The person standing at the door was Loenel, and Gilsian was there too.
They had heard that the tower had been explored, and it seemed they had already finished.
Loenel’s eyes widened upon seeing Jeong Yusin.
“Eh! You’re awake!”
“Yes.”
Gilsian approached and patted Jeong Yusin on the shoulder.
“Thank you. I owe you my life.”
Jeong Yusin shook his head.
“Not at all. I just did what had to be done.”
Jeong Yusin turned his head and glanced at Loenel.
There was something he wanted to ask.
“I heard that you went to the upper floors. Did you find anything useful?”
Loenel shook her head with a somber expression.
“No, not really. All the usable items were taken long ago. The only thing we got was a land-digging magic scroll, which may not even function properly.”
Jeong Yusin’s eyes widened.
“Are there scrolls like this here?”
Gilsian answered for him.
“Starting from the 5th floor, various magical tools appear. Magic weapons, grimoires, and magic scrolls. Most of them are inside boxes or carried by demons. While valuable ones can be sold for high prices, we’re in the lower levels, so nothing too remarkable here.”
Jeong Yusin asked curiously, “Do better items appear the deeper we go? Why do they appear at all?”
“The deeper you go, the higher the probability of finding better tools. As for why they appear, don’t ask me. I don’t know. If you’re really curious, go to the Dungeon Academy and learn about it.”
Jeong Yusin frowned.
Darmong had mentioned that before. It costs ten gold coins to study at the Dungeon Academy for a year.
‘Ten gold coins to burn at the academy? Hmph.’
He didn’t have the resources to indulge in such extravagance.
Jeong Yusin returned to the main topic.
“Did you ascend to the roof?”
Gilsian crossed his arms and shook his head.
“No, I came back halfway. It was too high. I’d estimate it to be around 15 floors.”
Jeong Yusin looked around.
Ahiman was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Ahiman?”
Loenel pointed to the wooden door on the left with her finger.
Jeong Yusin approached the wooden door and opened it.
A staircase leading down to the second floor was visible, with Ahiman’s back turned to him.
“Ahiman? Is something wrong?”
“…Yumashoom.”
Ahiman mumbled incomprehensible words.
Jeong Yusin scratched his head and replied.
“Understood.”
He returned to where Loenel was.
The party members gathered around a lit torch.
“There seems to be no way out of this alive.”
Loenel muttered bitterly.
“If we hold on a little longer, the dungeon survey team might come.”
“…”
Loenel’s despondent mood continued.
Karin remained downcast.
Jeong Yusin silently chewed on some dried meat.
“How can we expect the survey team to come when Hans’ group’s whereabouts are unknown as well?”
“Loenel, don’t lose hope.”
“It’s just reality. Damn it!!”
Despite Gilsian’s comforting words, Loenel slammed her fist on the floor in anger.
“Ahiman’s magic is reaching its limit now. We need to find a way out.”
Loenel bit her lips. Then she noticed Jeong Yusin chewing the dried meat.
“Barbaroy, isn’t this delicious? How can the dried meat slide down your throat when we’re about to die?”
‘Even when eating, no one bothers to take it from me.’
Jeong Yusin pulled out a piece of dried meat from his pouch and offered it.
“Do you want some?”
“That’s fine.”
Loenel and Gilsian started arguing again.
Jeong Yusin stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“Just briefly to the restroom.”
“…Alright.”
Jeong Yusin pulled out a new torch and ascended to the upper floor.
It was the same as the lower floor. Dust-covered bookshelves, desks, and chairs were all there were.
He climbed one more level. Nothing had changed.
Other fantasy protagonists might encounter hidden treasures and break through crises smoothly, but he had to gnash his teeth like a puppy with an urgent need, rolling around and pulling his hair just to get through barely.
But that had its limits too. This time, he couldn’t see any way to survive.
“Shut up.”
Jeong Yusin slapped his cheeks.
Still, the oppressive feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away.
Jeong Yusin climbed a few more floors.
He reached the 8th floor via the stairs and entered the room, shining his light around.
‘There’s really nothing special here.’
All that was visible was a dust-covered empty bookshelf and a table that had already rotted away.
“Eh?!”
Jeong Yusin’s eyes stopped on something in the corner.
There was a wooden chest.
Wasn’t this what Gilsian mentioned earlier?
Gilsian had advised not to expect too much, but there was still a chance that this might be the tool that could get them out of this gloomy situation.
Perhaps it could even be a hidden treasure.
