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And not too long later.

Yiwon wore an expression of intense despair at the entrance of a trail up Chung Gye Mountain instead of a fancy restaurant.

“Jiho’s a liar….”

“Let’s eat something good for dinner later.”

“Honey’s a conman….”

“Sure, sure.”

Yiwon’s lips jutted out in a pout, sulking. Jiho patted Yiwon’s back before taking the lead. Since he’s already been dragged here, Yiwon had no choice but to slowly follow Jiho up the trail. 

As it’s the weekend, there are a lot of people hiking up Chung Gye Mountain. Though Jiho and Yiwon’s light attire stood out amongst the crowd of hiking gear, not many people noticed them thanks to Yiwon’s skill. 

Now that Jiho has the leisure to hike slowly, complicated thoughts swirled.

Although most people stay on the trails, there has to be a couple that go off path. It seems unlikely to discover something new in a place with so many people….

Well, he might as well check it out since he’s here anyways. A fissure can’t be ignored.

Checking the location on the terminal along the way, they walked halfway up the trail before stepping off of it. 

Yiwon took the lead after that. While Jiho can clear the path just fine, Yiwon’s definitely better at this sort of thing. With his normally narrower stride, Jiho followed Yiwon without much difficulty by stepping on the footprints Yiwon left behind.

When Yiwon looked back and saw Jiho following him too well, he sighed. 

“I was going to carry you if you were tired.”

“This isn’t that difficult, alright?”

Jiho shot back. He walked a bit further before flinching.

“Hey, this….”

“Hm, it’s a barrier. And an extremely well-hidden one too.”

Naturally, if Jiho can sense it, Yiwon can too. An extremely elaborate barrier that stretches from one point of the mountain to the inside had been set up, and they were just about to cross through it.

“There really might be something in there.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It looks like the mana here weakened recently. This barrier was originally much stronger, so people would’ve naturally been repelled. The barrier should affect minds. This isn’t something a B-rank hunter can easily find, he got lucky.”

That’s because Park Geon Ho didn’t find it; he was led here by the cat…. Because the cat’s connected to the system, it shouldn’t have been hard for it to find a secret barrier. 

Instead of explaining, Jiho absorbed Yiwon’s explanation and tried to remember the feeling he received just now.

Not only is there a clear difference in their strengths, but Jiho also lacks a lot more experience than Yiwon. In order to close the gap between them, Jiho will have to put in a lot more effort.

After walking a bit more, they saw two silhouettes. 

The unwelcome guest with Park Geon Ho is…. none other than Seon Tae Woong. 

On top of that, the two are in an unusual situation. While Park Geon Ho looks like he’s trying to back away, Seon Tae Woong looks fierce, as if he’s about to grab Geon Ho’s collar at any second.

Jiho observed the gate the two people were blocking. If most gates hover in the air with a dirty color like unblended oil paint splattered on a canvas, this one….

Is unquestionably different, just from its appearance alone.

Unlike other gates, which are polygonal-shaped and large enough for a single person to fit through, this gate really looks like a door. Not just any door, but a huge one that you would typically see outside a palace. 

And the space beyond the door is pure white. Every once in a while, a mysterious gold light flickers between the white mana floating around.

As Jiho and Yiwon approached, Tae Woong, who sensed their movements, pulled back his dangerous momentum. Tae Woong’s expression lifted once he saw who arrived.

“Oh~ Shin Jiho.”

Tae Woong reached his arm out to wrap around Jiho’s shoulders as if they were close, but Yiwon grabbed Jiho by the wrist and yanked him away. Because it was so sudden, Jiho ended up planting his face straight into Yiwon’s chest. 

“Don’t touch him. How dare a suspicious bastard like you touch him?”

Tae Woong was angered by Yiwon’s cold warning.

“Hey, we agreed to be friends, okay?”

Yiwon looked down at Jiho as if he was reprimanding him. But Jiho’s never considered Tae Woong a friend…. Though he wouldn’t do much to curb Tae Woong’s enthusiasm if that’s what he thinks.

Seeing that Jiho didn’t show much of a reaction to what Tae Woong was saying, Yiwon tsked. 

“How can you be friends when you’re so old.”

“We’re only a year apart… Hey, why are your words short?”

“Yours are short too? And this is a personal setting anyways.”

“Brat, I say ‘friends,’ but I’m still older than you guys!”

Yiwon deliberately snorted at Tae Woong’s words. Behind them, Park Geon Ho also made a strange expression. It’s…definitely a little ridiculous to make such a big fuss about being one year older. Though there are other people like Seon Tae Woong who get worked up over that.

“That’s enough, Hunter Seon Tae Woong. Joo Yiwon, you too.”

Knowing it would never end like this, Jiho slipped out of Yiwon’s arms to stand in between the two. Jiho looked at Tae Woong before saying truthfully. 

“We’re here to go inside the gate. So it would be nice if Hunter Seon Tae Woong could go his separate way….”

