RE: Player again

297

[Chapter 095] [A Heart That Must Not Change (5)]

Conquering the 5th underground floor was quite difficult.

It was lucky that a field monster appeared, but unfortunately it was a monster that not only had resistance to physical attacks but also specialized in magic attacks.

Moreover, the location where the monster appeared was an isolated terrain surrounded by cliffs.

The monster guarding the crumbling Daeungjeon Hall there was waiting for those crossing over the narrow path.

Thanks to that, Ryu Yeon-hwa had no choice but to run ahead first and block the monster's attacks.

"Ugh... this time was a bit tough." "Noona, is your internal mana okay? Recover while drinking this at least."

"As expected, you're the only one who takes care of me!"

This time, Eun-ha and Chang-jin couldn't provide much help in the battle.

The monster with resistance to physical attacks didn't even pay attention to the two's attacks.

The two who couldn't use poison-type magic because the guy was made of gold had to deal with the monsters following it.

In the end, Yeon-hwa had to face off against the guy while checking from the front and Eun-a had to fire magic from the rear.

To think there's a type that Virulent Venom doesn't work on at all...

Meanwhile, Eun-ha who could only protect Eun-a had to realize the limitations of Virulent Venom.

That the deadly poison that causes sepsis doesn't work on monsters without blood flowing even if they're living beings.

Eun-ha who had never used poison-type magic in his previous life learned this fact for the first time now.

I should get a corrosion-type skill stone if I have the chance.

He could get that skill stone from the 8th tier Iron Man.

But he wouldn't be able to get the magic he wanted with an 8th tier principle.

Regrettably, it seemed there was no way to get it right away.

"Yeon-hwa noona, good work. Rest a bit while drinking this at least." "I'll drink it well."

Eun-ha who put away his thoughts handed the tumbler he was holding to Yeon-hwa.

She who was wiping her flowing sweat with a towel took a sip of the coffee milk he handed her.

Eun-ha also gulped down the coffee milk she left to recover mana.

"Um, Eun-ha, what about me...?"

"Aren't you fine hyung? You shouldn't have consumed internal mana since you just stuck next to our noona..."

"...Yeah, sorry..."

"Here, I brought one more."

As if he would only give to Yeon-hwa and Eun-a.

Eun-ha threw the tumbler he took out from his backpack to Chang-jin who was about to turn around dejectedly.

He had packed quite a lot of potions for dungeon conquest.

Rather, there were surprisingly few occasions to use potions so a lot were left.

"Thanks, I'll drink the potion well. But how about entering the Daeungjeon Hall now?" "Sounds good."

"Okay."

Academy students usually entered the desolate Daeungjeon Hall at the end of the dungeon and left traces that they conquered the dungeon.

On the other hand, they also took incense that academy officials regularly store in the Daeungjeon Hall as a memento.

Because the incense imbued with mana flowing in the Daeungjeon Hall transforms into an artifact with the effect of soothing the mind.

"Guys! Hurry over here! Let's take a picture before going in!"

Eun-a who climbed the stone steps of the Daeungjeon Hall first was waving her hand at the three.

Then Yeon-hwa and Chang-jin moved their feet towards her.

But Eun-ha stayed in place.

"Eun-ha! What are you doing not coming!?"

Even though Eun-a shouted from far away, Eun-ha didn't show any particular reaction other than lightly waving his hand.

Eun-ha who turned his body away from the party members walked towards the cliff.

It should be... down here?

One more step and he would fall into the darkness.

He who stood at the edge of the cliff soon looked down at his feet.

Darkness was deeply spread out with the bottom not visible.

An area impossible to grasp the structure even with a detection net.

That place could be said to be where the dungeon's principle doesn't reach.

A boundary world straddling between the dungeon and original world, neither dungeon nor original world.

If you fall there, neither life nor death could be guaranteed.

Though that was just outwardly.

"Noh─Eun─ha─!!"

Eun-a called from far away.

Eun-ha who waved his hand to respond that he was fine withdrew his detection net.

