By Zephyria Fragment of the world. Like a shard of a mirror showing a snippet of a world destroyed by Doomsday.
But shouldn’t Fragments only appear in Yoon Ga-eul’s dreams? How did the owner of the reconstructed Dungeon possess a piece of the past world? Ga-eul put the Fragment in her pajama pants pocket and shouted downwards.
“Hey, can we look around a bit more?”
A Dungeon where the Master is dead enters a stable period until a new Master is regenerated, making it easy for resource gathering and investigation. So, looking around a bit more wouldn’t be too dangerous. Sa-young seemed to have come to the same conclusion, nodding his head.
“Do as you please.”
“Yes! I’ll be careful!”
Ga-eul disappeared back into the Golem. Eui-jae stared at Sa-young, who was leaning on him. Sa-young was watching the ruins with indifferent eyes. Soon, as if sensing his gaze, he turned his head.
“What is it?”
“No… Do you know what it is? What Ga-eul was holding.”
Since Rankers share information about Doomsday, Lee Sa-young must know something about it. Maybe he’s heard more about Fragments. Eui-jae asked, pretending not to know, and Sa-young narrowed his eyes.
“Ga-eul?”
Oh, damn it. From the way he asked back, Eui-jae felt a sense of making another mistake. While Eui-jae secretly gritted his teeth, Sa-young murmured languidly.
“I didn’t even know that friend’s face or name, but Hyung calls her by her name. You two must be very close, huh.”
“We’re not close, you crazy brat. We’re not close.”
“Should I believe that?”
“Yeah. I’m closer to you than her. So be quiet.”
Eui-jae reached out and covered Sa-young’s eyes, pushing him back. Sa-young, pushed back as he was, grumbled sullenly.
“Why do people keep flocking around me even when I’m just standing still…”
“Anyway, do you know what it is? That shiny thing.”
“Huh? Ah…”
It felt like his eyes were rolling, the eyeballs moving under the eyelids touching his palm. He was about to take his hand away because the feeling was ticklish.
“I think I’ve heard of it… Hmm, I don’t remember.”
“……”
“I don’t know things like that.”
A guy who remembers every little thing and holds grudges about everything can’t remember something this important? Whether Eui-jae looked at him with an absurd face or not, Lee Sa-young just shrugged his shoulders. Looking at his shameless face, he didn’t seem to have any intention of answering properly even if he was pressed.
Eui-jae rested his chin on his hand and sighed softly.
‘It’d be better to just ask Yoon Ga-eul directly.’
“As I said before…”
“Huh?”
“Hyung doesn’t need to know everything.”
Before he knew it, Sa-young was staring straight at Eui-jae.
“Knowing means you have to take responsibility for it.”
“……”
“I don’t think Hyung is ready for that…”
Eui-jae, looking at the black scab on his bloodless lips, suddenly asked.
“What about you, then.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Are you ready?”
“Of course.”
An answer came without hesitation. Sa-young raised the corners of his mouth and smiled as if to show off.
“I finished preparing a long time ago… I’m waiting. For the day to take responsibility.”
“……”
“From a long time ago.”
A black finger scratched his palm weakly and fell away. Eui-jae flinched without realizing it and clenched his hand.
“So Hyung… can be more selfish.”
“……”
Eui-jae opened his mouth slightly, then closed it. What is the source of this trust, so deep like the sea that you can’t know the bottom? Sa-young tapped the scab on his lip and twisted his lips.
“Except for touching it like this.”
Ah, I see.
Someday, I’ll drink that bastard’s blood and show him that I’m fine. A person as extremely distrustful as Lee Sa-young needed to have his bad habits corrected with shock therapy through extreme actions.
Eui-jae gritted his teeth inwardly, got up from his seat, and strode away. He thought it would be better to check on Jung-bin’s condition one more time than to have his head explode talking to that bastard.
Jung-bin was lying on a silver mat with his hands neatly gathered. His right arm was splinted and wrapped tightly, but the skill was a bit clumsy. Next to him, Hong Ye-seong, lying crookedly as if he were at the Han River park, took out his wireless earphones and raised his head.
“Oh, Secretary Kim. Is the love quarrel over?”
“I have a spear.”
When Eui-jae held out the spear, Hong Ye-seong shamelessly blurted out.
“Who was it that was all lovey-dovey and bickering first? I was just being considerate.”
“Damn it, are you blind… Ah, that’s right.”
Eui-jae rummaged through his Inventory and took out a round Mana Stone. Hong Ye-seong, discovering the Mana Stone, opened his mouth wide and stood up abruptly, straightening his posture politely. He knelt down and held out both hands.
“Mana Stone!”
“Let’s end the deal with this. And don’t come looking for me again at dawn.”
“What about going for Hangover Soup?”
“Tell them to pack it to go.”
“Aww, I wanted to try it too.”
Hong Ye-seong, grumbling, waved his hand as if to hurry him up. Just before Eui-jae placed the Mana Stone on Hong Ye-seong’s hand, he snatched the Mana Stone away again. Hong Ye-seong’s eyes widened.
“What, what is it! Why did you take it after giving it!”
“I took it right before giving it, so it’s not like I gave it and took it back. Anyway. Let’s ask for one more favor.”
“What is it?”
Eui-jae crouched down in front of Hong Ye-seong and met his gaze. Then, he covered his mouth with one hand and whispered.
“Answer quietly so no one can hear. Instead of giving you the Mana Stone, make me a mask.”
“A mask?”
“Yeah. One that covers the entire face, has a voice modulation function, and doesn’t cause any discomfort in breathing or vision. And the design shouldn’t be flashy.”
