Chapter 14: Hahoe Mask

Hong Insu and Ion, two B-rank mercenaries, hadn’t exited the dungeon.

The gate hadn’t vanished, so they weren’t dead. The conclusion was clear: they lacked return stones.

Team Leader Lee Jina urgently informed Horizon.

Twenty-one and twenty—too young to die, though no age is right for it.

Lee Jina, Bae Younghoe, Shin Minji, and the others waited anxiously for the rescue team. After twenty minutes…

The gate disappeared.

Hearts sank.

Gates vanish in two cases: the gate stone is destroyed, creating an exit gate, or everyone inside dies, causing the gate to flicker out and reappear.

In those three seconds, every possibility raced through their minds. But in the gate’s place appeared two figures.

Facing the group’s stunned expressions, Ion spoke.

“For some reason, the gate stone’s size changed, and the rank dropped to something manageable, so we continued the raid.”

It was the excuse he’d prepared.

Others voiced skepticism, but Lee Jina was different.

She typed Ion’s account into her tablet, tapping away.

“So the gate stone’s size changed twice. I’ve heard rumors of such dungeons.”

“What? Those exist?” an A-rank Hunter asked.

“Dungeons that change rank?” another chimed in.

Even the A-ranks were surprised.

And then…

“Oh… I thought we were the first to encounter it. It was shocking. Only F-rank monsters appeared, which was a relief but strange,” Ion said with an innocent expression.

Hong Insu, beside him, flinched and stepped back.

“I’ve been an active Hunter, but this is new. Supervisor, explain,” Bae Younghoe urged, echoed by curious glances from the other A-ranks.

“You know dungeons are classified by rank and terrain,” Lee Jina began.

“Of course. Gate stone size and monster types determine rank, and the environment sets terrain score. D-NATE’s guildmasters devised that,” Bae Younghoe replied.

“Some experts add a category called ‘attribute.’”

“Attribute?”

“95% of dungeons are normal attribute—enter, fight monsters, destroy the gate stone, escape. But some require entirely different processes. For example…”

Lee Jina hesitated briefly before continuing.

“Time-attack dungeons with escape time limits, maze dungeons where terrain shifts, puzzle dungeons requiring problem-solving. These are collectively called ‘illusion attribute’ dungeons. Fewer than ten have been found worldwide.”

“Ten? Isn’t that classified? Should you tell us?” an A-rank asked.

“You’re now experiencers of an illusion dungeon. Few encounter them, so the Association may question you later. Cooperate then.”

“Got it,” Bae Younghoe said, though his face screamed confusion.

Hong Insu, equally baffled, raised his hand.

“But we fought monsters and destroyed the gate stone normally. The exit formed normally too. So it’s just a regular dungeon clear, right? You said illusion dungeons have different methods.”

“Recognizing it as an illusion dungeon is part of the process. If you don’t notice the deception and clear it, another gate stone appears. That’s the hallmark of illusion attribute dungeons.”

“Ugh, that’s complicated.”

“It sounds complex but is simple in practice. Like a game. For now, this will be recorded as an F-rank illusion dungeon. Don’t talk about it until the Association says otherwise.”

She didn’t ask for a nondisclosure agreement. They couldn’t keep it from the public forever.

“And about rewards… Never mind. We’re done here.”

Clearing a dungeon grants a “personal reward” upon returning to Earth. Non-awakened Ion received none, but Hong Insu’s inventory likely did.

Personal rewards often tied to private matters, so asking about them was taboo.

Lee Jina and the Horizon members left.

Bae Younghoe tossed a cryptic compliment: “Clearing an F-rank dungeon that fast with just two people? Impressive.”

Now, only Ion and Hong Insu remained. Hong Insu glanced nervously at Ion.

“Hey… you going? Don’t trust me? I won’t tell anyone your secret. I’ve always wanted to be a hidden-strength Hunter’s sidekick. Trust your sidekick!”

“…”

Ion was deliberating.

Should he go kill Hong Insu’s family now?

Hong Insu’s darkening was already delayed, so he couldn’t afford further delays.

Unaware of Ion’s thoughts, Hong Insu was cheerful.

“Why hide your strength? If I were S-rank, I’d be best buds with Jin Seongha, friends with Hati, make guildmasters beg for me, start an SNS for side income. Sounds awesome.”

He couldn’t know Ion was the one to kill his family, so they’d part now, and Ion would track him secretly.

As Ion opened his mouth to speak—

“But if you’re S-rank, your inventory’s huge. Why carry that Sansevieria pot?”

Ion froze.

