Chapter 138: Snake and Maze

It was an unbelievable sight.

A massive green vine had wrapped around the tilted cruise ship.

Somehow, the Han River water surged right beside it but did not invade the ship.

On the deck, additionally discovered explosives lay scattered with holes punched clean through them.

Jin Seong-ha carried out two or three patients at a time and handed them over to the first-arriving rescue team.

Ion was nowhere to be seen.

After briefly standing dazed, Ma Seo-jin quickly urged the rescue members and flew into the ship.

Rumble—

Soon after everyone was evacuated from the cruise ship, the vine plant vanished, and the ship began sinking rapidly.

“Wow… that’s incredible…. If it had been just us, there would’ve been tons of deaths by now.”

“Hmph, guess even they couldn’t manage to salvage the ship.”

“Squad leader… why are you so negative. This alone is amazing. Admit it, come on.”

It was amazing, which was exactly why he couldn’t admit it.

Thinking about how many more lives could have been saved with such miraculous abilities until now made any desire to praise disappear.

As the team members handled the aftermath, Jin Seong-ha and Ion landed on the ground.

Ion had his face covered with a hat, glasses, and mask.

Jin Seong-ha blocked people’s gazes with his broad back.

“Are you okay? It looked like you overdid it.”

“This much… is fine.”

‘Overdid it?’

Ma Seo-jin’s ears perked up.

The replying voice certainly lacked strength.

Ma Seo-jin stared blankly at Ion rubbing his face into the potted plant.

“It’s okay. Let’s go thank the hunters.”

At that moment, a child and mother wrapped in blankets passed Ma Seo-jin and approached the two.

“Um… oppa, ajusshi. Thank you…….”

The child and mother each tightly grasped Jin Seong-ha’s and Ion’s hands once while expressing gratitude.

Jin Seong-ha and Ion patted the child’s head, readjusted the blanket, responded kindly, and sent them off.

“Danju, who was oppa and who was ajusshi?”

“Don’t even say that.”

Ppururung….

“Why is Ppuru scared?”

“Ppuru never gets scared in front of monsters, but it shrinks like that when facing civilians like just now. It has memories of being heavily criticized… We rarely get chances to interact with civilians, so it’s not used to it.”

“Fair enough.”

Ion clenched and unclenched the hand the child had tightly held.

“The vines seemed a bit flustered earlier too. They’ve always been used only to threaten or kill something… so they looked at me like, are we really saving people right now?”

“…Do vines even have emotions?”

“Of course. It’s a slightly introverted and cute kid.”

“Hm, the vines are living plants? I thought they were just… something made with magic.”

“Are you seriously trying to pick a fight with me right now?”

Listening to the conversation, Ma Seo-jin thought.

The purpose of the mandatory hunter life-saving duty was this.

Hunters need contact with people.

Just as soldiers who experience countless deaths on the battlefield eventually become desensitized and pull the trigger without feeling.

If they only continue slaughter endlessly, they easily forget what they are fighting for.

The ultimate goal is saving people—so there’s a need to constantly remind them of that.

Ma Seo-jin still couldn’t empathize.

‘How would thrill-addicted psychopaths improve just from facing civilians a few days out of the year. It’s something they don’t even want in the first place.’

But.

They don’t watch dramas or movies, don’t listen to songs, can’t even travel on vacation, and get awkward receiving thanks from civilians.

If he still insisted the life-saving duty was useless after seeing this, wouldn’t he himself be the psychopath?

At least the final farewell could be with kind words.

“……Hey. You two.”

Ma Seo-jin approached them.

“……!”

Seeing Ion flinch with shaking pupils made him want to just turn back… but Ma Seo-jin finished what he intended to say anyway.

“Today’s the last day, huh.”

Ma Seo-jin, who had been grumpy the whole time, spoke sullenly while staring into empty space.

“Hope we never have to see each other again. Good work today. Though I didn’t need your help. I’ll cheer for you.”

He poured out praise and criticism at once.

Jin Seong-ha extended his hand.

“Team Leader Ma, thanks to you all saving civilians on Earth, we can enter dungeons with peace of mind. Our families and friends are all on Earth too. Please take care of things going forward.”

“…….”

Ma Seo-jin’s face flushed slightly as he shook hands and turned away.

Ion muttered while taking back Sanse that had been hidden behind Jin Seong-ha’s back.

“Why’s that guy like that? He kept picking fights.”

“Who knows.”

Jin Seong-ha chuckled.

He raised a pot-lid-sized hand as if to pat Ion’s head again, so Ion quickly dodged.

“Try patting me one more time. I’ll pull out the vines and cut that hand off right away.”

“Sharp.”

“I’m heading out now too.”

“Yeah. Good work. See you tomorrow.”

As tiring as it was, he had to meet Jin Seong-ha again tomorrow.

They were scheduled to fly to Canada on the Horizon private jet.

Time passed quickly, and somehow… the Idea connection dungeon was now the day after tomorrow.

[Monity Dungeon Measurement System

Dungeon Rank: S

Gate Creation Date: 1 hour ago

Expected Surge: After 31 days 23 hours

Clear Method: Unknown

Attribute: Illusion

Entry Personnel: 13

※Modification 1 time (Horizon)

Durability 92/100

Remaining Entries 4/5]

The description of the Idea connection dungeon that appeared in Canada was like this.

Gate stone over 17m, appearing monsters are giants, unknown clear method with illusion attribute.

‘It’ll be tricky. Still….’

Ion wasn’t worried at all.

“They’ve probably already entered over there.”

With the munchkin Jin Seong-ha beside him.

“Finally getting to see Sara Harundas. I’m excited.”

