What the Hell Just Happened?
"...What the hell just happened?"
Jonathan stared blankly at the Chaos Bat crumbling into black ash. The others shot Mitchell expectant looks, demanding an explanation.
[Quest: Fire-Fearing Bat]
🎁 Rewards: Mid-Grade Comprehensive Item Box, Full recovery of all heroes' damage and wounds, Entrance to the next floor
A treasure chest wrapped in a soft glow materialized alongside the quest clear message. Where the Chaos Bat's corpse had vanished, loot piled high.
Lisa, her mental and physical damage healed by the quest reward, opened her eyes.
"Kyaaah... Huh?"
Having passed out right before the Chaos Bat could pulverize her, Lisa let out an involuntary scream upon waking. But the serene atmosphere around her made her clap a hand over her mouth.
She quickly scanned her surroundings, checked her quest window, and beamed with joy.
"We raided the boss mob? Everyone's safe?"
"Yeah~ Everyone's fine."
Seol Ara, beside her, gently stroked her head.
"What happened?"
"I'm dying to know too."
Josh suddenly jumped into the conversation between the two. He shifted his gaze from Mitchell to Ishihara Yui.
"But first, doesn't someone owe a thank you?"
"Ah!"
Memories of the moments before blacking out flooded back, and Lisa rushed to Ishihara Yui.
"Thank you, sis. That was so touching."
"Don't get the wrong idea. If you died, who'd make potions? That's why I saved you."
Despite her words, Lisa could sense Yui's true feelings. She thanked the Onelli siblings and Red too, then approached the Chaos Bat's loot.
"Whoa!"
As expected from a boss mob, all the loot was high-grade. Sure, it was underwhelming for high-grade stuff, but still better than mid-grade for potion-making.
"Anything useful?"
Irene Luker, the armor crafter, came over to inspect the loot with her.
"Sis, there's way too much you could use."
True to her word, the Chaos Bat's leather, fangs, bones, fur, claws, and more were perfect materials that Irene could turn into excellent armor and accessories. The two excitedly divided them up.
Finally, Mitchell spoke.
"I don't even know how to explain it. This is a first for me too. To cut to the chase, I've become the incarnation of a constellation."
"Constellation?"
"Ah! Han Ji-woo mentioned unlocking the constellation system. That must be it, right?"
Mitchell nodded.
"Yes. Right after that message appeared, someone spoke to me."
He then recounted how he'd contracted with Blancsia. The heroes erupted in admiration.
"4th-circle flame magic? That's amazing!"
"Brother Mitchell worked so hard to save everyone else—looks like the gods took pity and blessed you."
"Nah, that's not it, priest! It's Seol Ara's luck kicking in. Am I wrong? Anyone wanna argue? I'll punch first and hear you out after."
"Um... Yui."
"Diya? What's the goody-two-shoes doing stepping up? Curious about my fists?"
"No, it's Red... he says it's meaningful."
The innocent dark-skinned Indian youth flinched and nodded toward somewhere. There, Red crouched, scribbling in the dirt.
"Dude, why do you turn into a fangirl swooning over Han Ji-woo only when he's involved?"
"Wanna test me?"
Kayla intervened to stop them.
Meanwhile, Pierre, deep in thought, asked Mitchell,
"Only Blancsia has descended as a constellation in this dungeon, right?"
"That's what she said."
"Any other ways for constellations to descend?"
"Doesn't seem like something we can influence."
"So in the end, how many more descend depends on Han Ji-woo."
"Yes."
Pierre regretted that dungeon dwellers couldn't actively intervene in the constellation system. Still, its emergence was hugely welcome—without it, they'd have been wiped out this time. Plus, Mitchell's skills had improved beyond measure. If Fire Ball was a spark, 4th-circle flame magic was a roaring blaze. Their overall strength had surged.
Pierre approached Seol Ara, lost in her own thoughts.
"Ara, what kind of person is Ji-woo?"
"Huh? Ji-woo? Hmm..."
Seol Ara tapped her chin with a finger, blinking slowly, her lips curving into a pretty smile.
"Most would call him recklessly charging into evil lairs for total strangers without a second thought—a real loose cannon. But get to know him, and he's surprisingly meticulous. Then again, sometimes he's a total airhead. Cold to stuff he doesn't care about, but overflows with lingering affection."
Pierre tried picturing Han Ji-woo from her words, chuckled, and shook his head.
"Even more confusing now. No idea what he's like."
"You'll know right away when you meet him. What kind of guy he is."
"One word to sum him up?"
Seol Ara answered without hesitation.
"A rainbow."
"Ah."
Multicolored yet harmonious, beautiful without chaos, evoking no negativity. She condensed all that into one word. Pierre finally glimpsed an image of Han Ji-woo.