“How’d you know it’s a Sansevieria?”

“Huh? It’s a Sansevieria, so I know. Common air-purifying plant. We have one at home. Mom loves it.”

“Your mom…”

“My mom’s a plant mom. Like how cat owners are called butlers—”

“Plant caretaker.”

“Right. She grows tons. She ran a salon, but after last year’s cataclysm, the building collapsed. Couldn’t find a new spot, so she closed it and brought all the salon’s plants home.”

“…”

“The house is cramped, and Dad said to toss some, but she called them family—‘How do you abandon family?’ Almost caused a fight. Mom won. She’s probably watering the Sansevieria now, humming.”

Ion looked at the Sansevieria in his arms.

Taking a caretaker from an innocent plant…

The world had priorities, but this felt too cruel.

“Hong Insu. If your mom dies, you’ll take good care of the kids, right?”

“Uh… I’d water them on time, but why the grim joke…?”

Hong Insu chuckled, recalling something amusing.

“But Mom won’t die easily. A few days ago, while I was in a dungeon, a burglar broke in. My sibling wasn’t home, but Mom and Dad were sleeping—nearly a disaster. Then some awakened showed up and saved them.”

“An awakened saved them?”

“Yeah. A Hunter in a tailored suit and Hahoe mask. Super cool, saved my parents, said, ‘You don’t need to die,’ and vanished. Crazy coincidence, right? If that Hahoe mask Hunter wasn’t passing by, who knows what would’ve happened.”

Ion’s spine chilled.

A Hunter in a tailored suit and Hahoe mask.

A description he’d never heard. Not in the novel.

Someone unknown saved characters meant to die.

Leaving a cryptic, “You don’t need to die.”

This wasn’t something to brush off.

“Mom said it’s because her son’s a Hunter saving people that we got that luck, so she’s thrilled.”

“Date, time, place.”

“Huh?”

“When and where did the Hahoe mask Hunter appear?”

Hong Insu, startled by Ion’s icy green eyes, recited:

“May 22, 11 p.m.”

Ion’s brow furrowed.

Hong Insu’s parents were saved by the Hahoe mask Hunter.

But what about his sibling?

Per the novel, they die in a dungeon overflow on May 29.

Would the Hahoe mask Hunter happen to pass by and save them too?

“…Hong Insu.”

“Y-Yeah?”

Ion hesitated, then spoke.

“Stay by your sibling’s side for now.”

“What?”

“Stay with your sibling.”

Hong Insu looked baffled.

Ion decided that was enough.

Ignoring Hong Insu’s wave and call to meet later, Ion turned away.

Who was the Hahoe mask Hunter? A coincidence? Then why the cryptic words?

Daon’s response:

• A concept freak. They always spew cryptic lines.

“…We need to investigate if it’s just a concept or not. They’re not in the novel.”

• Hmm, got it. I’ll look into it.

Typing sounds came through the phone.

• By the way, how was Hong Insu? His personality’s so different from what we knew, I threw him in for fun.

“Just a clueless guy.”

• Haha. What now? Gonna kill his family? Need their address?

“I’m not killing them. Leave them alone.”

• …Unexpected. Thought you’d rush to do it.

“I realized the Hahoe mask guy was right. His family doesn’t need to die.”

Hong Insu’s darkening leads to Choi Jungho’s death, triggering Jin Seongha’s fourth skill awakening.

So, instead of an innocent Sansevieria’s caretaker, only Choi Jungho needs to die.

• Fine, your call. I don’t care if characters meant to die live, as long as Jin Seongha’s hot. You ready to meet him?

“…”

Horizon would soon announce Jin Seongha’s team, with Ion’s name on it.

Top Hunters like Jin Seongha get the list early.

He’d see Ion’s photo and realize he’s the plant enthusiast.

• He’s looking for you hard. Poor Ji Pyeongseop’s losing hair from the pressure.

“…Let me know when you find anything on the Hahoe mask.”

• Sure. Get ready to face Jin Seongha.

Hanging up, Ion sighed, staring at the monitor displaying “HunterNet,” Korea’s largest awakened community.

“Hahoe mask Hunter”

“Hahoe mask concept freak”

“Hahoe mask awakened”

No relevant posts came up.

He’d leave the investigation to Daon.

With a dungeon to enter soon, Ion clicked “End PC Use” and stood.

Leaving the smoky PC bang, he shouldered his Sansevieria bag and walked off.

If Jin Seongha was angry, Ion could kneel as much as needed. For the protagonist, what wouldn’t he do?

Ion steeled himself.