After experiencing Haeun's ordeal, the mere mention of someone going missing in the dungeon immediately filled me with dread, my heart racing at the thought of history repeating itself as it had during the Decumanus incident. It felt as though my fingertips were trembling, no, they were indeed trembling.
Crunch.
Hamin, holding onto Kang Sihyun's hand, gripped a little tighter, providing a sense of warmth that brought clarity and calm. Sihyun took a deep breath, pushing away the engulfing anxiety.
Nothing was certain yet.
Perhaps Haru, who had arrived earlier, had not been engulfed by this peculiar fog or had managed to enter the temple before it appeared.
That had to be the case.
Believe. That was what needed to be done first.
No longer was he the frail seventeen-year-old boy in need of rescue; he had grown, albeit slowly at first, but once growth began, he matured faster than anyone. The memories that had bound the boy for so long, those of the laboratory, no longer had any hold over Haru.
Haru had proven that himself.
Thus, I had to believe. Believe in him, who had said he would come here with me.
As I forced the anxiety away and killed off the worry, Hamin, now fully awakened, grimaced slightly before getting up. Following his lead, Hahyuk and the other awakened ones came to their senses.
"Damn it, what's happening?"
Laochun muttered angrily. With a whoosh! Pia, having completed her task, returned from a Chinese guild member back to Sihyun. Sihyun, placing Pia on his shoulder, faced the situation head-on. The concern now was not to dwell on Haru's whereabouts but to do everything possible from his current location to safely clear the dungeon.
Having fully realized what needed to be done, Sihyun stood up, brushing off his dirtied knees from kneeling to awaken Hamin.
"No matter what dream you had, it's not reality, so just erase it from your mind."
He spoke firmly, but Sihyun himself couldn't easily forget the second dream he had. It felt wrong to simply dismiss it as nothing.
Instead of erasing it completely, he decided to bury it deep and reconsider it when he had the chance, turning his head. The temple became visible as the arrows dispersed the fog, revealing a clearer sky above.
"It was the right decision to bring Pia. I knew it was an illusion, but I didn't know how to escape from it. It's my first time facing such an attack. Thanks to her, we were able to escape quickly."
Hahyuk, with eyes now clear, watched the fantasy species fluttering lightly on Sihyun's shoulder, seemingly fascinated. He likely went through a similar process, hearing Pia's voice in his dream. Startled by the popping sound, he would've woken from his dream, feeling a slight pain from Pia's peck, whether on his face or hand.
The same would've been true for the others.
Since Hahyuk mentioned it first, the usually quick-witted Hamin cunningly joined in. The Chinese guild coughed awkwardly at his words, their glances revealing their irritation but soon presented a trophy.
"I was skeptical that the small bird could block mental attacks, but it definitely helped."
"It's not just any bird; it's a fantasy species."
"Yes, a fantasy species. Really, it's embarrassing how we doubted the Korean awakeners who welcomed the fantasy species."
He laughed it off as if it were nothing. The situation became somewhat comical when Laochun, who had initially doubted, received an apology-like statement from Songzan. Sihyun, not wanting to indulge in this foolish play, stroked Pia and headed towards the temple.
"The fog's gone now, so let's go in."
Hahyuk and Hamin took a seat each by his side. Sihyun gave Hahyuk a look as the Chinese guild members lagged behind.
'Is it okay to leave them behind?'
His eyes asked, and Hahyuk's purple eyes curved in response.
"They prioritize the dungeon too, so if they've come this far, they'll stay quiet for a while. The problem is what happens after we clear the dungeon."
After the dungeon is cleared.
The biggest headache was what to do when the Korean guild's help was no longer needed.
That was the moment to watch out for.
Sihyun, agreeing with Hahyuk's words, glanced back at the Chinese guild members. He knew they wouldn't cause trouble right away, but he still didn't want to show them his back.
"Let's walk together. Don't lag behind."
"…Well, let's do that."
The man who spoke mockingly came closer to Hahyuk's side. As the seven of them walked side by side, Sihyun caught sight of
the temple that seemed to be the dungeon's entrance and flinched. The fog was rolling in again.
Had its effect worn off already?
It had only been a moment since he had driven it away with an arrow, and now it had returned to its original state. Knowing what would happen when the mists gathered, he called Pia, and the small fantasy species grew significantly larger.
"...Pia?"
"Pyap!"
