Chapter 238

Do-Jin’s stream was similar to how celebrities would use livestreams on social media to feel more accessible to their fans. And while he was busy running around in what technically was not an educational stream but absolutely felt like one, Theresa wrapped up the last of her personal schedule.

Theresa: Let’s go!

She had been dying to get on and play, and Soso practically came with her as a package deal, though she was motivated too. Of course, Do-Jin accepted them without hesitation.

He may have appeared to be running solo, but given the nature of Rift Dungeons, there was no way to know what was inside before entering. Every run was a gamble. Compared to going in alone as a mage, moving as a balanced party was obviously better for both clear speed and overall stability.

Do-Jin: By the way, I couldn’t get a hold of Tanto. He’s not streaming either. Have you heard from him recently?

As soon as the event notice went up, Do-Jin had tried to contact Tanto too, but there was no response.

Theresa: Huh? I’ve been busy too, so I haven’t checked in. Hold on.

A moment later, Theresa replied that she couldn’t reach Tanto either.

What? I hope nothing happened to him.

Feeling uneasy, Do-Jin sent him another message.

Do-Jin: Hey, what’s up? Me and the others are a bit worried since you’ve been MIA. Gimme a message when you see this.

Do-Jin didn’t know about Soso, but if Tanto saw this, he would definitely reply.

With no other choice, he continued hunting with just Theresa and Soso as a three-person party. It was way more stable than solo play, and since he wasn’t being forced into nonstop emergency movement, the runs felt faster and smoother too.

After clearing five Rifts, they were debating whether to call it for the day or look for one more when a message finally came in from Tanto.

Tanto: Sorry for the late reply. Didn’t mean to worry you.

“Oh? He messaged me back.”

Theresa, who had been sprawled out messing around with Do-Jin’s stream chat, shot upright and scrambled over on her knees. “What? What did he say? Is he joining us?”

Do-Jin subtly leaned away from her and answered, “Well no, not exactly that. He just said he was sorry for worrying us. I’ll ask what’s up.”

Do-Jin: Are you alright? What’s been up with you?

Tanto: Yeah, no, nothing serious. I’ve just been really busy.

Do-Jin: Still busy right now? If you’ve got some time, come grind with us.

Tanto: Uh, I really want to, but I don’t think I can right now. It’ll probably take about a week. Let me commit suicide first.

So he’s got about a week of busy stuff to wrap up... Do-Jin was immediately lost in thought, but when he saw the last line, he shot to his feet.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Huh? What? What’s wrong?”

“No, he just said something about killing himself.”

“What?!” Theresa jumped up too. She immediately made a group chat and started the intervention.

Theresa: What do you mean you’re gonna commit suicide?!

Tanto: Ah... sorry. I haven’t been sleeping much and I worded that badly. I’m kind of stuck somewhere right now. I meant I might have to force a death to get out.

Seeing the sudden group chat and Theresa’s panicked reaction, Tanto looked back at his own message and realized how bad it sounded. To reassure them, he explained his situation in more detail.

Tanto: I was in a dungeon when the event started. That place turned into a Rift, and there was no exit. The monsters spawn faster than I can kill them, so I can’t clear it either.

On top of that, according to Tanto, every function from messaging to livestreaming had been cut off. All outside communication had been completely blocked. He had managed to survive for over a week but eventually decided he couldn’t keep it up and forced a logout to return to the real world.

Do-Jin: If you force-logged out inside a dungeon, wouldn’t that normally count as death? Your avatar should still be inside.

Tanto: I’m not dead yet. I found a safe spot to hide, and I used items to keep stealth active. But even after thinking about it outside, I can’t come up with a real solution. Since I’ll probably get wiped eventually anyway, I figured it would be better to just accept the in-game death and regroup with everyone after the penalty ends. I apologize for the vague message earlier.

In his exhausted state, he didn’t think to say any more than that.

Do-Jin: But at our level, the death penalty is going to be brutal.

The higher the level, the harsher the penalty became. Where players died and under what conditions also mattered, but for higher-leveled players like Do-Jin and Tanto, even the lightest possible penalty would still be a massive loss.

Tanto: I don’t really have a choice. The monsters just keep spawning. No matter how many I kill, there are more than before.

Suddenly, Do-Jin realized something he had missed. Hearing Tanto planning to “commit suicide” had been so shocking that he had overlooked one important detail.

All outside systems blocked, there’s no exit, and endless monsters are spawning?

Do-Jin: What do those monsters look like?

It could just be that Tanto had run into especially strong mobs with huge numbers. But if Do-Jin’s hunch was right, this could be something else entirely.

Tanto: They look kind of strange, like glass shards. Their shapes and colors vary, but overall they look like sculptures made by sticking broken glass together.

That’s it! That dungeon had already spawned!

Do-Jin: Where is the Rift? If you give me the location, we’re coming to get you.

