Eyes in Every Shadow
The views from the summons advancing in all directions filled his vision.
It was like CCTV footage, so there was no confusion.
Then, monsters appeared in the sights of a few of them. Mu-hyuk did his best to avoid fierce battles with the monsters.
Even when they attacked, he focused on defense while pouring all his effort into escaping. They occasionally ran into users, but it wasn't a big issue.
"What the hell are those skeletons?"
"Summons?"
"Isn't there a necromancer user nearby?"
"You think?"
"Don't attack. If we strike first and get a PK penalty, it'll be a headache."
"Yeah, good call."
Thanks to them holding back on their own, he could move much farther.
"How far'd you get?"
"Uh, like three blocks?"
"Not bad."
Sung Min-woo burned with enthusiasm, focusing intently.
"Whew, I'm at four blocks now!"
"Cool. I'm on five."
"Holy... "
But they couldn't go any further. If the sight range leveled up, the scope would widen, but for now, this was the limit.
"Got a rough map of the paths."
"Me too."
"Alright, let's check it out in detail."
Mu-hyuk focused on the summons' visions. About 20 minutes later, Sung Min-woo's flustered voice pierced his eardrums.
"Uh, uh...!"
"What?"
Mu-hyuk asked, and Sung Min-woo blankly turned his head.
"Th-think I found it."
"For real?"
"Yeah."
Sung Min-woo's pupils trembled.
That meant he was seriously shocked.
"Where?"
"This way."
Mu-hyuk followed Sung Min-woo.
Did he really find it?
It wasn't impossible, but he didn't get his hopes up too high in case Sung Min-woo had misseen it.
Then they ran into a monster, sparking a fierce fight.
Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo, who had been barely holding on, started gaining the upper hand as skeletons gathered one by one.
Experience has increased.
After a hard-fought victory, they headed back toward the destination.
"Right there."
"Left?"
"Yeah."
They took the left path and approached where a Fire sat.
In a shadowy corner where the wall met the floor, there was a tiny gap.
Pushing his head close to peer into the crevice, he could make out a faint shape.
"Something's there, yeah."
"No kidding?"
"But how'd you spot this?"
"This guy's extra bright. Made something sparkle, I guess."
"Ah."
If that was the case, they got seriously lucky.
What if this was really treasure?
Once acquired, all treasures reset after 48 hours.
It might be smarter to cleverly hide this spot's location and scout other treasures first.
They could keep using the summons.
That was the moment.
1 treasure discovered in total.
Time until reset: 47 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds.
Someone had found a treasure.
Damn.
This ruined Mu-hyuk's plan.
Guess they'd just take it.
Then Sung Min-woo asked.
"Reset? What's that mean?"
"Looks like discovering a treasure triggers the reset."
"So we're screwed?"
"You think it'd end that easy?"
"Right?"
"Yeah."
"Phew, thank god. Anyway, let's grab ours too."
Mu-hyuk drew his sword and wedged it into the gap.
Kigik, kigigik.
He twisted it this way and that to widen the crack.
Soon the floor crumbled, creating space, and Mu-hyuk reached in to grasp the object.
A cold chill and sharp edge met his hand.
A sword?
Pulling it through the gap, the blade emerged.
It was a sword.
But it caught on the hilt.
"Break this part for me."
"Got it."
Sung Min-woo smashed the floor with his knuckle gloves.
Kung, kuwoong!
After a few punches, they finally acquired the sword.
2 treasures discovered in total.
Time until reset: 47 hours, 57 minutes, 31 seconds.
Ignoring the full message, he examined the sword.
Item check.
A hologram appeared.
◈ Long ago, dragons crafted weapons among themselves to wager which was superior. Dozens of painstakingly made arms gathered in one place, and they tested which sword reigned supreme. The first trial pitted the blades against each other, shattering half. The second endured their lowest magic, breaking most, leaving three for the final test: piercing drake hide, kin to dragons. Only one sword pierced through and soared to the heavens. The dragons acknowledged it, enchanting it with minor magic and infusing it with drake blood for unmatched sharpness.
◈ Attack Power 195
◈ All Stats +2
◈ Additional Attack Power +25
◈ Movement Speed +5%
◈ Attack Speed +5%
◈ Increased Cutting Power
◈ Special: Damage Absorption
◈ Durability 340/340
◈ Requirements: Strength 75, Agility 55
Mu-hyuk's eyes widened.
"Jackpot...!"
"L-let me see!"
"Yeah, hold on."
Mu-hyuk hurriedly checked the special option.
