The Weapon Genius: Anything I Hold Can Kill-Chapter 90: The Road Home

The air was thick with something unspoken as Jin and his team stood near the settlement’s outer boundary. There was no fanfare, no grand farewell—just a quiet acknowledgment that this was the end of their time here.

Yewon stood at the forefront, her arms crossed, posture still exuding the authority that had kept this place running. She didn’t offer any pleasantries, no empty words about safe travels or gratitude. Instead, she simply gave a nod. It wasn’t dismissive, nor was it reluctant. It was measured—respect, recognition, and the simple fact that their business here was done.

Jin met her gaze, mirroring the nod. He wasn’t the type to stretch out moments like these. Whatever understanding had been reached between them, it didn’t need words to cement it.

Behind her, the three generals stood in their usual formation, though now without the hostility that had marked their last encounter. Kang Daeho, ever the towering force of muscle and presence, was the first to break the silence.

"Not gonna lie," he said, rolling out his shoulders with a slight wince, "you guys put up more of a fight than I expected. Thought I’d be the one crushing skulls, not getting my ass handed to me." His smirk was lopsided, but there was no bitterness in it.

Jin quirked an eyebrow. "We aim to exceed expectations."

Beside Daeho, Baek Seungmin let out a quiet breath, still composed despite the obvious fatigue in his stance. "Fighting you gave us clarity," he admitted. "The way the system pushes people to attack first, to establish dominance... It’s easy to get swept up in that. But power isn’t everything. Strategy wins wars."

Joon let out a dry chuckle. "And you figured that out after we wrecked you?"

Baek didn’t react, merely tilting his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Some lessons require experience."

The last of the trio, Nam Kyungjoon, kept his hands in his pockets, watching the exchange with a detached gaze. He had spoken the least during their fight, and even now, his words were clipped. "Next time, we won’t underestimate you."

Jin wasn’t sure if that was meant to be a warning or a compliment, but he simply nodded. "Next time, maybe we won’t have to fight at all."

There was no answer to that, but the lingering silence wasn’t uncomfortable.

Just off to the side, Eunhe stood quietly, her expression unreadable. She hadn’t spoken much since healing them, hadn’t reacted much either. She just... existed in the space between them, present but detached.

Echo had been glancing at her since they started saying their goodbyes. There was hesitation in his stance, an uncertainty that was unlike him.

For a second, Jin thought he might say something else, something significant—but instead, he simply lifted a hand in a small, subdued wave.

Eunhe’s eyes flickered toward him, just for a second. Then she gave a small nod—polite, distant, nothing more.

Echo lowered his hand. He hesitated, lips parting slightly, but whatever words he had died before they could form. He exhaled through his nose and turned away.

Jin took that as their cue to leave.

With one last glance at the settlement—the makeshift markets, the people moving through the streets with purpose, the armed patrols securing their home—they stepped past the outer boundary.

The moment they crossed that invisible threshold, the shift was immediate. The structured, protected space behind them gave way to the open, unpredictable wilds of the ruined world.

No walls. No patrols. Just the vast, desolate terrain stretching ahead.

Jin rolled his shoulders, adjusting his grip on his weapon. He didn’t say anything as they walked forward, but in his mind, one thought stood out:

Whatever that place was, it wasn’t just another group of survivors. It was something more. Something organized. Something that could last.

And for the first time in a long time, he found himself wondering—

Would they?

Would his people?

Would they be strong enough to survive what came next?

The road stretched ahead, uneven and cracked, remnants of the old world breaking apart under their feet.

Jin walked at the front, his mind turning over everything that had happened. The battle. The alliance. Eunhe.

Everything about her still sat wrong with him.

She had healed them, stood there with her usual neutrality, and yet—there was something just beneath the surface, something he couldn’t place. He wasn’t the type to dwell too much on things that couldn’t be changed, but this?

He couldn’t shake it.

Behind him, Joon let out a dry chuckle, breaking the quiet. "You know... I keep thinking about it, and it’s kinda hilarious."

