Cha Eui-jae walked while holding Lee Sa-young's hand and told the story he heard from Hong Ye-seong. This place was like an outpost where the remains eaten by Big Mouth were piled up, and the true source of the apocalypse lies elsewhere. Hong Ye-seong went missing in reality and was found here. He seemed to hurt his leg and eye, but he didn't hear any details.
Lee Sa-young, who had been listening intently, shrugged his shoulders.
"Well… it's not surprising. He's a long-lived fellow, after all."
Cha Eui-jae nodded. It was just as he had said. Hong Ye-seong, a fellow with a tenacious will to live, had his tent come into view at the edge of his vision. Cha Eui-jae put on his black mask again. Hong Ye-seong had already spotted them and was waving his hand in welcome.
"Why did you come so late~? I thought you couldn't come out."
"We were talking about this and that."
Lee Sa-young crossed his arms and looked around the tent. His eyes narrowed.
"This thing looks like it'll collapse with just one tap."
"It's enough to live on my own. Did you come to deal with the source of the apocalypse too?"
"No."
Lee Sa-young pointed with his thumb at Cha Eui-jae, who was standing right next to him.
"I heard this guy went into Big Mouth's mouth, so I followed him."
Cha Eui-jae quietly averted his gaze. Lee Sa-young narrowed his eyes and smiled. He tapped his crossed arms with his fingers and muttered lazily.
"How do you think I felt? I heard that news as soon as I escaped from the memorial dungeon. I don't know if you've even thought about it…"
"Oh, I've apologized!"
"You didn't."
"Sorry!"
"Mmm… I don't feel any sincerity. This is my first time receiving an apology like this."
"You guys are still getting along so well~"
Hong Ye-seong spoke calmly and rummaged around inside the tent.
"Well, to get to the point. The apocalypse will soon turn its attention this way. It would be best to get in before that happens."
"How do you know that?"
"Do you see a white circle forming in the sky?"
Hong Ye-seong pointed to the sky. Lee Sa-young and Cha Eui-jae looked up at the direction he pointed to. There was something swirling like a storm in the pure white sky. Hong Ye-seong said while diligently rummaging through miscellaneous items.
"The eye is going to pop out of there. We can't move while it's watching this place."
"Then…"
"Before that, we have to get to the source… can you help me take this out? Just take it out and throw it far away."
What Hong Ye-seong pointed to was a cloth box with 'Rocket Delivery' written in large letters. He didn't know what was inside, but it looked quite heavy. Cha Eui-jae did as he was told and picked up the box and threw it far away. Boom, white dust rose from where the box fell.
There was a black hole at the bottom of the box. Completely pitch black, void, with nothing visible even if you look into it. It was covered with golden rotating patterns. The rotating golden pattern was familiar to a certain someone's eyes. It was Hong Ye-seong's Eyes of Appraisal. The owner of the eye smiled and touched his bandaged eyes.
"I sacrificed an eye to seal this."
"So this is… a hole connected to the source?"
"Correct! But if I just left it alone, it sucked everything in even if you only dipped your toes in, so I had no choice but to seal it. It's like a small black hole. Now, now, step back."
As the two stepped back, Hong Ye-seong placed his hand on the golden, shimmering barrier and closed his eyes. Soon, a light so bright that he could not open his eyes burst forth from the barrier. When he opened his eyes, he could see the tent being sucked into the hole in real time. The plastic chair Cha Eui-jae had been sitting on, as well as the mat on the floor, were sucked in.
Hong Ye-seong shrugged his shoulders.
"See? I told you, it's practically a vacuum cleaner."
"Is this really a hole leading to the source?"
"Hmm, actually, I don't know! But this is the only hole I've seen while I've been here. So, it must be right."
A purple gaze stung his cheek. Cha Eui-jae quietly averted his gaze again. Lee Sa-young tilted his head crookedly and raised the corners of his mouth.
"Aha… Brave hero J is now going to jump into a black hole with no certainty that it will lead to the source… and no idea where it leads. Is that right?"
"…No, I didn't know it would look like this either."
"Are you going in?"
"Well, since it's urgent… I have to go in. I wish I could be sure, but if I wait and miss the opportunity, it's over."