Something that appears only when a person comes alone.
Or it might be a treasure only visible when one is in despair.
Jeong Yusin’s heart raced as he cautiously approached and opened the chest.
Creak.
The chest creaked as it was opened.
‘Hmm.’
Inside the chest was a piece of parchment sealed with a green seal.
A magic scroll.
Its appearance was similar to the sealed parchment Carlton had given him.
He picked up the magic scroll with trembling hands and rushed down to the 3rd floor.
Even though he had the urge to go higher and search the next floor, Karin’s words lingered in his mind.
Ahiman had said that his protective magic didn’t have much time left, hadn’t he?
Loenel’s eyes widened as she saw Jeong Yusin rushing back.
“What is it?! Are demons coming down from upstairs?!”
“It’s not that.”
“If not, why are you running?”
“Look at this. I found a magic scroll.”
Everyone’s attention focused on him.
Loenel approached and examined the magic scroll, then frowned.
“It’s trash.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a random teleportation scroll. Isn’t this one from the 8th floor?”
“Isn’t it good? We can all escape from here with this!”
Jeong Yusin exclaimed excitedly.
Loenel sighed and said.
“You’re out of your mind. This is a 1st-generation scroll. It can’t move between levels, and its coordinate designation system is outdated. In short, if you step into the portal, you’ll just fuse with the wall or dirt. It’s garbage among garbage. Besides, since we’re in a city, if you get stuck in a wall and only your bottom is sticking out, you’ll be lucky that’s all that happens.
Jeong Yusin’s shoulders slumped as he thought again.
He remembered something Karin had said at the inn.
Demonic creatures avoid portals, didn’t she say that?
Jeong Yusin perked up his head.
“Can’t we block the entrance using this?”
“The portal won’t last long. It doesn’t hold for much time.”
“Damn.”
There was no other viable option, no matter how he thought about it.
‘No, there must be a way.’
He sat down and closed his eyes.
Jeong Yusin desperately thought amidst the grim silence.
He couldn’t die in a place like this.
‘Even if the sky falls, there’s always a way to get out.’
A moment.
Jeong Yusin’s eyes suddenly lit up.
‘Collapse?’
‘Hole?’
Jeong Yusin spoke.
“I have a plan.”
“…Tell me.”
Gilsian spoke up.
Jeong Yusin explained his plan.
As the party members listened to Jeong Yusin’s plan, their expressions became increasingly bizarre as time passed.
“…What if we do this?”
He finished explaining.
There was silence.
Loenel murmured dumbly.
“Are you insane?”
“…”
“Does this even make sense? You’ve completely lost it.”
Loenel raised her voice. Her hysteria was brimming.
‘She’s been nitpicking since a while ago.’
Jeong Yusin, who was feeling increasingly frustrated, tersely said.
“Are elves naturally cowardly? Is it a racial trait?”
A vein popped up on Loenel’s forehead.
“You little…”
“Don’t swear. It will lower our dignity.”
Loenel chuckled as if she was amazed and glanced around.
The party members were seriously considering Jeong Yusin’s plan.
“It’s reckless but worth a try.”
Karin spoke.
“I agree. Of course, it would be good if everything goes as planned, but I’m a bit uneasy.”
Gilsian also agreed.
“Hmph.”
Loenel shook her head.
“Alright, let’s try it once. Truly, there’s no common sense among barbarians.”
Jeong Yusin explained the plan to Ahiman.
After silently listening, Ahiman spoke.
“Umtaku.”
“Are you agreeing?”
“Hadopfwa.”
“Can you nod if you agree?”
Ahiman nodded.
All preparations were complete. Jeong Yusin gathered his things.
He picked up the one-handed sword borrowed from Loenel.
Gilsian glanced back and spoke.
“We’re going.”
The party members silently nodded.
Ahiman released the barrier spell.
A horrifying scream came from below.
KOOOOOOOAAAAANG!!!
Gilsian charged forward leading the way up the stairs.
Golden light burst forth from the inscriptions on Gilsian’s greatsword.
Since it was a narrow staircase, there was nowhere for the arachnids to escape.
Each swing of the sword cleaved them all.
In an instant, they broke through the second floor and descended to the first.
There were many arachnids on the first floor.
“HAAH!!”
Gilsian gathered his strength and swung his greatsword.
Puuuaaahh!!!
The greatsword swept away the arachnids, creating a space to stand on the floor.
“Ahiman!!”
