EFME 119

“Why can’t Sunyul break it?”

Bada said so but still stepped in to block the path between Sunyul and the mirror for the time being. It wasn’t because he believed Saebyeok’s words, but it seemed to mean that they should thoroughly go over even a mere 1 percent of concern with caution.

Saebyeok had thrown away his light attitude from before and wore a serious face.

“It will become dangerous if Sunyul breaks it.”

“What becomes dangerous?”

“Anyway, it becomes dangerous.”

“…No, at least give an explanation. What are we supposed to do if you just blurt that out all of a sudden? We have to clear the dungeon, don’t we?”

Jihyun spoke the truth.

“If you want to see a situation where you can’t even find Sunyul’s corpse, then let him break the mirror.”

The atmosphere froze over in an instant. Yoonjae grabbed Saebyeok by the collar.

“Don’t speak that way. If you don’t want to die.”

“I merely stated the fact.”

Saebyeok raised his hand and pointed at the mirror.

“Sigh… if you break that mirror, the body briefly visits the rift of dimensions. Unlike you all, Sunyul won’t be able to return quickly.”

“The rift of dimensions.”

Everyone wasn’t ignorant about that place. The unknown location where Sunyul had been for the past five years.

The strength drained from Yoonjae’s hand. Saebyeok adjusted his outfit. Bada looked at Saebyeok with a gaze full of extreme wariness.

“How do you know that?”

“There is a way to know.”

“….”

“Believe me. If you don’t want to send Sunyul back there again.”

“Then what do we do?”

Jihyun muttered.

If they didn’t resolve the dungeon gimmick, they couldn’t clear the dungeon. If they couldn’t clear it, they had no choice but to live here for the rest of their lives.

The group tried all sorts of methods to break the mirror. They used skills, attacked with weapons, and even tried to slice away the frame instead of the mirror. However, even after using all kinds of moves, it was of no use.

After about an hour passed, Sunyul, seeing the exhausted group, stepped forward.

“I’ll just try breaking it.”

“Are you crazy?”

Bada bellowed.

“It’s fine. I’ve… visited that place a few more times during that time too.”

“What?!”

“I was perfectly fine, though. During that time too—,”

“That was just your consciousness going. This time, even your body goes.”

Saebyeok spoke as if telling him to wake up from his dream.

“It’s different for the physical body to go. What do you mean perfectly fine? You weren’t even particularly fine either. Do you really think it will be perfectly fine even if your body goes?”

“You can’t be sure that something will definitely happen, can you? Just in case—,”

At that moment, a terrifying force was felt on Sunyul’s shoulder. Turning around while frowning at the grip strength that felt as if it would crush him, Muyoung was standing there unexpectedly.

What he faced was vivid anger.

Sunyul swallowed his breath unconsciously.

Muyoung was angry.

With his whole body, without hiding it.

“Say that again.”

“…Guild Master.”

“You’re saying you’ll do it even when they say we might not even be able to find your corpse?”

“No, I might not die, you see. I’m confident I can do well….”

“What if you don’t do well? You could die just like that.”

“I-If you put it that way, isn’t going around dungeons having a risk of dying just the same?”

“Roaming a dungeon while being sufficiently careful and walking straight into a trap are strictly different domains. Cut the bullshit.”

“But we can’t just do nothing like this. We have to try something….”

“And for that attempt, I should just leave you alone regardless of whether you die or not?”

Sunyul made a tearful face, but Muyoung didn’t go easy on him.

“If you want to die, use another method instead. Because then at least the corpse will be found.”

“Guild Master….”

“Your life seems insignificant to you, but why? Do you think it’s okay for you to die?”

“….”

Soon, tears welled up and pooled in Sunyul’s eyes.

“Th-This, motherfucker….”

Seeing that, Bada approached and slapped Muyoung’s hand away hard. Muyoung pulled away tamely, but he was still glaring at Sunyul.

“Sunyul, don’t cry.”

Bada comforted Sunyul. However, tears are originally bound to pour out even more heavily when someone comforts you. Even so, Sunyul made all sorts of efforts not to cry.

“S-Sunyul….”

“Sunyul.”

Yoonjae intervened, naturally hugged Sunyul, and patted his back. Sunyul shed thick tears in Yoonjae’s arms.

Meanwhile, Saebyeok went in front of the mirror and broke it just like that. Although it was a very brief instant, something other than Saebyeok was reflected in the mirror. While everyone was focusing on Sunyul at that time, only Muyoung caught it momentarily.

What was seen in the mirror was a man with a very pale face, long black hair that flickered ceaselessly like flowing smoke, and eyes that sparkled like the night sky.

