Chapter 22: 22 Victory And Defeat

Blood pooled across the floor, mixing with dust and shattered artifacts.

The museum was a mess of historical relics, concrete blocks, and debris caused by the Djinn’s monstrous strength. But the once-powerful Djinn was now pale, his vitality fading with each drop of blood spilled. I could tell he was on his last legs.

“Hey, Djinn… Who do you work for?” I asked, voice dripping with venom.

A hateful desire to inflict the same pain I was feeling surged through me.

My legs could still hold me up, but the agony in my left arm, where the arrow Yeonha shot had embedded itself, was excruciating. I couldn’t even blame her—my stealth ability had likely made it hard for her to perceive me. The Djinn had the same problem. Lucky me. My body was covered in bruises, courtesy of our not-so-gentle friend here, but it was nothing compared to the state of the Djinn.

He looked like a pincushion, arrows sticking out of him at odd angles. Spears protruded from his legs, and there were deep cuts from swords and axes—courtesy of my creative use of the museum's ancient weaponry. I wasn’t just trying to survive; I was making this bastard bleed from every inch of his body.

“What does it feel like, huh? These artifacts might not be the best, but they’re tough enough for you, aren’t they? You can’t even break that spear in your leg, and pulling it out will only make you bleed more. You’re stuck, aren’t you?” I taunted, trying to provoke him into making a mistake.

But the Djinn had wised up. He wasn’t charging at me blindly anymore. He just stood there, glaring, waiting for my next move.

I glanced at Yeonha, who was hiding, crouched behind the Djinn. She didn’t look much better than me. Her leg was limp from the near-miss she’d had earlier. The Djinn had managed to rip through the displays and nearly tore her leg off in the process. Persistent bastard.

“I must say, you no-name Djinn piece of trash… you’ve got a lot of blood,” I said theatrically, stretching my arms wide. “Look around—it’s everywhere!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at my own absurdity. Yeonha wasn’t even paying attention to my antics; she was too busy trying not to die.

Despite the pain, I kept moving, my steps light thanks to all the running and stamina-building I’d been doing lately—or maybe it was sheer willpower keeping me upright. I stepped closer to the Djinn, mocking him as I went. “This is pathetic. One Djinn can’t even handle a couple of freshmen cadets? What a joke…”

“I’m just the best at dodging, man. You couldn’t land a serious hit on me even if you tried,” I teased, raising my arms in mock surrender, pretending my left shoulder didn’t feel like it was on fire.

I bent down to pick up the dagger I’d used earlier. It wasn’t much—just your average knife, the kind you’d find at a department store. But it had served me well so far. I admired the way it gleamed in the dim light and waved it around for effect.

“Look, I could just leave you here to bleed out,” I said, flipping the dagger into a backhand grip. “But I’m a cautious guy. There’s always a chance you might get away if I let you.”

And also, I was petty. The humor drained from my voice, replaced by cold resolve. The tension ratcheted up to a new high as I steeled myself for the final blow.

I sprinted forward.

The Djinn, sensing the end, let out a final roar, raising both fists high before slamming them into the concrete floor with all his remaining strength. “I WILL PERISH GLORIOUSLY!” The ground shook, debris flew everywhere, and the earth beneath us split apart. Djinns were inhuman in their strength, and this one was no exception.

But I kept my focus, even as dust and rocks filled the air, obscuring my vision. A flash of light cut through the chaos—Yeonha, signaling me with a flashlight. I knew what it meant: the Djinn was there, lurking in the dust cloud. Yoo Yeonha had better vision than me… or maybe she was using an art.

I dashed toward the hulking shadow, only to see the Djinn’s massive fist closing in on me. My heart stuttered, but I activated my Gift, Nobody Knows. I disappeared, becoming invisible.

Reappearing at his side, I thrust a spear into his chest, aiming for his heart.

The Djinn, defying logic, raised his remaining fist in a final effort to drag me down with him. But his arm faltered, falling limp at his side. He looked down, confused, and saw the dagger I had buried in his elbow earlier.

“Hah,” I muttered, my grin widening into something feral. “I couldn’t cut your balls, but I’ll settle for your life.”

With that, the Djinn collapsed, his head hitting the blood-soaked floor with a sickening thud.

I looked around at the carnage. “Damn, there’s just too much blood on the floor… I’m lucky I didn’t slip or something.”

Just a while ago, as I moved under the effects of invisibility, I had hoped to make one decisive strike. I wanted to cut the Djinn’s throat and drain him of every last drop of blood. But my legs had grown weak from too much dodging, too much running. I could barely keep moving, let alone leap for a clean strike. So I abandoned that plan. No grand finish, no glorious cut. I had to settle for something else—this.

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Now, I couldn’t keep my eyes on the Djinn’s dead body any longer. The adrenaline that had kept me going was fading, and with it came the flood of pain. My entire body ached in ways I hadn’t thought possible. I needed rest—desperately.

“Yeonha,” I called out, my voice heavy with exhaustion. “We won…”

I lay down on the Djinn’s massive corpse, using it like a couch. As absurd as it was, it felt right. Victory, hard-won, deserved a moment of rest.

Yeonha limped over, dragging her battered body toward me. She collapsed onto the Djinn’s body too, not far from where I rested. “Yes… it is our victory,” she said, her voice soft but filled with a sense of accomplishment.

For a brief moment, there was silence. Just the sound of our labored breaths and the faint hum of the museum around us. Everything felt surreal, like we were the last people in the world.