Cha Eui-jae stuck his head out and observed the hole. The hole that swallowed half of the shabby household items was quiet. The black hole was as vivid as if someone had painted it with ink in the pure white world.
"…"
The moment Cha Eui-jae was lost in thought while rubbing his chin,
Smack!
Hong Ye-seong kicked Cha Eui-jae's waist with his foot.
"Oops!"
His body lost balance due to him being caught off guard. As Cha Eui-jae tried to regain his balance, he was struck in the back by Hong Ye-seong's foot flying at him once again and tumbled forward. It was the final blow. Cha Eui-jae glared and turned around. Hong Ye-seong was grinning broadly.
"Wait, what are you…?!"
"Don't hesitate and go quickly~"
"Hey, you son of a bitch!"
You son of a bitch…! Bitch…! Bitch…! His voice scattered like an echo. Cha Eui-jae, having fallen into the hole, vanished without a trace. Lee Sa-young knelt before the hole and shouted urgently.
"Hyung! Damn it… Cha Eui-jae!"
He snapped his head and glared at Hong Ye-seong. Killing intent rose from behind him.
"You… Hong Ye-seong, what are you trying to do?"
"There is no time to explain. You too, quickly follow!"
Hong Ye-seong pointed to the sky. The white clouds had already turned pitch black.
The Eye of the Apocalypse is back.
The pitch-black circle gradually turned white from the bottom. The end was waking up. The pouring light gradually became stronger.
"Hyup!"
Hong Ye-seong pushed the hesitant Lee Sa-young. The moment his hand touched the hole, the hole swallowed Lee Sa-young in an instant. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and straightened his back. Bright lights swirled in the sky. The moment that light reached Hong Ye-seong, he froze in the same position he was wiping his sweat. Like a person trapped in a photo. Or as if time had stopped.
Silence came.
The world of the apocalypse was silent.
Always.
***
Hah, hah, ragged breaths escaped him. His feet kicked off the ground as he ran. He was running. Running? Why? Cha Eui-jae snapped back to reality. Stiff pants that were uncomfortable to run in. His school uniform shirt completely unbuttoned. He was wearing a school uniform. The backpack on his back dangled with every step he took. Roads and buildings crumbled everywhere. The screams of people and the howling of monsters pierced his ears.
"Mom! Dad!"
He raised his voice, but no answer came back. Cha Eui-jae ran, and ran, and ran. A giant monster walked on, smashing through buildings…
In the blink of an eye, the scene before him had turned upside down. He was lying somewhere. Terrible pain surged through his entire body. It felt as if his skin was melting in real time. He blinked, but his blurry vision did not solidify. All he could see in his hazy vision was the dim light from the ceiling. With every breath, it felt as if his airway was on fire. Just then, a warm touch reached his hand. He turned his head with difficulty, toward the source of the warmth.
A dark figure appeared in his hazy vision. He couldn't tell what the face was, it was something pitch black from head to toe. The dark figure was holding his hand, which was tightly wrapped in bandages. It hurts. The lips did not move, yet the dark figure whispered. It was a strangely distorted voice. A voice that made it impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman, young or old.
"Do you know?"
However, he could tell at least one thing. It was a gentle voice.
"You're my only success."
The scenery changed again. An empty space where pure white ash swirled. Someone was there. The hem of their black clothes fluttered. The figure, who had been slumped on one knee, slowly rose to their feet.
Cha Eui-jae stood up, gripping his spear.
Lee Sa-young staggered to his feet.
Cha Eui-jae raised the watch in his hand high.
Lee Sa-young gripped the watch in his hand tightly.
Eyes filled with determination,
Empty eyes with nothing to lose,
Stared at the being before them.
Stared at the being before them.
What swirled before them was the source of the apocalypse.
Cha Eui-jae smiled, raising the corners of his mouth.
Lee Sa-young smiled, raising the corners of his mouth.
His heart pounded in the face of a mighty enemy.
His heart pounded at the thought that he could finally take revenge.
Cha Eui-jae opened his mouth.
Lee Sa-young opened his mouth.
"―――――"
***
Something like sand poured down on his face. Cha Eui-jae snapped open his eyes. As he hurriedly sat up, things he couldn't tell if they were dust or sand fell like rain. Cha Eui-jae looked around.
It was a place of an endless desert. A desert piled high with pure white ash.