Chapter 113: Reunion (1)

“Ion!” “Dam Ion!”

The moment the mana-drain device was destroyed, Bran and Baba rushed in.

“Ugh… urk… heuk!”

Ion had held on without fainting until he reached the device. Everyone watching from outside had relaxed, thinking he was fine. But the instant he shattered the device, he vomited blood and collapsed.

“Damn it…”

Bran caught Ion’s convulsing body. He was drenched in cold sweat, eyes rolled back, and kept vomiting blood.

“Internal organ damage? Why the hell…”

“Ion-ssi… oh god… is he okay?”

Haidian hurried over and wiped Ion’s mouth with his sleeve.

“Dam Ion… what do we do? What now? Dam Ion, wake up. Don’t die.”

Baba sobbed, rubbing its face against Ion’s. Its gray fluff turned red.

“He’s not dead. He just fainted. You’re getting fur-staining his face, Baba-nim.”

Bran clicked his tongue and pushed the bat away. Baba clung to Bran’s wrist, wailing.

Haidian finished cleaning Ion’s face.

Bran hugged the still-shaking Ion and frowned.

Mana depletion… was it this fatal?

He’d never experienced it, so he didn’t know. To Bran, Ion just seemed weak to pain. It was such an obvious weakness—shouldn’t he build some resistance?

Shit. I should’ve gone in. I could’ve endured the stinging.

Ion’s body was smaller and lighter than he expected. Feeling the continuing tremors, Bran regretted even more that he hadn’t gone instead.

With Ion in this state, moving was impossible.

They quickly set up camp.

After making a cot in the tent, Bran carried Ion inside and scowled at how light he was.

He’s so light—why does that piss me off?

Haidian, true to form, even had recovery potions that were almost obsolete in an era full of healing awakeners. “They help with hangovers,” he said.

When the potion was poured between Ion’s cracked lips, the convulsions finally stopped.

Following Ion’s “last will,” they placed both Sansevieria pots at his bedside. Color slowly returned to Ion’s face.

“Dam Ion… I should’ve stopped you more. My fault. Don’t die.”

“I told you, he’s not dying.”

Baba, still crying on Ion’s chest, looked up at Bran with teary eyes.

“Bran. Am I really a great and special bat?”

“What?”

“Am I truly special? But I couldn’t do anything for Dam Ion. I’m useless. I’m a worthless, ordinary bat… I’m not great at all…”

“…After this is over, let’s go to my hideout. Once Baba-nim regains your memories, you’ll definitely get amazing abilities too.”

“…”

The little bat thought for a moment, then nodded while sniffling.

“Okay. I’ll go to the hideout. I’ll recover my memories. I’ll become a bat with powers. A bat that can help Dam Ion.”

Bran felt like he was tricking a child. Looking at Ion’s boyish, unconscious face made it worse.

But…

It’s not a lie. When you regain your memories, you’ll definitely get incredible powers back. You’re the descendant of the Demon King’s bat. A being of such dignity can’t possibly lack great abilities.

He repeated to himself.

That was when—

“AAH?!”

Haidian suddenly screamed, staring above Ion’s head.

“The red triangle is flashing…!”

“Hm? Does it detect abnormal status too?”

“Wait. The blue triangle is approaching at insane speed.”

Haidian hurriedly opened the system window, eyes widening.

“Didn’t you say the blue triangle is someone Ion knows? They must have noticed Ion’s abnormal status. This is good. They might know how to fix him. When will they arrive? Today? Tomorrow?”

“Ten…”

“Ten hours?”

“Nine…”

“…?”

“Eight… seven… six…”

Beep-beep.

Jin Seong-ha, in the middle of slicing off a monster’s horn, froze.

This alert sound…

The coordinate radar he had folded into the corner of his vision was blinking.

KRRRAAAK!

He crushed a scorpion monster lunging from behind with a swing of the Black Cloud-Cutting Sword, dodged the poison stingers of others, and opened the system window.

“…!”

The mark he had placed on Ion was flashing. Next to the red triangle, the words “Abnormal Status” floated.

Jin Seong-ha’s expression turned ice-cold. This wasn’t the time to waste on trash mobs.

“Everyone, fall back!”

At his shout, the hunters immediately stopped fighting and retreated without question.

[Skill <Inferno> Lv.3]

A skill he had been saving because the S-rank boss hadn’t appeared yet.

Flames erupted in a 10-meter radius around Jin Seong-ha.

Fire surged from the ground, burning everything except Jin Seong-ha, who had fire-demon resistance.

Monsters didn’t even have time to scream—just black ash remained.

“Jin Seong-ha Hunter, what’s going on?”

The battle ended in an instant, unlike the plan.

When Lee Jin-ah approached and asked, Jin Seong-ha silently showed her the system window. Her face hardened just like his.

“Abnormal status… something happened to Ion Hunter?”

At those words, every hunter’s ears perked up.

“What happened to Ion?”

“What did that little runt get himself into this time?”

“We should go right now, shouldn’t we?”