Who would know if I'm here?

Unless they were trying to die, there was no way someone would try to fall into the boundary world.

Even people thinking of dying wouldn't jump into the boundary world after reaching the deepest part of the dungeon with difficulty.

That's why the Player Academy red dungeon didn't try to explore below the cliff even though it was conquered long ago.

Even though there's a hidden piece down there.

"There's no way to explain either..."

Eun-ha sighed.

He couldn't tell the party members there's a hidden piece and he needs to fall down the cliff.

Because even he couldn't believe it.

Because he didn't have grounds to persuade the party members.

"Noona! I'll be right back!"

So he chose the path of jumping down alone.

Thinking if there's no grounds, he could just gloss over it while showing evidence.

Act first, report later.

"Eun-ha─!!"

Eun-a's shouting voice from far away quickly faded.

Eun-ha closed his eyes while feeling the sensation of falling.

Soon, the shock of leaving the dungeon's domain shook his entire body.

A sensation like his body and soul were separating.

Surely what he wanted would be waiting when he escaped this pain.

☆

"Eun-ha─!!"

Eun-ha was always like that.

He doesn't try to tell anything.

He thinks alone, decides alone.

He tries to shoulder everything alone.

Though she vaguely realized what he was thinking, she wanted him to tell her all the more because of that.

I'm fine.

I'm not a child anymore.

A lot of time had passed since she decided to become a Player.

Her powerless self who couldn't do anything and just waited for someone to save her no longer existed anywhere.

Now she had the power to save someone.

She gained the power to protect Eun-ha.

Yet her younger brother still treated her like a child.

While the truly young person was Eun-ha himself.

"Noh Eun-ha!!"

Eun-ha fell down the cliff.

Eun-a who rushed out as soon as she saw that shouted into the darkness where the bottom couldn't be seen.

But only echoing sounds rang out, with no answer coming back from down there.

She deployed her detection net but couldn't grasp the structure beyond the darkness.

She who clicked her tongue shortly gripped her stone tablet and tried to go down the cliff.

"Noh Eun-a! What are you trying to do too!"

"Eun-ha fell down there. I'll go down and bring him back, so you two wait here."

"Don't you know that's not the dungeon down there? If you fall there, you can never come back!"

"Then are you saying Eun-ha won't be able to come back? That can't be!"

"Noh Eun-a, listen to me."

Eun-a glared at Chang-jin who tried to stop her with a sharp gaze.

But he didn't care.

Chang-jin who usually only read Eun-a's mood and watched her spoke in a calm voice.

"You're too excited right now."

"How can I not be excited about this?"

A scolding tone.

She who knelt on the ground mumbled powerlessly.

It felt like tears would come out any moment.

Noh Eun-ha, you...

No matter how she thought about it, it was too much.

How could he suddenly jump down right in front of her?

Not only not saying anything, but trying to shoulder everything alone was so upsetting.

Don't you trust me?

If Eun-ha told her, she would believe him.

Even if it was a ridiculous story.

So she hoped and hoped for him.

That he wouldn't shoulder things alone.

That he wouldn't go forward alone.

"Don't worry too much. Surely Eun-ha didn't jump down to commit suicide?"

"Aren't your words too harsh?" "...Sorry..."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Eun-a raised her head sharply and snapped at Chang-jin.

The appearance he showed just now disappeared and Chang-jin apologized while avoiding her gaze.

"...I'll really get you for this..."

This time was too much.

Even if she endured and endured, she couldn't endure this time.

She decided to scold her younger brother who tried to shoulder things alone as he only grew more headstrong as time passed.

Don't try to shoulder everything alone.

Know that I'm here too.

"...Eun-ha wouldn't have jumped down thoughtlessly."

Yeon-hwa who had been silent for a while calmly opened her mouth.

But Eun-a who had been with her for years could tell.

That she was anxious.

She was worried too.

She who tried not to give her heart to anyone other than herself and Chang-jin was worrying like this.

