By Zephyria 
But before they could examine it more closely, the paper airplane made of light crumpled in a monster’s hand and extinguished. Fortunately, Lee Hyun-muk saw what Yohan had seen. With eyes that seemed to see clearly into the darkness, a red glint flashing by, he stared for a long time.
“Yes, Yohan. I saw it too. Perhaps this is… the heart of the Abyss.”
“The heart of the, Abyss?”
Joo Ho-young flinched, looking out there once more. He peered into the dark pit, teeming with countless monsters, and muttered.
“But there’s hardly any Flood visible for it to be that.”
“Perhaps it’s because there’s so much to be digested.”
Yoon Seung-ryong replied, his face uncharacteristically serious. If his words were true, Yohan could understand why the Black Mountain had approached the monsters, swallowed them, and poured them here. Even as he spoke, monsters occasionally appeared in the sky above the heart of the Abyss, falling into that dreadful chasm….
Fortunately, the monsters only swarmed within, not trying to crawl towards them. Even though the pit was dug in a spiral, making it easy to climb up by just going around, they only occasionally lost their forms to the Flood flowing from the horrific, repulsive core, and did not try to escape the pit. They were like swarms of flies or maggots, mesmerized by the sweet-smelling digestive fluid dripped by a carnivorous plant. The group, having retreated a short distance, discussed.
“If this is the heart of the Abyss, then what is that disgusting-looking mass?”
“Is it some kind of power source that sustains the Abyss?”
“Then… what happens if we destroy it?”
Lee Hyun-muk, who had been quietly listening to his team members, murmured in a calm tone.
“Escape, or… death.”
A heavy silence fell. Escape, or death. An extreme either/or.
“Either die quickly, or die slowly. Or perhaps nothing will change. In any case, we’ll only know the result by trying.”
Yohan, his hands clenched tightly as he stared beyond the hole, swallowed dryly. Seo Yakrin, after deep consideration, attempted to communicate with the Black Mountain again. Meanwhile, from beyond, the sounds of living things boiling and bubbling wetly could be heard. Seo Yakrin, who had been trying to communicate, scowled deeply after a long while.
“It’s no use. The only answer I get is to eliminate it.”
Then, as if unable to contain her frustration, she pounded on the passage. As everyone else stared blankly ahead, Yohan, who had been silently staring intently at the direction of the distant pit, muttered.
“Eliminate it.”
The intense revulsion and fear he felt every time he encountered the Flood had now gradually turned into fierce anger. Yohan now knew he was no longer a prey being chased unilaterally by the Flood. No, he even felt like he was turning the tables. If he encountered the Flood again after some more time, he wouldn’t have to flee powerlessly. He asserted in a rare, resolute voice.
“Next time, this passage might be completely filled with Flood. Or it might be blocked by something else. Won’t that mean the opportunity is lost?”
In the darkness, Yohan’s eyes briefly flashed with a white light.
“This might be a trap, or perhaps we’re just being used, but at least it’s clear that it’s what generates the Flood…”
He trailed off, his words faltering. Everyone had been staring intently at Yohan without saying a word. Yoon Seung-ryong immediately reached out and ruffled Yohan’s hair. He was smiling wryly.
“Oh, you thought that?”
“Our maknae wants to do that, huh?”
Seo Yakrin, who was nearby, also ruffled Yohan’s hair until it was flat. As if he had forgotten his brave assertion, Yohan’s face turned bright red.
“But I’m not the maknae… Ho-young is the maknae.”
Flattened by the two’s excessive petting, Yohan added in a small voice. He felt a belated regret about what he had suggested to the Sunrise Team, shrinking back dejectedly. Fortunately, no one reprimanded him.
“Yohan has a point. Besides, it’s true we might be used, but it doesn’t feel like a trap. More like a common enemy? I broke the rock layer you couldn’t break, so you break that?”
Seo Yakrin tilted her head, explaining with a doubtful expression. In a situation where nothing was certain, Lee Hyun-muk looked around at his team members and asked.
“Then, let’s hear what everyone wants to do, one by one.”
As if waiting, Joo Ho-young was the first to raise his hand.
“Me! If only the Flood disappears from the Abyss, I think life will be so much easier.”
Next, Yoon Seung-ryong and Seo Yakrin responded.
“I agree with Ho-young. If it weren’t for the Flood, we wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
“If I can mess with those damn bastards, I don’t care what happens.”
