In the Name of God - Chapter 18.2
The woman paused for a moment, scanning her surroundings, then was drawn smoothly into her shadow. The mass of shadow that had absorbed her slid softly across the floor and was absorbed beneath Lee Sunho’s feet.
Lee Sunho walked down the dark, empty path, muttering softly to himself.
“…I should buy him a lot of delicious food.”
Although he was speaking to Seong Do‑yoon, there were countless emotions hidden in his voice, far beyond a simple conversation.
Lee Sunho’s dark eyes looked down at Seong Do‑yoon, who remained unconscious like a corpse.
He felt surprisingly light to hold, almost like holding a child. If lifted even a little harder, it seemed something might break, and Lee Sunho hesitated slightly.
And then…
<Guardian □□□ promises to be with you forever.>
I feared it would disappear again.
“…A lie.”
A promise like that, never meant to be kept in the first place.
Lee Sunho rested his head lightly against Seong Do‑yoon’s hot forehead.
“It’s alright.”
The warmth from Seong Do‑yoon’s heated face seeped into him.
“I keep my promises.”
A faint, bitter smile appeared at the corner of Lee Sunho’s mouth.
***
At some point,
Seong Do‑yoon felt his deeply submerged consciousness rising to the surface.
“Gasp…!”
He instinctively tried to sit up, but a sudden, tremendous pain forced him back down.
“……!”
He bit his lips hard enough to draw blood to keep from making a sound and tried to steady his breathing.
The adaptation skill seemed to be at work even here. By gritting his teeth, he could endure the pain.
‘Could this also be a penalty effect?’
It might be overlapping with the exhaustion from visiting the dungeon.
Swallowing ragged breaths, he raised his upper body into a sitting position. Only then did he notice an IV needle inserted into the back of his hand.
‘No… hospital?’
He carefully surveyed the room with a stern expression.
It was a spacious, cozy bedroom, unmistakably not a hospital.
The furniture was sparse relative to the room’s size, but the high-quality materials and neatly arranged decor made it clear this was not a clinical space.
The bed was enormous, big enough for three adult men to lie comfortably. The bedding was soft and warm, the kind you would never want to leave if it were at home.
Judging by the materials and the room, it was clear he occupied the bedroom of a wealthy individual.
‘Definitely not a hospital.’
Seong Do‑yoon intentionally kept his mouth shut while scanning the room.
He rolled up the slightly oversized sleeves of his shirt to inspect his body. No visible wounds or abnormalities were present.
He stood up and removed the tape holding the IV needle. A small amount of blood oozed from his hand due to the rough removal.
He slightly opened the window to check outside sounds, lifted plants to inspect beneath them, checked under the nightstand and inside drawers, and even ran his fingers along the subtle textures of the white silk wallpaper.
‘No cameras or bugs.’
Checking for exits and surveillance was an old habit when waking up in an unfamiliar place.
After all, who would monitor a ninth-rank awakened like Seong Do‑yoon?
Still cautious, he quietly approached the doorway, feeling no signs of anyone present.
Only then did he speak.
“Echo.”
As he called, a blue system window appeared.
From the empty center of the screen, a round head slowly rose, followed by Echo’s small body. He flapped his front paws in the air, looking like he was desperate to crawl out of a tight space.
-Master! Are you okay now?!
“I feel like I’m going to die more than usual, but I can manage.”
I caught Echo, who had fully emerged from the system window, in midair. Echo rubbed his face noisily against my hand as he floated.
“Are you really okay?”
-Yes?
I fiddled with Echo’s flapping ears. Though I couldn’t feel warmth, it strangely made me feel good.
“You suddenly disappeared. Did anything happen to you?”
-……
Echo’s blue button-like eyes looked up at me.
-They say Master is soft with dogs. Seems like it’s true.
“Who said that?”
Echo did not answer, instead opening his mouth in a laugh and wiggling his cheeks.
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