By Zephyria “First of all!”
Honeybee raised her index finger.
“We’re short on food and water. There are no Monsters to eat… We need to escape from here as quickly as possible. That’s our top priority. Do you agree?”
“How?”
“We have to think about that from now on.”
“Ah… I thought you had some brilliant idea since you were saying it so confidently. Does an exit appear just by talking about it?”
“We need to sort out the situation first, you idiot!”
Not only did they play ‘catch me if you can’ earlier, but the conversation was going off on a tangent again. Eui-jae stepped between the growling pair.
“Wait a minute. Don’t fight. Let’s start with the sorting, as Honeybee-ssi said.”
“That’s right. You know what’s up.”
Sa-young crossed his arms as if to say, ‘Go ahead and try.’ Eui-jae sighed softly.
“First, what are the ways to get out of the Dungeon?”
“Find the entrance we came in through and go back, or kill the Master of the Dungeon. But both are impossible right now.”
“As you can see, there’s nothing here.”
“The Invasion phenomenon is definitely happening in real-time, right?”
“That’s right. There should definitely be a castle here, but it’s disappeared without a trace.”
“……”
“But this is so fast… It’s strange. I’ve never seen this before.”
“Same here.”
Sa-young and Eui-jae’s eyes met for a moment. Could it be related to Sa-young quitting his job as a gatekeeper? ‘Hong Ye-seong’ is just a distraction, he can’t hold onto the Destroyed world. Sa-young seemed to be thinking the same thing. He cracked his knuckles and said,
“How about we keep moving for now?”
“Just aimlessly?”
“Seeing as the Dungeons are connected, there’s a high possibility it’s connected to other Invasion Dungeons. The exit on that side might be intact.”
“That’s a really aimless adventure….”
Honeybee bit her lip in annoyance before nodding.
“Okay, then. Let’s move. Before it gets any later.”
The world after Doomsday is silent.
In a world where everything has stopped, only three people were alive, leaving traces behind. Three pairs of footprints were left long on the white ash. Eui-jae looked up at the hazy sky. It was a familiar landscape. That’s why his heart wouldn’t calm down easily.
The Monster he killed was a human. He was trapped in the Destroyed world again.
He thought he was really okay now. Eui-jae gritted his teeth. His head was buzzing, and his heart was beating fast. He was out of breath. Cold sweat formed on the back of his neck. He would rather kill Monsters. He didn’t want to wander the wasteland aimlessly like this.
He felt like he was going to throw up.
His steps gradually slowed down. He looked at the backs of the others moving ahead. Was he just getting in the way? Moving without rest would be the best path for everyone.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Could he say it?
He didn’t want to show weakness….
It was then. Eui-jae’s arm was gently grabbed. Eui-jae opened his eyes. Sa-young was already right in front of him. A worried look was on his flamboyant face.
“What’s wrong?”
Honeybee, who had been walking ahead, had also returned nearby. Eui-jae moved his lips. The words seemed to be stuck in his throat. A soft voice urged him on.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“……”
It was hard to reveal his inner thoughts. It had always been like that. People weren’t interested in the human side of a hero. However.
Eui-jae slowly raised his head. He was sure that Sa-young would listen, would be curious.
“I’m really sorry.”
“Yeah.”
“Could we rest for a bit?”
“Are you sick somewhere?”
“No, it’s not that….”
He didn’t know if it was fortunate or unfortunate that his face couldn’t be seen. Eui-jae had to say a little more, as much as he was hiding his face. He couldn’t expect understanding without speaking. Eui-jae fidgeted with his hands behind his back and said slowly.
“I’m a little… tired.”
“……”
“I… when I was in the West Sea Rift. I saw this for too long. Um.”
“Ah.”
Honeybee covered her mouth. Eui-jae lowered his head slightly. He didn’t have the courage to see her expression. When was the last time he honestly revealed his weaknesses? He couldn’t even remember.
Then, a prim voice replied lightly.
“That’s good. I wanted to rest a bit too. My legs have been hurting since we started walking.”
“Should I give you a piggyback? That.”
“I don’t need it. Go find a place to rest.”
“Is it okay to boss me around like this?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? You’re the most energetic one here. Go quickly!”
Honeybee waved her fist in the air, and Sa-young sauntered away. She approached Eui-jae and took something out of her Inventory and handed it to him. It was a canteen full of water.
