By Zephyria Master?
Eui-jae looked around, confirming the existence that had offered the Fang. It was Lee Sa-young, standing askew, still wearing the clothes he had on in the Memorial Dungeon.
‘Could it be?’
The Fang wriggled like a live fish, as if that was the answer.
[Fang’s thoughts: Finally, I’ve met my Master!]
[Fang’s thoughts: This one only neglects me and is no fun! I’m going back!]
However, the self-proclaimed Master Lee Sa-young nodded with a nonchalant face.
“What are you doing, Hyung? If you took it out, try sticking it in that guy’s skull.”
“Ah, no….”
“…Huh?”
[Fang’s thoughts: …Master?]
[‘Basilisk Fang’ seems shocked.]
I know without you saying it. The movement that had been thrashing in my hand stopped right away. The Master didn’t even recognize it and say hello, but instead recommended fratricide. Eui-jae, who had no affection for the Fang but had built up camaraderie with it after escaping the Rift together, glanced at the Fang’s expression. The guy who had been so talkative was just quiet.
“……Are you okay?”
“Shouldn’t you be asking yourself if you’re okay….”
“No….”
Not you, it. The Fang was silent. I wondered if this was okay, but as Lee Sa-young said, escaping from here was the priority. Eui-jae gripped the Fang again. I felt a sense of déjà vu. But I’m not confused. Because now he has people to protect by his side.
Yoon Ga-eul doesn’t have much time. We have to go back. I look at the bones under my feet. The bones of my comrades must be mixed in. But….
“…….”
Will I be able to come here again?
Won’t I be abandoning them and running away again?
This might be the last chance.
“You can come, J.”
A voice full of conviction said. Eui-jae raised his head. Yoon Ga-eul, who swallowed a cough, was looking at Cha Eui-jae with golden eyes.
“Our Souls will have remembered the way to come here. I won’t be able to come many times, but I can still move. Just like I, who was dragged here, went to J.”
“…….”
“But, you probably want to find them right away….”
Ga-eul lowered her head and fidgeted with her hands.
“I’m sorry I can’t find them with you here. I wish we had more time….”
Even after hearing that I can come back, a small anxiety remains. The guilt of not being able to save them will torment Cha Eui-jae forever. But.
“…No. Thanks to you, I found out that my comrades are here.”
“…….”
“If it wasn’t for you, I would have kept wandering around the West Sea Rift. Without being able to do anything.”
I made eye contact with Lee Sa-young, who was standing behind Yoon Ga-eul. Eui-jae smiled at him as if to show off his success.
“Thank you.”
Ga-eul pursed her lips and nodded. She roughly rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. Cha Eui-jae took a small breath and jumped high from his spot.
Eui-jae landed lightly on the bones. I can see the skull of a giant snake with its mouth open. White ash was piled up on the sharp teeth and lower jaw. I can see the black scratch left in the center of the skull. It’s where he pierced it with the Basilisk Fang.
‘It’s really the same place.’
As the West Sea Rift.
My heart is pounding. I’m nervous, and I’m afraid that silence will come again. The scars that scratched Cha Eui-jae’s Soul will not easily disappear. But doubt is unnecessary. Just do everything you can.
Eui-jae held the Basilisk Fang with both hands. And, raising the sword high―
Pook, I stuck it in the scratch.
“…….”
Woo woong…. Eui-jae raises his head. The flow of air, which had been quietly stopped, was reversing and vibrating. A pure white vortex appeared behind the Basilisk Fang.
“Ah, it’s done….”
A sigh of relief burst out. Eui-jae grabbed the Fang and took a long breath. Kyaak! After a small scream, a light landing sound was heard. Lee Sa-young was standing with Yoon Ga-eul, wrapped in a black coat, tucked under his arm. Ga-eul mumbled with a pale face, blocking her mouth.
“Th, that, you can’t get Poison on it….”
“Stand on your own now.”
“Yes, yes….”
Ga-eul stood on her two feet, staggering. They were silent in front of the vortex. But we can’t just hesitate. Eui-jae gestured to the two. And he pulled out the Fang and threw himself into the vortex first.
…Cha Eui-jae opened his eyes.
A dark ceiling greeted him. Eui-jae jumped up. After blinking his eyes a few times to adjust to the darkness, he was able to distinguish the surrounding objects. He was lying in bed in a darkened room. A tingling pain was felt on the back of his hand.
“What is this….”
There was an IV drip in the back of his hand. Min-gi Seo must have taken care of it. Eui-jae carefully pulled out the IV drip and looked around. There was another bed right next to him. I removed the curtain that covered the bed. Lee Sa-young, who also had an IV drip in the back of his hand, was lying down.
“…Lee Sa-young.”
When I called him carefully, his delicate brow furrowed slightly. Hmm… I thought I heard a small groan, and then Lee Sa-young opened his eyes thinly.
“……Ah…. Where is this?”
“I don’t know where it is. Is it like a hospital room?”
“……Ugh.”
Sa-young grabbed his head.
“Wait, does your head hurt? I’ll go get someone.”
Eui-jae hurriedly opened the door. A strangely familiar space appeared. A desolate space that made me doubt if people even lived there. A familiar sofa in the living room. It was Lee Sa-young’s house.
And….
Eui-jae blankly looked out the large window.
Pure white ash was falling. From the sky.
“…Why?”
Then, a beep sound rang out in the quiet living room. The source of the sound was the answering machine.
―Guild Master, this is Seo Min-gi. I am leaving this record because it is not a situation where I can report directly. The situation outside is not good. After the Black Hole suddenly turned white, debris continues to fall from the Hole. Also, countless Addicts are wandering the streets, attacking Awakened and civilians alike. As if they had been waiting for this moment.
Why?
―Currently, Wave Guild has entered an emergency system and is following the instructions of Vice Guild Master Bae Won-woo to rescue civilians and deal with Addicts. This concludes the report.
―…….
After a long silence, one word was added.
―Please return quickly. J, and Guild Master.
Beep, beep, beep…. The answering machine turned off. Eui-jae put his hand on the cold glass and blankly looked outside. This scenery belongs to a Destroyed world. This should not happen in this world. What went wrong? There must have been something that triggered it.
At that time, a vibration was felt in the empty air. Eui-jae put his hand into the Inventory as if possessed. The Basilisk Fang was vibrating.
When I took out the Fang, his thoughts came to mind.
[Fang’s thoughts: It’s because the Master disappeared.]
“What? What are you talking about.”
[Fang’s thoughts: …Don’t you know? Stupid.]
[Fang’s thoughts: The Master was holding on so that the Destroyed and collapsing world would not merge with your world.]
Master.
Considering the Basilisk Fang’s reaction and the Fragment, the Fang’s original owner was probably Lee Sa-young. Lee Sa-young, who wandered alone in the Destroyed world they had visited.
[Fang’s thoughts: The Master was a warden, and a shackle by his very existence.]
Holding on so that they wouldn’t merge. Shackle. White ash was falling from the Whitehole that had turned pure white, and the debris that I had seen in the Destroyed world. The West Sea Rift, which was connected to the Destroyed world, and the rapidly increasing Dungeon Infiltration phenomenon recently. What if Dungeon Infiltration was also being infiltrated by the Destroyed world?
The Fang’s words continued.
[Fang’s thoughts: But since that Master disappeared…]
The Whitehole flashed. Soon, something white and huge slowly pushed through the Whitehole and revealed its appearance.
[Fang’s thoughts: The Destroyed world will come.]
It was the giant whale I had seen in the Destroyed world.