***
***
“Curse, huh…….”
At the end of the North Korean dungeon exploration, hearing Seong Jiah’s voice was an achievement, but the content it contained was unexpected.
‘Noona is not the type to say such things…….’
Seong Jiah, with her gentle nature, used to advise Seong Jihan to go out and be active.
Her usual tone was kind and gentle, not that of someone who would curse like that.
Why did she specifically mention Yoon Sejin?
“Well, at least she’s alive. Thank goodness.”
Yoon Sejin touched the ring hanging around his neck, and smiled faintly.
The North Korean exploration had begun without much expectation.
Whether it was cursing or swearing, there was a meaningful trace of Seong Jiah, so it turned out fine.
“As we continue exploring the other giant dungeons, we might find more.”
“Christopher, can we go to another one today?”
“Of course! But what did she say to shock you so much?”
“She said she will curse my brother-in-law.”
“Ah…… curse, huh. Perhaps she knows about you having been to Japan?”
“Hmm…….”
If she knew that he had crossed over to Shizuru’s side, shouldn’t she also know about his return now?
Given Seong Jiah’s nature, if she knew Yoon Sejin had been enchanted only to come back with his eyes gouged out by her.
Instead of cursing him for crossing over, she would likely worry about how his eyes were and how he had been through hard times.
“For now, it seems like we have to continue the exploration to know more.”
“Yeah. Let’s keep going.”
“Yes. I should call Seah too.”
“Seah as well…….”
“Dungeons are not that dangerous anyway, and Seah can discern the power of the void.”
By Seong Jihan and Yoon Sejin, the giant dungeon portal was swept away more easily than expected.
Maybe it’d be more dangerous in other dungeons than here.
‘We have to focus here now that we have a solid clue.’
As soon as Seong Jihan came out of the dungeon, he called Yoon Seah.
“Seah, come to the dungeon.”
[What? Really? Can I come?]
“Yeah. It’s less dangerous than we thought. Come with Akari. There’s something you need to discern too.”
[Why? What happened?]
When Seong Jihan explained what had happened a little while ago, Yoon Seah was surprised.
[Wow… Mom said that to Dad? I can’t imagine it.]
“But brother-in-law is glad she’s alive.”
[Hm… That’s right. She must know something to curse him, right? Ugh. I’m curious. I should come check it out quickly! Akari unnie! Let’s get ready!]
“Yeah. I’ll send the car, come quickly.”
After calling Yoon Seah,
“Then let’s go to the next dungeon quickly.”
“Alright.”
They started to explore the second giant dungeon portal.
In the large van headed towards the second massive dungeon portal an hour away,
Sophia, who was in the same large van as Seong Jihan, kept staring at his face.
“Sophia, stop staring. It might make Seong Jihan uncomfortable.”
“Why, Oppa? I like looking at him. Jihan, are you uncomfortable?”
“Well, I’m used to it now.”
“……Haa. Seong Jihan already has a partner!”
“Chris, she’s just looking, why nag?”
She wasn’t usually like this.
Christopher shook his head with a tired expression and changed the topic.
“Player Seong Jihan. Was your exploration in North Korea related to the Priestess Seong Jiah?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Ah… I wondered why the Sword King was exploring North Korea.”
“The Priestess class was only Sophia and Ms. Jiah. It’s really sad she disappeared. I had many things I wanted to ask her”
The special support class, Priestess.
Humanity had only two players with that class: Seong Jiah and Sophia.
The Priestess class can use divine power more deeply compared to existing support classes, and their buff effects are heightened.
“But I still don’t get what ‘using divine power more deeply’ means… That was the first thing I wanted to ask Ms. Jiah.”
Seong Jihan thought about his previous life.
At that time, Sophia couldn’t find a clue about this either.
-Jihan, did you hear anything from Ms. Jiah about using divine power?
She used to ask him repeatedly if he remembered anything.
In the end, even up to the moment of apocalypse, Sophia couldn’t fully utilize the Priestess class.
