The Returner

Yoon Young-min panicked.

The people around him are not even aware of how serious his panic is.

It seems true that when a person reaches extreme limits, nothing changes.

The Yoon Young-min who received the report was just stunned.

“I don't get it right now, but can you tell me the point? ”

The Secretary of Defense saw Yoon Young-min stealing his forehead.

Why don't you understand?

There will be no one who doesn't understand how Yoon Young Min feels when he receives this report. However, his position to bring this up was not very comfortable either.

“The South District of Seoul is almost gone. Down to some matches. ”

“ ……. ”

Yoon Young-min looked at the satellite picture that appeared on the screen and blushed.

Seoul flew away?

Where is this unrealistic thing going?

“Fortunately, miraculously, it doesn't do much damage. However, there were over three million migrants. It's not easy to put them to sleep and feed them right away. ”

“I see.”

Yoon Young-min nodded mechanically.

However, little was heard from the minister of defense in his mind.

“What about collateral damage? ”

The minister replied with a nervous face.

“We need to hear from the safe house first, but there's really nothing second to it since it's been smashed so neatly. Some of the collapsed abandoned buildings could still collapse, but they control the entrance itself……. ”

Yoon Young-min nodded powerlessly.

Half the capital is blown away.

It wasn't just a city that flew away.

Fortunately, the key location did not fall within the destruction range, but it was impossible to calculate how much damage this would have done.

“If there was a war, it wouldn't be like this.... ”

While Yoon Young-min was smiling helplessly, Song Jung-soo secretly looked at the Minister of Defense and opened his mouth.

“So……. ”

“Yes.”

“What happened to Lee Hyuk? ”

The Secretary of Defense couldn't answer me with his mouth, so she closed her eyes with a vague face.

“I should have kept Seoul even if I had lost everything. ”

“I'm not dead. However, going into battle... ”

“No different than being dead. Lee Hyuk, who can't fight, is just a bad kid. ”

No one could argue with Song Jung-soo's words.

In fact, it would be right to have no one to argue with. Everyone was too busy trying to figure out what it meant to be without Yi Hyuk.

“…… the support of other countries? ”

“There is no country available. ”

“I'm sure it is. I stopped it at a good price. ”

Foreign countries have not been able to cope with one Demon King, so they are beating up the entire force. If you gave me half of Seoul and dealt with a Demon King, I could say it was very liberal.

He had a good record, but no one was happy with the results. What they lost was too great to be happy with the immediate outcome.

“Now…. ”

Song Jung-soo's words pierced the point.

“It all depends on how to stop the next one. ”

* * *

“Mmmm... ”

Choi Jung-hoon looked at Lee Hyuk's house gate with a heavy face. It has been a house that has been visited so far, but it was the first time I have been reluctant to go inside as much as today.

‘It must have been a shock. ’

Choi Jung-hoon's shock was immense, but no one would have been more shocked than Lee Ji-hyuk, the party. You can no longer use your magical powers to describe everything you own.

Doesn't it feel like a healthy person is one day no longer able to use their limbs?

“Mmmm... ”

Choi Jung-hoon couldn't press the bell, but swallowed an elongated depression.

“Phew.”

Eventually, Choi Jung-hoon pressed the bell.

Ding-dong.

But there was no response.

Ding-dong!

I try to ring the bell again, but the door opens with an electronic tone, even if I press it a few times.

“ ……. ”

Usually in this case, check who is outside and do not open the door. At this rate, thieves...

Choi Jung-hoon's thoughts were completely resolved when he saw a turtle slightly bigger than the smudge and misunderstanding seen behind the open door.

'Robbery and thief. You can't get in here without going crazy. ’

No, it might be possible to get in. I just can't make it out alive.

The House has already surpassed the White House security level in the protection of the Demon King and Ogre Lord. There's no place in the Magic Cube where the Demon King watches the door.

“Are you a man with a face? ”

‘Cute.’

I knew there was a Demon King in that shell, but I couldn't deny how cute it looked. Lee Hyuk seems to have a hobby of catching scary looking monsters and making them cute.

“I'm here to see Lee Ji-hyuk. ”

The turtle turns his head to look at the mist. He nodded and the turtle pointed inward.

“It's inside. ”

Who would have had the experience of being jabbered by a turtle?

It was Jung-hoon Choi who thought he had a lot of strange experiences thanks to Lee Hyuk.

“Of course.”

Choi Jung-hoon lightly greeted them and opened the door.

"People?"

Strangely, no one was seen in the living room. Jung-hoon Choi, who took off his shoes and went inside, headed to Lee Hyuk's room.

Tadadadak.

You hear keyboard clicks and mouse clicks.

“…… ah. ”

Even so, it's a situation.

But reality is always crueler than you think.

When I opened the door, I saw Lee Hyuk playing a game inside.

