Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World

What was fear? What was dread?

 

For Cha Jaeha, facing his past was the embodiment of fear itself.

 

Because he lacked the courage to confront his past.

 

Unresolved fear became the present and shaped the future.

 

“Oh. Ah.”

 

In a world created by hallucinations, he couldn’t tell if it was real or if he was just having a strange dream.

 

Amidst that terrible pain, a man told him he wasn’t the one who killed his parents.

 

He also told him to use fire, even though they were already in a fiery hell.

 

Young Cha Jaeha’s mind was in turmoil. But strangely, at the words of this unknown person of similar build, he could naturally stretch out his arm.

 

Even though the words had no logic or evidence.

 

But the phrase ‘Believe in yourself’ and ‘You already know’ deceived him.

 

As soon as Cha Jaeha uttered the word ‘Explode’, the boy’s vision turned into a sea of fire. Could anyone survive this inferno?

 

No, that would be impossible. This unidentified hell would repeat again…

 

“It’s dead? Wow, killed in one shot. You were really something even as a kid~”

 

“…”

 

“What’s with that dumbfounded face? Did you want me to die?”

 

The man emerged from the fire, laughing. He was fine, without a scratch. As if it wasn’t hot, he even flicked off some fire near his shoulder with his finger. He also mentioned his joints aching from old age… He didn’t look that much older, though.

 

“Now, Mr. Cha Jaeha.”

 

Hwashin bent his knees to be on the same eye level with Cha Jaeha, who had slumped to the ground.

 

Even if this was from a few yours ago, that dumbfounded look was clearly.

 

…So handsome.

 

Indeed, promising buds were recognizable early and handsome people grew up to be handsome. Well, at 23, his face would be fully developed. Since there wasn’t much detail about young Cha Jaeha in the book, this might be the last chance to see this face.

 

Hwashin stared intently at Cha Jaeha’s face, not wanting to miss this opportunity.

 

“…Um.”

 

“You must have been consistently handsome even when you were younger than now.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“Your face is amusing, and it’s quite fun that I’m the only one speaking casually.”

 

It was probably time to end this hallucination.

 

Hwashin grinned mischievously. He roughly pointed his thumb at the charred scenery behind him.

 

“You’re the one who burned that.”

 

Yes, Cha Jaeha was indeed the one who turned this area into ruins. It made sense, given that he unleashed his S-rank power from the start.

 

“But it wasn’t you who burned your parents.”

 

“….”

 

“Your fire can’t kill people. The user is too kind-hearted for that.”

 

The finger pointing at the scenery easily flipped around to point at Cha Jaeha.

 

Unrecognizable corpses. Normally, they would have brought tears, but Cha Jaeha, who had seen those corpses hundreds of times, could neither speak nor cry anymore.

 

The playful face was gone now. Hwashin stood before him with sunken eyes and a somewhat lonely expression.

 

“In this world, abilities are unconsciously influenced by their users.”

 

There was one truth in <Your Hero Is Here> that was accepted only as a hypothesis.

 

The range affected by an ability was influenced by its user.

 

Of course, this was true when perfect control was possible, but this hypothesis was indeed correct.

 

If the user was good-hearted and didn’t wish to harm others, their ability could cause no harm to humans. Of course, the opposite could also be true.

 

In fact, Cha Jaeha’s control was perfect when he first awakened to S-rank. The problem came after.  After believing he had killed his parents, he became unstable.

 

Hwashin asked.

 

“So, Cha Jaeha, did you want to kill your parents?”

 

Sometimes in books, the protagonist’s belief about their past was wrong. Circumstances, situations, and what other people say made them believe it. Because everyone said so.

 

With a serious face, Hwashin lifted Cha Jaeha’s chin as he remained silent.

 

“I’m asking if you wanted to kill them. Did you hate your parents that mu—”

 

Young Cha Jaeha’s gaze turned fierce.

 

“…Are you crazy?”

 

Wanted to kill them? Me?

 

Never once in his life had Cha Jaeha wanted to kill his parents, or his friends, or even strangers he didn’t know.

 

Yeah, he didn’t want to kill anyone.

 

“…That could never happen.”

 

“That’s right. It couldn’t.”

 

Tears welled up in Cha Jaeha’s eyes, mixed with a glimmer of hope. This was hope.

 

“Everything you said is correct.”

 

“…”

 

“Believe in yourself. That’s the truth. Understand?”