“If we find noona, you can ask her.”
“Yes, Let’s find her!”
“Ah, and Mr. Christopher. Here’s what I promised.”
Seong Jihan handed over the Akashic page confiscated from Shizuru to Christopher.
“Uh…! You’re giving it already?”
“I was going to give it to you anyway. Let’s end the dungeon exploration quickly with the help of your exploration gift.”
“Ha… As expected, you are very generous. Th-then I will gratefully accept without hesitation…!”
Thanks to Seong Jihan, he hit big at the start of the year.
Now, with the Akashic page worth a tremendous value, Christopher enhanced his abilities.
“Wow… S-rank exploration! My abilities have increased so easily!”
“Since it’s S-rank now, let’s finish the North Korean business while you’re in Korea.”
“Sure! Let’s conquer the Abyss too!”
Christopher, who became the world’s top explorer with the help of Akashic page, bragged about conquering even the Abyss.
“Just exploring and not participating… Anyone would think you’re clearing dungeons alone.”
“Well, this is such an important mission!”
While the Christopher siblings bickered, Seong Jihan chuckled watching them.
They are so different from me and noona.
‘My noona took care of everything for me….’
Seong Jiah, who was 10 years older than Seong Jihan.
After their parents passed away, she gave up college preparations and took on the role of a responsible young head of the family.
Thinking back now, even my noona must have been greatly shocked then.
Despite that, she took charge of life bravely without showing any signs of weakness in front of me.
‘…As my brother-in-law said, her being alive is all that matters.’
Whether she curses Yoon Sejin or not.
The fact that noona is alive.
That fact itself was important.
Screech!
The van carrying the group stopped, and the second giant dungeon.
“Oh, Mr. Seong Jihan. I can feel it already. Right from the entrance, I feel the dungeon core!”
Christopher, who had enhanced abilities to S-rank, found the dungeon core much faster than before.
And…
“Oh, and… there’s something on the ground, too? It didn’t feel like this when it was A-rank.”
“Where?”
“Here, right here.”
Christopher, now S-rank, captured another clue in the giant dungeon portal.
On the ground he pointed to, a translucent dungeon core was cunningly hidden.
“This… might have also been in the previous giant dungeon.”
“We should make a round of the other giant dungeons and check if so.”
“Yes. It’d be problematic if civilians think that the dungeon is cleared, and it pops up again.”
As he found all the dungeon cores,
“That person, isn’t that Christopher, the commentator?”
“Eh, but… Could he have an exploration gift? He’s finding dungeon cores.”
“The one who found the giant dungeon earlier was him too. It seems he has at least a B-rank gift.”
“Wow… the commentator Christopher is a player too. This is totally exclusive news!”
Christopher, known worldwide as a commentator on Channel 0.
The BattleNet exploration team buzzed with excitement upon recognizing him.
“Haha, well, fame can’t be helped! Come on. I’m Christopher, the world’s best explorer!”
“Oh, really?”
“Mr. Commentator, please give me your autograph!”
“Of course, I’ll give you one! Come here!”
Whether he made the decision to come out as an exploration expert this time, Christopher blatantly revealed himself to the exploration team members.
Sophia sighed.
“Haa… Jihan, I’m sorry. My brother’s a bit of an attention-seeker.”
“It’s a S-rank gift, he has a right to be excited. Just do your job well.”
“Yes, I’ll closely monitor him!”
And as Sophia headed towards Christopher,
Yoon Sejin looked at the dungeon core he found, nodding in satisfaction.
“S-rank exploration gift, what an impressive ability…This will be over soon. Should we break the dungeon core?”
“Seah will arrive in about an hour. It’s better to break it after she comes. Using the power of the Void, we might gather more information.”
“If it’s an hour… That might be better. We need to secure the area.”
“Yes, let’s get things organized.”
To make sure nothing goes wrong. Seong Jihan and Yoon Sejin completely swept away the monsters that came out of the dungeon and waited for a while.
“Uncle! Dad! I’m here!”
