What? Ferro? Static!
A voice that sounded like Han Ji-woo's, laced with faint noise from the crystal orb, leaked out.
"Whoa! It works!"
Seol Ara grabbed Ferrofero's shoulders and shook them excitedly.
"Wh-whoa, it's making me dizzy, sir! If there's anything you want to say now, I shall convey it for you, sir."
"Hmm... Ji-woo, hey. It's Ara."
"What? Ferrofero?"
Han Ji-woo shouted, looking around him. Soon, Ferrofero's voice came through again.
From now on, I shall serve as Lady Ara's messenger, sir! Ji-woo, hello, sir! It's me, Ara, sir!
"...Is that really Ara talking, you little shit?"
With the messenger role played in such a ridiculous way, it was hard to tell if Ferrofero was messing around or not.
I swear it is, sir! You must believe me, sir!
Come to think of it, Ferrofero had no reason to pull a stunt like this. If he did, it'd just prove he was a batshit crazy cat.
"You're relaying my words too?"
Master's words reach Lady Ara directly, sir!
"Got it."
Han Ji-woo nodded thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again.
"Hey, Ara."
Hey, Ji-woo. It's been so long, sir! You have no idea how much I've missed seeing you, sir!
"...".
This was impossible to focus on.
Can't do this. I gotta filter out that speech pattern myself.
Han Ji-woo activated his mental filter and continued the conversation.
"How've you been?"
The moment Ferrofero's voice came through, he ignored the "sir" and "ma'am" bits entirely.
Here? Or on Earth?
That made it way easier to listen to. Humans really could adapt to anything when pushed.
"Both."
Hmm... On Earth, I've been living my best. You gave me this new life, so I couldn't waste a single day. Before I knew it, all those dark times had faded, and I was living a pretty decent life.
Han Ji-woo trimmed Ferrofero's quirky speech and recalled Seol Ara's voice from the Dungeon Shop not long ago. Gradually, her voice overlaid Ferrofero's in his mind.
Nothing special, but I went to work like everyone else, saved money, made some normal relationships, and just lived day by day. That's what I always wanted, right? An ordinary life, just like anyone else's. That everyday normalcy was my deepest wish.
As Seol Ara spoke, Han Ji-woo remembered their past, smiling bitterly.
"Yeah, that's right. I was really worried when you dropped out of school and cut off contact all of a sudden... I'm glad you're okay."
Sorry. I should've kept in touch with you, at least. When I left Chuncheon, I wanted a completely fresh start. I wanted to leave my entire old life behind there. So... I deleted all my contacts. I regretted it so much.
Now it felt like he was talking face-to-face with Seol Ara.
"No need to apologize. I told you—repaying me means living well, loud and proud. Knowing you have been is enough."
He closed his eyes and pictured her face from memory. In his imagination, Seol Ara appeared as her high school self, youthful and smiling beautifully.
Yeah. I worked really hard to live well, if only to repay you.
"Good job."
But it's funny. I kept wanting to get back in touch with you, but I had no way. If I'd looked sooner, maybe, but after two years, it felt impossible.
"And yet we met again here."
Exactly. What are the odds?
I was shocked too when I realized you were in the dungeon. Amazed, really.
After that, the two chatted for a good while about all sorts of things. How they'd been living, how they'd survived after being kidnapped into the dungeon. Seol Ara expressed her joy and gratitude openly throughout, without holding back. Inevitably, her mind drifted back to when they first met.
The afternoon she climbed to the high school rooftop. The sky was mockingly clear and blue, as if laughing at Seol Ara's torn clothes and bruised body. She pulled out the suicide note she'd rewritten at home several times. Ten pages crammed into an envelope. She set it by her shoes and climbed the railing.
Now it'll all be okay.
Looking down from the roof, the ground below felt cozy rather than dizzying. Reaching it would end her exhausting life and bring eternal peace. One foot stepped into empty air, then the other left the railing. As everything rushed downward, terror of death mixed with anticipation of the end—
Snap!
Sudden pressure gripped her waist, floating her body in the air.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
A male student's shout followed. Only then did she realize someone had grabbed her. She thrashed wildly, but brute strength hauled her back onto the roof. Feeling helpless at not even being allowed to die on her terms, Seol Ara glared at him with resentment. Hot tears cascaded down her cheeks.
The boy who'd saved her stared back, shocked and flustered. He gathered his thoughts and approached cautiously.
"Tell me why you felt you had to do this."
"...".
