Chapter 43: The Pendant’s True Owner

Yuheero lifted Park Junsu and set him down on a piece of protruding ground. His body hung limp, as if unconscious. They were too far away to check his condition properly.

“……”

After a long while, Park Junsu’s body twitched. He curled in on himself, then slowly lifted his trembling head—like a terrified, lowest-rank creature at the bottom of the food chain. Everyone who had watched what happened to him fell silent.

Meanwhile, Yoo Hobin was still wrestling with the flames. More than half his hair had burned away, and his skin was blistered and warped red. The stubborn fire finally went out on the crown of his head.

“You f*cking bastard!”

Yoo Hobin screamed, eyes bloodshot. But Park Junsu just stared blankly around, still unable to gather his senses. He didn’t even know whether he was in a monster’s lair or a safe zone.

A massive rock suddenly crashed down toward the patch of ground where Park Junsu lay.

“H-huh… AAAAH!”

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Yoo Hobin hurled one boulder after another. Each time Yuheero tried to retrieve Park Junsu with his ability and relocate him to safer ground, Yoo Hobin interfered again.

“What the hell is that lunatic doing?!”

Finally, Lee Hyerin exploded. The dungeon echoed endlessly with concussive booms. At this point, she had no choice. She detonated an explosion near Yoo Hobin as a warning.

If she didn’t, this would never end. She knew he had anger-management issues—but this level of irrationality was far worse than expected.

Yet Yoo Hobin still didn’t stop. He seemed fixated on killing Park Junsu. Even he probably didn’t know how the murderous intent he first had toward Yuheero had shifted onto someone else.

Yuheero hesitated. If he just let Park Junsu die, this nightmare could end quickly. Afterward, he could take care of Yoo Hobin himself.

But Yoo Hobin’s madness exceeded all reason. Furious that things weren’t going his way, he began shaking the ground under the others instead.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

A piercing scream echoed.

Rumble!

The ground beneath the four standing together collapsed in an instant.

Fwip!

Yuheero quickly grabbed them mid-fall. His shadows split into multiple strands, dispersing his strength.

Even Yuheero couldn’t use his ability infinitely. One slip, and his powers could run rampant. He pressed his fingers into his temples to focus.

Should I kill him? At this point, wouldn’t my brother say it’s fine? Maybe if I disguise it as an accident…

Dark thoughts crackled like sparks in Yuheero’s mind.

Boom!

Even the ground beneath Lee Hyerin and Shin Yoonjae collapsed.

“You bastard! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”

Lee Hyerin’s roar shook the dungeon. Yuheero caught the falling two as well. Now, all seven of them dangled from his shadow.

His patience had finally run dry.

Yoo Hobin laughed loudly, delighted by the sight.

Now it was time to use the enormous hole beneath Yuheero. All he needed to do was drop a tiny pebble inside. That alone would provoke the monster within. The rest, the monster would handle.

“Looks good, doesn’t it?”

Arms spread wide, Yoo Hobin taunted him. Yuheero had far too many lives clinging to him. Yoo Hobin had none to protect.

“As your senior in life, let me give you some advice.”

He stretched out the moment with maddening composure.

“A hunter’s job isn’t saving people. It’s killing monsters.”

He pulled up a huge moss-covered boulder from the underground waters. Water dripped down from it as it hovered over Yuheero’s head.

Screeeeeee!

The hungry monster’s cry echoed from below.

CRASH!

The boulder dropped like divine judgment.

Boom!

At the same time, the ground beneath Yoo Hobin collapsed with an explosion.

“You think I can’t use my powers just because I’m hanging here, dumbass.”

It was Lee Hyerin. Yoo Hobin clung desperately to the crumbling wall. Yuheero also quickly shifted to the wall, keeping balance despite holding everyone.

His shadows now supported not only seven people—but himself as well. Lee Hyerin, noticing the shadows weakening, shouted:

“That thing—use it! The shield! Sung Jiwoo said he put a protective shield inside your pendant!”

Goo Mina shook her head.

“He said it only activates when the wearer’s life is in danger. Right now, it’s… unclear.”

“Jesus—why is Sung Jiwoo only picky and delicate about useless shit like this?! If this isn’t life-threatening, what is?!”

Their shouting reached Yoo Hobin clearly. And then—

The pendant around Yuheero’s neck snapped off.

Tap.

If it’s Sung Jiwoo’s ability, jackpot. Thanks, dumbass.

Grinning, Yoo Hobin snatched the pendant. Having spent two years with Sung Jiwoo, he knew exactly what its shield could do.

He rolled a tiny pebble into the hole.

Tap. Roll…

Dinner time, monster.

A faint sound echoed—and Yoo Hobin dove into the water. He needed to force himself into danger to trigger the shield.

“…What?”

But the pendant didn’t activate.

He shook it. Clutched it. Screamed Sung Jiwoo’s name.

Nothing happened.

What the hell?! Why isn’t it working?!

Something was wrong. Realizing it too late, he tried to swim upward.

At that moment, the provoked mole-monster crawled out of the hole. The collapsing ground dragged Yuheero with it; without a surface to cast onto, his shadows lost their strength.

“Uh—?”

“AAAHHH!”

“Help us!”

They fell.

Splash!

The others hit the water first. Moments later, Yuheero plunged in too.

Yoo Hobin clutched the pendant desperately, glaring at the embedded ability stone.

I’m dying! It should activate now! Did Sung Jiwoo give me a defective one?!

Then—

A brilliant light burst out of the stone, granting someone’s wish.

Finally.

Blinding brilliance illuminated the water. Yoo Hobin shut his eyes in relief.

“Holy shit—I’m saved!”

But the one saved…

…was not him.

Someone else swore in bliss.

All eight people sinking underwater were now gathered inside a round, glowing shield.

“What? Why? Didn’t that bastard steal your pendant?”

“…He did.”

Yuheero’s voice was sharp and heavy.

Through the shield, they watched Yoo Hobin flail, clutching his throat. Bubbles poured from his mouth—he looked moments away from drowning.

“Serves you right.”

Someone threw his own words back at him.

Three Years Earlier

Sung Jiwoo was creating his first artifact during an internship. Cam Jooan had offered to embed an ability into a pendant, and Jiwoo thought for a long moment before speaking.

“I’ll put a shield in it. Can the activation condition be customized?”

“Of course! Just tell me.”

“Then… please make it trigger when the wearer’s life is in danger.”

“All right, it’s done.”

Just as Cam Jooan was about to hand it over, Jiwoo grabbed his arm. A worry had been nagging at him.

“Umm… can the target also be designated?”

Cam nodded. But then added:

“It’s possible if it’s someone I personally know. Should I set it to you?”

“No, not me. But… is it impossible to designate someone you don’t know?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Aah…”

Jiwoo sighed in disappointment. He wasn’t going to demand the impossible. Seeing his expression, Cam Jooan thought for a moment, then suggested:

“But we can add a different condition.”

“What kind of condition?”

“For example… automatically designate the first person who wears the artifact.”

That wasn’t bad.

Jiwoo nodded immediately.

“Yes, please do that.”

“Okay.”

Splash!

A massive monster plunged into the water. Everyone huddled instinctively closer to Yuheero despite the shield protecting them.

The mole-creature had glowing red eyes and a turquoise monster core embedded in its forehead—beautiful and out of place atop its vicious fangs. It twitched its long snout as it searched the water.

Then it spotted Yoo Hobin, separated from the group.

Its jaws opened wide.