Click, clack.
Blood dripped down, following the spit. Fortunately, the long needle, larger than the hand of a robust adult male, had only penetrated the depth of a finger joint. It was thanks to Pia severing the control in time.
"Pyapyap!"
Pia, having stopped pecking at the air, flew in front of Haru's face and fluttered its wings. A gentle breeze fluttered, and the boy's previously unfocused eyes blurred before his eyelids closed. His body tilted as if he had lost consciousness, and Hahyuk supported him.
Now was the chance.
Kang Sihyun secured Haru's body with the rope he was holding, ensuring he wouldn't move again, then looked at the needle stuck in his neck. The needle had penetrated less deeply than expected, sparing him from a fatal wound, but the fact that Septimus had controlled Haru to urge him towards suicide remained unchanged. Suppressing the rising anger, Sihyun reached out with trembling hands to remove the needle, causing blood to surge from the wound.
Crimson red.
Kang Sihyun took a closer look at the blood that had flowed out and then re-examined the tip of the needle. It was coated with poison, indicated by its blackened tip.
"It’s poison."
Songjan, who had been observing the situation from behind, recognized it. Kang Sihyun, without responding, reached out to treat the boy's wound, using purification and detoxification skills. Light spread from his fingertips, bringing a faint flush back to the face that had paled more than usual. Just as he was about to check on him again, Pia flew towards Haru, who had slumped against one wall, and cried mournfully.
"...Why are you like this?"
It was strange to attribute Pia's sorrow merely to Haru being injured. Calling the fantasy species' name once more and asking, Pia flew to Haru's face and lifted his black hair with its wings.
"......"
The boy's forehead was exposed, and the group held their breath. A strange red pattern was drawn on Haru's forehead.
"What is this..."
As Kang Sihyun approached Haru and touched the pattern on his forehead, it was clear it hadn't been there the last time he saw him. Although it had been a long time since then, Haru had been an incomplete Dual-Class in his first year, leaving a mark, but now, where the blue mark once was, only an ominous aura remained.
While the others were shocked by the ominous pattern's discovery, Kang Sihyun alone was startled by the disappearance of the mark and the strange pattern. As he stood frozen in confusion, Songjan approached and offered a speculation.
"It seems to be a spell."
"A spell?"
It was a somewhat unfamiliar term, more likely to be encountered in fantasy novels, so turning to Songjan, who had touched the pattern on Haru's forehead and nodded, he said,
"It's to seal consciousness or something of that sort. Judging by the looks of it, until this pattern disappears, he won't wake up, or if he does, he'll be controlled again. Given the circumstances, there's nothing else that could have been engraved here."
"......"
This was not welcome news. Kang Sihyun had thought it would be enough for Pia to sever the control, but it turned out there were more challenges ahead. A heavy silence filled the room, now in disarray from the battle. Naturally, coming from Korea, they had no knowledge of how to remove this pattern.
They had no choice but to seek help.
If Songjan recognized the spell, he might have some idea of what to do.
"So, what do we do about this..."
"I don’t know."
"What?"
The response was frustratingly absurd, almost irresponsible, given their reliance on him. Kang Sihyun stared at him, wide-eyed. He had thought Songjan might be lying due to some hidden animosity, but Songjan's expression seemed more serious than usual.
"Looking at me with suspicion won’t change the facts. I really don’t know."
"......"
"Everything I’ve said is just speculation and shouldn’t be taken as absolute truth. This pattern might not even be a spell. So, there's only one thing to do."
Despite typically being among the more amiable members of the Jincheong guild, Songjan's words now sounded infinitely cold. Knowing what Songjan was hinting at, Kang Sihyun glared as if he would engrave the red pattern onto his eyeballs, then slowly closed his eyes.
Kang Sihyun, Haru, Hamin, and even Laotian.
Everyone present knew.
To resolve all the problems here, to uncover all the truths, they had to meet the dungeon's master.
The vile, elusive master of the dungeon, who continued to play nasty tricks without showing himself.
Grip.
Kang Sih
yun clenched the rope that had bound Haru and turned his head, scanning the entire room, strengthening his grip.
"Septimus…"
The name he muttered seemed to trigger a response. Specifically, from the entire dungeon.
Heeheehee.
From afar, a bizarre laughter began to echo. It sounded mischievous, almost as if mocking someone.
Heeheeheeheehee.
The laughter, once started, continued without pause, growing louder and quicker as if something was approaching.
