Plunging into the Depths

Under the vast shadow of an unusually large dune, a stele loomed that looked suspicious to anyone who laid eyes on it. It stood only as tall as a person, but ancient script was boldly carved into its surface.

I squinted hard at the letters as I approached right up to it.

"...What the hell does it say?"

Swoosh—

Tteoksoon-i stepped closer to the stele from beside me. I startled and yelled.

"Hold up! Tteoksoon-i, stop!"

"Yes?"

Tteoksoon-i froze awkwardly, hand outstretched toward the stele.

"Don't touch it! You'll get sucked in like last time!"

"Ah!"

Tteoksoon-i hastily pulled her hand back.

If Baek Bal Baek Jung hadn't been there last time, we would've been totally wiped out in the dungeon. We might never have escaped at all.

"This isn't the time!"

I snapped back to my senses. Who knew what traps might be lurking around here? The ground could cave in under our feet any second, or we could get pulled into the stele again.

"Guys! Fall back!"

I ordered a tactical retreat before it was too late.

"Hm... what does it say?"

I had no idea what languages this game's AI, Simus, had referenced to create this bizarre ancient script, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. It wasn't Hangul, English, or Hanja—just meaningless squiggles.

"...Master."

"Yeah, what?"

I replied without taking my eye from the telescope.

"We could probably get a bit closer."

"Nah. Life's about playing it safe."

"...Pardon?"

I lowered the telescope. The distant stele shrank to the size of my thumbnail.

"Can't go rushing in without Baek Bal Baek Jung. We can see fine from here."

"...Understood."

I peered through the telescope again.

"...Ngh."

I groaned in frustration. No matter how hard I stared, it was total gibberish.

"Master, may I take a look?"

"Go ahead."

I handed the telescope to Geum Taeyang. He stared intently through it, then let out an exclamation.

"...Ah!"

"What, what! Figure something out?"

I asked excitedly. Geum Taeyang slowly lowered the telescope and looked at me with shameless innocence.

"No. I have no idea."

"...Then why the 'Ah!'?"

"Sand got in my eye."

"......"

This time, Tteoksoon-i reached out.

"May I try?"

"...Yeah, go for it."

Tteoksoon-i gaped wide-mouthed as she pressed the telescope to her eye.

"...Hey. You got it upside down."

"Oh, right. That explains why it felt weird."

She stared at the stele for a long while. What did she think she was seeing?

"...Oh!"

She must've spotted something!

"What, what! Find anything?"

Tteoksoon-i grinned with a hehe.

"No, I was just imitating you."

"......"

I snatched the telescope back from her beaming face.

"Gah, give it here."

"Hehe."

But even staring intently again didn't magically grant me ancient language skills.

"Hold this."

"Yes."

I handed the telescope to Geum Taeyang and muttered while envisioning the ladle.

"Summon!"

Poof—A plain ladle without fancy patterns appeared in my hand.

"What are you doing, Master?"

"Figured as long as we don't touch it with our hands, it'll be fine. We've got a safe distance too."

Standing around doing nothing felt lame. Might as well try everything possible.

"Extend!"

The Magic Ladle stretched out toward the stele. I cautiously poked it.

Tap.

"......"

"......"

"......"

Nothing happened, making our tension feel silly.

...Not sure if I should be relieved or disappointed.

I prodded various spots on the stele with the ladle, checking for traps or mechanisms.

Then—

Vrrr—

The stele suddenly glowed blue.

"Wh-what the!"

"The letters are glowing, Master!"

Geum Taeyang shouted urgently through the telescope.

See? I knew something was up!

"Run for it!"

We whipped around and bolted.

"Huff— huff—"

How long did we sprint through the sinking sand? Panting, we glanced back. The now pinky-nail-sized stele had gone quiet again.

"...Doesn't seem like a trap?"

We crept back to where the stele was thumbnail-sized.

"Geum Taeyang."

"Yes, Master."

"I'll poke it again with the ladle—watch closely."

"Yes."

I picked up the Magic Ladle I'd flung away and tapped the stele carefully.

Vrrr—

The stele glowed blue again. Geum Taeyang, watching through the telescope, spoke.

"...Oh? I can read it now."

"What? You suddenly understand ancient script?"

"No. The letters glowed blue and rearranged themselves."

"The letters moved?"

"Yes. They changed into readable characters."

Eh? What kind of trick was this?

Anyway, not the point right now.

"So, what does it say?"

"Yes. Let me read it."

Geum Taeyang cleared his throat and recited the glowing blue letters.

...What?

Flip.

The sound of turning pages. This was a renowned psychiatric clinic. Psychiatrist Seo Eunmi sat at her desk, reading.

Flip.

Flip.

Flip.

Flip.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

The door opened, and the nurse entered.

"Director, aren't you heading home?"

"Oh, Nurse Kim. Just about to."

Seo Eunmi stood, muttering as she tidied her desk.

"Time flew by... Can't tell when ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'm lost in a book."

Nurse Kim glanced at the book. Thick and academic-looking.

