The sensation of my heart sinking.
Jill looked at Yoo Jin, covered in blood, and her heart ached.
Huh…
She hurried over and wrapped herself in his arms, noticing his heartbeat was quite weak.
Jill wanted to hit Yoo Jin’s chest and yell at him, but…
The situation was too urgent for that.
That could wait until after the battle.
After everything was over.
She’d call him over and question him about why he got hurt again.
Jill made that promise to herself.
“I’m entering the dungeon.”
“…?!”
At Yoo Jin’s words, the three women grew greatly unsettled.
It wasn’t just because he said he was going into the dungeon.
His expression and momentum were unusual.
His eyes seemed resolute.
The three knew Yoo Jin so well that they understood what he was thinking.
“Why the dungeon? The situation outside is much more urgent, Yoo Jin!”
“The Undead Legion is still inside the dungeon, right?”
“Yeah… but there are too many of them, so we just gave up on conquering it. We lost the Great Demon…”
“The Undead Legion is the enemy’s energy source. We need to neutralize them to stop these things.”
“Ah…”
The four Great Spirits were advancing towards Elvenguard.
Pointing at them like a natural disaster, Yoo Jin spoke calmly.
We have to neutralize the Undead Legion.
With the Priestess’s magical energy depleted, destroying the endlessly reviving Undead Legion would be a daunting task.
But at least knowing there was a method made the faces of the three women brighten.
Yet only Transylvania couldn’t smile.
She already understood what Yoo Jin’s words implied.
“So, right now, we’re going into the dungeon—”
“No, Yerina. You all need to lead the civilians to safety and protect them from Luna’s attacks. I’m going in alone.”
“W-What… are you talking about? Yoo Jin, right now… if you go into the dungeon, the curse will, will activate…”
“…”
At Yulia’s point, Yoo Jin bit his lip for a moment.
Yulia was right.
And that curse was indeed Yoo Jin’s plan.
Realizing this in an instant, Yulia’s eyes widened.
“Ah, no! No! Yoo Jin, no…”
“I have to.”
“What do you mean? How can it be? What?”
“Yoo Jin is saying he’s going to freeze to death with the Undead Legion in the dungeon.”
“…!”
Yulia, tearing up, clutched the hem of Yoo Jin’s sleeve.
Frustrated by this, Transylvania stepped forward, and that was when Jill and Yerina’s eyes widened in understanding.
To exploit the curse created by their collective resentment and obsession…
That idea was staggering.
Yet they couldn’t understand why Yoo Jin would be willing to jump into death so readily.
Just a few hours earlier, hadn’t he confessed his love?
Hadn’t he promised to draw a future together?
So why, oh why, was he saying he would risk his life before her?
Though she understood it in her mind…
Her heart just wouldn’t accept it no matter how hard she tried.
“I’m not going to die. I just met with the God of the Underworld… ugh. I got a little power from some being. I’ll use that to capture Luna. When I enter the dungeon, the curse will activate and freeze the entire dungeon, including the Undead Legion. Once the Legion is frozen and their energy supply is cut off, Luna’s Transcendent Being will have no choice but to enter the dungeon to kill me. Then I’ll summon Luna with the power I received from that being.”
As he mentioned the God of the Underworld, Yoo Jin felt a sharp pain in his head for an instant.
He could say it, but it seemed like the God within him didn’t want him to, so he referred to him as that being instead.
In truth, even the mention of “summoning” wasn’t exactly accurate.
It would be hard for those who didn’t know that the God of the Underworld had descended into the current world to understand how a part of the God could capture Luna’s spirit and send it to the Underworld through a dimensional gap the God had opened.
“Then you’ll come out, right? You’ll come back?”
“Of course. If I was planning to die, I wouldn’t have confessed to you.”
Jill’s lips trembled.
Yoo Jin’s rough hand embraced her soft cheek.
With warmth, he held her close, but somehow she felt a chill.
The sensation of death.
It was the only explanation.
“If you take too long, you’ll freeze to death there. Are you sure Luna will come back to the dungeon immediately?”
“She’ll definitely come back. The Transcendent Being was made with all her power, so if the Undead Legion is neutralized, the Transcendent Being will become useless. She has no choice but to return.”
“Ugh… fine. I understand the logic. So shall we go in now?”
“What?”
“I’m saying let’s go in together. It might be hard for everyone else, but I have some resistance to the cold, so I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s been made via my resentment, right?”