Soon, the laughter filled the room, making the group sense that something was amiss, prompting them to stand up. Hamin lifted Haru, and Hahyuk drew his sword to guard all directions. It was unclear whether the laughter belonged to Septimus, another Irregular, or a person, but it sharply continued.
Heeheehee, heeheehee.
The laughter was mixed with the sound of metal clashing.
It sounded like blades striking each other.
The chilling laughter imposed a sense of pressure on those who had invaded Septimus' domain. Cold sweat formed on their hands, and a chill ran down Kang Sihyun's spine as he swiftly turned around.
Bang!
"......!"
At that moment, a loud banging noise from the wall made them flinch.
Bangbangbangbangbang!
The sudden, aggressive pounding, in sync with the laughter, quickened its pace. The sound of pounding from all directions made the group's demeanor fierce. Hamin, not used to such terrifying phenomena, hesitated and stood beside Kang Sihyun.
Luosheng muttered curses.
It was because bloody handprints appeared on the paper doors.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Where the noise came from, handprints remained. The red handprints appearing everywhere seemed as if dozens, hundreds of blood-soaked people were pounding on this room. The walls turned progressively redder, and the group's expressions hardened. The bizarre laughter sharply pierced their ears.
Then, Pia inflated its body and howled towards the sky.
"Pyeong!"
As its body grew, so did the sound of its cry, as if amplified by a loudspeaker. The enlarged fantasy species, appearing angered, flapped its wings fiercely and howled, causing all the mind-disturbing phenomena to subside.
The sudden laughter, the shock of the walls being pounded, and the handprints on the paper doors.
Everything that had been completely vanished, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief. In the room with the fading bloodstains, Kang Sihyun called Pia back and placed the shrunken fantasy species on his shoulder, gently stroking it before checking Haru's condition. Although the situation was not good, he thought it meaningful that they had retrieved the boy and was about to suggest they leave when.
Hee.
The laughter that had stopped echoed sharply and briefly throughout the room, followed by a crackling sound from somewhere, as if something was splitting. Then, a fissure appeared in the room where Kang Sihyun and his group were standing.
It was as if they were looking at a broken mirror.
Sensing the ominous sign, Kang Sihyun opened his mouth, but it was too late. The floor of the room created by Septimus began to split along the fissures.
Crackle, crack, like breaking glass, gaps formed between the fissures, distancing the group from each other. Kang Sihyun, realizing that Septimus intended to scatter them, urgently looked at Hamin.
"Yiha―!"
"Kang Sihyun!"
The boy carrying Haru on his shoulder called out his name more quickly than Kang Sihyun could call his. Hamin reached out his hand. Without hesitation, Kang Sihyun grabbed it and turned his head to check on Hahyuk's location.
"Guild leader!"
As he reached out his hand and shouted towards Hahyuk, who was alone in the fissure.
Crack!
As if refusing any further union, a transparent barrier rose between the different-sized hands, separating them.
"Damn it."
Hahyuk, who had rarely cursed, did so as he narrowly missed grabbing Kang Sihyun. At that moment, the split ground began to sink below.
Although it was regrettable to lose Hahyuk, there was no way to bring him along. Kang Sihyun, putting aside his regrets, firmly held Hamin's hand and grabbed Pia.
"Let's not get separated, hold on tight!"
Given the circumstances, it was crucial to keep the four of them, including Pia, together. As he shouted, the grip on Hamin's hand tightened.
The bodies of the three boys and the fantasy species plummeted downwards. The seemingly endless fall ended when Kang Sihyun and Hamin hit the hard ground.
"Ugh!"
They hadn't seen the ground coming and were unprepared for the impact, which overwhelmed their bodies and made their bones scream. Clutching his crushed shoulder, Kang Sihyun used a healing
skill and stood up. After applying skills to Hamin, Haru, and Pia, Hamin, with his ankle now healed, groaned as he got up, holding Haru.
They looked around, unsure if they were facing forwards or sideways. All they saw was darkness.
"Try using that skill."
"I was thinking the same."
Prompted by Hamin, Kang Sihyun used a miniature version of a holy skill. Bright light spewed from his hand, dispelling the darkness. Finally, Kang Sihyun and Hamin spotted a figure in the distance. The figure was too far to see clearly, so they approached cautiously, their forms gradually becoming visible.
"What is that?"
Hamin murmured, frowning as if he had seen all sorts of bizarre things. Kang Sihyun couldn't afford to pay attention to his words, verifying if what he was seeing was real.
Antlers resembling those of a deer, hands covered in fur, black nails, and hooves.
The unmistakable, giant form made his eyes waver.
"...Decumanus?"
It was him.
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