By Zephyria From the precariously stacked objects, dust falls in a flurry. The enormous footsteps, shaking everything around them, paused near them for a moment before slowly fading away.
Thump… Thump… Thump…. Until the sound completely disappeared, Cha Eui-jae stared out of the ruins with a pale and cold face. A quietly refined murderous aura swirled around him.
A face Sa-young had never seen before.
Sa-young tapped the hand covering his mouth with his finger. The gaze that had been directed outside turned to him. Only then did Eui-jae realize he was covering Sa-young’s mouth, and he carefully removed his hand, mouthing a question with a softened expression.
‘What’s wrong?’
Sa-young answered aloud.
“Don’t go.”
“What?”
“Stay here.”
Cha Eui-jae was silent. He listened intently outside the ruins before springing to his feet. Then, he raised the corners of his lips and smiled at Sa-young. It was a smile he had seen once before in the Guild Master’s office.
“It’s okay, I won’t be long.”
He bent down and grabbed the staff he had thrown away. Normally, he would have tried to hide it with words no one would believe, like he was going to look around or get some fresh air.
Sa-young quietly held his breath and observed Eui-jae. At first glance, he looked so calm that it was hard to believe he was in a Dungeon.
However, the cold sweat trickling down his temples, his pale complexion, and the fact that he was gripping the staff too tightly, turning his fingertips white, showed something completely different. Physiological reactions cannot be hidden by simply managing one’s expression.
“…….”
He was afraid.
Of what?
At that moment, their eyes met again. Eui-jae smiled again.
“I’m really okay. I’ll be right back.”
Really, he didn’t like that smile.
There must have been a reason for Cha Eui-jae’s unfounded confidence and his habit of diving in without looking back. People around him must have egged him on, saying J was a hero and a powerful person who had to save everyone. And they must have liked it when he acted without thinking. Because that made him easier to handle.
Sa-young quietly grabbed the hem of Eui-jae’s gray clothes and tugged lightly. Even though it wasn’t a strong pull, Cha Eui-jae didn’t ignore it and turned to look at Sa-young. His shaded face was filled with bewilderment.
Cha Eui-jae was that kind of person. A person who couldn’t ignore a hand reaching out for help. A person who constantly burned himself out. A person who wouldn’t back down even if his life was at stake. If so….
“Hyung.”
Shouldn’t someone be a strong shackle to prevent him from running out? So Lee Sa-young was willing to become that shackle.
A shackle for J only, weak to the weak.
“Hyung.”
“What’s wrong?”
Eui-jae answered in a low voice to the quiet call. Even so, his attention was entirely focused on the Monster that had just appeared.
Its gait, breathing, and cries were particularly and intensely engraved in his many memories. Because the one that had just appeared was the Sasquatch, the first Monster J had ever defeated on the Day of the Rift.
‘Still… it’s not a very dangerous guy.’
The Sasquatch was a Monster whose punches were threatening due to its large size, but as strong as its attacks were, its movements were slow. In addition, its head was covered with thick fur, making it slow to react, and it couldn’t see things smaller than itself very well. Hong Ye-seong also had a silver emergency blanket, so if they hid their presence well, they could pass by the Sasquatch without being detected.
‘Maybe it would be better to kill it before it even goes that way….’
The Dungeon was restructured in response to the unlocked title, ‘Conqueror of Solitude.’ Eui-jae looked around at the surrounding scenery. The Dungeon was not just eroded; it resembled the scenery inside the West Sea Rift so much that one could believe it was the same space. Immediately after regaining consciousness, he had momentarily been confused, thinking he was still inside the Rift.
Was it a coincidence that the Sasquatch had appeared? Just as his thoughts were becoming longer, Lee Sa-young let out a sigh as if for him to hear and lowered his eyes, uncharacteristically.
“I’m sick.”
Eui-jae doubted his ears for a moment. Was this really what Lee Sa-young had said? But the next moment, he examined Sa-young’s body. He wondered if Jung-bin had tied him up with chains again. Fortunately or unfortunately, Lee Sa-young was unharmed, with no signs of being bound.
“Sick?”
“Yeah…. I’m a little dizzy.”
Sa-young murmured, blinking his long eyelashes. Somehow, his pale face seemed even paler.
Had he rested properly since the Artisan Exhibition? He didn’t seem to be getting enough sleep. The anxiety coiled inside him was slowly raising its head. Eui-jae gripped the staff in his hand a little tighter, so hard that it made a cracking sound.
“…You, you sent the ‘I’m okay’ text yourself, right?”
As if it were an irrelevant question, Sa-young stared at Eui-jae before answering.
