwan furrowed his brow and tried hard to swallow his moans. Looking down at the wound area again, a large patch was attached to it.
It was a medical patch with wound disinfection and hemostatic effects. It seemed Taesung had rummaged through his own supplies for first aid. These were expensive. Taesung still used good things, both in the past and now.
A tingling sensation rose as the patch’s ingredients took effect. Lee Hwan closed his eyes again and relaxed his body, partly to suppress even his groans or breathing sounds. Being like this, it felt as if he was embraced by Taesung, or leaning on him.
The mask he briefly touched was still firmly attached. However, as his head tilted slightly, revealing the side profile, it made him a bit anxious. Still, since he couldn’t move at all, they would have to wait like this for a while.
Lee Hwan decided to enjoy the warm embrace of his friend who had left like a prodigal son, if only for a short time. This warmth, which smelled better than a hwangto hot pack, provided treatment, and somehow made him feel itchy inside.
If he didn’t want to get caught and beaten by passing monsters, it couldn’t be helped. There’s a saying that if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it. That’s what it was. Yes. That’s what Lee Hwan thought.
Feeling Taesung’s gaze on his face repeatedly, Lee Hwan closed his eyes even tighter. A ticklish breath was felt from close by.
Being this close for the first time since the regression, his heartbeat had risen slightly from the happiness. He hoped the sound of his heartbeat wouldn’t be heard through their pressed bodies.
‘If he finds his memories, this too will all be just memories.’
Thinking like that made everything a little easier to endure. Someday Taesung would find his memories, and Lee Hwan would then thoroughly scold him and express his dissatisfaction about everything that had happened. If Taesung apologized and placed him in the best seat, bringing mountains of food, Lee Hwan would lie like an emperor and receive it.
He wouldn’t even let him sit on the sofa. He would stretch out his arms and legs to eliminate any sitting space.
The memories from before the regression were still as vivid as yesterday in Lee Hwan’s mind. So much so that this sudden situation where everything had become as if it never happened felt too unfamiliar.
“Kuh…”
Laughter escaping involuntarily, Lee Hwan hurriedly closed his mouth. But when he looked at Taesung, he realized that contrary to the smile at the corners of his lips, tears had welled up in his vision. With the mask covering the surroundings, he couldn’t even wipe them properly.
