EFME 32

After waking from the dream, Sunyul writhed in a familiar agony.

The anxiety that something was wrong was something he never got used to, no matter how many times he experienced it. Rather, as time went on, he grew more and more anxious.

Was he having these dreams because he’d been training hard lately and was extremely nervous about entering the dungeon? If he did nothing, would he not dream?

Pondering alone, Sunyul couldn’t find an answer.

“Ugh…….”

[The ‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ advises you to accept the dream.]

Accept it? What a joke. It felt like something he should absolutely not accept.

[The ‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ advises that you must accept the memory fragments as your own to regain your complete memories.]

Ignoring the constellation’s unhelpful message, Sunyul went in to wash up. The cold water jolted him awake.

Splash.

So much so that he felt like he was going to catch a cold, so Sunyul quickly turned on the warm water.

Splatter splatter.

He wasn’t sure if his body could even catch a cold, but today was finally the day he would enter the dungeon. He couldn’t do anything that might worsen his physical condition. He was already a burden; he couldn’t be even more of a nuisance.

When he went down to the first floor, a more lavish meal than usual was set on the table. Juyoung showed his usual smooth smile.

“I heard the Master and Sunyul-nim are entering the dungeon, so I prepared a special meal for today.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Not at all. Please enjoy your meal.”

Sunyul sat down and looked around the table. It was filled with delicious food. Sunyul waited for Muyoung, looking forward to today’s meal.

Soon, Muyoung approached the table.

“You should have eaten first.”

“I waited to eat with you.”

“Alright.”

Only after Muyoung sat down and picked up his spoon and chopsticks did Sunyul pick up his own.

After finishing the filling meal, Sunyul headed with Muyoung to the dungeon they would start conquering today.

Seoul Dungeon S-21, also known as the Seonyudo Dungeon, was, as its name suggested, located on Seonyudo Island. The area, which was originally a park, had been completely ruined by the dungeon’s influence, becoming a land where nothing grew.

“The area around the last dungeon I went to wasn’t like this…….”

“Last time? Where did you go last time?”

As Sunyul commented on the scenery visible through the office window, Jihyun, who was sitting next to him, asked.

The place where Sunyul’s party was currently standing was inside an office near the dungeon entrance.

“Gwacheon D-432 Dungeon.”

“You even remember the number. What was it like there?”

“There was a large river. It was a plain with lots of trees and grass.”

“Aha.”

Jihyun nodded his head.

“The dungeon entrance is often affected by the environment inside the dungeon. Seonyudo Dungeon is a perfect example of that.”

Jihyun shuddered, saying they had to suffer because of it.

“It’s cool around here even in the summer. That’s why there’s no air conditioner in this office. A fan is enough even in the middle of summer.”

Sunyul turned his head and looked around. Just as Jihyun had said, there were no air conditioners installed.

“Was this place here from the beginning?”

“No, it was built after the dungeon appeared.”

S-class dungeons, which receive special management, always have someone stationed nearby, and this office was the space used by the hunter in charge of that management. It was also a space where the dungeon raid party could stay temporarily.

“You know a lot.”

“Of course. Though not as much as the Guild Master.”

Sunyul glanced at Muyoung. Muyoung was checking something on a tablet PC. So as not to disturb him, Sunyul looked back at Jihyun.

As he was talking with Jihyun, the time to enter the dungeon drew near. Muyoung stood up from his seat.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Sunyul followed Muyoung outside with Jihyun.

Everyone else was waiting outside, seemingly not cold. Seeing the two of them, Jaehoon waved his hand cheerfully.

“Good morning, man. But what’s that thing you’re wearing?”

“What thing.”

“That shoddy-looking scarf. It really doesn’t suit you.”

At Jaehoon’s words, Sunyul’s body flinched. Umjjil. Seeing Sunyul become visibly downcast and Muyoung’s glare turn extremely sharp, Jaehoon panicked.

“I’m sorry. It’s the first one I’ve ever knitted…….”

“…No, I meant the slightly clumsy charm of it neutralizes that guy’s stiff atmosphere. A guy who used to blow cold wind now has a human touch. It suits you, man.”

Jaehoon hurriedly made an excuse. Muyoung, who had been glaring at Jaehoon, whispered gently to Sunyul.

“I like it, so don’t listen to some asshole who doesn’t know anything.”

“…Okay.”

Even though Muyoung had said that… Sunyul resolved to knit the second scarf perfectly. A scarf that wouldn’t kill Muyoung’s razor-sharp vibe.