Before they knew it, Eun-ha was taking a place in her heart.

Though she felt jealous, she also thought it couldn't be helped.

Because her younger brother was that lovable.

Really... Noh Eun-ha you jerk.

At the same time, a younger brother who makes her worry that much.

He was such a hateful brother.

Hateful, and just as lovable.

That's why Eun-a could tell.

That she would end up waiting again until Eun-ha tells her.

"Noh Eun-ha

you i***t! I told you to be at least half like Eun-ae!"

"...That's right, he's an idiot." "You guys... are you okay now?" "Does this look okay to you!?"

"Are your eyes just for decoration?"

"......"

Han Chang-jin who got severely scolded by them earnestly prayed for Eun-ha to return quickly.

☆

How long had he lost consciousness?

He opened his eyes hearing the sound of water droplets falling.

His head throbbed for a moment.

Probably the principle covering this place caused motion sickness.

"Ow, my head..."

He staggered trying to get up.

Eun-ha who placed his hand on his forehead and furrowed his brows stood still until strength returned.

Fortunately, his device was safe.

Black Thorn was at his left waist.

He who tapped the scabbard a couple times soon stepped onto the path surrounded by blue rock.

The ceiling was low and the path was narrow.

There was no need to get lost.

Because the path continued without any forks.

There are no monsters around.

On Tae-yang probably lost consciousness when he first fell too.

The reason he could survive intact must have been because there were no monsters.

This wasn't the boundary world.

Just something the dungeon was hiding.

That's why Eun-ha jumped down the cliff without hesitation.

If it was the boundary world, he wouldn't have jumped down.

On Tae-yang was really lucky.

The place he fell wasn't the boundary world, but rather where a hidden piece was hidden.

On Tae-yang who was known as the protagonist of the 31st class didn't like people with invisible status.

He wanted to abolish status.

Especially, he strongly opposed the discrimination between the 031st and 31st classes.

On Tae-yang was really a thorn in the side of 031st class students called the establishment in the academy.

So he was bullied a lot by 031st class students.

Not just the 031st, but he was harassed in all sorts of ways by 31st class students who followed them and students among the 31st class who had a chosen people mentality.

Nevertheless, he didn't yield.

That's why the students bullying him made plans to get rid of him by disguising it as an accident.

He really was amazing.

Because when he faced a crisis of death, it rather became an opportunity for growth.

Because when he was cornered, he was luckily saved by someone just in time.

If there's a god in this world.

Surely On Tae-yang must be a person blessed by god.

Because didn't die.

Death became the background for growth, and predicaments became opportunities for counterattacks.

Unlike himself.

Unlike for whom death became the background for despair, and predicaments became opportunities for powerlessness.

...Looks like I'm almost there.

Eun-ha who belonged to the same class year as On Tae-yang remembered very well what happened in his 1st year of high school academy.

That day when 1st year students went to explore the red dungeon located in the academy, On Tae-yang fell here from the deepest part of the dungeon.

The students doing party play with him pushed him while disguising it as an accident.

They must have thought On Tae-yang would die.

"...There's no more path. Then it should be somewhere around here..."

But On Tae-yang didn't die.

Because he didn't fall into the boundary world, but an area that hadn't been conquered yet.

On Tae-yang somehow escaped from here and denounced the students who pushed him.

That could be said to be the first death On Tae-yang faced.

After that, he experienced and survived several near-death crises.

"...Found it."

A cave surrounded by blue rock.

A wall where pure white light settled even there.

Right there, what Eun-ha was looking for was buried.

In the past, the Seokgayeorae seated statue enshrined in Jogyesa Temple's Daeungjeon Hall.

The Buddha statue that had been influenced by the red dungeon for a long time was keeping its place partially buried in the wall.

I'm telling you, On Tae-yang was really lucky.

To discover something like this in the world.

On Tae-yang's device.

The holy sword, Sword of National Salvation.

The Seokgayeorae seated statue that was one of the materials composing his holy sword in the previous life was now right in front of his eyes.