* * *
After seeing Palas off, Han Ji-woo felt an odd loneliness tugging at his heart.
"Just one day together, and already..."
Having reunited after so long, he'd opened up more than expected in that short time.
"Sigh."
To soothe his melancholy, he decided on baeksuk chicken soup. Nothing beats good food to satisfy primal urges and drown out other pains.
"Pao!"
"Yes, master!"
"Catch a chicken. Big one."
"Got it!"
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
* * *
Bubble bubble.
The horned chicken, processed by Pao and Han Ji-woo, boiled away in three massive pots. Its size demanded three whole pots for one bird.
The pets hovered restlessly around the stoves as the baeksuk neared completion. Toryong alternated checking the fires, humming cheerfully.
"Yohohoho~ Chicken stewing away~ This part's tasty! That one's chewy! This one's tender! Chopped up and tossed in the pot—delicious chicken!"
"Nice~!"
Han Ji-woo, thrilled at the impending feast, clapped along to the worm's rambling song.
"Plucked by Pao, chopped on the board, plunged into boiling water—delicious chicken!"
"Excellent~!"
"That chicken was someone's parent or sibling too, right~?"
"You little shit!"
Toryong blinked innocently at Han Ji-woo's rebuke.
"Lyrics not to your taste~?"
"How am I supposed to eat now with guilt tripping in?"
"If you can't, I'll eat your share too."
"Whoa... Scheming little bastard."
Suddenly, Ahn Do-hyun's poem "Seeping In" about soy-marinated crab roe came to mind. As the female crab soaks, whispering to her eggs, "Dinner's over. Lights out, bedtime." It instills guilt every bite of soy crab. Some swear off it after reading. Yet the poet devours it fine. Turns out, the "eggs" are just roe sac—not actual eggs. No need for sentiment. These chickens were evil monsters anyway—no guilt needed!
"Master! This fire's out!"
"Huh?"
Pao's call snapped him from his reverie. The fire under his pot had died.
Baeksuk needs constant fuel...
"Pao, slacking off?"
"Master! Fuel coming right up!"
"...Did you just order me around?"
"No no! Pao get it!"
Then Pao snapped off thirty Dungeon Tree branches and hauled them over.
Han Ji-woo yelped in alarm.
"Hey, can you even break Dungeon Tree branches?"
"Don't know."
"Why not apple tree branches instead?"
"Closer."
"Ah. My bad."
Han Ji-woo smiled, but his eyes didn't.
Pao finally got it and panicked.
"Sigh, what's done is done. Hand 'em over."
"H-here."
"Dungeon Tree okay?"
Still sapling-stage, but bigger than a full-grown regular tree, smaller than ancient ones. Thirty branches wouldn't show much.
"Eh, whatever. Can't reattach 'em." He tossed the thirty Dungeon Tree branches and fire flower petals into the crafting window. Bonfire complete.
"Pao, you rascal."
Dungeon Tree Branches x30 + Fire Flower Petals
'Unquenchable Bonfire' — Synthesis Possible
"Aigoo~ Pao, my boy!"
Pao's blunder turned legendary. Han Ji-woo hit synthesize, creating the unquenchable bonfire.
Fwoosh~!
Unlike normal flames, it burned with blue light across the stove base. Pets crowded around in awe.
"Pao, good job, real good."
"N-not mad?"
"Mad? At this cutie? Hahaha!"
"Broke Dungeon Tree branches. Master mad..."
"Bring sixty more."
* * *
The baeksuk bubbled furiously in the three stoves with unquenchable bonfires and was finally done. Han Ji-woo and the pets spread mats by a babbling brook and sat in a circle. Each had a heaping bowl.
Ingredients: chicken, garlic, mandragora with ginseng notes.
"Dig in."
At his word, the pets dove in. Toryong claimed a spot, gnawing chicken.
Han Ji-woo smiled warmly, sipping broth first.
Slurp~
"Ooh!"
Baeksuk. Undeniable baeksuk. Mild yet flavorful with chicken and ginseng essence!
"Like a dream."
Baeksuk by a cool stream, water murmuring? Peak bliss!
He snatched a drumstick, dipped in salt, devoured. Meat slid off bone, melting softly with each chew.
"So tender."
* * *
"So tender."
Esperona appeared before the party resting on Dungeon Floor 20. She gripped Seol Ara's throat.
"Why are you doing this?"
Mitchell asked calmly. The others glared with unease and fury.
But she just smirked, tightening her hold.
Jonathan couldn't take it, bellowing with bulging eyes.
"Cut the show! Dungeon Guards can't kill us!"
Esperona caressed Seol Ara's neck softly.
"Can't? You sure?"
Then squeezed.
...Crack.