Ahiman secured his position and immediately began chanting his spell.
Jeong Yusin supported Gilsian, sticking close by.
Zsuaak!!
He swung and stabbed with his sword. There wasn’t much for him to do. Gilsian was standing firm, sweeping away enemies with overwhelming force.
‘Truly, a mid-ranked explorer.’
Karin also moved nimbly, swinging her daggers.
Unlike last time, they weren’t collapsing instantly.
[Abyss Strike]
Ahiman cast the spell.
Tentacles shot out.
But instead of hitting the arachnids, the tentacles unexpectedly struck one of the tower’s pillars.
This was according to the plan Jeong Yusin had explained.
Even if a tower collapses, there’s always a way out.
The famous “tower collapse plan.”
BOOM!!
BAM!! BAM!!
The tower began to shake. Dust and stone began falling from above.
Loenel tore the seal on the scroll.
An earth-digging magic they had obtained from the tower.
[Dig]
A hole formed in the first-floor ground.
Loenel went in first.
BOOM!! BAM!! BAM!!
The trembling was getting more intense.
Clang.
Large pieces of rock began to fall.
Karin retreated and dived into the hole.
Next, Gilsian swung his greatsword powerfully and dove into the hole.
At that very moment,
Ahiman’s spell stopped.
The tentacles disappeared, and the tower’s shaking ceased.
Ahiman’s mana was depleted from the prolonged spellcasting.
Cold sweat ran down Jeong Yusin’s back.
A scream came from below in the pit.
“Hey!! Scath you bastard!!”
Jeong Yusin quickly grabbed the collar of Ahiman and tossed him into the pit.
“Poorraaaaahh!”
Ahiman let out an odd scream and disappeared into the pit.
Sounds of someone flipping over, swearing, and grunting reached Jeong Yusin.
He gritted his teeth.
It was lacking just one punch. One punch to bring down the tower.
[Sacred Weapon]
‘If it doesn’t work, I’ll make it work.’
Need: Hammer.
Power particles gathered in his hand, forming a gigantic warhammer.
It was on a different scale from the ones he’d created before.
“HAAH!!!”
Using all the strength he had, he struck the pillar.
KAAAHHHH!!
The pillar shattered completely, and the tower began to collapse.
Jeong Yusin rolled to avoid falling wooden fragments and rocks, shook off the approaching arachnids, and dove into the hole.
“Gkk…”
Ahiman, who caught Jeong Yusin, let out a hog-like squeal.
He pulled out the Random Teleportation scroll from his pocket.
As he tore off the seal, a portal formed above Jeong Yusin’s head.
[Random Teleportation]
Hooouuung.
It was a yellowish portal glowing faintly.
At the very bottom, Loenel screamed,
“Is this really reliable?!?!”
Annoyance bubbled up inside him, prompting him to shout.
“I don’t know!!”
“YOU INSANE BARBARY FOOL!!”
Loenel screamed.
A huge rock tumbled down from above.
‘Please.’
The prayer was answered.
The portal above Jeong Yusin absorbed the boulder.
But the portal wasn’t large enough to cover the hole entirely. Small pieces of wood and rocks slipped through and fell down.
The party members twisted like a bundle of maggots, adjusting their positions in the confined space of the hole.
Then Jeong Yusin’s body pressed against Karin’s.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Karin didn’t answer; she continued to gaze at Jeong Yusin’s face.
She had stood in the forefront, fighting and leading people while touring the eastern borders as the daughter of the representative of the Water Union. Perhaps she was destined to be in a position like this.
Many people she had seen, none were like this man.
There was a certain decisiveness even in his weakness.
In the face of a desperate situation, he didn’t flee but protected the party until the very end.
The confident way he swung his sword in front of countless monsters still vividly lingered in her mind.
What should this feeling be called?
Yes.
A man you can rely on.
Karin bowed her head and leaned into the embrace of Jeong Yusin, taking a deep breath.
The heavy scent of this man, which no dirt or soil could cover, was piercing her heart.
A comforting, reliable smell.
A tantalizingly sensual smell that made her heart race.
Could this be what her father, who had died before she was born, smelled like?
The absurd thought that popped into her mind made Karin’s face turn red.
Ashamed of not being able to hide her red face, she bowed her head even deeper.
Jeong Yusin looked down at Karin’s forehead.
‘Sudden nose dive, what’s wrong?’
“Kheeeeekkk!!! I’m dying!!!”
The tower collapsed with a thunderous sound, drowning out Loenel’s screams.
