* * *
Would the “undying” status effect win?
Or would the Gate Horizon win?
He was curious, but testing it was nearly impossible.
For one, finding a liquefied wall was difficult.
No one knew when or where a dungeon’s wall would soften—not even precognitives or Alpha-N.
The system likely had its own criteria, but to humanity, it seemed completely random.
Thirty-six years had passed since the advent of the Fusion System.
A long time, yet the unknowns still outweighed what had been uncovered.
After eating a good amount of poisonous mushrooms, Seohwa sent a message to Kim Biyul.
[Sending message to Party Leader ‘Kim Biyul’]
📍 Found wild dungeon pine mushrooms! Sending coordinates .
🍄 Already eating them~ They’re sweet!
🍄 Come quick before I finish them all .
That would surely make them rush over.
Of course, what he found wasn’t pine mushrooms, but poisonous ones.
Seohwa put another one in his mouth, chewing lazily as he lay down.
His mind grew hazy, and a pleasant feeling washed over him.
‘Heh, hehe, hehehe…’
Soft laughter slipped out.
Messages from Kim Biyul poured in, but he ignored them.
Hallucinations began to unfold before his eyes.
“Hyung. Don’t you think Kang Yigeon, is kinda scary?”
This was from the first timeline.
They had been discussing Cho Wookwon’s TV appearance in the Guild Leader’s office when Kang Yigeon entered, had Seohwa sign something on his tablet, and left.
Cho Wookwon, who had stayed silent in his presence, let out a deep breath the moment the door closed.
“Mental-type hunters are usually gentle, but that hyung is different. It’s like he’s dripping with coldness, like you’d freeze just by getting close. He’s like a walking ice sculpture.”
“Oir vice Guild Leader is cold, sure. But if you look closely, he’s got a soft side. He even gave you chocolate just now when he handed over the tablet. Our little one should have something sweet.”
“That’s exactly what makes him scary.”
“Why?”
“I’ve never gotten anything from him when I was alone. But when I’m with you, he always hands me chocolates or candy.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. He’s trying to act like a kind hyung in front of you. The man with the title of ‘benevolent tyrant’ completely changes his attitude when you’re around. That’s kinda terrifying.”
“Don’t be scared. Just think it’s cute. One day, you’ll grow up and understand the plight of an ‘Eul’ trying to stay in the good graces of a ‘Gap.’”
“…Hyung, you’re only ten years older than me, but you act like you’re an old man.”
“‘Only’ ten years? Ten years is enough for the landscape to change. When you were in elementary school, I was already a Guild Leader. There’s an entire Pacific Ocean’s worth of experience between us.”
“Pacific Ocean, my ass. Stop looking at me like I’m a baby chick! If you keep this up, I’m not healing you anymore!”
His pouty face looked exactly like a chick puffing out its beak. Seohwa laughed and ruffled Cho Wookwon’s fluffy hair.
“Once you enter the maze… go straight at first. At the third fork, turn right… Keep going straight, and when you hit a dead end, turn left… Keep walking until you reach a crossroads… The first monster nest is… The eyes of the statue are a trap, and the hammer emblem is real… Hyung, are you writing this down?”
“Yeah, I got it all.”
“Good… If you find the right path, you’ll come across three monster nests… The last nest has a mana stone… Place that stone on the altar at the end of the maze… and the maze will disappear…”
“Understood. I won’t forget.”
“Hyung… please save the world…”
“Yeah. I will.”
“Is the Vice Guild Leader nearby…?”
“…I am here, Hunter Cho Wookwon.”
“Please protect the Guild Leader… Until the very end… For as long as possible… So he can return with as much knowledge as he can…”
“…I swear on my life, I will protect him.”
“Hyung must survive… So that in the next world, this dungeon can be…”
Cho Wookwon coughed—cough, cough—spitting out black blood.
It poured from his eyes, nose, ears—every opening of his body.
Seohwa gently covered Wookwon’s eyes with his hands, knowing they were burned beyond recognition.
“Wookwon, don’t worry anymore. You can rest now.”
“Uhh… mm…”
Even now, Cho Wookwon was like a child.
He often mumbled in his sleep, and even in his final moments, he left behind a similar murmur before he died.
