Chapter 333

It was dark inside, with little difference from outside. If there was one difference, it was that a considerably large moon hung there all alone, and beneath it stretched something vast that could have been either an enormous lake or a sea.

'It does seem closer to the scale of a sea.'

But since there were no waves, was it closer to a lake?

Everything was so dark that the parts whose depth could not be easily estimated were completely black.

“It’s a lighthouse.”

At Im Haekyung’s words, I raised my gaze a little more and saw a small island and something long and narrow in the middle of the sea, quite far away.

“For a lighthouse, it isn’t lit.”

“It could be a lighthouse that isn’t operating.”

“Aha.”

Im Haekyung kept their eyes on the lighthouse for quite a while before speaking in a low voice.

“This isn’t exactly a place that gives me a good feeling.”

“Why?”

“There’s far too little that could be called a living creature. It might be a little different if we went into the water.”

“Because of your Skill?”

Im Haekyung’s Skill applied only to ‘life,’ after all. At my words, Im Haekyung gave a small nod and added,

“And because it’s difficult to predict.”

“But it’s B-rank.”

“I didn’t mean I was afraid. I was simply stating a fact.”

Well, clearing the Dungeon was not our goal today. We had to examine the Dungeon’s entire structure as thoroughly as possible and see whether it was useful, so there was no need to clear it quickly anyway.

I approached the dark water.

'It’s too dark to see anything.'

The moment I dipped my hand into it, the cold temperature immediately reached my skin.

“Do you think it’s deep?”

At Im Haekyung’s question, I obediently stepped into the water. The water, whose depth had been impossible to judge because of the darkness, was shallower than expected. I tilted my head as the water rose to my thighs and said,

“It’s shallow.”

“I didn’t expect to go swimming after coming all the way here.”

“It isn’t deep enough to swim.”

“You never know once we go farther in.”

Im Haekyung strode into the water, made a show of rolling up their sleeves, then quickly gave up and looked toward the distant lighthouse.

“It seems like we have to go over there.”

“Probably.”

“Then let’s go.”

Each time I walked through the cold water, I could feel its resistance.

'Do we just cross like this?'

There was no way it would be this simple.

“Are you good at swimming?”

“I’ve never properly learned.”

“You just do it by instinct?”

“Yes. Did you learn?”

“When I was young.”

“How long ago?”

“Ten years?”

At my answer, Im Haekyung let out a short laugh as though dumbfounded.

“Ten years ago.... How old were you then?”

“Fifteen.”

“Haha.... That isn’t much of a difference.”

“There is a difference. I was shorter than I am now too. Around one-eighty.”

“I was talking about mental age.”

This bastard?

I scooped up some water and splashed it straight at Im Haekyung. Their brows furrowed for an instant, and they warned me,

“Don’t.”

“It feels like we’re experiencing a water park.”

“You shouldn’t treat something inside a Dungeon so carelessly....”

Before Im Haekyung could finish speaking, I lightly splashed them with water once more. They briefly closed their eyes and steadied their breathing. As I grinned while watching them wipe the water from their face, Im Haekyung also burst into laughter.

“Haha, Jehyun....”

Mental Domination (S) activates.

My body tilted, and I fell face-first into the sea. There was a loud splash, and when I came to my senses, I was completely soaked from head to toe.

“You’re the only thing I can control here, Jehyun, so it’s troublesome if you keep picking a fight with me.”

“.......”

There was a strange hint of laughter mixed into Im Haekyung’s voice.

I shook out my hair and wiped the water from my face, and only then could I see again.

“It’s salty. Just salt water.”

“Is it? Then I suppose it might be a sea.”

“Do we just cross like this? It doesn’t feel like we’ve gotten any closer. Since you can swim, should we swim there?”

“No. I don’t like getting wet.”

“Why are you so picky?”

When I lightly flicked a few drops of water at them, Im Haekyung pressed their lips tightly together, forced a smile, and asked,

“Are you doing this because you want to dive one more time?”

“Let’s swim.”

“Do it alone.”

“How could I go alone and leave the Guild Master behind? You were lying about knowing how to swim, weren’t you?”

“I can swim.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“Don’t provoke me. I’m not falling for it.”

At that moment.

Boom—!

A vibration came from the far end of the sea, and waves began to rise near the island. As they met the water, more waves piled on one after another, and in an instant, the wave grew in size and began approaching as though it had chosen a target.

“So there was something here.”

Im Haekyung spoke calmly even while watching the wave rise higher and higher.

“That’s why I said we should swim.”

“It would have been the same either way. We kept walking, but it didn’t get any closer. This must be the form of this Dungeon.”

“If we had swum quickly, maybe we could have avoided it?”

“Why are you being so irritating today?”

The moment those words ended, the wave, which had grown as large as a low building, swallowed us in an instant.

Whoooosh—

Right before the wave swept me away, I held my breath, but in the next moment, I realized there was no particular need to. Surprisingly, it was possible to breathe in the dark water where not a single ray of light entered.

That alone made it far easier to understand the situation.

'I can’t put my feet down.'

