Severed Bonds and Desperate Flight
The stunned Lincoln team members couldn't react at all.
The second arrow lodged into Jeong Myeong-ho's thigh.
Kang Hyun-woo nocked another arrow, aiming straight at Jeong Myeong-ho as he broke away from his team. The third shot just grazed the captain's shoulder before slamming into the rear wall with a deafening roar and exploding.
"You bastard!"
Jeong Myeong-ho ground his teeth.
Kang Hyun-woo shot his captain a venomous glare before moving to stand beside the Mars team leader.
Kwon Joo-chan placed a hand on his shoulder and addressed the Lincoln team members.
"We'll extend the same opportunity to you. The doors of Jushin are wide open. We never overlook capable Raiders like yourselves. Change your minds and join us now, and not a single one of you will be denied a team leader position."
The Lincoln members exchanged glances but didn't budge.
"It's simple: die here in this relic, or get out alive and become a team leader. Not a hard choice, is it?"
Kwon Joo-chan pressed.
The second buffer, Na Ji-won, hesitated for a moment before dashing forward. His eyes blazed with fury at his captain, the red handprint from Jeong Myeong-ho still visible on his cheek.
The second tanker and main buffer were wavering too.
Jeong Myeong-ho focused on pressing acupoints near his shoulder and chest with his left hand to stem the bleeding. With no one stepping up to help, it was obvious what his team would choose.
Kim Jun was genuinely impressed by Kwon Joo-chan, Jushin's team leader.
He'd meticulously planned to shatter Brave's Lincoln team right here in the relic.
This wasn't about targeting just one person.
The situation had changed.
So the plan had to adapt.
Kim Jun scanned his surroundings, checking when the nearby mana vortex zone would activate.
Alright, let's do this.
Drawing the Cheonroegeom, he stepped forward and unfurled the Cheon Noe Byeok.
Bzzt, crackle.
The moment the powerful wall of sparks blocked their view, he hoisted Jeong Myeong-ho onto his back and bolted rearward.
He slipped through the Flame Vortex zone just before it activated, by the skin of his teeth.
The pursuers got tangled up dodging the erupting Flame Vortex.
Something hurtled toward them from behind at blinding speed.
Clang!
It collided with the Cheonroegeom—a wing from the Icarus Machine. It spun viciously, aiming for Jeong Myeong-ho's throat.
Beyond the raging Flame Vortex, Kwon Joo-chan glared daggers at them. He never imagined Kim Jun would ruin his perfect plan like this.
Kim Jun tossed Jeong Myeong-ho aside and unleashed the first form of Yeon Ga Shipil Geom: Yeon Yeop with the Cheonroegeom.
The thunder-charged blade sliced precisely into the center of the Icarus wing.
Boom!
The metal wing shattered into dozens of fragments.
Kim Jun flashed Kwon Joo-chan a broad grin before slinging Jeong Myeong-ho back over his shoulder and running again.
The route was already set.
Mars team's position blocked a return to the First Zone via the Second. For now, they'd head deeper toward the Third Zone vicinity, regroup, and figure out the next move.
"Where the hell are we going?"
Jeong Myeong-ho, still full of fight.
Abandoned by his team, he was no longer their leader. With the expedition in ruins, captain didn't fit either. He knew his position, but couldn't admit it.
Kim Jun didn't answer, just picked up speed.
"Can't you do it right?"
Bang Yun-a's eyes flashed with irritation.
Oh Yun-jin's Black Thorn had veered off, embedding in the wall beside a Spire's leg.
Black Thorn was a skill mainly for trash mobs, where perfect accuracy wasn't critical. But this reaction was ridiculous.
"Surprising. I expected more from Lincoln's main dealer."
Skyla's three silver icicles pierced the bellies of three spiders dead-on.
Oh Yun-jin was dumbfounded.
She wanted nothing more than to ditch Pink Team and return to Lincoln right then.
The captain's orders were the issue.
She acknowledged the need to keep Kim Jun close, but why her specifically?
Kang Hyun-woo or Na Ji-won could've sufficed. Why send the one who'd led Lincoln's organized training in the captain's absence to another team—Pink Team, no less?
Did I screw up somehow?
Is this punishment?
Her mind raced with possibilities.
"Left dodge."
Choi Muhyun called it.
Pink Team moved left before the words even finished.
Oh Yun-jin, unaccustomed to the rhythm, lagged half a beat—and her legs got snared in sticky spiderwebs.
The horde closed in with skittering clicks.
A blast of white frost exploded amid them, scattering the spiders.
Ice Blast!
Oh Yun-jin couldn't believe her eyes. An ice dealer from a third-rate guild casting magic this potent?
Choi Muhyun approached and sliced the webs with his pale hand. Even after all this time, the sight of that Medusa never failed to impress.
Worth of Choi Min-su's son.
When she'd first joined Pink Team on orders, demanding the leader spot—based on her level and experience—her new teammates' reaction had been... laughter.
Not sneers, but genuine guffaws.
The reporter-turned-Raider Skyla had pulled her aside.
"You're the rookie here. Level, experience—none of it matters in Pink Team. Start at the bottom. Or go back to Lincoln if you hate it."
She'd nearly lost it right there.
One slip, and she'd have killed a couple of those weaklings. Cause a scene in an official raid, and it'd mean a harsh investigation followed by Sea Prison.
After coming this far!