He was nineteen. Still young.
Seohwa slowly laid Wookwon’s upper body on the ground.
His lower half was gone.
By the time they escaped the labyrinth, his legs had already begun to rot.
He had crawled out with just his arms, and by the time he had finished relaying the information about the maze, everything below his abdomen had decayed into nothing but oozing pus.
The memory was still vivid. Even after nearly eighteen years.
It felt too real to be just a hallucination from the poisonous mushrooms.
It was as if the Wookwon from the past was really there.
Even with only half his body remaining, he looked at Seohwa and spoke.
“I trusted you, but you failed… again and again. Hyung, how many times have you killed me?”
I’m sorry. I tried, but it wasn’t easy. I really am sorry.
He had died in Seohwa’s arms at nineteen. And then four more times after that.
Only in this timeline had the wretched cycle finally ended.
The Cho Wookwon of reality had grown into a fine young man at twenty-two.
An S-rank healer, respected by hunters.
A mercenary who sometimes flaunted his skills in front of others, bickering playfully with his closest comrades.
The fact that he was now scheming to harm his former Guild Leader with a flick of his knife—that was unexpected.
But this was good.
This was the world so many heroes had died dreaming of.
“Hey there, Hunter Kang Yigeon.”
“…Guild Leader.”
“That’s a pretty half-hearted greeting.”
“…”
“Oh? What’s with that icy look? A mere agent daring to glare at a Guild Leader? You’re making me want to abuse my power.”
His violet eyes swept over Seohwa from head to toe.
Once he confirmed there were no injuries, his hardened gaze softened just slightly.
“What brings you here?”
“Checking in on you. I heard you’re being treated for potion addiction. How could I not visit? After all, in the virtual world, our Northern Grand Duke and Southern Admiral were deeply entangled.”
“So you’re here for public relations.”
“A bit of friendship, a bit of business. Both, really. I’m sitting down.”
“…You would, even if I said no.”
Seohwa placed the fruit basket he was holding onto the table beside the bed.
“I picked the best bananas. They’re my absolute favorite fruit. The bigger and firmer, the better. So big that they’re hard to hold with one hand… Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to enjoy such a massive one often.”
“…”
“I wonder how big yours is, Hunter Kang Yigeon. I’m really curious.”
“If you’re just going to say things like that, leave.”
“Why did you have to get hurt? It’s upsetting.”
“…”
“The detox IV stings, doesn’t it? You have to get it twice a day, and every time, it’ll hurt and tingle. You’ll even get a fever.”
“…Have you ever been addicted, Guild Leader?”
“I got hooked on a strength-enhancing potion once. But I recovered in a day. Our guild has an alchemy prodigy that the government lacks. He’s young, but the best in the country. Probably the only alchemist who can cure potion addiction with another potion.”
“You mean Hunter Anis.”
“Bingo. If you’d joined our guild instead of becoming a government agent, Anis could’ve made you a detox potion right away. You wouldn’t have to be stuck here in bed. Such a shame.”
“…”
Kang Yigeon remained silent.
Seohwa pulled a small glass vial from his inventory.
“Here. Anis’ special detox potion. I got one for you.”
“…I can’t accept it.”
“I know. That’s why I’m leaving it here. In my lovingly prepared fruit basket.”
Seohwa placed the potion beside the banana and gave a playful wink.
“Thank you.”
Kang Yigeon didn’t refuse twice.
He had too much work to do.
He needed to recover quickly to complete his missions.
And Seohwa was just as busy.
He had cleared a rank-4 dungeon this morning and would be heading into a rank-5 dungeon tonight.
He stood from his chair and walked toward the door.
But as he was about to leave, he hesitated and turned back.
“Before I go, let me ask you one thing. Why didn’t you join our guild and become a government agent instead?”
“Why are you asking that all of a sudden…?”
“We’ve been trying to recruit you since you reached C-rank as a mercenary. Our offer was far better than anything else you could’ve gotten, but as soon as you hit A-rank, you chose the government instead. Why? If it was because you didn’t like me, there were plenty of other guilds besides ours. So why choose to be a mere civil servant? I just can’t figure it out.”
Kang Yigeon stared silently at Seohwa before finally answering.
* * *