When I tried to rise upward, I suddenly felt something clamp around my ankle.

'Fucking hell.'

At the same time as I felt myself being dragged downward, my vision suddenly became bright.

'Even though you won’t understand right now.... But, Jehyun.'

'.......'

'Goodness is a good thing.'

At the familiar voice, my eyes flew open.

And surprisingly, even after I opened them... I was still in a familiar place.

'It’s home.'

Not the house I had prepared for myself, but the place where I had lived ever since I was adopted.

'The family home?'

When I came to my senses, a burning pain was spreading across my back. Thinking it might be the fiend’s influence, I checked the mana restraint I was wearing, but it was still firmly around my wrist.

And somehow, this pain was fundamentally different from that. It felt exactly like... a scar was being carved into me.

The door flew open, and someone came in.

“Dad wants you.”

The voice was sullen. I looked at the young-faced Choi Yujun, picked up the T-shirt lying on the floor, and put it on.

“Hey.”

When I only turned my gaze at Choi Yujun’s voice, he asked, still looking displeased,

“When are you leaving?”

“I’ll leave when I go to school.”

“No! Not that. When are you leaving for good?”

“Ah.”

“Right!”

“I’m not leaving.”

Ignoring him as he shrilled behind me, I went to ‘Father’s’ room and opened the door. As it opened, I saw Father standing in front of a bookshelf.

“I heard what happened. The burn marks were quite severe?”

“Yes.”

“Does it still hurt?”

“Yes.”

At my answer, Father shoved the book into place with a sharp thud, strode over, and bent down. When our eyes met, his hand landed heavily on my shoulder. The hand pressing down on the injured area felt hot.

“Ugh....”

“Listen carefully.”

“.......”

“Since you’ve decided to live in our house, you have to follow the rules. The most important one is that you do not tarnish my name. I gave you a home and a name....”

Seen up close, Father’s face resembled mine more than Choi Yujun or the younger siblings beneath him. Father paused for a moment, lowered his voice, and put more strength into his hand.

“To receive those things, you have to listen to me.”

“.......”

“Do not go outside without permission. For the time being, stay inside the house.”

With those words, my vision flipped.

On my way home from school, I could feel someone persistently following me. It had not been just a day or two, nor had it been only one or two people. The possibilities were obvious. Reporters trying to dig something up, or criminals trying to extort something through threats.

Had I felt fucking awful at the time?

I did not think I had.

“Child.”

At the voice calling to me from behind, I stopped. I was in the middle of a quiet alley.

After that, my vision flipped once again. It looked as though the Dungeon was rummaging through my memories, struggling to find a trauma.

Afterward, I saw more minor things. For example, a younger sibling trying hard to screw me over, or the countless camera flashes that struck me after I was made to attend trivial events. Father getting angry, and even minor violence passed by, but none of it was shown for long.

And then what appeared before me was Choi Yujun lying on the floor.

How had this situation come about again? Had this happened while we were swimming together? Or had I genuinely wanted to kill this bastard a little?

I quietly stared at Choi Yujun lying there while drinking water. I had already called the lifeguard.

After checking the time, I began chest compressions. Even if a few ribs broke, that would probably be better than his brain being damaged from lack of oxygen. Soon, I handed Choi Yujun over to the rescue worker who came running and picked up the water bottle rolling around on the floor.

Regardless of how word of this incident had spread, I thought ‘Father’ had probably understood the general situation. So using this incident as an excuse to talk about my violent tendencies and throw me out of the house entirely had simply been the course of events he had planned from the beginning.

After leaving the house and living alone, I lay peacefully on my bed.

Wasn’t it a decent life? Public opinion had quieted down enough by now, almost no one recognized me, and I would never run short of money.

'This is nice.'

Around the time I was immersed in that thought, my vision darkened once again. Just as I began wondering whether it would show me another scene this time, I felt my entire body being pushed onto land.

I felt sand sticking to my cheek.

When I blinked, the vision that had been dark until just now gradually brightened.

The first thing I saw was the blazing sun pouring down.

“Did you sleep well?”

At the familiar voice, I raised my head and saw Im Haekyung standing over me.

“I don’t think I was asleep.”

“Get up, Jehyun.”

When I rose and sat up, a scene completely different from the place that had been lit by the moon earlier came into view. The black water where the enormous wave had surged was completely dried up, and in the middle of the sunken basin stood a tall lighthouse.

I brushed the sand from my cheek and looked up at Im Haekyung. Still pulling up the corners of their mouth, they said,

“I think I understand how this Dungeon is structured.”

“Do you?”

“And I don’t particularly want to hide it, so I’ll tell you in advance.”

While trying to wring out their wet clothes, Im Haekyung added casually,

“I saw your past too, Jehyun.”

“.......”

“I think that’s how it works. It stimulates a person’s trauma, and afterward, the shame and despair of having those things exposed to someone else.... It includes all of that. A typical mental-stimulation Dungeon.”

Im Haekyung met my gaze at an angle, remained silent for a moment, then asked,

“Would you like me to forget it?”