A flicker of light appeared in Seol Ara's eyes. It was the first time anyone had asked about her story. Friends ignored her situation. Teachers looked away. Her parents, locked in cold war, had no bandwidth for their kid's issues. Yet this stranger she'd never spoken to was asking her to open up.
"...And if I do?"
Her quiet voice made the boy grin.
"I'll help you so you never have to make this choice again."
What a reckless kid. Adults couldn't fix it—how could he? He hadn't even heard her story yet.
But even so.
His confident demeanor sparked an inexplicable trust in her.
That was Seol Ara and Han Ji-woo's first meeting.
A lot happened after, and in the end, Han Ji-woo kept his word.
Now reunited after so long, they didn't bring it up. Talking about it would just hurt, and dungeon life was the more pressing topic now.
"So Hidden Space is like that. Amazing."
After Han Ji-woo's explanation of Hidden Space, it felt even more wondrous to Seol Ara. Han Ji-woo, meanwhile, felt a heavy weight in his chest. Seol Ara skimmed over her dungeon ordeals with a vague "it was tough," but gushed endlessly about how much his shared info had helped her. From that, he could guess just how brutal her days had been. She was sparing the details to avoid burdening him.
"Anyway, the dungeon clears are easier now, right?"
"Yeah, thanks to you. So don't worry too mu— Static—crackle— fine... crackle—"
"Huh? Ara?"
Han Ji-woo opened his eyes at the sudden noise. The imagined image of Seol Ara vanished.
Can you hear me, sir? The signal seems wea— crackle—static— sir! So— staaaaatic—crackle—
Intermittent bursts of Ferrofero's voice amid the static faded completely.
The strengthening aura of Hidden Space in the mini-dungeon had now severed even voice comms.
"Damn..."
Han Ji-woo smacked his lips. He knew it was for his protection, but the disappointment lingered.
"Nah. Knowing Ara's safe is huge."
That alone was a massive win. And unlike before, they'd talked for a good long time. Han Ji-woo finished his half-eaten watermelon, got dressed.
"We'll make it back together alive, Ara."
Muttering his heartfelt wish, he prepared to head down to the next floor.
"Voice comms are down now too, sir."
Ferrofero shook his head.
"Hidden Space? Its aura's blocking it?"
"Yes, sir."
Ferrofero's ears drooped. Seol Ara stroked his head.
"You're a good kitty, like I thought from the start."
"Wh-what do you mean, ma'am?"
"You wanted us to talk more, but since we can't, you're bummed. Right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"That's what makes you good. And we talked plenty anyway. No need. Chin up, kitty."
"Got it, ma'am!"
Her praise and pets lifted Ferrofero's spirits instantly.
"But kitty, where are you from? Not Earth."
"Me, ma'am?"
"Yeah. Just us two here."
Ferrofero's face lit up with emotion. First time since the dungeon anyone asked about him.
Thrilled, he jumped up and declared loudly.
"I was born and raised in the Cat Tribe Forest on the Bryunak Continent, ma'am!"
"Bryunak Continent's Cat Tribe Forest?"
"Yes, ma'am! Born into the guard knight family serving the royal clan of the Holy True Cat King! From a young age...!"
Ferrofero rambled nonstop for a solid 30 minutes, and Seol Ara listened with genuine interest.
"Cleared this one easy too."
Han Ji-woo found the entrance to the next floor on Mini-Dungeon B10. The difficulty was ramping up, but with the chubby hatchling by his side, it wasn't a struggle. This dungeon was a vast maze crawling with mid-grade monsters. Yet he smashed them all and escaped in under an hour.
Standing before the descending stairs, he opened the Synchronization Shop.
He sold all the loot from the monsters for 127 Synchronization Points. Spotting the stairs added 50 more, totaling 177.
Now he opened the Synchronization Investment tab.
1,121/5,000P
*Synchronization progresses every 100 investment points.
Steady investments had pushed it past 1,100. He dumped all his new points in.
"Please, tree or flower field this time!"
Kruuuu!
Despite Han Ji-woo and the chubby's desperate hopes—
Investment points have exceeded 1,200.
Synchronization begins. One building, creation, or acquired pet from Hidden Space will be randomly shared.
"Where am I?"
Pao appeared before him, looking baffled.
But it didn't matter. Han Ji-woo knew more allies were always better, thanks to the chubby one. As he moved to greet Pao warmly—
Hidden Space's aura infiltrating the mini-dungeon strengthens.
Hidden Space attempts to devour the mini-dungeon.