"Gwangcheon!"
Namgung Il's shout echoed through the interior.
As if he couldn't hear the voice, Gwangcheon was still bowing his head, and the hand that had been turning the disc had also stopped.
'No...!'
Seeing that, it seemed Gwangcheon had lost consciousness due to the impact on his head.
If he were to collapse in that state, Gwangcheon's body would fall straight to the bottom.
At that moment, the flames that had swallowed the wooden fish would swallow Gwangcheon this time.
Phat—.
Before that, Namgung Il tried to pull Gwangcheon out of there.
However.
"Uraaaah—!"
As a powerful spirited shout was heard, Namgung Il stopped moving without realizing it.
The owner of that voice was Gwangcheon.
Gwangcheon, who he had thought had lost consciousness, had raised his head again.
"I'm fine!"
"..."
"I'll turn the device again, so Captain, get ready to cross the bridge!"
As if to show that he was still alive and well, Gwangcheon shouted at Namgung Il with a powerful voice.
Fresh blood was flowing down his smiling face.
Namgung Il watched the scene for a moment and then returned to his original position.
'Gwangcheon... just hold on a little longer.'
Fortunately, it didn't seem to be a fatal wound, but it couldn't be said that there was no impact at all.
If he had his way, he would have wanted to make Gwangcheon come down from there, but that would not be a reward for Gwangcheon's trust.
What he could do was to pull the handle on the other side as quickly as possible to reduce Gwangcheon's burden.
I will never turn my head again, Namgung Il vowed to himself as he stared at the door on the other side.
'Thank you, Captain.'
Gwangcheon looked at Namgung Il returning to his place and then looked at what had attacked his head.
An iron ball, similar in size to his fist.
It was inevitable that he had lost consciousness for a moment after being hit in the head by something like that flying at high speed.
Swoosh—.
Gwangcheon immediately looked around.
At that moment, something came into Gwangcheon's sight.
It was definitely not visible before, but at some point, a bizarrely shaped gun barrel had protruded from the ceiling and was pointing its head this way.
'I see, so the iron ball that flew at me earlier was shot from there?'
Now that he knew the direction, he would be able to deal with it sufficiently.
Gwangcheon thought so to himself and began to turn the disc again.
Kkiiik—.
As the disc, which had stopped for a moment, began to turn again, the bridge also began to protrude out again.
As if it had been waiting for the opportunity, the gun barrel spewed fire and shot an iron ball at Gwangcheon again.
"...!"
At that moment, Gwangcheon quickly dodged his head.
He had been late in dodging earlier because he didn't know the location, but this time, he knew the location and had been on guard in preparation for it.
Kwajik—.
Fortunately, this time, the iron ball missed Gwangcheon and was embedded in the wall behind.
Just by seeing how deeply it had gone into the wall, one could guess how powerful the iron ball's destructive force was.
Kkiiik—.
Even in the midst of that, Gwangcheon continued to turn the disc.
An act that an ordinary person could not easily do.
To continue turning the disc while knowing that an iron ball of that size was flying towards him was an act that required considerable courage.
Pang—!
Accordingly, the gun barrel was also continuously shooting iron balls.
Gwangcheon moved his body each time to dodge the iron balls, and at some point, quite a few iron balls were embedded in the wall behind.
'Good, I think I can do this.'
After dodging a few, he had become quite accustomed to the flying iron balls.
At this rate, it wouldn't be too difficult to dodge the remaining ones.
Gwangcheon looked much more relaxed than at the beginning.
Pang—!
This time too, Gwangcheon leisurely dodged the iron ball.
However.
The leisure that had appeared on Gwangcheon's face disappeared in an instant due to an iron ball that flew in from an unexpected direction.
'Wh-what is it?'
Fortunately, he was able to narrowly dodge the second iron ball that flew in.
However, Gwangcheon himself was the first to feel the sudden abnormality, and he immediately knew what the reason was.
"...!"
At some point, an unseen gun barrel was aiming at him from the ceiling.
A gun barrel that had protruded from a completely different location than the one that had been shooting at him.
The iron balls that had been flying from one direction were now flying towards Gwangcheon from a total of two places.
Flinch—.
Confirming that fact, Gwangcheon's hand, which had been moving continuously, couldn't help but stop temporarily.
That shocking sight.
He had just been getting used to the iron balls, but suddenly the number he had to dodge had increased to two, so he didn't even know how to express this feeling.
"..."
Gwangcheon silently looked at the bridge.
Thanks to turning the disc without rest, the bridge had protruded out quite a bit more than when he had first seen it.
However, it was still at a level that had not yet reached this half.
For Namgung Il to cross the bridge, he would have to turn the disc for a lot longer.
'In the meantime... can I dodge those?'
He had been lucky to dodge them earlier, but he couldn't guarantee he could do so this time.
The difference between one and two was that significant.
Even Gwangcheon, who had been fearlessly turning the disc until now, couldn't help but hesitate at this moment.
"..."
Just then, Namgung Il's figure came into Gwangcheon's sight.
A figure that was staring only straight ahead, even though the bridge had stopped.
At that moment, Gwangcheon, as if he had decided something, began to move the hand that had stopped.
'The Captain trusts me.'
Namgung Il must also know that the bridge had stopped.
But for Namgung Il not to look this way at all, didn't that mean he trusted him that much?
He believes I will connect the bridge no matter what. Gwangcheon got that feeling from Namgung Il's appearance.
Kkiiik—.