Scent-Engraved Nostalgia

"What're you reading?"

"Oh, just something linking scents to memories."

"Memories?"

"Yeah. One patient opened up thanks to nostalgic memories of his mom's home cooking."

"Ah, Seo Ji-hyun, coming tomorrow?"

"Yep. Got an idea from that—maybe combine it with cooking for therapy."

"Ooh, cooking and mental health... Sounds good to me."

Seo Eunmi chuckled.

"Not just 'cause you like eating, right?"

"Both are great, obviously."

Seo Eunmi grabbed her bag with the book and left the room.

"Let's clock out."

"Master, be careful."

"Got it."

We were now right in front of the stele. The inscription suggested we wouldn't get sucked in.

Tap.

Vrrr—

The carved letters glowed blue, wriggling into readable form.

Just as Geum Taeyang said.

"The deep abyss beneath the earth?"

What the heck did that mean?

"Deep abyss beneath the earth."

Go deep underground? But how deep was "abyss" deep?

"Deep abyss beneath the earth..."

Or was it metaphorical? A riddle?

As I racked my brain, Geum Taeyang raised his hand.

"Yes, Geum Taeyang. Speak."

"Doesn't it mean dig into the ground?"

"You think I didn't consider that? We don't even know how deep. Minus one point."

"Eek. We won't know till we try?"

"Nah, there's gotta be more to it."

I crossed my arms.

"Don't take it literally. Think from another angle. Multi-dimensionally, not one-dimensionally."

"Yes, understood."

"......"

"......"

"......"

"Should we dig?"

"...Let's dig."

"...Yes. But what about that point deduction..."

"What, want it gone?"

"Yes."

"...We'll see."

Digging in the desert was no joke. The dune's shadow blocked the sun, but the heat lingered stubbornly. Digging in that swelter left our faces flushed and sweat pouring.

We lacked a proper shovel, so frying pans had to do. Mine was the indestructible Moonlight Frying Pan; theirs were disposables we'd ditch after.

"Hup— hup—"

"Hah— hah—"

"Eek— eek—"

About thirty minutes in, the hole stopped deepening. Soft quicksand flowed back in as fast as we dug.

"Stop, stop!"

Swish—

"I said stop, you bastards!"

I futilely smacked the creeping quicksand filling our hard-dug pit. The outburst wasted my energy without halting the flow.

"Why won't you leave us alone!"

Thwack— thwack—

"Die! Die, you demons!"

Thwack— thwack—

"......"

"......"

Geum Taeyang and Tteoksoon-i stared at me blankly, faces red from heat.

After punching sand in rage, I collapsed, exhausted. I tossed them two cold buckwheat noodle broth cans from inventory.

"...Drink and rest."

"Yes, Master."

I pulled out the [Horn of the Lake Dragon] and splashed cool water on my face.

Whoosh—

Yudin Lake's chill water soothed my sunburned face and overheated head.

Brute-forcing a hole wasn't working. Think, think.

I jumped up, grabbed the Magic Ladle, and tapped the stele again.

Vrrr—

The letters glowed blue with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the same message.

I checked meticulously for missed hints, but nothing else.

"Argh!"

I hurled the ladle. It spun and sank softly into the sand.

Whirr— plop.

"How am I supposed to reach a deep abyss in soft sand like this! I'd drown first!"

Pounding the stele and yelling changed nothing.

"...Sigh."

I trudged over to retrieve the ladle. Only its head poked from the sand.

"...Huh?"

I approached, gripped the head, and lifted. Then plunged it back in.

Plop.

It sank effortlessly, no resistance.

A brilliant idea sparked.

"...Is this it?"

The stele only reacted to this Magic Ladle.

"...This is it."

It said "those who touch the deep abyss." No need to go personally—just touch it.

"This is it! This has to be!"

I dashed to our dug pit.

"Guys! Come here!"

"Found the way?"

"Obviously! Who do you think I am?"

"Wooow! Knew it! As expected of Master!"

I jammed the ladle upside down in the pit's center and shouted.

"Extend!"

Fwoosh—

The ladle pierced the sand, boring relentlessly into the depths.

"Oh, it's working! It's going!"

It plunged smoothly for a while, then halted.

—Clunk.

"Hm?"

No sound, but the jolt reached my hand.

"End of the line?"

I pressed the ladle's head firmly. Something squished under pressure.

Squish—

"...Did it work?"

Rumble—

"What's that noise?"

I pressed my ear ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the ground. Deep below, machinery whirred—like a massive beast's gut.

Swishhhh—

"...Huh? Master."

"What."

"Isn't the ground here sinking a bit?"

"What?"

Looking up at Tteoksoon-i's words, our spot was slowly subsiding.

"......! Jump!"

Swooooosh—

It was the roar of massive quicksand draining. We leaped to escape, but the flow was too strong.

"Master! We're getting sucked in!"

"Grab my hand!"

"Masteeer!"

And so, we swirled down the colossal quicksand drain like toilet water.