“ ……. ”

Choi Jung-hoon stared at Lee Hyuk with a slightly dazed eye.

“Oh, shit! ”

Lee Hyuk jumped up from his seat and threw the headset on his desk and shouted.

“Enemy towers live in towers! ”

“ ……. ”

Choi Jung-hoon sighed deeply.

This man can never be understood by his common sense.

“…… why are you looking at me like that? ”

“I have a lot on my mind. ”

“What?”

Choi Jung-hoon honestly told Lee Hyuk who was sitting on the bed.

“First, a tribute to the gaming company that is spinning the server despite this situation. ”

“You have to eat.”

“Secondly, I'm surprised about Lee Hyuk, who is still playing in this situation. ”

“There's nothing to do. ”

Lee Hyuk was beaten to the end.

“And last but not least, I'm moaning about the excess that will be somewhere in the country, playing games with Lee Hyuk. ”

“Aigoo, we've lost a lot of people. ”

‘Then I guess there's really only good surplus humans left. ’

I'm glad it's not serious, but I have a bad feeling about this in a different sense.

Is the future of this country really okay?

“Why are you here? ”

“See what you're up to. ”

“Aren't you busy? ”

“Yes.”

“... You're not busy? ”

“Yes, I'm not busy. ”

Choi Jung-hoon was not really busy.

Now the government is undermining the crazy work, but unfortunately, the situation has become too big to do anything about Choi Jeong-hoon.

What's he got to do with the gate not opening?

As usual, the damage he had to do was meaningless. Seoul flew away, but he has a knack for pulling out dragons and wants to report damages.

Even at the top, I didn't ask Jung-hoon for anything.

“I came to see you because I have nothing to do and I'm bored. ”

“I have a lot of questions. ”

When Lee Hyuk smiled, Choi Jung-hoon sighed and asked.

“Are you all right?”

“No.”

Lee Hyuk shakes his head firmly.

“I can't use magic. It can't be fine. It's very shocking. ”

“…… so you played the game? ”

“If it's supposed to be big, you have to focus on something else. ”

“I'd like to hear your honest feelings. ”

Choi Jung-hoon narrowed his eyebrows as if Lee Hyuk was worried.

“It's refreshing.”

“Siwon Soap?”

That was an unexpected answer.

Lee Hyuk looked down at his hand and said.

“It's a shame I can't use magic, but on the one hand, I wanted to get away from this boring bowl. ”

“I think I understand. ”

“I didn't want to fight in the first place, and when I came back to this world, I thought I wanted to get rid of all this magic and live a normal life. It's an insubordinate situation. ”

Choi Jung-hoon's face was a little stiff.

“But people without Lee Hyuk will no longer be able to resist the machinery. ”

“That might take a while.... ”

Lee Hyuk shrugged.

“You have to admit it and accept it. There's nothing more I can do. ”

“…… You really don't have it? ”

“Hmm……. ”

Lee Hyuk scratched his cheek. Choi Jung-hoon did not miss the subtle tremor of his fingers.

“Actually, you know, if you always have to do something you don't want to do, I've never been more willing to do it. ”

“That's right.”

I have a lot of gratitude for that. Even though Lee Hyuk kept saying something, Lee Hyuk was always where he needed to be.

“If there's anything I can do with my enthusiasm, I won't let go. I can't help it because of my personality. But if I use my will, then destruction is even closer. So what do I do?”

“ ……. ”

I am aware of it

I've already heard it.

However, Choi Jung-hoon did not abandon the refinement, but went here.

Even though I knew that the current conversation was cruel to Lee Hyuk, I couldn't stop.

The moment you let go, it's all over.

However, Jung-hoon couldn't hold on to the foolishness any longer, unless Lee Hyuk said so.

“…… You've worked hard. ”

Choi Jung-hoon's words had many meanings.

“You're welcome.”

“Your NDF status will remain intact for now. ”

“You want me to go to work? ”

“Of course. We have to live together and die together! ”

“Sounds a little strange to me. ”

Choi Jung-hoon smiled.

“Forget about losing your abilities and going off on your own. Even if you can't fight, Lee Hyuk's value is infinite. I was dealing with an illness, but there doesn't seem to be any illness here, so you can start tomorrow. ”

“…… Can't you quit? ”

“No! ”

Leaving that behind, Choi Jung-hoon got up from his seat. I didn't have anything to do with going there early, but I was strangely distressed to see the face of Lee Hyuk.

“I'll see what I can do. ”

“I'm not picking you up. ”

“I didn't want to. ”

Choi Jung-hoon turned around and stopped walking out of the room.

“Lee Ji-hyuk. ”

“Yes?”

“You've done a great job. Thank you."

“ ……. ”

Lee Hyuk lay flat on his bed watching Jung-hoon leave the house.

“Hardship.... ”

The fox in his voice leaves the room.