The Saint Wants to Rest - vanish into fiction

“Demons…?”

These were not mere magical beasts. They were the same bastards Ian had grown sick of seeing in the other world for five years. Top-tier assassin entities that moved by hiding within shadows, silently slitting the throats of unsuspecting Holy Knights.

Shadow Stalkers.

‘Why are they here?’

Ian doubted his own eyes. The fact that those things had appeared in the real world, and in South Korea of all places, was nothing short of a disaster. First it was the giants, and now it was another race of demons. The events that Lancia had once endured were now descending upon Earth.

There was no time to even process the confusion. The lead Shadow Stalker formed a sharp blade of shadow and lunged, aiming for Ian’s throat.

“Dammit!”

Hong Seo-yun clicked his tongue and stepped in front of Ian. Massive flames erupted from both of his hands as if exploding.

Scorching red fire surged from Hong Seo-yun’s fingertips and struck the Shadow Stalker directly. The flames of an S-class awakened individual were powerful. The creature’s body was engulfed in fire as it was pushed backward.

However, rather than screaming, the other entities turned fluid like liquid and seeped into the shadows on the floor. The fire could not follow them there. The space beneath furniture, the crevices in the walls, and even the shadows of shattered glass shards all became their hiding spots.

“Fire resistance? These picky bastards!”

Hong Seo-yun gritted his teeth and roughly pushed Ian behind his back. He needed to get Ian to escape, but it did not look easy. Still, if the gate had opened at the mountain peak, the monsters likely had not reached the village yet.

A few awakened individuals are stationed in each city to prepare for such contingencies. At this rate, sending Ian there might be the safest option.

Hong Seo-yun’s back became soaked with sweat.

“Hyung, those things are weak to light!”

That was why they moved in the evening like this.

“Light?”

Hong Seo-yun began to increase his firepower further. The fire was red at first, but as the heat rose, the color shifted until it eventually glowed white. Consequently, the monsters hiding in the shadows leaped out while screaming. Some hurriedly fled back outside the building.

“Wow, this is intense!”

Still, now that he knew the method, he could hold out.

“Ian. Do you have any intention of running away?”

“I don’t.”

Was this man crazy? He was currently pouring out his strength like a madman; what would happen if Ian disappeared from this spot? Hong Seo-yun could die. Shadow Stalkers were not opponents to be taken lightly.

“I’m not going!”

Then, there was only one answer.

“Ah, why! You said you could hide your presence perfectly if you were alone! Right now, going to the city and hiding in a bunker is safer!”

“Forget it. What if you die, Hyung!”

Even the death of a stranger is a sorrowful thing, so how could he leave Hong Seo-yun behind?

“And there is a city right down there! If those things decide to run, they’ll arrive in no time. So I absolutely cannot back down from here. At the very least, if they have prey right in front of them, they won’t leave that spot.”

They were creatures that were only satisfied if they killed every living thing in their path. If they missed them here, it was obvious that the village would turn into a hellscape in an instant due to those who descended the mountain through the shadows. Civilians would die instantly just by touching those shadows. Ian stood stubbornly and looked at Hong Seo-yun.

The look in Ian’s eyes was resolute. Although his fingertips were trembling slightly from fear, he did not retreat.

It was the instinct of the ‘Saint,’ the hero of the other world who had fought for five years with countless lives on his back. Though he had constantly sang about wanting to rest, he could not stand by and watch death happen before his eyes. That was not something a person should do, even if they weren’t a Saint.

“Are we the prey, then?”

Hong Seo-yun squeezed out a forced laugh.

“Yeah. So do your best.”

“Are you going to kiss me again? Your brother would try to kill me if he found out.”

It was just like Hong Seo-yun cracking a joke even in a moment like this.

“I’ll make sure you don’t die.”

“Well, that’s reassuring.”

In the end, Hong Seo-yun gave up on persuading Ian. Instead, he began to attack the Shadow Stalkers aggressively.

Kwa-aaaang!

Hong Seo-yun kicked off the ground and sent a massive pillar of flame soaring upward. He continued to move without stopping, even while spitting out curses. He surrounded the perimeter of the villa with a massive wall of fire, cutting off the escape routes to prevent the Shadow Stalkers from heading down to the city as much as possible.