After hearing his team’s opinions, Lee Hyun-muk looked at the tense Yohan with a gentle gaze, as if to encourage him. Then, he said calmly.
“We don’t know what will happen when we attack it. The worst-case scenario could occur. The situation could worsen from what it is now.”
“But the best-case scenario could also happen. What if this is the way to escape this place?”
Joo Ho-young said with a desperate voice. Then, everyone’s eyes changed significantly. We can get out of here. The moment we destroy that damned core, a miracle might open an exit, and everything might be sucked out into Earth, such happy fantasies flashed through their minds. It was something worth doing, even at the risk of their lives.
“We’ve been here for such a long, tiresome time. But isn’t this the first clue that’s appeared? Isn’t it, Team Leader?”
Joo Ho-young looked pleadingly at Lee Hyun-muk, even using polite speech. After hearing everyone’s opinions, Lee Hyun-muk, lost in deep thought, finally nodded.
“Alright. Let’s try it once, for now. Ho-young.”
“Yes! I’ll try my best!”
Joo Ho-young replied with an excited voice and quickly switched places, stepping to the forefront. Approaching the hole, he nocked an ice arrow he had prepared onto his bow. His eyes, which always seemed bored except when focused on games, were blazing for the first time. Lee Hyun-muk gave further instructions.
“First, attack the monsters, and then attack the core.”
“Okay.”
Taking a deep breath, Joo Ho-young pulled the bowstring taut. Even though it was so dark beyond, he aimed into the pit without hesitation, as if he could see everything. A moment later, the arrow shot out with a sharp whistling sound. With a thud, one monster toppled over, but there was no other reaction.
“Proceeding with the second attack.”
Muttering, Joo Ho-young aimed again. This time, he targeted the core, which occasionally revealed itself among the swarming monsters. Ping! The arrow flew like a shot and hit the core. However, crack! the ice arrow shattered, inflicting no damage.
“Move aside. Let me try attacking too.”
Seo Yakrin summoned a golden mist and levitated a dagger with her Psychokinesis. The dagger, shot out at a speed similar to the arrow, struck the core but returned without leaving a scratch, just like the arrow. Seo Yakrin clicked her tongue. Lee Hyun-muk’s lightning also struck the core with a fearsome sound, but it too failed to inflict any damage. Lee Hyun-muk slowly opened his mouth.
“Then, shall we try… other abilities?”
At his words, the group quickly stepped back. Yoon Seung-ryong even grabbed Yohan by the scruff of his neck to create distance. Yohan, recalling Lee Hyun-muk’s transformation during the Flood in the Reed Sea, swallowed dryly.
The shadow cast at Lee Hyun-muk’s feet seemed to vibrate faintly and then lengthened. It was dark enough to be distinguishable even within the already dark heart of the Abyss. The unrealistically lengthened shadow reached the core. Then, it enveloped it. Suddenly, several monsters disappeared into the shadow.
However, that was all. Lee Hyun-muk withdrew his shadow and let out a small sigh. The words that followed were strangely slow.
“My attack… seems to have no effect….”
Yohan, who had cautiously approached again, squeezed Lee Hyun-muk’s hand. It was because he had seen the red glint in the other’s eyes.
“Then, how about we imbue Ho-young’s arrows or Noona Yakrin’s dagger with my ability and shoot them this time?”
“Okay! Here.”
Ho-young quickly handed Yohan an ice arrow. Yohan placed his hand on the arrow and poured some of the abundant light shimmering within his body into it. Even with just that, the ice arrow shone brilliantly, as if made of light.
“Third attack, coming up.”
Joo Ho-young said with feigned cheerfulness and nocked the arrow imbued with Yohan’s ability. Ping! It was truly a beam of light that cut through the dark space, flying towards the core. Then, when it struck the target, the reaction was distinctly different from the previous attacks.
As soon as it was hit by Yohan’s light beam, the surface crumbled slightly, and the core pulsed violently. Then, the monsters suddenly began to glow and thrash about. As if protecting something precious, they swarmed and began to envelop the core. They surrounded it layer upon layer, making it endless no matter how many were killed.
“If only Yohan’s attack works on that core… we’ll have no choice but to go inside.”
At those words, the air became taut with tension. Lee Hyun-muk looked at each of his team members’ determined faces and nodded.