Those glass monsters were basically the lottery of the Rift Dungeons. The spawn rate was insane, and the short respawn timer seemed almost unfair. If a player didn’t know the strat or didn’t have the bare minimum power, getting trapped in a place like that was basically a death sentence.

However, if they knew the strategy and had the firepower, those glass sculptures known as the Dimensional Fragments became walking jackpots that spewed EXP and Gold.

Do-Jin would also be able to farm Dimensional Power like crazy. There was nothing better for charging the key. Even if it had been some random-ass dungeon, Do-Jin would’ve gone to help if Tanto was stuck. But this wasn’t just a rescue anymore. It was a full-on buffet run.

Tanto: No, no. It’s really fine. I don’t want to drag you three into this.

Tanto stubbornly refused, saying this was exactly why he had not wanted to tell them in the first place. It was a very Japanese kind of response, treating inconvenience to others like a mortal sin. At this rate, he might actually throw away a winning lottery ticket just to avoid imposing on anyone, so Do-Jin had to drop his ultimate guilt-trip nuke.

Do-Jin: Who was it that always came running the second I asked for help? It was you guys. So why the hell can’t I do the same? Theresa would be pissed too.

When there was no reply from him, Do-Jin glanced over and saw Theresa busy explaining to her viewers that the earlier “committing suicide” message was just a misunderstanding. Both channels had apparently gone into full panic mode over it. While she was busy with damage control, Do-Jin added the finisher.

Do-Jin: Theresa says she’s really upset too.

She hadn’t actually said it, but knowing her, she probably was upset, at least a little. Tanto hesitated, saying he felt bad, but Do-Jin’s logic left no room to escape. If Theresa would feel hurt about it, what was Tanto supposed to do? In the end, he finally caved and sent the location of the Rift where he was trapped.

Tanto: Thanks.

Do-Jin: Don’t thank me. I’ve gotten way more help from you than you realize.

Although both sides had gained a lot from each other, that was not the point for Do-Jin. If someone who had stood by him ended up doing well, then that was simply a good thing. It didn’t lessen the help he had received or the gratitude he felt for it.

Do-Jin: Get ready. We’re prepping as fast as possible and coming to get you.

After sending that last message, he closed the hologram windows and turned to Theresa and Soso. “Let’s go. We’re getting Tanto.”

Theresa, having just finished calming her viewers and catching up on the flood of chat messages, nodded right away. Soso, who had been lying there like a corpse while watching the whole thing unfold, quietly got to her feet as well.

***

After stopping by a town along the way and stocking up heavily on consumables, the three of them arrived at the location Tanto had described.

“The Rift spawned underground?” Theresa murmured.

It was a massive stalactite cave that sloped downward at an angle. The entrance looked like a dragon’s open maw, and the pitch-black hole, so dark that nothing could be seen inside, sent a chill down their spines.

This Rift is huuuge. Do-Jin stared in awe at the waves of mana spilling out of the hole.

The Rift Dungeons that spawned Dimensional Fragments were incredibly rare. There were barely any confirmed cases. Even Do-Jin had never set foot in one before. That explained why the pressure alone near the entrance felt so heavy. The air itself was practically vibrating with unstable energy.

“Tanto said everything inside gets cut off from the outside. Shouldn’t that get mentioned now?” Do-Jin said.

“Oh!” Theresa perked up and spoke at the air. “Chat, once we go in, the stream’s probably getting cut. Tanto said messages don’t go through and broadcasting doesn’t work inside.”

The moment she said that, her chat exploded. The viewers on Do-Jin’s channel were no calmer. They’d been hyped to watch the rescue live, and now this news dropped like a bomb.

└ NOOOO. My delivery food just came!

└ THIS IS A DICTATORSHIP. OVERTHROW THE REGIME. FREE THE STREAM

└ Wait... I’m reloading my donation funds now!!!

The chat flooded in absolute panic.

At this point, Do-Jin also turned toward empty air and said, “We’re not turning it off because we want to. Sorry, but that’s just how it is. We’re not ditching a friend just to continue streaming.”

On Do-Jin’s channel, where the power dynamic was painfully obvious, the viewers had no real choice but to accept the reality.

└ We’ll wait anyway, so the second you can turn it back on, you know what to do.

└ We’re worried about Tanto too, so please go live right away once you can.

└ I will not sleep, eat, or breathe until you come back...

They changed tactics at once, going full fake-innocent and leaning hard into emotional manipulation. Having been long-time viewers, they knew how to get at Do-Jin.

“Alright. Since I already made you worry, I’ll turn the stream back on as soon as I can and let you know.”

After making that promise, Do-Jin followed the downward-sloping tunnel and headed deeper inside. Eventually, they reached a place where space itself looked shattered, like broken glass suspended in midair.

This was where Tanto was trapped.