Eui-jae carefully listed the requirements, folding his fingers one by one. Hong Ye-seong scratched his head and spat out.
“That’s just asking me to make J’s mask. Are you going to reveal yourself?”
“…Huh?”
“Huh?”
Their eyes met. Hong Ye-seong’s clear eyes were shining brightly. Eui-jae opened his mouth slightly without realizing it.
This, this bastard…
Hong Ye-seong blinked and tilted his head.
“Ah, wait a minute. Is this a violation of the contract we signed? But I didn’t deliberately dig it up. I just noticed it, so this isn’t a contract violation, right? I tried so hard not to be interested.”
Why do you know?
In an instant, the contract written with a brush full of ink flashed through his mind.
Article 1 of the contract between Hong Ye-seong and Secretary Kim.
The Eccentric Hong Ye-seong will not be curious about or dig into anything about Secretary Kim, whom he met today. He will not attempt to dig into it. He will also not have others do it.
Damn it. The contract was made up entirely of clauses to prevent Hong Ye-seong from investigating him. Well, of course. He didn’t know that he would be entering a Dungeon with Hong Ye-seong until a few hours ago!
Hong Ye-seong was more perceptive than he thought, and he had shown off his skills too much. Eui-jae clenched his fist without realizing it. Could he erase this guy’s memory with Physical Memory Erasure?
Then, Hong Ye-seong stretched and replied.
“Well, don’t worry, I can make a mask pretty quickly. Give me the Mana Stone quickly!”
“Quickly?”
“How long does it take to make that? A week is enough. I’ll have Cluck deliver it when it’s done.”
Hong Ye-seong winked and gave a thumbs up. It was the same pose as the photo hanging on the Artisan Exhibition banner. It was also a gesture that inspired a strange sense of trust.
Eui-jae shoved the Mana Stone into the hands of the world’s best Artisan. Hong Ye-seong, holding the Mana Stone in his grip, began to make monkey-like screams. After being excited for a while, he asked Yoon Ga-eul loudly.
“Kiya-ho! Student! Are there any Mana Stones there? If it’s someone of this level, there should be something useful!”
“Mana Stones? Uh, what do they look like?”
“They’re usually round like this… Ugh, I’ll go find them myself.”
Hong Ye-seong ran towards the Golem. He stuck to the Golem like a frog and began to climb clumsily. Eui-jae felt uneasy for some reason as he watched his innocent back.
…Does he know everything at this point? Eui-jae swept back his hair with an ambiguous expression. Sa-young, who had come from behind, said languidly.
“Didn’t Hyung come here because you had something to do?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
Only after the excitement subsided did he remember the purpose of coming here. Investigation of the Invasion Dungeon. This place, which resembled both the West Sea Rift and the world where Doomsday had come. Either one must be related.
Moreover, the Master of the Dungeon, which was reconstructed in response to Cha Eui-jae, had the Fragment of the world that Yoon Ga-eul had salvaged from her dreams.
Yes, as if the existence of Cha Eui-jae itself was a trigger…
Eui-jae was about to fall into thought.
“Cluck-cluck!”
“Uwaaah!”
Cluck, who had been roaring loudly, fluttered up from the Golem. Hong Ye-seong and Yoon Ga-eul were hanging from Cluck’s feet.
The flight, which was so precarious that it seemed like they would fall, fortunately ended safely. Although Hong Ye-seong fell face-first to the ground. Ga-eul took out the Fragment from her pocket with an excited face.
“Here, take a look at the Fragment!”
Several strands of black light were swirling in the pure white piece. Ga-eul continued quickly.
“Today is the first time I’ve found a Fragment outside of a dream. Fragments have never appeared in any of the Invasion Dungeons that have appeared so far. Um, what was different about this Dungeon from other Invasion Dungeons…”
Ga-eul’s gaze, which had been scanning the collapsed surroundings, touched Eui-jae for a moment, then fell away in surprise as if burned. She probably had the same thought.
The Invasion Dungeon reconstructed in response to Cha Eui-jae, the internal scenery resembling the scenery of Doomsday, even the Monsters.
Cha Eui-jae is at the root of all the problems.
Should I tell them? There were too many things related to Doomsday and the West Sea Rift to keep to myself. Ga-eul muttered awkwardly.
“First of all, it’s dangerous inside the Dungeon… Should we go out and take a look?”
Eui-jae nodded slightly and added.
“And when we get out of here, the Bureau of Rift Management will be asking questions, so let’s get our stories straight here. Tell Jung-bin when he wakes up.”
“What should I tell him?”
Yoon Ga-eul asked. Her face was tense. Eui-jae pulled up the hood he had taken off a long time ago. And he turned away from Ga-eul and Hong Ye-seong. Lee Sa-young was waiting behind him.
Eui-jae stared at Sa-young silently. The day they first met, the moment they signed the contract, the things he had done at Lee Sa-young’s request, the Artisan Exhibition they had gone to together, and all the memories of Lee Sa-young collapsing quickly flashed by. He also saw himself unable to do anything while holding the collapsed Lee Sa-young.
Looking back, Lee Sa-young was there in every moment after the West Sea Rift.
Cha Eui-jae now knows that Lee Sa-young will come right away if he calls. Cha Eui-jae will run if Lee Sa-young calls. That much time has passed, and that much trust has been built. For Cha Eui-jae, who has lost everything and is building a new life, this is a deep trust comparable to the sea.
How happy it is to have someone waiting. Cha Eui-jae knew his preciousness better than anyone else, so he couldn’t turn away.
Eui-jae met Sa-young’s eyes, took a step closer, and answered.
“J is back.”
Lee Sa-young smiles. As if he had been waiting.