Hong In-soo, Bae Young-hwe, Shin Min-ji, and the rest of Special Team 1 quickly checked the window too.

“If it’s about On-on, should we take a look too?”

“…”

Two more hunters approached from behind the team. The team members stepped aside so they could see the radar.

After bidding on the Yangsan dungeon, Special Team 1 had hired two mercenaries.

Horizon aide Dam Da-on and D-NATE guild master Ason.

Many were shocked that Ason—of all people—had joined. Rumors of a D-NATE–Horizon merger even circulated, but most guesses were wrong.

A lot had happened on Earth while Ion was away.

The most significant: Jin Seong-ha had met the orphans.

He learned that Dam Da-on and Ason were orphans like Ion—children who had received Breeder’s “education.”

Jin Seong-ha contacted them first.

I want to know exactly what kind of education you received from Breeder. I’d also like to visit the orphanage.

Dam Da-on was troubled, but Ason accepted surprisingly readily.

Fine. Jin Seong-ha should know how much we suffered too. You share responsibility.

Jin Seong-ha heard about the abuse the orphans endured.

He learned that Breeder had treated Ion specially—and that Ion had suffered even harsher training and brainwashing than the others.

After that, they kept in touch. Just before the Yangsan dungeon appeared, Dam Da-on said,

I’ll join this dungeon too. I won’t be a burden in combat-wise.

You said you passed harsh training, so I trust your skill. But why? Isn’t your role to manipulate from the shadows?

…The scenario is already off the rails. …And this is the first dungeon where Haidian Heroi appears.

Haidian Heroi?

The character officially ranked #1 in the world for looks… Not exactly my type, but I’m curious.

Then Ason contacted him.

Real name “Sa-on,” but Jin Seong-ha kept calling him Ason.

I’m coming to the Yangsan dungeon too.

Reason?

My sister’s orders. She told me to enter an Idea-connected dungeon. …And I’m worried about On-on too.

Jin Seong-ha didn’t pretend to understand the orphans’ relationships and simply allowed both to join.

“If Ion is in abnormal status, it can only be mana depletion.”

“Our maknae overdid it again… There shouldn’t be anyone who can force On-on to overexert. So that’s why noona told me to come here.”

Jin Seong-ha grimaced.

He remembered Ion suffering in the Moniti dungeon, fainting, then waking up and acting strangely drunk.

Same desert environment.

Jin Seong-ha knew Ion was vulnerable in environments without plants.

“We’re going now. Anyone who can keep up, follow.”

Golden mana surged around Jin Seong-ha. Ppuru poked its round head out of his breast pocket.

Ppuru?

“Stay inside. The specially made combat suit will block air friction.”

Ppuru.

Jin Seong-ha pushed the little head back in with a finger.

Dam Da-on and Ason prepared to follow.

Lee Jin-ah had to command the team, and Hong In-soo, Bae Young-hwe, Shin Min-ji, etc., knew they couldn’t match Jin Seong-ha’s speed anyway. Hong In-soo especially bit his lip, seemingly frustrated with his own ability.

“HUP!”

Jin Seong-ha leapt with full power. Sand caved deeply beneath him.

He soared through the air, landed far away, then leapt again—creating deep craters in the sand.

Not flight—jumps.

But the distance and height were so extreme enough to look like flight.

THOOM!

When he arrived near the red triangle, Jin Seong-ha was alone.

Dam Da-on and Ason couldn’t keep up.

The marked location was in front of a tent. The tent’s design was unlike anything on Earth.

He sensed someone about to come out, but Jin Seong-ha didn’t wait—he strode forward and flung the flap open.

A tanned man with blond hair and black eyes.

A pale man with turquoise curly hair and blue eyes.

And in the back, on a cot—Ion.

After two months, Ion looked gaunt and unconscious. A familiar Sansevieria pot was at his bedside. Two of them—had he made plant friends in Idea?

“…!@%^&?”

The tanned man spoke warily in an unfamiliar language.

“Are you Ion’s companions?”

“%^@#.”

“%%?”

Language barrier.

Jin Seong-ha stayed on guard while sizing them up.

Both were stunningly handsome, exotic yet somehow familiar. Human-like.

If shown to random Earthlings, people would ask “Which country are you from?” not “Which planet?”

“You—are—Ion’s—companions?”

He pointed at them, then at collapsed Ion, then back at them.

But they didn’t understand the gesture.

Recalling Dam Da-on’s words about an incredibly beautiful Idea character, Jin Seong-ha pointed at the turquoise-haired man.

“Haidian Heroi?”

The turquoise-haired man’s eyes widened.

“^$#^^&%!”

“%^!&%.”

“!#—”

“—–”

They argued among themselves, unable to reach an agreement.

Jin Seong-ha had no intention of waiting for their conclusion. He needed to check on Ion.

He took one step forward.

The tanned man barked something sharp and stepped in front of Ion. Black aura began seeping from his entire body.

The turquoise-haired man drew a flail with a spiked ball attached.

“Too bad we can’t communicate.”

Both were clearly ready to attack.

Jin Seong-ha drew the Cloud-Cutting Sword.