 

Finally smiling again, Hwashin put his hands on his knees and got up. He got up creakily, cracking his neck once as he looked down at the slumped Cha Jaeha.

 

“Now, then.”

 

“…”

 

“It’s nice using formal speech, but isn’t it time to head back, Cha Jaeha?”

 

Right. It was time to go back now. If they stayed here any longer, they might get consumed by this place too. And he was not in great shape either.

 

“If you realize this is a hallucination, we should go help the others now.”

 

Clap. Hwashin’s palms met. With that clapping sound, the future began to flood young Cha Jaeha’s mind.

 

His parents’ funeral, entering the center, activities as a hero, and then Unit 1. And there, he met—

 

“…Yoo Hwashin?”

 

When Cha Jaeha, who had just uttered Yoo Hwashin’s name, slowly opened his eyes, the owner of that name was sitting beside him, also stretching.

 

There was dried blood on the man’s face, trailing from his jaw. His black hair had turned silver. Quite a lot had changed in the short time they were apart.

 

“Ugh, so stiff.”

 

As expected, the fatigue hit different after collapsing once.

 

‘But it was kind of fun.’

 

While Yoo Hwashin was lost in thought about his aching body, Cha Jaeha, who had just woken up, looked at him blankly.

 

Cha Jaeha blurted out.

 

“What happened to your hair?”

 

That’s the first thing you say after meeting in reality?

 

How affectionate, our protagonist.

 

***

 

Huh.

 

“It’s real.”

 

Hwashin widened his eyes in surprise as he checked his hair through the front lens of the camera. He wasn’t shocked by the silver hair. In his previous life, his hair was originally silver.

 

‘But this kid’s original hair color is black. …Was it too much for him? Or maybe. No, it can’t be that.’

 

Dismissing the thought, Hwashin put his phone back in his pocket.

 

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?”

 

Hwashin grinned up at Cha Jaeha, who had stood up first. Turning away from that flower-like smile, Cha Jaeha reconnected his in-ear device.

 

With a crackle, Ha Cheongwon, sounding somewhat annoyed, quickly responded to the connection.

 

– …Why… answer… did you defeat… the monster?

 

The first sentence was not clear, probably due to spores clogging the earpiece. It seemed he was asking if the monster was defeated.

 

Cha Jaeha glanced at the monster, split in half and dead, and turned to look at Yoo Hwashin.

 

“Did you do this?”

 

“Hm? Oh, yes.”

 

“…Yes, it seems the situation on the sixth floor is resolved.”

 

– Really?!

 

Ha Cheongwon jumped up from his seat. Changing his position after taking charge of this incident had been a wise move. In his previous office, he never would have gotten so excited as to leap up like this.

 

‘I thought the 6th floor would be the most difficult.’

 

Ha Cheongwon composed himself and spoke calmly again after fixing his disheveled hair.

 

– That’s a relief.

 

“How are the situations on other floors?”

 

– It seems to be proceeding smoothly. All the monsters on the other floors need to be eliminated to close the gate completely. If possible, could you assist on the fourth floor? It would also be helpful if you could check the fifth floor on the way. Yoo Hwashin hasn’t contacted—

 

“He’s with me.”

 

– Pardon?

 

What’s this about now?

 

“I said he’s with me. Didn’t you hear?”

 

Well, he heard it, but… When did Hwashin finish up and get there? Was there no monster on the fifth floor? No, Cheongwon was sure he had seen something.

 

– You’re saying he’s with you?

 

“Yes.”

 

It didn’t make sense, but Ha Cheongwon accepted the situation for now. Getting things moving quickly was the priority.

 

– …Understood. You can explain the details later. For now, please provide support.

 

“Then I’ll hang up for now.”

 

Ha Cheongwon sat back down heavily after listening blankly to the disconnected call.

 

He knew that Yoo Hwashin and Cha Jaeha were S-rank. Each of them probably had enough power to handle a typical gate alone. However, he had been anxious because this time was different. One of the expected scenarios was that it wouldn’t be possible to solve this situation the same way as before.

 

‘But they finished the fifth floor this quickly?’

 

The gate’s opening times across the floors were likely similar. This meant that the appearance time of the monsters on the fifth and sixth floors was the same.

 

Then, it meant that Yoo Hwashin finished the fifth floor in an instant, moved to the sixth floor, and joined Cha Jaeha.

 

“That’s impossible. But, no. Well, it could happen. Sure. Why not.”

 

After much contemplation, Ha Cheongwon let out a hollow laugh.

