CHAPTER 90: BAN ON BLOOD RAGE

"You seriously need to stop using Blood Rage..."

Cheon Areum mumbled under his breath, his voice strained with the effort of holding the fractured mountain together as he carefully made his way forward. Each step caused a faint vibration through the snow, his energy still threaded through the crumbling rocks like invisible strings keeping the terrain from caving in. But as he neared, his expression slowly contorted—not from exertion, but from the brutality of what he was witnessing.

The creature—or whatever resemblance it once had to a living thing—was no longer recognizable. What remained was a smear of limbs and bone, mashed deeply into the jagged crevice of the mountain wall. Flesh hung in shreds from stone, and black blood oozed like tar down the slope. Yet Yoon Seoyul didn’t stop. He stood with his fist buried into the creature’s remains, shoulders rising and falling with a quiet, unshaken breath, continuing to pulverize the mess deeper and deeper as if trying to erase its very existence.

"What the fuck are you doing? That thing’s already dead!"

Cheon Areum shouted, his voice echoing off the snowy peaks like a crack of thunder.

"That’s enough! You’re going to bring the whole damn mountain down!"

His eyes flicked to the black, gooey substance soaking into the snow—thick, sticky, and spreading like a cursed stain. With a resigned sigh, he stepped into the mess, his boots squelching as he marched forward, snow clinging to the hem of his coat like blood to a bandage.

Without another word, he grabbed Yoon Seoyul by the collar of his black turtleneck, his fingers tightening into the fabric with uncharacteristic force. In one swift movement, he hurled him away from the mountain and into the open field below.

Yoon Seoyul flipped mid-air, landing on his feet but skidding back a few steps from the sheer force of the throw, leaving twin trails carved into the snow.

Cheon Areum stood at the base of the mountain, face cold, as behind him, rocks continued to tremble—barely held together by the web of his energy he was still maintaining.

He took slow steps backward, his hands outstretched as the black veins of his energy threaded through the cracks in the mountain—sealing it one final time like stitching shut a wounded beast, reminding him of his time as a healer. His eyes never left the trembling cliffs until the last tremor subsided.

Only then did he lower his hands.

With the mountain secured and the black mist beginning to settle, he exhaled sharply, turned on his heel, and began walking toward Yoon Seoyul.

"Deactivate Blood Rage!"

Yoon Seoyul’s crimson-tinged sclera gradually faded, the faint red retreating as the whites of his eyes returned steadily. His breathing evened out as he stared at Cheon Areum, who stood before him. He tilted Yoon Seoyul’s chin upward with a firm hand, forcing their eyes to meet.

From his inventory, Cheon Areum retrieved a small pack of wet wipes and wiped away the streaks of blood—red from monsters, and black from whatever cursed substance that thing carried. He meticulously dragged the cold wipe across Yoon Seoyul’s cheekbones, down the curve of his jaw.

"Do you have any injuries or is all this blood from the monsters?"

Cheon Areum muttered flatly, still dabbing away as pale, neat skin appeared from beneath the filth. Yoon Seoyul blinked once as he spoke in a low voice.

"No."

Not fully believing the word, since Yoon Seoyul seemingly—and rarely—felt pain from physical wounds, Cheon Areum brushed the clean hair back from his forehead with his fingers as he began to examine him for any injuries.

[Healing Hand has been activated.]

[You are currently using the skill: Healing Hand. Your ability to heal will be enhanced during its activation.]

"You have some cuts and bone fractures..."

That’s unusual...

At most, Yoon Seoyul should only have a few scratches. He had fought through monsters and even the boss creature, sure—but lately, he’d been getting injured more than usual. It wasn’t really like him. Cheon Areum’s hands hovered, black energy seeping out from his fingertips as he healed everything—every bruise, every cut, every invisible strain—until there wasn’t a single mark left. Not even a faded scar.

Just as he pulled back, a flare burst into the sky, painting the pale clouds red. It came from the top of the mountain. The very mountain he had just repaired.

"She made it to the end."

"Want me to carry you?"

Cheon Areum wiped Yoon Seoyul’s ears last, having used up the entire pack of wet wipes. He thought about the offer before rejecting it.

"I can walk by myself too."

*

Breathing heavily, Cheon Areum wiped the cold sweat beads from his cheek with the back of his hand as he pushed his feet to climb the last step. His legs ached so much he was basically stuck in place for a bit as Yoon Seoyul passed by him.

"Can I carry you now?"

"No, I’m fine. I just need a few seconds..."

Taking the much-needed break, he weakly walked over toward the gate that had reappeared in the distance, but there was just a little problem. Cheon Areum, too tired to even get the megaphone out, yelled out at Lee Nari.

"Lee Nari, can’t you use Modify to somehow close this?"

Taking selfies with her phone—which wasn’t really allowed—Lee Nari’s attention shifted to him. As she put down the phone with a bright smile, she shouted back at Cheon Areum.

"I can’t! But if you jump, I can guarantee I will catch you."

Cheon Areum’s eyes moved to the huge crevasse between him and Lee Nari. There was no way he would be able to jump over this, even as an S+ Class. Lee Nari definitely knew that.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The crevasse slowly began to close, the mountain. The jagged edges of the split terrain shifted and slid back into place, locking together like a puzzle being forced shut as the distance between Lee Nari and them became shorter and shorter.