Yoon Seah, accompanied by Akari, rushed over.
“Where… what do I look for?”
“Wait a moment. Let’s break the dungeon cores first.”
Crack!
Yoon Sejin, with the necklace, destroyed both dungeon cores, and…
[All dungeon cores of the giant dungeon are destroyed.]
[Based on your contribution to dungeon subjugation, the maximum level limit is increased by 1.]
A system message that Seong Jihan hadn’t seen before appeared.
‘Hoo… Is this the merit of dungeon subjugation?’
I merely fought monsters because it seemed only Yoon Sejin with the necklace should break the dungeon cores.
The system recognized that as a contribution, increasing the level limit by 1.
‘When the level limit is filled later, I should keep doing dungeon subjugation.’
As Seong Jihan planned for the future,
Brrrrr…!
Yoon Sejin’s ring vibrated again, attracting attention.
The ring then turned completely purple.
“Seah, try it like last time.”
“Okay!”
As Yoon Seah summoned the Void Arrow again,
The ring and arrow resonated, and purple light spread in all directions.
And…
Uuuuh…
The view before them started to change completely.
* * *
‘Is this… an illusion?’
The world, now immersed in purple, had completely changed.
Seong Jihan soon realized this was a type of illusion.
As if being possessed,
Seong Jihan could only observe, while the entity with whom he shared vision moved independently.
‘It’s easy to break the illusion but…’
He could return to the real world if he wanted to, even now.
The clue to find Jiah for Seong Jihan meant maintaining the possessed state for now.
If anything seems off, I’ll just drop out immediately.
‘But here… is it a hospital?’
The scene he observed through the possessed subject was similar to a large hospital room.
‘But… it feels familiar.’
Seong Jihan was seized by a strange sense of déjà vu while looking at the hospital room.
I feel like I’ve been here before.
Then…
“Uh…”
A familiar voice flowed from the mouth of the possessed subject.
And someone suddenly popped their face next to him.
“Seah, are you okay?!”
‘…It’s me?’
Seong Jihan with deep dark circles and a haggard face unlike now.
He looked at the possessed subject with an extremely worried face.
Seong Jihan knew where this was when he saw that face.
‘…The hospital where Seah attempted suicide.’
The hospital where Yoon Seah attempted suicide after the attack from the Sword King fanclub.
In the previous life, it was a place filled with memories that tormented Seong Jihan the most.
“Uncle…”
“Yeah.”
“…Could you please bring a mirror?”
“…Sure.”
The hand mirror shown by Seong Jihan revealed a face tightly wrapped in bandages.
“Will it….. recover?”
“Don’t worry. I’m diligently looking for a capable support. I’ll turn you back to your old face.”
“I don’t think there’s anyone who can heal me….”
“Money can solve anything. Seah, don’t worry, Uncle hit the jackpot.”
“You always say you hit big…”
Pfft.
When Yoon Seah let out a disappointed laugh, the vibration spread from Seong Jihan’s pants pocket.
“Ah, Seah, I’ll be back in a sec.”
“Yeah, go do your work…”
Seong Jihan, having apparently answered a call, hurriedly left the room.
Yoon Seah watched him leave the room and sighed softly, then got up.
‘Ah, could it be…that time…’
Seong Jihan felt a sinking feeling as he watched this series of events.
It was the time when he received an urgent call about a loan and rushed out.
The most regretful moment from his previous life.
Could it be… this is seen from Yoon Seah’s perspective?
Why would this… in the void…
Then
“Ha, did you think I would die like this?”
Yoon Seah bit her lip as she looked at herself in the mirror.
Despite being terrorized and having her face torn apart…
“I’ll succeed somehow.”
Her will was unwavering.
‘…What… So the suicide doesn’t happen here?’
Yeah. In a way, this seemed normal.
Yoon Seah’s determination was never weak.
While Seong Jihan watched the illusion…
“You can’t do that.”
Hissss…
A vague Korean voice was heard from behind Yoon Seah.
“You must die here.”
***
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