 

Yoo Hwashin. Was there ever a time when he could predict what that guy would do?

 

Let’s give up. Yeah.

 

It was just more convenient to give up understanding anything.

 

Yooo Hwashin was just an incomprehensibly strong S-rank hero.

 

***

 

“It’s endless, it’s endless!”

 

Yoo Jian swung her axe. The silver axe, once clear as glass, was now stained red as if rusted. She heard it was made of special minerals, but it looked like it might break at any moment.

 

She didn’t think she had swung it that much.

 

Still, it was more efficient than punching.

 

‘Why an axe, though?’

 

‘It suits you.’

 

‘If that’s the reason, fists suit me pretty well too.’

 

‘Hahaha. Just kidding. Jian, you are fast and strong. To utilize all your strengths, an axe with a small surface area and easy to handle is ideal. Besides, with a longer reach than your fists, you can take out more enemies efficiently.’

 

That guy’s words somehow instilled confidence. Was he naturally like that? The way he talked was sweet like a merchant or a con artist…

 

Slash!

 

The axe blade flung blood onto Yoo Jian’s face. She wiped it off nonchalantly and surveyed the spectacle before her again. Hmm, it brought a smile to her face.

 

“Noona.”

 

Standing next to her, Mueum commented on the scene and the serene landscape.

 

“Could the gate be infinite in size?”

 

“Who knows.”

 

It was understandable for Mueum to say that. The dwarfish monsters were swarming, wriggling all around. Moreover, they kept pouring out of a small gap endlessly.

 

She thought the vine monster she encountered before was special, but no. That was child’s play compared to this. This was like a swarm of cockroaches filling a house.

 

“No matter how many we kill, there’s no end to it, right?”

 

Yoo Jian’s hand firmly pressed down on the fluffy hair.

 

“Your hair is still so soft.”

 

“…I’ll think of it as a compliment.”

 

“So. Are you okay?”

 

Am I okay? I’m not at all.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

He had to be. What choice did he have? Noona must be tired too. He was too old to act spoiled in front of someone who was smiling brightly to comfort him.

 

Muem sniffled and swung his left arm.

 

“About 100 more should be possible.”

 

“Wow, really? You don’t have to pretend to be strong in front of me.”

 

The range he could suppress with gravity was limited. If it weren’t for that, he would have crushed the entire space. Plus, the larger the range, the greater the strain on his body, so there was a clear limit.

 

In fact, he had long since passed that limit.

 

“I should act even tougher in front of Noona.”

 

“Ah, our Mueum is so cute, I hope no one else knows this but me.”

 

Yoo Jian burst into laughter and swung her axe again. Holding it at her waist, she said,

 

“Let’s go eat meat when we’re done.”

 

“…Okay.”

 

With those words, Yoo Jian leaped into the air.

 

She soon landed among the swarming monsters with a loud crash.

 

Boom. A huge crater formed where she landed, and the surrounding monsters were flung away. Not missing the chance, Mueum, who had been waiting behind, increased the weight of the airborne monsters instantly.

 

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. The monsters fell to the ground as if glued, trembling and then convulsing before stopping altogether. Dozens of heads were severed following Yoo Jian’s axe, and the dwarves rushing towards Mueum were instantly flattened to the ground.

 

But still, the monsters kept pouring out of the gate.

 

‘It seems we need to eliminate all the monsters in this room at once to close the gate.’

 

“Tsk.”

 

It seemed they needed Cha Jaeha to resolve the situation.

 

Indeed, Cha Jaeha was perfect for such a large-scale attack. There were no people around, so he could use his power more freely, right?

 

‘That person intentionally reduces his power when there are outsiders around.’

 

Working in teams hadn’t been entirely in vain. Jeong Mueum had partnered with Cha Jaeha a few times, which he had always wanted. What he felt every time was,

 

‘This guy is more cautious than I thought.’

 

Watching videos of him dealing with S-rank gates, he thought Cha Jaeha unleashed his power explosively, but in reality, it was a bit different. In places where civilians could be affected, he would always use the method of setting himself on fire to attack the monsters.

 

‘And he’s kind.’

 

The person himself probably didn’t think so, but Cha Jaeha was considerate in his own way.

 

After many thoughts, Mueum concluded,

 

‘There are no people here, only monsters. He’d be perfect to come and resolve this.’

 

They needed that person.

 

“Mueum, Jian~”

 

Then, with a burst, the door opened, and Hwashin’s playful voice was heard.