“…”
Stretching out her arms, Yerina stepped in front of Yoo Jin, holding out her hand.
Yoo Jin was momentarily speechless.
How should I persuade her?
While he was pondering this, he ended up taking her hand.
“Right now, the people outside are in danger. They probably don’t know where to escape and are confused. We can’t protect them all as Elvenguard—”
“I don’t care! To me, you’re a hundred times more precious than all of that! Call me a heartless and cruel woman if you want! What scares me the most is the thought of you dying!”
“I won’t die, so don’t worry. The moment I step inside, all the Undead Legion will freeze. When Luna’s Transcendent Being returns, she’ll be weakened and I’ll easily summon her. If I die, it would be because I couldn’t escape from the cold in the dungeon… at that time, Yerina, come in and rescue me.”
“…!”
“It’s exactly 30 minutes. If the Great Spirits stop progressing and after waiting for 30 minutes without me coming out, come rescue me then.”
Until now, she had only thought that he had the look of someone ready to face death.
But upon looking more closely into his eyes, Yerina could see his desire to live shining through.
He truly wanted to survive.
Ironically, that’s why he was willing to risk his life and enter the dungeon.
To save the world.
To live with those he loved in a safe world.
Yet the situation forced him to step into the jaws of death.
Ugh… I understand…
Yerina nodded, unable to insist any further, biting her lip.
Now that she had confirmed Yoo Jin wasn’t giving up on life, she had no basis to stop him.
Crimson blood trickled down Yerina’s white chin.
Yoo Jin wiped the blood with his fingers, then kissed the bleeding corner of Yerina’s mouth.
Hmm…
Though it was sudden, it didn’t feel bad at all.
As Yerina, teary-eyed, continued to kiss him and their lips finally parted, her bleeding had surprisingly stopped.
“Yulia, I’m entrusting this sword to you.”
“Y-Yes?! W-Why a sword…?”
“It’s a special sword. It’s made from the magic of the Great Demon. It might help track down the escaped Great Demon if you study it.”
“N-No! I don’t want it! Just give it back when you, when you come out!”
“Please, don’t say that. I will return. I won’t die, so you can just give it back then. Okay?”
Ugh…
Yulia flailed her arms in refusal, but Yoo Jin forced the Magic Sword into her grasp.
If…
There was even a chance that Yoo Jin might die and not return.
The idea was nauseating.
It felt like she was asking him to die.
But Yoo Jin had already made his decision.
No amount of crying or pleading would change that.
Yulia had learned that harshly from her past mistakes, and thus could only accept the sword.
“I’ll come back.”
“Promise… keep your promise… please…”
Embracing Yulia,
Yoo Jin pressed his lips firmly against her forehead.
Yulia buried her face against his chest, weeping softly.
It was as if they both wanted to leave a mark on each other’s bodies.
At that moment, Jill, who had been silently watching, hesitated.
Yoo Jin, catching sight of this over Yulia’s shoulder, chuckled and approached Jill.
“Jill… can I speak honestly?”
“Go ahead.”
“I want to be with you, even if the world collapses. Even if you claim you can save it, I’d rather just watch it fall apart while holding your hand than be without you. But, is that too selfish… for a Priestess?”
Clutching the hem of her clothes, Jill sobbed tears like chicken droppings.
Not wanting to show her tearful face, she turned away.
Yoo Jin took another step forward, tightly embracing her fragile waist from behind.
Huh?!
“That’s only natural. I’d have done the same. We’re not extraordinary people. It’s unavoidable to want to evade the danger before our eyes and chase after the happiness right in front of us.”
“Yeah… I’m just a selfish woman blessed with an extraordinary talent…”
“I’m just a coward born with a lousy fate.”
“So…?”
“That’s why we have to go.”
Yoo Jin thought.
Jill and I are perfectly ordinary people.
Born with bizarre origins and fates.
Short-sighted, selfish, greedy—truly just common citizens.
Jill wore a mask to overcome it.
She made efforts to appear as a benevolent Priestess instead of the envious villain she felt inside.
Now it was Yoo Jin’s turn.
Living as a cowardly regressor always seeking shortcuts, but…
Today he had to be ready to face death.
For himself, and for his women.
“I’ll be back.”
“Yeah… I’ll wait…”
With his nose buried in Jill’s hair,
Yoo Jin took a deep breath and jumped in.
Transylvania, who had been standing back, loosened her crossed arms and approached Yoo Jin.