Oh Yun-jin swallowed her rage, opting to observe Pink Team and bide her time.
They were surprisingly strong.
Three members swapped out, yet their signature speed never faltered.
Above all, the team's composure without their leader was striking—like nothing had happened.
"Whew."
Choi Muhyun exhaled.
The spider swarm was finally wiped out. Legs twitching, the corpses piled up belly-up around them.
With Kim Jun gone, Choi Muhyun had temporarily taken command, alongside second tanker Do Jin-yong and buffer An Seong-ho—who was originally a tanker—finishing off stragglers.
"Ten-minute break."
Choi Muhyun announced.
Yeom Sang-taek and An Seong-ho sprinkled protective powder and set up a magic circle, letting the tankers relax.
No trace of worry creased the faces of those gulping water.
"You guys are way too chill."
Oh Yun-jin remarked.
"Chill? About what?"
Skyla shot back.
"Your team leader—you're not worried? You have no idea what's going on? If you knew why Jushin's Mars joined this expedition, you wouldn't be chatting so casually."
Silence fell.
All eyes turned to Oh Yun-jin.
"We know Mars is gunning for our leader. But it won't be easy."
Choi Muhyun said.
"This is Mars! From Jushin!"
Oh Yun-jin got heated without realizing.
"Yeah, Kim Jun probably can't beat Mars. But escaping? No one's stopping that guy."
Skyla replied calmly.
Oh Yun-jin was shocked that calling the leader "that guy" drew zero reaction from the team. It must be their norm.
Pink Team had no respect for hierarchy—the foundation of any organization was crumbling here.
Even more astonishing was their shared faith—not just Skyla's, but everyone's.
Absolute certainty that even Jushin's Mars couldn't take down Kim Jun.
Break over.
"Go!"
Choi Muhyun ordered.
Main buffer Yeom Sang-taek floated light orbs ahead, and Pink Team advanced slowly.
"Aaaargh!"
Every time Jeong Myeong-ho's dangling right arm brushed his body, excruciating pain clawed at his sanity.
His thigh felt like it was being seared over coals where the arrow had hit.
That bastard Kim Jun ignored his passenger's agony, barreling through mana vortex zones at breakneck speed.
It was razor-close.
The Lightning Vortex they'd just crossed erupted with massive sparks right after they cleared it.
Once could be luck.
More than that? Skill.
The shock briefly overrode Jeong Myeong-ho's agony. How did this guy know the activation timings so precisely? Like he'd mapped the place multiple times.
The air grew heavier.
Humidity spiked.
As they neared the end of the Second Zone, their pace slowed.
Kim Jun set Jeong Myeong-ho down in a recessed wall alcove.
"Ugh!"
His legs hitting the ground nearly drew a scream. He'd have looked pathetic in front of this ex-carrier if he hadn't clenched his jaw.
Kim Jun sat in front, raising the Cheonroegeom.
"Hey, what—don't tell me...?"
Kim Jun swung.
Jeong Myeong-ho instinctively turned away, bracing for pain in his chest or side—but felt nothing.
He realized too late.
Kim Jun had sliced open his core-reinforced leather pants to expose the arrow wound.
The skin around the entry was blackened.
Jeong Myeong-ho knew instantly.
Poison. Kang Hyun-woo, that fucker, had shot his own team leader with a poisoned arrow.
Kim Jun met his gaze.
The message in those eyes hit home.
"No, no, that's not it."
"Want to lose the leg?"
"......"
Words failed him.
"Bite this. It'll help."
Kim Jun offered a tough strip torn from the pants.
Glare fixed on him, Jeong Myeong-ho bit down and shut his eyes.
The blade's bite into his thigh was razor-sharp. He heard flesh parting, bone scraping. He thrashed, soaked in sweat, teeth grinding...
Crackle, bzzt.
Sparks from the Cheonroegeom cauterized the wound, filling the air with roasting meat.
Jeong Myeong-ho nearly laughed in exhaustion.
My body's burning, and I'm thinking of pork belly?
Then blackness took him.
He dreamed of fleeing thousands of monsters, plummeting off a cliff.
Just before smashing into rocks, he woke gasping.
Only ragged breaths echoed.
Where was this?
Warmth emanated nearby.
Groaning, he turned. A fire crackled, meat skewered and sizzling.
Moving his right arm and leg slightly whitened his vision... a scream escaped. Dizziness hit.
"Awake?"
Kim Jun emerged from the shadows.
Seeing him brought it all back—a reality as brutal as the nightmare.
Betrayed by his entire team.
Rescued by the lowly ex-carrier Raider they'd discarded.
Kim Jun tossed purple moss, gray mushrooms, dried snake skin into the fire.
A foul stench spread.
Jeong Myeong-ho checked his leg.
"Cut out as much as I could and cauterized it. Should hold till we get out."
Kim Jun said.
Jeong Myeong-ho almost laughed.
He'd entered this relic chasing a dungeon item for Five Star status. Now he prayed his limbs stayed intact just to escape.
Lose an arm or leg, and he'd never raid again. His Raider life shattered, reduced to a pitiful civilian existence.
Then a voice boomed.
"Kim Jun! It's over! Give up!"
Kwon Joo-chan.
Jeong Myeong-ho tried to rise, groaning.
Kim Jun helped him lean against the wall.
"Voice magic, amplified. Mana vortex zones surround us—safe here. No worries."
For reasons unknown, his words brought calm.