“What the. How did you do it?”

Jihyun asked in surprise.

“Ah, I used a bit of a trick. But why has the atmosphere collapsed like this?”

“A trick?”

“Hmm… there is such a thing.”

Sunyul was already stopping his tears while sniffing.

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ whispers to just dump that kind of guy and switch to another guy.]

[‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ evaluates the score, asking if someone like Lee Bada isn’t young and decent.]

Sunyul wiped his tears away heavily while looking at those playful messages.

Yoonjae narrowed his eyes and looked at Saebyeok.

“It’s my first time seeing a human who resolves a dungeon gimmick in a different way.”

“It is rare.”

No, it doesn’t exist at all. Saebyeok pressed his index finger to his lips.

“I would like it if you keep it a secret.”

Yoonjae let out a sigh.

“Under normal circumstances, I would have reported it to the Ability Bureau… but I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.”

“Thank you.”

Saebyeok smiled lightly.

While a reasonably heartwarming atmosphere was created like that on one hand, there was also Sunyul, who had barely stopped his tears but was still depressed… and there was Bada, who became anxious because of that Sunyul.

“….”

And there was also Muyoung, whose mood had dropped terribly.

Thanks to half of them being gloomy, the atmosphere became beautifully bad. In the midst of that, everyone didn’t let it affect their work, claiming to be professionals. Thanks to that, no accidents occurred while they broke all twelve mirrors.

And in the thirteenth mirror, once again only Sunyul was reflected.

Everyone looked at Sunyul once, then looked at Saebyeok once. Saebyeok scratched his cheek.

“It is possible this time too, but…. I think it will take some time.”

“How much.”

“About 24 hours based on the first time I did it.”

“We’ll wait then, whatever.”

Jihyun said. Since they said Sunyul could die, waiting was no trouble at all.

After a discussion, they left the abandoned hospital and pitched the tents. Sunyul, who made the surroundings safe with Sanctuary Declaration, looked around the vicinity.

“I’m not going to eat food. Because my body doesn’t need to eat… don’t worry about me.”

Sunyul, who spoke so, tucked himself straight into his tent. Even though it didn’t matter if he didn’t eat, the atmosphere became even heavier because a kid who used to eat regularly wasn’t eating.

Muyoung made the meal half-heartedly and carelessly. Eating the food, which was seasoned saltier than yesterday, Bada glared at Muyoung.

“Apologize, you son of a bitch.”

“What did I do.”

“Apologize for throwing a fit at Sunyul.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“You….”

“I agree with Kwon Muyoung’s words today too.”

Yoonjae unexpectedly took Kwon Muyoung’s side. Yoonjae had a face that looked as if he were in pain.

“I thought the current Sunyul wouldn’t be able to do the same thing because he seems to have more fear than before. But, even so, he is still Sunyul. If something happens, he can run out the exact same way without sparing his own body again.”

“….”

“And what if everyone loses their memory again then? What if he reappears in the world as an item like last time then? What if Kwon Muyoung can’t protect him either at that time?”

Yoonjae’s gaze turned dark.

“Sunyul needs to learn how to cherish himself.”

“You comforted him right away when he cried, though.”

“I did that because it looked like you were going to hug Sunyul. Where are you coveting?”

“….”

Bada glared at Yoonjae. Yoonjae snorted.

“But I agree with Bada’s words. Sunyul is all grown up too, so there’s no need to let him know by scolding him like that, is there?”

Jihyun, who finished her meal quickly, chimed in while drinking water.

“Why don’t you cleanly apologize and let him know properly? It’s true that you got angry emotionally.”

Muyoung remained silent. Jihyun turned to Saebyeok.

“What do you think, Mr. Saebyeok?”

“Sunyul needs to be scolded a bit.”

“…No, but Yoon Saebyeok? You act awfully close with Sunyul, don’t you?”

Bada took out his annoyance on Saebyeok. Saebyeok wore a relaxed smile.

“Because we are close?”

“I know almost all of Sunyul’s human relationships, and I’ve never seen a breed like you.”

“Are you a stalker?”

“No, I’m not!”

“We became rapidly close recently. I know well about the current Sunyul. More than anyone else.”

“How absurd.”

After staring at Saebyeok, who was wearing a winner’s smile as he pleased for a moment, Muyoung stood up from his spot.

His mind was complicated.

He felt like a cigarette today of all days. Muyoung pulled out a cigarette from his inventory. The cigarette, which had been neglected for a while, tasted terribly bad. Muyoung, who burned almost the entire unpalatable cigarette, returned to his tent.

However, Sunyul was standing in front of the tent.

With a gloomy face.