“Do you want to enter with me? If the murderer shows up, everyone will panic, so it won’t really help with leading people to safety.”
“You bastard… you’re saying you only care about your women while leaving me to freeze to death. I’ll only escort you inside.”
“Just joking. Let Jill and Yulia handle the escort. If I come back and they’re hurt, I’ll hold you accountable.”
“Understood. I can’t ignore a request from my last friend.”
Transylvania smiled, shaking Yoo Jin’s hand.
The two exchanged a peculiar glance, and at last, Yoo Jin released his hand and stood away from the four.
Just as he was about to turn around, he hesitated for a moment, looked back, and shouted:
“I’ve never regretted meeting you! Make sure you won’t regret meeting me either! I love you!”
With that statement,
Yoo Jin dashed toward the dungeon without waiting for a reply.
He wanted to hear their answers only after everything was over.
“…Why didn’t you ask me if I want to go in with you?”
Hurrying beside Yoo Jin, Mi Jeong asked.
Had he forgotten her altogether?
But at Yoo Jin’s reply, a hint of joy spread across her face.
“The places I go, you’re there, and where you go, I’m with you. Why? Don’t you want to enter?”
“…No. That, that makes sense.”
Like two sides of a coin.
That phrase perfectly described them.
They no longer needed to seek each other’s agreement.
.
.
.
[The monsters in the dungeon are strengthened by Priestess Jill’s blessing.]
[The monsters in the dungeon are imbued with weak toxins due to Witch Yulia’s curse.]
[The dungeon is engulfed in cold due to Frost Duchess Yerina’s resentment.]
“Just as I expected…”
Crack!
As I stepped in, frost instantly clung to my feet and began to freeze.
Suddenly, the air turned cold.
Puff!
Breath fogged up in the chill.
From now on, it’s a time attack.
Looking at Mi Jeong, we both nodded simultaneously and began racing quickly into the depths of the dungeon.
“Ignore the Undead Legion!”
“…Got it!”
As if waiting for us, the Undead Legion swarmed in, but it was futile.
The cold had already begun to engulf them, dulling their senses.
Without the cold, we wouldn’t have made it through this route, but dodging the slowly freezing Undead to reach the second basement floor was incredibly swift.
“My predictions were right.”
I could see the magic seeping away from the Undead toward the outside of the dungeon.
I felt the flow but couldn’t stop it.
Was it because my skills as a curse caster were too low?
No, even Gui Ho or Seo Gong wouldn’t be able to stop it.
Luna’s Transcendent Being was at the peak as a curse caster and necromancer.
Giving up on halting the flow of magic, I moved deeper inside.
Blocking the Undead in my path, I smashed them with my old sword.
The severed Undead pieces rattled as they tried to rejoin, but the cold prevented them from doing so, leaving them simply rolling about.
I navigated past thousands—no, perhaps tens of thousands—of moving Undead in what felt like slow motion, quickly reaching the final chamber, the location of the dungeon core.
“Hm?”
The state of the dungeon core looked strange.
It appeared to be an ordinary mana stone.
Even if the connection between the dungeon core and the outer world had been severed, this was Luna’s unique dungeon, so it should at least still be linked to her.
Then this must be…
“A ruse.”
Using my piercing magic, I scanned beneath the floor and found an empty space.
Breaking the floor with telekinesis revealed a vast area.
This below was the true dungeon.
The altar where Luna had conjured her Transcendent Being appeared.
“Has Belphegor already fled?”
The interior was empty.
Only the altar and the shining dungeon core were left sitting alone.
I could break the fake dungeon core above, but this one needed to be left as is.
The spells on me would only activate within the dungeon.
If the dungeon core was destroyed, this place would no longer be a dungeon, and the cold would vanish.
“Has the freezing ended?”
Just then, the clatter of the Undead that had been bustling above fell silent.
They must have completely frozen, standing still like statues.
With the Undead neutralized, their magic transmission must have also ceased, cutting off that flow.
Now, Luna’s Transcendent Being was just a mere can.
The Great Spirits would have also broken free from their brainwashing and halted their attacks.
Imagining Luna, who must now be flustered, I sat on the altar.
“Come, Luna. Now it’s your turn to attack.”
“…Grrrr.”
When attacking, this dungeon is truly a hellhole.
But when defending, there’s no place more secure.
I exhaled a frosty breath while hugging Mi Jeong, smiling.