“Has everyone gathered?”

Sunyul turned his head at the neat voice. Standing there was Go Yoonjae, an Awakened dispatched from the Awakened Administration.

He had mentioned it casually last time, but he didn’t think Yoonjae would actually come. Although they hadn’t seen each other that often, he felt glad to see him for some reason.

Of course, last time it was just the two of them, which was uncomfortable, but this time they were working officially… and Yoonjae didn’t seem to particularly dislike it either.

When Yoonjae gave Muyoung a look, everyone looked at Muyoung. Since everyone except for Yoonjae, who was dispatched from the Administration, was a member of the Cheongyeon Guild, Muyoung naturally took the role of the raid party’s leader. Muyoung opened his mouth calmly.

“The raid strategy is different from usual, so make sure you are well-acquainted with your changed roles and proceed with caution. I don’t need to spell it out for you all to know.”

Seeing everyone answer, “Yes,” in unison, Muyoung nodded.

“Then let’s enter.”

Muyoung glanced at Sunyul. Sunyul waved his hand to say goodbye to Muyoung. With a slightly worried face, Muyoung entered the dungeon.

The raid party entered the dungeon in order. Sunyul was second to last. Seeing that everyone had gone inside, Sunyul tensed up and swallowed.

“I heard you’ve experienced dungeon shock.”

Yoonjae, who was entering last, spoke to the nervous Sunyul. Sunyul nodded.

“…Yes.”

“Getting nervous makes the shock worse. Try to enter with as relaxed a mind as possible.”

“Okay, I will.”

Yoonjae’s words were quite reassuring. Sunyul took a deep breath and stepped inside the huge gate.

And before Sunyul’s eyes, an endless darkness unfolded.

[Trait ‘Lost Child of Dimensions’ activates.]

[You fall into a state of confusion due to the effect of trait ‘Lost Child of Dimensions’. In return, all stats are increased by one rank.]

Preparing for it was useless.

He was short of breath. His head was spinning. Ping-ping. His hands grew cold. An indescribable fear crawled out from the darkness and wrapped itself around Sunyul.

“No, don’t. Don’t…….”

Sunyul muttered with difficulty, not even knowing what he was saying.

He had spent a very long time in this place.

A day, two days, three months… 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, 100 years, 120 years, 200 years, 300 years, 500 years, 700 years, 1000 years…….

An uncountable amount of time.

It was painful. It was painful, but he didn’t want to leave this place. It felt like he shouldn’t leave.

Remaining here, being erased from there, was his decision, and his price.

He had to disappear like this again. Only if Sunyul remained forgotten by everyone would that thing also stay asleep down below.

A starlight twinkles in the distance.

He had to go there. Go, and again, the crack…….

[The ‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ laments that it is already too late.]

[The ‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ says to go back now.]

The constellation’s messages pop up loudly. Sunyul panted as he checked the messages. But the words of persuasion didn’t register properly in his mind. They just flowed past. As they had in countless moments.

“Ah…….”

He had thought countless times that he wished he could become an unthinking object. But no matter what he did, his mind wouldn’t easily empty. So Sunyul thought of other people. People who would live happily without suffering.

That was Sunyul’s only comfort. For a very long time.

[The ‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ tells you to think of the person waiting for you.]

The person waiting.

It was a sweet phrase. It was also a meaningless one.

Lim Sunyul had been erased.

For a very long time, Sunyul had known well that no one would be waiting for him.

But not now.

Right now, there was someone who would be waiting for Sunyul.

Sunyul moved his feet with difficulty. To go find the person waiting for him.

─Sunyul.

─Lim Sunyul.

─Sunyul, don’t go.

Auditory hallucinations rang out. Sunyul tried hard to ignore them and moved forward, one step, then another.

And the pitch-black scenery changed in an instant.

“…….”

What unfolded before his eyes was a pure white snowfield.

Everywhere he could see was white. The thick white snow piled on the ground, the white snowy mountains in the distance, the low-hanging clouds, the breath that froze the moment it was exhaled, everything.

It was a sickeningly white landscape, but to Sunyul, who had just tasted despair in the pitch-black darkness, it looked like salvation.

“Ah…….”

“Lim Sunyul.”

Muyoung approached the staggering Sunyul and supported him. Sunyul leaned on Muyoung and caught his breath for a moment.

Until the darkness that clung so persistently to the corners of his eyes lifted.