Leave, please leave.

It seems Jiho’s desperate plea didn’t reach Seon Tae Woong as he scoffed. 

“I’m going to tell the association that you didn’t report a fissure right away.”

A simple, yet effective threat. Jiho, who was about to step towards the gate entrance, froze. Though Tae Woong had a mean expression, it didn’t look like he’s really going to tell the association. Still, Jiho can’t ignore that threat.

What should he do?

While Jiho was thinking, Yiwon whispered for everyone to hear.

“Should I kill him, Honey?”

Is he crazy? Yiwon looked straight into Tae Woong’s piercing glare with round eyes before chuckling as if he was in a good mood. 

“Don’t worry. Since it’s a mountain, I can kill him without leaving any evidence.”

“What I’m most worried about is that rude tone of yours….”

Seeing that Tae Woong was on the verge of exploding, Jiho sighed. Jiho raised the white flag before he could actually explode.

“Fine. Let’s go together.”

“Unlikely.”

Despite Jiho’s generosity, Tae Woong ruined the moment.

“I tried to go in too, okay? It’s blocked.”

“He is correct.”

Park Geon Ho, who was still until now, agreed and knocked on the gate’s white passageway. Normally, Geon Ho’s hand would’ve been sucked into the gate, but there was no change this time. 

“Ah, then should we just report it….”

But the energy he senses from it is definitely a gate’s. What could it be? It’s right to report it if he doesn’t have an answer, but for some reason, Jiho feels hesitant. Yiwon whispered to Jiho.

“Jiho-ya, you try knocking.”

“Me?

“Eung.”

“Sure, though I doubt there’d be any difference….”

As Jiho stepped forward, Yiwon grabbed Jiho’s hand. Yiwon interlocked their fingers and held Jiho’s hand tightly. 

Curious as to why, Jiho turned around, but Yiwon simply smiled. What’s with him? So awkward. Since it didn’t look like Yiwon was going to let go, Jiho stuck his other hand into the gate. 

As soon as he did that, it felt like someone grabbed his shoulder….

When Jiho opened his eyes, the scene had changed.

White sand lay at his feet. The sea was clear enough to see the floor and waves swayed gently. Cool wind blew through Jiho’s hair. 

Behind the beach is a forest. It was full of unique, unknown species of trees. The trunks and branches were as white as the foam on the beach, and the translucent leaves sparkled iridescently from the dungeon’s sunlight. 

What a strange space. 

He usually feels disgusted in other dungeons, but this dungeon makes him feel abnormally serene. 

“Honey, we were supposed to be on a date, but an annoying piece of luggage followed us in.”

Jiho, who was mesmerized by the scenery, was startled by Yiwon’s whisper. He suddenly realized that Yiwon and Tae Woong were standing next to him.  

“Ah, what about Hunter Park Geon Ho?”

“It looks like only the people who touched Jiho came in.”

Yiwon answered as if it wasn’t much of a question. Did Joo Yiwon know that they had to be touching to come in together? Jiho can’t be sure because this guy grabs him all the time….

“Why did Hunter Seon Tae Woong touch me?”

“Just in case? But why are you calling me Hunter Seon Tae Woong? Are you really going to be so stiff with our relationship?”

“…What is our relationship?”

Isn’t it strictly a business relationship? As Jiho drew a clear line between them, Tae Woong lost his words. Yiwon excitedly added on.

“That’s right, Jiho isn’t friends with ugly people.”

“My looks aren’t that bad!?”

“I’m the standard.”

Yiwon’s excessive confidence left Tae Woong silent. It looks like he can’t bring himself to say that his looks are better than Joo Yiwon’s. 

Jiho sighed and poked Yiwon’s side. 

“Stop saying weird things. I don’t look at faces. And Hunter Seon Tae Woong, I have no plans to speak casually with other hunters. However, if we get more comfortable, I can start calling you Hyu….”

“Shin Jiho, are you crazy?”

Before Jiho could even finish, Yiwon cut him off in horror.

“You might as well call me Hyung.”

“…Are you crazy?”

He’d much rather call Seon Tae Woong “Hyung” than Joo Yiwon. When they were much younger and immature, they once fought about Hyung and Dongsaeng over a difference of a couple of months. Though Jiho doesn’t want to start a fight like that again, he doesn’t want to call Yiwon “Hyung” either. 

“How sad would Ji Hyung-hyung be if he knew you were calling an outside man ‘Hyung’?”

“My brother isn’t that sensitive.”

Of course, Shin Ji Hyung does have a tendency to worship his family. But that’s not unusual; that’s just something that runs in the Shin family. 

“Let’s talk about this later. We should go first. Hunter Park Geon Ho might be waiting for us outside.”

“Go where?”

“…To the sea?”

They can see the horizon, but they can’t see where the sea ends. 

“Isn’t it better to start with the forest?”

Tae Woong asked in confusion. Rationally, of course it’s better to start with the forest. Since the sea moves, it’s not comfortable terrain.  