“Yeah…. Why do you ask?”
That was a relief. Was he worrying for nothing? Eui-jae quickly scanned Sa-young up and down.
“Weren’t you treated by the Seowon Guild? Jung-bin took you there.”
Sa-young nodded slowly.
“I was, but maybe it’s because the Dungeon was restructured earlier….”
He trailed off languidly and leaned his head against the wall.
“I’ll feel better if I rest a bit. Let’s move together in a little while. Hyung, you need to get out of here too, right?”
“…….”
“Well… we need to find Jung-bin too, while we’re at it.”
“…Jung-bin? Is he here too?”
Eui-jae asked, pretending not to know. Sa-young nodded his head slightly in response. That was a relief. It seemed that the light he had glimpsed earlier was indeed Jung-bin. If so, he had a little more time to spare to wait for Sa-young’s recovery. He could trust Jung-bin. He would also be able to handle the Sasquatch.
Eui-jae watched Sa-young, who had closed his eyes while leaning against the wall, then hugged the staff and sat down next to him with one knee raised. Sitting a head’s distance away from him, he looked beyond the ruins and murmured.
“Sorry, but I can’t wait too long. If it takes too long, I’ll carry you on my back, even if I have to.”
“Uhh….”
Sa-young, drawing out the end of his words, tilted his head slightly towards Eui-jae.
“But… you know, Hyung.”
“What.”
“Isn’t it a little strange?”
“What is.”
“How did Hyung… what brought you here?”
“…….”
“This Dungeon doesn’t just open the door when you flash your Hunter ID.”
‘Damn it.’
Eui-jae frowned. Lee Sa-young was unnecessarily quick-witted. In fact, it was a frequently asked question that would naturally come up when facing this guy, but he had been so focused on running that he hadn’t thought of an answer. Even if he had thought about it the whole way here, he wouldn’t have been able to come up with a suitable excuse. What reason would a regular Awakened have to enter an Invasion Dungeon?
Moreover, this Dungeon…. Eui-jae searched his memory.
‘Wasn’t it the Wave Guild’s?’
He was properly screwed. Eui-jae emptied his mind. If you don’t know the answer, you have to guess with improvisation, but the questions Lee Sa-young asked were essay questions, so he couldn’t even guess.
The face that had been overflowing with tension turned sullen. Eui-jae subtly avoided the gaze of the pretty face staring at him and mumbled.
“No, well.”
“Even if the Dungeon manager isn’t affiliated with our Guild, they have experience working until now, so they wouldn’t manage it carelessly….”
That manager was probably fast asleep after getting slapped in the face by Cluck. I’m sorry, manager. Eui-jae turned his head a little more and began counting the number of cracks in the cracked wall. When Eui-jae fell silent, Sa-young gradually increased the pressure.
“What would someone who’s busy doing business be doing in such an unremarkable Dungeon…? Do you know, Hyung?”
“…The store’s been slow lately.”
Eui-jae retorted briefly. But it didn’t seem like a good choice. Sa-young, who had closed his eyes, raised the corners of his lips and sneered.
“Ah, is that so? And here I thought. Maybe the secretary came to mine Mana Stones because they didn’t get their salary….”
“…….”
Sa-young, who had opened his eyes again, quietly admired Eui-jae’s face. The purple eyes, devoid of light, thoroughly scanned Eui-jae’s crooked face.
“Hyung is really….”
His gaze was unusual. He’ll probably start saying I’m crazy or a psycho soon. Eui-jae was preparing himself not to get angry even after hearing the sarcasm. Then, Sa-young, who had sighed again, murmured.
“Who did you come here with?”
‘Ah, come on.’
Lee Sa-young had a very annoying talent for only asking questions that couldn’t be answered. Wasn’t this his fault? Even if he wanted to give a proper answer, each question poked at his insides, making it impossible to answer clearly.
Eui-jae pressed his lips tightly and stared at the floor, where white footprints were messily imprinted. Soon, a firm and cool body leaned against him. Soft hair tickled his ear.
The moment Eui-jae straightened his back unnecessarily, a soft voice whispered.
“Nam Woo-jin wouldn’t come here himself…. That guy’s a library ghost.”
“…….”
“Did that crazy brat ask you to? To investigate this place?”
Lee Sa-young was completely off base. Eui-jae was about to snap at him to stop talking nonsense.
A series of pure white windows appeared before his eyes.
[…System verification complete…]
[Dungeon Restructuring has been completed.]
[The Dungeon has been restructured and a new grade will be assigned.]
[The new grade for the Jongno 3-ga Underground Dungeon is S+!]