The object

As they went further in the forest, Chun Woo-Moon and Jang Ki-Jun advanced through the area with less wild beasts and plants, be it poisonous or medicinal.

And as they got near the place where the object was, they became more cautious as they advanced. Especially Jang Ki-Jun.

"From here on out you must be very careful. I don't know what kind of witchcraft is it, but strange and grotesque beasts and plants that are ten times the normal size appear and attack anything that approaches 'that thing'. They don't go to hunt like normal creatures and don't move from their places until anything approaches."

"I know. You've already said that more that ten times."

"What can I do? I'm nervous so I have to distract myself somehow."

"Shouldn't you NOT be distracted in this situation?"

"No, being nervous is worse than being distracted."

"....Okay."

"What's with that look, you brat!?"

Chun Woo-Moon looked at Jang Ki-Jun with a disappointed and empty gaze. After all, wasn't he the one that had came and said that he didn't want to be distracted and seek Chun Woo-Moon's cooperation? For a whole week at that. And that same guy was saying what? It's better to be distracted than nervous?

Chun Woo-Moon knew, that technically, what Jang Ki-Jun had said is correct. After all, if you're distracted you can come to your senses near danger, but if you're nervous you can't do what you usually are able to do. You won't be able to use you abilities or full power and even if you do, you will exhaust yourself quickly and won't be able to judge things calmly.

But still....

Chun Woo-Moon had regarded him highly because of his devotion to completing the mission safely and perfectly, and had seen his efforts and had started to respect him, but with this one sentence he understood that no matter how highly he regards him, he's still a human and can't be perfect in everything.

He was more disappointed at himself. He understood that more expectation you have from someone, their burden increases and you became more obsessed that they can do it, they should do it, and they have to do it. Chun Woo-Moon didn't want that. What if his expectation had gone up beyond control, so high that one mistake would ruin everything? Would he have distanced himself from him and be disappointed in him?

Humans can't be perfect in everything. They make mistakes and even if there is a person that can do many things perfectly, it's not all things.

Hadn't he experienced it a few days ago?

Jang Ki-Jun was with him these past several days. He knew about his training, so he knew he was strong. He knew that he is very smart, a genius, while teaching him. He was handsome with a good personality. Plus, his teamaking ability.

But after that, he challenged cooking and nearly burned the whole house.

At the time Jang Ki-Jun was kind of disappointed and sad, but that look soon turned to worry and relief.

Probably, he was worried both about Chun Woo-Moon and himself.

Can this guy do anything you ask? Is he really a celestial being? Can someone like me be with him? But what if by me getting scared and distancing myself, he get hurt? Is that the right thing? If he was living like that all the time, won't he have been lonely? Is that why he has a kind of dry personality?

He was relieved that Chun Woo-Moon could make mistakes too and that he was a human just like himself. That It was okay For them to be together and that he was a normal person.

It was just a small mistake, but that was what gave Jang Ki-Jun relief.

It was the same for Chun Woo-Moon. It was just a small weakness, but that was what taught him of the mistake he made.

It was something trivial now, but it could have become an irredeemable mistake, if he hadn't noticed and learned early about it.

Rattle!

As he was thinking like that, the bushes a distance away stated trembling.

"They're coming!"

Then, suddenly a beast the size of a house of three meters appeared. A tiger with white eyes and black and purple body. More than a natural color, it was like it was corrupted by something.

It leaped at them with a speed three times an ordinary tiger.

Chun Woo-Moon and Jang Ki-Jun dodged it by a hairs breath. If they had reacted any later, they would have been staked at the tiger's claws.

"Damn it. How is it so fast with that size?"

"Don't waste your breath. Just focus on the battle."

Chun Woo-Moon draw his sword and attacked the corrupt tiger from the side. After slashing the tiger's side, he dodged the tiger's claw and retreated to regain his foothold and posture.

"It was shallow. Judging by it's movement when slashed, I think it's senses have numbed to some extend. Even it's eyesight."

"Wow, You could tell all that just from a slash to his side?"

"It was obvious. I wasn't even using much strength and was just testing it, but even thought it's that fast, it couldn't dodge that slash. So it probably couldn't see or sense the slash coming, but from what you taught me, tigers have sharp eyes and even sharper senses. And it's reaction after being slashed was too dull and the counter attack flowed instantly to the side that was slashed. Unlike something that just got cut in it's side."

"... You're seriously something else, bro. All that analyzing in that instant?"

Jang Ki-Jun was really amazed. But he set his thought aside at once and got serious. He had to focus on the battle. A moment of carelessness and they were done.

"Then, how about you get serious too, instead of analyzing that thing?"

"But we should gather as much information from it as we can so we know what awaits us in the deeper area."

"I know but we gathered enough for now. Any more than this and there might be a slip up somewhere. Gathering information is usually from a weak opponent, not something that would cost you your life with a slip up or a mistake!"

"...Okay."

At that moment, Chun Woo-Moon readjusted his posture and stared at his enemy.

He lowered his posture a little and dashed of toward the tiger. Chun Woo-Moon was in front of the tiger before it even noticed him.

Slash!

The sound of the sword being swung and slashing something was heard, but none the tiger nor Jang Ki-Jun seeing from the side noticed the tiger's head flying and dropping on the ground.

thud.

It was too fast that even the tiger didn't notice his head was separated from it's body, and it took some time for Jang Ki-Jun to see it. In the mean while, Chun Woo-Moon was wiping the blood sticking to his sword by swinging it and sheathed it.

"... Damned monster."

That was Jang Ki-Jun's honest evaluation of Chun Woo-Moon.

"Why? Didn't I end it quickly as you said?"

He was seriously confused and asked while tilting his head.

"It was too fast! Even thought I knew you were strong, I didn't think you were this strong! And stop doing that!"

"Doing what?"

"That! Exactly the thing you are doing now! Tilting your head when your confused by something!"

"...Okay."

"I just said to don't do it!"

"....Let's just go."

Even after that they encountered other corrupt beasts and plants, but all of their condition was the same.

They had become larger, stronger and faster and the plants, in addition to that gained the ability to move and grow even if cut and stretch. But they would be like they are corrupted and all their senses would dull.

After three hours of exploration and research, they finally reached their destination.

"It's there. That's the object we came looking for. From here we should be more careful."

"...Okay."

The object was in a crater around two meters deep and five meters wide. It looked like a round shaped clump of metal. Like an oversized iron ball. But it had lots of patterns and logos on it.

"...Okay. Let's go."

Just as Jang Ki-Jun took a step forward, the surrounding area near the object got dark and that darkness suddenly speared all over the forest. It was like the world had turned dark, like it was night.

"Intruders found. Proceed to elimination."

At that moment, Chun Woo-Moon and Jang Ki-Jun heard a sound as Chun Woo-Moon saw Jang Ki-Jun's head suddenly exploding.

While still being in a daze as what happened, Chun Woo-Moon felt his body going numb and looked at his body while lowering his head.

It was spreading like poison. That thing that had corrupted the beasts and plants had entered his body and was spreading at a terrifying speed.

As despair was coming up from deep in his heart, he swallowed it down and looked at the object.

"...Even if I can't survive after this, I will definitely destroy you!"

'I will definitely avenge Jang Ki-Jun and won't let it hurt the villagers in the future!'

Chun Woo-Moon thought as he lunged at the object.