“Hey,” I called again, breaking the quiet. “You don’t think he’ll suddenly wake up, do you?”

Yeonha didn’t respond with words. Instead, she grabbed a short sword that had fallen nearby and, with all the strength she had left, drove it into the Djinn’s skull. Her arms shook, and the blade barely sunk in. We were both so tired. Too tired to even finish off a corpse.

I reached out, grabbed her hand, and added my weight to hers. Together, we pushed the sword deeper. With a final, heavy breath, the last of the Djinn’s life was snuffed out. I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt.

Satisfied, I closed my eyes. Sleep tugged at me, pulling me into its depths. I let it take me. For now, we had won. For now, we could rest.

In the quiet, lonely corner of the museum, the Djinn’s body began to evaporate, dissolving into black dust. The malevolent presence it once held over this place faded with it. One less evil in the world. And as the Djinn vanished, the two of us, who had been leaning against its massive form, fell back onto each other, our backs pressing together.

A boy. And a girl. Back to back. Hands still clasped. It was a small moment of peace in the aftermath of chaos that would only continue to escalate from now on, but still, a victory was a victory nonetheless. And, for now, that was enough.

“Yeonha,” mumbled the boy as he stirred from the pain.

“I am… here,” answered the girl as she felt faint and fallen into slumber.

It really was a nice picture, wasn’t it?

***

Yoo Yeonha opened her eyes slowly. Her face was void of any emotion. She lay there, trying her best to shake off the remnants of her nightmare. But it clung to her like a stubborn stain, and she couldn’t help but shudder. It wasn’t just any nightmare. It was the kind that stuck with you, haunting your waking moments.

How could she possibly enjoy her favorite food after this?

The images flooded back—her beloved hamburger, the one she used to devour with relish, had started talking. And the French fries? Oh, they weren’t any better. They were locked in a brutal war, stabbing each other with ketchup spraying everywhere like blood. And the coup de grâce? A giant wave of Coke, wiping out the battlefield, leaving behind only floating remnants of food. It was… horrifying.

“D-daughter! Daughter! DADDY IS HERE!” Her father’s voice broke through her traumatic recollection, as Yoo Jinhyung, the Guild Leader of Essence of the Strait, burst into the hospital room, crying like a child.

“Who are you?” Yeonha asked, her voice ice cold, dismissing him without a second thought.

The sudden rejection made Yoo Jinhyung’s face fall, his expression transforming into one of heartbreak. He looked as though he might burst into tears again any second. Of course, there was a reason Yeonha could so easily brush off his dramatic entrance—her father was more fool than Guild Leader in these moments.

“I’d rather see Mom…” she muttered absently, knowing it would sting him.

“Daughter, do you remember me? If you remember your mom, then you must remember me! Oh no… Is this amnesia?!” Jinhyung wailed, fussing around her like a mother hen, while Yeonha paid him no mind.

Her thoughts drifted back to what had happened. The Djinn. She and Hyon Hyung had defeated a Djinn, and not just any Djinn—a powerful one. They were mere freshmen at Cube, and while they were no slouches in combat, taking down a Djinn like that was no small feat. Her lips curled slightly at the thought. They’d done it. They’d won.

“Father, what happened?” She turned to him, excitement flickering in her eyes. The possibilities of what this victory could mean for her reputation, for her clout within Cube, swirled in her mind.

Forget the bragging rights—this could elevate her status far beyond what she had imagined. But before she could fully relish the thought, her father’s face darkened.

“It’s bad,” he said, his tone suddenly somber. “One Cube Cadet is dead, and one is severely injured. Public opinion is… bad.”

“Wait, what?” Her excitement evaporated in an instant. Her mind flashed back to the fight. She had given clear instructions for the cadets to help the civilians escape. She and Hyon had won. So what was he talking about?

“There were three Djinns,” Yoo Jinhyung explained, his expression grim.

Shock. Fear. Relief. All hit her at once. Three? How had she survived that? If there had been three Djinns, how had there only been one casualty?

Yeonha instinctively reached for her smartwatch, only to realize it wasn’t with her.

Her father cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ahem… I confiscated it. No internet for you right now. You need rest. I’ll tell you what you need to know.”

“Then tell me,” she snapped. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Jinhyung sighed and leaned back. “Three Djinns appeared. The other two weren’t as strong, but they were crafty. It was a man-made dungeon break—clearly a terrorist attack. Each Djinn was nearly as powerful as the one you fought, but the other two had a nasty trick. They could play dead—reviving after taking fatal blows. It’s why there was… more damage than expected.”

Yeonha shuddered. She had been lucky. So lucky.

“And… Ryeo Dae. Dead.”

Her mind went blank. Ryeo Dae… she knew her. A classmate. Someone with potential. Someone Yeonha had planned to bring into her inner circle. Dae was shy, yes, but she had talent.

“And Chae Nayun… she’s severely injured. In a coma,” her father added quietly.

Yeonha felt her breath catch. Chae Nayun, of all people. They weren’t close, but Nayun was someone Yeonha had always been aware of. Nayun held a special place in Shin Jonghak’s heart, which had always made Yeonha envious. But more than that, Nayun was… irreplaceable.

“I…” Yeonha started, her voice faltering. Guilt crept into her chest. When she had been thinking of how to spin this crisis into an advantage, others had been suffering—really suffering. Ryeo Dae was dead. Nayun was in a coma. And here she was, thinking about how to boost her reputation.

“This… this is just…” She bit her lip, her usual confidence cracking. It all felt… distasteful now. So incredibly distasteful.