“Drink if you’re thirsty. Ah, can’t you drink with the mask on? I’ll turn my head, so tell me when you’re done drinking.”
“Ah, no. I’m okay for now.”
“……”
“……”
An awkward silence flowed. Honeybee stared at the air for a moment, then let out an annoyed groan. Then she turned her head sharply and looked at Eui-jae.
“Thanks for earlier.”
“Yes? For what?”
“For saying it’s okay to cry.”
She lowered her eyes. The corners of her eyes were red and swollen.
“Honestly, I wasn’t going to cry. I’d just look weak. It’s not the first time I’ve seen a comrade die. I’ve even had to send comrades who had no chance of survival with my own hands.”
“……”
“But….”
Honeybee was still carrying the pitifully skinny Monster on her back. She didn’t seem tired at all. As if it were a weight she had to bear.
“If I don’t cry, who will? I’m the only one here who knows him well.”
“…That’s true.”
“…Anyway, that’s it. Hey, I think they found a spot. Let’s go.”
Sa-young, who was squatting on the ground, was gesturing for them to come over. She turned her body and started walking towards Lee Sa-young. The Monster’s legs dragged on the ground. Eui-jae could understand her feelings. He had also searched through piles of blood, hoping to find even a small piece of bone.
As Eui-jae approached, Sa-young stood up. He pointed to the ground with his index finger.
“There are traces.”
“Traces?”
“Traces of something passing by.”
“……”
Although it was slightly covered in ash, the traces were definitely visible. Uniform straight lines were connected at regular intervals. It was the trace of something like a wheel passing by. Judging by the fact that it wasn’t completely covered, it must have been relatively recent. Honeybee’s eyes sparkled.
“Is it connected to another Dungeon?”
“Maybe.”
Eui-jae looked up at the sky. The ash was falling steadily, showing no signs of stopping. He took a moment to catch his breath and then said,
“Let’s follow it before it gets covered more.”
“Are you sure you don’t need to rest?”
“I feel a little better now that I see hope.”
Eui-jae made a joke. Honeybee snorted and then smiled. They started walking along the long trail without either of them saying anything.
The wheel tracks continued for quite a while. They were interrupted in the middle, but they reappeared soon after. And the further they followed, the clearer they became. As much as that, hope also bloomed. The conviction and belief that they could find life other than themselves. The hope that they could escape.
How long had they walked? They felt a presence nearby. Eui-jae instinctively stopped breathing and lowered his body. Sa-young and Honeybee did the same.
Eui-jae quickly scanned the surroundings. But he still couldn’t see any signs of life.
‘What is it?’
Was his ability malfunctioning? But Sa-young and Honeybee seemed fine. Was there something that the Eye of the Tracker couldn’t see? He blinked several times. In the meantime, the presence he couldn’t see was getting closer and closer. Eventually, Eui-jae deactivated the Eye of the Tracker.
And.
“Is anyone there?”
A human voice was heard.
They looked at each other. And they communicated with their eyes. They had finally met a living being. It seemed like someone they could talk to. Should they try to talk? Yes, they could just deal with them immediately even if they were enemies anyway. Okay, who’s going to talk?
First, the man wearing a black mask. He looked suspicious at first glance.
Second, the flamboyant man. A disaster the moment he opens his mouth, so no.
Third, the beautiful woman carrying a Monster on her back.
…….
Eui-jae signaled Honeybee to put down the Monster she was carrying on her back. She fumbled to put the Monster down and stood up.
“Ha, I guess it’s just me after all….”
Honeybee proudly swept her hair back and shouted.
“I am Honeybee of the HB Guild. Who’s there?”
“……”
A small muttering sound was heard, and then a young man appeared. He was a man wearing a worn fluorescent green vest and a scratched yellow hard hat. The man had a dazed look on his face.
“Honeybee Hunter-nim? Why are you here?”
Strangely, he looked familiar. Eui-jae narrowed his eyes and examined his face before widening his eyes.
It was the rookie that Yang Hye-jin Hunter, a regular at the Hanover Soup Restaurant and belonging to the Rift Management Bureau, always brought with her.
“This is a restricted area…. Did you perhaps come to investigate?”
More…
“Ah, ah. Yes. That’s right. I came to investigate.”
Although he had a mature face.