GURRRrR…!
KAHHAAAANG!
In the north of the forgotten city, Ingrav, the great tower collapsed.
*
Phooook.
An arm suddenly protruded out of the pile of stones and wood.
After a while, a face emerged.
“Puhah! I… I thought I was gonna die.”
A pale-faced elf crawled out awkwardly from the pile of debris. Soon after, Ahiman, Gilsian, Karin, and finally Jeong Yusin emerged.
As soon as he came out, Jeong Yusin pulled out a flint from his pouch and ignited the torch he had prepared.
The surroundings were eerily quiet.
Most of the arachnids had been crushed under the tower debris. The few that remained had either fled to a distance or dispersed to other areas.
The party members, now looking like beggars covered in dirt, sat down in a huddle on the heap of ruins, half-dazed.
“Hahahaha.”
Suddenly, Loenel burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
Jeong Yusin asked.
Loenel stopped laughing and began shedding tears instead.
Thick tears dripped to the debris-filled floor.
‘What is this?’
“Dotota.”
Ahiman looked at Jeong Yusin and gave him a thumbs-up.
“Are you saying I’m the best? Thank you.”
Ahiman shook his head, but Jeong Yusin turned away as if he hadn’t seen.
Karin was staring blankly at Jeong Yusin’s face.
Gilsian stood up.
“Let’s head out. We need to get out of the dungeon first. It’s dangerous to stay here.”
Following Gilsian’s words, all the party members stood up.
The group advanced through the desolate street.
There was no attack. The group smoothly reached the teleportation stone in the north.
“Karin…”
Gilsian looked at Karin. His gaze conveyed that he couldn’t proceed further.
Karin nodded.
“Let’s head back to Labyrinth City and regroup.”
Gilsian placed his hand on the teleportation stone.
A blue portal and a red portal opened up.
Jeong Yusin and the party entered the blue portal.
They emerged from the exit of the dungeon.
A warm sun and a refreshing breeze greeted them.
For the first time, everyone emerged unscathed.
Their hearts raced, and a sense of liberation rocked their bodies.
They instinctively knew it.
They had obtained their Brand.
Jeong Yusin’s heart throbbed.
He turned his head to look at the faces of his companions one by one.
The mission had failed, but they had survived anyway.
No one had lost their life. Jeong Yusin felt happy about that fact.
Could he join Karin’s party with this?
He had confidence that he could overcome even greater crises with them.
Just as Jeong Yusin was about to speak, an unexpected event occurred.
“Eh!!”
Loenel suddenly shouted. Light began emanating from her entire body.
‘Could it be… a Brand?’
A bright flash of light.
Loenel vanished, leaving only her clothes behind.
Jeong Yusin’s eyes widened. A trembling voice escaped his lips.
“…A duck?”
A duck awkwardly crawled out from the pile of clothes.
“Huh!!”
Ahiman also shouted. Light began shining from his entire body.
“What the hell?!”
With another bright flash,
Ahiman disappeared, leaving only his clothes behind.
A moment later, a small lizard slowly crawled out from the pile of clothes.
“Quack quack!!”
“Chee ruup. Chee ruup.”
Jeong Yusin couldn’t help but quickly avert his gaze.
Gilsian stood silently.
“…Uh, Gilsian?”
“…”
When Jeong Yusin called out to Gilsian, there was no response.
“Let me excuse myself for a moment.”
Jeong Yusin approached and lifted the visor on Gilsian’s helmet.
“Huh…”
Thick saliva dripped from Gilsian’s mouth, and his pupils were dilated.
Thud.
He closed the visor.
“Karin?”
Fortunately, Karin seemed fine.
Karin sighed and scratched her dusty head.
“Phew. It’s really become a nuisance. Let’s hurry back and sniff some of Scath’s towels…”
Karin suddenly stopped speaking and hurriedly covered her own mouth. Her face turned as red as a ripe apple. Then she quickly ran off somewhere.
“Wha- where are you going?”
Jeong Yusin muttered in a disheartened tone.
“Quack Quack!!”
“Chee ruup. Chee ruup.”
“Huh…”
Unable to bear the sight of his party members, Jeong Yusin felt his legs give out, and he collapsed onto the ground.
From afar, clerics and guards were running towards them.
But Jeong Yusin only stared dumbly at the “things” that were once his party members.
Seemed like his luck was good after all.
“…I can’t do this.”
Truly, he couldn’t.