And the reliable Sa-on joining as an ally.

“Encounter with aliens. The last one left a bitter aftertaste. This one’s pretty exciting.”

Plus Elliot Middlerner was there too.

Originally, Elliot wasn’t supposed to join, but upon hearing it was an Idea connection dungeon, curiosity sparked, and he contacted them first saying he’d come along.

A top Canadian guild expedition team would enter together too.

All byproducts obtained by the Earth team would go to Canada.

They demanded that concession for entering another country’s S-rank dungeon.

Since national borders would soon lose meaning anyway, the condition was gladly accepted.

“If everyone’s ready, let’s enter. Ah, Danju. If you have any warnings before entry, say them.”

Elliot looked at Ion and spoke.

Ion was briefly flustered why he was being asked for warnings but calmly explained.

“With illusion attribute and ‘clear method unknown,’ it’s highly likely a maze terrain. If we get separated, the byproduct collection team should stay in place without moving. And when meeting Idea people, please don’t show hostility. That’s all.”

In truth, no hunters would act hostile.

The Canadian hunters were all extremely tense, but excitement they couldn’t hide showed on their faces.

Anticipation about meeting otherworlders they’d only heard of.

Ion entered the gate after Elliot and Jin Seong-ha.

The sensation passing through the gate felt different from usual.

Only the very sensitive would notice, but it was stickier, perhaps.

Upon entering, the visible sight was a narrow passage.

Sky-high concrete walls rose on both sides.

So high the ends weren’t visible.

“Maze terrain, huh. As expected, our On-on is always spot on.”

Sa-on was right behind Ion.

No one else was visible.

Ion had ended up alone with Sa-on in the maze-form illusion attribute dungeon.

The two knew there was no escape method other than properly navigating the maze.

But they tried anyway.

Flying high with flight magic caused both walls to rise even higher simultaneously.

Trying to destroy the walls left not a single scratch, and digging underground was impossible too.

“No choice. As expected, isn’t the true flavor of a maze wandering through it yourself? Our youngest, it’s been a while since a date with just hyung—how do you feel?”

“Have you been in maze terrain before?”

“First time in real life. Illusion attribute is rare, you know. You, On-on?”

“Me neither.”

“Don’t worry. Just follow hyung… ah.”

Sa-on’s gaze turned above Ion’s head.

“A marker appeared.”

Jin Seong-ha had used a tracking item.

Same as the one used in the last connection dungeon, made by Horizon.

This time upgraded—it could mark everyone who entered the dungeon.

Soon a coordinate radar window popped up, and Sa-on looked into empty space and spoke.

“We’re scattered far. Wow, this person over here is even alone. Must be scary. Hyung’s lucky to be with our reliable youngest.”

‘Just tell me where Jin Seong-ha is.’

Others appeared as red triangles, only the item owner Jin Seong-ha as blue.

Ion kept his mouth shut and waited quietly.

“Look at this. Jin Seong-ha’s group has eleven people. Protagonist buff? They might’ve already met the Idea guys.”

Ion observed Sa-on’s eyes.

It seemed quite far.

“Shall we go now. Left, right?”

“Right.”

“I wanted left, but hyung will yield. Let’s go right.”

The two moved along the right wall.

It would take time, but following one wall guaranteed escape from the maze.

Plus, the two had several ways to shorten the time.

Sa-on summoned eight snakes.

Hiss.

Hiss.

Shhh.

Various snakes from pythons to threadsnakes scattered into the maze.

“You have nine snakes.”

“You’re nitpicking that? One’s for emergency.”

Sa-on grinned sleazily and draped an arm over Ion’s shoulder.

Ion could extend vines to easily find dead ends and open paths too, but decided to conserve mana.

Sa-on’s snakes alone would be enough to find the way.

Sa-on, who could share the snakes’ vision, guided them avoiding blocked paths.

It wasn’t an ordinary maze but a trap-type maze.

Walking along paths revealed treasure chests—the structure required passing the chest’s trial to open the next path.

From the chests came demons, poison fog, various obstacles—passing them opened the way.

According to the novel, some were duds, some automatic passes.

The two walked without rest for twenty hours.

The two treasure chests they encountered both released demons.

“On-on, let’s stop for today. Hyung’s legs hurt and I’m tired.”

Just as Ion was starting to tire, Sa-on suggested rest.

“Why are your legs hurting already? Don’t you train normally?”

“Guess so. Our On-on must still be training hard. Thinking of hyung, let’s nap a bit then move again.”

The maze sky was dim, no distinction between day and night, but by the clock brought from Earth, it was midday.

Deciding to rest, while Ion created a vine wall, Sa-on pulled all sorts of items from inventory.

Tent, hammock, lantern, burner, cooking tools.

Ion felt uneasy.

In dungeons, people usually just fill hunger roughly.

A full stomach hinders quick movement in emergencies.

Strangely, Special Team 1 always put full effort into meals.

“What… are we camping?”

“Hyung prepared hard to make kimchi jjigae for On-on. Il-on approved the taste, so look forward to it~”

All the orphans love kimchi jjigae.

The orphans’ staple was dried-up bread scraps, hard rice grains, wilted vegetables.

Kimchi jjigae was a rare special meal they couldn’t have anytime.

“You cook too?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Even have a Korean cuisine certificate. I can make doenjang jjigae or miyeokguk too. Impressive, right?”

Ion, who had never boiled anything but ramen in his life, was a bit surprised.

Suspicious the snake-like guy might serve poisoned kimchi jjigae, he watched the cooking.

Despite saying he was tired, Sa-on cooked energetically.

A moment later.

Steaming hot kimchi jjigae, with steam rising gently, was complete.