Jin didn’t respond, so Joon kept going. "We showed up at that place kicking their teeth in, and now we’re walking back home with an alliance. Hell of a turn."

Areum snorted. "That’s one way to put it."

Hanuel, who had been quiet most of the walk, adjusted the strap of her bag and frowned. "It makes sense, though. We didn’t really want to be their enemies. It was just... circumstances."

Doyun exhaled. "Still, I don’t think any of us expected them to come around so fast. Not after we trashed their strongest fighters."

Joon shot him a look. "You sound disappointed."

Doyun shrugged. "Not disappointed. Just... surprised."

They kept walking.

Every so often, they passed the wreckage of the world before—the skeletal remains of buildings, overturned cars, broken street signs. The system had swallowed everything, leaving only ruins and whatever people managed to build from the pieces.

The recruits continued talking among themselves, analyzing the fights, the different abilities they had encountered, and what it meant for the future.

Jin listened, but his focus kept slipping.

His eyes flickered to Echo.

The guy had barely spoken since they left the settlement. He wasn’t lagging behind, wasn’t visibly upset, but there was something off about his silence.

Jin slowed his pace until he was walking beside him. "You alright?"

Echo blinked, as if pulled from his thoughts. He hesitated, then let out a short, dry laugh. "Yeah. Just thinking."

Jin didn’t push. If Echo had something to say, he’d say it in his own time.

They kept walking.

The sky shifted, the warm hues of the afternoon bleeding into deeper shades of blue and purple. The air grew cooler. The road felt longer.

But then—

"Movement ahead," Areum said, sharp and alert.

They all tensed instinctively, hands drifting toward weapons.

In the distance, just barely visible in the dim light, a lone figure stood atop the outer gate of their base.

Taesung Kwon.

He was standing alert, eyes locked on them.

For a few seconds, he didn’t move. Then—his posture eased slightly, and he turned, calling into the base.

Jin could just barely make out what he was saying.

"Seul! They’re back!"

A brief silence. Then—

A sudden force, a pull in the air.

Jin barely had time to register it before something dropped from above— fast, too fast.

CRACK.

Dust and debris burst outward as Seul landed hard, a small crater forming beneath her boots. The impact sent a faint tremor through the ground, loose dirt scattering across the worn pavement.

Joon took an instinctive step back. "What the hell—"

Seul straightened, rolling out the tension in her shoulders. "Still need to get the pull-down right." She frowned at the cracked ground beneath her. "Too much force at the end."

Echo blinked. "You just—" He motioned vaguely at the crater. "You just dropped straight out of the air, broke the ground, and you’re worried about landing technique?"

Seul raised an eyebrow. "What, you want me to land on you next time?"

"Absolutely not."

Seul smirked, but the amusement didn’t fully reach her eyes. She gave Jin a quick once-over, then the rest of the group.

Her posture eased slightly.

"Figured you’d show up in one piece," she muttered. "Didn’t think it’d take this long."

Jin exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Things got... complicated."

Seul studied his face, then glanced at the others—Joon’s half-exhausted smirk, Echo’s thoughtful expression, the recruits still holding themselves just a bit stiffly after all they’d been through.

"...So?" she asked, crossing her arms. "How’d it go?"

Jin huffed a short laugh. "Long story."

Seul nodded, then stretched her arms behind her head. "Alright. Meeting after dinner?"

Jin nodded.

"Good." She turned on her heel, already walking toward the base. "I’ll start cooking, then."

She glanced over her shoulder, locking eyes with Areum. "You wanna help?"

Areum blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Seul gave her an approving nod. "Good. The guys are useless, anyway."

Joon scoffed, placing a hand over his chest in mock offense. "Wow."

Doyun chuckled. "She’s not wrong."

With that, Seul and Areum disappeared into the base, their voices fading into the evening air.

Jin lingered for a moment longer, looking up at the walls, the flickering lights, the familiar sounds of home.

They had made it back.

The weight of battle, the questions left unanswered—those things still lingered.

But for now... they could breathe.

And for now, that was enough.