He had called her in case Septimus decided to launch another mental attack, but something unexpected happened. Pia, now much larger than an adult male, flapped her wings vigorously towards the approaching fog. A strong wind blew, and the fog retreated. Not all of it disappeared as when Sihyun had shot the arrow, but it bought them some time.
"Pyapya!"
Stunned, Pia seemed to be urging them to run. With that cry, Sihyun regained his senses and kicked off the ground.
"Everyone, run to the temple with all your might!"
"Pyap!"
For some reason, Pia answered instead of his companions. The fantasy species flapped its wings again, and the mists that seemed to retreat but subtly approached again hesitated. The group noticed the situation and started sprinting. Without anyone leading, they all ran towards the temple with all their strength.
"Pyap!"
Pia, who had grown large enough to obscure their view, suddenly returned to the size of a palm and joined Sihyun on his shoulder as they moved.
The group ran towards the open door, chased by the dense fog. As the wind increased its speed to catch up, Sihyun managed to enter the temple just before being caught and quickly closed the wooden door behind them.
Boom!
Whoosh!
The door slammed shut, and the fog that hit it dispersed in all directions. The wind, as if angry at losing its target, added a chill and eeriness to the already cool and dreary temple. Everyone let out a light sigh, none out of breath despite having sprinted the short distance, as they were all at least near S-class level.
The wind's howl remained fierce, making them glance back at the door before facing forward again. Laochun grimaced, holding his nose.
"It stinks terribly."
There was no need to ask what he meant. The stench of blood assaulted them from inside the temple as soon as they diverted their attention from the door.
"……."
The expression that had been on Laochun's face slowly spread to the others. Sihyun pinched his nose with the back of his hand and narrowed his eyes. The sand spread across the floor was entirely red.
The anxiety that had just been shaken off came surging back with a vengeance, feeling almost like a warning of what was to come, like an instinctual alert to the impending events.
Sihyun clenched his fist tightly before moving forward again.
"Let's go in."
He murmured softly, and no one objected. In fact, no one could easily open their mouths. It was something they all felt, even without saying a word.
The intense murderous intent wafting from beyond the door, deep within the dungeon.
It was chilling to the bone, making their hairs stand on end, as foreboding as the day Gula had opened one eye and declared the end of the world. In terms of sheer intensity, it didn't seem to fall short compared to that day.
What kind of Irregular emits such a presence?
Having left the third dungeon to Ruth and skipping straight to this one, Septimus felt unbelievably strong.
This was only the fourth.
Considering this was just the fourth, and it felt this way, how would they handle the remaining six? Worries began to sprout in Sihyun's mind as he composed his emotions, making sure they didn't show on his face, and took a step forward.
Crunch.
Even the sound of stepping on sand sent shivers down his spine. Sihyun opened the last door leading into the temple, and the group entered a long corridor.
Creak. Creak.
It was unclear whether the noise was from the wooden floor creaking or something else moving. As they went further inside, the sound echoed, growing louder. The tension and vigilance on the faces of the group intensified as the real dungeon raid began.
Regardless of whether they were near S-class or S-class, everyone watched ahead, gripping their weapons tightly. Sharp eyes peered into the dimly lit corridor's end. There were no lanterns, limiting their field of vision. Then, it happened.
Creeeak-.
A door about ten steps away opened.
At the same time, the stench of blood they had sensed from outside rushed in, causing everyone to reflexively frown. The awakeners' instincts warned of danger. Pia, ominously crying out.
Sihyun exchanged looks with Hahyuk. Hahyuk looked at Laochun, and
the two guild leaders nodded at each other.
Since the door was left wide open as if inviting them, they had to check what was inside.
Sihyun, just in case, cast a protective shield over his companions and headed towards the open door.
Then, suddenly, a piece of information flashed through Sihyun's mind.
An old book related to Gula's children, obtained during the Decumanus battle.
A phrase from that book stuck in his mind.
'One of them also manipulated puppets.'
"……."
As always, things that came to mind unexpectedly in dangerous situations were not without reason. The fact that this sentence came to mind meant that what was about to happen inside the opened room, or within this dungeon, was related to that sentence. The grip on his weapon tightened.
"Could it be…."
A sense of doom overwhelmed him. Convinced otherwise, Sihyun arrived at the open room with his group and gasped at the figure visible through the wide-open door.
"……."
A brief silence followed.
A boy with red eyes was there.
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