Damage Absorption
Usable once every 24 hours. Creates a shield absorbing 5,000 damage for 5 seconds.
It was a jaw-dropping skill.
"Whoa."
His grip slackened involuntarily, and Sung Min-woo snatched the sword like he'd been waiting.
He checked the options and gaped even wider than Mu-hyuk.
"Y-you selling this?"
"Eh, dunno."
Mu-hyuk already had Kurkan's longsword. It boosted physical and magical attack, with transformation magic allowing free shifts to sword, bow, or staff—the ultimate weapon.
"Just use it yourself."
"Huh?"
"If not you, give it to an Armor Knight or something."
"What...?"
"Too good to sell. And honestly, it's overkill for me. Suits you better. If something perfect for me pops up later, I'll take that."
Truth be told, Mu-hyuk coveted the sword too.
If given to an Armor Knight?
The damage absorption would make it insanely efficient.
And the attack power was monstrous.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, puts my mind at ease. Feels like I'm getting too much already anyway."
"Hmm."
In truth, Mu-hyuk deserved most credit for finding the dungeon, and Sung Min-woo had received tons of his help before.
They benefited mutually, but undeniable truth: Mu-hyuk gave far more.
"Anyway, I'll just tag along for the rest of this treasure dungeon."
"Do what you want."
He wouldn't force it.
"Cool, let's hunt more?"
"Sure."
Both refocused on the summons' visions.
*
A post about the Treasure Dungeon appeared on the Illusion homepage. Nothing new since most knew already.
But adding the spicy PK element ramped up interest.
Got PKed in the Treasure Dungeon. Totally caught off guard. These robed users—maybe 20 of 'em—ambushed us while we were hunting fine.
Everyone got hit by robed users, right? Same here. Looks like infamy maxed out—red eyes hidden under robes. Helmets show eyes, but hoods down hide 'em. Watch out, folks.
Yura closed the homepage and lay in her capsule.
After logging in, she greeted her waiting teammates.
"Morning, everyone."
"Early bird."
"Director too."
"Just one more to go."
Right on cue, Sung Min-woo connected.
"Am I last?"
"Yup!"
"Agh, sorry!"
Before heading out, while prepping, Yura casually mentioned the homepage post.
"Hey, heard there are PK specialists in the Treasure Dungeon?"
"You saw it too, Yura?"
"Yeah. You too, Power?"
"Of course. Huge buzz. Hooded robe users, right?"
"Yeah."
"Guessing max infamy—red eyes."
"Why do that though?"
Yura approached Mu-hyuk amid the chatter.
"What about you, Mu-hyuk?"
"Hm?"
"Not worried about those guys?"
"Nah, not really."
"Could be dangerous."
Mu-hyuk just smiled.
Dangerous.
He half-hoped they'd show.
Crisis meant opportunity.
Those PKers were the same. Red eyes meant over 200 infamy—killing them dropped items.
20 of them? 20 drops.
The thought alone made him grin.
"Why the smile?"
"Nothing."
"You're impossible to read, Mu-hyuk."
That was the moment.
3 treasures discovered in total.
Time until reset: 40 hours, 1 minute, 19 seconds.
Already three treasures found.
Faster than expected.
Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo, having experienced it, stayed calm, but others panicked at the sudden message, scrambling to understand.
Only after Sung Min-woo's explanation did they nod.
"So you found treasures?"
"Yeah, Mu-hyuk and I stuck around last night, swept a bit more."
Kim Min-ho PD looked regretful.
"Too bad. If only we'd caught it on cam..."
"Right? Would've been gold."
"We gotta find one today, no matter what!"
Worried expressions followed.
"Reset message—we still don't know what it means exactly."
"Nope."
"Could vanish entirely..."
They looked quite urgent.
Kim Min-ho PD clapped.
Clap.
All eyes turned.
"Situation's heating up, so let's hustle. First, camera team."
"Yes."
"Just get a quick shot of Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo. We'll edit."
"Got it!"
Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo headed to a dark spot.
Eyeing each other.
Then nodding.
Filming ended there.
"Alright, let's move!"
They began the real search.
From morning through lunch to late night.
4 treasures discovered in total.
Time until reset: 28 hours, 29 minutes, 51 seconds.
Another treasure added in the meantime.
"Come on, a bit more push!"
Encouraging, they took the right path at the fork.
Once Mu-hyuk and his group vanished, 20 men in deep hoods appeared.
"Which way?"
"Hmm."
The pondering man pointed.
"Smells tasty. Real tasty."
They too chose right.