The disc, which had stopped for a moment, began to turn again.
As if that were a signal to end the truce, iron balls were being shot out from the gun barrels again.
Kwajik—!
Each time, Gwangcheon performed a thrilling acrobatic feat on the spot.
The moment he slipped even a little, it would be the end.
It was already quite difficult just to dodge the iron balls pouring in from both directions, but he had to turn the disc at the same time, so he was even more disoriented.
'Just a little... just a little more...!'
Thanks to Gwangcheon's efforts, the bridge was now almost halfway connected.
Although it could be said that there was still a lot left until completion, there was no need to connect the bridge completely.
Even if it was just a little over half, Namgung Il would be able to cross to the other side sufficiently.
Pang—! Pang—! Pang—!
It was then.
Suddenly, the sound of three consecutive shots was heard, and Gwangcheon, as he had been doing, was dodging the second iron ball.
Thwack—!
The surprise attack of the third iron ball that came at an unexpected time.
Although Gwangcheon had dodged all the iron balls well until now, he couldn't react to the surprise attack that flew towards his leg.
"...!"
An iron ball flew in from a direction it shouldn't have.
That meant only one thing.
Gwangcheon turned his head to the side that his thigh had just been struck.
'Three...'
In that direction, a third gun barrel was visible.
To think that two wasn't the end... Gwangcheon's posture faltered for a moment, but he gritted his teeth and focused on turning the disc.
Pang—! Pang—! Pang—!
However, Gwangcheon eventually had no choice but to take his hands off the disc.
He had been able to somehow dodge and turn the disc up to two, but from three, he just didn't have the leisure to do so.
"...!"
Besides, he didn't know if it was just his imagination, but it felt like the rate of fire had also gotten faster.
Had the speed really gotten faster, or was it just that he felt that way because he had no leisure?
He didn't know what the truth was, but it was certain that he could no longer dodge and turn the disc.
'Just a little... just a little more to move!'
There was really only a little left to repay Namgung Il's trust.
The destination was right in front of him, but he couldn't run anymore... Gwangcheon soon took a deep breath as if he had decided something.
"..."
Gwangcheon knew well that he couldn't turn the disc in this state.
But if he just gave up one thing, he would be able to make a bridge for Namgung Il to cross.
'Just for a moment.'
If he pushed his Diamond Body Divine Art to the limit, he would be able to endure for a short while.
He didn't need much, just a moment.
With the determination not to fall until then, Gwangcheon stopped in front of the disc.
Kkiiik—.
The disc began to turn again.
At that moment, three iron balls flew towards Gwangcheon.
It was clear that all three would hit Gwangcheon directly, but Gwangcheon did not move from that spot, like a wooden statue.
Thwack—!
The sound of flesh being crushed was heard.
One shot to the right arm, one to the chest... and one to the abdomen.
His body twisted for a moment and blood poured from his mouth, but Gwangcheon gritted his teeth and did not fall.
Kkiiik—.
In exchange for that pain, Gwangcheon turned the disc.
The bridge was now clearly connected more than halfway.
Gwangcheon knew that this was his limit.
"Now...!"
Gwangcheon shouted at Namgung Il, squeezing out all his strength.
However, Namgung Il had already been running on the bridge before that, and he was holding a flying dagger in one hand.
Pajijijik—.
Just before reaching the end of the bridge, Namgung Il threw the flying dagger he was holding somewhere.
A flying dagger that flew accurately towards the handle of the opposite door.
The flying dagger, imbued with the energy of the Thunder Emperor Divine Art, struck the handle like a bolt of lightning.
Tak—.
At that moment, Namgung Il was already standing in front of the handle.
His right hand was heading for the handle even faster than the flying dagger he had just thrown, and as soon as Namgung Il grabbed the handle, he pulled it down.
Kung—.
The handle went down with a heavy sound.
Simultaneously, the iron door began to open.
As if there was something more important than opening the door, Namgung Il immediately turned his head.
"Gwangcheon!"
Namgung Il finally looked at Gwangcheon.
Seeing it with his own eyes, Gwangcheon's appearance looked much more dangerous than he had imagined just from the sounds.
Pang—!
For a moment, the world seemed to stop.
He had definitely pulled the handle... so why was the gun barrel firing?
Spotting the iron ball flying towards Gwangcheon, Namgung Il hurriedly took a step.
'I can't reach...!'
Before he arrived, that iron ball would hit Gwangcheon first.
If he used the Thunder Chasing Step, he might be able to arrive faster than the iron ball, but at his current level, it was absolutely impossible to move that distance.
"Gwangcheon!"
In the end, all Namgung Il could do was just shout like this.
However, Gwangcheon's body did not stir at that voice.
His two hands were still holding the disc, but his consciousness had already flown away.
Phat—.
It was then.
Just before the iron ball was about to hit him, Tang Wol-yeong, who had run nearby, threw her body and pushed Gwangcheon away.
Thwack—.
Thanks to that, the iron ball fortunately missed Gwangcheon and hit the wall.
As if that was the last shot, no more iron balls came out of the gun barrel.
"...I'm okay, Young Master!"
"..."
"He's alive!"
Tang Wol-yeong shouted from the other side.
At that moment, as if all the strength had drained from his body, Namgung Il dropped the flying dagger he was holding on the floor.
"...Thank goodness."
Losing a comrade was enough with that one time.
That one sentence seemed to say everything about Namgung Il's feelings.
(End of Chapter)