But for some strange reason, Jiho was certain. Although it’s only a gut feeling, it’s too strong for him to dismiss.

“Then Hunter Seon Tae Woong can look through the forest. I will start with the sea.”

“Ah, whatever. Let’s go to the sea together. Who else would follow you….”

“Aren’t you useless in the sea?”

“No!?”

Seon Tae Woong was furious at Yiwon’s heavy blow. But as a fire-user, naturally, Tae Woong wouldn’t be strong in the sea. Seeing that Tae Woong was angry that his weakness was poked, Jiho sighed.

“Let’s go all together.”

Yiwon’s right. Since the dungeon is a sea environment, even if a monster were to come out of the forest, there’s still a high chance it would be a water attribute. If so, since Seon Tae Woong wouldn’t be very helpful….

“You, what’s with that look on your face?”

With a sixth-sense rivaling that of an animal’s, Tae Woong glared at Jiho.

“Are you not coming?”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”

Jiho removed his shoes and took the lead. Gentle waves rolled in from the distant sea. Seawater warmed by the sun wrapped around his ankle. Going in a little further, the water under the surface felt cooler. 

A nice feeling.

This place is definitely different from the other dungeons he’s seen so far. Jiho walked in without hesitation.

“Hey, are you cra…!”

Even though he heard Tae Woong’s roar behind him, Jiho didn’t stop. He walked, and walked, until the water came up to his chest, and finally until his head was fully submerged underwater. 

“…”

Humans can’t breathe underwater. Yet not only could Jiho breathe, but he could open his eyes normally as well. 

Looking around, Jiho saw Yiwon smiling right behind him. While Jiho’s head was fully submerged, Yiwon’s head wasn’t. Seeing this, Jiho frowned and went deeper in. Yiwon followed and his head was finally fully submerged as well. 

Only when he saw the wrinkles on Jiho’s forehead disappear did Yiwon laugh. Even though they were underwater, the sound of Yiwon’s laugh was clear. 

“Maybe I should’ve shrunk my height.”

“…Shut up.”

He looks good tall. After scolding Yiwon, Jiho stood at the front.

“Ah, you brats…. You guys have no fear.”

Tae Woong grumbled. Seeing Jiho and Yiwon standing still, Tae Woong had followed them in panic before realizing he could breathe.

Now that they confirmed it’s safe to explore underwater, there’s no need to continue hesitating. Places with special phenomena should lead to a path.

The underwater landscape is as diverse as the land itself. Varying elevations of ground, coral beneath their feet, and even occasional pearl-bearing clams….

Jiho picked up a few pieces of coral and pearls. When Jiho, fascinated by their auspicious light, had checked their system windows, the system revealed that these were worth the time to collect them. Behind him, Tae Woong also began to pick them up. 

Seeing the two’s pace get noticeably slower, Yiwon, who had just been watching, also started to gather the coral and pearls. However, the difference in speed between them and Yiwon’s magic is like the difference between that of doing it by hand versus a machine.

“Ah, this greedy bastard.”

Yiwon ignored Tae Woong’s complaint and placed all of the coral and pearls in Jiho’s hands.

“Jiho can have it all.”

“Uh, uh….”

“If it weren’t for Jiho, I wouldn’t have been able to come here. And if Jiho hadn’t started gathering, I wouldn’t have started either. So you can have it.” 

Jiho ended up nodding at Yiwon’s consideration. Sure, it’s no big deal to accept something that someone as rich as Yiwon picked. Like Yiwon said, this isn’t a reckless display of gifts but just something they gathered while here together.

Feeling guilty at Yiwon’s words, Seon Tae Woong’s pupils shook. It looks like he’s wondering if he should offer the coral and pearls to Jiho too. 

“Hunter Seon Tae Woong can keep what you picked. This is enough for me.”

“Ah, really? Thanks.”

Jiho smiled benevolently at Tae Woong’s joy. Actually, thanks to the system, all of the coral and pearls Jiho picked are A-ranks. Tae Woong’s share, which has different ranks mixed in, isn’t worth anything to him. 

After filling his inventory with the items and walking a bit further. 

“I see something.”

“…A dragon palace?”

Like the one in legends, a dragon palace stood in the middle of the ocean floor. Sunlight streaming from above the water’s surface struck the roof made of clay tiles, sparkling like mother-of-pearl.

They were only able to admire the beauty of this work of art briefly. The tightly closed doors slowly opened to reveal a man walking out.

“Two Joo Yiwons!?”

Tae Woong shouted in terror. Like he said, the man who walked out looks similar to Yiwon. To be exact, he’s a bit younger than the current Yiwon. He’s slightly shorter, and his expression is more immature and innocent. He might be unfamiliar to Tae Woong, but Jiho knows that face very well.

It’s the high school Yiwon.

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LaZ Bird Corner

Tae Woong why are you lightbulbing yourself.

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